any comments gratefully received or thoughts on car choice from the following
not huge business mileage and the space is not main concern
driveability and liveability is!
alternative was £450 gross per month
the cars are all diesel and i am a 22% tax payer so co2 is not major issue as difference in about £200 a year top to bottom
Ta
Model Type Eng STYLE value Mpg "CO2
g/Km"
GOLF BLUEMOTION MATCH 1.9 HATCH £16,660 48.7 119
GOLF PLUS BLUEMOTION 1.9 HATCH £16,600 46.3 127
CIVIC SE I-CDTI 2.2 HATCH £16,265 42.8 135
PASSAT BLUEMOTION 1.9 SAL £17,095 42.2 136
GOLF SE TDI 1.9 EST £16,640 42.2 137
JETTA SE TDI 1.9 SAL £16,470 42.8 137
PASSAT BLUEMOTION 1.9 EST £18,230 41.5 137
GOLF PLUS LUNAR 1.9 HATCH £16,425 39.8 148
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Civic, love the interior! The others all seem a bit bland to me
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The visibility on the Civic was an issue for me, as are the squishy armchair seats in any of the VW SE models.
I'm very happy with my two year old 1.9 tdi Golf Sport, but they don't do that model any more - think it's the SE or the GTTdi, but I may be wrong. I think the 1.9 would be a bit sluggish in anything bigger than a Golf hatchback, but that's just my opinon.
Do you need an estate? Do you carry things in the boot that wouldn't fit in the "mouth" of the boot of the saloons?
Sounds like you need a few test drives!
Edited by PoloGirl on 13/05/2008 at 20:02
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my own thoughts were...
if i wanted the jetta , would be as well with the passat as is bigger better, but engine a bit limp
golf plus is ugly
i like golf estate, i go camping quite a bit hence towards hatches rather than saloons, probably put that above passat estate.
bluemotion match is attractive as has climate , cruise and alloys and really low tax band
think i like civic, but dash strikes me as a bit plasticky and the ride gets criticised
no family, no dog, 34 and not married so no kids to think of
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In your list the Civic is a lot more powerful than the others - lovely to drive - forwards - but like PoloGirl I have a problem with the appalling rear visibility, which verges on the dangerous (you could run over a child and never have a clue (s)he was there.
I'd suggest you consider something with the VAG 2.0 TDI engine - a Skoda Octavia Ambiente is under £17k although since you include the Passat estate at over £18k you could have the Golf SE 2.0 TDI estate at just on £18k. I have one of these and it's excellent: plenty of poke, 45 mpg in town and 50 if you cruise at 75 mph, 60 mpg if you keep it down to 60 mph on the motorway (which I haven't got the patience to!).
The Octavia Elegance 2.0 TDI estate is about the same list price, but the Golf will hold its value better. There are also some SEAT Altea fans on this forum, although the rear visibility is only slightly better than the Civic's, and the rear seats don't fold down properly.
Have fun test driving some of them, and so tell us how you get on.
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For me it's the Civic as it has a massively better diesel engine. The VAG TDis are rough and noisy, although very punchy and economical.
VAG need common rail - about ten years late to the party.
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I agree with Xileno - the VAG diesels are just far too unrefined - I honestly don't know how people live with them over a long period of time.
VW delaers would put me off as well although even the consumers association are starting to recomend the Golf - but a new one will be out fairly soon.
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the VAG diesels are just far too unrefined
Very frugal though. One of them will get you into London for nothing and cost peanuts in tax.
If neither of those things matter, try to drive them all and take the one you fancy.
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Based uopn that list I would take the money and run. Should get a good petrol engined car with decent performance for less cash!
Will run for the hills, but who cares BCFC are going to Wembley!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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CIVIC SE I-CDTI 2.2 HATCH £16,265 42.8 135
Nicest of the bunch here. Neighbour has one and is delighted with it.
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I found the Audi diesel I had very economical BUT it was painfully coarse idling in traffic.
And after 3 years I sold it. Never regretted it.
If you do mainly long distances on uncrowded roads, VW OK. But after a tiring day, sitting on a motorway at idle or at 5mph can get very wearing.
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The VAG diesels are horribly unrefined, but they have such stonking bottom end, you can drive them everywhere without ever exceeding 2500 RPM. This keeps the din down to an acceptable level. I have to say though, since owning our Scenic, it does illustrate just how far off the pace they are in terms of NVH.
I still think the old 1.9 130 PD engine is one of the best all-round diesel motors ever made though. Take refinement out of the equation and you have speed, reliability, durability and astonishing economy (genuine 60 mpg driven gently)
Out of that list, I'd pick the Civic without too much hesitation at all.
Cheers
DP
Edited by DP on 14/05/2008 at 21:05
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based in Glasgow, so london congestion charge won't affect me unless old Boris gets greedy and REALLY extends the area it covers!
Booked a drive for the golf on Friday and will look at Jetta and Passat then
The civic seems to win on engine , but goes a bit downhill after that on rear window, no wiper, plastics and service issues
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The VAG diesels are horribly unrefined but they have such stonking bottom end you can drive them everywhere without ever exceeding 2500 RPM.
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I think this statement is a bit overly harsh, Vag Diesels do idle noisily addmittedly, but once you are rolling or at high speed, they are as quiet as almost anything else, and they dont go wrong all the time like the quieter common-fail diesels !
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I bought a Civic ES 2.2 diesel after driving it back to back with a VW Golf and a Toyota Auris (both 2 litre diesels).
The Civic is by far the nicest to drive and will give over 50mpg + in normal use. It also has the quietest and smoothest engine by far. To be honest many new cars have poor rear visibility and if it really bothers you get the dealer to throw in parking sensors or even a reversing camera.
Where the Civic really scores is in the sheer versatility of the load space and in the amount of passenger room it has.
Mine has done 25000 miles in 10 months and has not had the slightest fault, rattle or anything untoward. I've just cleaned it and, as ever, the overall fit and finish and quality of the paintwork shines through.
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Was down on the Costas last week, and was very surprised to see a lot of Civic hire cars; not the usual Honda market. Possible sign of the "economic slowdown" - shift the metal by any means?
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"To be honest many new cars have poor rear visibility and if it really bothers you get the dealer to throw in parking sensors or even a reversing camera."
Very true - but sensors and reversing camera, though useful, are no substitute for being able to see properly - and it's so unnecessary to style a car like that. The new SEAT Ibiza looks like another bad example - I suppose there will be more unless and until NCAP realises that visibility is an integral part of safety.
Glad you enjoy your Civic, Will, and I do hope you never hit anyone, especially a child, who is obscured by your car's blind spot. Honda should do a Civic estate or Tourer: with that excellent 2.2 diesel engine and a more sensible back end they'd sell plenty.
Edited by Avant on 18/05/2008 at 23:16
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