Sagaris, Exige or Noble....
Sagaris, Exige or Noble....
Author
Discussion

The GMan

Original Poster:

2,508 posts

284 months

Thursday 2nd September 2010
quotequote all
I'm looking for another car and these 3 have caught my attention, anyone have experience of all 3? I’m going to be using the car on an almost daily basis, and expect to put a few miles on it and fully understand the maintenance costs. One other thing while away on business during the week the car will be parked up outside whatever hotel I’m at, so I don’t what something that is going to be temperamental if caught in a heavy rain downfall or if it’s cold overnight.

Am I stupid for contemplating one of these, should I be looking at a 911 Turbo? Or are they more than capable if well maintained?

Don1

16,795 posts

237 months

Thursday 2nd September 2010
quotequote all
A well-covered subject. Here is a thread. Have a search for others... (the google search isn't great, but it'll do!)

Edited by Don1 on Thursday 2nd September 10:29

The GMan

Original Poster:

2,508 posts

284 months

Thursday 2nd September 2010
quotequote all
Yeah read through some of the threads, and a lot seemed to be more track focused then using as a daily driver.

I reckon for what I need the Sagaris is probably the better all rounder. Back in Newcastle at the weekend might have to call in at HHC.

MattyB_

2,332 posts

286 months

Thursday 2nd September 2010
quotequote all

Sagaris would be my choice as a daily compared to the other two. Its my understanding that they respond far better to being used regularly too, rather than just as sunday cars.

They certainly win in the 'drama' stakes!

The Lukas

2,773 posts

223 months

Thursday 2nd September 2010
quotequote all
Sagaris wins hands down for me on drama, grin factor, noise, looks, pedigree and fun.

But that's coming from someone with little experience with all 3 choices so take my advice like a pinch of salt smile

DJC

23,563 posts

265 months

Thursday 2nd September 2010
quotequote all
G - for an owners perspective on running the Sag, go on auto-journals and search for the Sag account.

robsco

7,875 posts

205 months

Thursday 2nd September 2010
quotequote all
Though I can't offer any real life experiences, it would be the Sag for me.

Don1

16,795 posts

237 months

Thursday 2nd September 2010
quotequote all
I've just read the rest of your post G-Man, and I can offer some advice about the 911/Sagaris.

The 911 is the one you want if you are going to use it every day as a normal car. It is mind-alteringly fast, reliable etc etc etc. Boring!

The Sag is insane, and a real joy to drive. I would suggest that it is a little too special to be used every day, day in, day out. Use it regually, of course, but as a daily driver, to take stuff to the tip, supermarket car parks....?

DJC

23,563 posts

265 months

Friday 3rd September 2010
quotequote all
Don1 said:
I've just read the rest of your post G-Man, and I can offer some advice about the 911/Sagaris.

The 911 is the one you want if you are going to use it every day as a normal car. It is mind-alteringly fast, reliable etc etc etc. Boring!

The Sag is insane, and a real joy to drive. I would suggest that it is a little too special to be used every day, day in, day out. Use it regually, of course, but as a daily driver, to take stuff to the tip, supermarket car parks....?
Don is wrong. It handles those tasks just fine.

justin220

5,743 posts

233 months

Friday 3rd September 2010
quotequote all
Sagaris by far for me. I've had a T350 and Exige before, and will own a Sagaris one day!

The Sagaris and T350 are pretty similar in size etc, so feel I can comment. The TVR IMO is much more usable day to day than the Exige, which I found to be a bit of a pain after a while. The small boot and getting in and out just annoyed me after a while. The drama of the TVR is worth the extra money aswell. Noise, looks, all in favour of the Sag.

Not had much dealings with the Nobles, but I wasn't keen on the interior or the exterior if I'm honest.

The GMan

Original Poster:

2,508 posts

284 months

Friday 3rd September 2010
quotequote all
DJC said:
G - for an owners perspective on running the Sag, go on auto-journals and search for the Sag account.
I read the review late last night, really good info.


DJC

23,563 posts

265 months

Friday 3rd September 2010
quotequote all
The GMan said:
DJC said:
G - for an owners perspective on running the Sag, go on auto-journals and search for the Sag account.
I read the review late last night, really good info.
Any questions?

The GMan

Original Poster:

2,508 posts

284 months

Friday 3rd September 2010
quotequote all
DJC said:
The GMan said:
DJC said:
G - for an owners perspective on running the Sag, go on auto-journals and search for the Sag account.
I read the review late last night, really good info.
Any questions?
Yes a couple, which may sound stupid but I'm going to ask them.

Is the opening on the bonnet a concern if parked up in rain/snow general bad weather? Also battery life if left parked for a week or two at say an airport?

DJC

23,563 posts

265 months

Friday 3rd September 2010
quotequote all
Battery life is fine. Left mine for 2 weeks, no problem.

The bonnet is ok mostly. Pain in the arse trying to put it back on when getting wet..you aint going to do it quickly and stay dry put it that way. Position of the water tower, half under and half exposed by the opening. Its a sod, need dextrous hands or to learn the knack. Dont ask me what the knack is, I never learnt it!

blackiepaul

1,973 posts

223 months

Friday 3rd September 2010
quotequote all
No problems with the bonnet openings - I opened mine up more. No problems in leaving it for weeks at the airport either (i have not done this but I have left it in a garage for 8 weeks, came home and started it up first time).

Mine is slightly different to how it was though now.






The GMan said:
DJC said:
The GMan said:
DJC said:
G - for an owners perspective on running the Sag, go on auto-journals and search for the Sag account.
I read the review late last night, really good info.
Any questions?
Yes a couple, which may sound stupid but I'm going to ask them.

Is the opening on the bonnet a concern if parked up in rain/snow general bad weather? Also battery life if left parked for a week or two at say an airport?

Don1

16,795 posts

237 months

Friday 3rd September 2010
quotequote all
DJC said:
Don is wrong. It handles those tasks just fine.
I didn't say it couldn't. I'm saying it's too special (especially the amount of crap, building rubble etc that I take to the tip!).

The GMan

Original Poster:

2,508 posts

284 months

Friday 3rd September 2010
quotequote all
Don1 said:
DJC said:
Don is wrong. It handles those tasks just fine.
I didn't say it couldn't. I'm saying it's too special (especially the amount of crap, building rubble etc that I take to the tip!).
Mrs GMan has a little Corsa VXR at the minute which will be used for the mundane stuff.

The GMan

Original Poster:

2,508 posts

284 months

Friday 3rd September 2010
quotequote all
[quote=blackiepaul]No problems with the bonnet openings - I opened mine up more. No problems in leaving it for weeks at the airport either (i have not done this but I have left it in a garage for 8 weeks, came home and started it up first time).

Mine is slightly different to how it was though now.



...slighty different...

Jesus you said it....What is that like to drive with the swap?


sjc

16,415 posts

299 months

Friday 3rd September 2010
quotequote all
The link posted earlier is in the TVR forum, so the views might be slightly biased? I've had 4 TVRs, and 2 Nobles with an M400 now.I drove the Sagaris before I got the 2nd Noble(I sold the first with an out of the blue offer I couldn't refuse)to make sure I wasn't missing anything. I wasn't,it simply convinced me having tried everything else to get another Noble. I couldn't dream of using any of the TVRs every day,until recently the M400 has done just that, clocking up 28,000 miles in 3 years and being way more reliable than my wifes CLS and its replacement Discovery.No silly bills,never left me stranded, a grin everyday, always gets attention in a positive way and it's held it's money brilliantly.The Exige is a cracking car along similar lines,think of the Noble as a grown up one.

RobM77

35,349 posts

263 months

Friday 3rd September 2010
quotequote all
A nice to decision to have to make smile I've been in a Sagaris as a passenger, and driven the other two (M400 Noble, and an Exige S). The quickest of the three was undoubtedly the Noble M400 (it's got the same on paper stats as an F40!!), although the turbo lag wound me up; I found it difficuly to balance the car on a part throttle without the turbios winding up, and I found the carbon effect steering wheel a right pain because it was a hot day and my sweaty hands couldn't hold it at quarter to three, because annoyingly that's where they put the carbon bits... The Sagaris feels and looks the most special without a doubt, and the Exige is just gloriously driveable and loveable down a nice twisty B road. A hard decision!

To be quite frank though, if I was doing long journeys on business I wouldn't want to do it in any of these three. I ran an Elise as my only car for three years and long motorway journeys weren't something I relished at all. Whilst these cars won't be as loud as my Elise, they're hardly GTs (although perhaps the Sagaris is, but it's still noisy due to the fat tyres). Once the first few weeks of ownership novelty had worn off, I genuinely wouldn't want to take a Noble on a 4 hour motorway journey to a hotel somewhere for work. I won't go so far as to own a crappy old FWD diesel for such journeys, but I'd get something economical and neat handling like a 320d, and perhaps get a cheaper Exige/Elise. Boring, but from experience of running one, two and three cars over the years I know it's the solution that would make me most content. There's also the issue of selling the car on and the cost of running it. I wouldn't want to see the per mile costs of a Sagaris or Noble that did 10k miles a year, or be the person trying to sell a 50k mile example...