Wow, for the German loving Auto Express, that was a singulary neutral report. Buy the top of the range or they are not very good engines. and the tiop of the range has fidgety suspension.Originally Posted by Paul
I must rush out and buy one just to show off, but not drive anywhere!
I prefer the looks and the design of the C-max and Grand C-Max to this Posuer vehicle personally.
Oh and Atomnatic list has increased agaiun, to 520 cars :-)
I cannot track down the extra 2, but they are in the medium car section. anyone know what they are?
Am due to test drive the "top of the range" B class this week and will post my thoughts on that plus the Jetta and 1 Series which I have alreay driven.
Having taken all the test drives its decision time. At the outset I compiled a list of possible automatic cars and ended up with a long list which Included the Audi A3, BMW 1 series and X1, Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra, VW Jetta Golf and Passat, Mercedes B class. Seat Leon Altea and Volvo V60.
I then read various motoring reports on each. I don't take these at face value but more as a guide. If however all are slating a particular car then it would be wise to proceed with caution. Finally I look at "Which" motoring magazine as regards their fuel consumption for each car to see if i need to make any adjustments to my calculations and to see what their findings are.
Then I shortened the list by compiling a cost chart for each comprising their AP, the cost of any essential extras (like parking sensors) and the fuel cost based over 3 years and also their CO2 output. This I calculate by taking the urban figure and adding 10% and divide using 36000 miles. This has worked for me in the past.
I was left with 4 cars. The B class, 1 Series, Jetta and V60 and after consideration deleted the V60 as its too big for what I need. The Focus was on the list too but Ford never came back to me and looking again at costs the car was not the bargain it first seemed. Likewise the Astra. An AP of £1149 for an Elite seems a bargain but it would cost me an extra £2000 in fuel over 3 years compared to the BMW, the most frugal.
In each case I had a cost calculation and a list of pro's and con's for each car. These will vary from individual to individual but for me include things like standard kit, performance, size looks, interior quality etc. I do not score each but just look to give a snapshot.
Then looking at comfort and driving pleasure I took all three for drives. All are very good cars. The Jetta dissapionted in terms of its interior as is was not as classy as the other two and despite its 160PS did not feel that quick. As it was the most expensive to fuel and therefore in overall costs it was discounted.
The Merc and BMW both look good inside and are comfortable, albeit the BMW needs sports seats with 6 way adjustment to achieve this. The Merc drove nicely without ever feeling like a drivers car and felt like it needed a bit more power wheras the BMW was both good and fun to drive. The car was smooth, quick and the ride was comfortable, something I had concerns over.
The merc is a fraction cheaper (once extras are fitted) better equipped and more practical whereas the BMW is far better to drive and is quicker. Given that it meets my criteria the BMW will be my choice this time. BMW are always conservative with their performance and fuel figures and "Which" say they achieved the 62.8 claimed in their tests so I have a feeling it will be more economical than the Merc despite their identical 64.2 claimed figures. Its also green at 116g CO2.
I have to say I have found BMW a pleasure to deal with and found Mercedes very helpful too. Its a thumbs down to Ford as two dealers did not get back to me as promised.
Its possible to do lots of research and compile pages of info but at the end it comes down to how it drives and what meets your needs. Its not possible to put a financial price of better performance or a better drive or indeed a range of other issues. Its subjective.
Last edited by paul1234; 02-16-2012 at 09:20 AM.
Well, went for a hopur long test drive inb a Quashqai +2 yesterday, without a salesman with us so we could go where we wwanted, so tried it over various surfaces, roads etc and our normal travelling routes.
I was very pleased with it, very good. Not as roadhugging as the freelander and the deisel is not as quaick, plus the auto CVT doesnt have the pull or puch of the six speed Freelander auto, but it drove over the road surfaces very well without rattling, bumping etc.
Going to do the same in a Galaxy next. I have already done the same with thge S-Max, absolutely superb drive and ride! That is first in my choice list.
I WON'T look at the BMW's (personal hatred of BMW and the way they shafted me and fellow Rover/land Rover workers) Audis or Mercedes. The only way that we get DLA is from the taxpayers of this country, and I am NOT going to spend it on a foreign company who takes the money AND JOBS out of this country, putting Britons out of work. (Including, may i say Remploy workers!) Its just wrong to use our money to prop up jobs outside this country. Too many Britons who are not patriotic already, who dont give a damn about fellow Brits and whether anyone else has a job or not!
There is enough Excellent choice from companies who employ people in this country than buying cars from outside our great country.
Thanks for the update Paul, it's good to hear other balanced opinions.
I do agree with you comment regarding the Mercedes and BMW dealers, I found them both really attentive and helpful and nothing seemed too much trouble. Whereas the vauxhall dealer made me felt like I was putting him out and the Ford dealer seemed to lose interest when he found that i was a motability customer.
Last edited by Tizwas; 02-17-2012 at 10:10 AM.
I have to say that having had a really good look through the BMW spec you do get a fair bit for your money and a couple of things you dont get with the Merc like keyless drive. A pity they do not fit sensors as standard though.
With fuel prices on the up again ( I suspect this will continue over the next 3 years ) the choice of a frugal car becomes even more important as the differential between the thirstier ones becomes larger.
It looks like the new 3 series saloon will not be available on the scheme for the forseeable so my search is now at an end.
I know dealers ony make a little on the cars at frst sale but I suspect many 3 year cars end up with the main dealers and are sold on at a fair profit. Some manufaturers seem to appreciate this more than others.
Before the website went down for maintyenance (two days?? and the normal days people will use it??) the auto list wa sup to 522 cars.
I wonder what will come out after the "maintenance" finishes on Sunday?
The extra 2 cars are the new Zafira. Who knows what awaits us all on Monday?
does anyone know if the bmw 1 series m sport trim will be available on the scheme as of the next quarter?
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