Ford Fiesta vs Vauxhall Corsa

The Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Corsa are the two best-selling small cars in the UK so it’s an important comparison.

However before comparing the two it’s worth noting being a best-selling new car isn’t social proof of being the best small car. This is because new car sales include fleet sales and dealer ‘self’ registrations. Also tiny city cars are almost a different market sector.

When you take into account the used car market which is over three times the size of new then small cars like the Mini, Clio, Polo, Ka, Micra, Yaris, Ibiza, Fabia and 207 all become strong contenders.

Another point is the growth of small diesel car sales can be put down to fleet sales which means private buyers who don’t do high mileage should think twice about this option.

Two other important points are the rising costs of car fuel and car insurance which will emerge when comparing the Fiesta and Corsa.

The Fiesta and Corsa have very similar entry prices. Both are basic models with sluggish engine performance. You will find their salespeople will walk you up their model ranges with manufacturer’s marketing programmes offering discounts and low rate finance.

Both cars come in a similar wide range of trims and engine options. So it’s important to know which equipment level and price you’re looking for and then make comparisons. The Ford Zetec and Vauxhall SXi seem the ones to buy. You should find the Corsa and Fiesta so similar it’s worth buying the best deal subject to your taste in driver comfort and style.

The Fiesta is styled with a window sill line that sweeps up reducing the size of the side rear windows. The Corsa 2-door has a roof line which drops down reducing the size of the side rear windows. This may give a more dynamic appearance but in both cases it reduces all-round rear visibility. The Corsa 5-door is much better.

The Fiesta and Corsa are virtually the same length with very similar luggage capacities.

The Corsa’s 3-cylinder 1.0 petrol engine is slightly more economical and cleaner than the Fiesta’s 1.2 60 PS. The more powerful 1.2 options are very similar in efficiency. The 1.4 petrol engines are also very similar given the slight trade offs for economy vs acceleration.

 The diesel engines are also similar for power output, fuel consumption, emissions and performance with both offering advanced fuel consumption options.

The DVLA make the point that fuel consumption figures are the result of lab’ tests and when cars rank closely there may be little or no difference on the road. I personally wouldn’t be swayed in any direction by these figures.

If you consider diesel compare it with a petrol engine with a similar performance and calculate at what total mileage savings in fuel costs cover the added cost of a diesel car. You should find you need to be a high mileage driver for diesel to be viable.

With car insurance premiums it’s also important to get in the quotes for the model you fancy. Car insurance groups have widened from 1 to 20 to 1 to 50 meaning a wider range of premiums can be charged. You may be able to get cheap car insurance quotes for the entry models but the premiums quickly climb as you walk up the model ranges. The Corsa 1.7 CDTi and VXR will be more expensive as will be the Fiesta 1.6 120.

Where you see car insurance advertising targeting young drivers or the over 50s do not assume it will automatically be a cheap quote. You can save hundreds, sometimes thousands of pounds by shopping around and collecting as many online car insurance quotes as possible. It’s frustrating but definitely worth it.

It may be disappointing to make car comparisons and find no real difference to give one car a definite advantage, making the choice easy. However when size, engine efficiency and safety features are so similar it does mean you can focus on what you personally like in driver comfort and style.

You can also play one against the other to get the best deal for discount, finance, part-exchange and add-ons – all four – don’t be swayed by just one aspect of an offer. Go for the best discount plus the best finance deal plus the best part-exchange price plus discounted add-ons. There are some great sounding deals out there at the moment – just ask for more.

Regards
Ralph
carbuyersinfo.co.uk car comparisons revealing differences and similarities to help you find the car to fit your lifestyle and budget

What’s The Best Car? A Hatchback, Estate Car, MPV or SUV?

When choosing a car you need a type of car to suit your lifestyle and one that’s affordable. So will it be a hatch, estate, MPV or SUV? Mazda make all four and unlike many manufacturers have a selected number of trim and engine options. They’re easy to understand and compare which is a topic in itself – maybe next post.

Mazda offer a Mazda6 hatchback or estate car plus the Mazda5 MPV, and the Mazda CX-7 crossover 4×4 SUV. Many a Mazda 6 Estate review will claim the Mazda6 estate as the best estate car. Is it better than the hatch?

The Mazda6 starts at £17,805 with estate costing only hundreds more. The Mazda5 starts at £18,165 with smaller engines. There’s just one Mazda CX-7 luxury model at £27,850.

However, the top Mazda5 1.6 Sport Diesel model costs £21,995. A Mazda6 2.2 Sport Diesel comes in at £23,680 the estate is £24,330. The Mazda5 is obviously the cheaper option and the CX-7 the most expensive. So what do you get for your money?

• Mazda6 Estate 4.79m long, 1.49 high, cargo volume 519 to 1751 l.
• Mazda6 4.76m long, 1.44 high, cargo volume 510 to 1704 l.
• CX-7 4.7m long, 1.65m high, cargo volume 455 to 744 l.
• Mazda5 4.59m long, 1.62m high, cargo volume 112/426 to 857 l.

The Mazda5 dimensions are more compact but in this case you can see in the space of 8 inches in length the everyday hatchback and estate can provide more internal load space when we maybe think higher MPVs and SUVs offer more versatility. Confused? You should be which is why carbuyersinfo makes car comparisons.

It’s unfair on the Mazda5 because it’s on a smaller Ford Focus platform so maybe my next posts might look at smaller Focus, Golf and Megane platforms.

For me, at the money a hatchback looks a good bet. But what about fuel consumption, emissions and performance? Let’s look at the desirable 2.2 diesel options.

• CX-7 0 173 PS, 0 to 62 mph in 11.3 seconds, 124 mph top speed, combined 37.7 mpg.
• Mazda6 180 PS, 0-60 8.7 sec, 135 mph, 52.3 combined mpg.
• 6 Estate 180 PS, 8.7 secs, 134 mph, 52.3 mpg.
•  Mazda5 don’t feature a 2.2. Their 1.6 diesel hits 60 in 13.7 seconds, does 111 mph and returns a combined 54.3 mpg.

The Mazda5 isn’t a fair comparison but you can clearly see the hatchback and estates are more efficient than crossover 4×4 SUV.

Having compared performance, versatility, and economy it seems a hatch or estate is a winner. There are just two outstanding features – style and prestige. Having said that the Mazda5 has 7-seats and the CX-7  is 4 wheel drive.

There’s a point. Just because MPVs and SUVs are high and look like big family cars, it’s not necessarily the case because both 7-seats and 4×4 transmission take up space in the cars configuration so you need to physically check them out. My finding is only a handful of MPVs and SUVs are well thought out. The rest are just ‘me-to-gotta-be-in-there.’

My experience is ordinary saloons and hatchbacks are elegant is style and the way they drive. I can only say this about a few MPVs and have yet to find a 4×4 I’d be happy with.

I’ve been motoring to the Alps since the late 70s, sometimes two-three times a year and often to the most remote resort – Livigno (Little Tibet) – and I’ve never needed 4×4. When it gets that difficult you snow chains. I’ve always found you can pack the maximum number of people in a hatchback or estate car and all their luggage to make the trip viable.

The difference has always been the drive and  journey in a hatch or estate car has been more enjoyable than in a 4×4 or SUV. Maybe a long extended test drive is a good idea before you choose between a hatch, estate, MPV or SUV.

Regards
Ralph

Is the Renault Espace fading away or are we in for …

a delightful surprise?

I’m a big fan of the Renault Espace. I owned one back in the late eighties. It was fast, amazingly versatile and comfortable. It looked different and was great to drive the length of the UK or Europe. Trouble was my wife and our three easily found another mum with the typical two kids making seven. The car became the local family taxi and clocked over 20,000 miles per year and cost us a fortune in fuel. So it was a Scenic next. An MPV is definitely the best car for a family.

The present Espace has been around for a decade. In that time there’s been three different model Renault Scenics. The Espace hasn’t really changed. Are Renault going to update the Espace or let it fade away?

Renault have run down the number of Espace trim and engine options which in the past has been an indication a change is due.

The Espace is easily outpaced by more economical alternatives. It may still be the most versatile, safe and comfortable. If the Espace was announced today it would appear futuristic.

The problem might be competitors are based on platforms which global volume selling models. The Ford Focus platform serves ten different cars sold in the UK, the VW Golf platform supports over a dozen different models.

Renault may have been first MPV with the Espace followed by Ford with VW then Peugeot Citroen. Renault reinvented the MPV with the Scenic quickly followed by Citroen Xsara and Vauxhall Zafira.

Eventually the Vauxhall Zafira emerged the winner prompting a Grand Scenic. It was the Vauxhall Zafira dimensions and well thought out interior with 7-seats that gave it extra versatility and made it a more affordable alternative to a large MPV.

The mid-size 7-seat MPV is where the action is – the Grand Scenic, Grand Picasso, Peugeot 5008, VW Touran and Ford S-Max. The Zafira is still in there. The S-Max has elevated itself with Zetec as the entry trim level and amazingly capable engines.

Today the Espace may be the most expensive MPV  starting at £25k with the Galaxy over £24k and the latest Sharan over £23k. But that’s not where the market is at. Car prices matter as do the price of fuel and car insurance premiums.

The main players are the original players. Renault, Ford, VW, Peugeot Citroen, and Vauxhall. It’s like motoring history – Benz may have come up with car concept but Peugeot made it work, Renault were the innovator, Ford the manufacturer, GM the manager and Citroen the marketer.

Vauxhall will again be the new threat. There’s a new Zafira around the corner. It will be a Vauxhall in the UK, an Opel in Europe but a Chevrolet Orlando around the world.

We don’t know the difference between a Chevrolet and Chrysler in the UK – they both begin with ‘C.’  However Chevrolet is probably the most successful car brand in history and last I heard was the 3rd most sold in the world. 

The point is the Zafira will be on a volume selling Vauxhall Astra platform which is an Opel in Europe. The Astra platform is also the Chevrolet Cruze platform which is sold globally.

The Zafira will enjoy massive economy of scale. Renault seem to be waiting until they’ve made so many Espaces. Renault and their Nissan Alliance must have something up their sleeve especially now they’re talking to Mercedes.

There’s also the possibility the new Vauxhall Zafira will grow slightly making it even more versatile.

It would be delightful if Renault announced new Espace with new levels of performance, comfort, style and economy.

Regards
Ralph