You can buy these neat used sedans for €11,000

Because a sedan is longer than a hatchback, we also increase our budget slightly. Instead of the 10 grand with which we usually go on the road, we just add €1,000. What will it be: a young Fiat Tipo, a virgin Mazda 3 or a powerful Volkswagen Jetta with a hybrid powertrain?

Mazda 3 1.6 Business – 2013 – 82,042 kilometers – €10,950

It doesn’t matter if you take the hatchback or the sedan, in both cases it is wonderful to drive a Mazda 3. So we go for this Mazda 3 that is with a brand specialist in the north. Striking about this ten-year-old occasion is the modest mileage that has been driven together by two owners. That should guarantee many more enjoyable kilometers.

It starts behind the wheel: pleasantly low, somewhat encapsulated seat with the tightly shifting gear directly within reach and a view of a well-arranged dashboard. However, the materials used are not yet of the kind with which the Japanese brand is currently receiving a lot of praise. The driving characteristics are already that: nice direct steering and a sturdy chassis, without getting nervous. Anyone who has a BMW 1-series or Ford Focus on their shortlist should not forget the 3. As with the BMW, it’s all about the driver.

Rear passengers come off a bit rough in terms of living space and view. That is not the case in terms of the motor, but the beautifully balanced chassis can handle significantly more than the 105 atmospherically breathing horses that can be found under the hood of the 00-ZLL-7. For the ‘active’ motorist that can be a thing, just like rust that older Mazdas sometimes want to suffer. Our photo model is the Business version. With, among other things, a navigation system, cruise control and climate control, a tow bar, alloy wheels and traction control – which will probably not have been so busy – there is a neatly executed occasion at the door. That is the car itself: less dynamic looking than the five-door, but the butt does not seem ‘contrived’. In that butt is 430 liters of luggage space, 90 liters more than the hatch. What do Jetta and Tipo propose in return?

Signaling

Brand Mazda

Type 3 Sedan 1.6 Business

Construction year January 2013

Mileage 82,042

Asking price €10,950

Where to buy? Car company De Winter BV, Winschoten

Technical data

engine 4-cyl. in-line, 1,598 cc

max. assets 77 kW/105 hp at 6,000 rpm

max. couple 145 Nm at 4,000 rpm

Luggage room 430 l/na

max. trailer braked 930 kilos

Avg. consumption 1:15.6

0-100km/h 12.2s

Top speed 185km/h

All data according to factory specifications

Volkswagen Jetta 1.4 TSI Hybrid Highline – 2013 – 152,637 kilometers – €10,995

The Jettas that we see offered for our budget are hybrid versions without exception. The advantage is that, for example, this Volkswagen Jetta is much more potent than the Mazda. It should also be more economical, but during our endurance test in 2013, the hybrid German lagged considerably behind the specified values. Compared to the ‘old-fashioned’ technology that the 3 has on board, the Jetta is a lot more complicated: turbo, seven-speed DSG gearbox, an electric motor of 27 hp … With one and a half tons on the clock, it is advisable to have some extras behind the hand in case of repairs. Fortunately, the sensitive timing chain has been thrown overboard in favor of a belt. Disadvantage: the battery pack swallows up a considerable part of the luggage space. This measures 374 liters compared to no less than 510 liters for the ‘regular’ Jetta. A trailer is not possible.

Our photo model also dates from 2013, but – as said – has more experience. Three owners have taken care of that. Who will be the fourth? He or she then gets a decidedly beautifully designed, pearl white sedan with excellent space for the occupants – also in the back. A lot more generous than the Mazda, which also applies to the Highline equipment: limited slip differential, hill assist, rain and light sensor, electrically opening luggage compartment and all-round parking sensors are things that we do not find on the Japanese, but on the German built in Mexico. The build quality is good even after ten years and one and a half tons, the materials used are at Mazda level, the seating comfort is excellent. The playful edge of the 3 is missing here. It is mainly eating kilometers unnoticed, with the special technology here and there asking for getting used to (braking, parking maneuvers).

Signaling

Brand Volkswagen

Type Jetta 1.4 TSI Hybrid Highline

Construction year September 2013

Mileage 152,637

Asking price €10,995

Where to buy? Auto Point, Wijchen

Technical data

engine 4-cyl. in-line, 1,390 cc, turbo, hybrid

max. system power 125 kW/170 hp

max. system torque 250 Nm

Luggage room 374 l/na

max. trailer braked n/a

Avg. consumption 1:24.4

0-100km/h 8.6s

Top speed 210km/h

All data according to factory specifications

Fiat Tipo 1.4-16V Pop – 2018 – 112,593 kilometers – €10,950

It could be: the primal Tipo was only available as a three- and five-door hatchback (sedan and station wagon were known as Tempra), the sedan of the generation portrayed first came on the market, hatchback and station wagon followed later. Our bpm policy meant that the Tipo had a difficult price/performance ratio. The result: the car became a wallflower and those who did buy it (as a result) had to deal with high depreciation. A used Tipo can therefore be attractive.

Take this Fiat Tipo for example. The mileage is between 3 and the Jetta, but the Italian is no less than five years younger! The S-522-RF started life in Belgium, as evidenced by the stamped maintenance booklet. And with so many kilometers in relatively little time, there will probably be many highway trips in between. Great, because a car hardly wears out of it. The quality of the Belgian road network is less good, but the car is built for it. It is built in Turkey, where the roads are not just billiard cloths either. The sturdy, rudimentary character does not negate the Tipo: the materials used are of a lesser quality and – but that’s personal – we found it difficult to find our way on the furniture. With 95 hp, the Tipo is the lightest motorized of this trio, but with its performance it beats the 3 and with a braked towing weight of 1,200 kilos even both opponents. There is also a luggage compartment of 520 liters. You notice the ‘youth’ of this occasion in things like a six-speed gearbox and the tire pressure sensor, and its less refined character again with the only three stars in the EuroNCAP crash test. The advertised price is easy to take, for a six-month Bovag warranty plus an extensive delivery package, an extra €895 must be tapped. With this Tipo you mainly buy a young occasion to get from A to B.

Signaling

Brand Fiat

Type Tipo 1.4-16V Pop

Construction year March 2018

Mileage 112,593

Asking price €10,950

Where to buy? Smeets Cars, Susteren

Technical data

engine 4-cyl. in-line, 1,368 cc

max. assets 70 kW/95 hp at 6,000 rpm

max. couple 127 Nm at 4,500 rpm

Luggage room 520 l

max. trailer braked 1,200 kilograms

Avg. consumption 1:17.5

0-100km/h 11.5s

Top speed 185km/h

All data according to factory specifications

Which of these three compact sedans is right for you?

In summary: the Mazda 3 drives the best and has the lowest mileage, but is less generous when it comes to space in the back and luxury amenities. The Jetta does have those two last aspects plus the strongest power source. But also complicated technology and the highest mileage, which suggests the highest operating costs. The Tipo is by far the youngest and has the largest trunk space, but lacks refinement on several points. What would your choice be? Or would you prefer a four-door Astra or – with more budget – for example an Audi A3 Limousine, as the Germans say somewhat pompously? Let us know!