Astra v Focus.

Tozer

Bluebird24 wrote: »

My dad and I both drive Focuses, and love them, but on our last holiday we had an Astra as a hire car. He said it felt about as smooth as driving a tank in comparison.

I'd say hire cars are pretty bad comparisons.

I have an Astra Sporthatch (3dr) SRI. I love it. The ride and handling is very impressive indeed. Its a touch thirsty (1.8 petrol - 38mpg) but generally very pleased.

Driven a Focus and I wasn't hugely impressed. I was expecting it to be better. I did consider a Focus at the time of my purchase but thought that they are simply too boring in their styling.

Read Clarkson's review of the Astra - he loves the styling.

evans17

sillygoose wrote: »

I don't have either but have had both on hire or loan. I would go Focus, the Astra feels very tinny and cheap to me and is due to be replaced soon (this year) .

It's the 5 door being replaced at the end of the year. The 3 door will be replaced towards the middle of next year.

jeannieblue

OP - for one ignore Inactive - he is anti Ford.......

Secondly - have you seen the new RS????? I so want one... (in blue, definitely not the green - that is awful).

Other posters - my heated windscreen clears in a minute not 3!! But then I do live down south - but we have had some hard frosts which has meant that it could've been nearer 2 minutes before windscreen clear........

goldspanners

jeannieblue wrote: »

OP - for one ignore Inactive - he is anti Ford.......

Secondly - have you seen the new RS????? I so want one... (in blue, definitely not the green - that is awful).

Other posters - my heated windscreen clears in a minute not 3!! But then I do live down south - but we have had some hard frosts which has meant that it could've been nearer 2 minutes before windscreen clear........

just to be controversial, i prefer the green

jimmo

My wife has had a new Astra every 3 years under the Motability scheme since 1994. I do most of the driving. I have driven various Astras and Focuses as pool cars and hire cars and, frankly can’t see a lot of difference.
Focuses certainly seem to generate a lot more enthusiasm from their owners than Astras do but I don’t know whether that is really justified.
Her latest Astra is a 55 plate 1.6 “Twinport” Club Estate. I haven’t got a clue what “Twinport” means but I have always struggled to drive this one smoothly at gentle speeds when she is in the car but when I am on my own and give it a bit more wellie it is much smoother.
Having a new car every three years and not doing a lot of miles, I don’t expect a lot of trouble from the cars and the Astras have always been excellent.
Apart from routine servicing the only problem we ever had was a brake light bulb. Pretty good in 15 years I think.
Oh, there was the time I put petrol in a diesel, but we don’t talk about that.
I find 2 things a bit annoying.
1) It seems almost impossible to get an Astra into reverse without a bit of a crunch from the gearbox.
2) The fuel gauges always seem to read a bit low.
However, the 55 plate Astra goes back next week and it will be replaced by an Astra.

AdrianHi

Focus, Astra both good cars and good value used / nearly new. Focus swings it for me as it is the better - more fun - car to drive.

The Kia and Hyundai suggested - no amount of free finance or long warranty saves these cars from being incredibly expensive due to rampant depreciation from new. Bought 6-12 months old a bargain and decent cars. The Hyundai i30 top of the range model was most impressive to sit in, I could be tempted away from my "premium badge" car by one of these (used of course) if I ever needed to cut back more seriously on motoring costs.

You need to get out there and test drive these cars, as suggested by others, not everyone can get comfortable in every car however good it is.

Inactive

GhostDog wrote: »

Inactive - I think I'm being a bit thick here but could you please elaborate on your comment about how the possibility of Ford going bankrupt may impact on used prices....:o Would they shoot up or drop?

Simple answer, they will fall like a stone, as they did when Rover went belly up, same applies to Vauxhall ( GM ) and Chrysler.

They will also lose any warranty remaining on them.

overlander

More likely that Vauxhall will go before ford. GM to pay off 47,000, looks like Saab and Vauxhall both to go.

Inactive

overlander wrote: »

More likely that Vauxhall will go before ford. GM to pay off 47,000, looks like Saab and Vauxhall both to go.

You could well be right.. my gut instinct is that they may all 3 end up bankrupt, sooner or later.

I certainly wouldn't even consider buying one of their cars in light of the facts that we have.

overlander

I think the only reason GM announced sooner is their deadline for putting their plans to the government ran out 1 hour ago. I think the other two are in the next few days, i also agree i really would hold off buying any new car at the moment too much could change.