Dissent in the ranks
You say tomato. By Ben Whitworth
Of the many cars I’ve lived with over the years, very few have ever caused even a flicker on my wife’s small but no doubt perfectly calibrated radar. The Caterham 160, Honda CR-Z, Volvo XC70 and Mazda MX-5 all received her approval.
The others? Just transport; they served their purpose but then they were instantly forgotten. Harsh, but the same approach that the vast majority of non-enthusiasts adopt. The Zoe, however, currently sits at the top of her shortlist of best-ever cars.
So what rockets this French electric supermini in to pole position? Its engaging pace is a good place to start. Its 9.5 second on-paper sprint to 62mph may not be worth getting all frothy about, but the way the Zoe catapults from standstill to 40mph without pausing for breath is not only a boon on busy roundabouts and when gap-chasing in heavy traffic, but also entertainingly useful when seeing off tailgaters and putting traffic bullies in their place.
The elevated driving position is also on her list of positives. Where I find the towering driver’s seat a pain in the neck, Mrs Whitworth loves the enhanced visibility and eye-contact confidence it brings to daily driving. Heated seats, warm steering wheel, the ability to defrost before driving off in the morning or being capable of instantly pouring out ice-cold air on a warm day are also greatly appreciated. As is the crisp clarity of the superb sound system, and the ease with which it hooks up with her iPhone. Strangely, it can be a bit prissy when it comes to recognising my phone...
We both agree – there’s a first – on our dislike of the Zoe’s brittle and abrupt ride quality. It takes the shine off what would very easily be a car we would and could live with all year round.
The other minor black marks I’ve touched on – bullet-proof plastics, scuff-prone door surrounds, tricky rear door handles – don’t even raise an eyebrow.