What Car Next?
Discussion
OK, so here’s my dilemma – I’m looking to change car and have a budget of £10k for something fun and interesting. It can be 2 or 4 door, preferably soft top and have a fair turn of acceleration.
My current car is a Mk4 Golf GTi 1.8T, which whilst it’s a great car, it’s not really worthy of the GTi badge. The engine is fine (though 200bhp would have been better), but it just doesn’t handle as well as my old Golf Mk2 GTi 16v. That's a car I miss.
Stuff I’m considering – E46 BMW 330Ci Sport, Audi TT 3.2, Boxster S (but worried about engine going bang), SLK 350.
Thought it would be interesting to see if anyone here has any suggestions, or thoughts about the ones above?
Note: I fully reserve the right to totally ignore any advice given!
Gerrard.
My current car is a Mk4 Golf GTi 1.8T, which whilst it’s a great car, it’s not really worthy of the GTi badge. The engine is fine (though 200bhp would have been better), but it just doesn’t handle as well as my old Golf Mk2 GTi 16v. That's a car I miss.
Stuff I’m considering – E46 BMW 330Ci Sport, Audi TT 3.2, Boxster S (but worried about engine going bang), SLK 350.
Thought it would be interesting to see if anyone here has any suggestions, or thoughts about the ones above?
Note: I fully reserve the right to totally ignore any advice given!
Gerrard.
Edited by horizon on Friday 17th August 20:52
Edited by horizon on Friday 17th August 20:58
Thanks Roystinho - It'd be a second car so not have to be very practical, but I would like to take it on periodic long trips away for the weekend up to 200 miles away. I'm not looking to do track days, it'd be my every day car.
Z3M Roadster is a good thought. Elise is a little too track focused and minimalist.
Thanks.
Z3M Roadster is a good thought. Elise is a little too track focused and minimalist.
Thanks.
SLK350 is a hugely underated car. Enjoyed ours, and benefit of coupe like when roof is up.
At 10k you cant get into a 987 Box, and the 986 is really rather dated now, so I'd seriously consider the Merc.
We had a 3.2 Cab TT, and this is also a far nicer car to drive than most internet keyboard warriors would have you believe...
At 10k you cant get into a 987 Box, and the 986 is really rather dated now, so I'd seriously consider the Merc.
We had a 3.2 Cab TT, and this is also a far nicer car to drive than most internet keyboard warriors would have you believe...
Edited by edo on Wednesday 22 August 17:12
Thanks Billzeebub, but I've read horror stories of the intermediate shaft going pop in Boxster's, no warning at all and regardless of servicing. Don't really fancy an £8k bill. I did test drive one and was close to buying until I did the research. Porsche naturally denying the problem, but frequently fund the repairs if maintained at one of their main dealers.
More here - http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2008/11/wild-ass-...
Chimaera is an interesting thought, will have to take a look at those.
More here - http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2008/11/wild-ass-...
Chimaera is an interesting thought, will have to take a look at those.
Edited by horizon on Wednesday 22 August 17:35
Edited by horizon on Wednesday 22 August 17:36
RenesisEvo - So the larger engine in the TT blunts handling? E46 M3 Cabrio is one I'd considered previously but thought may be a bit harsh for day to day use. I should think about it again.
In terms of running costs, I'm not too worried about fuel consumption with it being a second car (only doing around 8k miles / year), that said I'd hope to average around 30mpg. As for insurance, being the wrong side of 40 should make most things viable.
I guess my only worry would be if something expensive went pop, like an ECU or some other equivalent. I did wonder about an Mercedes CL600 (Bi-Turbo, V12, 500bhp) that I saw advertised for £9k but daren't imagine how expensive that would be to fix.
edo - Funny you should champion the SLK, I have a friend looking to sell hers, typical one lady owner and full MB service history. What did you think of the handling of the TT 3.2? You're right about chassis, that's key to handling and sadly what lets my Golf down.
Paraicj - S2000, good thought. I did test drive on of those a few years ago. A brilliant car but you really have to get the revs up (6,000+) for it to sparkle. Reminded me a lot of my old MG Midget, except handled better and was a little quicker!
In terms of running costs, I'm not too worried about fuel consumption with it being a second car (only doing around 8k miles / year), that said I'd hope to average around 30mpg. As for insurance, being the wrong side of 40 should make most things viable.
I guess my only worry would be if something expensive went pop, like an ECU or some other equivalent. I did wonder about an Mercedes CL600 (Bi-Turbo, V12, 500bhp) that I saw advertised for £9k but daren't imagine how expensive that would be to fix.
edo - Funny you should champion the SLK, I have a friend looking to sell hers, typical one lady owner and full MB service history. What did you think of the handling of the TT 3.2? You're right about chassis, that's key to handling and sadly what lets my Golf down.
Paraicj - S2000, good thought. I did test drive on of those a few years ago. A brilliant car but you really have to get the revs up (6,000+) for it to sparkle. Reminded me a lot of my old MG Midget, except handled better and was a little quicker!
horizon said:
RenesisEvo - So the larger engine in the TT blunts handling? E46 M3 Cabrio is one I'd considered previously but thought may be a bit harsh for day to day use. I should think about it again.
In terms of running costs, I'm not too worried about fuel consumption with it being a second car (only doing around 8k miles / year), that said I'd hope to average around 30mpg. As for insurance, being the wrong side of 40 should make most things viable.
I guess my only worry would be if something expensive went pop, like an ECU or some other equivalent. I did wonder about an Mercedes CL600 (Bi-Turbo, V12, 500bhp) that I saw advertised for £9k but daren't imagine how expensive that would be to fix.
edo - Funny you should champion the SLK, I have a friend looking to sell hers, typical one lady owner and full MB service history. What did you think of the handling of the TT 3.2? You're right about chassis, that's key to handling and sadly what lets my Golf down.
Paraicj - S2000, good thought. I did test drive on of those a few years ago. A brilliant car but you really have to get the revs up (6,000+) for it to sparkle. Reminded me a lot of my old MG Midget, except handled better and was a little quicker!
My chassis commment was for the TVR - ref rot, not handling!In terms of running costs, I'm not too worried about fuel consumption with it being a second car (only doing around 8k miles / year), that said I'd hope to average around 30mpg. As for insurance, being the wrong side of 40 should make most things viable.
I guess my only worry would be if something expensive went pop, like an ECU or some other equivalent. I did wonder about an Mercedes CL600 (Bi-Turbo, V12, 500bhp) that I saw advertised for £9k but daren't imagine how expensive that would be to fix.
edo - Funny you should champion the SLK, I have a friend looking to sell hers, typical one lady owner and full MB service history. What did you think of the handling of the TT 3.2? You're right about chassis, that's key to handling and sadly what lets my Golf down.
Paraicj - S2000, good thought. I did test drive on of those a few years ago. A brilliant car but you really have to get the revs up (6,000+) for it to sparkle. Reminded me a lot of my old MG Midget, except handled better and was a little quicker!
I never had a problem with the handling of our TT. Sounded great too.
Even better when it snowed (admittedly the winter tyres helped): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIZeco6ajok&fea...
kambites said:
The cars you mention are terribly dull for second cars. If the Elise is too focussed for you I'd be going for a TVR. If you must have some German, get the Boxster; IMS/RMS failures are massively over-hyped.
Thanks Kambites - When I say second car, it would be my only car, the other would be my partners more practical car that I'd have access to at weekends. As such mine needs a reasonable level of practicality and cope with some long (200+ mile) trips.I know what you mean about the Boxster, I tried really hard to convince myself, but there is just too much evidence of this out there and I'd always be driving with that worry in the back of my mind and wondering if the next time I gave it the beans if it'd be the last. I'm gutted as it's the obvious choice (I always thought Porsche was know for reliability a great bonus in a car of this class), but this just doesn't seem to be the case.
TVR is something I'll consider though. And thanks to edo, I'll make sure that when I look at them I'll check the chassis!
horizon said:
RenesisEvo - So the larger engine in the TT blunts handling?
Yes, according to everything I've heard from various reliable sources - I will state I've not driven a V6, or even a 'normal' TT, (I have a quattro sport, which is quite different - see my thread in Readers Cars if you want to know more). They're not terrible, but going from a Golf I suspect it would be too similar (it is based on the Golf after all), but if you are looking for fun and involving handling I would look elsewhere.I owned a Mk 1 225BHP 1.8T TT for a few years and found it a competent usable car (albeit with typical dull Audi steering). When the 3.2 came out I took it for a good extended test drive. Lovely engine and I really liked the non stop power from the DSG, but it just under steered into every single roundabout. Thoroughly disappointing. Got back in the 1.8T after handing the keys back and it was just so much better. Maybe the 3.2 can be improved with some front suspension changes, but out of the box it's shocking.
A couple years later I went BMW and haven't looked back (except in the snow). I'm now in a 1M as a daily driver and whilst it's harsh at times, I absolutely love it. My money here would be on the E46 M3, or as has been suggested a lovely Z3M
A couple years later I went BMW and haven't looked back (except in the snow). I'm now in a 1M as a daily driver and whilst it's harsh at times, I absolutely love it. My money here would be on the E46 M3, or as has been suggested a lovely Z3M
My mate has a TT 3.2 and it seems a nice car, lots of grip, nice noise, DSG gearbox makes very fast changes, comfortable, nice place to be. Didn't feel as fast as I thought it would (although he said he wasn't pushing it, but I dunno - he was going pretty quick!) and he did say the handling was a little too "easy", very much point and squirt. Overall though, he really likes it. As a second car though? Nah.
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