In the market for a new car. Currently got a golf (1.9 Diesel) and like it. But at nearly 10 years old it is time to replace it.

Have a short list

VW Golf
Skoda Fabia Estate
Volvo V40
Kia Ceed
Ford Focus

Which would you buy and why? There’s too much choice. We don’t do many miles and would probably go for a petrol engine. Mostly use the car for leisure. Some long motorway drives to visit family going cycling and going horse riding*. Don’t cummmute.

*Don’t need to tow.

Depending on which year of Golf you went for that would be my choice, what’s your budget?

If the budget is lower then I’d be looking at the Focus, also worth looking at a Mondeo aswell.

Can afford another golf but would be tempted by a focus and a new bike.

Focus.

Completely classless* and the best of all worlds.

*unless it’s an ST 🙂

But at nearly 10 years old it is time to replace it.

Why ?

Our Golf’s 14 years old and still going strong…

Scrap Focus and get a Mondeo much better car for same money

I’d definitely go petrol, the VAG Tsi engines are great, the Ford with a 1.0 ecoboost whilst not as economical as the official figures suggest is also smooth, refined and powerful
Are you buying new or second hand?
The biggest car in terms of interior room on your list is the Fabia
You can probably get a cracking deal on a Golf at the moment

You can probably get a cracking deal 😀 on a Golf at the moment

This hasn’t escaped my attention. There were tumbleweeds blowing through the sales centre when I took mine in for a service.

Need to read something about the engines. 1.0L seems tiny. I had a 1.2L clio (from about 20 years ago, P reg) and it could barely get up a hill. I assume things have moved on a lot as last time I looked at cars a 1.6L petrol seemed to be normal for the focus.

the 1.0 EcoBoost can be had with 138 hp , my partner has a 1.2 Tsi polo with 110hp and plenty of torque. Believe me you will be impressed how far petrol engines have moved on. The 1.4Tsi can be had up to 150hp

I’d keep the Golf you have unless you’re especially compelled to buy something newer. Just doesn’t need to be replace from what you’ve said.

Good god man, this is Singletrack – you may go for a VW but it really has to be a T5 ! (or are we allowed T6’s these days ?)

As has been said the latest small 3 cylender petrol turbo engine are great BUT have to be driven quite hard to be nippy and lack much torque… Plus fuel Eco stated figures are no where near real world reproducible.
The noise can be intrusive at m/way speeds.
If big miles go diesel, if mostly local petrol.

I’d disagree about the torque to be honest, as I said, my partner’s Polo has a lot of low down torque at round town speed, drives like a diesel in that respect, but is more refined on the motorway than the 1.4 diesel in the same car. Hers is the 4cyl version….

We had a 1.4 diesel Yaris which we sold a couple of years ago – it was utterly gutless and to get anywhere close to the advertised fuel economy it had to be driven at 50mph on a motorway – at normal driving it dropped from 60ish to less than 45. Possibly the worst engine I have driven in a long time.

Personally I would buy petrol in a small car now

None of them.

BMW, Merc or Audi.

Ok the Golf.

TBH a car is a car, buy more property?

Out of that list I’d go with the Kia simply because you are obviously not a badge snob and you get a 5 or 7 yr warranty with them. (Wife has a 60plate Yaris diesel with 90k on, apart from one headlight bulb it has been faultless and has averaged 62mpg over its mileage…a high of 84 and a low of 54)

Honda Civic.

Ceed’s are decent cars – not there’s much between any manufacturers these days…

We’ve got a focus that replaced an i30. Next car will be bigger, the focus is a lot more cramped inside. Ceeds look decent, but the warranty keeps the prices high. Can’t be doing with VWs, they’re too dull inside.

If you like the golf then try a test drive in a Seat Leon FR. I think mine is fantastic.