So you're back in 1998 for a hatchback...

GERMAN ROCKS

just an add on. (this will be the last one I do. promise)
what new hatchback car would you go for. has to be the base model again but can be petrol or diesel.

for me its the 306 1.9 d turbo.

For Forks Sake

Focus. Miles ahead of anything else on sale in the segment at the time.

Noccy_Mondy

For Forks Sake wrote: »

Focus. Miles ahead of anything else on sale in the segment at the time.

Didn't the focus only come out in 99 though?
Edit: Wait nevermind :P

For Forks Sake

Noccy_Mondy wrote: »

Didn't the focus only come out in 99 though?

Wiki:

The Ford Focus is a compact car (C-segment in Europe) manufactured by the Ford Motor Company since 1998. Ford began sales of the Focus to Europe in July 1998 and in North America during 1999 for the 2000 model year.

corsav6

Astra, certainly not miles behind the focus.

rizzodun

Noccy_Mondy wrote: »

Didn't the focus only come out in 99 though?
Edit: Wait nevermind :P

Summer 98 in Europe, not sure when it went on sale in Ireland though.

EDIT: For me it'd be the 2.0 Almera GTI, sure why not!

Noccy_Mondy

rizzodun wrote: »

Summer 98 in Europe, not sure when it went on sale in Ireland though.

There's only one 98 on DD. Shoulda done my research first! In that case the focus would be my no.1 choice!

For Forks Sake

Mycroft H

Focus. Became the new benchmark for the segment.

Moneymaker

Yup, Focus for me too. Still a lovely car to look at and to drive.

The Audi A3 was quite good too.

kona

Mini Cooper S oh sorry base model? Well whatever the base model mini was.

ba_barabus

Its plain now but I always like the 323F in 1.5l form back in the day.

Notch000

Nissan Almera, the best built car in the world.

Mycroft H

Well, in saying that. Base model. Hmmm. The 1.4 Focus was the base model here. 75 worthless gutless horsepower. Same with the Golf.

Corolla was 95bhp from a 1.4 vvti. So I'd have that.

dgt

And I'd insert a 2.4 20v under the bonnet

Deal with it :cool:

rizzodun

kona wrote: »

Mini Cooper S oh sorry base model? Well whatever the base model mini was.

Wait, we can travel back in time but must stick to the base model? What sort of world is this? Still sticking with base model Almera...GTI...

ba_barabus

dgt wrote: »

And I'd insert a 2.4 20v under the bonnet

Deal with it :cool:

Up until recently a 20V Marea was driving around Bray.

ba_barabus

Mycroft H wrote: »

Well, in saying that. Base model. Hmmm. The 1.4 Focus was the base model here. 75 worthless gutless horsepower. Same with the Golf.

Corolla was 95bhp from a 1.4 vvti. So I'd have that.

VVTI didn't come until 00 iirc. The 1.5 323 was as fast as cars in that class got. Megane had the 16v though also.

Old diesel

Mk 1 focus was probably the best.

306 was more interesting (to me) at the time.

Oh and yes at the time I was probably more into diesels - would have thus ruled out Ford on that basis - so 306 it is then - sorted.

Mycroft H

ba_barabus wrote: »

VVTI didn't come until 00 iirc. The 1.5 323 was as fast as cars in that class got. Megane had the 16v though also.

Ahhh, your dead right, I'd forgotten about that. It was still with the 1.3 4E-FE with 80 odd HP.

Wait wasn't there a 1.3 323? That not base model? :pac:

Fat Nav

VW Golf TDI as long as its watertight and go's id be happy

Mycroft H

/pedantic hat on.

Wouldn't the base model diesel Golf not be the SDI?

Mex Mick

For Forks Sake wrote: »

Had a silver 3 door 98 Astra. Top car and the best looking on that list

dgt

ba_barabus wrote: »

Up until recently a 20V Marea was driving around Bray.

2.0 Marea in Cork for sale recently, I damn nearly bought it

Fat Nav

Mycroft H wrote: »

/pedantic hat on.

Wouldn't the base model diesel Golf not be the SDI?

Id still be happy... Im never in much of a hurry and it would go on green no bother

bazz26

Even though it was 4 years old by 1998 I thought this was one of the most stylish and desirable medium size hatchbacks of it's day.



The exterior has aged well imo considering it is a 20 year old design these days.

Old diesel

Mycroft H wrote: »

/pedantic hat on.

Wouldn't the base model diesel Golf not be the SDI?

I made my 306 comments above on the basis that it would be a turbo diesel id be having not the 70 odd break NA version.

You see back in fantasy 1998 - I found a few extra quid under the mattress - might as well spend rather then give it to the tax man to waste .

ba_barabus

Mycroft H wrote: »

Wait wasn't there a 1.3 323? That not base model? :pac:

Yes but the cash sensitive 1998 me realised that the 1.5 was cheaper to run as it had far better MPG figures than the 1.3. And I also stumped up for a GLX as I won £6k on winning streak when I spun the wheel.

JohnBoy26

Sitec wrote: »

Great yokes, a lot better than the overrated focus imo.

JohnBoy26

ba_barabus wrote: »

VVTI didn't come until 00 iirc. The 1.5 323 was as fast as cars in that class got. Megane had the 16v though also.

I think your forgetting about the Honda civic there

The 1.5 Mazda only had 86bhp which is one lower than a 4e fe corolla.

The 1.4 civic had 90bhp and the 1.5 had 112bhp which is a good bit more than the Mazda.

robertxxx

Nissan primera

Tigger

E36 compact
101 bhp in base form

colm_mcm

Audi A3
Alfa 146/145

Leonard Hofstadter

GERMAN ROCKS wrote: »

just an add on. (this will be the last one I do. promise)
what new hatchback car would you go for. has to be the base model again but can be petrol or diesel.

for me its the 306 1.9 d turbo.

Dturbos were never the base model, the base 306 diesel was a non-turbo 1.9 XUD with only 68 bhp.

/threadfail

If it absolutely must be the poverty spec engine, then the Astra 1.4 wins, simply because although the Focus was miles ahead of everything else, the 1.4 is pathetic and the Astra G was a good car. Also, the 1.4 was probably the most powerful in its class for that engine size other than the very expensive Honda Civic.

Overall, a UK spec Focus Ghia would have been my choice in 1.6 litre form, they had a decent amount of power and had air-conditioning, unlike the poverty spec Ghias Ireland got before 2001.

colm_mcm

146 base model 1.4 was 103bhp

2Mad2BeMad

Focus
no competition really

colm_mcm

Was the base focus a windey windows job?

bazz26

Rover K Series 1.4 litre was 103bhp back then also.

Tea 1000

captainspeed wrote: »

Dturbos were never the base model, the base 306 diesel was a non-turbo 1.9 XUD with only 68 bhp.

/threadfail

If it absolutely must be the poverty spec engine, then the Astra 1.4 wins, simply because although the Focus was miles ahead of everything else, the 1.4 is pathetic and the Astra G was a good car. Also, the 1.4 was probably the most powerful in its class for that engine size other than the very expensive Honda Civic.

Overall, a UK spec Focus Ghia would have been my choice in 1.6 litre form, they had a decent amount of power and had air-conditioning, unlike the poverty spec Ghias Ireland got before 2001.

The Civic at the time wasn't that expensive. IR£11,495 If memory serves for the entry level 3dr. Cheaeper and better than the entry 5 door Focus! It's what I'd have. The 306 D-Turbo wasn't base model as pointed out, the 1.4 petrol and n/a diesel were a bit medium to desire! The 3-door D-Turbo was nice though.

colm_mcm

bazz26 wrote: »

Rover K Series 1.4 litre was 103bhp back then also.

But wasn't the basic 200 a 1.1 and a detuned (by putting a restrictor of the inlet manifold) 1.4?

bazz26

colm_mcm wrote: »

But wasn't the basic 200 a 1.1 and a detuned (by putting a restrictor of the inlet manifold) 1.4?

Yes but the smallest engine in the 400/45 was the 1.4 litre which I thought was more comparable to the cars being mentioned already.

colm_mcm

Ah yes.

Suppose the humble Octavia deserves a mention in that case. Although the base 1.6 windey windows and tape player spec was pretty grim.

Not sure if the 1.6 here was 75hp or 100 back then

Leonard Hofstadter

Wasn't there two versions of the K series 1.4, one with 103 bhp (which I totally forgot about admittedly), and another with about 80-85 bhp or thereabouts? Not sure if the low power 1.4 was available in the 400, though? 400s were pretty nice cars admittedly back in the day, I'd still prefer the Astra, though. The Alfa 146 was a nice car but was too unreliable.

JJJJNR

Didnt the octavia come out in 98..ahh 97.. best car ever..

bazz26

Launched on the Continent in 1996, 1998 in Ireland and UK.

Tea 1000

Octavia schmavia...




There - I said it!

ninty9er

206 GTI

colm_mcm

Tea 1000 wrote: »

Octavia schmavia...




There - I said it!

Blasphemy! Have a month off!

Tea 1000

colm_mcm wrote: »

Blasphemy! Have a month off!

Totally worth it!

JJJJNR

bazz26 wrote: »

Launched on the Continent in 1996, 1998 in Ireland and UK.

With the irish special delivery mass import 1.4

colm_mcm

JJJJNR wrote: »

With the irish special delivery mass import 1.4

Not till the facelift.
Think they had a 60hp 1.4 on the continent on the original ones.

Oddly they didn't bring in the Fabia 1.0 either, just the pushrod 1.4 as a base model.