Ford Focus Mk1 vs VW Golf 4 vs Opel Astra G

             In this blog I will try to help people who want to buy a used car or new , have a defined budget and it is difficult for them to make a choice. I'll try to support my opinions through my own experiences and with generally accepted arguments provided by professional automotive community wich has the opportunity to test a wide range of vehicles.

Budget: 2500 EURO 

              In my personal journey to choose an inexpensive car, cheap to maintain and useful both in town and in extra, i often stumble upon this versus.

 Ford Focus Mk1 1998-2005

 VW Golf 4 1998-2004

 

Opel Astra G 1998-2005

             Cars from the same class, compact, which were very popular in their time and were sold millions each. Each with pluses and minuses, but overall pleasant and with small differences between them.
         Each came equipped with gasoline engines and diesel engines as follows:

Focus Mk1
Most common Petrol Engines:
- 1.4 16v 75hp
- 1.6 16v 101hp
- 1.8 16v 116hp
- 2.0 16v 131hp,
and 2 hot versions:
- one naturally aspirated 2.0 16v Duratec ST 173hp engine and
- one turbo 2.0 16v Duratec RS 215hp engine
Most common Diesel Engines:
- 1.8 Tddi 75hp/90
- 1.8 TdCI 100hp/115hp

Golf 4
Most common Petrol Engines:
- 1.4 16v 75hp
- 1.6 16v 101hp
- 2.0 115hp
and a couple of hot versions|:
- 1.8 T 150hp/180hp
- 2.3 16v 150hp/170hp
- 3.2 24v 240hp
Most common Diesel Engines:
- 1.9 SDI 68 hp
- 1.9 TDI 90hp/101hp/110hp/115hp/130hp

Opel Astra G
Most common Petrol Engines:
- 1.2 16v 65hp
- 1.4 75hp/90hp
- 1.6 85hp/101hp
- 1.8 115hp/125hp
and one fast version:
- 2.0 T OPC 160hp
Most common Diesel Engines:
- 1.7 Dti 75hp
- 1.7 CDti 80hp
- 2.0 Dti 101hp

            Body tipes are in a broad range, from hatchback in 3/5 doors to estate and saloon. The Astra and the Golf came in cabriolet versions too.
        The Golf is the only one wich can provide a 4x4 transmission, called 4motion, neither Astra or Focus have one of this. So, if you're looking for 4x4 traction to use sometimes on the backroads made of gravel, the Golf is the one to go with. Unfortunately, both Opel and Ford didn't include in their compact class leaders 4x4 traction.
        VW forced the Golf deliberately further upmarket with a high-quality interior and higher equipment levels. This is visible even today, 17 years (!!!) after introduction, the Golfs's interiors are in good shape, the ride is comfortable with low road noise, low wind noise and low backpains in long journeys. Somehow the TDI version is a bit noisy in idle because of the pompe-duse tehnology. Even the ride position is low, this been quite common in VolkwagenAudi Group. So, for city use is not very ok because you do not see the whole bonnet of the car and can't appreciate very well the small distances between yourself and the car in front of you. And also, it is not a sporty position, you don't feel connected to the steering wheel and the front tyres so you can feel the road better. It's not a car made for twisty-turny bends, it feels at home along highways and long streches of road.
        

         On the other hand, the Focus is quite the opposite. The ride position is higher, the steering is heavier and overall the direction of the car is more precise. This, combined with the independent rear suspension make a much sportier car. And in addition, the 1.4 and 1.6 petrol engines are provided by Yamaha and badged Zetec-S/SE and are very revvy. They are red-lined at 6675 RMP, an unusual fact for a small family car. They have something Vtech-y in them, after 3000 RPM are joyfull and fun to drive in contrast with the 1.4, 1.6 from VW and Opel that are just plain common. The Focus has a noisier suspension than the other two, especially observable in the estate version because of the stiffer dampers and bushings. Diesel versions, TDCIs are very refined and linear in turbo kick-in. Focus came with a new-age design, "love it or hate it", there is almost no middle ground for this new looks.

          The Astra is the most balanced of this three. It has a chassis tuned by Lotus, stiffer by 18% than the previous model but no independent rear suspension. It is quiter on the road than the Focus but lacks Golf built quality and the interior is dull. The 1.6 16v 101 hp (engine code z16xe) from astra is known for burning oil for no apparent reason in contrast to the 1.6 8v 85 hp (engine code z16se) wich is the most durable along with the 1.7 dti provided by Isuzu. At the moment of Astra's release, General Motors was the largest car manufacterer in the world and already invested over 1.5 billion pound in it's development to make sure that the new generation would be a turning point. Astra was revealed to be an all-rounder, not very good in any way, just a machine with an engine described as "a device for moving you around".

Golf 4 pros
           quality
           durability
           various levels of trims and engines
           cons
           stability
           
Focus  pros
           driveability
           stability
           cons
           stiffness

Astra  pros
           all-rounder
           cons
           ordinary


         Known problems:

         Golf: cam chain tensioner failure, seat belts, air bags
         Focus: vehicle speed senzor, uneven idle, rust, coil failure
         Astra: burning oil, rust, injection computer
        
        
    
       

( work in progress, to be continued :) )