I’m parked as close to the school gate as my three-door hatchback/coupé/symbol-of-manhood will allow me. Its once revered combination of lowered suspension and 18 inch alloy wheels are now seriously hampering progress across uneven surfaces where a slew of wagons and minibuses are looking a lot more comfortable. My significant other is sitting behind me and attending to the new addition to our family’s ranks. At just four months old he’s tiny but his baby seat takes up a fair amount of room. My first born, just released from the shackles of Grade One, has to be content with the passenger seat up front. It’s not an ideal arrangement from a safety point of view as the intrusive safety system won’t allow me to disable the passenger-side airbag, plus, like any seven-year-old, he has a penchant for button pushing – most annoying. Heaven forbid if one of his mates needs a lift home. The little tyke would be plumb out of luck as this fairground ride is already full. Add two visiting nieces and a granny to the fray and shazam – my car has become redundant overnight. What’s a dad to do?
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It's been a very interesting
It's been a very interesting reading, that's for sure. If had to choose I would go for the Honda, I don't like to compromise when it comes to cars, they are just important not to, the main thing I want from a car is to be practical. In fact I am about to close a deal with a Los Angeles Honda dealership, so I guess I was already decided before reading your post.
Confused
That honda CR-V looks really good. But the Chrysler is not far behind. My 2009 Chrysler aspen spark plug is really giving me a good time on driving my vehicle!
some other options
Well seeing as you are bleating about mid life sacrifices, why dont you trade your 3 door hatch and buy a Subaru Imprezza sedan at that price (R400k). 195kW - same as old STI and practicle, although not fully loaded. That way you have a four door family car and still retain some respectability.
HUH?
U can't compare these cars surely??? Someone who is looking at buying a Voyager would not be looking a a Audi Station Wagon as an option. They are completely different cars for different market segments.
Tiguan vs CRV
I have the tiguan 2.0 TDI Auto Track and Field - with a few extras - and it is an exceptional vehicle. had it for a year now and is still in minth condition - done some offroad driving and it's as capable as anything else i have driven - AND it's comfortable - handles more like a car than a SUV. The build quality is Audi like - solid and classy. While the trunk is not the biggest in class, i seldom find that i need to fill it and if travelling, we normally take a trailer anyway. The Auto is the best in class and with a 65lt tank the range is huge. Also the tiguan 4x4 setup is far superior to that on the CR-v as tested by various mags.
What do I buy?
We have decided to replace our vehicle with a compact SUV, the 2 vehicles we have considered are the VW Tiguan 2.0 TDi Sport & Style Tiptronic and the Honda CR-V 2.2l i-CTDi Diesel. Unfortunately Honda do not have a Diesel Auto. So I guess we will have to consider the Petrol CR-V RVSi 2.4 AUTO.
The Tiguan has a smaller boot than the CR-V, but is the CR-V boot so much bigger that this should be the deciding factor?
Also, resale value- VW vs Honda, I get the impression that VW has a better resale value. It this true?
What about sluggishness, this the Honda powerful enough with the petrol auto to drive the slightly bigger SUV of the two. Also like the controls of the VW, better than the Honda.
But none the less Honda has a good reputation. Can't seem to find a article/review that recommends one above the other.
Anyone got some advice? Your comments will be appreciated.
There is a CR-V Diesel
There is a CR-V Diesel automatic. Check out www.honda.co.za. Bought one this week, getting it on friday. Excellent service, you will never look back as Honda actually care about their customers.
Honda's resale
Honda's resale is probably better, plus their after sales service and customer satisfaction rate far higher in stuff like JD Powers than VW's
Totally pointless
How can you even compare three cars that have nothing in common but the amount of interior space they offer?
To start with, the new Voyager will not be as popular as its predecessor. It is excessively large, and not nearly as good-looking as the previous model. Chrysler made a mess of the Voyager, just like Nissan did with the new X-Trail.
The Audi would be a very tempting choice, but I am scared of a turbocharged engine. None of the available options is necessary, and the only two I would choose, would be the Multitronic gearbox and metallic paint. I don't want or need any of the other options.
That leaves me with my first choice, the Honda. I don't need four wheel drive, but I like the fat that the CR-V is front wheel drive most of the time, only switching to 4x4 when necessary. I am not a badge snob, and there is nothing less important to me than having to impress anybody. I buy a car on merit, and according to what I can afford, end of story. Moreover, the Accord Tourer is a far better rival for the Audi A 4. Having said that, the CR-V is more suited for everyday family use than the Accord Tourer, although the latter is the most beautiful wagon on the South African market.
Next time, please test the Voyager against the Kia Sedona (which will give the Voyager a hard time), the Audi against the Accord, the mercedes-Benz C-Class wagon and/or the BMW 3-series Touring and the Honda against the Toyota RAV 4, the VW Tiguan and/or the Suzuki grand Vitara.
At Long Last
I was very excited to read this article in the topCar a few months back. I'm glad to see these cars evaluated for what they are built for. The Chrysler Voyager might not be fast around a track, but was never built to be. It was made to transport families in comfort and space not lap the 'Ring in record time as other magazines think. Don't test ALL cars on a track, test most of them as everyday transport, because that is what most of them are made for. Joe pupblic coud'nt care less if Car A has more feedback through the steering wheel than Car B. Or am I wrong?
Hitting the proverbial nail on the head
Too many review focus on how well road cars are on the track (when in most cases the same company's track cars are useless on they track and sometimes has them leaving the sport hahaha but i digress). Anyway, lent a friend's grand voyager for a trip from CT to PE and back. Most enjoyable long trip i've had in while, The voyager literally is the perfect van for the long haul although as a day to day runabout it can be cumbersomely large
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