To
be and… to appear to be
Hello petrolheads!
Today,
am going to compare two hatches: a warm one, and a hot one. AVIS was kind
enough to give them to me within a month time, and because of the similarities
– and differences – I decided it was a good idea to review and compare them.
Oh,
in case you’re wondering, spoiler alert: the warm one is the Golf Performance
Pack. More on that later.
Also, sorry for the shoddy quality of the Focus' photos. Don't really like the way it looks, so didn't bother too much...
Drove
the Focus first. The first visual impression was good, maybe because it’s still
a new car, most likely because the predecessor was so underwhelming. Will leave
design considerations up to you, but can tell you most people like it a lot.
This car’s sporty appearance – the ST-Line package plus the LED headlight units
– does seem to be very balanced. The biggest surprise, though, was inside.
Previously, Focuses have occasionally felt good – the first gen because of the
quirky design, the second one because of the nice materials used. This one is a
step further. Not only does it look very elegant, with a touch of sportiness,
but materials and built quality are absolutely top notch. The stunning noise
insulation is the final proof. Finally, the Focus has reached the Golf in this
respect. In others it betters it.
Focus… on fun!
This
may sound absurd, but just from steering outside of the rental parking lot, it
was immediately apparent that this was a special car. Honestly, to date, had
never driven anything with electric power steering that felt anywhere as good
as this. The Focus’ steering is the most accurate and communicative device this
side of a Smart Roadster, maybe even better because it’s a fast rack. In a
front-wheel hatchback! What about the handling? The light, 3-cylinder engine
certainly has a word (or two) about it, but the way the Focus steers on a back
road – or even within the city, if I’m honest – is just something else. There
is zero understeer (the massive, great quality tires do help) and little body
roll, even upon great abuse the mass just shifts and settles in superb fashion.
Another impressive thing about the steering is that, on the Autobahn, it
doesn’t feel nervous at the straight-ahead, unlike that of its smaller brother,
the Fiesta 1.0T – another gem of a car, btw.
Yet,
the best is still to come. The overall refinement of a car which can do fun as
the Focus 1.5 is just as impressive. Even on 18” wheels, it’s almost
Merc-comfortable. Pot holes are dealt with authority, security and silence, and
even the engine note sounds pleasant under full throttle, although I imagine
it’s digitally-enhanced… Just a shame that the engine feels even less powerful
than what the figures suggest. It’s very economical though, even when thrashed…
which you need to do.
The yardstick
Two
weeks later, from the outside, the Golf was… well, just another Golf: quiet,
unassuming, confidently elegant. This seventh-gen may already be 6 years old,
yet the design is holding up very well, no doubt credit to the absence of fussy
details – the complete opposite of a new BMW.
But
this wasn’t just another Golf TSI. In fact, it was an improved version of the
most famous GTI on earth, denominated Performance Pack. The upgrades over the
standard GTI comprise a slight bump in power and torque, a limited-slip diff
and upgraded brakes. Having never driven a GTI before, can’t comment on the
value of that package regarding the base, although I suspect it’s worth it, if
not for more, just to hold its value better.
The
Golf’s engine may not feel charismatic, but it’s still sweet: it’s the most
refined thing on earth when you want it to be, and delivers great performance
when it’s finally Friday evening and all you can think of is to leave the city and
drive on the best, most deserted B-road around.
You
guessed it: the Golf’s forte is the powertrain. The gearbox is… well, a VW
gearbox – slick and a joy to use, even if the pedals have a bit too much
travel, clutch included. Traction problems, even out of bends in first gear,
are almost non-existent – the diff certainly plays its magic here, as 370 Nm of
torque is a big amount by any means, especially in a front-wheel drive car.
The
problem is the whole experience. The Golf used to be the best because of its
balance; maybe it didn’t reach perfection anywhere, but it did all (very) well.
But time has passed, and currently it’s the Focus IV who shows how it should be
done. Take ride comfort. The Golf’s almost crude in comparison with the Ford’s,
and there isn’t even any positive tradeoff in terms of handling, because… the
Ford is also better there. Truth be told, the Golf’s dynamics can certainly be
improved with decent rubber – the Michelin Alpine 5 mixed tires did it no
favours in the dry – but the Golf is showing its age, which is more than fine,
as the new Golf VIII is around the corner. The steering is numb, not that fast,
and the Golf’s body certainly leans more in corners or under braking. Noise
suppression is still on a par with the Focus, and the engine’s note – again, am
guessing digitally-enhanced – is pretty cool. The LED headlights are a plain
disgrace, even in absolute terms. They lack intensity, homogeneity and the
high-beam assistant is way too slow. Yet, no oncoming traffic complained about
that… go figure why. Headlight units this poor belong to the past. Take the
Focus as an example. Again. Since we’re on the minus side, the TSI’s fuel
consumption skyrockets when you have fun (almost doubles), so beware of that.
What’s the most fun?
So,
the Golf is a fast, yet slightly underwhelming, experience. It’s performance
thrills, and apart from a hard ride, it does it all well. But thrills? Even
with a 95 PS power disadvantage, that’s the Focus’ main dish, with the added
benefit of being superb everywhere else. If I was on the market for a fun,
competent hatchback, and couldn’t wait for the new Golf, the economical Focus
1.5 EcoBoost – albeit in the most powerful, 182 PS variant – would be the easy
choice. With the hope that I would manage to connect any of my phones via
Bluetooth…
Golf:
+engine’s performance, noise insulation,
cabin quality
-ride comfort, inert dynamics
Focus:
+steering, handling, ride comfort,
overall refinement
-engine’s performance, Bluetooth
connectivity
Official vital data – Ford Focus 1.5
EcoBoost:
Engine
and transmission:
1497
cc, turbocharged inline-3 cylinder, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder, aluminium (Otto)
151 PS
(111 kW)/ 6000 rpm
240 Nm/
1600 rpm
Red
line: 6500 rpm
6-speed,
manual transmission
Dimensions
and weights:
Length/
wheelbase/ width/ height: 4,378/ 1,825/ 1,439 metres
Turning circle: 11 metres
Weight:
1294 kg
Boot:
375 litres
Fuel
tank: 52 litres
Tires:
235/40ZR18, Michelin Pilot Sport 3
Performance:
Top
speed: 210 km/h (131 mph), reached on 5th gear
0-100
km/h (0-62 mph): 8.8 seconds
Fuel
consumption (WLTP, urban/extra-urban/average): 7/ 4.7/ 5.5 l/100km (40/ 60/ 51 UK
mpg)
CO2
emissions: 125 g/km (Euro 6d)
3000 rpm, 6th gear: 140 km/h (speedo)
Main
equipment: twin-zone climate control, twin front airbags, sidebags,
headbags, radio with MP3-player and Bluetooth connectivity, Sat Nav, leather
steering wheel and gearbox knob, cruise control, variable speed limiter, LED
headlights, ABS+ASR+ESP, etc.
German
price in 2019: 21 000€
Official vital data – Volkswagen Golf
GTI Performance Pack:
Engine
and transmission:
1984
cc, turbocharged inline-4 cylinder, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder, aluminium (Otto)
245 PS
(180 kW)/ 4700 rpm
370
Nm/ 1600-4300 rpm
Red
line: 6500 rpm
6-speed,
manual transmission
Dimensions
and weights:
Length/
wheelbase/ width/ height: 4,268/ 1,790/ 1,482 metres
Turning circle: 10.9 metres
Weight:
1445 kg
Boot:
380 litres
Fuel
tank: 50 litres
Tires:
235/40ZR18, Michelin Pilot Sport 3
Performance:
Top
speed: 250 km/h (155 mph), reached on 5th and 6th gears
0-100
km/h (0-62 mph): 6.3 seconds
Fuel
consumption (WLTP, urban/extra-urban/average): 10.7/ 6.4/ 7.5 l/100km (40/ 60/ 51 UK mpg)
CO2
emissions: 169 g/km (Euro 6d)
3000 rpm, 6th gear: 147 km/h (speedo)
Main
equipment: twin-zone climate control, twin front airbags,
sidebags, headbags, radio with MP3-player and Bluetooth connectivity, Sat Nav,
leather steering wheel and gearbox knob, cruise control, variable speed
limiter, LED headlights, ABS+ASR+ESP, etc.
German
price in 2019: 32 000€
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