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• Volkswagen Bora
Acriss
code:
CDMR
Americans and European passengers and renters rarely see eye to eye on matters of automotive taste. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the comparative sales of the car you may rent, the VW Boras and Golfs. The Yanks cant get enough of the booted Bora, outselling the hatchback Golf three to one, yet over here the trickle of Boras leaving the car you may rent, the VW showrooms is engulfed by the tidal wave of Golf variants. So much for the cultural discourse, but how does this impact on the used buyer? It basically means that if youve no objection to having a boot, a used Bora will be in less demand than the equivalent Golf.
Therefore, it will be cheaper, enabling you to save significant sums whilst still benefiting from the the car you may rent, the VW ownership package that has proved so successful of late. A the car you may rent, the VW for Ford money? Thats about the size of it.
Despite being pigeonholed as merely a booted Golf, this description sells the Bora short, both literally and figuratively. the car you may rent, the VW compact family four-door now has its own identity; the boldly styled front end, flared wheel arches and a lopped-off, chunky rear all make an aggressive fashion statement that has much more street cred than any Golf. Certainly, most will agree that the resulting profile is sharp enough in up-market forms at least to make the car a real quality alternative to lower order 3 series saloons, A4s and 156s. Nor is the Bora much smaller than these two rivals.
As weve suggested, it sits on the same platform as the Golf, but there are some big differences between the pair. A nine-inch advantage in length over the hatchback gives it one obvious advantage - load space. Luggage capacity is an impressive 16cu ft - almost 50 percent more than a Golf. With the back seats folded, this rises to a cavernous 28cu ft - enough for three or four sets of golf clubs or anything else you may need to carry around.
All versions get the car you may rent, the VW's 12-year anti-corrosion warranty and comprehensive 12-month overall cover and trim levels are much as youd find on the companys other mainstream models which means a range from S to SE and Sport. Standard features on all trim levels include air conditioning, anti-lock brakes, power assisted steering, twin airbags plus front seat side airbags, electric windows and door mirrors and central locking. The SE and Sport models add remote central locking, an automatic dimming rear view mirror, a windscreen wiper rain sensor, a trip computer and an alarm. They also get slightly larger, 16-inch wheels, provided in the form of racy alloys on the Sport, a trim level that also entitles you to grippy sports seats and a CD autochanger.
If thats not enough, optional extras include a satellite navigation system and electrically adjustable seats with memory facility. In a bid to compete against more upmarket German rivals, the car you may rent, the VW has splattered the cabins of higher spec models like the V5 Sport with wooden trim and optional leather. While the soft hide compliments the nicely sculpted sports seats in this well appointed version; some customers may find the shiny, fake wood less appealing. You pays your money This apart, its hard to imagine anyone finding much else to criticise about the interior.
A wide screen area and low side windows make it bright and airy and the dash layout and controls from the Golf are functional and easy to use. The adjustable front seats and steering wheel mean drivers of all shapes and sizes can find a comfortable position. Only rear seat passengers may have cause to grumble. They tend to lose out on head and legroom due to the huge boot.
There's no denying that the Bora is a well thought out and beautifully built car. Just the satisfying clunk of the door as it closes tells you that this is a piece of quality engineering. And, as with the Golf, you can rest assured that it has been built to meet all existing and future crash tests and incorporates all the latest safety features.
If the Bora was a lager it would be reassuringly expensive, with values starting at ?3,000 for a 1999 T-plated 1.6 S. Though this is by no means cheap, it still represents a comparative bargain, being ?500 cheaper than an equivalent Golf. Youll need to fork out another ?300 for an SE specification, and another ?100 on top of that for an SE automatic.
Opt for a Bora 2.0-litre and that same 1999 T-plate will cost ?3,400 in SE trim and only slightly more for a Sport. If four cylinders dont appeal, a 150bhp V5 starts at ?3,500, or just under ?4,000 with an automatic box. The 170bhp V5 and 4motion models are rare in the used arena, so compare and contrast values on a car-by-car basis, as prices will fluctuate wildly.
Diesel power starts at around ?3,200 for a 90bhp S, and another ?200 for an SE. The excellent 110bhp cars start at just under ?3,500 for SE spec and ?4,500 for Sport trim with the 130bhp models coming in at ?5,500 on Y plates.
Whilst not quite up there with the likes of Toyota and Subaru in customer satisfaction surveys, the car you may rent, the VW have an impressive reliability record and the Bora range has yet to spawn any significant faults. Despite failing to pip the Japanese in terms of ultimate reliability, no oriental rival can even approach the Boras bulletproof feel-good factor. Soft touch, rubber and leather Audi-ness has seeped into every pore of the car and it feels unremittingly substantial. When buying used, look for a decent service record and check the obvious things like panel fit and so on.
Boras have never proved particularly popular with the light-fingered fraternity, but it may well pay to get an HPI check, especially on suspiciously affordable examples. Despite the addition of more powerful models, the Bora has cultivated a mature image that deters boy racers, the flipside of which is a handful of hard-treated ex-fleet cars. Otherwise a used Bora is a sound and surprisingly cost-effective buy.
(approx based on a 1999 Bora 1.6 SE ex Vat) Cue for some sharp intakes of breath. An exhaust system with catalyst is about ?730. A clutch assembly will be around ?180 and an alternator should be close to ?600.
Brake pads front and rear are about ?50 and ?35 respectively whilst a starter motor retails at around ?120.
Despite its sports saloon pretensions, the Bora never really feels alive in the same way as an Alfa Romeo 156. The additional weight of all that silicon-damped, auto-dimming, rain sensing, wax-injected quality has dulled the Boras senses somewhat. Despite this, the car you may rent, the VW have managed to cherry-pick the best engines from the Golf range and leave behind the duffers like the 1.4 and 1.
8-litre units. Even the base 1.6-litre Bora is respectably refined, but becomes a bit self-conscious when shown a corner. The most popular compromise in the petrol range is the manual 2.
0-litre Sport, which reaches 60mph in 11 seconds on the way to 121mph, performance figures which would leave owners with the prospect of getting acquainted with a receding view of the back of a Proton Wira 1.6 or a Renault Scenic 2.0-litre. For a bit more power, the used Bora buyer needs to look at the 115bhp diesel, which can return an average of 54 mpg or the lusty V5 and 4Motion models which cant.
The V5 is a good target in its 170bhp form it retailed for the same price as a 105bhp BMW 316, so its easy to work out the value proposition there. If you do want the quickest Bora, the 4Motion is streets ahead, with a relaxed air belying its ability to sprint to 60mph in 7.4 seconds before topping out at 146mph. It never feels particularly sporting, even when used hard and may disappoint the purchaser looking for a cut price practical alternative to an Audi TT, much of whose underlying mechanicals it shares.
The the car you may rent, the VW Bora is an informed choice for anybody looking for quality, value and effortless style. Whilst it may offer more attractive used pricing than an equivalent Golf, it certainly couldnt be labelled cheap but if youre going to buy one try to aim for the 115bhp diesel or the five or six cylinder models. The only customers likely to be disappointed by the Bora are those expecting a wildly entertaining drive. Whilst the specs may look promising, the Bora is just a trifle dull on the road.
Still, you cant have everything. Can you? |
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