All Things German... What were the alternatives
Discussion
So reading through the forums a lot of people moaning about people opting for all things German and it having an effect on companies such as Vauxhall + Jaguar etc...
I have a 2010 Audi S3 it cost me £10,000, it had 72,000 miles when i bought it and i added a VRS / APR Remap to 330bhp...
What could I have bought that's not German? it needs to offer the same package, hatchback or similar, luxury, quality, performance, looks (I understand these are subjective) and "touchwood" so far reliability on the TFSI Engine
Cheers
I have a 2010 Audi S3 it cost me £10,000, it had 72,000 miles when i bought it and i added a VRS / APR Remap to 330bhp...
What could I have bought that's not German? it needs to offer the same package, hatchback or similar, luxury, quality, performance, looks (I understand these are subjective) and "touchwood" so far reliability on the TFSI Engine
Cheers
Ruskins said:
Renaultsport Megan?
Civic Type R?
Focus RS/ST ?
Megan... Quality (Mainly how nice the materials are) is terrible compared with AudiCivic Type R?
Focus RS/ST ?
Type R - I've had two, similar story on interior materials and feel... not in the same league, great cars on the right road however as an all rounder not even close. (Has to be said the Type R had the best gearbox in any car that i have owned)
Edited by 3yardy3 on Tuesday 15th January 13:25
Depends what your priorities are. I wouldnt touch an older Audi because there are hundreds of thousands of new ones on the road and they are one of the biggest knob magnet brands around. They may have excellent interiors but that doesn't appeal to me in the slightest
We're all different.
We're all different.
I'm not generally too big a fan of German cars but credit where it's due - they do understand that, while some people's circumstances dictate that they have to have a saloon/estate car for doing the boring stuff, they may nevertheless want a half-decent engine in it. I tend to go for Jap cars but the current line-up available in the UK is pretty uninspiring (I'm hoping Subaru again bring an Outback to the UK with a decent petrol engine - i.e. their new 2.4 turbo).
RaymondVanDerDon said:
Depends what your priorities are. I wouldnt touch an older Audi because there are hundreds of thousands of new ones on the road and they are one of the biggest knob magnet brands around. They may have excellent interiors but that doesn't appeal to me in the slightest
We're all different.
I wouldn't discount a whole brand based on your own "maybe" misguided and exaggerated views... I really enjoyed owning and driving my Ep3 Type R and the so called online Rep those cars hold is I should have been a chav t**t with an attitude problem that likes to race everyone down the high street. I ignored it and bought one, enjoyed it and sold it. maybe you should experiment with Audi and change the rep??We're all different.
Things like the RS Megan and Focus ST are far better screwed together than people give them credit for. You could also throw the Seat Leon Cupra into the pot (admittedly the interior on the old one is crap) as although it's owned by zee Germans they are still a Spanish brand and built in Spain.
You can also get an Impreza. The unloved one was a hatchback and the ones before came in wagon form. All came with s
t interiors if that matters.
I owned an 8P S3 about 7 years ago and I'm not sure the interior can be used as a positive now. The plastics were solid but the design was drab and dated even 7 years ago and I think if buying now I'd be happy to sacrifice a bit of soft touch trim for the better dynamics offered by something like a Megan or ST.
You can also get an Impreza. The unloved one was a hatchback and the ones before came in wagon form. All came with s
t interiors if that matters.I owned an 8P S3 about 7 years ago and I'm not sure the interior can be used as a positive now. The plastics were solid but the design was drab and dated even 7 years ago and I think if buying now I'd be happy to sacrifice a bit of soft touch trim for the better dynamics offered by something like a Megan or ST.
I'm trying to help someone find a replacement for a Skoda Yeti as he wants something more reliable than this has been. I'm leaning towards something Japanese but theres just less choice. Its going to be hard to avoid German.
One thing is for sure the Germans have captured every little corner of every market. Stupid segments which I'd never considered until now:
- Rather fast SUV's
- A 2 seater that's a comfortable and as practical as a hatchback.
- A rear wheel drive hatchback.
- A tall 4x4 to be used as a work horse, under 20k and under 2 year old, with very good visibility (no privacy glass), no oversized wheels, reliable as possible and a simple cabin - these are the requirements to replace the Yeti!
One thing is for sure the Germans have captured every little corner of every market. Stupid segments which I'd never considered until now:
- Rather fast SUV's
- A 2 seater that's a comfortable and as practical as a hatchback.
- A rear wheel drive hatchback.
- A tall 4x4 to be used as a work horse, under 20k and under 2 year old, with very good visibility (no privacy glass), no oversized wheels, reliable as possible and a simple cabin - these are the requirements to replace the Yeti!
3yardy3 said:
Ruskins said:
Renaultsport Megan?
Civic Type R?
Focus RS/ST ?
Megan... Quality (Mainly how nice the materials are) is terrible compared with AudiCivic Type R?
Focus RS/ST ?
Type R - I've had two, similar story on interior materials and feel... not in the same league, great cars on the right road however as an all rounder not even close. (Has to be said the Type R had the best gearbox in any car that i have owned)
Now interior wise you'll have a car that's slightly behind (it's not terrible but it is behind) interior wise but is leaps & bounds ahead as a hot hatch.
Cup Chassis Lux
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Focus ST-3 you have some change to spend on a Map diff & intercooler
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Both are well screwed together yes the dash plastic is cheaper but both are more joy us drives than the S3 I've driven all 3 & the S3 would be last as the interior isn't that much better than it makes me forgive the fact that it's a far from entertaining hot hatch at which point if a nice interior & dash are the most important thing then I'd have bought an S5:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Torquey said:
- A tall 4x4 to be used as a work horse, under 20k and under 2 year old, with very good visibility (no privacy glass), no oversized wheels, reliable as possible and a simple cabin - these are the requirements to replace the Yeti!
I'd be looking at a Suzuki Vitara or SX4 S Cross for that job. Mitsubishi ASX might be worth a look too. A used Subaru XV or Forester might squeeze in budget.3yardy3 said:
Megan... Quality (Mainly how nice the materials are) is terrible compared with Audi
Have you sat in the Mk3, or the new one? Both screwed together very well. And the 2 Meganes I had were more reliable than the BMW I had after them. Edited by 3yardy3 on Tuesday 15th January 13:25
kieranblenk said:
Torquey said:
- A tall 4x4 to be used as a work horse, under 20k and under 2 year old, with very good visibility (no privacy glass), no oversized wheels, reliable as possible and a simple cabin - these are the requirements to replace the Yeti!
I'd be looking at a Suzuki Vitara or SX4 S Cross for that job. Mitsubishi ASX might be worth a look too. A used Subaru XV or Forester might squeeze in budget.ZX10R NIN said:
3yardy3 said:
Ruskins said:
Renaultsport Megan?
Civic Type R?
Focus RS/ST ?
Megan... Quality (Mainly how nice the materials are) is terrible compared with AudiCivic Type R?
Focus RS/ST ?
Type R - I've had two, similar story on interior materials and feel... not in the same league, great cars on the right road however as an all rounder not even close. (Has to be said the Type R had the best gearbox in any car that i have owned)
Now interior wise you'll have a car that's slightly behind (it's not terrible but it is behind) interior wise but is leaps & bounds ahead as a hot hatch.
Cup Chassis Lux
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Focus ST-3 you have some change to spend on a Map diff & intercooler
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Both are well screwed together yes the dash plastic is cheaper but both are more joy us drives than the S3 I've driven all 3 & the S3 would be last as the interior isn't that much better than it makes me forgive the fact that it's a far from entertaining hot hatch at which point if a nice interior & dash are the most important thing then I'd have bought an S5:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
To be honest although technically the megane is a better car in all aspects in terms of driving feel because ive had 2 Type R's I don't want another super stiff super sporty all the time sort of car... that's why the audi suits
Focus is a good shout to be fair, I nearly bought a ST Estate before the Audi until my significant other shouted out "Chav Dad Mobile" and now i cant get that thought out my head... haha however the normal hatchback in blue does tick all the boxes and is probably the best alternative mentioned to date
Torquey said:
kieranblenk said:
Torquey said:
- A tall 4x4 to be used as a work horse, under 20k and under 2 year old, with very good visibility (no privacy glass), no oversized wheels, reliable as possible and a simple cabin - these are the requirements to replace the Yeti!
I'd be looking at a Suzuki Vitara or SX4 S Cross for that job. Mitsubishi ASX might be worth a look too. A used Subaru XV or Forester might squeeze in budget.Gassing Station | Car Buying | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff