Test drive VW Golf vs. Mazda 3 vs. Citroen C4: base model competition in the compact class

Roughly 1,2 tonnes of curb weight and 1,4 liters of engine displacement doesn't sound very promising. The answer to the question of how to live with the basic mid-range models will be given by the Golf, Mazda 3 and C4.

The applicants try to impress their owners as honestly as possible, but they fail even for a short time: they seem to want to exist in a world without steep descents, inhabited by drivers who are too lazy to change gears. In fact, these three machines are actually aimed at people who are willing to submit to their calm, even slightly sluggish natures.

Basic model buyers

they will definitely feel better when traveling short to medium distances. It would also be nice if their ambitions on the highway didn't lead to excessively exceeding the legal speed limit of 130 km per hour. Moreover, they sometimes have to demonstrate iron nerves, for example, when overtaking narrow country roads. However, another almost mandatory condition for their owners is not to show a desire for a family vacation in the Alps.

In fact, it turns out that none of the compact models is as unpretentious as it seems. Minimum fuel consumption values of the order of less than 6 liters are rather unrealistic, with normal use the consumption pops up more than 8 liters per 100 km. And if you tread relentlessly on the highway, you're guaranteed over 11 litres, too high a price to pay for such little pleasure...

In terms of convenience, there is still much to be desired

none of the three competitors offers its customers complete harmony. Golf skillfully absorbs the bumps in the road, but does not relieve travelers from the inconvenience associated with the passage of manhole covers. The Mazda has a softer suspension and performs better, although there is some nasty body shaking when over larger bumps, and in more extreme tests this causes the rear end to skid. Citroën requires a lot of effort from the driver to adapt - in addition to the inaccurate and cumbersome control of the C4, he has to put up with a hard-to-read LED display in the center of the dashboard and not very precise transmission operation.

Finally

for Citroen remains third in the ranking after Mazda, which in turn surprises with high maintenance costs. Golf's victory is not a triumph of perfectionism, but rather a smart choice. VW offers the lowest maintenance costs in this comparison and also has the highest resale demand. After all, it is very likely that many golf drivers will enjoy driving savings and maintenance more than just driving this car.

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