Time for an upgrade maybe? (Golf, Leon, Octavia)
Discussion
Hi, I'm new to the forum and I'm looking for a bit advice.
I've been considering a change of car for a little while now but I'm unsure in which direction to go. I currently drive a 1999 Audi A3 1.8t, doing about 10 - 12k a year. The car it self is about to tick over to 160k miles (still drives incredibly well mind) so I think its probably time for a change.
My commute is 30 miles (20 miles of bypass, 10 miles of A roads) and the car achieves 30 mpg. Now, whilst mpg isn't a massive issue, I really don't want to be getting much less than this as it can prove expensive.
I have about £9 - £10k to play with and the cars that I have been looking at are various VAG models, Golf GTI mk5, Seat Leon Cupra mk2 even the Octavia Vrs as all these offer the same kind of performance and economy as the Audi (the Leon seems a lot more potent to be fair).
I'm more drawn to the Leon because of the performance on offer compared to the Golf and the Skoda but there is a part of me that wants to put my sensible cap on and go for the diesel derivatives (GT TDi, FR 170, Vrs TDi)...
Would there be any major benefits to this?
How much of a increase in mpg would i most likely see?
Would the added cost offset this gain in mpg?
Would it be a massive drop in real world performance?
The cars I'm looking at are all between 4-6 years old, would there be any major issues with these cars at this age?
How much legs do you think the Audi has in it? I know they're strong but to me 160k seems really high.
I've been considering a change of car for a little while now but I'm unsure in which direction to go. I currently drive a 1999 Audi A3 1.8t, doing about 10 - 12k a year. The car it self is about to tick over to 160k miles (still drives incredibly well mind) so I think its probably time for a change.
My commute is 30 miles (20 miles of bypass, 10 miles of A roads) and the car achieves 30 mpg. Now, whilst mpg isn't a massive issue, I really don't want to be getting much less than this as it can prove expensive.
I have about £9 - £10k to play with and the cars that I have been looking at are various VAG models, Golf GTI mk5, Seat Leon Cupra mk2 even the Octavia Vrs as all these offer the same kind of performance and economy as the Audi (the Leon seems a lot more potent to be fair).
I'm more drawn to the Leon because of the performance on offer compared to the Golf and the Skoda but there is a part of me that wants to put my sensible cap on and go for the diesel derivatives (GT TDi, FR 170, Vrs TDi)...
Would there be any major benefits to this?
How much of a increase in mpg would i most likely see?
Would the added cost offset this gain in mpg?
Would it be a massive drop in real world performance?
The cars I'm looking at are all between 4-6 years old, would there be any major issues with these cars at this age?
How much legs do you think the Audi has in it? I know they're strong but to me 160k seems really high.
Your current steed will probably have a fair few miles in it yet - any recent major work?
The others will probably not get much better economy - maybe 40mpg, certainly dwarfed by the spend on a new car that you're thinking of.
It's not especially helpful, but over 12k miles the difference between 20mpg and 30mpg is less than £1500. That's not a lot (overall, especially on a 10k car's costs), and if it really worries you keep a fuel fund out of your purchase budget. i.e. Expand your horizons past boring diesel hatches!
The others will probably not get much better economy - maybe 40mpg, certainly dwarfed by the spend on a new car that you're thinking of.
It's not especially helpful, but over 12k miles the difference between 20mpg and 30mpg is less than £1500. That's not a lot (overall, especially on a 10k car's costs), and if it really worries you keep a fuel fund out of your purchase budget. i.e. Expand your horizons past boring diesel hatches!
Edited by Krikkit on Thursday 28th March 09:16
No where near 40mpg from any of those cars, except the diesels, but even they aren't as economical as claimed.
MK5 GTIs average about 30mpg also, but they are a bit more economical when cruising along at 70. Go anywhere near boost and the economy takes a sharp nose dive.
The 2.0 TFSI is a nice step up from the 1.8T. Smoother and torquier. The MK5 platform is also a huge leap forward over the MK4 also. Good cars.
Or if you like your VAGs, consider getting something older and more interesting and offseting the fuel costs against the lower purchase price. £6K for example will buy you a very tidy 5 door MK4 R32. They average 26-28 as standard and 28-30 after a remap. Many people argue it's slow and over rated, but these people just change gear too early and obviously aren't aware of what happens past 4000rpm and the chassis is very grippy with plenty of traction. Just another option....
Oh and MK4s are £270 VED unlike MK5s which attract the wallet clobbering £475 VED.
MK5 GTIs average about 30mpg also, but they are a bit more economical when cruising along at 70. Go anywhere near boost and the economy takes a sharp nose dive.
The 2.0 TFSI is a nice step up from the 1.8T. Smoother and torquier. The MK5 platform is also a huge leap forward over the MK4 also. Good cars.
Or if you like your VAGs, consider getting something older and more interesting and offseting the fuel costs against the lower purchase price. £6K for example will buy you a very tidy 5 door MK4 R32. They average 26-28 as standard and 28-30 after a remap. Many people argue it's slow and over rated, but these people just change gear too early and obviously aren't aware of what happens past 4000rpm and the chassis is very grippy with plenty of traction. Just another option....
Oh and MK4s are £270 VED unlike MK5s which attract the wallet clobbering £475 VED.
Edited by SuperchargedVR6 on Thursday 28th March 09:33
It had a full belt and water pump service a year ago and new front tyres at the same time. New pads and discs all round + rear calipers about 8-9 months ago and a new clutch a couple of months ago when it went pop. I have invested a lot into it over the past year but I think its probably time to move on, I need the reliability of something a bit newer.
I like the look of the mk5, so does the missus but I cant help thinking about the bang for your buck the Leon offers. I'm sure the Golf is a much nicer place to sit mind.
As for an R32, I'm not convinced. Its quite a machine and the 4wd is a massive bonus, its just that I can see the prices plummeting as petrol get more pricey.
I like the look of the mk5, so does the missus but I cant help thinking about the bang for your buck the Leon offers. I'm sure the Golf is a much nicer place to sit mind.
As for an R32, I'm not convinced. Its quite a machine and the 4wd is a massive bonus, its just that I can see the prices plummeting as petrol get more pricey.
If you want more bang for your buck, look at the MK5 GTI Edition 30. That will map up to 300hp as it has the same larger turboed engine the Leon does, but as with all of the TFSI motors, expect the mpg to drop like a brick once you start tweaking 
Nobody wants perceived gas guzzlers these days, so that is a good point about the R32 and something to consider if the car is an investment, but as I say, it's just perception. The reality is R32s are more economical, day to day, than people realise and the MK5 turbo platform is less so. But people always favour hearsay over actual experience.
MK5 GTIs can also be had for around the £6K mark, so MK4 R32s aren't really dropping that much comparatively speaking. I would also argue that in a few years time when people are bored rigid of dull 4 cylinder engines and staring at the mpg meter instead of the road ahead, cars like the R32 will see a resurgence in interest.
Nobody wants perceived gas guzzlers these days, so that is a good point about the R32 and something to consider if the car is an investment, but as I say, it's just perception. The reality is R32s are more economical, day to day, than people realise and the MK5 turbo platform is less so. But people always favour hearsay over actual experience.
MK5 GTIs can also be had for around the £6K mark, so MK4 R32s aren't really dropping that much comparatively speaking. I would also argue that in a few years time when people are bored rigid of dull 4 cylinder engines and staring at the mpg meter instead of the road ahead, cars like the R32 will see a resurgence in interest.
jonowhitey said:
It had a full belt and water pump service a year ago and new front tyres at the same time. New pads and discs all round + rear calipers about 8-9 months ago and a new clutch a couple of months ago when it went pop. I have invested a lot into it over the past year but I think its probably time to move on, I need the reliability of something a bit newer.
I'd say keep the A3 and get some more value out of all the money you've thrown at it recently.When it comes to mileage, 200k is the new 100k.
SuperchargedVR6 said:
I would also argue that in a few years time when people are bored rigid of dull 4 cylinder engines and staring at the mpg meter instead of the road ahead, cars like the R32 will see a resurgence in interest.
Love your optimism...jonowhitey said:
Unfortunately it has to be a hatch, marriage + children beckon. Otherwise I would be tempted by an Integra Type R DC5... 
Estate? Plenty of quick, interesting ones out there!Keep the A3 tbh, you sound happy enough with it.
Edited by Krikkit on Thursday 28th March 10:23
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