Maturedriver
Go Kart Champion
The latest Vauxhall Astra looks the business.
I think the new Astra looks the business .It does indeed, way back in one of my first (angry, frustrated) posts I listed the Astra and updated Ford Focus as worthy replacements of the MK8 Golf. Now Electric choice is coming into mind - at the moment Renault Megane E-Tech and Cupra Born. I think the Astra will be available as electric also.
BTW I think one of the few negative comments I have read of the Astra - tiny rear indicators + a few others here start at 13.08
The interior of the new Astra feels cheap and nasty though. I've test driven it (we were considering switching our order of a MY23 Golf GTE due to waiting times), and while there's not much you can fault in terms of normal day to day driving, the interior isn't great. The car had 900 miles on the clock and was already creaking.
If you like the Astra, look at the Peugeot 308. Test drove that too, drives almost the same but the interior is much, much higher quality. Higher quality than the Golf, too. The problem for me was the steering wheel, could not get into a position where i didn't either hit my knees on the wheel or couldn't see the instrument cluster due to the wheel blocking it.
We would've cancelled the order for the GTE if i could drive it comfortably.
Interesting observations. I don’t think you are comparing like with like though. Since you have ordered a Golf Mk8 GTE I wouldn’t consider cancelling it to get a Astra/308. The PHEV Astra is a warm hatch with 180BHP whereas the Golf GTE is a sh1t hot one with 242BHP. No contest.
Oh. Perhaps I should confess. I have a Mk8 GTE and love it. You will not be disappointed especially now that the software has been sorted.
Historically, VW’s mid lifecycle facelifts have resulted in cars gaining additional equipment rather than ending up with a downgrade. Admittedly some items of spec might be removed, but others are added, and the net effect has been an improvement in spec. VW need to maintain customer interest in their cars throughout the entire vehicle lifecycle and adding additional equipment during the mid lifecycle facelift is a way of doing this - if the focus was on downgrading spec and equipment, then prospective customers would be likely to look elsewhere (at competitors vehicles), resulting in potential lost sales to VW.It'd be certainly more of a "choice by reason" than a heart thing. We want the GTE, but would've been okay with the 308 225 - it's just due to waiting times. Waiting 12+ months on your car (which in the mean time gets a mild facelift too, which is likely a downgrade) just wears you down.
Historically, VW’s mid lifecycle facelifts have resulted in cars gaining additional equipment rather than ending up with a downgrade. Admittedly some items of spec might be removed, but others are added, and the net effect has been an improvement in spec. VW need to maintain customer interest in their cars throughout the entire vehicle lifecycle and adding additional equipment during the mid lifecycle facelift is a way of doing this - if the focus was on downgrading spec and equipment, then prospective customers would be likely to look elsewhere (at competitors vehicles), resulting in potential lost sales to VW.
The Polo got its mid life facelift at the end of last year. From memory it gained revised design of bumpers and alloy wheels, LED headlights as standard across the entire model range, new Golf style rear light clusters, updated infotainment software, digital instrument display for all models, new climate control panels and new style steering wheel. Off hand, I can’t think of anything significant that was deleted.
I feel your pain regarding having to wait 12 months for delivery. Interesting how you fear that by the time it arrives it will come with a lower specification. Something I hadn’t considered. Perhaps I shouldn’t say it, but I bought my GTE in October 2020. It was ten days between ordering and delivery .
Your earlier post referred to mild facelift downgrades. The interior trim changes in the post above are - as you’ve just said - model year changes; they’re not facelift changes. Model year changes happen each year (sometimes twice a year) whereas the larger facelift changes are made at the mid life point in a model’s lifecycle.As far as i can tell, the MY23 changes include a switch to a gloss piano black console (awful), that silver/grey trim piece on the dash instead of black chrome (meh at best, if cheap enough awful too), and that's about it. Judging by the configurator, nothing was added, just changes in material here and there, of which most are (to us) a downgrade. I do like the centre armrest in leatherette, but that's about it.
The one upside of the delay in the car of course is that it should come with the latest, or close to latest software installed - 1896 at least, i'd assume. I will say that i'd rather have a less interesting interior if that means that i don't have to experience the same problems many others have/had to.
Well.. A buddy of mine bought a CLA last year. Lets just say that they royally screwed him on that one (missing MBUX sat nav, no parktronic, parts of the interior lighting removed, plus a few other things he didn't get but were advertised when he ordered).
One important question we do have though - in the GTE, with software version 1896 - are you able to display the map in the cluster behind the wheel?
Yes, since the software update I can now display the map on the dash. I can have the map on the infotainment screen or the dash but not both.
Since the GTE is so well equipped as standard the only thing you can buy on the ‘in car shop’ is Alexa. I haven’t bothered plus it requires a monthly subscription with Cubic Telecom. The “Hey Volkswagen” is standard and is much improved since 1896 (but nothing like as good as Sky’s Q Box Remote). The interior and exterior lighting has more features than you can shake a stick at and you won’t want for more. The auto parking is a factory fitted item I believe. Not sure if Google maps can be displayed on the cluster but I doubt it.Thank you ever so much, that's good news. In our current car (MY19 Ateca X-Lux), it's the same (in MIB2, of course). I've just gotten so used to it. Now, if only they'd add the option to diplay google maps in the cluster, .. Too much to hope for i guess.
One other question that our saleslady wasn't really able to confirm either way - in the "in-car shop", i understand that you can buy the "native voice control" (Hey Volkswagen"), and something in regards to the ambient lighting - is "auto parking" another buyable option retrospectively? I can't seem to find the content of the shop online to look at, just curious about it.
Since the GTE is so well equipped as standard the only thing you can buy on the ‘in car shop’ is Alexa. I haven’t bothered plus it requires a monthly subscription with Cubic Telecom. The “Hey Volkswagen” is standard and is much improved since 1896 (but nothing like as good as Sky’s Q Box Remote). The interior and exterior lighting has more features than you can shake a stick at and you won’t want for more. The auto parking is a factory fitted item I believe. Not sure if Google maps can be displayed on the cluster but I doubt it.
Auto parking, aka Park Assist, is only a factory fit option, it requires an extra 4 parking sensors, 2 front and 2 rear, that are positioned near the wheel arches of the front and back wheels. It gives the car an all round view of obstacles.Huh, in the UK that "Hey Volkswagen" isn't standard. It's a what, £200 optional extra that you can also retroactively purchase in the in car store. Auto parking is the same (although i don't know if one can buy it retroactively). That said, i think the native voice control comes as standard if you go for the Discover Pro navigation (£1200 or something like that).
In MIB2 systems, you can't - i doubt that MIB3 is different in that regard (google maps). Which isn't a big issue anyway, would just be nice to have.