'S' spec worth the extra ££££'s ?

[scorcher]

We have decided that our next car ( currently griff 500) is going to be a MK1 Tuscan convertable (was going to be a Tam but missus thinks it looks a bit soft from front head on view)and now have a few Q's.

Does an 'S' feel significantly better/quicker /planted/twitchier etc on the road compared to a non'S'.And is it worth the extra outlay (IYHO's of course)My thinking was that if I drove a realy good 4.0 and then drove a bad 'S' then the diference may not be apparent especially in test drive conditions .
Springs/dampers and clutches seem to need replacing quite regulary.What sort of mileages/age should I be looking out for these in service historys.( how much for a clutch replacement? )
Any other high cost item ( apart from engine) that wears/self destructs quite regulary?
Hydratrak optional or Std and are they problematic /worth having/avoiding
Any other annoying quirks?or helpful advice?
Thanks

[T66ORA]

I test drove a 03 S recently, and to be honest with the upgrades which have been done to my 2000 Tuscan( for sale ) i couldn`t notice any big difference, my advice is to buy on conditon/spec/price.......not badge, i have wanted a S for a couple of years but after that drive, i decided against it, may be i`ve just got a good standard car?
We Eventually went for a Tamora as the Mrs can drive it better than a Tuscan, allowing us to go to a two car family again

[cerbyt]

Been a few years since I had a go in a standard Tuscan but I remeber it feeling nowhere near as good as my 2002 S!! S every time in my opinion......but I'm biaised!

[rralston]

T66ORA said:

I test drove a 03 S recently, and to be honest with the upgrades which have been done to my 2000 Tuscan( for sale ) i couldn`t notice any big difference, my advice is to buy on conditon/spec/price.......not badge, i have wanted a S for a couple of years but after that drive, i decided against it, may be i`ve just got a good standard car? We Eventually went for a Tamora as the Mrs can drive it better than a Tuscan, allowing us to go to a two car family again

Yep - difference between the S and standard Tuscan can vary massively. Choose the body shape you prefer then buy on condition and history. Some so called standard Tuscan's have enough Red Rose bits to make them near as damm the same as a good S (not that I'm biased of course )

[T66ORA]

rralston said:

T66ORA said: I test drove a 03 S recently, and to be honest with the upgrades which have been done to my 2000 Tuscan( for sale ) i couldn`t notice any big difference, my advice is to buy on conditon/spec/price.......not badge, i have wanted a S for a couple of years but after that drive, i decided against it, may be i`ve just got a good standard car? We Eventually went for a Tamora as the Mrs can drive it better than a Tuscan, allowing us to go to a two car family again (not that I'm biased of course )

Or me