Modern Poverty Spec Shite

[cort16]

I was making an unscheduled piss stop in the cultural epicentre of Glasgow (Govan) last week and spotted a miserable looking new shape Mondeo with wheel trims and in a shit colour. The modern version of the Verona if you will.

 

I know Parks of Hamilton used to sell the old A4 Octavia in 1.9 diesel povo taxi, wind up window spec even when the newer A5 one was available so I started to go through some of the manufacturers website. I recon Dacia are going to do quite well if the price of this lot are anything to go by.

 

Here's the Mondeo. It's 1.6 petrol in Edge trim in Blazer Blue. It's a vvt motor but an 18 grand sticker price means they can stick it up their arse. If you walked into a Ford dealer what do you recon you'd pay for one? 14 grand maybe?

 

 

When it comes to Astras it seems the 1.4 Expression is the bottom of the pile. Only available in shit blue it seems although I've been in one of these and though it was OK. £12995

 

One to get the heart beating faster. The new Seat Toledo E no less. Have you ever seen a more fuggin boring looking car? It's got a 75ps motor but there's no more detail than that I guess it's some horrible 1.4 motor dragged out a mid 90's polo or something? The only non metallic colour is red and it even that''s £175. It comes with "Manually controlled heating system". Awzum

£12, 495 (+paint)

 

 

Oddly the Skoda version of the Toledo is called the Rapid and is 400 quid more expensive (£12,900) for no real reason that I can seem to fathom. You may recognise it from Skoda's adverts that make you want to stab yourself in the eyes with a potato peeler. Do Skoda think they're premium brand now? They've given the game away on that 75ps motor shared with the Toledo though it's a 1.2. mega.

 

 

Bloody hell Kia's website's shit. I've just spend 5 minutes chasing a Kia Rio around the screen before I got to the detail. The he 1.1 diesel's the shitters natural choice but it's way too expensive at 11,345.00 so we're going for the the 1.25 petrol Rio one at £9,245.00.

 

Unfortunatly no picture of it in misery spec but it's not a bad looking car.

 

 

BMW's websites shit too. The most basic BMW you can get is a 114i ES with a 100bhp motor. I think BMW are losing their touch though as it comes with alloys and a stereo of some kind. You can live this dream for just £17630. If your feeling flush you can have the same miserable spec but with the 114d motor for just an extra 2 grand. Fantabulous.

 

Any more?

[Doctormop]

Seem to recall that Suzuki are offering the Alto for £5999 in either white or red (other colours available for an extra £400)

Free road tax, 62ish to the gallon, surely a new car has never been cheaper in real terms, in 1979 my best mate at primary school's Dad bought a new Renault 18 for 5 grand!! (and thats when 5 grand was al ot of money for a Renault; ps he hated it, said it wasn't a patch on the Allegro it replaced)

http://www.suzuki.co.uk/cars/cars/offer ... e-vat-free

 

Could one of these Altos be worth considering, obviously 6k is not chicken feed but for less than half the cost of a boggo Astra, how bad can it be?

[cort16]

They're the same as the Nissan Pixo and built in the same factory in india I believe. Like a Japanese City Rover.

[RoadworkUK]

Hugely pleased to see that the Dacia Duster, in entry-level £8995 OTR Access spec comes with hardly any standard kit whatsoever.

 

Looking at the brochure there is not only no A/C, but keep-fit windows all round; no stereo and, as far as I can see, no pre-equipment either!

 

It also has matte black plastic bumpers that look like they may actually have a chance of going for over a month without picking up the scratches you see on every body-coloured moulding on every 4x4 in every Tesco's car park thoughout the land. As a bonus they'll look spectacularly shite after a few years without Armor-all!

 

I think it's terrific, yet I know that hardly anybody will buy one. They'll all go for the pimped out top-o'-the range model.

 

On finance, natch.

[cort16]

Cor, check out the Povo spec Sandero it looks like a Panda with a 5 o'clock shadow.(£5995)

 

http://www.dacia.co.uk/vehicles/sandero/explore/

[Tayne]

.

[Doctormop]

They're the same as the Nissan Pixo and built in the same factory in india I believe. Like a Japanese City Rover.

 

A japanese City Rover? You've convinced me; where do I sign??

[warren t claim]

Cor, check out the Povo spec Sandero it looks like a Panda with a 5 o'clock shadow.(£5995)

 

http://www.dacia.co.uk/vehicles/sandero/explore/

 

I can see this becoming the "or equivalent" to a Fiesta on a few rental fleets.

[eddyramrod]

If a Dacia dealer opens in Cyprus I can see at least one rental fleet taking some of these on! Andreas and I spent a very amiable morning looking at cheap-end cars last year...

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

Most of the rental cars I've driven have been mid-to-high spec. From Corsas with cruise control to Mercs with expensive optional navigation systems and Kias with top-of-the-range stereos. Holiday markets are different, of course, but you don't get much of that in the UK.

[R9UKE]

That Mondeo Edge looks great! Shame there's no Aspen model with no rev counter and wind up windows!

 

The new Renault Mégane Generation is shit. I'm not sure if it's a special edition but its swathed in black plastic, shit wheel trims and comes only as the depressingly dull 5 door.

 

 

That Toledo takes the biscuit though. Jesus.

[DVee8]

A mate of mine has a white 61plate Hyundai I10 with windy windows Halfords trims

[Mr Lobster]

Most of the rental cars I've driven have been mid-to-high spec. From Corsas with cruise control to Mercs with expensive optional navigation systems and Kias with top-of-the-range stereos. Holiday markets are different, of course, but you don't get much of that in the UK.

 

You haven't rented from Uncle Arnold have you?

 

Saw plenty of base spec Mondeos, Pixos and poverty models Corsas during my time there.

 

Most of the big rental companies will go for at least mid spec though purely for residual values.

[cort16]

Those megane's START at 16 grand for a 1.6 petrol. That starts to make the 1 series look like good value for money.

[M'coli]

Just had a shufty at the Sandero website, I'm well impressed with the weight for the base model considering the size of it - 941kg. It also lists the CdA, rather than an arbitrary Cd figure for drag.

[Partridge]

It's got a 75ps motor but there's no more detail than that I guess it's some horrible 1.4 motor dragged out a mid 90's polo or something? The only non metallic colour is red and it even that''s £175. It comes with "Manually controlled heating system". Awzum

£12, 495 (+paint)

 

 

My other ride is an 05 Polo 1.4 with a 75 ps engine. Fine in a Polo...but in something bigger, no thanks. If it is the same engine (I will look into that later) how come it’s still the same size and power output? The latest VW 1.2 three pot job puts out 65 ps.

[Lacquer Peel]

Hugely pleased to see that the Dacia Duster, in entry-level £8995 OTR Access spec comes with hardly any standard kit whatsoever.

 

Looking at the brochure there is not only no A/C, but keep-fit windows all round; no stereo and, as far as I can see, no pre-equipment either!

 

It's wired for an aftermarket stereo and speakers. I'd love one, when they're £500.

[Tartan58]

I've seen a few of the BMW 1 series coupes with steel wheels and hubcaps- my first thought was they were winter wheels but the cars looked pretty basic spec too. I thought they looked rather good harking back to the original 3 series. But I bet they still cost a packet.

[cort16]

I expected the BMW's and that to be expensive but I didn't expect Renault Meganes to start at 16 grand .

The Seat and Skoda have a 1.2 75ps motor so it's bound to be similiar to the one in the polo. My Mrs has a 75ps 1.4 C3 that's probably less lardy than the Skoda and Seat and it's devoid of any kind of performance.

 

Tayne, I always though that on the bigger fleet deals they got better specced cars as part of a negotiated deal on a mass purchase. I think a lot of the time company car driver get a budget now so would rather spend 18k on a well spec'd Focus than a miserable Mondeo so you don't seem many in full peasant spec on the roads. In the old days you just got given what they had.

[RedSparrow]

I must say that despite the running Top gear jokes (albeit positive ones) the Sandero looks pretty good value for money.

Compare it with a base CityRover 8 years ago for £6995! No contest.

[cort16]

No matter what it's like that Sandero will struggle to be anywhere as miserable as that fuggin Seat.

[barefoot]

The Seat and Skoda have a 1.2 75ps motor so it's bound to be similiar to the one in the polo. My Mrs has a 75ps 1.4 C3 that's probably less lardy than the Skoda ...

 

 

My Scirocco has a 75ps 1.6, but it's an absolute featherweight.

[oman5]

I am actually sorely tempted to go for a base spec Sandero. I don't care about toys or lack thereof, the only thing stopping me is that for 5995 there is some world class chod out there, plus depreciation is likely to be epic. nah fuggit, I'll stick with the volvo 240.

[cort16]

BUDGET car brand Dacia could prove a strong investment according to new depreciation research carried out by CAP.

 

I think the word investments a bit strong,

 

http://www.cardealermagazine.co.uk/publish/dacia-cars-could-prove-a-solid-investment-say-cap-editors/72013

[AnthonyG]

There are quite a few Mondeo Edges about, mostly in diesel form. The specs ok apart from the steelies really. There is a Fiesta (studio or style) which is the modern Popular, wasn't even in the brochure I had a while ago, appears on the website only.

[oman5]

BUDGET car brand Dacia could prove a strong investment according to new depreciation research carried out by CAP.

 

I think the word investments a bit strong,

 

http://www.cardealermagazine.co.uk/publish/dacia-cars-could-prove-a-solid-investment-say-cap-editors/72013

 

 

Its probably not comparing like with like but it makes me think of the days when they sold new lada rivas and skoda estelles in this country that lost all of their value almost as soon as they got driven off the forecourt.

The sandero is a last generation clio under the skin isnt it? it may prove to be ok.

The basic povvo spec is only available with a 1.2 4 pot with less than inspiring performance, if you want power it pushes the price up considerably for the turbo 3 pot or the DCi jobbie which kind of defeats the object. I would like one but I am going to wait and see how good/bad they are first.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

The 1.2 75ps motor is fucking terrible. I rented a Polo with it once. It's asthmatic, loud and harsh (3 cylinders), and the gearing on that car was also rather shit.

 

Fortunately, the heater fan was dead (on a brand new car with 800 miles on the clock) and I was able to use that as an excuse for exchanging it for a Corsa within a few hours.

[Ben_L]

A mate of mine has a white 61plate Hyundai I10 with windy windows Halfords trims

 

The i10 comes with AC/ElectricFrontWindows/RemoteCentralLocking etc etc as standard...

 

Then the top spec comes with all sorts of Merc' like extras such as an Electric Sunroof, Heated seats etc... Or it did when it came out??? I could swear windy windows weren't an option... Special order?

[purplebargeken]

My 61 plater i10 comes with al the toys and it's a mid spec one, active or summat like that. Even the povvo one has some goodies, so I am a bit puzzled by the keep fit window spec. My Amica (57 plate) was a real povvo spec but then it did cost £4995 brand new OTR. Hated it if I am honest, the latest Hyundai stuff is actually pretty bloody good. I'd love that i40.

 

The Dacia stuff looks pretty decent.

[ProgRocker]

A few weeks ago I was having a little play on the seat.co.uk car configurator website and came up with this:

 

 

SEAT Mii 1.0 S is £7,955 with white paint. I draw the line at white if I can choose the colour so I specced with black paint for an extra £420 - £8,375. Looks quite sweet on those steel wheels But over £8k for a short car like that is steep compared to the Dacia Sandero and Suzuki Alto SZ2.