My question: is the 110 HP engine powerful enough for this car? I am not intending to drive 200km/h with this car (where in Switzerland to do so?! :-) ) but uphill roads in mountains in CH?
Thanks in advance for your comments and advice!
Looking to buy a second-hand combi car and have narrowed down our choices to Skoda Octavia or VW Golf. Recently found a VW Golf 1.6 TDI DSG from 2013 with about 68'000 km.
yes, this is absolutely sufficient in Switzerland as the car has plenty of torque.
It's not so very long ago that a car with that power, torque and weight would have been considered a sports car. Indeed, purely by coincidence the original VW Golf gti produced 110PS and was the first real 'hot hatch'.
but the original gti weighs about half of a golf 6
A sports car from over 1300KG that can't even get tip the 200km/h?
It's not a lot but it's enough. Depends on what you are used to really. Being a diesel the torque will feel enough though. Try it and see.
Mobility carsharing should have the octavia with the 1.6 diesel, you could try it there too.
If you're going to be driving in the alps I would get a 4X4 or even a RWD and definitely not a diesel. FWD tend to slip more due to the lack of upfront weight. Especially on hills and if they are Golfs!
Since when, all other things equal, is RWD preferable to FWD in snowy mountain areas?
I would always prefer RWD in a heavier car in the mountains. I had 2 RWD auto BMW's, I overtook plenty of stuck Audi A4's & Quashqui's.
FWD will bury itself in deep snow, I got stuck twice with chains.
I find the right winter tires count for the most, then comes experience at winter driving. I've had the best results with RWD, forget FWD, generally do as well as AWD, sometimes better. YMMV.
While I am sure you guys have experience, and I am sure RWD can be well-handed in the snow with good tyres and electronic assists, I can't find a single professional article online saying RWD is preferable to or safer than FWD in snow.
https://www.motorists.org/blog/winte...d-fwd-awd-4wd/
I just see people stuck by the side of the road, those journalists don't spend much time in the Alps. I have just bought my 21st season lift pass in Chamonix. I never bothered with chains unless stopped by the Police going up to Verbier on a Friday night.
I guess it's the same with Financial journalists, they need a job to live.