Help me pick a new car!

[PhilUK]

Innowaybored said:

Mini Cooper S

Then save the rest of your money.

If you want something that looks stunning, is getting rare but isn't that quick then a Alfa 159 Ti with Bose upgrade. This would save you thousands on your budget as well.

IF you want something quicker but equally rare and a real Q car then Saab 9-5 Aero. Spend a bit more on the sound system because the stock one is rubbish. These are laughably cheap at the moment.

I appreciate the suyggestions, but I just don't like the look of any of them. The Saab is just a bit to plain for my liking. It's shallow, I know.

It's between the TTS and the Megane for me right now.

[hufggfg]

I've had a couple of Meganes (an R26 and an R26.R) and despite regularly driving some of the best drivers cars going, I still pine for another Megane. If the 275 Trophy was another £5-10k cheaper I would be swapping the 135i for one right now.

[PhilUK]

So, you have the Standard which is a 250, the Cup which is 265 and the Trophy which is 275?

I can't find much used for the Trophy, is it a new model?

Thanks.

[hufggfg]

I think it's a bit more complicated than that, I don't remember entirely, but I think it's something like... Initially there was a 250, which was available with Cup spec (LSD and suspension differences). Then they upgraded to the 265, which was also available with Cup spec, there was also a Trophy special edition (Cup plus a few other bits, such as akrapovic exhaust). Then it went to 275 (I can't remember, but maybe all 275s are Cups), and the Trophy was a special edition of the 275.

While it's certainly the "best" (aside from the stripped out Trophy-R), I don't think there have been any 275 Trophys sub £20k yet, but I guess 265 Trophys are somewhere around £15k.

[PhilUK]

hufggfg said:

I think it's a bit more complicated than that, I don't remember entirely, but I think it's something like... Initially there was a 250, which was available with Cup spec (LSD and suspension differences). Then they upgraded to the 265, which was also available with Cup spec, there was also a Trophy special edition (Cup plus a few other bits, such as akrapovic exhaust). Then it went to 275 (I can't remember, but maybe all 275s are Cups), and the Trophy was a special edition of the 275.

While it's certainly the "best" (aside from the stripped out Trophy-R), I don't think there have been any 275 Trophys sub £20k yet, but I guess 265 Trophys are somewhere around £15k.

Thanks. I've spoken with a couple of my car friendly friends and mentioned both the Megane and the TTS. Both said the Renaults are of poor quality, although I did point out that they have Recaro seats and are of a higher quality. And they both said that the TT was more of a 'ladies' car. But when I showed them the pictures they were more enthusiastic about them.

[hufggfg]

It's amazing that people still think French cars are poor quality, when any assessment of facts (rather than anecdotes) seems to suggest otherwise.

See: http://www.jdpower.com/press-releases/2015-uk-vehi...

Renault are just below average (though the lowest French manufacturer), and are WAY above Audi.

[Blanchimont]

PhilUK said:

So, you have the Standard which is a 250, the Cup which is 265 and the Trophy which is 275?

I can't find much used for the Trophy, is it a new model?

Thanks.

the 250 was available in cup and non cup. They boosted the power a few years later (2012 IIRC) to 265, and the Trophy is 275.

[unsprung]

PhilUK said:

unsprung said:

Some not-so-usual suspects...

MINI JCW

Mazda RX-8

Alfa Romeo 159

Mustang (say 2011, 2012)

In terms of the Mustang, you mean an import?

For your given budget, you can buy a quality Mustang in the UK or import one, yourself.

Each of the not-so-usual suspects above addresses your qualitative criteria in a distinct way, without going to the usual hot-hatch candidates.

[PhilUK]

unsprung said:

For your given budget, you can buy a quality Mustang in the UK or import one, yourself.

Each of the not-so-usual suspects above addresses your qualitative criteria in a distinct way, without going to the usual hot-hatch candidates.

I don't think that I could drive one of them, they're massive! But they do look amazing. I went and had a look at my local Ford dealer at the 5L monster they've got there, and it is awesome.

I've been thinking about a 2008-2009 Boxter 987. I was told tyre changes are like £1000 for a whole set, but when I looked on a local tyre garage it had normal and even budget tyres. Does this seem right? Pirelli and Continental etc for the normal £100-£120?

Also it seems that a service could cost a bomb from a dealer but aside from the £60K (£700), a yearly service from a specialist independent garage would only be around £250. Pads and disks I can do myself, so really, it's not all that bad.

The insurance is £1200/year but whatever, I can afford that and it'll come down after a year or two. Am I dreaming or are the running costs a lot more affordable than it seems?

Edited by PhilUK on Tuesday 16th February 01:40

Edited by PhilUK on Tuesday 16th February 01:40

[PhilUK]

The Cayman does seem to be in budget if I were to get a 2006-2008. But I think that maybe the Porches of that age could require a fair amount of work, even if I were to get a low mileage one.

The TTS seems like a good bet, but the Cayman and Boxster are candidates also.