Discussion
With my first born due on 31st Dec (no pub for me this nye) I need to change my car as my 206 GTi is not capable of logistics for a baby. Ive had Peugeots for 7 years so need to change manufacturers.
So I need summat bigger and I fancy summat japanese. Also to get around VED, I would want a pre 2001 vehicle.
I current thoughts are:
Civic Aerodeck 1.8 VTi
Impreza Wagon WRX
Any other suggestions are welcome (but no one suggest please me importing a Evo 9 wagon - i cant afford the bus fare to even think about that one).
So I need summat bigger and I fancy summat japanese. Also to get around VED, I would want a pre 2001 vehicle.
I current thoughts are:
Civic Aerodeck 1.8 VTi
Impreza Wagon WRX
Any other suggestions are welcome (but no one suggest please me importing a Evo 9 wagon - i cant afford the bus fare to even think about that one).
I can only comment on the scooby. The WRX wagon is a very capable car. They don't have as much room as a lot of estate cars but they will have more than enough for you, the Mrs and the ankle biter. The WRX will be very different to what you are used to. The AWD system and the chassis gives you enormous amounts of grip and the 2.0 boxer turbo engine will give you an estate car that will blow your 206 GTI into the weeds. Scoobys aren't that expensive to maintain; insurance can be a bit dear and they really do like a drink. My old WRX would get around 25-27 mpg on a long motorway run, but under normal driving with a bit of hooning I'd struggle to get more than 21-22mpg. They also prefer 99RON to 95RON which makes life even more expensive.
We're expecting our first baby in November and we're planning on using the STI to ferry the little blighter about it. They're strong reliable and safe cars that go, stop and grip very well. I'm a lot more confident about staying out of bother in the Impreza than some wallowy euro barge.
We're expecting our first baby in November and we're planning on using the STI to ferry the little blighter about it. They're strong reliable and safe cars that go, stop and grip very well. I'm a lot more confident about staying out of bother in the Impreza than some wallowy euro barge.
MY00 WRX Wagon 
Quick and very safe handling in all conditions, very practical with decent load space and when back seats are down it's big enough to chuck in a couple of bikes and associated gubbins, or a couple of washing machines if it's off to the scappies or whatever else you want to throw in. Bloody good reliable workhorse that will see off the likes of VTi's and other such like vehicles down any B-Road you like as standard and comfy on long journeys.
Not the best looking car in the world but generally Q-Car status isn't reserved for pretty haridressers cars as stealth is the name of the game here, and besides i think they have a very purposeful look about them. 3 seatbelts in the back with ISOFIX fixings for ease of installing baby seats and if i were going to crash i would prefer to do it in the Scooby as mechanically they are well built and tough as old boots.
Can be thirsty at 20-25mpg and really needs 98RON or better fuel but if that's not a prob then go for it. Service intervals every 10K miles. Just make sure you get a UK car with a full service history and you won't go wrong. The lower mileage the better and if it's done 50K miles then definately make sure it's got FSSH as they need a new cambelt at 50K and it ain't cheap.
Hope i haven't put you off looking at the ScoobyWagon, and yes i'm biased because i own one. Although mine isn't standard now when it was std it was brilliant out of the box
Go for it
Quick and very safe handling in all conditions, very practical with decent load space and when back seats are down it's big enough to chuck in a couple of bikes and associated gubbins, or a couple of washing machines if it's off to the scappies or whatever else you want to throw in. Bloody good reliable workhorse that will see off the likes of VTi's and other such like vehicles down any B-Road you like as standard and comfy on long journeys.
Not the best looking car in the world but generally Q-Car status isn't reserved for pretty haridressers cars as stealth is the name of the game here, and besides i think they have a very purposeful look about them. 3 seatbelts in the back with ISOFIX fixings for ease of installing baby seats and if i were going to crash i would prefer to do it in the Scooby as mechanically they are well built and tough as old boots.
Can be thirsty at 20-25mpg and really needs 98RON or better fuel but if that's not a prob then go for it. Service intervals every 10K miles. Just make sure you get a UK car with a full service history and you won't go wrong. The lower mileage the better and if it's done 50K miles then definately make sure it's got FSSH as they need a new cambelt at 50K and it ain't cheap.
Hope i haven't put you off looking at the ScoobyWagon, and yes i'm biased because i own one. Although mine isn't standard now when it was std it was brilliant out of the box
Go for it
Edited by ScoobieWRX on Monday 28th July 09:57
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
another option for you there are a steady stream of these coming into the country now
another option for you there are a steady stream of these coming into the country now
That's a mighty but very obscure bit of kit, not bad looking too 
IMHO i think the Autobox kills it with a 0-60 time of 7secs and top speed will be reasonably well affected too, and as the std option you would have to have had it specially specced with manual transmission from new. Also, what's all this about stability control??
I think the WRX handles pretty damn good without the stability control and the WRX makes your average crap driver look very good. The only stability control i need is my feet and they work every time!!
The WRX weighs about the same as the Caldina but i bet the manual MY00 WRX with the 225bhp is still quicker than a manual version Caldina with 260bhp. Scooby's put power down very well with a 0-60 time of 5.8secs, qtr mile time of 14.8secs and top speed of 146mph.
The TD04 Turbo isn't so big and picks up well from about 3000rpm std, and with the right decat uppipe from about 2600 with a lot more torque to boot!! When mine was still standard i saw an indicated 146mph on satnav with 152mph indicated on the clock so that's not bad at all. With a few small and inexpensive mods (Snorkus Mod - Free, Green Flat panel Air Filter - £45, decat uppipe - £130, and some mapping - £depends where you go, adds 40-50bhp to std no problem. Cheap mods for decent gains.
Get the Scooby!!
IMHO i think the Autobox kills it with a 0-60 time of 7secs and top speed will be reasonably well affected too, and as the std option you would have to have had it specially specced with manual transmission from new. Also, what's all this about stability control??
I think the WRX handles pretty damn good without the stability control and the WRX makes your average crap driver look very good. The only stability control i need is my feet and they work every time!!
The WRX weighs about the same as the Caldina but i bet the manual MY00 WRX with the 225bhp is still quicker than a manual version Caldina with 260bhp. Scooby's put power down very well with a 0-60 time of 5.8secs, qtr mile time of 14.8secs and top speed of 146mph.
The TD04 Turbo isn't so big and picks up well from about 3000rpm std, and with the right decat uppipe from about 2600 with a lot more torque to boot!! When mine was still standard i saw an indicated 146mph on satnav with 152mph indicated on the clock so that's not bad at all. With a few small and inexpensive mods (Snorkus Mod - Free, Green Flat panel Air Filter - £45, decat uppipe - £130, and some mapping - £depends where you go, adds 40-50bhp to std no problem. Cheap mods for decent gains.
Get the Scooby!!
very nice car pete
love the look of that model forester if I had the ££££ that would probably be my choice of car ;-)
BTW mine does not have the stability control it handles well enough for an estate car and does everything I need.
only plannimg a few low key mods like wheels when the current tyres are shot and exhaust when thats rots away just replace consumables with upgrades as and when needed.
Blew lots of cash on the celica prior to this car so am going to do this one over a longer period :-)
love the look of that model forester if I had the ££££ that would probably be my choice of car ;-)
BTW mine does not have the stability control it handles well enough for an estate car and does everything I need.
only plannimg a few low key mods like wheels when the current tyres are shot and exhaust when thats rots away just replace consumables with upgrades as and when needed.
Blew lots of cash on the celica prior to this car so am going to do this one over a longer period :-)
Very nice high speed bruiser but yours is a lot more money than an MY00 WRX Sportwagon.
Even an MY00 Forester STi will be more money than the MY00 WRX Sportwagon, and the standard MY00 2.5 Turbo Forester is too squidgy on the corners to be a contender.
Good compromise would be an MY99/00 STi Wagon and won't cost a lot more than the WRX Wagon for loads more performance and handling out of the box. Same practicality though.
When i bought my car and if my local stealership had an MY02 STi Wagon as well as the MY02 WRX sportwagon at the time i would probably have gone for the STi SportWagon instead of the WRX. However, having tested an MY02 STi 4dr saloon at the same time i prefered the handling of the wagon as it felt better planted round corners than the STi 4dr.
It was only my personal preference though
Even an MY00 Forester STi will be more money than the MY00 WRX Sportwagon, and the standard MY00 2.5 Turbo Forester is too squidgy on the corners to be a contender.
Good compromise would be an MY99/00 STi Wagon and won't cost a lot more than the WRX Wagon for loads more performance and handling out of the box. Same practicality though.
When i bought my car and if my local stealership had an MY02 STi Wagon as well as the MY02 WRX sportwagon at the time i would probably have gone for the STi SportWagon instead of the WRX. However, having tested an MY02 STi 4dr saloon at the same time i prefered the handling of the wagon as it felt better planted round corners than the STi 4dr.
It was only my personal preference though
Seen this one recently in the for sale section of the GTO club forum :
Mitsubishi Legnum VR-4, Type-S 1996 Auto
It has the same enige as the VR4 model of the 3000GT and i quiet like the looks of it.
After first pricedrop is was £ 3500, but it's now down to £ 2700, If you want details of the owner just let me know
magpie215 said:
may also be worth looking into the Subaru Legacy though I would be inclined to go for the GT-B version Bilstein shocks and 280 bhp
Legacy's are just as thirsty, even more so than a scooby wagon. That's the one thing that put me off a Legacy Spec B and that was the thirst factor although it's a huge estate and handles pretty decent too. Don't know about the GT-B (GRAVELBEN WHERE ARE YOU!!), i can only imagine it's as thirsty as the Spec B as it's probably similarly appointed.
What about a Caldina GTT?
article here: http://autospeed.com/cms/A_2843/article.html
article here: http://autospeed.com/cms/A_2843/article.html
autospeed said:
If high-performance cars are in a niche category in the overall scheme of manufacturer line-ups, a high-performance wagon must be intended for, well, for the most obscure minority. But it’s a formula that works very well – don’t think for a moment that a load-lugger can’t be a hot performer!
Here in Australia we’ve enjoyed a few performance wagons through the mid/late ‘90s – the Ford XR6 wagon, the Volvo T5 wagon and the mighty Subaru Impreza WRX wagon. All of which are now available quite cheaply second-hand.
But if you’re prepared to venture way, way outa the square you can have this – a Japanese-spec ST215 Toyota Caldina GT-T, circa late 1997 - 2002.
The Caldina follows a similar layout as the WRX – a turbocharged 2-litre in the nose, constant AWD, strut type suspension and a similar small/medium size body. But there’s one feature that really sets the Caldina GT-T apart – the optional electronic stability control. That’s right, this baby combines VSC (Vehicle Stability Control) with all-wheel-drive to ensure you come out of a corner smiling - even if you’ve plunged in at suicidal speed. It’s an extremely valuable safety net.
And the GT-T is the sort of car that puts its AWD and VSC to good effect – this is one quick point-to-point car.
Under the bonnet you’ll find the most powerful version of the 3S-GTE 2-litre turbo engine to come out of the Toyota factory. Forget the locally delivered Celica GT-4 Group A with its Do-It-Yourself extendable rear wing – this puppy out-muscles it by 13kW and 22Nm. With a large capacity turbocharger, top-mount air-to-air intercooler, a 9:1 static compression ratio and direct-fire ignition, we’re talking 191kW at 6000 rpm and 324Nm at 4400 rpm.
Interestingly, our test car – supplied by JDM Auto in Sydney, Australia – was equipped with the optional 4-speed automatic gearbox (a 5-speed manual was also offered by the factory). The auto trans version has a conventional overdrive lockout button which can be used when driving in D, but it also features sequential gear selection using buttons on the steering wheel. The programmed gearshift patterns are well matched to the engine, but there’s no escaping that this is a relatively old-school turbo engine – there’s no variable cam timing and, with a big turbocharger, there's little bottom-end torque.
The 3S-GTE comes on at about 3500 rpm and, if you’re accelerating with traffic at part throttle, you invariably need to ease off the pedal as boost pressure snowballs through the mid-range. But this is quick car when kept on boost. Weighing 1470kg in auto guise, the Caldina GT-T should offer similar performance to a WRX auto wagon – expect 7 second 0 – 100s.
The Caldina’s power-assisted steering is slightly slow around centre (though still well-weighted) and the four-wheel-strut suspension gives a firm but acceptable ride. The stiffness of the springs and dampers help keep body roll to a minimum while cornering and the Caldina is one of those cars that gives the driver tremendous confidence when pushing the limits – its combination of AWD and electronic stability control is hard to beat. Yes, the Caldina does have a tendency to understeer (the 205/60 15 tyres fitted to our test car had relatively poor dry road adhesion) but the stability control system keeps it within reasonable limits. The system works seamlessly – the only indication of its operation is an on-dash beeper and flasher unit. Braking comes from ABS-controlled four wheel discs – ventilated at the front.
So what about the practicality of the Caldina – this is, after all, the whole reason you’d pick it over a sedan.
The seats are supportive and, although the steering column is adjustable for angle only, it’s easy to find a comfortable driving position. Occupant space is pretty impressive with rear passengers enjoying good foot space and headroom. Rear cargo volume is about what you’d expect in a vehicle of this size but the perfectly flat fold/tumble rear seat is particularly neat. Storage trays can be found beneath the cargo floor, there’s a trim blind and Japanese standard 100V accessory sockets.
Other interior features include power windows, dual airbags, digital climate control, a grippy leather steering wheel and a basic range of purple-faced gauges.
If you’re not the sort of person to be ‘another WRX driver’ you’ll love the exclusivity of the Caldina. Sure, the proportions and overall styling are generic Japanese but at least most people haven’t seen one before! The GT-T also has subtle hints to its performance with a bonnet scoop, fog lights, skirts, rear spoiler and alloy wheels.
So how well does the Caldina GT-T stack up as a second-hand purchase?
Well, the example we drove was a pre-release version but it is expected the Caldina will be available for purchase from May/June 2006. JDM Auto says they'll retail from AUD$17990 - $26,990 depending on year, kilometres, transmission and options. The updated ST215 Caldina GT-T (from 2000 to 2002) are the most expensive as they come packed with Xenon headlights, a rear LSD and optional side airbags.
We imagine replacement body parts will be difficult to source but some driveline parts might be shared with the Celica GT4 Group A. Hot-up potential is huge given the immense capability of the chassis – a performance exhaust, air intake, intercooler and boost pressure tweaks would give enough performance to absolutely crush anyone’s belief that a wagon can’t be a true high-performance car!
Here in Australia we’ve enjoyed a few performance wagons through the mid/late ‘90s – the Ford XR6 wagon, the Volvo T5 wagon and the mighty Subaru Impreza WRX wagon. All of which are now available quite cheaply second-hand.
But if you’re prepared to venture way, way outa the square you can have this – a Japanese-spec ST215 Toyota Caldina GT-T, circa late 1997 - 2002.
The Caldina follows a similar layout as the WRX – a turbocharged 2-litre in the nose, constant AWD, strut type suspension and a similar small/medium size body. But there’s one feature that really sets the Caldina GT-T apart – the optional electronic stability control. That’s right, this baby combines VSC (Vehicle Stability Control) with all-wheel-drive to ensure you come out of a corner smiling - even if you’ve plunged in at suicidal speed. It’s an extremely valuable safety net.
And the GT-T is the sort of car that puts its AWD and VSC to good effect – this is one quick point-to-point car.
Under the bonnet you’ll find the most powerful version of the 3S-GTE 2-litre turbo engine to come out of the Toyota factory. Forget the locally delivered Celica GT-4 Group A with its Do-It-Yourself extendable rear wing – this puppy out-muscles it by 13kW and 22Nm. With a large capacity turbocharger, top-mount air-to-air intercooler, a 9:1 static compression ratio and direct-fire ignition, we’re talking 191kW at 6000 rpm and 324Nm at 4400 rpm.
Interestingly, our test car – supplied by JDM Auto in Sydney, Australia – was equipped with the optional 4-speed automatic gearbox (a 5-speed manual was also offered by the factory). The auto trans version has a conventional overdrive lockout button which can be used when driving in D, but it also features sequential gear selection using buttons on the steering wheel. The programmed gearshift patterns are well matched to the engine, but there’s no escaping that this is a relatively old-school turbo engine – there’s no variable cam timing and, with a big turbocharger, there's little bottom-end torque.
The 3S-GTE comes on at about 3500 rpm and, if you’re accelerating with traffic at part throttle, you invariably need to ease off the pedal as boost pressure snowballs through the mid-range. But this is quick car when kept on boost. Weighing 1470kg in auto guise, the Caldina GT-T should offer similar performance to a WRX auto wagon – expect 7 second 0 – 100s.
The Caldina’s power-assisted steering is slightly slow around centre (though still well-weighted) and the four-wheel-strut suspension gives a firm but acceptable ride. The stiffness of the springs and dampers help keep body roll to a minimum while cornering and the Caldina is one of those cars that gives the driver tremendous confidence when pushing the limits – its combination of AWD and electronic stability control is hard to beat. Yes, the Caldina does have a tendency to understeer (the 205/60 15 tyres fitted to our test car had relatively poor dry road adhesion) but the stability control system keeps it within reasonable limits. The system works seamlessly – the only indication of its operation is an on-dash beeper and flasher unit. Braking comes from ABS-controlled four wheel discs – ventilated at the front.
So what about the practicality of the Caldina – this is, after all, the whole reason you’d pick it over a sedan.
The seats are supportive and, although the steering column is adjustable for angle only, it’s easy to find a comfortable driving position. Occupant space is pretty impressive with rear passengers enjoying good foot space and headroom. Rear cargo volume is about what you’d expect in a vehicle of this size but the perfectly flat fold/tumble rear seat is particularly neat. Storage trays can be found beneath the cargo floor, there’s a trim blind and Japanese standard 100V accessory sockets.
Other interior features include power windows, dual airbags, digital climate control, a grippy leather steering wheel and a basic range of purple-faced gauges.
If you’re not the sort of person to be ‘another WRX driver’ you’ll love the exclusivity of the Caldina. Sure, the proportions and overall styling are generic Japanese but at least most people haven’t seen one before! The GT-T also has subtle hints to its performance with a bonnet scoop, fog lights, skirts, rear spoiler and alloy wheels.
So how well does the Caldina GT-T stack up as a second-hand purchase?
Well, the example we drove was a pre-release version but it is expected the Caldina will be available for purchase from May/June 2006. JDM Auto says they'll retail from AUD$17990 - $26,990 depending on year, kilometres, transmission and options. The updated ST215 Caldina GT-T (from 2000 to 2002) are the most expensive as they come packed with Xenon headlights, a rear LSD and optional side airbags.
We imagine replacement body parts will be difficult to source but some driveline parts might be shared with the Celica GT4 Group A. Hot-up potential is huge given the immense capability of the chassis – a performance exhaust, air intake, intercooler and boost pressure tweaks would give enough performance to absolutely crush anyone’s belief that a wagon can’t be a true high-performance car!
Edited by SkinnyBoy on Tuesday 29th July 08:56
Medic-one said:
It has the same enige as the VR4 model of the 3000GT and i quiet like the looks of it.
It doesn't me old mucker, the 3000GT VR4 has a 3 litre twin tub engine whereas the Galant/Legnum VR-4 has a 2.5 V6 Twin Turbo jobby with 260bhp as a pre facelift auto or 280bhp as a manual, 4wd, AYC from an Evo 4 and a few other bits'n'pieces. Good cars but thirsty.ScoobieWRX said:
magpie215 said:
may also be worth looking into the Subaru Legacy though I would be inclined to go for the GT-B version Bilstein shocks and 280 bhp
Legacy's are just as thirsty, even more so than a scooby wagon. That's the one thing that put me off a Legacy Spec B and that was the thirst factor although it's a huge estate and handles pretty decent too. Don't know about the GT-B (GRAVELBEN WHERE ARE YOU!!), i can only imagine it's as thirsty as the Spec B as it's probably similarly appointed.
In general AFAIK Legacies actually tend to be less thirsty than an Impreza(or Forester) with the same engine as they're a more aerodynamic shape and (suprisingly)not much heavier - my '97 2.0NA (155hp) Legacy wagon is 1330Kg for comparison, the GT-B of the same age was about 100kg heavier. Mine will get ~700Km (435 miles) from its 60L tank on a run (35+mpg), a mates '97 GT (260hp twin-turbo) isn't too much worse, probably 600-650Km to a tank when cruising. The big difference is when pressing on a bit or doing a lot fo stop-start stuff the thirst of the GT increases at a much faster rate than my NA.
Of the newer ones the GT-B is apparently significantly more efficient than the 3.0R - it only guzzles fuel when you give it the boot whereas the the 3.0 drinks even when cruising. The GT-B also handles better as the 2.0 turbo-4 is a fair bit less weight in the nose than the 3.0 H6.
The impression I've had of Galant/Legnum VR4s (from owners/reviews etc) is they're slightly faster than a Legacy GT-B in a straight line but not as good in the corners, significantly thirstier, more likely to break down and often more expensive to fix when they do.
Caldina GT-Ts are good cars too, in-between the Impreza and Legacy for size and a bit less focussed than a WRX or GT-B - a tad slower and softer, but being a Toyota they're generally thought to be more reliable and easier/cheaper to fix than a Subaru or Mitsubishi.
Stageas are nice but huge, heavy and even in NA form make turbo Scoobs seem economical. I've driven Stageas and found them to have more outright grip but much less feel than the Scoobs, though that may have been partly down to the bigger rubber they were wearing - ie 225/17" compared to 195/60R15" on my Legacy makes quite a difference.
hth
ETA: I must say it still amuses me that Caldinas, Stageas etc seem to be considered rare in the UK - here in NZ they're relatively common and nothing out of the ordinary. We do like our wagons though.
Edited by GravelBen on Tuesday 29th July 12:03
I saw a Stagea Estate parked outside a shop just round the corner from me a couple of days ago. I'd never seen one in the flesh until then, only pics online, and i didn't realise it was quite so big however, not a bad looking car for such a big and bulky estate. Had Twin rectangle headlamps either side and quite an imposing stance.
I have to say, having now seen a Stagea i very much doubt it's size and weight would be quite at home on our very twisty and badly potholed B-Roads which i have to say are more ideally suited to Scoobywagons although i'm sure it would make a more comfy motorway cruiser.
As for the Legacy 3.0R Spec B my local dealer warned me they were quite a bit thirstier than a WRX Sportwagon specially when flooring it, and it wouldn't be quite as nimble or quick on B-Roads either although still a really good car. My partner thought it was just too big to mess about with parking in supermarket car parks and multistorey car parks as you don't get a lot of parking space per car and end up being very close to the next car. I notcied the doors are quite long and the car itself is fairly wide plus it would end up being dinged regularly by other inconsiderates as 90% of the general UK public haven't got an effing clue how to park their car never mind drive it!!
I still say the WRX Wagon is favorite here
P.S. Ben...i run Toyo T1R 225/45/17's on my Sportwagon and i get plenty of feel thank you
I have to say, having now seen a Stagea i very much doubt it's size and weight would be quite at home on our very twisty and badly potholed B-Roads which i have to say are more ideally suited to Scoobywagons although i'm sure it would make a more comfy motorway cruiser.
As for the Legacy 3.0R Spec B my local dealer warned me they were quite a bit thirstier than a WRX Sportwagon specially when flooring it, and it wouldn't be quite as nimble or quick on B-Roads either although still a really good car. My partner thought it was just too big to mess about with parking in supermarket car parks and multistorey car parks as you don't get a lot of parking space per car and end up being very close to the next car. I notcied the doors are quite long and the car itself is fairly wide plus it would end up being dinged regularly by other inconsiderates as 90% of the general UK public haven't got an effing clue how to park their car never mind drive it!!
I still say the WRX Wagon is favorite here
P.S. Ben...i run Toyo T1R 225/45/17's on my Sportwagon and i get plenty of feel thank you
Edited by ScoobieWRX on Tuesday 29th July 13:11
GravelBen said:
ETA: I must say it still amuses me that Caldinas, Stageas etc seem to be considered rare in the UK - here in NZ they're relatively common and nothing out of the ordinary. We do like our wagons though.
Yes agreed Caldinas are 10 a penny over in N.Zealand however due to there obscurity over here in the U.K and the changes to the import laws they are still relatively a rare carGravelBen said:
The impression I've had of Galant/Legnum VR4s (from owners/reviews etc) is they're slightly faster than a Legacy GT-B in a straight line but not as good in the corners, significantly thirstier, more likely to break down and often more expensive to fix when they do.
I don't want to come across as a VR4 fanboy particularly, but i've been quite an active member on in the owners club for the last few years and very few have even had a slight hiccup let alone properly break and those that have, have been repaired to a good standard at very little cost through members in the club. If anyone does buy one of these cars, it is well worth joining the club for the services offered by other members from having discounted work carried out to sourcing parts etc etc.16-20mpg average is usual for an Auto
24-28mpg average is usual for a Manual
Wooly steering feel but loads of grip and the AYC improves things massively, I don't have one now, but if I had one again it'd be a manual with uprated brakes, a coilover kit and an EBC. Absolutely transorms the car in my experience.
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