Which Hatchback?

JoeyJJ

Looking to buy a new car this week and looking at 06 model 5dr hatchbacks.

Im currently undecided between the Opel Astra, Nissan Almera or Focus. If I went fo the Focus id probably go a year later...

Not gone on the wheels on the Astra however wouldn't let that put me off too much.

So which one?

DirtyDog

VW or Audi not on your list?

If i had to pick from the 3 you mentioned I'd probably go for the focus

bazz26

JoeyJJ wrote:

Looking to buy a new car this week and looking at 06 model 5dr hatchbacks.

Im currently undecided between the Opel Astra, Nissan Almera or Focus. If I went fo the Focus id probably go a year later...

Not gone on the wheels on the Astra however wouldn't let that put me off too much.

So which one?

If your concerned about resale value then forget about the Almera. I know someone who was offered only €8k trade-in for his 2005 Almera. It is in mint condition too. It is also totally obsolete these days compared to the others on your list, the Almera has been on sale since 2000 and has not changed that much.

From the other two I would probably choose the Focus before the Astra.

Also consider the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Skoda Octavia and Seat Leon before deciding.

OfflerCrocGod

Focus is the best of those 3 how about a nice Octavia?

irish_bob

the focus is the best car on paper but thier 10 a penny nowadays
if reseale value is not of huge importance and i think some people tend to place too much emphasis on it , hence the poularity of the always over rated vw golf , i would go for the new opel astra , im not a big fan of opel generally but the new astra is very smart indeed and has gotten really good reviews in the motoring press

another option not mentioned in the 3 you presented might be the new KIA CEED , it has gotten rave reviews and unusually for a korean car is not ugly as sin , comes with a 7 yr bumper to bumper warranty too

Tivoli

OfflerCrocGod wrote:

Focus is the best of those 3 how about a nice Octavia?

nice octavia? never judge a book by its cover mate.... bar the one in your link, they are usually horribal looking inside!


op i'd go for the focus too, no mechanical reason for you though

voxpop

im in a similar boat - looking at a 05 focus zetec for front runner, perhaps a leon although they seem to be thin on the ground. It does seem that the focus is the best car on the market in the range you've specified - according to the "experts"

copacetic

out of those 3 would deffo go for the focus, the almera is terribly out of date styling wise imo and isn't great to drive. the astra is ok but nothing special imo, 3 door looks great but is cramped in back and tiny boot. 5 door is boring to look at but a bit more practical.
focus is good to drive, v reliable and looks well. only issue is that there are so many of them around. if you are planning to drive it for a long time i'd go with it.
not that many leons around as they have only had the 1.6 available and never sold that well as it was a step up in price. nice car though..

JHMEG

Astra is by far the best looking of the three, esp the 3-door with the right alloys. Haven't driven a new model tho.

The Almera is a fine car but due to being a rental favourite depreciation is brutal. This makes them a good 2nd hand buy. Jap reliability, better than the Astra, but doesn't match the Civic or Corolla, tho nothing serious. Couldn't be called a driver's car. Willing engine, but body roll is excessive.. as far as I remember there are no anti roll bars, front or rear.

Focus. Frankenstein styling (looks like several different cars stuck togther), dynamically good to drive, largely thanks to quick steering, underpowered. Overtake at your peril in the 1.4.

voxpop

I quite like the 05 focus and above styling - plus the 1.6 zetec is your only man. The new astras are nice and if I was going brand new - id prob go for a sporty astra. Second hand, the focus takes it

irish_bob

i wouldnt buy a nissan let alone an almeria if you gave it to me for nothing
many people say that ford,s reputation has improoved no end in the past 10 yrs , with nissan , its the complete opposite
thier was time that nisann was on a par with a toyota in terms of the esteem it was held in , now nisann is rated about as good as a fiat only a fiat is much nicer looking
a mate of mine who is a panel beater and knows everything about cars tells me that the new nissan micra is the worst car money can buy

so i would give any of them a go bar the alemria

colm_mcm

How about a Seat Leon, should be a large chunk of depreciation off it if it's a year old.

bogmanfan

Mazda 3? Great looking car, based on the Focus.