Audi/BMW/Honda/VW

[Jaydee]

I've been looking for many months to replace our aging (15 yrs, 170k!) Astra and for something to complement the Fabia Vrs. Shopping list was eventually whittled down to Golf, A3, BMW or Civic.

Was looking for about 18 months old and diesel and fun.

First up was the Golf 2.0 GT TDI. Looked quite nice but what a disappointment. Not especially quick, really rather boring and so poorly bolted together. Car was less than two years old with 18k on the clock and rattled from the drivers door and dashboard so loudly I thought something had broken. Panel fit on drivers door led to wind noise that was only just drowned out by the interior squeeks. Irrespective of all this, within 5 minutes of getting in, I'd found out all there was to know about the driving experience. Safe, predictable and ordinary....I didn't go back for a second drive.

Next Audi A3. Only (I say only!) had a chance to drive 2.0 Turbo S Line DSG...and very nice too. However about 15k over budget and not what I was ever going to buy. Fantastically well put together, the cabin really did feel special, but again the drive was only ok. Safe and secure again and very well insulated from the road, but not a drivers car.

Would the 2.0 diesel have been an option? - Probably not, still very expensive and although the engine in the Golf was smoother and quieter than I'm used to, it didn't have that instant thump I thought I was after...

Honda Civic 2.2 CDTI Sport and SE. We (Mrs Jaydee and I) went to the Honda garage wanting, even intending, to buy. I know it's divided opinion but we both loved the looks, inside and out. However, it appears all the money for the new model went into the design and none into the engineering. Maybe a little mean - the engine and gearbox were great - second only to the BMW. But the ride was unforgivebly harsh especially on the 17" wheels (I wonder if older Honda drivers with marginal bladder control have problems on bumpy B-roads ?)

Handling was ok - but hadn't moved on from the Civic VTI I owned in 1996. It just wasn't well controlled and we couldn't believe this ride was standard on a family hatchback, so we also tried the SE model on 16" wheels (still run flats) which was a little bit better. The problem Honda have, is that they've built a car that looks so special people might also be expecting an out of this world driving experience to complement. Sadly not so.

Finally the BMW 120d Sport. I'd been anti BMW for years, not based on ever having driven one, but solely reputation. However, I seem alone in quite liking the looks of the one series, it really does look better up close and the local garage had the above model in silver with 12k at just about an acceptable price. Bad things first - ride is very firm (run flats and sport suspension) although superior to the Civic in that it's much better controlled and never really crashy. I initially drove this before the Civic and was unsure because of the ride, but drove it for a second time straight after the Civic when it was much more acceptable.

Good things - pretty much everything else. Engine is very smooth, quiet and even petrol like - power delivery is distinctly petrol, power builds progressively with quite a howl. It's generally much revier than the Furby - maybe 1 gear less and 1000 rpm more for comparable go. Interior is very driver focused and sports seats are superb. Rear seat and boot space is a little tight, but probably still better than the Furby. But the really selling point ( to cut a VERY long story short - it's sitting in the driveway) was the drive. The only car I've driven in a very long time that felt special and memorable long after I got out. Steering, handling and brakes are simply the best I've known. Better still the stability program lets you have 20 degrees of drift before reigning you in! Wet roundabouts are a hoot!


What all this really made me realise was how good the little Skoda is. Fast (more so than all of the above, except the petrol A3, in real world driving), reliable and that hardest thing of all to find, characterful. I appreciate I seem to have very specific requirements, but was shocked by just how ordinary so many new cars are.

...and if you've got this far, well done, sorry for the indulgence and does anybody yet know what engine is going into the new Fabia Vrs?

[sharkrider]

nice little review the only one of the above I have driven is the BMW 120d.... (and of course my furby vRS) and I thought it was a cracking drive too.... one of the best handling cars I've ever driven.... I like the looks too...

however I didn't like the engine (granted the car I drove only has 400 miles on it) it had deisel vibration all through the cabin... and seemed (as you seem to agree) slower than the furby (waits for the triade of people saying this isn't true! ) and for the price (new) and relative equipment (don't think it was the same spec you drove, but deffo the same engine) It simply wasn't worth even close to the money they wanted for it..... even if it was a great drive...

your's may have been better value seeing as it wasn't brand new.....
also, it may smooth up (and speed up!) after it's run in.... (as you say yours is smooth) but I didn't entertain it as a new buy.....

enjoy the wet roundabouts! lol....

edit: and I couldn't live with those indicators!

[joby]

nice one - interesting read - sounds like you made a great choice

[Lance]

Glad to hear such good reports about the BMW. I'm going to test drive the 330d & 530d during the coming week, with a view to buying one in the not too distant future..................big problem for me is that I keep being drawn back to the temptation of an MPS Mazda 6.

Decisions decisions!!!

[ColinD]

SWMBO brought the civic, 2.2. Must admit after our road test alone, I found the civic to be very well mannered and quite chuckable, this on a wet day where my octy would of spat it's dummy. However my octy is not compliant for road use really in the same way the Civic is....very nice car, I'd be almost tempted to borrow the keys to it on a frequent basis if I could find them

[vRSFred]

My last car was 120d SE (had for 2 yrs) and the handling/steering/brakes/engine are indeed bloomin fantastic (best I've had). I bought at 6k miles and sold at 28k miles and the engine did lossen up (and quieten down). I miss it still now. swapped it in for 06 plate Octy II vRS last month (following arrival of now six month old daughter - 1 Series lack of rear seat/boot space meant it had to go..)

Fred