If you want better suspense
Choose The Drop: A Snowfall Saga. It scores 5.0 vs 1.3 for suspense, with a 4.2 overall score.
The Grand Tour Review
Bottom Line
Choose it for lavish car photography, ambitious stunts, and a fresh trio that several critics find promising. Skip it if the original hosts’ chemistry and a sense of novelty matter most; multiple reviewers found the reboot safe, scripted, or derivative.
Best for
Best for viewers who want lavish automotive visuals, global road trips, ambitious stunts, and technical car enthusiasm, and who are open to a new presenting trio.
Not for
Not for viewers whose main draw was the original trio’s chemistry, who want a major reinvention of the format, or who are put off by the show’s anti-EV or pro-hydrocarbon framing.
Verdict
The reboot preserves the franchise’s biggest strengths: expensive automotive spectacle, polished cinematography, ambitious stunts, and presenters who genuinely know and love transport. Its biggest variable is the new trio. Several reviewers find Holland, Engelsman, and Bourgeois immediately engaging, with Bourgeois especially praised for enthusiasm and knowledge; others hear forced banter, see a lack of spark, and miss the original hosts’ effortless chemistry. Originality is the other tradeoff. The familiar Grand Tour formula reassures some critics, but many call it safe, derivative, or predictable. The season appears to improve as it goes, and the production values remain consistently strong even in the harshest reviews.
Feature Scorecards
Summary
36 reviewed features-
Very positive 4.5-5.014 (39%)
-
Positive 3.5-4.48 (22%)
-
Neutral 2.5-3.410 (28%)
-
Negative 1.5-2.43 (8%)
-
Very negative below 1.51 (3%)
Pros
-
Cinematography is one of the clearest strengths across the coverage, with even negative reviews praising the glossy car imagery, landscapes, and cinematic polish.
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The reboot retains the franchise's polished, high-budget visual identity, with lavish vehicle photography and strong lighting repeatedly praised.
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The expensive challenges, races, and stunts are consistently among the reboot's strongest elements, described as fun, thrilling, slick, and impressively executed.
-
The unconventional handover to Holland, Engelsman, and Bourgeois is widely seen as a smart casting move, with Bourgeois repeatedly singled out as an especially strong fit.
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Several reviewers think the reboot can reach beyond hardcore car fans, including viewers who do not care much about driving, while still retaining the basic appeal of the franchise.
-
The show's car knowledge can be a real strength: reviewers praise both the technical insight and the presenters' ability to make specialist information interesting.
Cons
-
Predictability undercuts suspense for the harshest critics, who say they can anticipate each beat before it happens.
-
The most negative thematic criticism targets the show's anti-EV or pro-hydrocarbon framing, which several reviewers describe as dated or objectionable.
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Originality is a recurring weakness: many reviewers call the reboot safe, derivative, predictable, or too close to old Top Gear and Grand Tour formulas. A few accept the familiar structure because the new personalities provide some freshness.
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The opener draws mixed reactions, from a smart if slightly clunky springboard to a flat, overly safe, or outright bad first impression.
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Some reviewers think the reboot balances continuity and change well, but others say it lacks a clear identity and still needs to decide what kind of show it wants to be.
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One review explicitly notes that the core presenting setup remains three white men, framing the reboot as conservative in its representation despite changes in personality.
Cast & Creators
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HostBourgeois is the most consistently discussed new host. Most reviewers praise his enthusiasm, knowledge, distinctiveness, and authenticity, though a minority find his manner grating or difficult to warm to.
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HostHolland is praised as a polished, clear presenter who retains the self-deprecating personality and concise delivery that made him effective before the move to television.
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HostEngelsman receives strong praise for narration, language, balance, and his ability to share the spotlight while still making persuasive, entertaining arguments.
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HostClarkson's handoff and cameo work receive mixed reactions: one review says his approval helps the transition, another finds him contractually obligated, and another says the old trio's brief return shows why they were so effective.
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HostMay's cameo is read very differently by critics, from visibly annoyed and disengaged to part of a brief original-trio appearance that strongly outshines the new hosts.
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HostHammond's cameo similarly splits opinion, with one critic seeing dismay and another treating the original trio's short appearance as a reminder of their exceptional chemistry.
View all 36 feature scores and cast & creators
Compared With Category Average
Compared with other TV Shows, this product is above average in character consistency, writing quality, episode structure, near average in entertainment value, casting quality, below average in suspense, modern political framing, pilot episode quality.
Comparison summary
36 compared features-
Above average 0.4+ pts higher16 (44%)
-
Same as average within 0.3 pts6 (17%)
-
Below average 0.4+ pts lower14 (39%)
Largest category differences
| Attribute | This product | Category average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| suspense | 1.3 | 4.2 | -2.9 |
| character consistency | 5.0 | 3.0 | +2.0 |
| modern political framing | 1.7 | 3.6 | -1.9 |
| writing quality | 5.0 | 3.4 | +1.6 |
| pilot episode quality | 2.4 | 3.8 | -1.4 |
| episode structure | 5.0 | 3.6 | +1.4 |
| story quality | 5.0 | 3.6 | +1.4 |
| main cast performance | 3.4 | 4.5 | -1.1 |
Consider This Instead
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Choose Pluribus, Season 1. It scores 5.0 vs 2.9 for dialogue quality, with a 4.1 overall score.
If you want better renewal interest
Choose Lanterns. It scores 5.0 vs 3.3 for renewal interest, with a 3.6 overall score.
If you want better tone consistency
Choose The Seduction. It scores 5.0 vs 2.6 for tone consistency, with a 4.0 overall score.
Compared in Reviews
Products reviewers directly compared with this model, grouped into quick takeaways.
Top Gear
- Better: presenter lineup The reviewer dislikes the new trio enough to reassess later Top Gear presenters more favorably.
- Worse: replacement-host reboot execution The reboot is said to succeed at the replacement-host formula where Top Gear did not.
- Similar: recycled trip and test formula The reviewer says the new season keeps repeating variations on Top Gear's established formula.
FAQ
Do the new hosts work well together?
Reviews are sharply divided. Some praise immediate rapport and natural banter, while others find the chemistry forced, stilted, or not yet settled.
Does the reboot still feel like The Grand Tour?
It keeps the familiar road trips, expensive cars, stunts, and franchise callbacks. Some reviewers call that a successful handoff; others think the similarity makes the reboot feel derivative or unlike the original where it matters most.
Are the production values still strong?
Yes. Cinematography, vehicle footage, lighting, sound, and large-scale challenges are among the most consistently praised parts of the season.
How is Francis Bourgeois as a host?
He is the most consistently praised new presenter, with reviewers highlighting his enthusiasm, knowledge, and distinct personality. A minority find his style grating or difficult to warm to.
Is the new season original?
That is one of the main criticisms. Several reviewers call it safe, predictable, or too dependent on familiar Top Gear and Grand Tour ideas, though some think the new personalities provide enough freshness.
Can non-car fans enjoy it?
Several reviewers suggest they can: one critic who dislikes driving still wanted to join the supercar fantasy, and another non-hardcore viewer stayed engaged through the season. The technical detail may be more appealing to enthusiasts.
Sample Expert Reviews We Analyzed
These are a few of the reviews included in our analysis.
ign.com
The new Grand Tour is a fun and ambitious attempt to prove that the format can soldier on without the much-loved line up that previously...
- Review score
- 4.7
autoblog.com
Don't worry, no spoilers follow. This piece is all about the personality and delivery.
- Review score
- 5.0
rogersmovienation.com
The dropping of a new series of "The Grand Tour" held about as much interest for me as the announcement that the BBC is re-engineering "Top...
- Review score
- 2.3
backtothemovies.com
We take a look at the new season of The Grand Tour on Amazon Prime, new faces, same format, no clue why it was brought back in the first place
- Review score
- 2.1
bbc.com
A new trio has taken the wheel of the motoring TV show from Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May.
- Review score
- 3.5
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