For those interested...Octy3 wins family car of the year

 

http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/car-car-year-awards-2014/1226461

and a Merc is better than a Rolls Royce! Ha, yeah, of course! The only thing it shows is the Octy is a decent car. Winners will change depending on magazine/ website.

Best Estate Car - VW Golf .

Best Executive Car - Audi A3 Saloon .

 

I guess they couldn't give the Octy both best family and best estate wins, but the Golf surely doesn't deserve to win it due to price and lack of space. The Leon ST would have been a more convincing choice. Also, an A3 saloon is hardly an executive car.

Edited 10 January, 201412 yr by Orville

Now i dont like the interior of the 5 series personally, but crikey, thats a lot more executive than the Audi A3 Saloon. Having never been in any, the A3 have some superb ride to beat the BMW.

Estate wise- The Golf actually doesnt look much smaller in the boot. Its just got slightly worse rear seat space i assume. Not convinced by what What Car say either. A better cabin? Not for me it isnt. Better kit as standard? Well to me the SEs look similar, just with different equipment. Plus, you can go up to Elegance on the Octy, and still come out cheaper. All i can say is the Golf must have one hell of a better ride/ refinement. Also, for less than £1000 extra, you could have a Superb Estate in SE trim. Much better standard kit by the seems of it, and much better space. Id say it was a toss up between these 3. My guess is they couldnt bare to go without giving the Golf an award, so that swung it

The new Nissan Qashqai is voted "Car of the year"

 

According to What Car?, it "was an instant hit with style-conscious buyers".  Style conscious buyers ???  Look at the damned thing (LINK), the front end looks like some gurning Disney cartoon character - YUK!

Wow, Nissan must be heavy advertisers in What Car *

 

 

 

* I don't actually care about which car wins what award. 

I was a rear passenger in One of These Quasqai's The Other Day The only Word i can think to describe it is CACK. To Look at - CACK, to Sit in cack God awfull YUK. (Nearly 5 Hours) i was in agony After only 2 hours. Matty's recommendation buy an Octavia Way better in every aspect.

I was a rear passenger in One of These Quasqai's The Other Day The only Word i can think to describe it is CACK. To Look at - CACK, to Sit in cack God awfull YUK. (Nearly 5 Hours) i was in agony After only 2 hours. Matty's recommendation buy an Octavia Way better in every aspect.

 

 

I had one as a hire car and if anything it was worse to drive although it was a few months ago so presumably an older model.  To be fair it was a 1.5 or some other stupidly small engine with a 5 speed gearbox but it was horrible.

 

5 hours drive up B-roads, A roads and motorway, about 300 miles.

 

The car was too slow to take 4 people and a weeks luggage comfortably, it was noisy, unstable on the motorway (too high and too light to resist crosswinds) and terrible on the corners.  It was also really heavy on the petrol.

 

It was a typical hire car to be fair, high on in car tech (reversing camera, sat nav etc etc) and poor on the engine etc.

 

I left it thinking that most people mustn't actually test drive a car when they're buying one. 

 

Horses for courses I suppose.  It'd be difficult to find your car as Tesco if everyone drove Octys.

Edited 10 January, 201412 yr by gullyg

Also, i think these magazines/ websites are basing the Qashqai's sector on the previous model. This seems to have left the crossover sector behind. Its bordering on a normal hatchback which is slightly higher sitting than usual. They say the Qashqai holds its body roll well for such a vehicle. Well thats because they have reduced the height. It isnt the vehicle you think it is anymore. They also enter it as a small SUV. An SUV? Yeah ok, what next? Its hardly even a crossover now, let alone an actual SUV. Oh god, even better. The models they have chosen to win the overall award, and small SUV award. A slow underpowered 2WD. An SUV with 2WD? What were the judges on at the time? Oh hold on, we already know- An all expenses paid 2 week holiday at a destination of their choice, staying in a 5 star hotel. All paid for by Nissan.

So, considering they have chosen a 2WD version, it obviously has no need for the extra height over a normal car.So that cant be taken into account. Looking at the price tag, you could also pick up a decent Octy for the same price. An Octy which has more boot space, and extra rear legroom. I hope the Qashqai's ride is as good as they make out. Even then though, car of the year? Small SUV? Yep, and im an alien!

My wife had a top of the range Quasqai when they 1st came out in 2007, it was a cracking car. Full of gadgets, rode well, comfortable, economical with reasonable poke.....Not unlike a Skoda