Car Statistics: Morgan - Roadster  Series 00 (2 stars)

Styling (2 stars)

If you like old cars you'll love the look of the roadster. It's the only new car on sale to feature a bonnet that's hinged down the centre and is so full of louvres to improve under-bonnet cooling that it feels as though it could crumple in your hands. The doors are cut obscenely low and they don't have windows in the conventional sense; instead you get see-through side panels that thankfully you can remove.

Handling (3 stars)

If you like your cars to handle as they look, you won't be disappointed with the Morgan. It's a sporty drive as you might expect but reactions through the steering wheel aren't as instant as some other hand-made British sportscars. And drum brakes at the rear mean you have to learn about its capabilities before properly putting it through its paces. Think of this more as a car you can drive to the pub on a Sunday for a laugh rather than something you'll use for thrill seeking on a track day.

Comfort (1 star)

If the Roadster's driving position doesn't suit you, that's tough because it's not really adjustable in any direction. And there's not much you can do about the ride either. Leaf springs at the rear ensure your bottom gets a detailed feedback of the road's surface. Put the roof and side panels up and while you'll be relieved of the constant buffeting by the wind it's nothing like the relaxed and refined roof-up feel of a modern convertible.

Quality (3 stars)

Assuming you like wood, leather and old-style pile carpet you'll love the exclusive ambience of the Roadster's interior. It may be fairly no frills and if you go over it with a fine tooth comb you'll find some of the tolerances aren't as exacting as in a mass-produced car. But at least you can see that the leather has had more than a passing relationship with a cow and that the wood once knew what it was like to be a tree. The engine is Ford's so it'll have had all the bugs ironed out of it.

Performance (3 stars)

The three-litre is very quick. With 226bhp, it's got more power than the 3.5 of the Plus 8 ever had. And with 280lb ft of torque at 4900rpm it'll pull strongly through the gears too. It'll charge from a standstill to 60mph in 4.9 seconds. It might only have a top speed of 134mph but that could be a blessing in disguise.

Roominess (1 star)

You don't get much in the way of space in a Morgan's cockpit; the transmission tunnel seems to take up most of it. Despite the extra bit tacked on at the back of the four-seater there's not a vast amount of leg room in the rear. And with the roof up there's not much head room either. When it's down, although you get a great view sitting perched up there, you won't thank the driver for going much faster than walking speed unless you're wrapped up like an Arctic explorer.

Costs (2 stars)

The Roadster's three-litre engine is obviously the thirstier and dirtiest of the Classic Range. Considering it's a sportscar and bearing in mind its performance its 28.9mpg and 225g/km of CO2 doesn't seem too extreme. However, the latter will place you in the priciest Band G for road tax.

Value (3 stars)

Morgan's used to be quite cheap for the performance, but today's price is around £40K. Still, that is not bad value for a hand-built car.

Stereo (1 star)

If you do go for a stereo it'll be slung below that beautifully veneered dash and somehow look out of place. You won't hear it above the roar of the engine and wind anyway so there seems little point. If you need a sat nav, your only hope is the aftermarket.

Other

Overall Rating (2 stars)