https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/suzuki-swift-sport-vs-volkswagen-gti-twin-test

 

 

Another back to back to back test review.

 

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/suzuki/swift/103757/suzuki-swift-sport-vs-volkswagen-up-gti-vs-ford-fiesta-st-line

 

 

Why aren't they testing the Up against a Ka? If there was a sportier Ka and same with the Suzuki, surely the should test it against an Ignis, the Fiesta and Swift is on par with the Polo.

86ps is about where you are with a Ford Ka plus.

A Fiat Abarth 500 with 145 ps is a bit more expensive even discounted but plenty available, loads actually, forecourts full of them.

The Vauxhall Adam 'warm hatch' 115ps versions are around the same prices, more powerful ones high asking prices, 150ps but then that means nothing they are Vauxhalls.

Edited 20 June, 20187 yr by Offski

http://millteksport.com/exhaust.products.cfm?variantid=1596

Edited 20 June, 20187 yr by vrskeith

In my favourite colour combo.

 

 

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/volkswagen-up-gti-2018-prices-specs-engine

 

VW improved production output to now offer Customers 5months delivery lead-time, as opposed to the 12month reached shortly after launch in February 2018 in UK

Just found out my mates bought one!  He's added speaker upgrade and climatronic, in white, due September. 

How ridiculous is this comparison from Carwow. 

 

 

1st oil and filter change  ,slightly earlier than the VW manual advises,  on a run -in engine.

 

 

Yep, street parking in Wiltshire just what I wanted it for.

 

 

 

 

 

I  can only hope for my Up GTi Clubsport S from the factory 2019.

Could be one there for you!?

 

I still prefer the Tungsten Metallic Grey, with black panoramic or just painted black roof.

However, my Tornado Red is pretty smart looking also.

 

 

Edited 12 August, 20187 yr by vrskeith

Just looking at those seats, they don't look much different to the standard Up/Citigo/Mii seats for bolsters/side support?

 

Are they supporting enough, like say the seats in a Golf GTI/R which are more sculptured?

 

I struggle to stay in place when on bendy bits in my wife's Citigo, sliding all over the place good for the core muscles.

Ben,

 

They fell better than a young friend's sporty  Citigo  but as you suggest not as supporting as my Golf R experience.

However, not entering twisty stuff at quite the same rate of knots. Relatively speaking, at it's nippy pace, I find them okay ,especially if you're behind the wheel . Admittedly it would be better if the Golf GTi mk7 /7.5 seats were fitted - but would I get the fun seat of the arse sensation, don't think so.

Nice to relive my youth for a while.

Long journeys and my local Wiltshire twisty stuff, fine for this silver surfer dude.   

 

Would just like to get my hands on a say 150bhp Clubsport S variety, with a few but not many enhancements.

Edited 12 August, 20187 yr by vrskeith

Maybe have some of this. Reminds me of the old Mini Metro rally car .

 

 

Edited 12 August, 20187 yr by vrskeith

Did you actually have a 6R4 Metro or just a rally version of a Metro?

 

The 6R4's were mental on the rally cross circuit.

A solution, to stop paint chipping in the boot , if you need too.

 

 

Edited 14 August, 20187 yr by vrskeith

 

 

 

Good review of old and new models.

 

 

 

So bit of a back story, I bought my eldest daughter a citigo SEL white with a big black racing stripe down the middle of the car for her trips down to uni in Plymouth. When my youngest was old enough to drive I was so impressed with the Citigo I sold my Golf (with DSG gearbox) and bought a shiny new red Citigo Monte carlo. Taught her to drive and we shared it for a year.

She had her first year at uni in halls so couldn't have her car with her so it became my car and I was utterly besotted with how much fun it was and absolutely loved it. I found myself going out for late night drives hurtling down country lanes for no reason other than it was great fun. But in September she will take the Monte up to Liverpool with her, so I needed to find a replacement but wanted something with a little more power and bought an ex demo UP GTI. It's a great car with decent but not great performance and retains all the handling and small package fun I loved about the Monte BUT.... the interior is so drab compared to the Monte, it feels somewhat 'unspecial' for a GTI and I hate the tartan seats. It is significantly faster than the Monte in a straight line but in the corners there is very little difference, in fact I would say the extra power and marginally firmer suspension means you'll experience understeer more readily. Other disappointments - the Monte has a proper front splitter, the GTI doesn't like wise the rear diffuser, whilst the rear spoiler on the GTI is horribly flimsy not so the rock solid spoiler on the Monte.

 

Ultimately the GTI is the better car but it's much more expensive and it simply doesn't tug at the heart strings like the Monte does. IMO the Monte is better looking I hate the stupid grill on the GTI and I genuinely believe that if Skoda were allowed to put the 90 hp TSi engine in the Monte you'd have a car that is almost as good for a lot less. I'd trade in my GTI for one, but I'd prefer to have one with 115 hp even more. I waited and waited for the TSi engine to be made available in the Citigo - the local dealer said we'd see it with the new face lift but NO! Don't get me wrong I really like the GTI, I just don't love it. What it does is highlight just how good the regular car is, the GTI just powers out of the corners faster. Oh and much as the highlight is the artificial engine noise when bowling down country lanes, you can't turn it off on the motorway so every time you accelerate you get the Grrrrr engine noise which is a shame because the six speed gearbox and the torque of the turbo make for a very relaxing long distance cruiser.

 

So here's the rub it's more fun extracting the most out of the lesser powered Monte on an empty road than the higher powered GTI where you don't have to give it the full beans to make rapid progress, but with 60hp when you inevitably come up behind someone overtaking them is never easy. Whereas the GTI cruises past traffic and you don't get embarrassed going up hill on the motorway.

 

 

Edited 20 August, 20187 yr by Kiero1

9 hours ago, Kiero1 said:

So bit of a back story, I bought my eldest daughter a citigo SEL white with a big black racing stripe down the middle of the car for her trips down to uni in Plymouth. When my youngest was old enough to drive I was so impressed with the Citigo I sold my Golf (with DSG gearbox) and bought a shiny new red Citigo Monte carlo. Taught her to drive and we shared it for a year.

She had her first year at uni in halls so couldn't have her car with her so it became my car and I was utterly besotted with how much fun it was and absolutely loved it. I found myself going out for late night drives hurtling down country lanes for no reason other than it was great fun. But in September she will take the Monte up to Liverpool with her, so I needed to find a replacement but wanted something with a little more power and bought an ex demo UP GTI. It's a great car with decent but not great performance and retains all the handling and small package fun I loved about the Monte BUT.... the interior is so drab compared to the Monte, it feels somewhat 'unspecial' for a GTI and I hate the tartan seats. It is significantly faster than the Monte in a straight line but in the corners there is very little difference, in fact I would say the extra power and marginally firmer suspension means you'll experience understeer more readily. Other disappointments - the Monte has a proper front splitter, the GTI doesn't like wise the rear diffuser, whilst the rear spoiler on the GTI is horribly flimsy not so the rock solid spoiler on the Monte.

 

Ultimately the GTI is the better car but it's much more expensive and it simply doesn't tug at the heart strings like the Monte does. IMO the Monte is better looking I hate the stupid grill on the GTI and I genuinely believe that if Skoda were allowed to put the 90 hp TSi engine in the Monte you'd have a car that is almost as good for a lot less. I'd trade in my GTI for one, but I'd prefer to have one with 115 hp even more. I waited and waited for the TSi engine to be made available in the Citigo - the local dealer said we'd see it with the new face lift but NO! Don't get me wrong I really like the GTI, I just don't love it. What it does is highlight just how good the regular car is, the GTI just powers out of the corners faster. Oh and much as the highlight is the artificial engine noise when bowling down country lanes, you can't turn it off on the motorway so every time you accelerate you get the Grrrrr engine noise which is a shame because the six speed gearbox and the torque of the turbo make for a very relaxing long distance cruiser.

 

So here's the rub it's more fun extracting the most out of the lesser powered Monte on an empty road than the higher powered GTI where you don't have to give it the full beans to make rapid progress, but with 60hp when you inevitably come up behind someone overtaking them is never easy. Whereas the GTI cruises past traffic and you don't get embarrassed going up hill on the motorway.

 

 

Kiero1,

 

Love the driveway combo photo.

Interesting comparative comments.

Agree with the you, the recently facelift Citigo looks great.

Maybe a little extra fun at low cost ,low risk would be interesting in my 2nd Up GTi.

Perhaps a VW Up GTi UK challenge event beckons ?