Today's 3 Hatchbacks - More Bang For Your Buck.
by Scott James
Nowadays the economy driver is just as discerning with regards to expectation of performance as the buyer of the bigger luxury cars.
In this article we are going to take a look at three of these so-called current hot hatchbacks.
These three columns on the Renault Clio 2L, the Mini Cooper S and the Vauxhall Corsa VXR.
The initial perception with regards to the Vauxhall is that it is a much nicer car than previous versions.
Developing 188bhp from a 1.6 L turbocharged diesel engine perhaps this is the first Vauxhall for some time to start actually marrying up power with good looks.
The serious nature of the competition against the Vauxhall gives an illustration as to how important this marketplace is.
The Clio develops 194bhp from a 2 L engine that takes a little to get it going but once you do, boy does it fly.
The power of the Mini Cooper S is obvious to see right from the start with a turbocharged diesel 1.6 engine providing 173bhp.
From a drivers perspective the Mini has stunning performance and lightning reactions. With regards to the Renault, it does appear to perform better the faster you go. Finally the Vauxhall has loads of performance and handles extremely well.
As with all things the interior of the cars there is always an element of compromise with the poor plastics of Mini set against the brilliant driving position. It was difficult to get comfortable in the Renault despite the quality of the interior and lastly though the design of the Vauxhall inside was great this somehow compromised the visibility.
How would these cars pan out in the long run was one of the other key issues. It appears that the strong second-hand price of the mini could make it an excellent prospect for its owners. With regards to the Renault a heavy depreciation in the value of the car would tend to offset the definite advantage of the discounts available on purchase. Lastly, the folk soul was cheap as to get up and running and potentially better equipped to three but this was offset by the quite steep running costs of the car.
All of the three cars represent quite good value for money when looked at objectively but it would appear that the Mini Cooper S. appears to edge it over the others. If you can live with the cheap tacky interior, tiny rear seats and amazingly small boot the overall handling speed and performance of the mini makes it the best.
After the Mini Cooper the Vauxhall comes in second and has the overall aura of a good all round car. It is quite sad that the visibility is compromised because this is quite a substantial blemish on what is a very good performing in handling car.
Lastly the Renault comes in third which is a shame as the handling of the grip of the co-op is amazing, the engine performance and power of the car is quite outstanding once it's going. It is solidly built but you really have to work the car and engine hard to get the best out of it.
Scott James writes about all sorts of Automotive issues on the Internet and more information on the above can be found at the following: Ferrari Cars ; Driver Education and Car Dealers Manchester You are welcome to reprint this article - but get your own unique content version here.
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