My CX 3 reached its 10,000 km milestone today so I think an interim review is warranted. This is not a car I bought for it's up-to-date features, sophisticated sound and navigation system, sporty performance or head-turning good looks. Being a car first released ten years ago, it is unlikely to compete at the top level in any of these categories with more recent arrivals.

And yet it does compare favourably on these metrics because it does well enough in each category and on top of that, is a nice car to drive and has a fabulous reliability record. It still looks good ten years later and remains in production. So something is going right for this make and this model.

This might sound like a recipe for motoring mediocrity, but nobody, save the wealthy aficionados on Top Gear (who scorn reliability in favour of pure performance) wants a car that breaks down when most needed, that is difficult to get parts for and obscenely expensive to repair. I would note also that some of the brutalist designs for new SUVs are frankly appalling, lumbering shoeboxes with too much tech for their own good.

Yes, I like the CX 3. I don't mind the slightly tired dash nor the eccentric sound system. I don't want any more bells and whistles to nag at me. It is a good car, probably the best I have ever owned.