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What would be considered the BEST five medium-sized saloons (Renault sports saloon/ Mazda 3 saloon ). What order would you put them in?
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Do you just mean saloons - i.e. excluding hatchbacks? There aren't many, and the hatchbacks are just as good.
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Yes. just saloons. Am of the boot-is-best brigade - apparently conservative and keeping cars a long time - probably too long in the case of the R reg Renault Megane saloon. Actually, I do prefer the saloons as I find them quieter to drive.
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Avant.....
No they are not! Hatchbacks are noisier and have a far smaller luggage capacity with all seat occupied. Everyone except the Brits knows this, hence small saloons sell well everywhere except the UK.
Try getting a family five plus luggage into a Maxda 3 saloon - now try the same in a Mazda 3 hatch - see?.
Sorry to rant, but a small saloon is preferable in 99% of circumstances.
Edited by Espada III {P} on 05/07/2009 at 15:27
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Espada III(P) - are you Portuguese by any chance? Lovely fish. Yes, I do agree with you. What would your top five be in this medium-sized class? Would you include the last Renault Megane and Mazda 3 saloon, again previous model?
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I meant that a hatch is just as good to drive. I agree - there are times when a saloon may be better - as you say, such as 4-5 people and their luggage. Hatchbacks are more versatile if you want to carry loads - so it's horses for courses.
Of the saloons available I'd choose the VW Jetta or Mazda 3. I don't think the Focus comes as a saloon any more, but you might find one secondhand.
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No - not Portugese - just a lover of Lamborghinis!
The Focus III is made in saloon form as far as I know having seen them overseas, but may be not sold in the UK. Avant is right though - the Jetta and Mazda 3 are the best small saloons, but there is the new Chevrolet Cruze, Volvo S40 (same as Mazda3 only with less room and more cost).
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Would you put the Jetta above the Mazda or vice versa.; and what about the Reanult Megane sports saloon of the same period?
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Might be considered bigger than your bracket (but very similar really): Avensis.
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Just seen HJ's review of the Cruze, which ,at the base model, he likes. Must admit had never heard of it before.
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HJ. What would the overall fuel comp be for the 1.6LS Cruze? A lot worse than say the previous Mazda 3, Renault Megane Saloon and Jetta ? What would be your top five medium-sized saloons?
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I was in Spain at the weekend and spotted a Citroen C4 saloon. Never knew such a thing existed. I much prefer saloons and often wonder why we are so hatchaddicted in the UK. When I bought my Mazda 6 hatch I didn't even know there was a saloon variant - and having seen a few around since, I regret not knowing and ending up with a hatch. Ah well.
FWIW, if the Mazda 3 is anything like as nice as the 6, that'd be my choice in this class.
Although the Alfa 159 isn't much bigger, it's hardly Mondeo size now is it.................
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I much prefer saloons and often wonder why we are so hatchaddicted in the UK.
All the nice things that you (and others) say about saloons are true. They are quieter, handsomer and have a good boot when carrying passengers. I'm with you - I would prefer a saloon myself.
Unfortunately, I regularly need to carry stuff around that just won't fit into a saloon's boot. Loads of other people are in the same boat that I am in. We just HAVE to have that degree of practicality.
An estate car is practical - but overkill. (And mostly they are ugly boxes!)
The beauty of a decent sized hatchback is that you get practicality, but the car can still look handsome (e.g. Mazda 6)
P.S. The Upcoming BMW 5 series GT looks very interesting for both saloon and hatchback fans...
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Focus saloon is still available, at least it is in ROI. My dads got a 1.6 Ghia - nice car. Definitely a little quieter than the hatch but there isn't a whole lot in it to be honest. The boot is big but access is slightly restricted. Unless you are going to be carrying a chest of drawers regularly the space is more useful than the hatch's boot.
AFAIK, it's only available in higher specs in the UK but here you can get all spec levels in saloon. We also get an Astra saloon (only launched here about a year ago), Civic saloon and a Corolla saloon. The Tiida is about the place too but would you? I mean really...what were they thinking...
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I can't say I've ever noticed the difference in noise despite driving several hire cars in both 4 and 5 door (vectra, astra and focus). I prefer the look of hatchbacks in small cars, saloons in small cars look ugly and not quite in proportion. More practical as well saloons have got big boots but small openings. Skoda had a good idea with their new superb was is both a saloon and a hatch you get the best of both worlds.
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Can anyone give me a definitive top five in the medium-sized small saloon market? Andy Enright rated the Renault Sports saloon and Mazda 3 (previous model) as the top two. Was hoping HJ could put this particular thread of this thread to bed.
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i stopped buying saloons many years ago
i love them
the british public dont
bear that in mind when it comes to sell them
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bell boy - which medium sized and priced would you buy now, if you had to? Just trying to get some sort of top five, something to chew on.
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>>Skoda had a good idea with their new superb was is both a saloon and a hatch you get the best of both worlds. >>
Hardly a "good idea"...:-)
The Skoda Octavia is exactly the same, just as the Seat Toledo was before that many years ago.
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Hardly a "good idea"...:-) The Skoda Octavia is exactly the same just as the Seat Toledo was before that many years ago.
Not really exactly the same - the Superb has a dual bootlid/hatch; the Octy and first-generation Toledo are/were just hatchbacks that look like saloons to the uninitiated.
But the Octavia does give you a generous saloon-sized boot with a hatchback tailgate!
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On the Continent, there are some curiously attractive looking saloon versions of cars better known as hatchbacks in the UK: Fiat has the Linea (Punto Grande) and there is a Citroen C4 as mentioned above. Current Focus and outgoing Astra model also had quite smart offerings... Where both were offered, booted saloons always outsold hatchbacks in Spain, especially in larger cars (Vectra, Mondeo, Primera etc.)
The only hatchback that has really made inroads into the taxi market here is the Skoda Octavia - I saw a solid line of 20 of them on my last visit to Madrid's airport.
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Please give me a definitive top five medium sized , and medium priced, saloons either new or demos or up to two years old, including both new and previous Mazda 3 saloons and the Chevrolet Cruze. Am I right that the Cruze has a part cloth fascia cover ? Was taking my daughter back home last night and driving along the A4, quiet road and good surface and was amazed just smooth running my twelve year- old Reanult Magane saloon was. Others have said the same.about Renaults. So would put Renault Megane Sports saloon up there, but would need to check re reliability. Lists please... please.
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Brian, before you ask the same question for a sixth time, you might like to consider that there is no such thing as a 'definitive' top five. It's a matter of opinion; this is a discussion forum, and opinions are what we deal in, but even HJ himself can offer only his opinion - as he did some time ago. Plenty of others have done the same; I think your next task is to take up some of these suggestions and try the cars out for yourself. Only then will you be able to form an opinion of your own. And then you'll be welcome to share it here.
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Differs with different people but mine would be
=1 New Mazda3/Ford Focus
=3 Octavia (I know a hatch)/Jetta
5 Civic (think only IMA in UK)
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Yes. Point taken. Have somehow got the question into my head - and then forgotten to actually use my head for its main purpose. Comes from teaching where definitive answers are always being asked and some attempt is made to give them . But thanks WillDeBeest for putting me straight.
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