AT the time of the new Jetta’s launch, Volkswagen was keen to promote the vehicle as being a breed apart from the other run-of-the-mill compact family saloons. And looking at the price premium of the new Jetta 1,6 Comfortline, it certainly backed up this statement in a vividly clear manner. The Jetta is the only 1,6- litre car here, in a group of rivals that are extremely closely priced around the R190 000 mark.
The competitors we’ve chosen will certainly give it a good run for its money. Toyota’s Corolla is ageing, but still the best selling saloon in South Africa. The Focus is doing well, too, bringing a new generation of buyers to the Ford stable. And Honda’s new Civic, the newest of the lot, looks like it has been beamed back from the future… its radical appearance, inside and out, will test the conservative buyers that many still believe dominate this segment. Let the games begin…
Comparative Test Design
Ford Focus Three and a half stars
Honda Civic Four stars
Toyota Corolla Three stars
VW Jetta Four stars
Two cars stand out in this segment, but for entirely different reasons. VW’s Jetta, though still clearly a Golf-based vehicle, has made a definite step towards a more unique character. That shiny chrome grille gives it considerable presence. Furthermore, it appears to be the largest car by quite some margin. Of course, the impression of size is very much a result of its enormous back end. It comes as a bit of a surprise, then, that it not only doesn’t have the biggest boot – the Focus does – but that in terms of interior space, it is quite closely matched by the Ford and Honda, although the Honda’s sleek lines make it feel more cosy. Subjectively, however, the Jetta is the one that will initially push the typical family man’s buttons. Its cabin has a feeling of space that is the result of not only real, usable space, but also because of the use of lighter trim materials and a more generous glasshouse.
The Jetta’s facia is lifted straight from the Golf, which is no bad thing, seeing as it is ergonomically superb – all controls placed high and within easy reach, and it has classy, clear instrumentation.
The Honda is a successful design, too, but for entirely different reasons… initially, anyway. It is the only car here that exhibits some design flair – low, squat and with a flowing profile, as well as futuristic detailing, it is by the far the one that gets the most attention. Inside, it pushes the envelope even more, but with a facia seemingly lifted straight out of the set of Star Trek, it takes some getting used to. The digital instruments, smartly backlit in crisp blue, are separated into two levels, with the speed, fuel and temperature readouts mounted higher, for easier use. The short handbrake is mounted well forward in the centre console, and the steering wheel isn’t even completely round. Sounds a bit odd, doesn’t it? The good news is that the radical design doesn’t really limit its practicality as a family car. OK, so the boot is the smallest in the group, but in terms of cabin space it is not only ahead of the Corolla, but also compares well with the seemingly larger Focus and Jetta. And although the facia looks bizarre upon first entry, you’ll soon find that the controls are placed pretty much where you would expect to find them anyway. In the minds of our testers, the Civic shows that family car buyers don’t have to sacrifice design spirit for practicality. One tester, however, insisted that the Civic was simply trying too hard to be different.
The Focus and Corolla play a more conservative game. The Ford, however, does look thoroughly modern with its pronounced wheelarches and crisp lines. But it’s a pity that there’s absolutely nothing to distinguish this 2,0-litre Trend from the smaller 1,6-litre version we tested in November last year. As a result, it looks neither as classy as the Jetta, nor as adventurous as the Civic. But the conservative lines do hide a spacious, practical cabin. Space is good allround – the Focus has the largest utility volume – and the overall design is smart. However, just as with the exterior, Ford could have done more to lift the appeal. It’s really just acres of black plastic, some parts of very good quality, but others not. The door handles look cheap, and the shiny black plastic used for the instrument housing does nothing good for the overall ambience.
And then there’s the Corolla. There are so many of these on the road that they’ve become completely anonymous. It seems like only yesterday that the current shape Corolla was launched, so it came as a bit of a shock to get behind the wheel of this Toyota and discover a rapidly dating car. The cabin design lacks the coherency of the others, with many features seemingly “tacked on” as afterthoughts. And the ghastly plastic grey “wood” trim certainly doesn’t help matters.
All four cars exhibited excellent build quality, but it must be pointed out that the Corolla had three times the mileage of the others and was still completely rattle and squeak free – an impressive showing. The Jetta and Civic are, however, the ones with the highest perceived quality.
Comparative Test Powertrain
Ford Focus Four stars
Honda Civic Four stars
Toyota Corolla Three and a half stars
VW Jetta Four stars
The Jetta starts with a major disadvantage in that it has by far the least powerful engine in this group. The 1,6-litre powerplant develops 75 kW at 5 600 r/min and 148 N.m of torque at 3 800. This makes it the only car here with an output of less than 100 kW. The engine is mated with a five-speed manual transmission.
What it lacks in power – and it can feel frustratingly flat-footed in some situations – it makes up for in drivetrain refinement. Everything operates in a slick, mechanically precise way that makes the Jetta a pleasure to drive… until you need power, of course.
The Civic achieved the highest overall score in this department (keep in mind that our star system uses rounded-off decimals). Its 1,8-litre i-VTEC engine develops 103 kW at 6 300 r/min and 174 N.m of torque at 4 200. Unlike some of these VTEC-type engines, this particular unit is not as peaky as before, so you don’t need to rev it to extract the power. The Civic isn’t perfect, though, because the five-speed gearbox is not as slick as Honda transmissions usually are, and some testers felt the clutch action was awkward, leading to some people stalling the car on pull-away.
The Ford has the biggest engine – its 2,0-litre pumps out 107 kW at 6 000 r/min and 185 N.m of torque at a relatively high 4 500 r/min. Initial impressions were hardly favourable, as the Ford sounded a bit “tappety” at idle. There was a general roughness about the Ford’s engine that some testers felt indicated a lack of refinement. The chunky shift-action of the five-speed ‘box was generally well liked, though, as well as the spacing of the gear ratios. Overall, the Focus rates as a relaxed car to drive, with the power available on demand.
The Corolla’s 1,8-litre engine (featuring VVTi variable valve timing), develops 100 kW at 6 000 r/min and 171 N.m of torque at 4 200. It’s a very free-revving engine that sometimes feels like it’s developing more power than the other cars here. The gearbox is a bit of a letdown, though, with a crunchy, sloppy shift action that makes changing gear rather unpleasant. The driver/car interface is further spoilt by a clutch pedal that is too soft and a brake pedal that feels too hard. Overall, it just doesn’t all quite come together…
Comparative Test Comfort and Features
Ford Focus Four stars
Honda Civic Four stars
Toyota Corolla Three and a half stars
VW Jetta Four stars
Another crucial department for the type of person looking to spend R190 000 on an upmarket, yet compact, family saloon. So, already you’ve seen that the Jetta was found a bit lacking under the bonnet. The news isn’t all great in the passenger compartment, either…
But let’s start with the good stuff. The Jetta has an extremely comfortable cabin, with superb seats and lots of space. The driving position is also spot-on, and it does have the necessary features such as a heightadjustable driver’s seat, airbags all round, anti-dazzle rear view mirror, electric windows/mirrors, radio/CD player etc. It is just that some of the niceties that you may have expected – to balance out the weak engine – don’t feature. There is no leather upholstery, no remote audio controls and no cruise control. Does it all matter, seeing as the cabin is so comfortable anyway? Not really, but still, look at the Honda Civic’s spec sheet, and you may be left feeling a little short-changed…
The Civic really lacks almost nothing, with full leather upholstery, cruise control, automatic airconditioning, as well as dual front, side, and curtain airbags. But the Civic’s cabin doesn’t have the “welcoming” atmosphere of the Jetta. The steeply raked A-pillars and vast facia may force you to change your driving position slightly for the best view out.
The Corolla is not as bare bones as some people may suspect – it has a six-disc CD changer, for example, as well as leather upholstery and automatic climate control. But it is let down by its lack of a comprehensive safety package – it only has dual front airbags. This won’t affect comfort levels, though, but the lack of reach-adjustment for the steering wheel may… Some testers also complained about the front seats, saying they were mounted too high, and simply not as cosseting as those of the rivals. Generally, the Corolla feels like a previous generation car in this company.
The Focus doesn’t have curtain airbags, nor cruise control or leather trim. But these items don’t negatively affect general comfort levels. The only real criticisms our testers levied at this vehicle were that the positioning of the remote audio control was too close to the driver’s left knee, and the ambience was thought to be nothing special.
Comparative Test Performance and Braking
Ford Focus Four stars
Honda Civic Four stars
Toyota Corolla Four stars
VW Jetta Three stars
With the smallest capacity engine, the Jetta was always going to suffer in this department. It has the least power, the least torque and, rather worryingly, it’s certainly not the lightest. This gives it the worst power to weight ratio by some margin.
It comes as no surprise then to see it being comprehensively outgunned by the other cars. For what it’s worth, the Jetta will jog to 100 km/h in a leisurely 12,78 seconds and reach a top speed of 186 km/h. These performance figures – especially the relatively low top speed – are unlikely to concern the typical buyer, but perhaps the comparatively sluggish overtaking acceleration will. Even at the coast, it was sometimes felt that fifth gear was a bit of an “overdrive”. Changing down is the name of the game, and third is often necessary for overtaking manoeuvres. At altitude, it will be even worse.
The rest of the cars are extremely closely matched. But we need to explain that we opted not to carryout a performance test on the Focus, as it was a dealer demonstration unit and not an official test car. Therefore, we’ve had to estimate performance figures. It should have both the fastest top speed (204 km/h), and also the best 0 – 100 acceleration time (9,3 seconds), but it is very closely matched by the remaining two rivals.
Although the Corolla has been facelifted since our original test in December 2002, it has remained mechanically identical, so the times achieved in that test are used here. It has a 203 km/h top speed and accelerates to 100 km/h in 9,44 seconds. The Honda tops out at 202 km/h and achieves the benchmark sprint in 9,39 seconds. Again, it has to be pointed out that for the target market, overall drivability is more important than outright performance. Most testers felt the Ford and Honda to be the most flexible, but we don’t have overtaking acceleration figures for the Ford to back up these claims. Against the stopwatch, however, it is the Corolla that is best! They’re all pretty closely matched, though, and it is only the Jetta driver that will occasionallneed careful planning for some overtaking manoeuvres…
Our braking tests didn’t reveal any serious problems, but none of the cars impressed hugely. Subjectively, the Ford’s brakes offer the best “feel” through the pedal, and the 1,6-litre tested in November last year performed well. The Jetta also has good stoppers: the best, in fact, if you look at our achieved times.
The two Japanese cars were somewhat erratic during our stopping tests, recording excellent times during one stop, but following up with abnormally long ones shortly after. As a result, their averages appear rather poor.
Comparative Test Ride and Handling
Ford Focus Three and a half stars
Honda Civic Four stars
Toyota Corolla Three and a half stars
VW Jetta Four stars
These are not super saloons, so the emphasis should very much be on a comfortable everyday ride, combined with predictable, safe road manners. However, these aims shouldn’t necessarily mean wobbly handling and vague steering. We’re looking for a good all-rounder.
The Civic and Jetta emerged with equal scores in this segment, but with the Civic’s talents leaning more towards the handling side and the Jetta’s towards a soft ride. But both also scored well in the “other’s” domain. For the family man, the Jetta is probably the one to have – it offers a superb balance between a cos-seting ride and vice-free handling. Look, it’s not going to set your blood fizzing with excitement, but it gets the job done without any fuss. Of course, you can thank the Jetta’s advanced multi-link rear suspension for its overall composure.
The Civic, on the other hand, rides on a torsion-beam rear suspension design, which is not only cheaper to manufacture and more compact, but also doesn’t theoretically allow for the same type of balanced dynamics as a multi-link set-up. In reality, however, the Civic is superbly planted, with the firmest ride of the group. It never gets uncomfortable, however, but is most certainly the sportiest set-up on offer here. Although the steering is extremely precise, it was criticised for being too light.
We expected much from the Focus, with its acclaimed Control Blade multi-link rear suspension. We know that Ford tunes the Focus saloons to be softer than the hatchbacks, but perhaps they’ve gone a bit too far. As a result, the Focus’s ride and handling polarised the team’s opinions. Some felt it to be too “mushy”, with a lot of pitch and dive. Others thought it was surefooted and confident, and everyone agreed that the ride was very comfortable. Perhaps the bigger engine in front upsets the overall balance a bit…
The Corolla neither shines nor annoys in any department. Like the Honda, the Toyota has a torsion beam rear arrangement. Furthermore, it has the narrowest wheel tracks, but a wheelbase that compares well with the others. On the road the ride is well sorted – it is a good cruiser. It doesn’t show much enthusiasm for cornering, with the inside front wheel scrabbling for grip rather quickly, and exhibiting quite a lot of body roll. But then again, who’s seriously going to try? Overall, it’s probably quite good for the majority of buyers.
Comparative Test Fuel Economy
Ford Focus Four and a half stars
Honda Civic Four stars
Toyota Corolla Three and a half stars
VW Jetta Four stars
As we could not test the fuel economy of the Focus, our estimate has to suffice. It should be, with a fuel index figure of around 8,7 litres/100 km, the most frugal. The Jetta and Civic have identical figures – 9,1 litres/100 km – and the Corolla is the heaviest on fuel with a consumption of 9,83 litres/100 km.
Comparative Test Value for Money
Ford Focus Four stars
Honda Civic Four and a half stars
Toyota Corolla Four stars
VW Jetta Three and a half stars
The Civic (R193 300) and Corolla (R189 585) have the most features, yes, but the Corolla’s lack of side and curtain airbags count against it. The Civic may be the most expensive car in this group, but it’s only a few thousand more, so it takes the segment because it offers a really comprehensive package of comfort and safety features. Throw in the exemplary record for reliability and quality and you’ve got a car that seemingly can do no wrong.
The Corolla has a similar reputation for longevity and resale should be good.
The Focus (R189 900) starts out looking promising, but look closer and some holes appear… It does not have cruise control, leather upholstery or curtain airbags. And although vast improvements have been made, surveys still show Ford to be lacking in certain after-sales aspects. Resale values will probably be the lowest of the group.
The Jetta (R190 850), on the other hand, may emerge with the best resale values even though it offers, in the minds of our testers, the poorest value for money. The Jetta does not have remote audio controls, leather trim or cruise control, among other items. Counting most heavily against it, though, is the 1,6-litre engine.
Comparative Test Verdict
Ford Focus Fours stars
Honda Civic Four and a half stars
Toyota Corolla Three and a half stars stars
VW Jetta Four stars
As to be expected, the first car to fall out is the Toyota Corolla. It does nothing badly – in fact, it pleasantly surprised us on a few points – but time has caught up with this top-seller. It is decidedly middle-of-the-road in most instances, and the interior, especially, is completely outclassed by the other cars here. Still, it should give solid, dependable service.
Next to be eliminated is Volkswagen’s Jetta. It is an extremely comfortable car, but at this price it needs a better engine. In Europe, Volkswagen offers a 1,6-litre with FSI technology that develops slightly more power and torque. Perhaps the time has come for this engine to make its appearance in South Africa.
Now for the big upset. In our April issue, we tested the Civic and chose the Ford Focus as “Our choice”. However, the scores after this exhaustive comparative test show the Civic to be the winner. It would seem, then, that we’ve changed our minds… which is not acceptable. So, we went back to the score sheets. Surprisingly, perhaps, the addition of the Jetta to the voting, and the elimination of the Mazda3 and Renault Mégane, has led to a different spread of votes, with the Civic emerging victorious. Whereas the more comfort-orientated testers previously almost exclusively cast their votes in favour of the Ford, the Jetta has stolen much of the Ford’s support base, while the Civic’s has remained strong from the remainder of the testers. It must also be noted that the Civic’s polarising design was less of a problem to some testers during this second meeting, indicating that it is a car that grows on you, even if initially you weren’t convinced. Now that the dust has settled in this segment, the Honda Civic has emerged as the real leader of the pack.
