UK CAR  Used car review Volkswagen Bora 2.0 Sport

The VW Bora saloon :
A hybrid of a car not too dissimilar from the Golf and Passat.
Volkswagens new Jetta! or Vento. Maybe not but it is similar in size and it fits well into the middle class market.

Volkswagen Bora 2.0 Sport. Four door saloon 1999.

In general appearance the Bora looks very tasty. 
It has a look of style and strength it sits very well on the road. 
The Bora is well proportioned with ample interior room and it is very modern looking with its stylish headlamps and full colour coding of the bumpers and mirror housings.
The six spoke alloy rims and the sports tyres do also enhance the general appearance of this four door saloon car.

Modern lighting and integrated front fog lamps make the front of this car very classy.

The Bora like many modern saloons comes with many features which are now pretty much standard and taken for granted.

The Bora Sport has a three spoke sports leather coated steering wheel which is very ergonomic and gives the car a feeling of quality. 
Electric operated windows front and rear are standard which are very conveniently operated from the drivers door. 
Head rests are fitted both front and rear. 

The radio cassette has several speakers and a bass box hidden in the rear quarter panel for that added sound enhancement. As a factory fitted item you would be hard pushed to replace it for anything better without making your car a travelling jukebox.

Driver comfort is assured with fully adjustable seating and lumbar support,  height adjustable seat belts are also fitted for fit all sized people and safety. 

The glove box compartment is small but it does house the instruction manuals and have somewhat makeshift cup holders fitted. Why these are still cast into the plastic is a mystery when there is a very good cup holding system in the middle of the dash area.

The engine which powers this car is a 1994cc four cylinder.  The engine is transverse mounted and outputs a modest 115 bhp which takes this car to 60 mph from standing in a sluggish 11 seconds.  The Bora has a top speed of 121 mph and is very efficient on fuel giving up-to 45 mpg.  VW like many other makes now uses plastic engine cover to enhance appearance and quieten the engine noise.

The engine is fully controlled electronically for the best power and fuel ratios, it has a multi point fuel injection system with a catalytic converter fitted as standard. 
The ignition system is fully electronic and very reliable.
Driving the Bora is very easy and comfortable but the engine does not perform as well as you would think. It is not the most lively unit and does not rev as well as the modern multi valve units.
The gear box is very much a VW unit with the reverse gear next to first and the ratios for all the gears are normal. Not a lot to comment on but that the gear change is very much as any other VW.

The suspension on the car is independent and the handling is quite assured. The car has quite hard springs and may not be to all tastes but I do personally prefer harder suspension and firm road holding which the Bora does have.
Power assisted steering is standard on most VW cars now and the Bora does have what is now unusual not to have. The assistance is well balanced and combined with the steering wheel the general feel to the steering is first class.

Braking is servo assisted with front ventilated discs and antiquated braking drums being fitted to the rear. Anti lock braking is also fitted the brakes do perform well in normal driving but I would be somewhat concerned with rear braking drums when driving hard for prolonged periods.

The Bora has lots of safety systems fitted including drivers passenger and side air bags, side impact protection fitted as standard in the doors. Pre tensioned seat belts are also fitted as standard.

The Bora also has like many other makes  a transponder style key which is uniquely coded to the car. If the key is not used to start the car and force or other means are tried the engine management system will not run the engine.
The current range of VW cars are very difficult to steal and the locking systems are very good.

VW is very much now a world player in the motor industry with its involvement with Rolls Royce, Seat, Skoda and so on. 
The Bora is a middle of the road production car and the Sport version is only modestly better than the SE.
The general drive is good with I must say good handling but why badge this car as a SPORT? It is not very sporty a 2.0 Mondeo estate is quicker to sixty and is only 2 mph slower flat out. And the Mondeo is heavier.
I guess it is for the appearance and trim that this VW got its name. I am not so sure I would own one with all of the alternatives in the market place but then I must say that the Bora is very much like the Golf which is a super car and a super seller. The prejudice towards this car is somewhat difficult to figure out.

In complement terms however the build quality and paint finishing is typical of VW and this does account for a great deal. The seating is both secure and comfortable and the cockpit is very easily used and understood.

The luggage area is well proportioned with a split rear seats for that little extra when you need it.
There is a small luggage net supplied and a small compartment for a multi change cd system.

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