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Car
of The Year -
Part 3 - more cars |
Broadcast
dates : 30th January 2005
3rd February 2005 |
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Audi
A6 3.0 TDi Quattro Tiptronic
The Audi A6 is a very expensive car and for this reason
it’s an outsider for the Car of the Year title.
And yet, it’s so competent in just about all areas
that as the test weekend unfolded, it started to appear
on many people’s lists as a major player. But it has a
few shortcomings.
It’s very sensitive to both throttle and brake pedal
inputs…
It’s easy to accelerate more than you intended when
pulling away…
And the brakes are too sharp, until you get used to them
At high-speed the steering is lacking in feel.
But we are really nitpicking here. Overall, this is one
of the most competent cars on the planet.
BMW 120i Manual
A driver’s car. BMW is one of the most recognized
symbols alongside Coca Cola and Levis. So, does the car
match the badge?
For some people, most definitely. Rear-wheel-drive makes
it more fun, more communicative, or at least that’s
the theory.
The racetrack proved that for feedback and balance, the
BMW 120i was the pick of the bunch. But with a
middle-of-the-road four-cylinder motor, the 120i doesn’t
have the power to exploit its chassis.
And being priced close to the Golf and the Volvo, one
has to ask the question whether cramped rear space and
rather odd looks justify a dash of steering feel and
seat-of-the-pants feedback.
Most people wouldn’t realize it was a rear-wheel-drive
car. The badge would be enough. As the weekend went on,
the Opel came to light. It lacks low down torque in a
city situation and the steering feels a bit wooden about
town. But out in the country, on the freeway, it comes
alive.
The Opel is solid in all ways, and its engine is a free
spirit that likes to rev. The car has a strong
personality too, in terms of looks and the way it
behaves.
It was let down by a gear shift that refused to be
hussled. Slow gear changes with an Opel, that’s the
thing.
VW
Golf 5 2.0 TDi Sportline
 The Golf is a
car that humbles itself to deceive. As we had more and
more seat time in this product from Uitenhage in the
Eastern Cape, we began to appreciate just how good it is
in all areas.
You may criticise the grey-suit styling, but that grows
on you too. You may feel the interior doesn’t have the
punch of a Renault. Or an Opel for that matter. But
everything is there, including six airbags and an
overall feel of premium level quality.
And the power train – the engine, gearbox and
suspension – is quite simply superb. This is a car
that puts its power on the line. And the steering is so
accurate, you get to choose that line with pin-point
accuracy.
Part
1 - How it works
Part 2 - the cars
Part 3 - more cars
Part 4 - and finally
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