Giulietta, 330i or S60 D5?
Discussion
A bit of an odd mix but each one ticks different boxes.
All are under £13k, under 50k miles, cheap(ish) to run, nippy, and 4/5 doors.
2011 Alfa Giulietta 1.8 Cloverleaf - Pretty but maybe lacking performance (hot hatch, sexy looks, not the best reviews though)
2009 BMW 330i SE - Drivers machine but just another BMW (quickest of the 3, RWD fun, straight 6 rumble, but nothing special to look at and 2yrs older)
2011 Volvo S60 D5 R-Design - Bit different but sensible (cheapest to run, slowest, I'd put it 2nd on looks)
Alfa wins on looks and the BMW is the best performance. Is the Volvo a happy medium or does it just plain average? Any advice is much appreciated!
thanks,
LD
(ps. when I say cheap to run that's compared to my V6 Brera at £505 tax and 20mpg!!)
All are under £13k, under 50k miles, cheap(ish) to run, nippy, and 4/5 doors.
2011 Alfa Giulietta 1.8 Cloverleaf - Pretty but maybe lacking performance (hot hatch, sexy looks, not the best reviews though)
2009 BMW 330i SE - Drivers machine but just another BMW (quickest of the 3, RWD fun, straight 6 rumble, but nothing special to look at and 2yrs older)
2011 Volvo S60 D5 R-Design - Bit different but sensible (cheapest to run, slowest, I'd put it 2nd on looks)
Alfa wins on looks and the BMW is the best performance. Is the Volvo a happy medium or does it just plain average? Any advice is much appreciated!
thanks,
LD
(ps. when I say cheap to run that's compared to my V6 Brera at £505 tax and 20mpg!!)
Cheers for the replies, guys.
Good point Truckosaurus. I'm doing around 11k-12k miles per year. Fuel bill is generally getting on for £300 per month. And at 73,000mi on the clock a few bits and pieces are wearing out. I can get a small loan and a 5yr old car for about the same as I'm paying now to keep the Brera on the road. I will miss it. Makes this choice so much harder!
My main issue with the BMW is that it's just nothing special to look at. I like driving something a bit different. I guess I'd hoped someone was going to reply saying the Volvo is surprisingly great, or the Alfa's reviews are overly harsh. Looks like it's not the case!
LD
Good point Truckosaurus. I'm doing around 11k-12k miles per year. Fuel bill is generally getting on for £300 per month. And at 73,000mi on the clock a few bits and pieces are wearing out. I can get a small loan and a 5yr old car for about the same as I'm paying now to keep the Brera on the road. I will miss it. Makes this choice so much harder!
My main issue with the BMW is that it's just nothing special to look at. I like driving something a bit different. I guess I'd hoped someone was going to reply saying the Volvo is surprisingly great, or the Alfa's reviews are overly harsh. Looks like it's not the case!
LD
The Giulietta was an outside bet to start with really. If people had come on raving about them I may have been swayed, but there's just not enough draw there...plus I've owned an Alfa now. Never owned a Beemer or Volvo.
Really appreciate the advice, everyone. Sounds like I need to take the 330i and S60 for a spin and then see if I've got my sensible head on or not!
btw P700DEE, the XKR was on the shortlist for a while but with the threat of offspring in the coming years I've decided to stick to something with back doors!
Really appreciate the advice, everyone. Sounds like I need to take the 330i and S60 for a spin and then see if I've got my sensible head on or not!
btw P700DEE, the XKR was on the shortlist for a while but with the threat of offspring in the coming years I've decided to stick to something with back doors!
Update:
Took the Guilietta and a V40 D5 for a spin.
Guilietta - Major negative was the pedals. Footwell was so cramped and pedals too close together. That said, it's a nice place to be and feels quick. Thought there wasn't enough feedback through the steering wheel though.
V40 D5 - It's a big, comfy family car that will blast down motorways on long runs but it's just not sporty, which I guess was to be expected. I just don't think I'm that old/mature yet! But, it is nice inside and I can see why they're so popular. A lot to like, but not what I'm looking for.
The shortlist now consists of the 330i, 2.0TSi DSG Scirocco, or Type R GT. Still can't get enthusiastic over the BMW, so stuck between the Rocco and CTR. The search continues!!
Took the Guilietta and a V40 D5 for a spin.
Guilietta - Major negative was the pedals. Footwell was so cramped and pedals too close together. That said, it's a nice place to be and feels quick. Thought there wasn't enough feedback through the steering wheel though.
V40 D5 - It's a big, comfy family car that will blast down motorways on long runs but it's just not sporty, which I guess was to be expected. I just don't think I'm that old/mature yet! But, it is nice inside and I can see why they're so popular. A lot to like, but not what I'm looking for.
The shortlist now consists of the 330i, 2.0TSi DSG Scirocco, or Type R GT. Still can't get enthusiastic over the BMW, so stuck between the Rocco and CTR. The search continues!!
Unfortunately, since my 1st post my budget has dropped considerably. Combination of wedding and the fiancée's car going kaput! Now looking at around £9k, depending largely on what I get for the Brera.
ZX10R NIN,
Audi has the same issue for me as the BMW. Just too many around. And if I did go Big-3 German it'd be the 3-Series.
The Mazda 3 MPS is one I'd looked at but I think the CTR is top of the Jap list for me.
Rocco will be comfier, better built, more refined. Downside: would have to cover the filler cap with 1,001 stickers and hang one of those Hawaiian flower necklaces (a Lei apparently) from the rear-view mirror.
CTR will be a little racer, more of a driver's car. Downside: have to spend any spare cash on mods and tell anyone who'll listen how high it revs.
330i is probably the sensible compromise. Just have to get over the drab looks. Downside: need to unlearn how indicators work and buy a bluetooth ear-piece that I never take off.
Cheers yet again for the advice PHers!
dontfollowme said:
No Golf GTI?
A good point and I did spend a long time looking at GTis (even took an ED35 for a test drive), but if I went GTi I'd want the mk6, and now can't afford it. Personally not such a fan of the mk5 looks.ZX10R NIN,
Audi has the same issue for me as the BMW. Just too many around. And if I did go Big-3 German it'd be the 3-Series.
The Mazda 3 MPS is one I'd looked at but I think the CTR is top of the Jap list for me.
Rocco will be comfier, better built, more refined. Downside: would have to cover the filler cap with 1,001 stickers and hang one of those Hawaiian flower necklaces (a Lei apparently) from the rear-view mirror.
CTR will be a little racer, more of a driver's car. Downside: have to spend any spare cash on mods and tell anyone who'll listen how high it revs.
330i is probably the sensible compromise. Just have to get over the drab looks. Downside: need to unlearn how indicators work and buy a bluetooth ear-piece that I never take off.
Cheers yet again for the advice PHers!
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