Top Gear is a firm favorite among car enthusiasts all over the world and has undergone several changes since its conception way back in the early 2000s. Yes, back in 2002, Top Gear was just a regular car show, conceived by the legendary and only partially-annoying Jeremy Clarkson. Back then, Clarkson was just your average petrolhead, obsessed with cars who found joy in talking about them. Over the years, the show changed, with Clarkson becoming more and more central to the premise of the show.
In the end, the show was mostly about Clarkson, as well as his band of merry men, Richard Hammond and James May. The trio would then be filmed getting up to no good, traveling around the world and insulting anybody that they set their eyes on. Arguably, the pranks were pretty funny, and the three hosts became synonymous with "banter" and hilarious stunts, but what about the cars? Clarkson and Co had seemingly forgotten what the show was originally about, with the automobiles taking second fiddle to the stars. Furthermore, the boys began reviewing any old car, even going as far as praising vehicles that were renowned failures.
After a whopping twenty-two series, Clarkson was sacked for punching a producer, and the show was revamped and rejuvenated. The next series was presented by Friends legend Matt LeBlanc, who seemingly brought fast cars and the love of automobiles back into the equation. So, here are 20 cars Top Gear loved and the rest of the world hated.
19 Vauxhall Zafira Tourer
The guys at Top Gear were big fans of the Vauxhall Zafira Tourer, as well as the entire Zafira range. In fact, they labeled the vehicle a "compliment" to the Zafira fleet rather than just a mere replacement. However, car critics all over the world branded the car as "dull" and named a number of rivals as bigger, better, and more substantial. Furthermore, the car has been criticized for being just too big, especially when wanting to find a parking space. Jeremy Clarkson clearly doesn't care and recently declared, "I came back to England, hired a Zafira and went for a drive. And I’m sorry, Autocar, but I’m right about this. The car’s extraordinary."
18 Bugatti Veyron
17 Volvo XC90
Ford Mustang GT V8
It is no secret that Top Gear is madly in love with the Ford Mustang, despite the changes and troubles it has had over the years.
In fact, the history of the car seems to cause them to forgive most things about it, with Clarkson naming it one of his favorites of all time.
For Clarkson, the Ford Mustang GT V8 is more of a muscle car than a sports car and reminds him "of the great Steve McQueen." For the rest of the world, the car was and still is a giant mess and is considered overrated, at the very least. Furthermore, the car has been criticized with regards to safety and received a 2-star safety rating in the NCAP test.
16 Nissan Qashqai
The Nissan Qashqai proved to be popular with the guys at Top Gear ,who ranked the vehicle as one of the most pleasant SUVs around. That's right, they wrote, "The Qashqai still ranks among the best small SUVs. It has a lot going for it." Sadly, the rest of the world disagreed, with the Qashqai said to be more trouble than it's worth. Furthermore, a number of owners have commented on the cost of owning the car, with some claiming that the vehicle is certainly not economical. In fact, most people stated that the although the car was originally in their budget, it ended up with them most definitely not getting their money's worth.
15 BMW E46 Touring
Top Gear were big fans of the BMW E46 Touring, so much so that they applauded the car with a number of worthy written accolades. For instance, they claimed that the car was "as good as it gets" as well as being labeled the fastest of the BMW 3 Series. However, Top Gear might have liked it, but the majority of other car critics didn't, well not much anyway.
That's right, although the car was extremely successful upon its release (it sold a record amount of vehicles in just one year), the car still had its issues.
A common complaint was with regards to the electricals and poor radio reception. It might seem like a small issue but when you are cruising down the highway, you need a little something to listen to!
14 Audi RS4 4.2 V8
When reviewing the Audi RS4, Jeremy Clarkson was particularly impressed with the steering, and wrote, "I couldn’t find anything wrong with the steering. No matter what driving mode I selected, it, along with everything else, felt giddy and brilliant. And, best of all, this was the first fast Audi I’d driven in years that didn’t have squeaky brakes." It was clear that Clarkson liked the car, although he wasn't a huge fan. The rest of the world agreed, but instead of finding one thing to praise, they ignored it all together and insulted it for just about every single detail. Yes, the Audi RS 4 is a car to avoid at all costs, according to all car critics not on Top Gear, anyways.
13 Renault Scenic
Jeremy Clarkson has always been a big fan of Renault, with the Renault Scenic seemingly no different. Upon its release, the boys at Top Gear praised the car to no end, mostly regards to the size. That's right, the team wrote, "It’s the new Renault Scenic – perhaps the most outrageously styled MPV of recent times, alongside Citroen’s C4 Picasso. Much of it is down to the wheels, which are not 17s, 18s or even 19s, but whopping 20 inches – the same size as you get on a Bentley Mulsanne. They’re standard on even the most basic version, which is quite a talking point, but also a distraction from the Scenic’s number one job of looking after the family. Thankfully, it’s quite good at it." However, sadly, others didn't agree and mocked the car for attempting to be something it is most definitely not.
12 Ford Focus Mk1
11 Ferrari 488 GTB
Jeremy Clarkson is a big fan of Ferrari and often gives their cars some great reviews. The Ferrari 488 GBT was a firm favorite of Clarkson, who labeled it the best yet. In fact, Clarkson wrote, "As a driving machine, it’s — there’s no other word — perfect," and praised the car's engine and driving dynamics. The car was liked elsewhere, with the rest of the world agreeing with most of what Clarkson had said. However, unlike Clarkson, others were willing to point out its weak points, with critics claiming that there were no such things as a perfect car. You be the judge.
10 Kia Stinger
The boys at Top Gear were big fans of the Kia Stinger, writing, "Nice job, Kia. The Stinger drives well enough to be taken seriously, looks interesting enough to stand out, and is well-equipped and well built enough to justify the highest prices ever applied to a Kia model."
The review didn't seem to add up with critics elsewhere, though.
That's right, the car has been criticized for its exhaust note, with the sound likened to that of a weak muscle car with zero aspiration. In addition, other details, such as the fake hood vents and over-exaggerated paint job, have been mocked continuously across the globe.
9 Audi A2
Upon its release, the guys at Top Gear praised the Audi A2 for its spacious and excellent build along with a rock-solid dashboard and user-friendly mobility. In fact, the car was said to have been way ahead of its time, with Audi having high hopes for its little hatchback. However, for many, "spacious" was seemingly not enough, with the car eventually labeled a motoring disaster for its poor sales and high costs. That's right, the car was expensive for what it was and was also extremely expensive to repair, a factor that contributed to its demise.
8 Honda NSX
The new generation of Honda NSX was a huge success, according to Top Gear, with the car magazine writing, "Honda NSX review: 10 years in the making, and not one of them wasted. Say hello to the NSX."
Yes, Top Gear was extremely pleased with the vehicle and rated it exceptionally highly.
However, other's weren't as generous with their reviews and called the ten-year wait a waste of time. That's right, a number of car critics complained of the noise, with the car said to be uneconomical and bumpy, especially when putting your foot down. Furthermore, the steering was reported as being numb and hard, which then created a somewhat disturbing wobble.
7 McLaren F1
Top Gear is known for its love of supercars, especially the really fast ones, so it is no surprise that the McLaren F1 was a firm favorite. In fact, one reviewer at Top Gear wrote, "I’ve owned, raced, driven a lot of nice cars and most of them pass on to someone else after a few years, but this car is so extraordinary and I just love it so much every time I hop into it that I would feel real loss if I let it go." Yes, the McLaren F1 is often referred to as the original dream car and is constantly applaud both in writing and on screen. However, although the majority of the world agreed, some didn't and claimed that the car was near the bottom of the greatest supercars in the world.
6 Pagani Huayra
The Pagani Huayra is an Italian mid-engined sports car released in 2012. The car was named "The Hypercar of the Year 2012" by Top Gear magazine and received exceptionally positive reviews when tested by Richard Hammond on Top Gear the TV show.
However, although it was also popular all over the world, one man in particular wasn't such a fan.
That's right, none other than Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton has repeatedly claimed that his Pagani Huayra is awful, stating, "The Zonda is terrible to drive! It’s the best-sounding car I own, but handling-wise it’s the worst. I got it in manual because I didn’t like the Tiptronic version."
5 Lotus Elise
The Lotus Elise was a firm favorite with the guys at Top Gear, who wrote, "If the Elise were music, it would be blues. Raw, emotional, stripped back and pared-down." However, although the car is mostly adored around the world and applauded for its speed and agility, the compliments are mainly in regards to how fast and cool it is to drive. Sadly, it seems to be about excitement rather than comfort, with the car often mocked for being extremely difficult to get in and out of. Plus, the vehicle is said to be exceptionally uncomfortable and in some cases, painful. Ouch!
4 Mazda MX-5
In series sixteen, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May attempted to prove that they were wise and able men by driving around the Middle East in three secondhand cars.
Clarkson bought a Mazda MX-5, which proved to be a disaster in the terrain of the sandy desert despite its technicolor paint job.
However, Clarkson being Clarkson, he claimed the car could do no wrong, with the original vehicle now on display in The UK. However, critics seemingly did not agree, with the limited space and awkward positioning to blame. Whatever the case, Clarkson loves it, and that's all that matters right?
3 Fiat 500
The Fiat 500 in all its iterations has been around forever, with every generation basically the same as the last one, despite becoming more bulbous, or morphing into an SUV. But that doesn't mean it is a bad car, in fact, it means the opposite. Yes, the Fiat 500 is a steady classic and a car that you can most definitely rely on. Top Gear agreed and recently wrote, "The Fiat 500 has now been around so long that its retro pastiche schtick is old enough to re-retro. Seriously. This 500 first appeared back in 2007, and aside from a minor facelift in 2015, it’s still soldiering on unchanged." However, although Top Gear might be full of praise for the little car that keeps on going, the rest world seemingly disagrees claiming that there are much better city cars that are also a lot cheaper.
2 Land Rover Defender
Top Gear the TV show is known for fawning over gas guzzlers and cars that are terrible for the environment (apart from James May, of course) so it is no surprise to see them gushing over the Land Rover Defender.
However, most people disagreed and called the Land Rover a nuisance to drive.
Yes, the car was berated for being extremely uncomfortable, cramped and old. The steering was reported to be slow and sticky, with the suspension also blasted for being too bouncy. And if that wasn't enough, the noise was said to be out of this world and impossible to ignore. But, it is worth noting that all of this is on-road, and off-road the car works like an absolute charm.
1 Lexus LFA
Jeremy Clarkson is a huge supporter of the Lexus LFA, despite the mocking of costars Richard Hammond and James May. Clarkson once proclaimed, "I love the LFA a lot. So much, that I recently described it as the best car I’ve ever driven." However, the rest of the world did not agree, with the car labeled as the "$400,000 supercar that people have forgotten." Sadly, it seems to be true as the car has often been overlooked or just simply passed over in favor of something else. In other words, the car isn't bad, it's just not as good as the others even though it's just as expensive, if not more so.
Sources: topgear.com, thetimes.co.uk, and caranddriver.com.