The Grand Tour Feature Scores
Explore all 36 feature scores for The Grand Tour, organized into pros and cons.
Scores by Feature
Summary
36 reviewed features-
Very positive 4.5-5.014 (39%)
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Positive 3.5-4.48 (22%)
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Neutral 2.5-3.410 (28%)
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Negative 1.5-2.43 (8%)
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Very negative below 1.51 (3%)
Pros
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Comedy is divisive: Bourgeois and the new team's lighter style feel fresh and playful to some reviewers, while others find the reboot noticeably less funny than the original.
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Some reviewers see a successful relay that preserves the old show's spirit, spectacle, and legacy; others think the cameos and familiar structure only underline how different the new version feels from the original.
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The season appears to improve as it goes for multiple reviewers, with later episodes described as stronger or more exciting than the opening stretch.
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Overall enjoyment ranges from enthusiastic praise to outright rejection. The spectacle works for many viewers, but critics of the reboot say repetition and weak chemistry make the show feel unnecessary or dull.
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One reviewer watched all six episodes in a single binge, suggesting the season can be very easy to keep watching when the new format clicks.
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Thomas Holland is praised for feeling like the same presenter he was before television, retaining the personality and delivery style the reviewer already valued.
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The six films are praised in one review for feeling distinct from one another rather than repeating the same vehicle problem or setup.
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James Engelsman is singled out as the strongest narrator of the new trio, giving the explanatory sections a polished voice.
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The production's sound is specifically praised alongside its cinematography and lighting as outstanding.
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One reviewer singles out a needle drop as one of the strongest music choices in the show's history.
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The strongest full-season review praises the episodes as distinct, memorable, increasingly exciting, and supported by outstanding storytelling.
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One strongly positive review praises the season's storytelling as outstanding, supporting the show's scripted and narrative construction.
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Bourgeois often becomes the trio's dominant comic personality. Some reviewers like how Holland and Engelsman set him up, while others feel too much charisma is concentrated in one presenter.
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Even skeptical reviewers tend to find the new hosts personally pleasant and likable, with one calling all three seriously lovely people.
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The show's staged nature lands differently across reviews. Some find the banter and updated format more believable than before, while others can plainly feel the scripting and planning behind the stunts.
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One review approves the deliberately low-stakes start, arguing that letting the show develop at its own pace may be the right way to build the new team.
Cons
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Predictability undercuts suspense for the harshest critics, who say they can anticipate each beat before it happens.
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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.
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The Diddly Squat Farm handoff is criticized in one review as conspicuous cross-promotion rather than an organic opening beat.
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The familiar motoring-adventure formula still works strongly for some enthusiasts, but other reviewers question whether the genre template has been exhausted.
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The banter ranges from credible and mate-like to timid, scripted, and stiff. Reviewers who dislike the reboot often point directly to unnatural delivery as a problem.
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The BBC's roundup characterizes the early critical response as mixed, with notable disagreement over presenter chemistry and whether the reboot feels too safe.
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The original trio's cameos divide reviewers. One sees Clarkson, May, and Hammond as disengaged, while another says their brief appearances immediately remind viewers why they were so effective.
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Interest in another season is polarized: some reviewers strongly want the new trio to continue, while others doubt the chemistry or concept can develop enough to justify more episodes.
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Chemistry is the biggest point of disagreement. Several reviewers praise immediate rapport and an easy team dynamic, while others hear forced banter and say the trio has not yet found a natural rhythm.
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Opinions on the new trio are sharply split: some reviewers find them polished, promising, and highly watchable, while others describe them as stilted, anonymous, or out of their depth.
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.