It’s Wednesday, which means we’re back with another edition of Car Wars. Today, it’s the battle of the small cars as the Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra fight it out for the title.
With generations of experience behind them, these German, American and British manufacturers are no strangers to some healthy competition, but who will come out on top today?
Golf vs Focus vs Astra: let’s see who will take today’s title.
Original image by M 93
Design
When it comes to design, there’s no clear winner – as all three family rides come with bags of versatility and practicality. The Ford Focus has a quirkier cabin than its rivals, but this results in cheap looking and feeling materials.
If space is top of your priority list, the VW Golf is the way to go. With almost 380 litres of boot space, the Golf has the largest luggage capacity – making it great for carrying your essentials. The Vauxhall Astra benefits from generous head and legroom, too – but while it comes with a smart cabin, the overcrowded dashboard lets it down.
For dynamic design, interior quality and passenger comfort, the VW Golf comes out on top.
Features
In terms of kit, the Ford Focus is the least impressive of these three cars – with its entry-level trim hardly worth noting. The Astra’s entry-level model also comes sparsely equipped, but move up to the Energy Excite trim and you’ll get a USB connection, a leather steering wheel and cruise control.
The VW Golf outstrips both when it comes to kit – packing a Bluetooth connection, air conditioning and a 5.8 inch colour touchscreen into its basic spec.
For the best equipment options, the Golf wins this round, too.
Performance and Handling
Original image by Yahya S.
When it comes to performance, the VW Golf’s 108bhp 1.6 litre diesel offers enough power for most drivers and returns 88.3mpg. With CO2 emissions of just 85g/km, this engine also benefits from free road tax.
If you spend more time on the motorway than in the city, the Ford Focus’ 123bhp 1.0 litre petrol should give you plenty of power and keeps CO2 emissions at 108g/km – for rock-bottom road tax fees. For the best blend of performance and price, the 113bhp 1.6 litre diesel is the way to go.
When it comes to the Vauxhall Astra, motorway drivers are best off avoiding the entry-level engine and going for the 1.7 litre diesel. With a 0-62mph time of 11.6 seconds, this offers plenty of power both in the city and out on the open road. The Astra keeps road noise to a minimum but is let down by too much body roll when navigating around corners.
Thanks to low CO2 emissions and plenty of pulling power, the VW Golf takes this round.
Price
If you want to keep costs low, it’s the Vauxhall Astra vs Ford Focus battling it out for the most attractive purchase price. The latter is the cheapest in the lineup, rolling in at £13,995 – while the Astra comes in slightly more expensive at £15,445.
The most expensive model in today’s lineup is VW’s Golf, rolling in at £17,595. It might cost almost 4k more, but the high quality Golf is more likely to retain its resale value.
Giving you change from your 14k, the Ford Focus scoops this round.
Original images by NRMA Motoring and Services
The verdict: It might come with the highest purchase price, but the VW Golf is worth every penny. If you’re looking for a reliable all-rounder with great build-quality and powerful performance, the German manufacturer won’t let you down.
Whether you agree with today’s winner or the Focus or Astra are more up your street, we can help you get behind the wheel of your new car sooner than you think.
At the Car Loan Warehouse, we offer flexible car finance deals tailored to any make, model or budget. Fancy finding out more? You can apply online today – or if you haven’t quite made your mind up, head over to our online car finance calculator for a quick quote.
