Steve Cropley: Where are all the truly refined small cars?

If Range Rover put this on a hot wash, it would have at least one buyer

Our man wants a fairly tall, four-metre-long hatchback car - basically a mini Range Rover

This week, Cropley enjoys a spurt in his Dacia but reflects why it still isn't his ideal set of wheels. Later, a couple of fantastic bits of customer service make his day, before he reflects on the strange delight of putting together the Autocar Awards issue.

*Monday*

Drifting about today in my new Dacia Sandero Stepway, having recently given back a Bentley Bentayga, I’m beset by the feeling that despite the opposed excellence of these cars, nobody has yet built me the ideal set of wheels. Or got close. What I want is a truly refined, fairly tall, four-metre-long hatchback car that has good handling and a supple ride whether it’s lightly or fully laden, and that generates an absolute minimum of wind and tyre noise. I don’t need high performance (just enough) but my priority is avoiding oppressive wind and tyre noise so I can hear the hi-fi clearly while cruising on typical UK surfaces. In short, I need a much smaller Range Rover. I know such a vehicle would be considered very pricey for its size but, like an increasing number of drivers, I’ve come to regard compactness as an asset. Why must we buy bulk to get capability?

*Tuesday*

A couple of fantastic bits of customer service made my day after I’d woken up worrying on two counts. First, despite much internet searching, I was still lacking the correct electrical connector for a trailer that I was about to tug halfway across England. Second, having spent too much time listening fruitlessly to phone music, I hadn’t managed to arrange adequate insurance for the vehicle (a motorbike) that I needed to carry. Within an hour, the problems had melted away.

In an unlikely, fortress-like branch of Halfords buried in a car park at Stroud, near my home, a confident and knowledgeable woman behind the counter instantly found me the gadget I needed for £6.95. Next, I boldly ditched my usual insurer for another advertising ‘specialist service’. After five minutes spent cheerily imparting vital details, a nice bloke called James had arranged the cover I needed. A 240-mile journey then went perfectly, with the Sandero trip computer yielding just over 50mpg. The rest of the day was all smiles.

*Wednesday*

It’s been a strange delight for us at Autocar, putting together this annual awards issue. The delight part is because we believe it’s an important part of Autocar’s mission to recognise and praise the highest achievers of the motor industry. The strange part comes because we’ve done quite a lot of this year’s reporting remotely instead of meeting winners face to face. I’d like to say that’s been difficult, but it hasn’t. We’ve all adapted and are quite proud of the result. Hope you enjoy it, too.

*Thursday*

Good fun at the Curborough sprint track, near Lichfield, watching the first tranche of Autocar Shelsley Walsh Young Drivers Championship entrants getting a day’s driving instruction before tackling their first event there on 11 July. They were all raw recruits, but by mid-morning, they all really started to get going, which was sweet to watch. The competition aims to attract 17- to 21-year-olds, driving 1.2-litre Vauxhall Corsas that cost less than £3000, and entries are still open. Six rounds are planned this year; full details at shelsleywalsh.com.

*Friday*

One of my neighbours has just bought a seasoned 1990s Jeep Cherokee, several generations old, and I’m seized by jealousy because I always wanted one. Of course, the moment has long passed. You could hardly imagine a less economical or refined vehicle, given that it’s powered by either a crude 4.0-litre six or a chuntering 2.5 turbo diesel. But back in the day, a few of us drove a couple of these things halfway up California’s Rubicon Trail (a Jeep stronghold) in company with a Range Rover, and the Jeep was by far the more capable, not least because it fitted neatly through many tight gaps between boulders. These days, you can get one on eBay for £1500. I’m proud of myself for resisting.

*And another thing...*

Charging points in my area of the Cotswolds are starting to sprout, like buds in May (or June). Not just that, but installers and operators are offering contactless payment, too. Praise be! The system’s starting work.

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