Focus, Astra or Mégane?
After spotlighting three popular crossovers last week, we’re going again down to earth. Literally, because the body of a C-segment station wagon is a lot closer to the asphalt. Everyone has their own taste, but we think it’s just as enjoyable to drive.
This time too, attention will be paid to three popular occasions. We kick off with a Ford Focus Wagon that will certainly appeal to sporty people. We portray the Renault Mégane Estate for comfort seekers. Finally, we present the Astra from Opel – especially for those for whom just doing it is crazy enough, despite the addition ‘Sports Tourer’. Our budget? 10 grand.
Ford Focus Wagon 1.0 EcoBoost 125 hp Econetic Edition Plus – 2014 – 142,861 kilometers – €9,445
Why do we find a lower four-wheeler just as pleasant to drive as a high-seater? Because you feel better what is happening beneath you. If you also want to stimulate more senses and limbs, but are limited to a fairly compact combination, then a used Ford Focus Wagon might be something for you. Because whether you drive alone or go on holiday with your family, this German has a reputation to uphold when it comes to driving pleasure. Our search yielded this Ford Focus: one owner has driven more than 140,000 light sporty kilometers in almost 10 years. We say ‘lightly sporty’, because more powerful variants have been built than this 125-hp version. But the following applies to all Focuses: excellent seating position, precise shifting (six-speed gearbox), tight steering and a chassis that is beautifully balanced. In short: every good family man feels like a bit of a racing driver. And the rest of the family? Well, the Focus has pleasant furniture on board, offers sufficient space (luggage space 476 to 1,502 liters, 1,200 kilos braked towing capacity) and is generously equipped as an Edition Plus. Traction control, hill assist, climate control, parking sensors all around, navigation system, alloy wheels, sports seats, windscreen heating (hurrah!), alarm system, rain and light sensors and LED rear lights are all present on the 5-XLT-53 (September 2014), but for example also a parking meter. Quite handy, since the car is for sale in Amsterdam.
On the other hand, it is a shame that the passenger seat is not height adjustable. And while we’re talking about the interior; the materials used are not quite up to standard: the aluminum panels in the dashboard feel cheap, while the center console with its delicate ‘mobile phone keys’ now looks dated. We regularly hear complaints about expensive used car prices. This 10-year-old Focus with more than 140,000 kilometers still has to fetch almost 9.5 grand. Fortunately, the Bovag warranty is included and the car is in good condition.
Signaling
Brand Ford
Type Focus Wagon 1.0 EcoBoost 125 hp Econetic Edition Plus
Construction year September 2014
Mileage 142,861
Asking price €9,445
Where to buy? Bynco, Amsterdam
Technical data
Engine 3 cyl. in-line, 995 cc, turbo
Max. assets 92 kW/125 hp at 6,000 rpm
Max. couple 200 Nm at 1,800 rpm
Luggage compartment 476 l/1,502 l
Max. trailer braked 1,200 kilos
Avg. consumption 1:19.6
0-100 km/h 11.5 sec
Top speed 193 km/h
All data according to factory specifications
Renault Mégane Estate TCE 115 Energy Limited – 2016 – 121,796 kilometers – €9,995
While the Focus Wagon is designed for the more active driver, comfort seekers traditionally get their money’s worth in a French product. Reason for us to grab a Renault Mégane Estate. What to think of this Renault Megane: slightly more expensive than the Focus, but also two years younger and less experience. The Frenchman has worn out two owners and is waiting for his third in Hoogblokland. The Bovag guarantee also applies here. The KD-444-K is a Limited version, but this one turns out to be almost perfect unlimited. Almost everything that is on the Focus is also found in the Renault, where the parking automatic and the heated windscreen have made way for an electric glass panoramic roof, automatically folding exterior mirrors, privacy glass rear and roof rails.
Furthermore, no sports seats have been fitted and that is because the approach of this occasion is different, namely comfort. The steering is light and somewhat distant. As a result, you feel little of what is happening below you, partly due to the comfortable chassis. This is equipped with a flexible combination of shock absorbers and springs, where the former sometimes have a difficult time. That is not surprising: the CMF platform also housed the Espace, Kadjar and Talisman as well as the Nissan Qashqai – all more good-natured than dynamic. Up for a Mégane? Then know that the Estate offers more interior space in the back than the hatchback, but that the Focus is slightly more spacious. With its luggage space, the Mégane again has a slight advantage, despite its sloping roofline. The braked towing weight is also higher (1,500 kilos), the performance is comparable, but the one-liter three-cylinder of the Focus is somewhat more economical than the 1.2-liter four-cylinder that houses under the Mégane hood. What does match is the neat condition. In any case, Renault has made considerable progress in terms of build quality and reliability.
Signaling
Brand Renault
Type Megane Estate TCe 115 Energy Limited
Construction year August 2016
Mileage 121,796
Asking price €9,995
Where to buy? Car company Van Iperen, Hoogblokland
Technical data
Engine 4 cyl. in-line, 1,198 cc, turbo
Max. assets 85 kW/115 hp at 4,500 rpm
Max. couple 190 Nm at 2,000 rpm
Luggage compartment 524 l/1,600 l
Max. trailer braked 1,500 kilos
Avg. consumption 1 in 18.9
0-100 km/h 11.2 sec
Top speed 190 km/h
All data according to factory specifications
Opel Astra Sports Tourer 1.0 Turbo Innovation – 2017 – 133,827 kilometers – €9,950
After a dynamic and comfortable four-wheeler, we finally show you a more unpretentious occasion: the Opel Astra Sports Tourer. In Drenthe we find this Opel Astra: the youngest of our trio, a mileage that is in between and yet not the highest priced, and the Bovag warranty also applies here. This favorable price may be due to the entry-level engine that the R-971-NR (March 2017, in our country since October 2022 and has had one owner since then) has. 105 hp is indeed just about for the most spacious pack mule of this trio (540 to 1,630 liters of stowage space). Now this Astra is not only a lot lighter than its obese predecessor, but also weighs the least of the four-wheelers portrayed (1,178 kilos. Focus: 1,216 kilos, Mégane: 1,259 kilos). As a result, it does not compromise on performance, but it is the most economical. However, we would recommend a stronger version if you regularly want to conquer the Alps with a full pack plus caravan (braked towing capacity: 1,150 kilos), which also applies to the other two.
The interior and dashboard are neat and sleek and lean more towards the Mégane than the Focus. However, the piano paint is a dust collector, not to mention greasy fingers. There is enough space at the front and back, the furniture with a combination of fabric and artificial leather is pleasant. The model shown is an Innovation. We repeat ourselves: this occasion is also richly decorated. Compared to the Mégane, it lacks the electrically operated panoramic roof, but has more modern features such as an electric tailgate, traffic sign and lane recognition and DAB+ radio. This Astra model drives much more lightly than its predecessor. You can parry a bend quite hard, while the carriage barely leans over. Loosening the throttle results in a slightly looser rear end. Quite entertaining, but you do notice that the chassis is designed for greater power than the 105 hp of this ‘blue Blitz’.
Signaling
Brand Opel
Type Astra Sports Tourer 1.0 Turbo Innovation
Construction year March 2017
Mileage 133,827
Asking price €9,950
Where to buy? Autobedrijf Wemmenhove BV, Zuidwolde
Technical data
Engine 3 cyl. in-line, 999 cc, turbo
Max. assets 77kW/105 hp at 5,500 rpm
Max. couple 170 Nm at 1,800 rpm
Luggage compartment 540 l/1,630 l
Max. trailer braked 1,150 kilos
Avg. consumption 1:21.7
0-100 km/h 11.8 sec
Top speed 195 km/h
All data according to factory specifications
Which 10 grand C-segment station wagon appeals to you most?
Once the cornerstone of society, now displaced by the crossover. Yet there is a lot to be said for the traditional C-segment station wagon. Spacious enough, but not unwieldy in busy urban areas. There is little to complain about in terms of equipment, while you can keep operating costs under control. This time the pack mules from the Focus, Astra and Mégane families were featured, but the range is much larger: 308, Tipo, Leon, Golf and a whole host of Asians… What would your choice be?
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl