‘Top Gear’ Recap: ‘Season 31, Episode 5’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the season thirty-one finale of ‘Top Gear’.
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​One of the greatest moments in our young lives that we will ever experience, is getting our first car. Because being able to purchase our first ride and get behind the wheel of it and hit the open road, is a genuinely wonderful and liberating experience. But what we often forget when it comes to that first purchase, is the sheer amount of adulting that accompanies it. Because once we own that wonderful new ride, we have to insure it and register it, which requires a little more money than we originally expected and that lesson needs to be taught more often, so that new drivers are ready and prepared for the potential total cost of buying their first car and it just so happens, that the season thirty-one finale of Top Gear, figured out how to help new drivers prepare for just that.

Because the lads calculated exactly what a first time driver would need to spend to get a car with all the fiscally responsible related fixings, and well, what they came up with for their best budget rides for new drivers… was pretty darn awesome. For Paddy believed that one could enjoy sheer style when it comes to their first car, which is why he selected the MGB GT. As for Freddie, he thought a classic would be perfect for a new driver’s first ride and that’s why he went with the Volkswagen Beetle and Chris, well he thought an all-purpose ride would be ideal for that first real taste of the road, hence why he selected the Lada Niva and of course… once the lads presented their rides to all of us, the time came to put these cars to the test to see who indeed picked the perfect budget car for a nouveau driver. 

Now the first test, involved determining which of these cars offered the best fuel efficiency. Something that is incredibly important and in order to get an idea of which car would be the king there, the lads tried to see how many laps they could conduct on a quarry racecourse on a single gallon of gas. Which is a test that the MGB passed with flying colors and once that was settled, a general speed test came into play. One that would determine which of these cars could easily achieve a general cruising speed of fifty miles an hour, and not a hair faster… lest a paint bomb go off in the lads' respective cars and once Paddy was disqualified for hitting fifty-one… Chris and Freddie pulled a draw since both of their cars were able to cruise at fifty on a consistent basis, no problem.

Which meant the competition was still wide open, and in order to declare a winner… a super-sized relay race was going to take place. One where the lads were paired up with teens, who would drive through an obstacle course on an airfield before handing the car back over to Paddy, Chris and Freddie, so the pros could hustle to the finish line. For the relay team with the quickest time through the course would be declared the winner and their car, the best new budget car for first time drivers and well… this was actually quite the competitive race. Because the teens wanted to win and tore through the course pretty darn quick and of course, the lads wanted the win as well and in the end, it came down to Team Paddy and Team Chris, because Team Freddie took one wrong turn and toasted their time and when all was said and done, Team Paddy and the MGB GT won the day, and now we know a used sports car is the way to go when you’re searching for your first car.

In the end however, this was just a fun episode through and through. One that featured cars that we’ve each given thought to since who hasn't wanted a sports car, or an all-terrain monster or in the case of this writer… a beetle? (Look, I loved The Love Bug when I was kid.) Plus, you cannot go wrong with the joy this adventure brought everyone who took part in it, except maybe The Stig… since The Stig is always in business mode. Either way, this was just a wonderful way to bring season thirty-one to a close since it tied into the season’s underlying theme regarding the passion we all share in when it comes to cars and all this finale does… is leave us eager for more delightful adventures on the road with a trio of hosts that make learning about automobiles as fun as can possibly be. Until next time.  

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