The Best Cars For Autumn

With September now firmly past the half way mark, the darker evenings beginning to draw in and the recent torrent of rain ensuring the sunshine of a couple of weeks ago is already a distant memory, people’s car buying habits switch from supercars and sports cars to SUV’s. But just because we may have seen the last of the summer, it doesn’t mean that your car buying choices have to suffer. We have put together a helpful guide of the Best Cars For Autumn that you may not have necessarily thought of, making sure you can still enjoy the thrill of driving without the need for the summer sunshine.

Autumn Grand Touring

Driving hundreds of miles across countries or cruising your way to the South of France for a summer break is what GT cars were made for. The perfect combination of power and speed mixed with the upmost in luxury and refinement that means any trip is a pleasure to undertake. But when the seasons change, however, you want to make sure that you can still enjoy the same type of journey whatever the weather.

The epitome of Grand Touring motoring has for many years been the Bentley Continental GT. All the power you would ever need, the ability to effortlessly conquer mile after mile and one of the most lavish and finely detailed interiors on the market, the Continental GT has everything. Bentley has always exuded luxury and opulence, yet the latest version also offers the very latest technology and sophistication to ensure the ride, handling and performance are also on parr with the very best. Not to mention a sophisticated four-wheel drive system akin to that of sister company Audi, ensuring your grand tour can take you to any climate you wish. Now with a new facelift and hybridised version on its way, the Continental GT can stay at the top of the grand touring game for many years to come.

For those looking for that mix of power, style, all-wheel drive and grand touring ability, yet for a more reserved budget, look no further than the stunning Jaguar F-Type. It is easy to see the influences of the iconic E-Type in the design of the F-Type, and from almost every angle, Jaguar’s design team seem to have got it just right. The long, defined bonnet, muscular rear arches and slim styling to the lights are effortlessly chic and the perfect nod to the famous 60’s legend. The ability to cruise far and wide whilst in total comfort mean that the Jaguar is more than capable of continuing to perform through into Autumn and beyond. Jaguar’s push to an all-electric line-up has meant that the F-Type’s days are numbered, and it has been announced that there won’t be an electric version on its way. Sadly, this may be the last time to get your hands on one of the best sounding combustion engine cars around.

Autumn SUVs

The SUV or 4×4 or ‘off-roader’ is something that should easily be able to handle whatever Autumnal weather can throw at it. But being capable should not meant that you must surrender owning a vehicle with style and desirability in abundance. Many SUV’s claim to be stylish at the same time as being accomplished when the weather does take a turn, but often that is not the case. Thankfully there are some that manage to do both.

The utilitarian looks, seemingly limitless power, and sumptuous interior comfort that the Mercedes Benz G63 AMG offers are a combination that on paper should not really work. With very few design tweaks to the retro styling in over 40 years of production, it is the rugged charm and bulletproof persona that makes the G63 appealing to so many. Inside it is pure Mercedes Benz luxury with the finest leathers, abundance of technology, plentiful assist systems and of course the rumble from that familiar AMG V8 soundtrack that is always pleasing to the ear. These days the ‘G-Wagon’ may look more at home cruising the urban jungle, but thanks to it originally being developed for the military, it is just at home exploring the actual jungle.

However, if design chic and actual off-road ability is what you are looking for, there has always been a literal king of the hill, and one that has recently undergone a complete overhaul to bring it bang up to date. The Land Rover Defender has always been the go-to reference for dependability when the going gets tough and you need to keep on going. On the road, however, many that drove one were put off by the utilitarian interior and driving experience, or lack of it. With the latest Defender, Land Rover have produced styling inspired by the original’s iconic silhouette and design features, and teamed it with the latest technology, interior comfort and on-road performance of the best premium SUV’s.

Autumn Hybrids

For many years the idea of a Hybrid was something that looked a bit quirky yet had very limited performance (both in terms of speed and actual range) but was seen as the sacrifice an owner was making in order to save the planet. Now, nearly all mainstream manufacturers have a range of hybrid options in their line-up, and many are almost indistinguishable to look at from their petrol or diesel equivalents. They also play an important part in ensuring that the introduction of electrification to the motor industry, can be seen as a more acceptable transition, combining the very best of both worlds from electric and fossil fuel power.

One of the most impressive hybrid options on the market comes from Land Rover and their flagship Range Rover model. Everything you already loved about the Range Rover is even better in the latest model, in fact until the car eerily starts moving around without making a sound, you’d be hard pushed to even know that you were in a hybrid at all. As well as the electric only running mode that can offer just over 70 miles of petrol free motoring, the top of the range P550e engine offers combined fuel consumption of up to 366 miles per gallon. Seemingly at odds with the 550 bhp on offer and the fact that this 2.8 tonne vehicle can accelerate from 0-62mph in just 4.8 seconds. All this with the famed Range Rover opulence to the interior, as well as the more than capable off-road ability, makes this car not just the perfect Autumn vehicle, but quite possibly the ultimate car from every season and every occasion.

At the other end of the scale, yet still very much a hybrid, is the much overlooked yet seriously impressive Honda NSX. A reimagining of the legendary NSX supercar, Honda decided to deploy the very latest in hybrid technology, which at launch was the same as that seen on the Porsche 918 Spyder hypercar, but for a fraction of the price. The blend of a twin-turbo V6 petrol engine, a trio of electric motors for both power and efficiency, as well as four-wheel drive for added stability, mean that the NSX stands out from the crowd as something a bit different. Even 8 years after its launch, its futuristic looks and hybrid technology remains a very tempting prospect.

The speed may be blistering and the looks like something from the future, but perhaps the most impressive thing about the NSX is how easy it is to drive. Driving around town or on a daily commute and apart from looking at the futuristic interior, you could easily think you were in a Civic, such are the levels of comfort and the way it switches between electric and petrol power seamlessly and for most efficiency. If anything shows what is possible using the efficiency of hybrid technology that doesn’t get in the way or make excuses in order to spoil the experience, this would be it.

Autumn Electric Motoring

Whatever opinions we have it seems like there is no avoiding the fact that electric cars are the future of motoring. The looming combustion engine ban shows no signs of being pushed back, in fact the Government recently brought the ban back to its 2030 initial date rather than postpone it. Thankfully, car manufacturers have put a major focus on actual driving experience with electric cars, producing cars that are more enjoyable to drive not having to make excuses for the fact it is electric powered. The fact that combustion engines are soon to be a thing of the past may, for many, sound like Armageddon, but compared to where electric cars where a decade ago, things are certainly getting much better.

Surely the best way to avoid the wild winds and driving rain that Autumn often throws at us is to find a car that cocoons you like no other. An electric car that as well as offering silent motoring, is also able to offer without question the most comfortable ride, the latest technology and all the power you’d ever need at the same time. It was almost a given that the ‘Rolls Royce of electric cars’ was going to be an electric Rolls Royce, and the Spectre certainly does not disappoint. The blend of Rolls Royce excellence combined with the effortless quiet surge of power from the 576bhp twin-motor set up was always going to be a match made in heaven. The combustion engine experience was never exactly a noisy or clunky one, a Rolls Royce V12 was about as smooth as you can get, yet if any car suited electric car motoring it was always going one with the Spirit of Ecstasy adorning the bonnet. For a brand that claims to be a byword for quite simply the best cars money can buy, they have ensured their first foray into the electric vehicle market places them right at the very top of the tree.

If you were asked to name a manufacturer who would be one of the first to produce an all-electric genuine performance minded sports car that looks every bit on-brand, drives like it should based upon their legendary racing heritage, and be able to actually improve its reputation for build quality and reliability in the process, Maserati probably wouldn’t have been at the top of that list. The fact that they have launched the all-electric ‘Foglore’ version of their all-new GranTurismo along with a V6 and V8 variant shows that they aren’t wanting to alienate their existing customer base just yet. However, the statistics show just how serious they are taking the electric version. Whilst the flagship V8 variant produces a more than healthy 542bhp, that is nothing compared to the tr-motor BEV with its 750bhp. Luckily it also comes with all-wheel drive for slippery British B-roads and the usual blend of luxuriousness, the finest Italian leathers and stunning design. You can even get it in a convertible for silent top down motoring for when the Autumn weather isn’t doing its worst.

Autumn Convertibles

The nice weather may already be on its way out, but there may still be an Indian summer on the cards before the temperature really drops if we are lucky. With that in mind, it is worth considering a convertible for those few days of sun we may still get for the remainder of the year. But rather than having to endure a rainy autumn with the rain beating down on a noisy a fabric roof, why not get one that has a folding hard top, and while you are at it, one that is also four-wheel drive for when the weather takes a turn for the worse.

For those with a bigger budget there is the sensational Ferrari SF90 Spider. Supercar looks, power and speed, yet unusually for Ferrari, their very first plug in hybrid, a hard top folding roof and four-wheel drive. The SF90 may not be your typical prancing horse on paper but to drive, look at or listen to, it is every bit Maranello’s finest. With the help of 3 electric motors and a 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine, the SF90 is capable of 0-62mph in just 2.5 seconds and has 987bhp yet kept in check with the help of that four-wheel drive system for when the British Autumn weather is ‘less than optimal’.

For similar open-air thrills, yet at around a third of the price, Porsche’s 911 Targa 4, 4S or 4 GTS offer a similar blend of sports car driving and looks, four-wheel drive stability and assurance, and without a doubt the coolest folding roof mechanism on the market today. The way the roof folds up and down is pure engineering pantomime, and you would certainly find yourself putting it up and down even more often just to watch the whole process again and again. Whilst the 911 is often considered by most as the ultimate everyday sports car, being a Porsche, you know it will also remain reliable and perform day after day, and thanks to all-wheel drive, whatever the weather throws at you too. The Targa offers effortlessly chic motoring and enough performance to ensure it could be the ultimate car for all seasons.

Autumn Performance

The performance car has become a lot more accessible in recent years, partly down to the fact that the latest car models seem to be getting quicker with each generation, but also the fact you can get near supercar performance even in as low down the motoring hierarchy as a select few hot hatches these days. For power and usability mixed with the reassurance of four-wheel drive and all-weather usability, look no further than the Audi Sport range of cars.

At the top of the Audi tree is arguably the most user-friendly supercar of them all, the fantastic R8. A howling naturally aspirated V10 engine, all-wheel drive stability, stunning exotic looks and the familiarity and ease of driving of any of the rest of the Audi range. Quite simply the R8 is fantastic to drive at any time of year and at any speed. The refinement, build quality and reliability will ensure that the flagship Audi will continue to plough on where most supercars would struggle in adverse weather conditions and falling temperatures. With most cars now making the move to hybrid power and electrification, the V10 R8 could be the last of the great combustion engine supercars, and is already slated to be the very last R8 iteration. What a way to go out with a bang.

Working your way through the rest of the Audi range and the ‘RS’ range of models offer 90% of the performance of the flagship R8, yet with a ‘something for everyone’ approach. From the practical RS6 and RS4 super-estates offering not just the pace but also the practicality, the stylish RS5 and TT RS coupes for the ultimate in style mixed with muscular bodywork hinting at the power underneath, even the pocket rocket RS3 in saloon or hatchback form offers 400bhp and 0-62 times of well under 4 seconds, meaning they can keep up with and outperform cars they really shouldn’t be able to. All RS models offer the perfect blend of performance for all weathers thanks to the iconic quattro four-wheel drive system, and couple it with aggressive styling, comfortable cruising ability and the latest technology for the ultimate all round package perfect for that changeable Autumn weather.

Car Finance Any Time Of The Year

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