Tiff Needell has had a very successful career as a motoring journalist and television presenter, having hosted Top Gear and Fifth Gear for many years.
He also has a long history with long-term loaners that spans to over 4 decades, as he revealed to DriveTribe, that included a lot of BMWs, Nissans, Porsches, Saabs and others.
Watch Also: Tiff Needell Samples Every Single BMW M5 In History – But Which One Is Your Favorite?
For a passionate and famous car guy, one might think that his personal collection includes several rare exotics from the past, and probably something new for the entire family. However, that’s not quite the case with Mr. Needell, as the family car is a second-gen BMW X5, with a straight-six gasoline engine, that succeeded two other SUVs: a Mercedes-Benz ML in the early 2000s and a Jeep Grand Cherokee in the 1990s.
Don’t think of him as an SUV fan, because he is not. Instead, the missus loves the high-driving position and is still very satisfied with the German vehicle, even though production of the E70 ended back in 2013 and the X5 range has since been renewed twice.
As for the long-term loaner, Tiff can be seen rolling these days – well, not exactly these days, as he is, like most of us, in lockdown – in a Jaguar XF Sportbrake. This is his kind of car, as it’s fun and practical and also looks good. If he had to, he’d buy it in a heartbeat.
But when he is not bathed in new and expensive rides by the automotive companies, what does he drive? An 18-year old small hatchback that’s not hot. The make, model and spec may surprise most people, but it’s been a trusty companion – bar an engine failure that required a heart transplant and a hole that needed to be drilled in the foot well to let the water out.
Think you can guess the ‘winner’? Head on down and check out the short clip to see what it is.