Did anyone get the Autoexpress today , i see the website mentions a TEST between these 2 . Who thought that one up .Interested to see the result i think not !!!!!

The issue with the Octy/Croma test doesn't come out until tomorrow 25/8/05 but i've added it to the shopping list.

In the brochure the Croma looks a bit dull from the outside (as does the new octy if I'm 100% honest) but inside it looks *very* nicely laid out and the engines and specifications all seem good.

It's not as simple as saying "it's a fiat so it'll be carp" any more than you can say that just because it's a skoda.

There are quite a few nice new cars coming out soon in the same price range as the octy.

As well as the fiat the new Leon looks good and the new Civic is also going on my shortlist

I read a bit of a review the other day on the Croma. Apparently the engine and running gear are Vectra derived so they are pretty good. Interior dissapointing w.r.t. switches and controls which are cheap quality. Fuel economy isn't great either.

the engine and running gear are Vectra derived so they are pretty good..

does that mean you'll need to spend

The issue with the Octy/Croma test doesn't come out until tomorrow 25/8/05 but i've added it to the shopping list.

Octy won the test.

Subscribers get AE a day early

Apparently the engine and running gear are Vectra derived so they are pretty good.

Sounds like the new Croma couldn't really compete in any respect with the OctyII Estate except for the engine being a bit less vocal. They reckon the 1.9 150 BHP JTD Fiat/Alfa engine isn't a patch on the VAG 2.0 TDi. That'l include the 150BHP 1.9 Vectra then too.

Noticed an article on the new VW Jetta in Auto Express too. I think it looks the part, like a smaller Passat but less boatlike. Still very impractical though as it's a medium saloon. At over a grand more without options than the equivalent OctyII, it's going to have a hard time.

People will still buy it because of the badge, look at the current Bora, there are quite a few of them about even though they are overpriced for what they are, there are still a lot of people out there who are still ignorant of the build quality/reliability of current skodas, and are easily persuaded by things like badge and image, and are narrow-minded when it comes to what they want people to see them in...