Swap or stick?
Discussion
So ... Last December I almost bought an RS Megane in liquid yellow, but due to the legendary atrocious customer service from Evans Halshaw I gave up trying to buy it and started looking elsewhere. I ended up buying an Octavia VRS 230.
Now, the car's great, don't get me wrong. It's stupidly high spec'd as it was an ex demo, I've sorted the wallowy handling with some Eibach springs, and I'm even getting on well with the DSG. It's fantastic on my commute, quiet, refined, even sounds ok(ish) with the 230 exhaust.
Only problem is I keep looking at those lovely liquid yellow Meganes. Every day.
I have a bit of cash in the bank, and have recently enquired about a Megane, being given a semi acceptable trade in quote.
I've always been a fan of fast Renaults having owned three previously (Clios), but is it worth losing an all round excellent car for a Megane? Will it be that much better?
Any ideas if the running costs would be much different? Obviously tax and insurance will be slightly more.
So do I stick with the VRS and get it remapped or take my best chance to own a MK3 Megane RS?
Advice please petrolheads!
Now, the car's great, don't get me wrong. It's stupidly high spec'd as it was an ex demo, I've sorted the wallowy handling with some Eibach springs, and I'm even getting on well with the DSG. It's fantastic on my commute, quiet, refined, even sounds ok(ish) with the 230 exhaust.
Only problem is I keep looking at those lovely liquid yellow Meganes. Every day.
I have a bit of cash in the bank, and have recently enquired about a Megane, being given a semi acceptable trade in quote.
I've always been a fan of fast Renaults having owned three previously (Clios), but is it worth losing an all round excellent car for a Megane? Will it be that much better?
Any ideas if the running costs would be much different? Obviously tax and insurance will be slightly more.
So do I stick with the VRS and get it remapped or take my best chance to own a MK3 Megane RS?
Advice please petrolheads!
Ahbefive said:
Get the Megane. Octavias are unfortunately just boring cars.
Yup, Octavia VRS is a decent car but a liquid yellow Megane? I am not a particular fan of Renaults but that would get my heart racing before I had even driven it and that has to be worth the extra bit of cash it wil cost to run.Yeah, there's actually two up for sale I'm looking at. Both yellow with the cup chassis, one with recaros, one with heated leather.
Come across two stumbling blocks though :
1.) The cost to change I'm being quoted is really high. Like £2k for a similar age (or older) and mileage Megane. I can understand though as the dealers want to make cash on both cars.
2.) The other half - she loves the Octavia and isn't over the moon about me changing it.
The only way I can get over number one is selling privately. With the market for VRS 230s I could sell it, buy the Megane and have a few £ left.
I think I underestimated just how much I'd lose on trading it in.
I might just have to keep it and mod it ... Ie better springs, remap and an exhaust. Won't be as fun as the Megane still.
Come across two stumbling blocks though :
1.) The cost to change I'm being quoted is really high. Like £2k for a similar age (or older) and mileage Megane. I can understand though as the dealers want to make cash on both cars.
2.) The other half - she loves the Octavia and isn't over the moon about me changing it.
The only way I can get over number one is selling privately. With the market for VRS 230s I could sell it, buy the Megane and have a few £ left.
I think I underestimated just how much I'd lose on trading it in.
I might just have to keep it and mod it ... Ie better springs, remap and an exhaust. Won't be as fun as the Megane still.
It was such a good deal at the time ... It was definitely a head over heart purchase.
As a car the Octavia is great, it does everything and competently. Evens handles much better than I expected, especially with the diff. It just doesn't excite me. A yellow Megane does, very much so.
Time to try and convince the other half ... And work on that cost to change. I've left it two days and had a voicemail this morning. We'll see how close they can come to a reasonable cost.
As a car the Octavia is great, it does everything and competently. Evens handles much better than I expected, especially with the diff. It just doesn't excite me. A yellow Megane does, very much so.
Time to try and convince the other half ... And work on that cost to change. I've left it two days and had a voicemail this morning. We'll see how close they can come to a reasonable cost.
Not really sure what is so appealing about sitting at the side of the road with head in hands sitting next to the smoking pile of megane that is left after it breaks down/catches fire/ does a french thing and decides not to work.
They're fun to drive but i'd miss the build quality of the octavia.
They're fun to drive but i'd miss the build quality of the octavia.
viciousj377o said:
Not really sure what is so appealing about sitting at the side of the road with head in hands sitting next to the smoking pile of megane that is left after it breaks down/catches fire/ does a french thing and decides not to work.
They're fun to drive but i'd miss the build quality of the octavia.
Meh, my previous car was an Alfa GT. I'm used to "quirks".They're fun to drive but i'd miss the build quality of the octavia.
Nope 
Turns out the car wasn't quite as good as expected. It was a little rough around the edges, had a fair amount of kerbing on the alloys, and had ditch finders fitted.
Unfortunately the garage wouldn't budge on the cost to change, in fact reducing the amount they'd originally offered me for mine.
Factoring in the alloy repairs + mobile dent repair + getting rid of the ditch finders + having to change insurance company 6 months into my policy (mine won't insure me on it but others will for cheaper than my current policy) it just didn't make financial sense. It was taking me too far out of my financial comfort zone, and would have cost far far more than I'd factored for.
So executive decision was made to keep the Octavia for now. As boring as it is, it does everything incredibly well.
Turns out the car wasn't quite as good as expected. It was a little rough around the edges, had a fair amount of kerbing on the alloys, and had ditch finders fitted.
Unfortunately the garage wouldn't budge on the cost to change, in fact reducing the amount they'd originally offered me for mine.
Factoring in the alloy repairs + mobile dent repair + getting rid of the ditch finders + having to change insurance company 6 months into my policy (mine won't insure me on it but others will for cheaper than my current policy) it just didn't make financial sense. It was taking me too far out of my financial comfort zone, and would have cost far far more than I'd factored for.
So executive decision was made to keep the Octavia for now. As boring as it is, it does everything incredibly well.
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