We've got to move on. A lot of new
small cars have been launched recently. And the producer said that thousands
and thousands of people are going to buy them and that it was
our responsibility to test them. Now, frankly, this was
a shoulder-sagging moment really. Not a good prospect
and then I had a brainwave. Instead of us testing them, we'd get them tested by Mrs Hammond,
Mrs May and Mrs Clarkson, our mothers! The first complaint, the cups are dirty. This is Mrs Hammond.
Currently she drives a Mazda 626, but she once had a Volvo 340,
which she describes as lovely. So, we can see where her son
gets his taste in cars from. This is Mrs Clarkson.
She doesn't care what car she drives, so long as it has an automatic gearbox
and Classic FM on the stereo. So naturally, she has a Honda Jazz. And finally, this is Mrs May,
who has a Seat Rosa. She's been done for speeding twice,
which is two times more than James. So that's the mothers and these are
the cars they'll be testing. The new Renault Modus...
Honey I Shrunk The Espace. It's crammed with lots of storage space
and versatile seating. Then there's the space-age Peugeot 1007. This has electronic sliding doors
and a pick-and-mix dashboard. And finally, there's the new Honda Jazz. Well, when I say new,
it has new headlamps. No real tricks here, but it is a Honda, so it's likely to last even longer
than our mothers. Anyway, it's time to introduce
the cars to our mums... Wouldn't it be funny
if they hit each other? ..and get their expert opinions. One's yellow. What's the other?
Blue and a ghastly green. Clearly some blanks need to be filled in. -Hello, Mums.
-Hello. -Hello, James.
-Hi, there. There they are. They're all small cars. The viewers, they want to know which is
the best car, from your point of view. Because if it's just us, we'll
drive round corners too fast and squeal rubber
and that'll be pointless. They all cost between £11,000 and £12,000. They're all small. They've all got
1.4 litre engines. They're all... -Is the heater on?
-The heaters are on. They're warm. They're all going to have heaters.
You'd be hard pressed to find anything... If I say I don't like the Jazz
will you still speak to me? -No.
-Oh! With the bones of the cars explained we thought it might be a good idea
to crack on with things. Now, time for the first challenge,
the living with it test. I've set up all three cars for us,
not our mums, what we want to know
is how easy or hard it is for them to get settled in
and make themselves at home. Yeah, now on the signal, the mothers are
going to run to the cars, Le Mans style, unlock the doors, get in, they'll have to adjust the seats,
adjust the mirrors, change the radio station
from Kiss FM to Classic FM and then, unlike any other motor race
you've ever seen, the winner is the first one to set off. The conventional Honda
should play well here, unlike the more high-tech Frenchies, especially the Peugeot
with its electric doors and flappy paddle gearbox. And they're off! No, no, no! Mrs Clarkson goes for the Peugeot. Mrs Hammond for the Renault. The child-locks must be on. And Mrs May
for the simple-as-you-like Honda. You need your seat
in a comfortable position. I'm not here to help you.
I'm here to make sure you don't cheat. -Do you like the doors?
-No. I can't help you. I
can only check you don't cheat. -But it is a knob on the right.
-Oh, yes! I got it! There you go. Excellent. -What are you fiddling with?
-Nothing. I was checking it's working. Oh, heavens! Mrs May has
already got her engine started! You need to press a button
that unfolds the mirrors. -Do you want to put your specs on?
-I can't see buttons. Do... Engine. I'm pressing the little button
and nothing's happening. -Yes!
-Yes! -Just check my hair.
-Yes. -There's a key. No, because...
-Key... -There's your wipers.
-Those are wipers. That's your indicator on. Yeah, what you're doing there
is pressing every button until you hear Terry Wogan! -Right.
-That's Radio 1. -Oh, foot on the brake. Is that it?
-Could be. -Yes!
-Ah, you see? -For being corrupted.
-No, that's 4. This is technically a race. -That's too far!
-It seeks. -Yes!
-Yes! Go! Go! Mrs May is underway. Victory! -That's easy...
-Well, good on her! No, it's just that must mean the Honda
Jazz is an easy car to understand. We're good to go. The Mays have gone. Clarkson's not going anywhere. So close! Oh, and it's gone away!
It was on the dashboard and it's gone! You got it! That's better. Okay, go! Now we move
into the flappy paddle gearbox. -Put it into auto?
-Could do. -Will it go now?
-May do. -We're moving! Handbrake's on.
-We're not... The handbrake's on. Now! -Hooray!
-There is movement! So, then, a clear victory for the Honda
Jazz in the user-friendliness test. And a solid last place for
the decidedly unfriendly Peugeot. But what will happen
in the next challenge? Right. It's time to test these cars
for outright speed and to do that, we've organised
a special mothers' drag race. The clear favourite is the Renault Modus. Goes from nought to 60
in 11 and a half seconds, thanks to its 97 brake horsepower engine. Whereas the Peugeot,
with just 75 brake horsepower and those heavy electric doors,
is the rank outsider. Good start, that.
The lights were green for 15 minutes. Come on, come on. It's nought to 60 in 18 seconds,
the Peugeot. Did the Renault win there? Yes, it did, pipping the Honda
and thrashing the Peugeot! -How fast did you go across the line?
-No idea. I didn't want to look. -Anyone see a speedometer?
-No. -Can we do it again?
-Not really, no. So, one victory each
for the Renault and the Honda and nothing for the Peugeot. But our maternal shoot-out isn't over yet.
I was able to guess Hammond's mom pretty easy ... the shortest one
Which season? Thoroughly entertaining clip.
One of my favorites! Really wish they had done it more than once.