Or think back to the "glory" days of the British Motor Corporation when you could have a Morris Mini Minor, an Austin Super Se7en, a Riley Elf or a Wolseley Hornet. And then you could have the van, the pick-up, the Moke, the Clubman or the half-timbered Traveller/Countryman.
I'm looking forward to BMW's interpretation of the Moke, open sides and a stripy canvas tilt (The Prisoner edition perhaps?). Or the Wolseley Hornet - an illuminated badge on the front, leather upholstery, a big bustle boot and a wooden dash.
And then there was the Hillman Imp, also available as the Singer Chamois, the coupé Sunbeam Stiletto, the Hillman Husky estate and the Commer van.
Got my Auto Express magazine delivered as usual today. The Skoda Citigo wins, VW up! second, Seat Mii third, but they didn't compare like-for-like. They had the 75PS Citigo Greenline (stop-start), the up! Black and the Mii 60 PS.
Of course it's just one magazine's opinion, and others may differ, but here is a quick summary:
'This is the city-car showdown the world has been waiting for. The VW up! left its rivals trailing in its wake when we first tested it in issue 1194, setting new standards for quality, practicality and refinement. But now it faces a tougher challenge. The Skoda Citigo and Seat Mii share the new VW's mechanical DNA under the skin, although thanks to their manufacturer's different pricing and trim strategies, each offers an alternative take on the same brilliant them. We'll use this test to crunch the numbers and evaluate what each range has to offer, and see which one of this talented trio gives buyers the best value for money. [they then cover the three cars over three pages].
They liked the exterior styling of the up! the most, but there wasn't a big difference. They mentioned the glass tailgate and C-pillar kink. The interiors are very similar.
Results: 'The up! is still a class act. It's the best-looking car here, and comes with a wide range of trim levels. And while it's the most expensive to buy, it's available with VW's great-value service pack, so it narrowly beats the Mii in this test. The Seat doesn't really put a foot wrong, but it doesn't look quite as sharp as its rivals, plus it doesn't have as much standard equipment as the VW and Skoda. [...] Yet both cars have to give best to the Skoda. It shares the dynamic and packaging brilliance of its cousins, but trumps them on price. Plus, our Elegance Greentech test car returned the best economy and emitted the least CO2 here. While the VW's reign at the top of the class was short, it's still a brilliant choice. With sharper looks and an upmarket badge, the up! is the most desirable choice [...] but it's more difficult to gloss over the higher purchase price'. (End).
I noticed one interesting statistic: weight. The Citigo weights 854 Kg (865 with stop-start), while the other two weigh 929 Kg each without stop-start. How on earth did they shave off 75 Kgs? Mazda spent hundreds of millions shaving 100Kg off the Mazda 2's weight to bring it down to 1000 Kg.
"Plus, our Elegance Greentech test car returned the best economy and emitted the least CO2 here."
Seems a stupid remark, since they did not compare to the Bluemotion Up. Frankly I think you are better off just going to each garage, and poking each car.
Perception is important in individual choice too, as they are all so similar , I freely admit that I (without foundation) perceive VW as a more 'upmarket' and 'solid' brand than the other two, even though they are the same company
stupid, I Know, but VW badge does it for me ...oh, and their local dealer is great!
I think the 75kg difference in weight isn't because the Citigo is lighter - VW include 75kg in their kerb weight for a driver and it looks as though Skoda (or Auto Express) haven't.
In contrast to Auto Express' conclusion, Autocar magazine concluded the VW was worth the extra cost - better detailing, better ride and more desirable.
You pays your money...............
Also if anybody is looking for a bit more info on the up! 5 door - have a look at the volkswagen.de website. The Konfigurator there lets you explore the 5 door, both inside and out. The 5 door is 475 Euros extra - so c.£380. The German spec differences are also interesting - e.g. High up! available with 60PS engine and Tornado red costs extra over there!
Just read mine last night, they seem to think residuals for the Skoda and the VW will be the same and the Seat better. I find that hard to believe to be honest. I know we are slightly biased but I think most people would value a VW higher than a Skoda?
Definitely. I wouldn't drive a Skoda unless it was debadged, I agree that that is quite bad of me.Actually I wouldn't drive anything other than a VW anyway. Haven't done for over 20 years. Edited by: bugbabe34
Yeah, the badge thing is valid (and they know they can charge us more for it, including more for each option, like the sensor pack, etc.
Upmeister: thanks, yes that makes sense, and I think I read it somewhere too, though Auto Express magazine doesn't seem to know about it, as it says:
The Citigo was also quickest at the test track, taking 17.8 seconds to cover 50-70 mph in fifth - nearly two second less than the up!. This extra turn of speed could be because the Skoda is 64 Kg/75 Kg lighter than the VW.
It's like comparing an apple, a pear and an orange and coming up with the conclusion that you prefer the orange as it's more......orangey.
Best economy from the greenest version with stop-start against.....hold on VW do a greener version than the up! Black that you could have used! Won't Seat have an ecomotive version to?
They could have used the more powerful version of the Mii as well.
Plus the Elegance spec'd Citigo is pretty much the same as a High up! rather than the up! Black/White so the price argument isn't as strong as you'd think. There is an argument that you get what you pay for somewhere along the line to.
I could go on but I fear I'm preaching to the choir!
I think the 75kg difference in weight isn't because the Citigo is lighter - VW include 75kg in their kerb weight for a driver and it looks as though Skoda (or Auto Express) haven't.
I've seen the weight of the 5-door up! being quoted in some of the online reviews as 75 kg extra compared to the 3-door up! to account for the extra metal, plastic and glass in the extra doors.
Definitely. I wouldn't drive a Skoda unless it was debadged, I agree that that is quite bad of me.Actually I wouldn't drive anything other than a VW anyway. Haven't done for over 20 years.
I was like that for 30 years but I think the VW mystique is less deserved these days. Skoda are seen as the best built of the VW group cars so the result is not such a surprise.
The Citigo was also quickest at the test track, taking 17.8 seconds to cover 50-70 mph in fifth - nearly two second less than the up!. This extra turn of speed could be because the Skoda is 64 Kg/75 Kg lighter than the VW.
What a strange thing to test. We know the Up in 5'th gear at 50mph has the characteristics of an arthritic tortoise. The nature of the engine is that you have to rev it to get some grunt, so why not measure 50-70mph in third which would make far more sense. No-one but a fool would try to overtake a car at 50mph in 5'th unless there was a long long long stretch of road free of oncoming vehicles, and even then you risk dying of an age related illness before you get past. Could this be a case of journalists who do not usually drive small cars, and they are not used to the engines?
Do they give a measured 0-60mph time? I am always surprised at how willing this little car is compared to my old model 1.3 liter Ford Ka, with a supposedly almost identical 0-60mph time.
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