Need a small car
- Thread starter Tdh1987
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![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
Tdh1987 said:
I don't think you will get any MkV's for that money
I've heard good things about the Astra's, but they look revolting to me, way too over-designed IMO.
You can always play the "But it's a VW underneath" line regarding to Skoda...
[TW]Fox said:Not high, Mk5 Golfs are super expensive. Quality is, apparently, down on the Mk4 as well.
Sorry Nick
In all seriousness, you'll struggle to get a Mk5 Golf for £9k - there might be a few early 1.4's kicking about, but you should be going for a 1.6FSI minimum with these. If you're very lucky - you could get a 1.6 with way above average miles for £9k I reckon - worth having a look anyway. The interior on the early ones was said to lack quality too - I remember looking at one of the first ones at a dealer and not being overly impressed. I thought mine ('54 reg) was great though.
why would she want a powerful car for just around the town?
I can recommend the new 1.2 VW Polo as a good little town car as the g/fs grandad has just bought one thats 8 months old. Really comfortable inside compared to a Corsa (We've got a new 1.2 SXi in the family), good handling and nippy enough around town. Granted i wouldnt want to do long distance/motorway driving in it due to the lack of power but it would be comfortable enough if you had to.
Fiestas arent bad either but if its just town driving id say there is no need for something as big as a Focus or a Golf.
I can recommend the new 1.2 VW Polo as a good little town car as the g/fs grandad has just bought one thats 8 months old. Really comfortable inside compared to a Corsa (We've got a new 1.2 SXi in the family), good handling and nippy enough around town. Granted i wouldnt want to do long distance/motorway driving in it due to the lack of power but it would be comfortable enough if you had to.
Fiestas arent bad either but if its just town driving id say there is no need for something as big as a Focus or a Golf.
MNuTz said:
Becuase driving slow cars is tedious and annoying, even around town. The ability to get up to speed reasonably sharpish is useful. A car that needs the nuts thrashing off it to actually get anywhere is annoying. The Golf 1.4 is such a car.
I love the way you say 'As big as a Focus or Golf', which are small cars
I do mostly town driving, so I bought a Mondeo, just becuase I spend my time in an urban environment doesn't mean I should put up with being cooped up in a tiny little box of crud with a sewing machine under the bonnet
It doesn't have to be supercar performance, but none of cars mentioned are. I did mention to her, while we were at the ford dealer, that a 1.4tdci (68bhp) is very slow and she wasn't impressed.
I talked her out of the Fiesta idea as I took a look at the depreciation. A £12000 Fiesta would be worth £4600 in 3 years time!!
A 54reg Fabia Vrs, 05 reg Focus zetec or Astra Elite seem like much more of an attractive deal.
I'll take her down some dealers. Best way of deciding.
I talked her out of the Fiesta idea as I took a look at the depreciation. A £12000 Fiesta would be worth £4600 in 3 years time!!
A 54reg Fabia Vrs, 05 reg Focus zetec or Astra Elite seem like much more of an attractive deal.
I'll take her down some dealers. Best way of deciding.
[TW]Fox said:I love the way you say 'As big as a Focus or Golf', which are small cars
They are big cars if its just carrying one person for the majority of the time. Even with the small cars in our family i have never had to thrash the car to get to the 30mph speed limit. In fact, both the corsa and the polo are nippy enough to keep up with the flow of traffic in town!
tzang said:That has to be the worse recommendation I've seen
I took a 1.4 Dynamic out for a test drive on Monday and it was horrible. The 1.4 felt slow and lifeless, the interior space seems somewhat cramped, comfy for the driver though (you get better rear legroom in a Corsa than the Punto, and that is with the driver seat set comfortably for a 6'1" driver like myself).
Interior design is also horrible, feels extremely cheap and still using a similar format from MK1 Punto days.
Agree with Fox, get a Focus... though you might want to have a look at some 05/55-reg New 1.6 Astra "Design" models as they are well equipped and very comfy. It has the looks too.
Corsa would be a car I would recommend (for obvious reasons), they are easy to drive and very cheap once depreciated. A fairly new 05/55-reg SXi model would at most set you back at £7500 though for that budget, get a Focus or Astra.
Sounds like a biased Corsa drivers opinion.
The Grande Punto is europes fastest selling car!
I work for a Fiat dealer selling these things and they account for a HUGE proportion of our March new registration target!
Soldato
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I'm also surprised at the opinion of the Grande Punto - it's got very favourable reviews
The new Clio is also worth looking at
I think the '06 model Fiestas are meant to have improved interiors - I've been in an '05 model and it's awful inside
The new Clio is also worth looking at
I think the '06 model Fiestas are meant to have improved interiors - I've been in an '05 model and it's awful inside
LupoGTi - fantasticly rapid little motors. Rare too, none of this "oh look, there's another Fiesta/Punto/Clio that looks exactly like mine". Monster blinding Xenon's, 6 speed box. Cheap to insure (11) and good on petrol.
old shape Polo GTi? Not as good as the above but better specced and bigger.
Leon Cupra R?
old shape Polo GTi? Not as good as the above but better specced and bigger.
Leon Cupra R?
Matmulder said:
Why do people do this? I mean come on guys use a small amount of common sense please. He's chosing a car for his MUM. Now, she doesn't need a GTi and she doesn't need a Cupra R. Yes, petrolhead mums exist but they dont ask their son to pick a new car for them.
She wants a decent car for driving around town. By 'not slow' she probably means 'NOt a 1.2 pile of carp' rather than 'Must have 200bhp and do 0-60 in 6 seconds'.
Not slow = Focus 1.6, not Leon Cupra R. There is absolutely ZERO point paying the extra money to buy, run and insure a performance car in this case.
The choice is clear, she needs a 540i Sport... sorry, a Focus 1.6 or something similar.
Maz said:
Sounds like a biased Fiat salesman
I know Corsas aren't the best of cars (I bought a Corsa for several reasons, being a great supermini isn't one of them) but I do know that the Grande Punto is a car not living up to the hype as I have described in my brief review. The two salesmen who talked to me tried their best to convince me it is a fast, nippy town car which excels on motorway journeys compared to other superminis but the test drive that followed proved both of them wrong.
It may be Europe's fastest selling car but it doesn't necessarily mean it is the best in its class and I'm certain from my test drive it definitely isn't. The new Clio and Fiesta would be better alternatives. One main reason people would choose a Grande Punto over other superminis is because it is one of the cheapest options in its class with a decent spec list.
[EDIT] Oh, it isn't a "biased Corsa driver's opinion", I know for a fact that the rear legroom in the Corsa is better than the Grande Punto after I adjusted the driver seat and steering column on both vehicles to my liking and attempted to get into the rear seat.
The 1.4 engine is slow with a 1.4 8v engine which only gives 77bhp, 0-60mph at 12.8s and that is a top model petrol engine (for now). Being a former owner of a MK1 Punto, I doubt my comparison between the Grande Punto can be wrong either
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Caporegime
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tzang said:
Somewhat suprised at this, whilst its no rocket ship its got 100Bhp in a lightish car it picks up alright, pulls well in 3rd gear, not a bad drive tbh.
Suprised a Corsa driver can say a Clio feels Slow and Lifeless, the corsa pushed the Slow and Lifeless bar about 20 notches upwards.
Firestar_3x said:
Are you referring to the new Clio or Grande Punto? I didn't say Dynamique
I know the new Clio is very good and I dare say one of the best options for a supermini today but if you are referring to the Grande Punto... (1.4 Grande Punto only kicks out 75bhp btw).Care to stick a 1.4 Grande Punto on a straight-line against the 1.2 Corsa? Won't be anything interesting (slow motion race of some sort) but the 1.4 would be left behind. I would be interested to see what Fiat can do when they release their 16v engine range later this year but until then, the Grande Punto petrol engines are poor at present. I stand by what I said regarding the interior, it is still poor.
Soldato
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Just for interest What Car tested the Clio 1.4, Grande Punto 1.4 and the Yaris 1.3 (all the latest just released models) this month.
1. Renault Clio 1.4 Expression 4/5
PLUS: Fine ride and handling; spacious cabin; class-leading refinement; big-car feel; strong engine
MINUS: Poor steering feel; worst fuel economy and high emissions
98bhp, 0-60 12.6 sec
2. Fiat Grande Punto 4/5
PLUS: A good drive; stylish looks; low prices but plenty of equipment
MINUS: Least powerful engine, weakest performance
77bhp, 0-60 14.8 sec
3. Toyota Yaris 3/5
PLUS: Clever packaging; good fuel economy; nippy performance
MINUS: High purchase price, more of a squeeze for passengers with legroom
88bhp, 0-60 12.3 sec
They all strike me as slow for cars of their sizes with that sized engine really. The Punto really is bad - Fox often describes the Astra 1.4 as gutless and that's three seconds quicker than the Punto!
1. Renault Clio 1.4 Expression 4/5
PLUS: Fine ride and handling; spacious cabin; class-leading refinement; big-car feel; strong engine
MINUS: Poor steering feel; worst fuel economy and high emissions
98bhp, 0-60 12.6 sec
2. Fiat Grande Punto 4/5
PLUS: A good drive; stylish looks; low prices but plenty of equipment
MINUS: Least powerful engine, weakest performance
77bhp, 0-60 14.8 sec
3. Toyota Yaris 3/5
PLUS: Clever packaging; good fuel economy; nippy performance
MINUS: High purchase price, more of a squeeze for passengers with legroom
88bhp, 0-60 12.3 sec
They all strike me as slow for cars of their sizes with that sized engine really. The Punto really is bad - Fox often describes the Astra 1.4 as gutless and that's three seconds quicker than the Punto!
The fact the Astra 1.4 is gutless has nothing to do with its 0-60 time. It's geared to hit 60 and second and appear quicker than it really is. It has the same 0-60 time as my old Xantia (Well the Xantia is 0.4 seconds quicker I guess) and the two felt a world apart on the road.