Best medium car to buy

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Hi,

After a five yr relationship with my renault megane i have decided to sell up and move on. I want to buy a 1.4 or 1.6 petrol medium sized car. Dont have much interest in saloon cars. So, my question, for the amount of money i can spend I have narrowed my search to the following:

05 Ford focus hatchback
04 VW Golf comfortline
03 Audi A3
04 Toyota corolla hatchback.

I dont know much about cars so i know its a very general question but just wondering which of the above cars would readers recommend based on miles per gallon, comfort, resale value and i suppose general value for money.

Thanks - all comments appreciated!
 
05 Ford focus hatchback - Great car, best in class and would be my option of the four. Good driving dynamics too...and a big boot.

04 VW Golf comfortline - decent build quality and good residuals. Not considered quite as good as Focus.

03 Audi A3 - older model. Wouldn't even consider it.

04 Toyota corolla hatchback. - reliable...will outlive your grandchildren. Decent residuals. As boring as boring gets. Might as well give up on life if you buy one of these!! :D
 
Focus is my recommendation. www.honestjohn.co.uk has a good impartial review.

Go for a 1.6 Zetec model. By far the best spec. Has a/c, alloys, sports seats and uprated suspension too. Nice trim also.
 
One thing not mentioned so far is that servicing costs on the Ford and should be lowest, Toyota next, then VW and Audi.

Although they have a good reputation, which helps residual values, my own experience is that VWs don't live up to it.

My vote: Focus.

Oh, yes: try and get one with a/c. You'll come to love it if you haven't had it before, and it'll make it easier to sell on.
 
The key here is Focus is the car to go for. It wins in nearly every department to be honest...which is why it's class leader.
 
The good thing about the focus is that there are plenty to chose from. Best selling car in Ireland and UK last few years, hence you'll be able to get more for your money. Haggle hard, as the numbers could potentially hit you when you want to sell on in future.
 
Apologies for butting in on this, but I too am considering changing to one of those 4 cars.

My concern with the focus is that I have a fiesta (old, 1997) and have often found it to be a bit 'skittish' for want of a better word on the road. Didn't find it felt very stable at times, particularly on bad roads. I have not yet taken a focus for a test drive, I would be talking about a slightly older version than the OP - probably a 2003 or 2004.

I test drove a 2003 Corolla lately and found it felt much more solid on the road than my fiesta.

Now obviously a fiesta is a much smaller car than a focus (particularly the older models), but does anyone who has a focus find that they can be a bit of a handful sometimes?

thanks!
 
marcellaf said:
Apologies for butting in on this, but I too am considering changing to one of those 4 cars.

My concern with the focus is that I have a fiesta (old, 1997) and have often found it to be a bit 'skittish' for want of a better word on the road. Didn't find it felt very stable at times, particularly on bad roads. I have not yet taken a focus for a test drive, I would be talking about a slightly older version than the OP - probably a 2003 or 2004.

I test drove a 2003 Corolla lately and found it felt much more solid on the road than my fiesta.

Now obviously a fiesta is a much smaller car than a focus (particularly the older models), but does anyone who has a focus find that they can be a bit of a handful sometimes?
Click to expand...

Try a test drive: there's a big difference between them.
 
Yeah...no comparison. Focus is best in class for a reason. It handles better than Corrolla or Golf. That would also include the older model Focus I believe.

I wouldn't be comparing a 1997 Ford (Fiesta) with a newer Focus. Different beasts.
 
Really I have it down to the Corolla v the Focus.

Is there a timing belt or timing chain in the focus? the salesman has told me that corollas have timing chains and do not need to be changed until 100,000 miles - is this correct? I've just had to change the timing belt in the fiesta (not a cheap job).

I think from looking at honest John that reliability of both cars is pretty similar. The focus is substantially cheaper (approx 2 -3k), which is an attraction. But Toyotas will go forever, which is also a good thing!

More confused now!
 
Test drive both and see which one smiles at you at the end of the day. See which one also suits you best practically as well....Space? family? Single? Is image important? Driving?
The Focus will serve you very well if you pick a good one- make sure there is full service history. The reason they are cheaper is that there are so many of them out there. Newer fords have also proven good in the reliability stakes. Toyotas 'the best built cars in the world' are more exclusive as in much less common and almost bullet proof in its engineering.
There is a timing belt in the focus.
Timing chain in the toyota.

From your initial list, I'm assuming you've set yourself a budget around the 20k mark.
If money were no object, I'd go for a Golf in the sportline trim owned by one lady owner. Golfs in this trim can be found easily with low milage as they are quite commonly considered as a second car of a middle class family and hence usually also often kept quite clean. (Personally, and if space isn't big on the agenda but fun and image is, I'd actually look for a 03/04 Cooper S) That's my 2 cents
If it had to be between the focus and corolla, I'd get a focus because of the choice you will have to see which means more value for money
 
A long time Audi owner...........I wouldn't go near the A3, either.

And, if it's a 1.4, avoid the Golf like the plague. The 1.4 Golf engine is well recognised in the trade as a slug, with premature wear on everything from coils to pistons to bores.....articles in the trade press will back me up on that.......and, being a Golf, it'll be as plain as............whatever.

Which leaves the Toyota and the Ford. Both good, down to personal preferance and value for money. I'd imagine the Ford would be more attractive, as Toyota's get a premium these days, but the Ford would have more gear/be nicer inside.

Of course, I haven't seen the other stalwart on your list: Honda Civic. Won't go wrong with that, either........
 
I think I've taken over from the OP - sincere apologies :eek: - I'll keep this one nice and short.

My budget is between 10 - 13k, looking for at least a 03 either focus or corolla.

2 quick questions re the focus: 1. Can you get a ghia hatchback? 2. Is a 1.6 much better than a 1.4 in tems of speed pick up etc.?

thanks again.
 
I had a 1.4 05 hatchback focus for a week from a garage - lovely car to drive (steering etc) - animal on petrol - no power. My mother-in-law summed it up for me "great car if it had an engine". Definately look at the 1.6 if you are thinking about it.

I think that the toyota would be much more comfortable seat wise etc.
 
marcellaf said:
I think I've taken over from the OP - sincere apologies :eek: - I'll keep this one nice and short.

My budget is between 10 - 13k, looking for at least a 03 either focus or corolla.

2 quick questions re the focus: 1. Can you get a ghia hatchback? 2. Is a 1.6 much better than a 1.4 in tems of speed pick up etc.?

thanks again.
Click to expand...

Don't know about GHIA hatchback but 1.6 Zetec (as posted by RS2K earlier) is the best model to go for. Difference between 1.4 and 1.6 is substantial. I wouldn't touch a car of this size in 1.4 mode.
 
Focus is your only man. Bought my 1.6 estate new in '00 and still love it. Plan to drive it to the ground, it would hurt me to sell it on. Still looks like new & drives like new, and I have 2 young kids.

p.s. I dont work for ford....
 
hmm, I had heard that the 1.4 focus was a bit sluggish alright. Of course, the bigger the engine, the bigger the road tax, insurance etc. But if there is that much difference between a 1.4 and a 1.6 then I'd rather pay the extra and not be left stuck on the wrong side of the road whilst struggling to overtake!

Thing is, the 1.4 corolla does not seem to have the same 'slowness' problems?? Why would that be, considering the engine is the same size?
 
Thanks to all - mind firmly made up. going to test drive a 1.6 Focus at the weekend. Thanks again for the opinions.
 
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