GROUP TEST

Photography: Paul Debois

FORCE
The clouds part to reveal a dozen hot hatches and three road testers. Their mission is to thrash round an
and eventually sit in a nearby pub and argue like crazed ferrets until they decide how good all twelve are,
12
1 2 S T O R M E R S A R I G H T S H O W E R

Alfa Romeo 145 Cloverleaf 16,742

Audi A3 1.8T Sport 19,520
BMW 318ti Sport 19,005
Citroen Xsara VTS 17,545
Fiat Bravo HGT 15,818
Honda Civic VTi 16,895
Nissan Almera GTi 16,390
Peugeot 306 GTI-6 18,670 Motoring Editor Peter Grunert, the Fun Editor Zac
Rover 200 BRM LE 18,000 Angus Frazer Clark Kent of Top Assemakis has a
airfield circuit, then tackle the road, Seat Ibiza Cupra Sport 14,995 likes beer, junk Gear, undresses job youd kill for,
Vauxhall Astra SRi 15,475 food, rallying, and in phone boxes. but wont let that
and if the new Golf GTI is still best Volkswagen Golf GTI 17,570 little baa-lambs The modern sort stop him moaning
 A L F A R O M E O 1 4 5 C L O V E R L E A F

T E S T N O T E S

Bags of passenger legroom handy

if your mates are all fat Angus

I love the
little
Cloverleaf
badge on
the back
Frog

Alfa has bags of charisma, a fruity
engine and is great to look at Zac
You need joints in the back of
your palms to reach that stereo.
Typical Alfa oddness Frog
Even the name, Alfa
Romeo 145 Clover-
leaf, sounds good.
Its a little bit spicy, a
little bit exciting and hints at some-
thing a touch more exotic than VW
Golf or Nissan Almera.
The 145s looks are different from
any of the others too, with its straight-
line styling and squared-off back end.
And theres plenty of neat detailing on
the Alfa like the front and rear lamps,
the triangular grille, the beak-like nose
and the historic-looking badges.
Inside, the badge is there again, shin-
ing out from the middle of an elegant
black leather steering wheel with red
stitching. So even before the engine has
been started, the Alfa has got the fire of
desire softly smouldering; turn the key
and suddenly its a proper conflagra-
tion. Alfa Romeo may no longer fit
boxer engines, but the 145s four-cylin-
der in-line unit sounds fantastic. Its
almost impossible to resist taking it up
to the 7,000rpm red line every time
just to listen to that angry snarl.
With 155bhp, the Cloverleaf is one
of the fastest cars here and definitely
one of the most exciting to drive. Its
steering, at just 2.4 turns lock to lock,
is the fastest of the lot, giving the car
very quick responses. But theres a
problem far too much body roll.
More, in fact, than any of the others
and that steering only exaggerates it.
That combined with a slightly choppy,
unsettled ride leaves the driver feeling a
bit short-changed, especially on a
twisty back road where the 145 fails to
deliver all of its early promise.
But at 16,742 (with a standard
boot-mounted ten-disc CD player) the
Cloverleaf is good value. Front seat
passengers will revel in the space avail-
able, but getting comfortable behind
the wheel is not so easy. Unlike recent
offerings from New Alfa 156 and 166
the 145 suffers from an unrecon-
structed Italian driving position, forc-
ing the driver to sit too high, with the
wheel too close. Other niggles include
a stereo mounted so low that its dan-
gerous to adjust on the move and a
boot that cant be opened with the
engine running. Minor details, but
they do knock the sparkle off the Alfa.

Wheels
make the
Alfa look
the part
Zac

The front end is just magic Angus

O U T O F F I V E
Styling
Performance
Handling
Interior
Value for money Surely 145s should be red, by law? Even in junior mafioso black, though, it looks stylish
and distinctive in a kind of pointy bread van way. And, talking of bread, it rolls in corners

64 December 1998 Top Gear

 A U D I A 3 1 . 8 T on test
T E S T N O T E S

A3 driving position is spot on Angus

Flaptastic
door
pockets
resemble
the cover
of this
mag Zac

At times its easy to
forget that the Audi
A3 is a hot hatch,
even though there is
no shortage of evidence. Its the best-
looking car here; its solid, modern,
mean, muscly and elegant. Its fast too,
thanks to a 150bhp turbocharged 20-
valve engine and its highly chuckable
with well-weighted meaty steering and
loads of grip from generous tyres. It
has excellent brakes and its Electronic
Brake Distribution makes it feel stable
and composed, even when braking for
a corner is left right to the last second.
Rain or shine, this is a car that can be
driven quickly in almost total confi-
dence only a four-wheel-drive car
could feel more reassuring. Yet, despite
all this, at times it feels just too
civilised and refined to be a hot hatch.
Its interior is of better quality and
better design than any other car here,
apart from the Golf; the Audis driving
position is also superb, and its sports
seats give excellent support and a high
level of comfort.
Without being told, it would be very
difficult to guess that the engine is
turbocharged, for it does its job so
effectively, without any hint of lag or
delay. And on the motorway the A3
feels every bit as grown-up as its big
brother the A4. But for some, expect-
ing that absolute raw-edge feel of an
old-fashioned hot hatch, that is exactly
the problem with the A3 it might
well come across as just a little too
mature. Certainly, good though its
steering is, it cant match the Peugeot
306s for sheer feel, nor can the Audi,
which has a slight tendency to roll in
tight corners, change direction quite as
quickly as the French car. With its
slightly firm ride, occupants do get
jarred by the occasional pothole, but Grips even on the slimiest stuff Frog
the A3 deals impeccably with bumpy
country roads and no matter how fast
it is driven it never feels like it is about
to be bounced off-line. Audi
A slightly quicker, more sporting brakes
gearchange would be good, but thats a are the
small gripe. The biggest problem the biz Ang
A3 has is price; at 19,520 its the
costliest car here and where others have
standard air-conditioning and CD This A-
players, both are options on the A3. pillar is
so solid
and the
whole car
feels so
safe Angus

Nice chunky steering wheel, cabin

almost as posh as the Golfs Frog

O U T O F F I V E
Styling
Performance
Handling
Interior
Sensible, solid and terribly grown-up, the A3 is a hot hatch for people who once owned a Value for money
MkI Golf GTI or a 205 but would like something a little bit less raw and scary these days

Top Gear December 1998 65

 B M W 3 1 8 i S P O R T

T E S T N O T E S

The best fun for messing about in,

sorry, evaluating on the track Ang

Wide boy
spoiler
and fogs.
Suits me,
Sir!
Frog

Theres a little
button on the
BMWs dashboard
and when its pushed
in, the 318ti Sport Compact becomes
the best car in the test, or at least the
Traction control keeps it all safe best car at the test track. That button
and sensible in the wet Angus turns off the traction control. The
BMW is, of course, the only rear-
wheel-drive car here and the sheer fun
of sliding it around a wet slalom course
in a tail-out opposite-lock drift is
something none of the other 11 cars,
Mean five all front-wheel drive, can match. Its
spokers also quite easy to do, for the Compact
Frog feels well-balanced and there are no
nasty surprises from the chassis, pro-
vided the driver is at least half awake.
Out on the road however, unless you
drive around like Tiff all the time, the
318tis rear-drive advantage becomes
much less relevant, but thats not to say
that it isnt still a lot of fun.
With just 140bhp the four-cylinder
engine does have to be worked hard
and even then the BMW doesnt feel
lightning fast. Fortunately its got a
great gearbox with a direct, short and
sporting throw, so its easy to keep the
engine revving. The brakes feel good
too, as does the steering, although it is
not exceptionally quick. The BMWs
handling is tidy, neat and precise with
stacks of grip. Like the Audi the
Compact has a firm ride, but it feels
solid and composed and in complete
contact with the road the whole time.
Inside, the Compacts black interior
feels well put together and quite sport-
ing but not especially modern,
although the old-fashioned pull-out
light switches do give it a bit of charac-
ter. The height-adjustable sports seats
are good, but the steering column isnt
adjustable so not everyone will be able
to find their perfect driving position.
Not everyone likes the styling either
and its true that the Compact has
always looked like a chopped-about
3-Series saloon rather than a model in
its own right. Now of course, with the
arrival of the new 3-Series its left look-
ing rather dated as well as slightly odd.
And, despite its age, the Compacts
price remains high; at 19,005 its the
second most expensive here and
arguably the most poorly equipped.

Needs
more
grunt Zac

Turn the traction control off for

rear-wheel spinning fun aplenty Zac

O U T O F F I V E
Styling
Performance
Handling
Interior
Value for money Hey, whats happened to this 3-Series saloon? The boots fallen off! Oh no, our mistake,
this is the Compact, BMWs bonsai hot hatchback. Still, its an enormous giggle to drive

66 December 1998 Top Gear

 C I T R O E N
Citroen actually call
their Xsara a coupe,
not a hatchback, so it
should be at some-
thing of an advantage against the
hatches in the styling stakes. But it
isnt. Even in top-level VTS trim the
Xsara is neither exciting or elegant-
looking. From the front it looks bland
and anonymous while at the rear its fat
and ungainly; even the five-spoke alloy
wheels look dull and disappointing.
Life doesnt get much more exciting
inside, though the carbon-effect sur-
round on the dashboard is neat and
there is at least plenty of room. The
driving position is good, but the seats
are very soft and could do with more
side support and the rear three-quarter
X S A R A V T S
visibility is poor thanks to that thick C-
pillar. But enough moaning for while
it may not be fantastic to look at, the
Xsara is a cracker to drive.
Under the bonnet sits the same 16-
valve four-cylinder engine as Peugeot
uses in the 306 GTI-6 and on paper
that means 167bhp at 6,500rpm. On
the road, however, the VTS can be
revved right up to 7,500rpm before the
limiter cuts in. It feels fast its one of
the quickest to 60mph yet it feels
quite long-legged on a longish trip too.
The five-speed gearbox feels notchy
even when fully warmed up, though,
although its much more noticeable at
low round-town speeds.
The braking system feels sharp but
not as sharp as the steering. Citroen
They say coupe, we say hatchback, They say potato, we say actually, thats just what
the Xsara looks like from some angles. A great big lumpy spud with over-fussy wheels
on test
T E S T N O T E S
After the Peugeot the Citroen is the
best handling car here Zac
Not the biggest boot here. Despite
coupe tag, at least its a hatch Frog
has taken every millimetre of free play
and sloppiness outside and shot it. As
soon as the steering wheel is turned, Fussy
even slightly, the front of the car wheels
responds instantly and eagerly. match the
Few cars here feel as sharp as the awful
Xsara, but it does demand a bit of exterior
respect. Lift off the accelerator sudden- foul Zac
ly in a tight corner and the rear end
can feel light and twitchy. It doesnt
snap suddenly out of line like its ZX
predecessor, but it could catch the
unwary out on a wet roundabout.
At 17,545 the Xsara is fairly priced
considering the decent amount of
equipment that comes with it; driver,
passenger and side airbags are all fitted
as standard, as is a six-disc CD player
and air-conditioning.
Stereo controls are a bit love or
hate. They ruin the look of the
wheel which is too bulky Angus
Nice pointy steering, horrible plain
interior and cramped pedal box. Not
classy, not nice. Just dull Frog
O U T O F F I V E
Styling
Performance
Handling
Interior
Value for money
Top Gear December 1998 67
 F I A T B R A V O H G T

T E S T N O T E S

The Fiats driving position is poor,

but not as bad as the Alfas Zac

Sexy but
fiddly
stereo
Frog

Nice
leather- It seems to be Italian
bound policy to make sure
gearstick that all car engines
but the make the right noises
change is the Fiat, like the Alfa, sounds great.
poor Zac The Bravo HGT engine has one more
cylinder than any of its rivals and the
haunting, warbling note the five-
cylinder unit produces is the best
sound to come from a hot hatch since
Volkswagen killed off the Golf VR6.
Wheels To some extent, though, its a case of
are a bit more mouth than trousers for with
dull Ang 147bhp the Bravo never feels tremen-
dously rapid. The good news is that
from early next year it gets a power
hike up to 154bhp, but weve had to
test the older version here. Still, its not
too much of a hardship, for when the
engine is right on song it sounds like a
proper little rally car. The pistol grip
gear lever feels good, but the change
isnt all that brilliant and several times
our car refused to go into third gear
when changing down from fourth,
although the example we were testing
had done very few miles and the shift
might well improve over time.
The HGTs handling is not razor
sharp, nor is the steering terribly fast,
but it is quite involving and the driver
always feels in touch with what is going
on. There is a noticeable amount of
body roll, but its kept reasonably well
in check by the dampers and overall
the Bravo feels better balanced and
more convincing than the Alfa.
Theres not a massive amount of
front legroom in the Fiat and the seats
could do with more side support. Tall
drivers might have a problem getting a
decent driving position, for even with
the seat set low and the steering wheel
high, it can still feel cramped.
However, the inside is well designed
although it doesnt feel especially sport-
ing, or different from a normal Bravo,
but at least the high-mounted stereo is
in welcome contrast to the Alfas.
With a 15,818 price tag the Bravo is
far from expensive, although its equip-
ment list isnt exactly the best in the
group. Overall, the Bravo is a good-
looking and distinctive car. The
HGTs problem is that like the Golf, it
doesnt look that different from the
rest of the Bravo range.

Seats need more side support Ang

The elk test went well enough

but not all the time Frog

O U T O F F I V E
Styling
Performance
Handling
Interior
Value for money Whether you think the Bravo HGT is unusual and daring or squinty and horrid, you should
drive one. Its more fun than it looks the fact its the hot version is cunningly hidden

68 December 1998 Top Gear

 H O N D A C I V I C V T i on test
T E S T N O T E S

Hondas engine howls when you rev

it hard; not much torque though, so
not the choice for the lazy driver Zac

If all 12 cars were
picked out of a line-
up on merit of styling
alone, the Honda
Civic would not exactly be one of the
first ones called forward. Like a fat kid
at school rugby selections, it would be
left standing on the sidelines. Like the
Bravo, the hot Civic looks too much
like an ordinary Civic. But at least an
ordinary-looking Bravo is an interest-
ing car, whereas an ordinary-looking
Civic is very, very ordinary indeed.
A quick peek at the Hondas interior
wouldnt win many fans over either.
For although the Civic has comfortable
and supportive seats, they are, like the
sides of the doors, swathed in horrible
velour trim, reminiscent of recycled
carpets. Add to that a mundane dash, a
hopelessly fiddly stereo and a mere 1.6
badge on the tail and youre tempted
to just walk away except that to do so
would be making a big mistake.
For a start, the Civic has the second
most powerful engine here and the
most sophisticated suspension. Honda
uses its VTEC variable-valve technolo-
gy to squeeze 157bhp out of the
1,595cc engine, along with 153lb ft of
torque. That gives the Civic the quick-
est 0-60mph time, just 7.7secs. On top
of that the engine sounds the business;
the VTEC system cuts in at around
5,500rpm and howls superbly up to
8,000rpm. Its all jolly good fun when
you are in the mood, though some-
times it gets a little tiresome and the
This is
Honda does need a lot of revs to keep the only
it moving. The Civic has just about the car that
best gearbox in the group with a quick, matches
precise shift that gives a perfect change my lovely
every time. fleece
Under its skin the Honda boasts Ang
double wishbones and coil springs all
round; if only the power-assisted steer-
ing werent so light, though. Its the
only weak point in the Civics driving,
for the chassis is well balanced and a
gentle lift of the accelerator kills under-
steer in tight corners and allows the tail
to drift out by just the right amount.
At 16,895 the Honda is good value Hmmm, nice nursing home tiger
when performance and equipment are stripe door trim Frog
taken into consideration, but not when
you count interior space its one of
the most cramped cars here.

These are
my
favourite
wheels
Frog

The handling is fairly good, but it

doesnt quite live up to that
screaming engine Ang

O U T O F F I V E
Styling
Performance
Handling
Interior
You dont actually have to be wearing a tweed trilby to drive a Civic, but you wouldnt Value for money
think so judging from the usual owners. This is not an ideal image for a sporty hatchback

Top Gear December 1998 69

 N I S S A N A L M E R A G T i

T E S T N O T E S

I like the styling a lot but no one

else agreed with me at all Frog

Long stick, horrid rubber gaiter Frog Well, at least Nissan The steering wheel looks nasty with a we really threw it around at the track,
has tried to make the fussy stereo control stalk attached to it was the most prone to lifting an
Almera GTi look the column and the door bins are hor- inside rear wheel and hopping across
interesting. Lets face ribly flimsy. The driving position is the road. With just 141bhp its one of
Horrible it, though, the Almera is never going to pretty good and that tall gear lever is the least powerful cars here and it
fiddly have its own exhibition at the Design very easy to reach. doesnt have bags of torque either.
stereo Museum; the basic shape is dull and On the road the Almera produces Fortunately the engine is keen to rev
controls bland and a complicated front spoiler noticeably more tyre noise than any of and a fairly slick-changing gear-box
Ang with all sorts of air splitters and intakes the others. While it initially feels firm helps to get the best from it. The brake
doesnt really save it. The wire mesh and sporting, it doesnt cope with fast pedal feels light and the brakes them-
Wheels of grille and the alloy wheels look good, bumpy roads terribly well. Bumps and selves dont feel as powerful as the
more though, and the Almera does at least crests which dont phase the Audi or Audis for example.
interest have a low, ground-hugging stance. the Peugeot, for example, are felt much A removable single-disc CD-player
than the There has been a small attempt made more in the Almera. Its steering is also and air conditioning are standard on
rest of the to give the car a sporting feel inside, very light and although it feels better the 16,390 Almera and according to
car Zac but it takes more than a few white dials the more you get used to it, it could cost experts Emmox, it will prove the
with red needles to carry it off convinc- definitely benefit from more weight. least expensive to run. But safety isnt
Doorbins ingly. Overall the Almeras interior Most of the time the Almeras han- so well catered for, as at the moment
are cheap feels old-fashioned and very plasticky. dling is nimble and precise, but when Nissan only provides driver airbags.
and
flimsy
Frog

Not as stable as A3 over bumps Zac

O U T O F F I V E
Styling
Performance
Handling
Interior
Value for money gerund. After that, however, it all turns into rubbish. But although its rubbish, its not
quite as inaccurate, hopefully, as the original version of this dummy copy which, it

70 December 1998Top Gear

 P E U G E O T 3 0 6 G T i - 6 on test
T E S T N O T E S

Driving position is low, sporty and,

like me, it means business Frog

First there was the
original Volkswagen
Golf GTI and then
there was the Peugeot
205 GTi. They were light, they were
fast and they had a heart-fluttering raw
edginess to them. If any car here is a
true spiritual successor then its this
one, the Peugeot 306 GTI-6.
It shares the same 167bhp four-cylin-
der engine as the Citroen, making it,
equally, the most powerful car here.
Unlike the Xsara, though, and all the
others, the 306 has a six-speed manual
gearbox. But it is, and this probably
cant be emphasised enough, a nasty
horrible notchy gearbox on short town
journeys. Even out on the open road
the shift never completely loses all its
notchiness, but it feels so good acceler-
ating up through the gears that it can
be forgiven. With a guttural, boomy
engine the 306 feels raw and fast and
although the brakes are fine, its proba-
bly the one youd lose your driving
licence the easiest in.
Other Peugeots weve driven have felt
quite tail-happy and twitchy but this
one felt beautifully balanced and on
the track it would drift its tail out just
the right amount.
We kept pushing it through our wet
slalom test faster and faster and while
the other cars eventually spun or
understeered off, it was always possible
to recover the Peugeot, even when it
had gone completely sideways. At more
sensible speeds and angles on Her
Good
support
from
sports
front
seats Ang
Majestys highway, the Peugeot still
feels more involving than any of the
others, thanks to its superb steering.
Theres lots of room in the front of
the cabin and the grey carbon fibre Wheels
strips in the dash and small steering the best
wheel with the silver lion badge in the detail
middle look good. A full complement Zac
of airbags including side come as
standard as does air-con and a six-disc
CD player. But the Peugeot has none
of the big car feel that the Golf and
Audi muster so well and its interior
trim and doors feel light and a touch
flimsy by comparison. Its a handsome-
looking car, but at 18,670 the price is 6 speeds:
creeping up into Audi territory and at nice Frog
47.79 pence per mile it will prove the
most costly to run by a fair measure.

Steers via wheel or throttle Zac

O U T O F F I V E
Styling
Performance
Handling
Interior
The Peugeot 306 GTI-6 is pretty much state-of-the-art as far as handling goes, but you Value for money
pay for that in its high running costs and price. However, you do get an extra gear free

Top Gear December 1998 71

 R O V E R 2 0 0 B R M L E

T E S T N O T E S

Tarts boudoir meets the set of

Blakes Seven Zac

Worth
every
penny.
Not. Ang

At least We spent a day with marks for taste. The red PVC seats through the gears, though fifth gear
wheels the Rover BRM last have quilted leather centres and are acceleration isnt exactly awesome.
look good month and came perfectly comfortable to sit in, but they The engine makes a decent noise and
Zac away unconvinced by could benefit from more side support you dont tire of listening to it, nor do
the styling. Now, having lived with it and the interior feels cramped, espe- you tire of changing gears, for although
for a week, weve still failed to see the cially the rear, which offers less space it is not a particularly short throw, the
light. The problem is not the overall than any of the others. Rovers gearshift feels slick and precise.
shape of the car, but those nasty added- On paper, Rovers four-cylinder The brake pedal feels good too, less
on BRM bits an orange air-intake VVC K-series engine doesnt seem to wooden and involving than other
and silver mirrors on British racing be much to get excited about. With 200s. Like the Nissan, the BRMs
green paintwork just dont do it for us. 143bhp it is the fourth least powerful steering feels very light and not very
Mesh grille is OK but whats the The overall shape, though, is good, as here and with just 128lb ft it produces involving, which is a shame because the
orange lippy all about? Frog are details like the front grille, slanted the least amount of torque. But thats chassis, although not in the 306/A3
headlamps, fog lights and alloy wheels. not taking into account the VVC bit, league, is actually quite well sorted.
Do I look The interior gets ten out of ten for or Variable Valve Control to give it its At 18,000 the BRM is pricey in this
fatter in use of the colour red and an equally full title. This system makes sure that company, although the price does
here than impressive score for attempting to keep the engine has a good spread of power include a close-ratio gearbox and a
I did in the Allen bolt industry in business, it right through the rev range and it Torsen differential, which are not
the back does not, however, score quite so many works well, for its strong and punchy fitted to the standard 16,725Vi.
of the
Honda
Civic?
Dear me, I
think I do
Ang

The BRMs brakes are good and

the revised pedal feels better
than in the normal 200 Vi Frog

O U T O F F I V E
Styling
Performance
Handling
Interior
Value for money You will notice that the Rover BRMs numberplate is a tribute to those other slightly
dumpy British institutions, the Wombles. We expect an Uncle Bulgaria special edition

72 December 1998 Top Gear

 S E A T
If you want to get
yourself noticed, get
yourself a lime green
SEAT Ibiza Cupra
Sport 16v. This cars whats it got to a bit of old-fashioned torque steer.
do with you, copper? paint scheme
certainly turns a few heads the only
thing is theyre often wearing peaked
caps. It does at least look like a proper
hot hatch, though and the white
wheels give it the full rally-spec look.
There is something raw and slightly
old-fashioned about the SEATs image,
reminiscent of the way hot hatches
used to be before they started going a
bit PC, and thats pretty much how it
feels to drive. The Ibizas four-cylinder
16-valve produces a healthy 150bhp
and is the same unit Volkswagen used
I B I Z A C U P R A
to fit to the old Golf GTI. Its loud, its
proud and its rapid. It doesnt take
much provocation to get the Ibizas
front tyres to spin and its also prone to
Making good progress in the SEAT is
sadly hampered by a lousy gearbox;
theres a nasty springy feel to it and the
change just cant be rushed. The brakes
do a good job of stopping the car but
the pedal doesnt feel too reassuring.
While it grips well, there is not much
suppleness or subtlety to the Cupras
chassis. Its very firmly set up with a
harsh ride and tends to crash over
bumps rather than make any attempt
to absorb them. The steering is reason-
ably precise and quick, but not very
informative. The Ibiza feels tidy and
Now thats what I call proper hooligan hot hatch behaviour; the SEAT tricycles like a
good un, much as the original Golfs used to. Pointless, silly, infantile and brilliant fun
S P O R T on test
T E S T N O T E S
Nick me, nick me, nick me. SEATs
paint scheme has same effect as
Escort Cosworth rear spoiler Ang
Shelf on
left side
not really
much use
at all Zac
neutral on the road, but when pushed
to the limit at the track it can bite.
Theres a massive amount of grip from
the low-profile tyres initially, but when Cool rally
they do eventually let go, they do so style
with very little warning. Lift off the wheel Zac
accelerator quickly in the middle of a
tight, fast corner and whoops!
Just as the Ibizas driving feels like it
belongs to another era, so too does its
cabin. Its small and feels a class down
from the Audi and VW. Some of the
switchgear is fiddly, particularly the
rear wash-wipe. The seats are very hard
but dont give enough side support.
But though its less well-equipped My dog really liked the SEATs seats
than most of the other cars here, the But then what does he know? Ang
Ibiza is at least very competitively
priced at just 14,995. Available
in range
of putrid
colours
Frog
Sophisticated, elegant, grown-up
and mature. Me, not the car Zac
O U T O F F I V E
Styling
Performance
Handling
Interior
Value for money
Top Gear December 1998 73
 V A U X H A L L A S T R A S R i

T E S T N O T E S

Astra isnt as sharp as 306 or A3,

but still decent fun on the road Ang

This, the Astra SRi, all, but it doesnt have the quality feel ing rather takes the natural rhythm out
is the hottest hatch of the Golf or the Audi. The designer of changing gear. While the brake ped-
Snapple that Vauxhall pro- has tried the old trick of putting in al has a heavy, wooden feel to it, the
pockets duce at the moment, some white dials to give the interior a brakes are strong and reassuring.
Frog although there is likely to be a more bit of a sporting feel, and theyve put Compared with previous, supposedly
powerful GSi in the future. silver inserts around the centre binna- hot Astras, the SRis handling is a rev-
However, while the SRis 134bhp cle, which look good. The sports seats elation. Admittedly Vauxhall has gone
engine may be the least powerful here, are just about the best of the 12, too. for an overall feeling of safety, rather
Why do I the cars price reflects that and its fair- Considering its down on power, the than one of raw-edged entertainment,
only get ly set at 15,475. That doesnt include Astra doesnt feel slow on the road. but the dreaded understeer which
to write a passenger airbag or air conditioning The engine needs working to get the plagued the previous model is gone.
about though, and its well worth spending best from it, and while it sounds good The car will still ultimately run its nose
wheels? another 750 on the optional body kit low down, it does start to get harsh up wide in a tight corner, but before that
Zac which includes a front skirt spoiler, a towards the 6,500rpm red line. point theres a lot of grip and a clean
rear skirt spoiler and sill extensions. The gearchange feels slightly odd, neutral balance to the handling.
Good True, it may not transform the Astra however. From the central, neutral The steering may not be in the
access to into a thing of fantastic beauty, but it position first, third and fifth are a short Peugeot/Citroen league, but theres
roomy does at least beef the styling up a bit. throw away, but second and fourth feel still enough communication to make
rear Inside, the Astra is the roomiest of too far back and the awkward position- the Astra feel fun and involving.
seats Ang

Tack-on
leery Frog

White instruments and shapely

seats give it a sporty feel Zac

O U T O F F I V E
Styling
Performance
Handling
Interior
Value for money Hints of squashed Vectra in the Astras styling hide the fact that its not a bad car at all,
with greatly improved handling over previous versions, and a groovy, if optional, wing

14 April 1993 Top Gear

 V O L K S W A G E N
If youre a fan of the
way the new Golf
looks, then youll like
the GTIs styling
however youll have to be a bit of an
enthusiast to spot the difference, for
apart from some pretty subtle badging
and different wheels, this really could
be any Golf from the range. Dripping
with go-faster appendages it most
certainly is not. However it is an unde-
niably handsome and solid looking car,
if not overtly sporting.
Underneath the skin the Golf is basi-
cally identical to the Audi A3, sharing
the same platform and the same
150bhp turbocharged engine. The
Audi is marginally the longer of the
two by just 3mm but the Golf is
G O L F
taller, by 12mm and weighs 97kg more
the equivalent of one fat passenger.
Our performance figures show the
Audi to be marginally quicker, but on
the road you really couldnt tell the dif-
ference between the two. The power
delivery from the Golfs engine is every
bit as smooth and rapid as the Audis,
so its fun when accelerating hard and
appropriately relaxing when cruising
on the motorway. The gearbox suffers
from the same, slightly annoying vague
imprecise feeling, too.
Both cars share the same suspension
with MacPherson struts at the front
and a torsion beam axle at the rear.
The difference in roadholding is not
massive, but it is noticeable. The Golf
has a slightly softer set-up than the
Ah, the Golf, The car that started it all, but now in more grown-up, rounded, heftier MkIV
style. Say what you like about the styling (that back end is a bit wafty) but it goes well
G T I on test
T E S T N O T E S
The Golfs very very good, no
question, but it just doesnt feel
quite as sharp as the Audi A3 Ang
Need
these in a
GTI? Nah
Zac
Audi. When its turned into a corner
theres a bit more body roll and the Great
Golf doesnt feel quite as sharp as the purple
A3 when it is asked to change direction dash light
suddenly. Similarly, the Golfs steering Frog
feels a smidgen less sharp than the
Audis although the difference here
may well just be in the tyres. Overall,
though, the Golfs handling is still
excellent and its softer set-up gives it a
slightly better ride than the A3.
Like the Audi, the Golf has a superb
interior and an excellent driving posi- I quit
tion. Spec for spec theres not a great Zac
deal of difference between the two cars,
but there is quite a sizeable difference
when it comes to writing out the
cheque at 17,570 the Golf is the
cheaper of the two by 1,950.
I could fit my whole anorak
collection in here I could Frog
Art department, please refrain from
using out of focus shots. Its not big
and its not clever Zac, Ang & Frog
O U T O F F I V E
Styling
Performance
Handling
Interior
Value for money
Top Gear December 1998 75
 O U R V E R D I C T

Before we reach our conclusions, its worth

spelling out exactly what a hot hatch should
be. Its got to be good-looking. Ideally it
should also be recognisably different from the
rest of the range, although these days this is
becoming less and less the case. As well as
looking special from the outside, a hot hatch
should feel special when you sit in it. Good
sports seats and a decent driving position are
essential as well. Then theres the driving. It
has got to feel fast, sound sporting and have
a decent gearbox and brakes. Handling is
obviously crucial. There should be plenty of
grip and a nice clean, neutral feel to the
chassis and the car should feel alive, D I R T Y D O Z E N O R . . .
responsive and involving. Finally its worth Alfa 145 Cloverleaf Audi A3 1.8T Sport BMW 318ti Sport Citroen Xsara VTS Fiat Bravo HGT Honda Civic VTi
remembering that the hot hatch was originally Performance
created to provide practical, affordable fun. It 0-30mph (secs) 2.6 3.0 3.1 2.8 2.9 3.0
shouldnt demand sacrifices from its driver. It 0-40mph (secs) 3.9 4.3 4.9 4.4 4.4 4.3
shouldnt be cramped, have a harsh ride or an 0-50mph (secs) 5.7 6.0 6.8 7.1 6.2 5.8
engine that needs revving continuously. And it 0-60mph (secs) 7.8 7.8 9.6 7.9 8.3 7.7
should be well-priced. In reality it would be 0-70mph (secs) 10.3 10.6 12.8 10.7 11.2 10.6
easier to find a pint of Guinness that can 0-80mph (secs) 13.3 13.6 16.5 13.2 14.4 13.3
never be emptied than to find a car that 0-90mph (secs) 17.8 17.5 22.0 17.9 18.8 17.7
meets all of the above criteria. None of the 0-100mph (secs) 25.0 22.6 28.1 22.8 24.2 22.4
following cars is perfect, but some Max speed, mph (claimed) 131 135 130 137 130 129
are definitely more perfect than others. 30-50mph in 3rd 5.2 4.7 6.1 5.2 5.5 4.0
30-50mph in 4th 7.3 6.9 9.3 7.5 7.5 6.6
FIRST Volkswagen Golf GTI 50-70mph in 5th 10.5 9.0 12.5 10.8 10.9 11.8
Solid, handsome styling
30-70mph thru' gears 7.7 7.7 9.7 7.9 8.3 7.6
and a fabulous interior
Braking 70-0mph (m/ft) 46.7 48.0 54.5 51.6 51.7 52.7
make the Golf desirable,
Costs
as does a refined and fast engine. It doesnt
On the road price 16,742 19,520 19,005 17,545 15,818 16,895
look as good as the Audi, nor is it quite as
Emmox p.p.mile 44.27 42.30 41.38 44.82 43.56 42.74
much fun, but as its almost 2,000 cheaper
Test/euromix mpg 22.3/32.5 25.2/36.7 25.4/35.8 27.3/30.1 27.8/28.8 27.0/33.6
thats enough to give it a narrow victory here.
Insurance group 14 16 13 16 14 15
Audi A3 1.8T Sport A Service interval 24k 20k 13.5k (approx) 12.5k 9k 6k
SECOND
cool badge, gorgeous Warranty 3yrs/unltd + recov 3yrs/60k + recov 3yrs/60k + recov 1yr/unltd + recov 1yr/unltd + recov 2yrs/unltd + recov
looks, great handling and Equipment
a strong engine the A3 Airbag driver/pass/side yes/351/no yes/yes/yes yes/480/275 yes/yes/yes yes/275/no yes/yes/no
is the one wed have if money was no object. Alarm/immobiliser yes/yes yes/yes 535/yes yes/yes yes/yes 286/yes
Its feeling of overall quality is its strongest Alloy wheels yes yes yes yes yes yes
point Its just slightly better to drive than the Abs/Elect Brake Distn yes/no yes/yes yes/no yes/no yes/no yes/no
Golf but overall it isnt quite as comfortable. Traction ctrl/pwr strng no/yes yes/yes yes/yes no/yes no/yes no/yes
Central locking/remote yes/yes yes/yes yes/with alarm yes/yes yes/yes yes/yes
THIRD Peugeot 306 GTI-6 Radio cassette/CD yes/yes (10-disc) yes/403 (6-disc) yes/350 (6-disc) yes/yes (6-disc) yes/compatible yes/352 (6-disc)
Plenty of performance Sunroof/Air-con 500(elec)/1,005) yes(elec)/1,107 810(elec)/1,075 360 (elec)/yes yes (elec)/859 yes (man)/yes
and a six-speed gear- Technical
box, but its steering and Engine 4-cyl in-line 4-cyl in-line 4-cyl in-line 4-cyl in line 5-cyl in-line 4-cyl in line
handling that really make the 306 shine. Yet it dohc 16v dohc 20v turbo dohc 16v dohc 16v dohc 20v dohc 16v
lacks the solid high-quality feeling of the A3 Capacity (cc) 1,970 1,781 1,895 1,998 1,998 1,595
and Golf and its high price, average interior, Max power (bhp @ rpm) 155 @ 6,400 150 @ 5,700 140 @ 6,000 167 @ 6,500 147 @ 6,100 157 @ 7,600
and poor gearchange keep it off the top slot.
Max torque (lb ft @ rpm) 140 @ 3,500 155 @ 4,600 133 @ 4,300 142 @ 5,500 137 @ 4,500 153 @ 7,000
Transmission 5-spd man fwd 5-spd man fwd 5-spd man rwd 5-spd man fwd 5-spd man fwd 5-spd man fwd
FOURTH Vauxhall Astra SRi The
Front brakes vent disc + abs vent disc + abs vent disc + abs vent disc + abs vent disc + abs vent disc + abs
Astra feels like a slightly
Rear brakes disc + abs disc + abs disc + abs disc +abs disc + abs disc + abs
downmarket Golf or Audi.
Front suspension MacP strut MacP strut MacP strut MacP stut MacP strut dble wishbones
It is a good all-rounder
Rear suspension trailing arms torsion beam axle semi-trailing trailing arms trailing arms dble wishbones
but doesnt quite have their quality feel. Its
Wheels 6J x 15 alloy 6.5J x 16 alloy 7J x 16 6J x 15 alloy 6J x 15 alloy 5.5J x 15 alloy
handling is precise and its fun to lash along
in but it would be easy to live with on a day- Tyres 195/55 VR 15 205/55 R16 225/50 R16 195/55 R15 195/55 R15 195/55 R15
to-day basis and at 15,475 its affordable. Dimensions L/W (mm) 4,093/1,712 4,152/1,735 4,210/1,698 4,167/1698 4,030/1,760 4,190/1,695

76 December 1998 Top Gear

 on test
FIFTH BMW 318ti Sport The
Compact is the only rear-
wheel drive car here and
although it doesnt have
quite enough power, it is still an excellent
driving machine. The interior is impressive but
the high price and the arguable looks are
what stop the 318 from finishing higher here.

SIXTH Citroen Xsara VTS Value

styling above all else and
the Xsara comes much
lower. But despite its
awkward looks, its ultra-precise steering and
strong gutsy engine make it one of the best to
drive. Its fast, has agility and plenty of feed-
. . . G L O R I O U S T W E L V E ? back if only it looked better inside and out.
Nissan Almera GTi Peugeot 306 GTI-6 Rover 200 BRM LE Seat Ibiza Cupra 16v Vauxhall Astra SRi VW Golf GTi

SEVENTH Fiat Bravo HGT Another

2.9 3.2 3.3 3.1 3.0 3.1 good all-rounder, but with
4.4 4.4 4.2 4.6 4.6 4.5 the bonus of a fantastic-
6.2 6.2 6.0 6.3 6.1 6.0 sounding five-cylinder
8.2 8.1 8.1 8.5 8.3 8.0 engine, and theres the promise of more
11.1 11.2 10.7 11.5 11.0 11.1 horsepower if you wait a few months. Its
14.2 13.8 13.2 14.5 14.4 14.0 well-balanced and well-priced at 15,818.
18.4 17.5 17.2 18.1 18.6 18.2
24.3 21.9 22.0 24.1 24.0 23.9 EIGHTH Alfa 145 Cloverleaf If
131 135 127 134 130 134 you want something truly
5.4 5.0 5.0 4.9 5.1 5.0 different, then this has got
7.9 7.4 7.4 7.6 7.7 7.2 to be the one. Wild styling
12.3 8.7 11.8 11.3 10.5 9.3 and a great engine will be enough for some
people, but sadly the ride and handling dis-
8.2 8.1 7.9 8.4 8.0 8.0
appoint and prevent the 145 going higher.
54.5 50.4 54.5 49.7 52.8 51.2

NINTH SEAT Ibiza Cupra Sport

16,390 18,670 18,000 14,995 15,475 17,570
Leery looks, a no-non-
38.72 47.79 42.01 40.61 40.88 40.20
sense 150bhp two-litre
26.6/34.9 23.4/32.2 28.7/38.0 25.1/33.6 28.0/32.8 23.8/34.0
engine and a 14,995
14 15 14 14 11 14
price make the Cupra seriously affordable
18k 20k 12k 10k 10k 20k firepower. But the price for all that fast fun
3yrs/60k + 1 yr recov 1yr/unltd+recov 1yr/unltd + recov 3yrs/unltd + recov 1yr/unltd + recov 3yrs/unltd + recov is a small interior and a lack of refinement.

yes/no/no yes/yes/yes yes/350/no yes/yes/no yes/395(both) yes/yes/yes Rover 200 BRM LE

TENTH
yes/yes yes/yes yes/yes yes/yes yes/yes yes/yes Leave the ridiculous-look-
yes yes yes yes yes yes ing BRM for others. It
yes/no yes/no yes/no yes/no yes/no yes/yes drives well, but the stan-
no/yes no/yes no/yes yes/yes yes/yes yes/yes dard Rover 200Vi is quicker and looks better.
yes/yes yes/yes yes/yes yes/yes yes/yes yes/yes At 16,735 the standard car is a much better
yes/yes (1 disc) yes/yes (6-disc) yes/ 500 (6-disc) yes/399 (6-disc) radio-CD yes/395 (6-disc) bet than the 18,000 limited edition BRM.
yes (elec)/yes 320 (elec)/yes yes (elec)/700 no/no yes (manual)/650 yes (elec)/795
ELEVENTH Honda Civic VTi The
4-cyl, in-line 4-cyl, in-line 4-cyl, in-line 4-cyl, in-line 4-cyl, in-line 4cyl, in-line Civic has a fantastic
dohc 16v dohc 16v dohc 16v dohc 16v dohc 16v dohc 20v engine and gearbox and a
1,998 1,998 1,796 1,984 1,995 1,781 decent chassis too. Its
141 @ 6,400 167 @ 6,500 143 @ 6,750 150 @ 6,000 134 @ 5,600 150 @ 5,700 also got brilliant engineering and excellent
performance shame its all buried under
131 @ 4,800 142 @ 5,500 128 @ 4,000 133 @4,600 139 @ 3,400 155 @ 4,600
such an average-looking body and interior.
5-spd man fwd 6-speed man fwd 5-spd man fwd 5-spd man fwd 5-spd man fwd 5-speed man fwd
vent disc + abs vent disc + abs vent disc + abs vent disc + abs vent disc + abs vent disc + abs
TWELTH Nissan Almera GTi An
disc + abs disc + abs disc + abs disc + abs disc + abs disc + abs
over-the-top front spoiler
MacP strut MacP strut MacP strut MacP strut MacP strut MacP strut
doesnt alter the fact that
multi-link trailing arm H-frame + coils trailing arm torsion beam torsion beam
Almera is desperately dull
6J x 15 alloy 6J x 15 alloy 6.5J x 16 alloy 6.5J x 16 alloy 6J x 15 alloy 6.5J x 15
looking with a horrible interior. For that reason
195/55 R15 195/55 R 15 205/45 R16 195/45 R16 205/50 R16 205/55 R16 we just cant recommend it even though the
4,120/1,690 4,344/1,680 3,970/1,690 3,853/1,640 4,110/1,967 4,149/1,735 handling and performance are reasonable

Top Gear December 1998 77