The Crossover Car Concept Reviewed

The 4×4, SUV market is changing rapidly with many new Crossover cars entering into this market sector. If you’ve considered these types of cars you have decisions to make between cars and then whether to just to keep your money in the bank. The question is do Crossovers do what they say on the tin (fence paint ad slogan enters the social repertoire)?

Obvious Crossovers include the Ford Kuga, Skoda Yeti, and VW Tiguan. They answer the question, what does it say on the tin? What is a Crossover? A Crossover is a SUV built like a car. A Kuga is a SUV built on a Focus platform. A Yeti and Tiguan are SUVs built on a Golf platform.

So what’s a SUV? It’s an estate car body on a light truck chassis – ladder chassis. Many come with four-wheel drive promising all-terrain capability. They knew you’d never test it. It’s like selling fabric nuclear bomb proof tents.

SUVs - I hate them – had more power than they could handle on tarmac, no more space than an estate, were agricultural to drive, uneconomical and less than safe to say the least. I’m not saying this about capable proper SUVs like the Land Rover Discovery 4 or Volvo XC90 when they’re used to tow, go off-road and climb mountains – not social ladders.

The new Crossover concept being built like a car handles and drives more like a car, can now be as economical as small cars and have all the latest safety features.

But if a Crossover is a SUV built like a car and a SUV’s an estate car on a truck chassis, it begs the question why not just buy an estate car?

As we know the Ford Kuga is based on a Ford Focus platform as is the Ford Focus Estate. So what are the differences? Here they are.

Price -

• Kuga £21505 to £26715
• Ford Focus Estate £17095 to 25095
• Focus Hatch £15995 tp £23995

Length -

• Kuga 4.44m
• Focus Estate 4.56m
• Focus Hatch 4.36m

Minimum/maximum load space -

• Kuga 360/1355 litres
• Focus Estate 476/1502
• Focus Hatch 316/1101

Engine options -

• Kuga 2.0 diesel FWD or AWD with auto option, 2.5 petrol AWD manual or auto.
• Focus Estate manual 1.6 diesel and petrol, 2.0 diesel and petrol with a diesel auto option.
• Focus Hatch same as estate.

Efficiency -

• Kuga 47.1 to 27.4 combined mpg, 156 to 244 CO2s, 114 to 130 mph, 10.3 to 7.9 seconds to 62 mph.
• Focus Estate 67.3 to 47.1 mpg, 139 to 109 CO2s, 112 to 134 mph, 12.7 to 8.8 seconds to 62 mph.
• Focus Hatch not significantly different from the Estate.

Insurance groups -

• Kuga 18 to 24
• Estate 11 to 22
• Hatch same as estate,

So let’s be negative and knock one or two out – deduction.

• Price – you pay more for a Kuga, less for an estate, even less for a hatch.
• Length – there’s an 8 inch difference, the hatch is the shortest, the estate the longest, the Kuga is in the middle. Does that matter to you?
• The Focus estate has the most load space, the hatch the least.
• You have 1.6 engine options with the Focuses/Foci and a 2.5 with the Kuga. There’s a AWD drive option with the Kuga.
• The huge difference is the a hugely significant difference between the Foci and Kuga fuel economy and a hugely significant difference between Focus and Kuga emissions.
• But a Kuga is no faster and a Focus can be significantly quicker. Not to mention you can’t and wouldn’t dare throw a Kuga around like it was a Focus.
• Yet a Kuga costs more to insure than the Foci

For me, I’ve always hated SUVs and do what they want with them for now and call them Crossovers but I still don’t buy it. If a SUV was an estate car body on a truck chassis why not buy the estate? They cost less to buy. OK they’re a bit longer, but have the most load space – and they’re more versatile. The Focus Estate is more economical, eco-friendly, as fast, quicker. Plus you can chuck it about and the car insurance premiums are less.

If I was interested in a Crossover I’d probably graduate to the real deal like a Discovery or XC90 to do the real job of towing a cabbie cruiser or taking me off into the vast wilderness of West Sussex, that’s if Iwas able and willing to pay the price.

So looking at the crossover car concept, I’m not convinced and prefer the real thing – an estate car.

You might like to compare the VW Tiguan and Skoda Yeti with the VW Golf hatch and estate and see what you come up with.

Regards
Ralph
carbuyersinfo.co.uk. Car Comparisons to help you find the right car for you, your lifestyle and budget.

Two of the Best Estate Cars for Your Money

It’s easy to say premium brands like the BMW Tourers, Audi Avants or Mercedes Estates are the best but they’re expensive and in some cases offer no more load space than their saloons with 5 seats up.

A Mazda6, C5, or Accord estate may look good but again they cost.

The fact is the majority of these cars are company reps cars.

So what’s the best estate car when you’re paying with your own money?

Here are two real estate cars offering significantly more load space than their hatch backs.

The Ford Focus Estate has an entry price of £17095 subject to dealer offers. The Skoda Fabia Estate starts at £10980.

With the seats up the Ford Focus hatch offers 316 litres of space while the Ford Focus Estate offers 476 litres. With the seats down the hatch and estate offer 1101 and 1502 litres respectively. So there’s a significant difference in load space with plenty for holidays and trips to garden or furniture centres.

The shorter Skoda hatch provides 315 litres with the seats up, the estate 505 litres. With the seats down it’s 1180 for the hatch and a huge 1485 litres for the estate. That’s all in an overall length of 4.25m.

Both the Focus and Fabia estates have a good range of diesel and petrol engines. The Focus tdci and Fabia tdi may be attractive for their fuel economy and low emissions but they cost more to buy and diesel fuel is more expensive than petrol. Your mileage has to return savings over and above these added costs. My guess is you’ll have to do 45,000 miles before you start to break even.

The Fabia has interesting 3 cylinder petrol and diesel engine options. Their other diesels are 1.6 as are the Focus diesels.

It seems the 1.6 diesel is becoming the preferred smaller diesel engine. BMW demonstrated what can be done with a Peugeot 1.6 diesel engine in their Mini. Renault have now added a 1.6 in addition to their 1.5. I wonder what this means for the Fiat 1.3 and 1.7 diesels also used by Vauxhall.

Improved petrol engines still remain viable especially as they cost less to buy and petrol is cheaper than diesel. The Fabia uses the VW group TSI engines and Ford have the own variations, the EcoBoost being a great combination of economy, low emissions and performance.

EcoBoost is a combination of advanced injection, VVT and turbo technology. The Fabia Greenline option uses stop/start and energy recuperation technology previously only found as standard in more expensive cars.

Everyone must know Zetec is Fords value pack with sports styling. Skoda has now introduced the SE Plus which is a combination of their most popular features in a value pack.

So a premium brand may appeal but the Focus and Fabia Estates have as much if not more space with the seats up. The engines are economical, clean and can be quick. The advanced technology is there with more to come. Plus the trim levels provide a lot of equipment as standard.

So there we are, two suggestions for estate cars if you’re using your own money.

Regards
Ralph
carbuyersinfo.co.uk  Car Comparisons Differences and Similarities Revealed

Do Volvo Still Make The Best Estate Cars?

Back in the 1980s before 4x4s and MPVs the Volvo Estate Car seemed to be the best car to reflect a lifestyle. It got to the point of being a topic for stand-up comedians.  It wasn’t the very best. The Mercedes E-Class was the ultimate estate but it was Merc money.

Have Volvo still got what it takes? Well they’ve certainly got enough on offer. Today Volvo have the V50, V60 and V70 estate cars for sale.

The Volvo V50 price is attractive being under £20,000. Go from a V50 to V6o’s Sportwagon style and you might be pleasantly surprised by the Volvo V60 fuel consumption. Move up to the V70 for a full size estate car and the Volvo V70 dimensions provide huge load spaces.

But what makes for the best estate car? Back in the 80s Volvo estates had performance, comfort, space, prestige and a wonderful reputation for durability, reliability and safety.

At the time Volvo were among the manufacturers who developed shaped supportive seats as opposed to lounge chairs with showroom appeal. Durability, reliability has significantly improved in all cars and safety rating means these features are no longer issues.

So what about performance, versatility and regard for Volvo?

If we leave Volvo for a moment and go back to 2008, German manufacturers were found to be behind the pace with emissions. Today you’ll be shocked and amazed at the efficient combination of fuel economy, emissions, speed and acceleration of Mercs, BMs, Audi and VW.

Fortunately for Volvo they once sourced Renault parts before being acquired by Ford. Both Renault and Ford have historically been the efficient manufacturers, innovators and achievers in the motor industry. Volvo take this intellectual property and relationships forward to their new owners.

The Volvo V50 shares the same dimensions with the BMW 3-Series Touring and Audi A4 Avant however the BMW has the better load space and the FWD A4 has even more load space. The differences in mpg and performance are not significant in real on the road conditions. The V50 comes in with a four grand cheaper entry price.

For 3-Series and A4 for money Volvo offer the V60 which they refer to as a Sportswagon. You get more load space for your money with the V60 and an edge with engine efficiency which is probably not significant on the road.

When considering a 3-Series or A4 it’s easy to be walked up to near forty grand. A Volvo V70 enters the market at £27k. For the money you get a huge estate car and load space. You also get scorching acceleration, suicidal speeds and real fuel economy when you’re not ragging it.

So how does a V70 compare with a Mercedes E-Class Estate? A Merc’s more money but not enough to make a difference if you’ve got the price of a V70. Having said that the Merc has no practical advantage.

So Volvo estate cars still perform strongly, are versatile and comfortable. Few manufacturers are losers for durability, reliability and safety. Volvo still have their slab-side style which suggests a solid car. Volvo are also up to the mark for fuel consumption, emissions and performance.

Today there’s more competition. Back in the 80s the only real players were the Ford, Vauxhall, Avant, Renault, Peugeot plus the emerging Passat. Today Volvo competes with over thirty estate cars. It’s still one of the best and certainly a benchmark. It’s just you’ve contenders like Mazda, Honda, Citroen and Skoda and some are – Superb.

One last thought, with cars in the same class being so similar for performance, space, engine efficiency and car safety it may boil down to appearance and prestige. For me a V60 is very stylish and  the V70 has tremendous presence. Car salespeople will probably talk about equipment options and packs. Be careful here because you can be walked up thousands of pounds – to infiniti which is a make of car to check out.

Regards
Ralph

3-Series Touring vs Audi A4 Avant – Lifestyle or Load?

 The comparison BMW 3-Series Touring vs Audi A4 Avant is my most popular estate car comparison page on carbuyersinfo.co.uk.

When you look for estate car comparisons on the Internet  it’s no mistake you’ll find carbuyersinfo. I’m an absolute advocate of the estate car. With over 4 decades selling cars I remember how 1980′s Mercedes and Volvo were the best estate cars as lifestyle vehicles before 4x4s became popular.

At this time Nissan, Toyota and Mitsubishi imported cheaper alternatives to the Land Rover. The Royal Family were frequently seen in Land Rovers when away in their country estates and eastern imports were a cheap pretentious claim to a place in the country by Sloane Street Rangers.

Time has told 4x4s, SUVs, whatever you want to call them were not a viable proposition economically or ecologically. Recent crossovers have recovered this market.

It’s all about lifestyle or the claim of it by the style or prestige of a car.

Todays estate cars can still project a lifestyle image. If you motor off to the Alps in winter it seems to me you’ll see more estate cars in Europe than MPVs or certainly 4x4s. French and Italian car manufacturers seem to be only interested in rebadging and promoting 4x4s in a joint venture rather than planning and producing them.

Back to the 3-Series Touring and Audi A4 Avant. Fact is they offer no significant advantage over their saloon derivatives with the rear seats up. If you compare the A4 and BMW 3-Series dimensions they are the same for the saloons and estate versions. Load space only increases with the  rear seats folded down when the car becomes a 2-seater. Hardly a family estate car. Why bother? Style. The suggestion of a lifestyle.

In other words if I go away with 2 or 3 of my kids on a skiing holiday with the rear seats up I have no more boot space in some estate cars than a saloon. The difference is the lifestyle suggested by an estate car vs a saloon. 

The clue is to look at cars calling themselves estate cars if you want added space and not to expect too much of an improvement if they’re called a tourer or touring.

I suppose it’s why SUVs/4x4s and MPVs exist. A SUV suggests a sporting life, going off-road to hunt, fish or shoot. MPVs suggest a love of family.

Ford and Vauxhall estate cars have long been work horses for businesses with Peugeot and Renault participating in both the business and private markets. The Mazda6, C5 and Accord estates seem to be the user chooser choice.

I suppose what I’m trying to say is if you’re looking for a lifestyle car like a SUV or MPV then an estate car is a consideration. The popularity of BMW and Audi suggests premium brands are important. A new C-Class Estate is due which will raise the bar. But Ford, Vauxhall, Peugeot, Renault, Mazda, Citroen and Honda can all do the job with style.

Incidentally, if you know me and say, Ralph you’ve been running an MPV for 15-years I can only say it’s not my choice and if her indoors had her way we’d run a Full Monty Range Rover. It’s a case of not what I do but maybe what I say as an advocate of the estate car.

Regards
Ralph
carbuyersinfo, car comparisons, differences and similarities revealed.

Great Cars Overlooked By Private Buyers

The most popular class of car in the UK is the medium small hatchback – Focus, Astra, Golf, 308. On these platforms they also build various MPVs and Crossover SUVs.

On the Ford Focus Platform they build the C-Max, Kuga, Mazda5. On the Golf platform VW build the Yeti, Tiguan and Touran.

You often see these MPVs and SUVs advertised but when did you see Ford advertise their Focus estate for sale. The cars most overlooked by private buyers are the estate car versions, the Peugeot 3008 SW, Hyundai i30 Estate.

Estate cars have got a lot going for them when compared with MPVs and SUVs. They’re normally a bit quicker with better handling and road-holding which improves safety. They have large load spaces and can be more versatile. The estate cars lower lines means they can be more economical which is important given the pump price of fuel.

A Peugeot 3008 SW has a maximum load space capacity far greater than any SUV I can think over. It’s only matched by large MPVs like the Ford Galaxy and Renault Espace.

If you check the Ford Focus Estate you’ll find it’s quick, fast, plus it’s economical and green.

A Hyundai i30 estate is over £1,000 cheaper than a Hyundai ix35.

Maybe car buyers think estate cars are too conventional. Back in the mid 80s an estate car was the lifestyle car to own. The Mercedes E Class Estate and Volvo Estates were very prestigious.

So if you’re looking for a versatile car that’s good to drive an estate car is worth a look.

Regards
Ralph

Crossover Cars Comparison

As previously posted a crossover car is two car concepts morphed to create a new concept. Today it means building 4x4s and SUVs more like cars than trucks. An early example being the VW Tiguan built on the same platform as the VW Golf.

It brings new meaning to the TV ad, ‘Just Like a Golf.’

A to Z the following are all built on a VW Group A Series platform, just like a Golf - Audi A3 & TT, Seat Altea & Leon, Skoda Octavia & Yeti, VW Eos, Golf Plus, Jetta, Scirocco, Tiguan and Touran.

Are they all crossovers? No. The idea is to create a new concept. There’s nothing new about hatchback, sports cars and coupe. Even MPV cars are 1990s.

Only the Skoda Yeti and VW Tiguan qualify because they’re attempts to build 4×4/SUVs like cars. They’re not an attempt, they are built like a Golf.

Here it gets interesting because all of the above are offered with the same 2.0 TDI 170 engine. Here’s a question for you, ‘how does a car’s engine vs body style determine what the car is?’ There’s a reason car manufacturers badge the engine spec’ on the boot lid.

So what’s the difference in price between an Audi TT 2.0 TDI Quattro and Skoda Yeti 2.0 TDI 170 4×4? What does a VW Tiguan 2.0 TDI 170 Sport cost? How about Scirocco vs TT 2.0 TDI 170? When you’ve finished look at the Octavia 2.0 TDI VRS, its maximum load capacity, price, economy, emissions and performance. Lesser models are the taxi drivers’ choice.

Why all the different models? Marketers call it product differentiation. If you can make a product or service different then you can charge a different price. Car insurance and cosmetics are typical industries who’ve led the way.

So, if you take a standard medium size car like the Octavia which some might think boring which it certainly isn’t with a 2.0 TDI VRS lump in it you’ll have paid 20k, a trendy Golf 23k, Touran MPV 23k, Tiguan 25k. Then the Seats, Yeti, EOS, Plus, Jetta and Scirocco don’t look bad value or do they?

Confused? Does Crossover mean costly? That Pug 3008 ain’t cheap.

It gets more confusing when you look at GM’s links with Alfa, Citroen, Fiat, Peugeot and their own Corsa and Meriva.

Then there’s the Ford Focus and the C-Max, Kuga, Mazda3&5 plus Volvo 40, 30, 70 and 50.

To get our feet back on the ground, they say the car for everyone is the medium small hatch – Golf, Focus, Megane – the Qashqai is on a Megane platform.

So maybe before you think crossover, SUV, 4×4, MPV you might look at boring medium small cars like the Astra, and ubiquitous medium size cars like the Insignia, Mondeo, Passat, Mazda6, Accord before paying for something supposedly different.

If you can’t find the space and versatility in the everyday car then first look at estate cars. That’s all SUVs and MPVs are – tall estate cars – check with the DVLA. The best estate cars like the Octavia, Mondeo and the pundits choice – Mazda6 Estate, plus my favourite Citroen C5 Tourer – are all contenders.

Regards
Ralph

What Would You Compare A Peugeot 207 SW With?

Visitors to carbuyerinfo tend to compare the Peugeot 207 SW with the Ford Focus Estate and Hyundai i30 Estate which is sort of unfair on the 207.

The 207 SW is a small estate car, similar to the Renault Clio and Skoda Fabia estates. The i30 and Focus are a size bigger like the Astra and Golf estates.

The only similarity with the 207 and i30 is the price range £13-17,000. The Ford Focus Estate starts at £15,995.

The Focus has a maximum load capacity of 1,525 litres with a normal spare tyre. It’s way bigger than the 207 and beats the i30. It also has a 1.6 engine – not 1.4 – at the entry level.

In the same way the 207 may claim to be one of the best small cars, the Focus can claim to be one of the best in its size class.

The i30 looks value on paper. It performs well, reasonably spacious and comfortable, economical and has ESP as standard.

The Peugeot and Ford appeal is in the driving pleasure. The Focus is a lot more car than the 207.

Regards
Ralph

Formula For Finding The Best Estate Car

I frequently receive visitors to carbuyersinfo car comparison sites pages via queries for ‘best estate car.’

In the past I’ve suggested first selecting a size and then choosing between value, popular and premium brands.

But when you think about it, versatility is why people buy estate cars and maximum load capacity is a first indicator. As I make each car comparison manually – it’s not a programme – it’s come to my notice overall length is not an indicator of interior space.

So on my estate car comparison pages I’ve selected several random estate cars and ranked them by maximum load capacity. I’ve then detailed price range, fuel consumption and emissions as a guide to how affordable these estate cars are to buy and run. Also included are the performance figures for lugging a load. There you have it, my formula for finding the best estate car to see if it fits your family and finances.

Once a car suits your purpose and purse, safety is the next important consideration. Nearly all estate cars are 5-star EuroNCAP rated. The thing to watch out for and insist upon is ESP (Electronic Stability Programme.)

I haven’t commented on estate car appearance, prestige or comfort because they depend on people’s tastes. I don’t think reliability and durability are issues in motoring today.

Just comparing estate cars in this way threw up some very interesting results.

You’d think a Hyundai i30 Estate was a good bet in terms of value until you realise the slightly smaller Skoda Fabia Estate offers the same maximum load space for thousands of pounds less.

It’s unbelievable the huge Citroen C5 Tourer – my favourite – offers no more space but costs twice the price of a Fabia. Of course I’d argue the style, presence, comfort and performance of the C5 is in a different class but they’re personal preferences.

You can see why some vote the Mazda6 Estate as the best in its class. The 6 has a good load capacity, is reasonably priced, economical, fast and quick. Plus it looks striking.

The real surprise is the smaller cheaper Peugeot 308 Estate has the greater load capacity with all the seats removed. Plus you can have 7-seats.

It will be interesting to add the ubiquitous Mondeo, Insignia, Passat, Focus and Astra to see if they deserve their top-selling positions.

How will hugely expensive premium brands compare and do Skoda have more surprises with their Octavia and Superb Estates? The Superb has a max’ 1,865 litres capacity, starts at under £18,000 and’s good on juice.

I’ll have to add more estate cars to my formula. And what about MPV cars?

Regard
Ralph

Car Comparison Sites Changes

Carbuyersinfo car comparisons were designed to be quick and easy. I thought visitors had little patience, weren’t interested in BS, adjectives and superlatives, so I kept it simple.

However, visitors spend four times the amount on a product pages than I think necessary to select a comparison. Same goes on each comparison page. It appears they actually read whole pages judging by the time they spend on them.

I’ve always believed if a person is interested in something they will read volumes about it but I didn’t want to be too interrupting. The idea was visitors discovered if there was any interest then they could research in the real world at their local dealer.

So if visitors want to read it, I’ll write it. I’m making changes to my car comparisons sites pages. There’ll be more detail about car price ranges and I’ve made a start adding more detail to car fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and performance figures plus car dimensions.

Recently I listed all these efficiency figures for small cars on one page. I’ll be taking a slightly different approach with MPV cars and estate cars assuming capacity and versatility are important when deciding if a car fits your lifestyle.

My most visited pages are nothing like the top 10 best sellers in the UK. My most compared car is the Suzuki Swift. OK, very closely followed by the Fiesta, but also the Micra and Jazz. So they’re places to start changes.

I’ll get back to you.

Regards
Ralph

It seems the Mazda6 Estate is the best estate car

A couple of posts ago I named the Citroen C5 Touring as my favourite estate car along with the Mazda6 Estate and Honda Accord Tourer.

However when you search’ best estate car’ the Mazda6 estate seems to be in the news.

According to my comparison charts the C5 Touring, Mazda6 and Accord Tourer are virtually the same size. The Citroen seems a bit light on load space but more comfortable for passengers.

The Honda has a significantly higher entry price. The Citroen has a wider range of engines. In terms of fuel consumption, emissions and performance there seems to not be enough significance in the paper figures to guarantee a difference in real on the road motoring. All three car versions have been 5-star Euro NCAP rated.

So you might put the Honda aside on price and choose the 6 but I still think the C5 is a better looking car. However, with the 3 being so close I think I’d be looking for the best price plus best finance deal plus best part exchange price plus best add-on prices.

Regards
Ralph