The AW list: 10 best cars to modify

For many, a car right off the showroom floor just isn’t good enough. Luckily, there’s the aftermarket to help cars make more power, handle better and (sometimes) look better. Below are AW’s picks for the 10 best new cars to modify.

Lexus IS 2011: the Estate returns – but Hybrid only

The Lexus IS SportCross - the 1st generation Lexus IS Estate The Lexus IS Range is Toyota’s answer to BMW’s 3 Series and Audi’s A4. And it does a very creditable job, particularly for those drivers for whom quality of finish and lots of toys are much further up the list than driving dynamics. But despite there originally being a Lexus IS Estate – the Lexus IS SportCross – when the IS first launched in 2000, Lexus saw fit to drop that when the current IS turned up in 2005.

New Jeep Grand Cherokee S-Limited launches

Jeep has revealed a limited edition Grand Cherokee with the looks of the SRT8 but without the price or outright power – the new Jeep Grand Cherokee S-Limited. Reports of the death of the SUV have been greatly exaggerated in recent years, and the whole SUV sector – from compact to full size – still holds a lot of appeal for buyers. And when it comes to full size SUVs few do it any better than Jeep – certainly as far as off-road experience goes – even if previous versions of their full size Grand Cherokee have been a bit below European standards in terms of materials and on-road ability.