Small, fast, auto, £4k. Am I barking up the wrong tree?
Discussion
confused_buyer said:
Dave200 said:
Slowly coming around to this way of thinking. I had initially worked myself into a bit of a corner with the DSG TT idea, as it seemed to offer so much practicality in such a small package. However, looking at the back seats of one I passed today, I can't see that they would be of much use to anyone with a head.
The SLK is out, because we might occasionally need to carry more than one weekend bag - so perhaps it's time I drove a Crossfire.
Crossfires drive quite "old school" Merc. They're certainly not very inspiring to drive but are easy to drive and, despite initial appearances, very comfortable long distance cruisers. As long as you don't expect a sports car they are OK and certainly brisk enough with the 3.2 engine.The SLK is out, because we might occasionally need to carry more than one weekend bag - so perhaps it's time I drove a Crossfire.
Dave200 said:
confused_buyer said:
Dave200 said:
Slowly coming around to this way of thinking. I had initially worked myself into a bit of a corner with the DSG TT idea, as it seemed to offer so much practicality in such a small package. However, looking at the back seats of one I passed today, I can't see that they would be of much use to anyone with a head.
The SLK is out, because we might occasionally need to carry more than one weekend bag - so perhaps it's time I drove a Crossfire.
Crossfires drive quite "old school" Merc. They're certainly not very inspiring to drive but are easy to drive and, despite initial appearances, very comfortable long distance cruisers. As long as you don't expect a sports car they are OK and certainly brisk enough with the 3.2 engine.The SLK is out, because we might occasionally need to carry more than one weekend bag - so perhaps it's time I drove a Crossfire.
Mercedes c32 Amg - http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...
You can get the small 2004 ish onwards Volvo S40 saloon with the T5 engine (225bhp tune, same as the Focus ST) and a 5 speed auto for that sort of budget. Nice left field choice.
A colleague had a Mk2 TT with that 3.2 litre VR6 engine and it made the most unpleasant noise from a 6 cylinder engine I've ever heard. Very artificial and all exhaust driven, oddly enough not a patch on the humble Mondeo Duratec V6 in the sound stakes. I'd also be wary of a dual clutch auto if it's going to be creepy crawling along in traffic all the time.
A colleague had a Mk2 TT with that 3.2 litre VR6 engine and it made the most unpleasant noise from a 6 cylinder engine I've ever heard. Very artificial and all exhaust driven, oddly enough not a patch on the humble Mondeo Duratec V6 in the sound stakes. I'd also be wary of a dual clutch auto if it's going to be creepy crawling along in traffic all the time.
Edited by dme123 on Thursday 23 April 17:07
0a said:
Mercedes c32 Amg - http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...
It's £1k over budget, and longer than the E90 it would be replacing. Am I missing something?mrf said:
Hmm I'd be tempted by something dirt cheap for central london (as its more than likely going to get dinged, scratched, scraped, trashed by stop start traffic etc)
Spend the rest on something fun and find some covered long stay parking to keep it in?
A lovely idea, but £4k wouldn't even pay for a year's covered parking where we live.Spend the rest on something fun and find some covered long stay parking to keep it in?
mrf said:
205GTI...there seemingly were some autos out there built for the Jap market...
Not for the motorway driving, thanks!dme123 said:
You can get the small 2004 ish onwards Volvo S40 saloon with the T5 engine (225bhp tune, same as the Focus ST) and a 5 speed auto for that sort of budget. Nice left field choice.
A nice idea, but practically the same size as the E90.this has sold but gives a good idea of what's available 
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2004-04-CHRYSLER-CROSSFI...
over budget but with a little "... 'owd out yer 'and..." could be bang on the money
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2004-04-CHRYSLER-CROSSFI...
over budget but with a little "... 'owd out yer 'and..." could be bang on the money
furrywoolyhatuk said:
350z
I would say this, although its not actually that small, couple available for that money.What about the Smart Roadster Coupe, Small and fun when you need it to be (most of the time) motorway might be chore but I am pretty certain you can figure out how to pack a load of stuff into one when needed.
Did they do a Civic Type R in an Auto? that would tick most boxes wouldn't it?
I think your ideas are pretty decent.
Have you considered a BMW Mini?
I know- and agree with- your reservations about small cars for the occasional trips that need some motorway ability. However, Minis do motorways better than many small cars, and better than some bigger ones. If the idea appeals in town but you're worried about longer trips, test drive one on a motorway before striking one off your shopping list.
At the other end of the scale, expanding on your BMW E46 Compact theme: Any E46 will be shorter than your E90 and the turning circle is great, meaning you can take advantage of that short length and get into even tighter gaps.
(I know nothing about Crossfires except what I've read, so I'll leave comments on those to others.)
Have you considered a BMW Mini?
I know- and agree with- your reservations about small cars for the occasional trips that need some motorway ability. However, Minis do motorways better than many small cars, and better than some bigger ones. If the idea appeals in town but you're worried about longer trips, test drive one on a motorway before striking one off your shopping list.
At the other end of the scale, expanding on your BMW E46 Compact theme: Any E46 will be shorter than your E90 and the turning circle is great, meaning you can take advantage of that short length and get into even tighter gaps.
(I know nothing about Crossfires except what I've read, so I'll leave comments on those to others.)
blearyeyedboy said:
I think your ideas are pretty decent.
Have you considered a BMW Mini?
I know- and agree with- your reservations about small cars for the occasional trips that need some motorway ability. However, Minis do motorways better than many small cars, and better than some bigger ones. If the idea appeals in town but you're worried about longer trips, test drive one on a motorway before striking one off your shopping list.
At the other end of the scale, expanding on your BMW E46 Compact theme: Any E46 will be shorter than your E90 and the turning circle is great, meaning you can take advantage of that short length and get into even tighter gaps.
(I know nothing about Crossfires except what I've read, so I'll leave comments on those to others.)
Absolutely love the idea of a MINI, but unfortunately the auto thing trips us up here. In budget we either have an asthmatic 115bhp auto, or a 160bhp manual. Neither fit the bill, otherwise it wouldn't have got as far as a thread on here.Have you considered a BMW Mini?
I know- and agree with- your reservations about small cars for the occasional trips that need some motorway ability. However, Minis do motorways better than many small cars, and better than some bigger ones. If the idea appeals in town but you're worried about longer trips, test drive one on a motorway before striking one off your shopping list.
At the other end of the scale, expanding on your BMW E46 Compact theme: Any E46 will be shorter than your E90 and the turning circle is great, meaning you can take advantage of that short length and get into even tighter gaps.
(I know nothing about Crossfires except what I've read, so I'll leave comments on those to others.)
Just picked up an a3 2.0 tfsi dsg for £3.6k on a 55 plate. 3dr so nice and compact and suits London driving to a tee but also quite nice to drive when things open up. Stage 1 map will bump it to 240 bhp when I get bored. Probably not as chuckable as a mk5 gti but not bad at all and a better place to spend time in. A lot cheaper comparably also.
Edited by mocca on Friday 24th April 19:16
I thought this deserved a quick update by way of feedback. Work has meant that I haven't managed to make as much progress as I would have liked - so my efforts will be renewed!
Crossfire: Mega disappointment. I arrived wanting to love it, and realised it wasn't for me within 100m of the test drive. The driving position is just awful - pedals offset right, seats too high/flat, no wheel adjustment.
A3: Dullsville. I could have been in any one of a hundred automatic hatchbacks. I don't mind making trade-offs, but this is too far down that road for me.
TT: Scotch mist. I cannot find one that I would want to own/drive in budget - perhaps this is telling.
325ti: TBC. I haven't yet been able to summon the enthusiasm to test one, which in itself probably rules it out.
The result
Time to throw more money at the problem, and perhaps relax the size parameters a tiny bit.
I can't find anything that does what I want for £4k, so I'm going to go drive the following with a budget of £6-6.5k:
- TT 3.2 DSG
- Z4 3.0 convertible auto
- Boxster 2.7 tiptronic
- 350Z coupé auto/tip
- Mk5 Golf GTi DSG
- SLK32 (although I think it's probably too small, the performance is hard to ignore)
Any thoughts/hints/tips from owners/drivers would be appreciated.
Crossfire: Mega disappointment. I arrived wanting to love it, and realised it wasn't for me within 100m of the test drive. The driving position is just awful - pedals offset right, seats too high/flat, no wheel adjustment.
A3: Dullsville. I could have been in any one of a hundred automatic hatchbacks. I don't mind making trade-offs, but this is too far down that road for me.
TT: Scotch mist. I cannot find one that I would want to own/drive in budget - perhaps this is telling.
325ti: TBC. I haven't yet been able to summon the enthusiasm to test one, which in itself probably rules it out.
The result
Time to throw more money at the problem, and perhaps relax the size parameters a tiny bit.
I can't find anything that does what I want for £4k, so I'm going to go drive the following with a budget of £6-6.5k:
- TT 3.2 DSG
- Z4 3.0 convertible auto
- Boxster 2.7 tiptronic
- 350Z coupé auto/tip
- Mk5 Golf GTi DSG
- SLK32 (although I think it's probably too small, the performance is hard to ignore)
Any thoughts/hints/tips from owners/drivers would be appreciated.
Vaud said:
The 350z coupe is quite addictive; mikes a nice noise, bit plasticky on the inside but pretty comfy. Sightly thirsty but well worth a try. Watch the RFL differences; 1st of april 2006 is the current cut off for the cheaper tax.
Have you tried the auto/tip gearbox? I'm trying to compare it to the (brilliant) BMW offering.Vaud said:
It's her 1st 2 years that will hurt the most, regardless of postcode. Let's face it, a newly passed driver in a crowded city is a high risk for bumps and scrapes.
Depends - I put my wife on the insurance for a Civic Type-R shortly after passing her test, and with a bit of shopping around I was able to match the best quote I'd had for me alone. She was in her mid 20's at the time, though, and living in a rural area. Might not work out quite like that now that they can't discriminate on gender, I suppose.otolith said:
Vaud said:
It's her 1st 2 years that will hurt the most, regardless of postcode. Let's face it, a newly passed driver in a crowded city is a high risk for bumps and scrapes.
Depends - I put my wife on the insurance for a Civic Type-R shortly after passing her test, and with a bit of shopping around I was able to match the best quote I'd had for me alone. She was in her mid 20's at the time, though, and living in a rural area. Might not work out quite like that now that they can't discriminate on gender, I suppose.I'm a bit fed up with the usual insurance suspects (particularly those whose premiums who practically double for monthly payment!), and keen to put a bit of business the way of the smaller providers in exchange for a (slightly) more reasonable quote.
I've tried Adrian Flux and Footman James without any success at all. The former was significantly more expensive than the usual comparison site suspects, and the latter refused point blank to quote me.
Any recommendations?
It was a long time ago, so probably not relevant, but I think we ended up insuring it with Admiral. At the time, adding a newly qualified spouse actually reduced their quote to the best I was getting from anyone else without her on it. I think that was a peculiarity of their rating system, don't know if they still work like that.
otolith said:
It was a long time ago, so probably not relevant, but I think we ended up insuring it with Admiral. At the time, adding a newly qualified spouse actually reduced their quote to the best I was getting from anyone else without her on it. I think that was a peculiarity of their rating system, don't know if they still work like that.
Unfortunately, Admiral (group) are my current providers, and one of the worst offenders for adding ludicrous interest rates to monthly payment arrangements.Direct Line and Aviva also declined to quote, so I'm looking for a smaller broker with a perhaps more personal service.
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