Every car magazine needs a road for testing. Somewhere within reasonable reach of the office, with enough variety to test a car's suspension, steering, brakes, and engine across a range of conditions. A road that reveals character.

For the UK's best car magazines, that road — or rather, that loop of roads — is the Evo Triangle in North Wales. Named by Evo Magazine, adopted by Autocar, Car, Top Gear, and every serious British motoring journalist, this three-road circuit through the moorland south of Snowdonia has become the unofficial benchmark for British road tests.

What makes it special isn't any single dramatic feature. There are no hairpins, no cliff edges, no 20% gradients. What makes the Evo Triangle special is the quality of the driving. Three roads that flow, reward precision, and let a good car do exactly what a good car should do.

Quick Reference: The Evo Triangle

Where Is the Evo Triangle?

The Evo Triangle sits in the Denbigh Moors area of North Wales, south of the A5 and east of Snowdonia. The nearest village to the triangle is Cerrigydrudion, which sits on the A5 between Corwen and Betws-y-Coed.

The three points of the triangle are roughly:

1. Cerrigydrudion (northwest corner, on the A5)
2. Llyn Brenig reservoir (southern point)
3. Near Ruthin (eastern point)

From Manchester or Liverpool, it's about 90 minutes. From Birmingham, about 2 hours. From London, about 4 hours — but honestly, if you're coming from London, stay overnight and make a day of it.

The A5 through Snowdonia is itself a fine driving road, so the approach from the east is part of the experience.

The Three Roads

B4501: The Southern Leg

The B4501 runs from Cerrigydrudion south toward Llyn Brenig reservoir. This is widely considered the best of the three legs.

Character: Fast, flowing curves across open moorland. The road rises and falls over the terrain in gentle undulations, with bends that reward commitment. There are no hairpins — the tightest corners are perhaps a 3 on the rally severity scale — but the rhythm is compelling. One corner flows into the next with a cadence that makes the best cars feel alive.

Surface: Excellent. The tarmac is smooth and well-maintained. This is one of the reasons car magazines use these roads — the surface is consistent enough to feel proper dynamics without road imperfections interfering.

Visibility: Good in most places. The moorland is open, so forward visibility is generally excellent. A few crests hide dips or direction changes, but nothing dramatically blind.

Traffic: Light. This road doesn't go anywhere most people need to be. On a weekday morning, you might not see another car for the entire leg.

A543: The Eastern Leg

The A543 runs from the Llyn Brenig area northeast toward Denbigh. It's an A-road but doesn't feel like one — it has the character of a B-road with slightly better surface quality.

Character: More varied than the B4501. Some sections are fast and sweeping, others tighten through dips and over crests. The terrain becomes more rolling as you move east, and the corners arrive at slightly less predictable intervals — you can't quite settle into a rhythm, which keeps you engaged.

Surface: Good, with occasional rougher patches where farm access tracks cross the road.

Visibility: Mixed. Some sections have excellent forward visibility. Others, particularly through dips and over crests, limit what you can see ahead.

This is the leg where advance corner information adds the most value. The transitions from fast sections to tighter corners aren't always visible until you're in them. Rods calls out these changes in severity — so when a flowing left 5 leads into a tighter right 3 over a crest, you know about it before the road reveals it.

B5105: The Northern Leg

The B5105 completes the triangle, running from near Ruthin back toward Cerrigydrudion.

Character: The most technical of the three legs. The road is narrower, the corners tighter, and the terrain more enclosed. Parts run through forest, giving a different visual character from the open moorland of the other two legs. There are some properly technical sections with consecutive tight bends that demand precision.

Surface: Decent but more variable than the other two legs. Some rough patches and occasional potholes. Slower speeds mean this matters less.

Visibility: More limited. Forest sections and hedge-lined stretches reduce forward visibility. This is where the triangle asks you to drive on trust or local knowledge.

Why Do Car Magazines Use the Evo Triangle?

The Evo Triangle is the UK's road test benchmark for several specific reasons:

Variety within a short loop. In 20 miles, you get fast sweepers, technical tight sections, crests, dips, elevation change, and varying surface quality. That's enough variety to test every aspect of a car's road manners.

Consistent surface quality. The roads are well-maintained by Welsh standards, which means the test results are about the car, not the road surface.

Low traffic. The roads don't connect major destinations, so midweek traffic is minimal. Journalists can drive without constant interruption.

Repeatable. Being a loop, the route can be driven multiple times in a day. This matters for comparison tests where consistency between runs is important.

Accessible. North Wales is within 2 hours of most English car magazine offices. A day trip is practical.

Representative. The roads are typical of Britain's best B-roads — not extreme, not boring, but properly engaging. A car that feels good on the Evo Triangle will feel good on any B-road in the country.

Best Direction to Drive

Anticlockwise is the traditional direction: B4501 south from Cerrigydrudion, A543 east, B5105 north back to the start.

This gives you the best leg (B4501) first as a warm-up, the varied A543 as the middle section, and the most technical leg (B5105) when you're fully in the rhythm.

Clockwise works too and gives a different feel — starting with the technical B5105 is more demanding but means the flowing B4501 is your reward at the end.

Best Time to Drive

Early morning, any time of year. The Evo Triangle works in every season:

• Summer — Longest days, driest conditions, warm tarmac.
• Autumn — Moorland colours, atmospheric mist, warm enough.
• Spring — Newborn lambs on the road (be careful), green moorland.
• Winter — Cold tarmac needs respect, but the roads are usually passable. Ice on the higher sections is possible.

The triangle is popular with car enthusiasts, especially on weekends. Weekday mornings offer the quietest roads.

The Wider North Wales Driving Area

The Evo Triangle is the headline act, but North Wales has excellent driving roads throughout:

• A5 through Snowdonia — Telford's historic road from Shrewsbury to Holyhead, with excellent sections through the Ogwen Valley.
• A4086 Llanberis Pass — A dramatic road beneath Snowdon, tight and steep.
• A498 through Beddgelert — Flows alongside the River Glaslyn through wooded valleys.
• B4391 over the Berwyn Mountains — A remote, quiet road that locals rate highly.

For a broader look at UK driving roads, the best driving roads in the UK covers the national picture. And for thoughts on what makes a great driving road, the spirited driving guide explores the fundamentals.

Hazards and Practical Tips

• Sheep are the main hazard. They graze the open moorland and wander onto the road. Expect them around every corner, because they'll be around at least some corners.
• Cattle grids — The triangle has several. They're fine at sensible speed but unpleasant if hit fast, especially in wet conditions where the metal becomes slippery.
• Farm vehicles — Tractors and agricultural machinery use these roads. Round a blind corner and you may find a tractor filling the entire road.
• Surface water collects on the moorland sections after rain. The drainage isn't always perfect.
• Other enthusiasts — The triangle is popular with sports cars, motorcycles, and car club groups, especially on weekends. Drive predictably and stay on your side of the road.
• No services on the triangle itself. Cerrigydrudion has a petrol station and the A5 has several cafes.

FAQ

What is the Evo Triangle? The Evo Triangle is a loop of three roads in North Wales — the B4501, A543, and B5105 — named by Evo Magazine as the best driving road circuit in Britain. It runs through open moorland south of Snowdonia and is used by car magazines for road tests.

Can you drive the Evo Triangle in any car? Yes. The roads are public B-roads and an A-road with no restrictions. Any road-legal vehicle can drive them. The experience rewards driver engagement and car quality, but you don't need a sports car — even a well-sorted hatchback is engaging on these roads.

How long does it take to drive the Evo Triangle? The full loop is about 20 miles. At a pace that lets you enjoy it — not racing, but engaging with the corners — allow 30-40 minutes for one lap. Many people drive it 2-3 times.

Is the Evo Triangle busy? Weekday mornings are usually quiet. Weekends attract car enthusiasts and motorcycle riders, especially in summer. The roads are never gridlocked — they don't lead anywhere most people need to go — but weekend encounters with other spirited drivers are common.