Corolla 1.4 D4D V's Jetta 1.9 Tdi

DF1

Just in the process of buying a car.
Either a 07 or 08.
Anyone any idea on pros and cons of both.
I hear the new passat is giving alot of bother, is this true of the jetta too?
Also i hear the same of the avensis, does this also pass onto build quality of corolla?

colm_mcm

The Corolla saloon is outselling the Jetta 8 to 1 for the first half of the year. (The Auris is beating the golf by around 50 cars for the same period)

I haven't heard of the Avensis giving a lot of bother! or even bother. they're hugely reliable and rarely have problems. what did you hear?

Flyer1

Having driven both the new Corolla and Jetta i'll say the Jetta to me seemed to be a nicer drive. My better half to call her so has a 1.6 petrol one and thats a pretty OK car. She lowered it slightly and put on a nice set of VW R32 wheels, it looks sweet but it sticks to the road aswell. The 1.9TDi engine is used in a range of VAG's, ford's etc and it's a reasonably bullet proof engine as diesels go.

colm_mcm

Volkswagens website and Carzone price the Jetta at €1400 more than an Avensis D-4D Aura.

i.e way more than the Corolla.

the 1.9 engine sounds like a tractor as well.

E92

I'd have neither. I'd be going for a Focus 1.8 TDCi. The Corolla is quite simply not good at all while the VW is pricey as well as not being as well made as VWs of old.

Of the 2 I'd have the Jetta if it was cheap enough though.

The Corolla feels cheap inside and is completely mediocre in terms of styling, comfort etc. The VW comes with more standard equipment, you have to get a top of the range Luna to get aircon in the Corolla and no model offers ESP either. The VW has aircon on even the base model and the more recent ones have ESP thrown in as well. The VW is widely reported to be a very good car to drive, something not said at all about the Corolla.

I wouldn't be so sure about Toyota reliability either. The Corolla, along with the Auris are the very first Toyotas to be affected by their CEO's obsession with cutting corners, sorry I mean costs. They're trying to cut costs to the bone, like Merc did in the 90s and building things to last is rather costly, which doesn't please the Toyota CEO or the bean counters(even though Toyota is already the world's most profitable car manufacturer). They're also more bothered about overtaking GM as the world's biggest car manufacturer than building "the best built cars in the world".

That said the Corolla will be easier to sell and the 1.4 D-4D is far quieter than the tractor engine found in the Jetta. It's not going to have you by the side of the road and there are still far more unreliable choices out there, but they certainly don't make Toyotas like they used to.

colm_mcm

I would have thought road tests of the new generation Corolla would be few, given that it's not sold in the UK. even a top spec Luna model would fall well shy of the base model Jetta price wise.

Surely a new Octavia should be in the running if the OP is looking at used Jettas. road tax will be on the new system so cheaper.

pburns

colm_mcm wrote: »

I haven't heard of the Avensis giving a lot of bother! or even bother. they're hugely reliable and rarely have problems. what did you hear?

My friend's parents have bought Toyotas since the year dot and after 2 troublesome Avensii they've bought a Mondeo. An unthinkable move for them! A friend's wife has an Auris and it's definetely a step backwards from her previous Corolla in terms of quality. She's a stubborn Toyota-head though, would never give in!

E92 wrote: »

I wouldn't be so sure about Toyota reliability either. The Corolla, along with the Auris are the very first Toyotas to be affected by their CEO's obsession with cutting corners, sorry I mean costs. They're trying to cut costs to the bone, like Merc did in the 90s and building things to last is rather costly, which doesn't please the Toyota CEO or the bean counters(even though Toyota is already the world's most profitable car manufacturer). They're also more bothered about overtaking GM as the world's biggest car manufacturer than building "the best built cars in the world".

I just dont understand this!!!:eek:

Have they learned nothing from Mercedes decade-long fall from grace. In fairness Merc are getting their **** together again but they went through a HUGE dip.

The last great Mercedes was the W124 IMO and even the facelifted models of that are not suposed to be as good as the '80s ones... I just saw one today - God they still look fresh - and handsome!

If they built a brand new one i'd be first in the queue...

Sorry for the digression:o...

Guy:Incognito

colm_mcm wrote: »

I haven't heard of the Avensis giving a lot of bother! or even bother. they're hugely reliable and rarely have problems. what did you hear?

I passed 4 people pushing an 08 Avensis out of traffic to the side of the road on North King street on Friday. Dont know what was wrong as I was too busy not caring about the plight of others while heading home.


Definately an Octavia over the Jetta anyway. The missus sister has a Jetta, can't say it'd be my thing anyway.

DF1

On the avensis. i've heard of it giving gearbox trouble together with a host of electrical problems, also heard a few times that fuel consumption is not near that quoted. I also know of a 05 landcruiser beside me that dragged a piston at 85k kms.

DF1

Maybe i'm barking up the wrong tree, would a mazda 3 diesel or a civic 1.8 petrol be better options.
Just to add i was a devoted toyota driver for about 10 years but have lost faith now.

E92

Absolutely, though I'd be waiting for the Civic diesel to arrive if I were going for the Civic. Alternatively, import a 08 one from the UK and enjoy €150 road tax and 16% VRT.

Honda and Mazda are with a couple of exceptions, like the Mazda 5 and 6 diesel far more deserving of the "best built cars in the world" slogan than Toyota.

The Corolla is basically an Auris saloon for those who don't know by the way. Anything you read about the Auris is pretty much true for the Corolla.

I'd strongly recommend you try the Opel Astra and the Ford Focus too.

Btw if you're going diesel make sure you buy an 08 because you'll end up paying €150 road tax in most cases compared to as much as €560 if you choose the Jetta on an 07 plate. This is owing to the fact that the CO2 based tax system only covers cars on 08 plates; all cars before 08 continue to be taxed on engine size.

colm_mcm

I find the Corolla a nicer drive than the Auris, and the interior is much better. they use a lot more soft touch plastics, and it doesn't have the same dash layout that bugs some people. While the Auris and Corolla share a platform, there are quite a few differences in the cars themselves, and the markets they're aimed at.

DF1

the gear lever location on the auris would just do my head in.

On the diesel civic, will it be available here ?

colm_mcm

DF1 wrote: »

the gear lever location on the auris would just do my head in.

On the diesel civic, will it be available here ?

you do know the Civic hatch has a similar gear lever setup to the Auris?

pburns

DF1 wrote: »

Maybe i'm barking up the wrong tree, would a mazda 3 diesel or a civic 1.8 petrol be better options.
Just to add i was a devoted toyota driver for about 10 years but have lost faith now.

I regularly drive a Mazda 3 petrol and I think it's a lovely, lovely little car to drive. Great handling/ride, super-slick gearbox - makes it actually quite fun. I have experienced the 1.6 diesel it uses in other cars. The two together must be a sweet combination and 110bhp in a car that size is actually very good (by irish standards!). There's a new model coming with sexier 6-like looks - should be a corker...

E92 wrote: »

Honda and Mazda are with a couple of exceptions, like the Mazda 5 and 6 diesel far more deserving of the "best built cars in the world" slogan than Toyota.

Don't think so. Mazda's 2.0 diesel in 5 and 6 is a notorious weak link. Lots of problems with turbos and other ancilliaries. I think it was discussed here a few months back. The 6 needs a few slicker engines in both petrol & diesel format. They would make what is a good car a really great car because it has all the other Mazda dynamic qualities.

Anyway, my recommendation - Mazda 3 saloon diesel...

Biro

pburns wrote: »

Anyway, my recommendation - Mazda 3 saloon diesel...

I'd second that. Best option in that segment.