Noooo...to be a sedan' date=' the boot lid would need to be hinged at the bottom of the rear window, rather than at the top (as it is on the Octy).

Rob.[/quote']

My handbook refers to it as an Octavia Sedan:confused: .

I agree that it is a hatchback though

If it's not a hatchback...what is it?

Rob.

An estate. Except when it's not an estate, then it's a hatch.

I'm surprised The Megane 225 wasn't in the original poll? Or mentioned through this thread? I quite like the look of it, and would consider one, depending on how 2nd hand values fare in the next couple of years. I like the tweaks they've made to the Trophy Cup edition and evo Magazine rate it as a driver's car, so that's a possible for me in the future.

Steve

I'm surprised The Megane 225 wasn't in the original poll......depending on how 2nd hand values fare in the next couple of years.

I'd be very wary of a used one....

I'd be very wary of a used one....

I'd be very wary of a brand new one.

Care to quantify? Are you wary of reliability, cabin quality? What?

Steve

Care to quantify? Are you wary of reliability' date=' cabin quality? What?

Steve[/quote']

Everything, it's french.

Oh come on - try to be a bit more rational

Anyone would think people should discount a car because it came from the Czech Republic....

I'm by no means a Francophile, but I'm of the opinion that you can't discount something until you have genuine reason to do so.

There are plenty of people who dismiss Skoda because of the badge. Is that what you're doing with Renault? (genuine question)

Steve

There are plenty of people who dismiss Skoda because of the badge. Is that what you're doing with Renault? (genuine question)

It's not badge snobbery!

Skodas are now renowned for the good quality of their VAG engineering. I would not have had an Estelle!

For years I've known people with Renaults to suffer with bizzare electrical faults and bits 'fall off' with expensive consequences and not just with old bangers. When someone I know bought a Laguna 2-3 years ago, I was impressed as it was a nice car full of gizmos (although I had my doubts...). He got rid of it fairly soon following.....you guessed it, numerous electrical faults....

In the same way, I wouldn't have a Fiat or Alfa as even the modern ones have bizzare, expensive, faults.

Oh come on - try to be a bit more rational

Anyone would think people should discount a car because it came from the Czech Republic....

I'm by no means a Francophile' date=' but I'm of the opinion that you can't discount something until you have genuine reason to do so.

There are plenty of people who dismiss Skoda because of the badge. Is that what you're doing with Renault? (genuine question)

Steve[/quote']

I'm only messing about mate. I've owned a renault megane in the past (well my dad did before I could drive) and it was great apart from it was at the dealers a fair bit and I remember it also being fairly expensive.

No where near as good as my previous car, a Felicia, and my current Fabia vRS though. (Obviously )

Other than that I have no real reason to slate them I just did because most people do to "add a bit of humour."

There's just something about the bright orange ST that does it for me, I drove the Octy vRS at a track day and as a performance family car (practical and exciting:D ) it is very impressive. But.... if I was buying for me, myself, I, the 21 year old that still beats within my 47 year old chest would go for the Focus, sad but true .

Wardy don't buy the Renault! Its French:rolleyes: As much as I like the looks of the Megane I have now had three French cars, Peugeot,Citroen and you think I would have learned my lesson after the first two a Renault. Just don't, unless you want to spend a lot of time visiting the garage and believe me, their service departments are no where near as good as Skoda ones.

Your forgetting one thing.. itll have the fastest top speed of the lot' date=' and probably better fuel consumption on the motorway too..

ala octy vrs mk1 vs Leon cupra/FR

its all down to aerodynamics.. the golf/fabia/leon/focus hatchback shape is about as aerodynamic as a brick.. anyone who has tried a top speed run will agree about the "brick wall" that the cars hit..[/quote']

It's not just about the drag coefficient though, the total drag is the Drag coefficient multiplied by the total cross sectional area of the front of the vehicle, the Fabia may be less aerodymnamic than the octy but it is also a lot smaller. Be interesting to see the true drag figures for both cars. Besides, who does top end runs in an Octy anyway??You're more likely to see someone in an Allegro going for it.

I'd have the Golf.

I got rid of my mildly tweaked mk1 vRS in jan and ordered a blue mk2 vRS. About 2 weeks later though i cancelled it due to having driven an ST. I really liked the way the vRS drove but at the end of the day it was'nt what i wanted in a hot hatch.

The ST just ticks all the right boxes, and the noise. A 4 pot just can't match it.

Did actually test drive a Megane 225 and it was a good car but the interior wasn't up to much. I cancelled my test drive in the VXR because i realised i didn't want a Vauxhall and as for the Golf GTi. The dealers were shocking, 1 in Liverpool and 1 in Wigan. Couldn't believe they would treat a potential buyer that way, so told them to shove the car up their a**.

And yes. I did get an Orange 1.

id go for the the term NotchBack.....

is the fabia combi technicly an estate....?

So what are you trying to say.

May well be a hatch, but does not fit into thecategory of 'hot hatch'. A hot hatch is a small fast car, one that is an absolute hoot to drive, one that teenagers and people in their early twenties want, is nimble etc, like the originals such as Renault 5 GT Turbo, Peugeot 205 Gti, early VW Golf GTi etc. The Octavia vRS in any guise is a fast well equiped sporty car that can get you places quickly, but it's way too big to be even considered a hot hatch, it's an older person's fast car, nothing wrong in that but the idea it's a hot hatch contender is a joke 'cause it just isn't fashionable enough.

May well be a hatch, but does not fit into thecategory of 'hot hatch'. A hot hatch is a small fast car, one that is an absolute hoot to drive, one that teenagers and people in their early twenties want, is nimble etc, like the originals such as Renault 5 GT Turbo, Peugeot 205 Gti, early VW Golf GTi etc.

So at 37, has my midlife crisis already started then?