New Hatch

Good safe choice.

Bit Dull IMO

Dunno

Bit overpriced

French

A size down. Octavia compares well on price and is what I'll probably buy next.

Too much

Too much

I don't like the dash. Otherwise good.

French

Lovely but expensive

French

Old and dull

Nice looking car but I'd expect it to break.

There is a test of mid range Civic , Focus , Golf and Octavia in "what car" this month which was won by the Octavia

Looks really don't bother me at all. If you only judge something by its appearance, you may miss something.

Can't really go wrong with these.

Overpriced. Good ownership proposition. Not as well built as they should be.

Ewww.

Class act, but based on the Polo not on the Golf. Interior a bit wanting in my opinion. Great TDI.

I'd have one.

I'd rather eat chilled puke.

Yes.

No.

Absolutely.

See A3 comment.

Perfect if you want regular transport. Kinda good but dull. Doesn't excite, not designed to.

No.

Drive everything in the list. Write notes about your preferences.

It's the sensible choice.

Err they're essentially the same car.

A size down, but loads of room. An Octavia is Golf based but larger. A Fabia is Polo based but nearly as big as a Golf. Loads of room in a Fabia, and the TDi 1.9 and vRS models are pretty rock and roll.

Essentially the same floorpan, but a lot can change when you choose your own VAG bits and settings to hang from the pan.

New Focus is fine, but agree the styling is odd. New Astra also fine. 1 series has insufficient rear legroom to be useful for anything other than two adults / two kiddies. Golf is safe bet. Megane / C4 / 307 all merde. Leon should be a good bet. Corolla isn't as dull as you might think. A3 is a jumped up Golf. 147 looks better than it is. Fabia has badge problems.

Off that list I'd personally have a 1 series or a Golf, likely to be the best residual values (although you'll get huge discounts on some of the others). If purchase price was an issue then discounts available on the Astra would be worth looking at. Leon is also worth a good close look.

If you keep your cars a long time, look at the Golf or Corolla, then the 1 series if you can cope with the cramped interior.

Don't forget Mercedes make a small front drive hatch too, and with discounts on the new A150s they're not too dear either. New A class is miles better than my old shape one.

But it makes so much more sense...

Mechanically yes, price tag tells a different tale though. Leon / Golf / Octavia / A3 - only the first two would take my money.

Okay - here's the order I'd consider them in based on what I know of them. Please note; I have driven the 1-series, and /I/ liked it; but it was the 4-cylinder model. Sharp steering, RWD. The boot and rear seat space is nothing like the 'sound-bite' friendly assessment Top Gear presented of it, though it does lose a small amount compared to the Golf people here suggested I get a MINI instead on the basis that it was as cramped - which was just stupid.

So, purely on "my opinion of the cars" and not much factual evidence.

I'd have these without (much) hesitation.

RWD, sharp steering, 4 cylinder definitely didn't understeer like the Top Gear report implied for the 3.0.

I don't mind the 3 door or internal design. Well regarded.

Interesting and Japanese. Not sold on it entirely.

Meat and Potatoes. You know what you're going to get. If Beetle is any indicator should be very comfortable indeed.

I'd be happy with these, but wouldn't choose them. > Corolla I like Toyotas a lot and my main dealer is brilliant. But, the car is painfully dull.

Really don't see the point:

It's a Golf. But with more snob appeal. Meh.

EWWW! "Steering assist" - it apparently steers for you. I'll give that a miss.

Just don't quite get why it exists, tbh.

I'd probably like these, but they're not something I'd choose to live with.

Interesting (especially the 3dr), but PSA - so it'll fall apart and be crap.

Very interesting, quite nice looking, but Alfa dealers make Citroen/PSA look like Gods of customer care. Probably great fun to drive.

Wouldn't touch with a bargepole, would rather drive a £40 Proton. > Astra > 307 > Megane

I think those speak for themselves.

Of course, faced with the same choice - bar the hatchback aspect - I got an RX8 instead.

Richard

See, I would say, Leon/Ocatavia, if the others cost more, why?

If you are after a decent car on a budget take a look at the new Punto Grande. I cringed when I was handed one for a long weekend a few weeks ago, but came back with a smile on my face! I had an "Eleganze" deisel, which was comfortable to drive, quite happy at 110mph even on some steep motorway inclines, quiet and extremeley well equipped for the price. Loads of leg room front and back and all our luggage in the boot. Even the "city" button has now disappeared into the background buttons amidst dual climate control and a pretty decent audio system (and the boot release button - now fitted in the centre console and my only real grumble). Ride quality is excellent, wind noise low and for a deisel it was very quiet. Furthermore it seemed to attract a lot of attention - and for the right reasons this time as it doesn't look like a Punto. For once I think Fiat have actually got something right! BTW, this is someone who married a 2000 punto owner, and that is the worst car I've ever had the displeasure to drive.....but then its ideal for her as I won't let her loose in my beasts!

WRX hatch.

Fraser

OK, this is all highly opinionated and I'm not bothering to return to this thread to read the flames, but here's my 2p worth:

I've driven the 1.6 petrol and 1.6 diesel. Both are good motorway cars but the petrol handled like a shopping trolley and felt like it had a faulty fly-by-wire throttle. The diesel suffers from bad turbo lag which makes for jerky driving in town.

I wouldn't trust Vauxhall to build anything. Nasty interiors too.

would be my first choice, but Mazda don't make good diesels if that's what you want.

would be my second choice, but not a petrol one (VW petrol engines tend to be thirsty for their output).

I wouldn't trust French build quality.

Not much wrong with it, but getting dated now.

Drastically overpriced.

Even more drastically overpriced for what it is.

The Essex chavs have replaced their XR3s with Leons - dodgy image.

French again.

Very clever stuff, and maybe third choice, but I wouldn't have one because it's ugly and I live in Swindon, which is infested with the things (they're made here).

French again.

Ageing, ugly and deadly dull.

Pretty but a risky prospect as far as reliability goes.

Also consider a Skoda Octavia. It is just a (better built) Golf with a bigger boot, and all that crap about Skodas having a poor image is dead and buried. I'd rather be seen in one than a Ford or Vauxhall.

Japanese? It's as Swindon as teenage mums and strong white cider!

Oh, has Honda moved their design studios and headquarters?

Richard

No - being made from the same bits isn't the same as being the same car.

I'd kill myself. Or radically re-align my life so I didn't have to drive a woman's shopping cart.

New Focus Astra Mazda 3 Golf Megane Fabia

1 Series A3 New Leon 307 New Civic C4 Corolla 147

I've been trying to make the same choice actually. I have been test driving a lot of them and have been astonished at how bad the ride quality is. I currently have a 1997 ford fiesta which has a lovely smooth ride and is quite nippy.

These were my thoughts from my test drives:

New Focus

Given how many people have these I was surprised that the ride was quite bad. I felt all the bumps in the road. The interior was a bit bare looking. I am tall and had trouble getting my knees under the dash board.

Astra

I have just been looking at this one this week and have been extremely impressed. The ride is smooth and steady. All round visibility is good, and the controls are all fine and easy enough on the eye. The radio was tinny until we turned the treble right down base right up. The interior lovely. Not as spacious as the Octavia but certainly second to it. The front seats can be cranked right down so the windscreen goes well up above my head, again this is important because I'm tall. I have no trouble getting my knees under the dashboard. Generally very pleased. This is the only car on this list that I'd consider buying.

Mazda 3

Not tried.

Golf

Too expensive (for me, may be worth it if you have the money.)

Megane

Yuk

Fabia I tried the Octavia. The ride quality was unspeakably bad. The ride was jerky as braking and acceleration were not smooth at all. There seemed to be no suspension as I felt every bump in the road. The radio was horrible and the seats were uncomfortable. The inside of the car was lovely to look at though. Spacious and with lots of buttons to press.

New Leon

This was pretty nice. I tried the 1.4 and the 1.6 SX. The 1.4 had a nice smooth ride though it seemed to lurch to the side sometimes which didn't like. The 1.6 SX had harder suspension which I wasn't so keen on. The interior of both was more cramped and less classy than the new astra. I was keen on the engineering being Golf-based but worried about how the customer service would be with SEAT and about the fact that there are few SEAT garages around.

New Civic

I only looked at the old civic and did not like the centre control panel at all with the strange phallic gear stick. The seats were really uncomfortable. Windscreen went up nice and high though, right above my head.

C4

Didn't like it though I think that was just theseats. C2 seat lovely and comfy but car is diddly.

In summary my current favourite is the new astra 1.6l 16v club. I see they have them very cheap at Arnold Clark but the sale finished today (drat)

Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any discoveries.

Jen

In message , jclark writes

Given that the new Civic (a) is a completely different shape and (b) has a completely different interior and (c) now has a more conventionally mounted gear stick, observations based on the old car don't tell you much about the new one.

By the way, moving the gear stick is a retrograde step, IMO.

Yea when I first saw it i thought it was a daft idea - then I sat in a Type R at the motorshow, and even just sitting, it felt 'right' somehow.