I want to make it plain I'm writing this without seeing what anyone else wrote.
It was, to quote noted philosopher Shaquille O'Neal, "horri-awful."
The hot hatch test should have been brilliant. Instead, it was 10 minutes of just Hammond saying "this car is good, this car is okay, this car is brilliant." Nothing was actually conveyed.
The news was utter shit. I can't stress this enough. Get rid of this segment. It's just awful stilted "jokes" with nothing left to prop it up.
The outdoor party for the new SIARPC Vauxhall. Again, too much stilted "comedy" (the crap with the little person, and the interactions with Joss and Hammond), and just not a lot of interesting bit.
Lastly, the "race." So, you go all the way to New Zealand, and you have some of the best cinematographers in the world, and you can't devote more time to showcasing how gorgeous it is?
This is Top fucking Gear. The car should at least be interesting. The "hire car" concept was novel, but the car itself was horrible. What's the point if it's not at least a car that people who watch car shows can get interested in?
Honestly, I love this show so much, like all here, and I want it to be great. I've been critical of some of their series (such as 14, 16, 19), but this has really been one of the worst (non-India special) episodes I can think of.