What superhatch? RS3, Focus RS, Impreza WRX STI or 1M?
Discussion
Putting purchase price/investment potential aside, if you had the opportunity to own one of these superhatches, which one would it be?
Audi RS3 - fantastic engine, practical, 4WD, DSG, quality interior (but perhaps a bit dull to drive and I would pass on the red highlights on the alloys)
mk2 Ford Focus RS - great engine, rare, exciting but potentially quite a handful
Subaru Impreza WRX STI - a good compromise between the two?
I know it's not a hatch but if you were considering the other three and practicality i.e. 4 doors wasn't a primary consideration, a BMW 1M Coupe would have to be worth a look as well (I know there is a M135i available as a hatch now but the 1M is the top of the range).
So which would you choose and why? Would be interesting to hear of any first-hand experience with any of these cars.
Audi RS3 - fantastic engine, practical, 4WD, DSG, quality interior (but perhaps a bit dull to drive and I would pass on the red highlights on the alloys)
mk2 Ford Focus RS - great engine, rare, exciting but potentially quite a handful
Subaru Impreza WRX STI - a good compromise between the two?
I know it's not a hatch but if you were considering the other three and practicality i.e. 4 doors wasn't a primary consideration, a BMW 1M Coupe would have to be worth a look as well (I know there is a M135i available as a hatch now but the 1M is the top of the range).
So which would you choose and why? Would be interesting to hear of any first-hand experience with any of these cars.
white_goodman said:
Putting purchase price/investment potential aside, if you had the opportunity to own one of these superhatches, which one would it be?
Audi RS3 - fantastic engine, practical, 4WD, DSG, quality interior (but perhaps a bit dull to drive and I would pass on the red highlights on the alloys)
mk2 Ford Focus RS - great engine, rare, exciting but potentially quite a handful
Subaru Impreza WRX STI - a good compromise between the two?
I know it's not a hatch but if you were considering the other three and practicality i.e. 4 doors wasn't a primary consideration, a BMW 1M Coupe would have to be worth a look as well (I know there is a M135i available as a hatch now but the 1M is the top of the range).
So which would you choose and why? Would be interesting to hear of any first-hand experience with any of these cars.
1M for sure, great handling, good performance and a real true classic M car imo.Audi RS3 - fantastic engine, practical, 4WD, DSG, quality interior (but perhaps a bit dull to drive and I would pass on the red highlights on the alloys)
mk2 Ford Focus RS - great engine, rare, exciting but potentially quite a handful
Subaru Impreza WRX STI - a good compromise between the two?
I know it's not a hatch but if you were considering the other three and practicality i.e. 4 doors wasn't a primary consideration, a BMW 1M Coupe would have to be worth a look as well (I know there is a M135i available as a hatch now but the 1M is the top of the range).
So which would you choose and why? Would be interesting to hear of any first-hand experience with any of these cars.
RS3 would be next on the list as I just love fast RS Audi cars and the 3 although losing some of the RS focus from the B5 days it is still a really nice place to be.
Steve Sutcliffe of Autocar had a 1M as his long-termer recently and he absolutely loved it. Maybe you can find some of his articles on their site.
I owned a 1-series for 4 years and 70k+ miles. Mine was the 120d, so a different engine and suspension to the 1M, but I can make some general comments about other aspects of the car. It was fun to drive, well-built and completely reliable. Nothing broke or died, and it was still on its original clutch when I sold it at 7 years old and 130k miles. In the snow it was as much use as a chocolate teapot. It was comfortable for 2 passengers, but the rear was cramped and access was tight. Such practicalities might be less relevant to the 1M, however.
Based on my experience of 1-series ownership and what I have read, would I buy a 1M? As a weekend toy, definitely. To drive 20k miles a year in, no.
Good luck with your decision.
I owned a 1-series for 4 years and 70k+ miles. Mine was the 120d, so a different engine and suspension to the 1M, but I can make some general comments about other aspects of the car. It was fun to drive, well-built and completely reliable. Nothing broke or died, and it was still on its original clutch when I sold it at 7 years old and 130k miles. In the snow it was as much use as a chocolate teapot. It was comfortable for 2 passengers, but the rear was cramped and access was tight. Such practicalities might be less relevant to the 1M, however.
Based on my experience of 1-series ownership and what I have read, would I buy a 1M? As a weekend toy, definitely. To drive 20k miles a year in, no.
Good luck with your decision.
I'd like to hear the thoughts of anybody who has driven the 135i and 1M back to back, is there a big difference? I have a theory (could be completely wrong) that the 1M seems to wow people with its looks, it has ~30hp more than the 135i and essentially the same engine as the older models (n54)
Is the driving experiance completely different, or is it a bit of a marketing gimmick?
Is the driving experiance completely different, or is it a bit of a marketing gimmick?
StottyZr said:
I'd like to hear the thoughts of anybody who has driven the 135i and 1M back to back, is there a big difference? I have a theory (could be completely wrong) that the 1M seems to wow people with its looks, it has ~30hp more than the 135i and essentially the same engine as the older models (n54)
Is the driving experiance completely different, or is it a bit of a marketing gimmick?
Certainly no marketing gimmick! There are opinions of people who have owned both on 1addicts if you want to search.Is the driving experiance completely different, or is it a bit of a marketing gimmick?
Edited by Pugland53 on Tuesday 31st July 23:11
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