Merry Christmas! And behold, Barn of the Year

Shed wanted to put the ten best of 2025 in no particular order and then let you guess on the forum what the correct overview would be, but the idea was rejected by PH Management because they probably weren’t level-headed enough to remember to give you the answers. Instead, let’s start straight with the tenth most viewed Shed of 2025, an elegant X350 Jag XJ SE that surfaced in May. Resplendent in sky blue with an ivory cabin, this XJ carried its 267,000 miles with aristocratic carelessness. The MOT carried out just before it went on sale yielded no recommendations and the car was sold before the SOTW forum had a chance to get started. Still, that didn’t stop you from voicing your opinion, which as usual whenever an old Jaguar shows up here, shows how thin the line can be between love and hate. “Epic shed, definitely one for the SOTW top ten,” Psycosis said presciently. “Reform voter?” username-checkout said, predictably.

Few would have predicted the car that came in at number nine: a 2013 Dacia Duster 1.5 dCi with four-wheel drive, one owner, ten stamps in the maintenance booklet and an MOT until June next year. He also had 160,000 kilometers on the odometer and a lot of advice about that MOT. Some posters were surprised that Dusters cost £2,000, but others were not. “I don’t have enough self-loathing, nor do I hate my neighbors enough, to make them put up with being woken up every morning by what sounds like a cement mixer filled with broken keys,” said The Driving God. That was one of the nicer negative comments. However, not everyone was a hater. “Quite a winter hack,” Greenarrow said. “I love mine,” Muchacho chimed in. Covering all the bases and hitting the nail on the head at the same time, Rallycross said: “All I can say is I have nothing to say… these are basically tough old things when you need a cheap rider.” Anyway, it was the first Dacia to enter the SOTW network, so kudos for that.

Number eight was this £2,000 Peugeot RCZ GT with 200bhp, an almost affordable annual tax liability of £255 and, from the looks of the forum, quite a bit of emotional baggage in the 760 liter boot. Yme402 started cheerfully with ‘dirty-looking Audi knock-off’. Mooseracer got on the defensive with “I’d rather have (say) a good-looking TT alternative,” while admitting he wasn’t brave enough to buy it. The MOT tester’s only complaint was for some headlight damage, but with the EML light flashing ominously when the car went on sale in April, the next test in February could tell a different story.

As previously noted, last year’s SOTY list included a spicy Mondeo. This year’s only Ford representative at number seven in our hit parade was another one, a 2007 ST to be precise in the classic Ford Performance Blue with beautiful multi-spoke alloy wheels, half-leather sports seats, an inconspicuous MOT and a well-groomed appearance. Unforgivable in the eyes of some PH-ers, it sucked at the diesel pump. Cerb4.5lee told the story of his buddy riding what he called his SOA, but the upside was the hefty 295 lb-ft of torque at 1,800 rpm, a stat that indicates easy and cheap performance. “Good highway gobbler, that still looks pretty modern to me,” mused 757. “One of the most attractive ‘normal’ four-door cars ever made,” said Blue Al, who failed to notice that our Shed was a five-door, although that was an easy mistake to make since Ford’s stylists had managed to make the two models look almost identical. More than one poster featured statements that scared many, namely “Dual Mass Flywheel” and “blocked EGR,” but Rumblestripe allayed those fears by reminding us of the “very good cupholders.”

At six o’clock this E92 BMW 330d coupe with 300,000 kilometers was listed for £1,995. At the time of writing in April, the MOT inspection certificate dated October 24 showed no advisories. Since Shed wrote about it in October ’25, it has been tested again and the mileage has risen to 188,000. That test revealed some non-serious corrosion to the rear subframe and a non-excessive oil leak. Left to their own devices, non-serious and non-excessive errors will generally become serious and excessive. But until they do, the new owner will likely continue to enjoy the 330d’s mighty 369Nm of torque and a six-second 0-60mph time. Beardy PH types scratched their teeth at the sight of the car’s incorrect E46 MV2 wheels, while others like AndySheff were put off by the less than pristine front and rear bumpers and lack of interior photos. Some posters cleverly discovered Shed’s intentional mistake about VANOS and variable cam timing, qualifying them for free entry into the following week’s forum.

Oooh look, we’re in the top five. At the bottom of that group we had something from a manufacturer that appeared in SOTW like clockwork until the used examples of their work became polarized into two categories, namely priceless classics and wrecks. Yes, it’s a Subaru, specifically a 140,000-mile Outback 3.0R. It had the notoriously weak automatic gearbox and the notoriously ridiculous annual tax of £710, but what did any of that matter when there was a 245bhp six-cylinder under the bonnet? Well, maybe those who expected there to be rust under the paint. Jwwbowe started the case for the prosecution with some rather gruesome wheel arch shots of his white-to-brown example. There were plenty of admirers, though. “What nice cars,” said GianiCakes, “what happened to your Subaru??” ‘I wonder if that engine will fit in a VW camper type 25?’ CDP asked. “I like the Johnsons with that Geoffrey,” Nsuru80 said intriguingly.

At number four we had what the PH subhead writer described as the ‘most unlikely contender ever’, a Volkswagen Touareg. But not just any old Touareg: this was a 5.0-litre V10 diesel version from 2007, promising 313bhp at 3,750rpm, a Jumbo jet pulling 553Nm at 2,000rpm, and 22mpg if you were lucky. “This has shriveled my walnuts, even just the hint that this could ruin my finances,” Humphra shook. Others loved it, but also hated it. “What a shed, epic disaster value,” laughed Turini. “This would ruin me, I love it,” said the tapeworm. “You might as well paint your undercarriage with Bovril, go to the lion enclosure at Longleat at feeding time and dangle your wedding gear out the car window if you’re going to take that many risks,” Demonix said. ‘A total bargain at under £2,000…but too brave financially for me,’ said Hamish-5b0gz. It wasn’t too much for anyone. It was picked up on day one. The MOT tester had given it a clean bill of health in March this year, when it had 300,000 kilometers on the odometer. How much further will it go? Only the gods of petrochemicals know.

Hooray, we’ve arrived on stage. In the bronze position we have this 2008 Skoda Octavia vRS with a mileage of 186,000 miles. Octavias have always provided space, and in the RS you could add pace to that. Its 2.0-litre petrol engine delivered 200bhp and a 0-62mph time of seven seconds. The current MOT, which reported a worn front brake disc, a worn tire and a small exhaust leak, expires on New Year’s Eve, but there is no reason to believe it won’t continue with the next MOT. Gary29 stated that he was very tempted to get started on it, but discovered within the space of his own post that it had already been sold. “Good looking machine and a bargain for a thrash,” said FrankandLynn. “Any barn that can accommodate a postmistress must be a good choice!” said Ferret, lubricating himself.

Our number two, and easily the oldest SOTW of 2025, was a 1994 Mercedes E200 from the much-lauded W124 series. It didn’t have much in terms of power, just 136bhp from its naturally aspirated 2.0 petrol engine, but Shed knew from his own W124 experience how effortlessly these old Mercs hum along the motorway. Other than minor suspension and brake line corrosion, the 200 looked good enough to carry on and double its 150,000 miles without any trouble. Readers appreciated its simplicity; the lack of electronics in the interior was seen as a sweet relief after the relentless barrage of electronic messaging fired at us by modern cars. “I like that,” Ducnick said. “Not much can go wrong there.” ‘Wasagoodyear nominated it as ‘barn of the century’. Dinkel corrected him with ‘barn from the last century’. “Mercedes really stood out as a luxury brand at the time, with beautifully designed and detailed luxury cars,” agreed Mark Blanchard. As he so often does, Psycosis summed it up. ‘You don’t get there fast, but you drive according to the car’s capabilities and in turn you stay within the speed limits and you get to places with a relaxed feeling.’ Very much so.

And so we come to our big winner, this 3.0 TDV6 diesel-powered Jaguar XF Luxury in a rare shade of dark green that came along in March. The MOT of September ’24 at 274,000 kilometers had noticed a rusty offside front spring. The follow-up test in October this year showed that the spring was fine, but that a not seriously weakened, corroded subframe at the rear had taken its place. Furthermore, this XF looked really good despite its mileage. “Oh hey, that would be great for a few years of commuting,” POIDH said. “Looks like a great car for very little money,” said Chirurgus. “Totally, totally bargain,” said Sinister Penguin. “I really didn’t expect these to be in Shed territory,” Cryssys gasped. “As good a shed as you’ll ever find.” WPA showed sensitivity by pointing out that another £1,000 on top of the purchase price would have reduced the mileage to under 100,000, but then it wouldn’t have been Pilot of the Week, would it? Evercross went into detail about the problems he had had with his XF 3.0 D before concluding that our shed was a low risk purchase. Rob131 Sport went further. ‘This should simply be Pilot of the Year,’ he said rightly.

So there we have it. At a time of extremes for Jaguar, it seems only right that their cars are at the top and bottom of our 2025 Pilot of the Year table. Shed hopes this beautiful name can be brought back to the level he remembers when he owned a Mk 10, a car that was terrible and wonderful at the same time. And on that note, Shed, Mrs. Shed, their son Potting and their daughter Garden wish you all a Happy New Year.