O to the races
The joy of normal.
I’m told Doncaster’s St Leger Festival is one of the most vibrant events on the UK horse-racing calendar, so when the opportunity to go for the first time presents itself, I immediately get to planning. My transport choices are rich and varied: a Honda E, a Caterham 170S, or my Citroën C4.
At 212 miles each way, the distance between London and Doncaster eliminates the E: a range of 125 miles means I’d be charging at least four times on the M1-heavy trip. Even with suitable chargers, that’d still make for around four hours of extra journey time. What of the Caterham 170S, with me for a First Drive story that appeared in last month’s CAR? While incredibly engaging, it is clearly unsuitable, with its busy, noisy ride and cramped cabin.
Leaving the C4. It’s a car built for easy miles, and here is a perfect chance to let it shine.
The huge tank and decent eciency mean that, unlike the Honda, the Citroën requires just one fill-up (and only needs that because the tank isn’t full at the start of the day). The C4 isn’t the most advanced car, but it has all the tech you’d want for journeys like this. Its semi-autonomous guiding functions make for less fatiguing motorway driving, with both adaptive cruise and lane-keeping supporting my own inputs. Android Auto also makes a difference. In addition to keeping us on the quickest, smartest route, its robust user interface, with voice control, means it’s easy to switch between podcasts, music and navigation instructions.
The only negative? Upon leaving the event, heavy trac puts me at the mercy of the Citroën’s auto start/stop function. I’d decided to give it another go, but after just a few minutes it effectively stalls the car just as I want to pull out, so that will now stay deactivated.