Sometimes – although hopefully not on this website – motoring publications peddle a fantasy of motoring as we’d like it to be, not as it is.

We drive on deserted moorland roads or the sun-baked tarmac of southern Europe. Communicative steering, apex-clipping handling and punchy acceleration are the criteria by which cars are judged.
The trouble is, everyday driving isn’t like that, and the things which matter most while changing in and out of first gear on the A217 are completely different to what seems important while bouncing off the rev limiter on the Route Napoleon.

Don’t mistake this for faint praise, but the Vitara is very good at very dull journeys. One of my regular drives is just seven miles long, and routinely takes 40 minutes or more despite being mostly on a dual-carriageway.

The Suzuki makes this less of a chore, with its comfortable ride, slick gearchange and light controls. The DAB radio is crystal clear, and the high-up driving position gives an unobstructed view of whatever car, bus or lorry I’m stuck behind.

I’d much rather be driving on a empty road somewhere sunny. But if I must sit in nose-to-tail traffic in the rain, I’m happy to be in the Vitara