The compact middle class of twenty years ago

Ford Focus

The Ford Focus was no longer the youngest compact mid-sized car in 2002, and yet its fairly revolutionary lines proved to be quite durable. A facelift in 2001 ensured that the Focus in 2002 also came out very well among newer competitors. In combination with the good handling, this meant that you stumbled across the Escort successor in 2002. The fact that it was a popular lease car also helped, of course. In 2022, the flush is a lot thinner, but you still don’t have to search long before you come across one.

Opel Astra

Like the Focus, the Opel Astra G managed to get its hands on each other when it appeared in 1998, because it was quite a modern appearance compared to its predecessor. Where the Astra F was a tough job for the last Ford Escort, the roles between Opel and Ford were somewhat reversed with the successors. The Astra looked a lot braver than the Focus and was therefore mainly appreciated by the more conservative customer. The Netherlands was still an Opel country pur sang and that is why this Astra also went over the counter in droves. Just like the first Focus, the Astra G is certainly not a stranger in the current street scene, although you see them clearly less and less.

Volkswagen Golf

Unlike the Focus and the Astra, the slightly older fourth generation of the Volkswagen Golf did not break very strongly with the past. The Golf was significantly more traditional, although the rounder shapes and clear headlights, among other things, ensured that it had a contemporary appearance. It is precisely the perhaps somewhat cautious design that has given this Golf a relative timelessness. The Golf IV was also more convincing than its predecessor. All in all, it ensured that with the record year 1999 (30,419 units) it became the most successful Golf ever in our country.

Peugeot 307

Significantly newer than the above was the Peugeot 307, because it was only just on the market in 2002. Do you find it fresher eyes than the Focus, Astra and Golf, then that may be an explanation. It must be said that the 307 was also praised for its appearance in its time. The 306 left big shoes to fill and the 307 succeeded wonderfully well with a completely different design. The SW was especially popular and, with its panoramic roof and optionally even six or seven seats, was popular with (larger) families. It turned out not necessarily to be an improvement in terms of quality, but that mainly came to light when the successful sales years (peak of 25,245 in 2003) were already over.

Renault Megane

2002 is just a bit of an unlucky year to look back on when it comes to the Renault Mégane. The first generation was approaching retirement at the time and it was just the year before the completely new and radically different design of the second Mégane (with the illustrious ‘butt’) appeared. The first Mégane had it not so easy in that year, even though a fairly thorough facelift in 1999 helped to keep it a bit fresh. It would later turn out that Renault had its affairs in order in a qualitatively better way with this Mégane than with its successor. Especially the convertible version of the first Mégane has remained popular as an occasion for a long time and you can still encounter it quite regularly.

Seat Leon

In the wake of the Volkswagen Golf IV, the first generation of the Seat Leon appeared in 1999. It was therefore a bit fresher than the Gulf in 2002 and, moreover, could not simply be recognized as a relative. The Leon, drawn by Giugiaro, had a quite different basic shape, which was also filled in nicely creatively. For a new name in the car world, the Leon sold quite nicely, although it would not come close to the aforementioned really successful models. Where this Leon was already quite far from his Volkswagen cousin in terms of appearance, his rather plump successor would become even more unusual.

Toyota Corolla

You usually don’t have to turn to Toyota for the most exciting designs, but this ninth generation of the Corolla proves that such an approach does not necessarily have to go wrong. Just like the Golf IV, this Corolla, which appeared in 2000, was not really a design statement, but that also makes it relatively timeless. Funnily enough, its predecessor (jokingly sometimes called ‘frog’s eye’) had quite a pronounced design and it caused quite a stir. You may therefore remember it better than this Corolla. Incidentally, more of them have also been sold.

Citroen Xsara

In a sense, the Citroën Xsara had what its predecessor ZX already had: a relatively safe design by Citroën standards. Certainly the pre-facelift, because the facelift version pictured above had a slightly more pronounced nose. Although the Xsara was five years old in 2002, just like the Golf IV, the technical basis was older. In that area, the Xsara largely stemmed from the Peugeot 306, which appeared in 1993 and also shared technology with the ZX. That made it a nice driving car, although despite the facelift in 2000, the freshness was already quite off in 2002. In 2004, the rather distinctly lined first C4 took over.

Mazda 323F

For many years, the 323 was Mazda’s compact mid-sized model, but that would change in the 21st century. After all, at the end of 2003, with a lot of merriment, wezoom acquainted with the first Mazda 3, not before the 323 was allowed to experience this century thanks to a facelift. The last 323 appeared in 1998 and after three years was relatively thoroughly facelifted for its second and final phase of life. Here in the Netherlands, the 323 F was especially popular, the five-door hatchback, where the ‘F’ stood for Fastbreak. That car should certainly not be confused with the special 323Fs from the 1990s. In the new century, Dutch sales of the 323 fell quickly despite the facelift, although more of these 323 were sold here than of the first 3.

Fiat Stilo

Finally, a compact mid-sized car that we feel has sunk somewhat from the collective memory: the Fiat Stilo. Of the cars on this list, the Stilo was one of the freshest in 2002, as it appeared a year earlier as the successor to the Fiat Bravo/Brava. Fiat decided to bring the three and five doors back under one name from now on. Although its name may suggest otherwise, the Stilo with its rather conservative carriage was not really a style icon. By Italian standards it was a fairly modest design, somewhat a reaction to the too extravagant Bravo and Brava, according to critics, although that approach did not fully bear fruit. After a fairly strong start, sales quickly plummeted. The Abarth version equipped with a five-cylinder is certainly worth remembering!

Much more

Of course, in 2002 there was still more to drive around in the compact middle class. What about, for example, the Hyundai Elantra and Kia Shuma, which may not be too clear in your memory, or, for example, the seventh generation Honda Civic, the first Skoda Octavia and the latest Nissan Almera? And then of course there were the Alfa Romeo 147 and the Audi A3 for those who liked to drive a bit more chic. Which one has stayed with you the most? And which one do you think has aged best?