R32 v S4 v 330i v A.N.Other

[Legend83]

It's been a few months now since I sold the MX5 and although the Civic in diesel guise is a good workhorse, I am getting itchy and thinking about what I could get to replace it that would:

- be much more fun
- not be diesel
- have more than 4 cylinders

but still be as practical and dependable.

The wife has the 5 pot S Max to lug the kids around and I am almost jealous!

With trade-in for the Civic of about £5k (WBAC valuation) I could probably scrape to £8k.

So shortlist at present includes:

- Golf R32 mkV. Love the idea of the engine and the 4WD - solid and safe.
- B6 S4 Avant. Everybody needs a V8 in their lives...
- E90 330i Touring. The benchmark for enjoyable driving and a sweet engine.

My commute is a 16 mile round trip of mainly B roads and country lanes so MPG not particularly important. Golf is attractive as my route is pretty hairy in winter.

The other thought was to sell the Civic and buy an RX8 and get an engine rebuild - could possibly break even on that transaction!

Thoughts?

[300bhp/ton]

Legend83 said:

B6 S4 Avant. Everybody needs a V8 in their lives...

This may be true, but I'm not convinced this is the way too do it. The Audi lump is heavily muted and even ones I've heard with aftermarket exhausts on haven't exactly sounded all that great.

Not a bad car I suspect, but lacking the passion a little. If you want an S4 the lighter less front heavy biased 2.7TT is probably a better bet and easier to extract more power from. It also has the better looking Audi grill not the goaty gone wrong look.

Legend83 said:

It's been a few months now since I sold the MX5 and although the Civic in diesel guise is a good workhorse, I am getting itchy and thinking about what I could get to replace it that would:

- be much more fun
- not be diesel
- have more than 4 cylinders

but still be as practical and dependable.

The wife has the 5 pot S Max to lug the kids around and I am almost jealous!

With trade-in for the Civic of about £5k (WBAC valuation) I could probably scrape to £8k.

So shortlist at present includes:

- Golf R32 mkV. Love the idea of the engine and the 4WD - solid and safe.
- B6 S4 Avant. Everybody needs a V8 in their lives...
- E90 330i Touring. The benchmark for enjoyable driving and a sweet engine.

My commute is a 16 mile round trip of mainly B roads and country lanes so MPG not particularly important. Golf is attractive as my route is pretty hairy in winter.

The other thought was to sell the Civic and buy an RX8 and get an engine rebuild - could possibly break even on that transaction!

Thoughts?

Is an estate or hatchback the only answer?? What sort of things will it need to carry?

In your thread title you say R32.... now that sounds sensible to me, but it would be a Nissan.

[Colonial]

Legacy 3.0RB might fit the bill.

[IanRubie]

OK, it fails on the more than 4 cyl specification but what about a Subaru Forester? For 8k you are getting into STi territory, for a lot less you could have a 2.5XT with a cheeky remap.

[Mr Roper]

Youtube S4 Miltek...then report back.

[Legend83]

300bhp/ton said:

Is an estate or hatchback the only answer?? What sort of things will it need to carry?

In your thread title you say R32.... now that sounds sensible to me, but it would be a Nissan.

2 x reasonably practical cars (one very) seems to work for us at the moment. That said, I don't need it to be quite as spacious as the Civ (which has a class-leading boot size) but more than 2 sears is a requirement unfortunately!

Re Skyline - just not into hard-core Jap-mobiles.

[SuperchargedVR6]

Legend83 said:

- Golf R32 mkV. Love the idea of the engine and the 4WD - solid and safe.

Test drive a MK4 as well because it felt like a more coherent package to me.

Sadly, the UK never got a MK4 DSG, only the US and Europe. It would have been quite a weapon

[Ranger 6]

Legend83 said:

...My commute is a 16 mile round trip of mainly B roads and country lanes so MPG not particularly important. 130i

Golf is attractive as my route is pretty hairy in winter. 130i with winter tyres

[Legend83]

Ranger 6 said:

Love the 130i as an idea BUT do you reckon I could fit a double buggy in the boot if required?

[CrisW]

300bhp/ton said:

Legend83 said:

B6 S4 Avant. Everybody needs a V8 in their lives...

This may be true, but I'm not convinced this is the way too do it. The Audi lump is heavily muted and even ones I've heard with aftermarket exhausts on haven't exactly sounded all that great.

Could be wrong but I thought that the v6 was heavier than the v8. v6 is I think an iron block.

[Renn Sport]

BMW E90 330i sounds the most fun out of those choices.

[st4]

BMW330i and winter tyres for the bad weather. Reliable, capable, fun, relatively economical. One of the finest real world cars you can buy?
Or used merc E500 or E55 estate?

[Rich A]

A Focus ST is the only other option that jumps immediately to mind.

[Legend83]

Rich A said:

A Focus ST is the only other option that jumps immediately to mind.

Considered these but:

a) find the image hard to swallow; and

b) already have the 5 pot engine in the S Max so would be nice to have something differentn (although granted it is a lovely motor).

[300bhp/ton]

CrisW said:

Could be wrong but I thought that the v6 was heavier than the v8. v6 is I think an iron block.

I don't know engine weights, but I'm pretty sure kerb weights went up with the V8 model.

[300bhp/ton]

How about a tidy e36 M3 Evo? I seriously can't understand why you wouldn't, if mpg doesn't matter much and you want a fast fun car. The M3 spanks any 330. They even did a 4 door saloon version if you need the extra practicality.

Would an Alfa Brera be in budget yet?

[Legend83]

300bhp/ton said:

How about a tidy e36 M3 Evo? I seriously can't understand why you wouldn't, if mpg doesn't matter much and you want a fast fun car. The M3 spanks any 330. They even did a 4 door saloon version if you need the extra practicality.

Would an Alfa Brera be in budget yet?

Brera is a lovely looking car but having been in one, it is a reverse tardis inside.

Ngh, blashpemy I know, but I am not a massive fan of the E36 shape plus I wanted something a bit newer. Good shout though.

I considered the Legacy B spec previously and am still a fan (although SWMBO is not - she likes the S4 idea).

Seriously - how impractical is the 1 series? I have only heard good things about the 130i. Anything I need to beware of when looking at that or the 330i saloon / touring?

[Ranger 6]

Legend83 said:

Love the 130i as an idea BUT do you reckon I could fit a double buggy in the boot if required?

I don't know to be honest - ours was a single buggy as the older child was out of a buggy by then.

I imagine it would if it's a Maclaren folding type.

[ITP]

330i at 8k will be an 05-07 n52, which is better than the later engine. I would however advise 2 things. Get a manual and DONT get one with the navigation system. Just as I was selling mine last year, an 05, it all went pear shaped, luckily I had extended the warranty but not many will and it wasn't an easy fix, much £'000's.

Apart from that get a sorted 156gta SW instead and spend more on upkeep but 0 on depreciation.

[Slow]

Nissan staegea or whatever its called.

Skyline in estate form and 4wd