which car would you pick

b1964

ok thinking of buying a new car for the new year.have looked at 3 models all in an around the same price ,the skoda octavia 1.6 diesel elegance,the opel astra 1.7 diesel sc and the mazda 3 1.6 diesel exeecutive,which one would you go for?

alexmcred

Have gone for a 2.0d Astra myself for the new year. Loved it on the test drive.

Rylan

I would go for the Mazda. Lovely looking car and nice to drive.

flamegrill

Skoda is probably the best equipped of the bunch. All the engine sizes are pretty small so don't expect deadly performance but they'll work perfectly fine for day to day operation.

b1964

thanks for the replys
still cant make my mind up its a good complaint i know new car in a few weeks cant wait

bazz26

I think some people on here have test drove the Octavia 1.6 TDi and were not overly impressed with the performance of it.

The new Astra seems to be the only one that has been redesigned from the ground up whereas the Mazda 3 is just an evolution of the old car and the Octavia is a facelifted version of the car that has been on sale since 2004.

Though as previously said I would probably go for the Astra 2.0 CDTi over the 1.7 CDTi.

Bobo78

bazz26 wrote: »

I think some people on here have test drove the Octavia 1.6 TDi and were not overly impressed with the performance of it.

The new Astra seems to be the only one that has been redesigned from the ground up whereas the Mazda 3 is just an evolution of the old car and the Octavia is a facelifted version of the car that has been on sale since 2004.

Though as previously said I would probably go for the Astra 2.0 CDTi over the 1.7 CDTi.

+1

recessionpatch

mazda goes foreever:)

Drummerboy08

Spend the extra 500e and get the 2.0CDTi 160bhp. You'll regret it if you dont. The 1.7, even though it boasts 110bhp is a bit weedy.

Seillejet

Personally Id go for the Opel Astra then the Mazda and then Octavia.

b1964

thanks everyone the astra seems to be the popular choice,but the 2.0cdti is 2k more than the 1.7cdti and im really trying to stick to a budget 22k-24k

EPM

Any review of the new astra I've seen has said the 1.7 is the worst engine. I *think* the 1.3 is getting a power hike to not far off the 1.7 and that's nice enough in the current model

Drummerboy08

b1964 wrote: »

thanks everyone the astra seems to be the popular choice,but the 2.0cdti is 2k more than the 1.7cdti and im really trying to stick to a budget 22k-24k

I dont think it is. Although maybe its only available in SE spec or higher.

.Longshanks.

EPM wrote: »

Any review of the new astra I've seen has said the 1.7 is the worst engine. I *think* the 1.3 is getting a power hike to not far off the 1.7 and that's nice enough in the current model

I *think* the 1.3 diesel is going from 90bhp to 95bhp

EPM

Oh thought it was a bit more! My bad, still though I'd pick it over the 1.7

Dopey

Sorry if this is off topic a bit OP but I would be interested to hear how the Ford Focus 1.6 TDCI stands up against the other three?

b1964

yea i thought about the focus 1.6 diesel but as far as i know theres a new model due in autumn 2010,also the astra 2.0cdti is only available in the sri/se or elite spec, is the 1.7cdti that bad?how about the skoda elegance great spec?

Berty

I drove the 1.9tdi Superb today and got a good price.

The spec on the elegance is fantastic for €26,500. It was 1.9tdi and it was sufficient.

I also drove a 1.6tdi Passat today and was completely underwhelmed by the engine. 105bhp me arse. I had a 2005 105bhp Passat and this bluemotion was awful.

After being in the Superb today I have mostly discounted the Octavia VRs I was looking at as its only €500 cheaper and although people says its massive I did some checking, its 105mm(or so) longer than the Passat and 34mm wider. Nothing really.

b1964

ok i dont really fancy the mazda(feels very thinny) so tomorrow i will test drive the 1.7 astra and the1.6 octavia again.think im leaning towards the astra will let u know how i get on thanks again

Bobo78

recessionpatch wrote: »

mazda goes foreever:)

Not a diesel one

Zonda999

Berty wrote: »

I drove the 1.9tdi Superb today and got a good price.

The spec on the elegance is fantastic for €26,500. It was 1.9tdi and it was sufficient.

.

Tis indeed fantastically equipped, did you try the self parking feature, a friend of mine tried and thought it was class!

+1 on the 1.6TDi, Have finally driven this engine myself in the Octavia and was not impressed(I imagine it would only be worse in the passat!:eek:), feels nowhere near as potent as the old 105bhp 1.9. That said, i wouldnt say the 1.6 CR felt any worse than the PSA 1.6 110bhp HDi that one gets in the Focus.

My one concern though about getting a 1.9 Superb now though is that i feel it will be given a new entry level engine before this year is out. Now the issue is whether it will be the 1.6 CR 105 or the 2.0 CR 110, which let me say is WAY better than the 1.6. Have tried this engine in the Yeti and was quite impressed, simply feels stronger than the 1.6 despite only having 5 bhp more, apparently. Also i would say it will prove to be more reliable. Not sure if they would put the 110 2.0 into the Superb but sure they wouldnt expect that 1.6 CR to power a Superb estate! :eek:

And btw OP, i'd go for the Octavia elegance with the 1.9 TDi, which is still available btw, or the Astra if you're able to stretch to the 2.0 CDTi, that 1.7 is past it IMO

Drummerboy08

If you want to hang on, the 1.3CDTi will be available in the Astra come Feb 2010. Its a much smoother engine than the older 1.7, and has more or less the same power output too. The 1.3 also makes it significantly cheaper to insure than any of its competitors.

Zonda999

I'd definitely test drive it first though, i know engine size is more irrelevant than ever these days, but that engine is more of a 1.2!. its cc is 1248 which is more akin to 1.2:). Should be economical though, probably more so than the mazda or the Skoda. I notice that the 1.7 litre astra's are in the B tax bad rather than A, as well. This is surely a big disadvantage to the astra in general?? I suspect than engine may not be in the new astra for that long. Am i right in saying the 1.7 in the new astra has decended from the 1.7 isuzu engine that opel started to use in the mid nineties?

b1964

zonda999 is this true in the new opel astra that the 1.7 engine might not be around that long,is it really the same as the old 1.7d isuzu engine o my god i dont want to but a new car and within a few months the engine is obsolete,now im really confused new model astra 1.7 old engine,new octavia only facelift,new mazda3 basically the same as old model,i give up

Zonda999

b1964 wrote: »

zonda999 is this true in the new opel astra that the 1.7 engine might not be around that long,is it really the same as the old 1.7d isuzu engine o my god i dont want to but a new car and within a few months the engine is obsolete,now im really confused new model astra 1.7 old engine,new octavia only facelift,new mazda3 basically the same as old model,i give up

Confirmation, tis the old isuzu 1.7!

http://www.autocar.co.uk/CarReviews/FirstDrives/Vauxhall-Astra-1.7-CDTi-110-Exclusiv/243942/

including the old 1.7 litre, 109bhp Isuzu turbodiesel, which is now the least potent oil-burner in the range until the 109g/km 1.3 CDTi turns up next year.

But this latest Astra deserves an oil-burner of the calibre of the Golf and Focus whose engines are plainly better, whether statistically and aurally.

Jeez, they really slate it!

EPM

It's origins are from that engine I think but its heavily modified and now common rail. But if you're happy with it after driving it (and that is the most important thing) I'd say go for it compared to the other two if you want to keep to your budget

Zonda999

EPM wrote: »

It's origins are from that engine I think but its heavily modified and now common rail.

Aye, and surely they would have though about developing a new engine for this proposed "revolutionary" astra, they must be happy with it in that case!

As EPM says though, OP, your own opinion is whats most important.

Pdfile

b1964 wrote: »

thanks everyone the astra seems to be the popular choice,but the 2.0cdti is 2k more than the 1.7cdti and im really trying to stick to a budget 22k-24k

why ??


do you Really need something so expensive, Granted theirs nothing like the feel of a newerish car... but jasus alot of money for a car that wont last 5 years.

b1964

thanks folks i really appreciate your help,one more thing is the golf diesel 1.6 105bhp engine the same as the octavia 1.6 105bhp,also is there a brand new shape octavia due out in the next year or two?

Zonda999

A bit OT yes but why does anyone buy a new car in that case?

Why wouldnt this astra last 5 years? Most cars last 6 on average

Pdfile

b1964 wrote: »

thanks folks i really appreciate your help,one more thing is the golf diesel 1.6 105bhp engine the same as the octavia 1.6 105bhp,also is there a brand new shape octavia due out in the next year or two?

all them brands ( skoda,VW,seat etc ) share parts such as engines, so its more then likely and Yes, they will bring out a new model.

Zonda999

b1964 wrote: »

thanks folks i really appreciate your help,one more thing is the golf diesel 1.6 105bhp engine the same as the octavia 1.6 105bhp,also is there a brand new shape octavia due out in the next year or two?

Yep, exactly same 1.6 CR 105 engine.

Good question on a new model Octavia, in the next year, definitely not, no. 2 years possibly, it would be well on the horizon anyway. the thing is though, is that there no new platform to work with, the MK6 golf uses largely the same platform as the MK5, on which the Octavia is based on. now surely there'll be a new Octavia released before there's a MK7 golf, but thats not a certainty. IMO, the MK6 wont last all that long considering its so similar to the MK5.

I would think there'd be a MK7 for about 2013 so it is it unreasonable to expect the Octavia to last till then? Probably not really, its still up there with the new Astra considering thats a brand new model. the new Focus will really prove how dated the Octavia, and Golf for that matter, are. But the reality is that the Octavia is still up there among the best cars in its class

If you're one to wonder, this is an artists impression of the next gen Octavia:)