PH Service History: Awards Season
Some distinctly PH-y winners at the What Car? Used Car Awards have got Scrof thinking
However, up at the fruitier end of the spectrum, there are some interesting winners - most notably of all, the first-gen Audi R8, which takes the What Car? Used Sports Car of the Year award.
Now, as a seasoned PHer, you'll know the first-gen R8 as a bit of a controversial car (first to shout 'it's just a big TT' gets a medal for Most Obvious Comment). But for the most part, R8 owners love their cars, and so does What Car?, with the R8 beating the W212 Mercedes E63 AMG and Porsche's 987 Cayman to the award.
Is it really a supercar? Discuss. It looks like one, and feels like one, but for some it won't be quite fast enough. Whichever way you swing, a first-gen R8 is bloody good fun to drive. The V10 is probably the more spine-tingling of the two cars, but a V8 manual is still a true delight, with a rev-happy engine, communicative steering, exceptional high-speed stability and, of course, grip and traction to spare.
Can't stretch to the R8? Fear not, because at the other end of the scale sits the Used Hot Hatch of the Year award, in which all three nominees can now be had for less than £10,000.
You wouldn't sniff at either of the runners-up for the prices they tend to go for - the FN2 Honda Civic Type R starts from around £4,500 for a good'un, while a solid Mk5 Golf GTI will set you back a scratch more.
But the eventual winner of the award is newer, smaller and pricier than both of those cars. "It had better be good, then," I hear you say. Fortunately, it is: it's the Ford Fiesta ST which, as you'll know, we're big fans of here on PH.
Then again, if you're going to shell out ten large or more on a small hot hatch, you'll probably want it to hold on to as much of that as it can. Either way, it doesn't matter: the ST is such a hoot that it doesn't have to be super-cheap to be easy to recommend used. It's that rare thing nowadays: a proper little hooligan of a car that eschews modern conventions (must be automatic, must be five-doors, because that's what people want) in favour of raw driving thrills. It's endowed with an engine that manages to be both a low-end slugger and a rev-happy screamer and a suspension setup that is, I'll grant you, more than a touch on the firm side, but gives it a sense of darting eagerness that few, if any, can match.
So there you have it - the PH-iest pair from the What Car? Used Car Awards. But if you fancy finding out what else has won, you can do so on the spangly dedicated microsite - I'm not sure what's 'micro' about it, but there we go - right here.
Back then the cheapest ones were just over £40k, so not a lot of difference at the bottom of the market in that time. About the same money were F360, closely followed by F355s, but the practicality of 4 seats won out.
Considering it's cousin, the Gallardo looks much better opting for an R8 is like refusing a date with Eiza Gonzales to take out her less attractive cousin with the wonky eye and buck teeth.
Considering it's cousin, the Gallardo looks much better opting for an R8 is like refusing a date with Eiza Gonzales to take out her less attractive cousin with the wonky eye and buck teeth.
In my opinion it doesn't look like a TT at all.
But either way, the TT isn't a saloon.
The Megane 250/265/275's are extremely reliable. They really don't have many common faults at all. They're definitely not made out of cheese.
The Megane is a coupe but bigger, with it being in the segment above, so it's probably more practical, if we're talking about comparing it to a 3dr ST. The refinement is similar too and i wouldn't say either gains anything there.
You did manage to cover most of the typical french car stereotypes though, so well done for that
I also know what car I would rather cane round a track.
(PS , they are different)
both are great cars but build quality in the Renault is shocking in my personal view and I'd rather live day to day with the Fiesta ST. It's also a lo more rattley, and generally feels more tinny.
Besides they are not direct comparison as the Fiesta is a class down from the Megane in terms of size etc.
I also know what car I would rather cane round a track.
(PS , they are different)
both are great cars but build quality in the Renault is shocking in my personal view and I'd rather live day to day with the Fiesta ST. It's also a lo more rattley, and generally feels more tinny.
Besides they are not direct comparison as the Fiesta is a class down from the Megane in terms of size etc.
Day to day: Fiesta
Track: Megane
All IMO, obviously.
Either of the above can be switched around, but the Megane can be a decent daily but comes alive on track. That's what i'm trying to get at. The Fiesta is great at the boring stuff and the track too, but i reckon the Megane is 100% the one to have for the track. It's really at home there.
Yes, different classes of cars. Excuse the French and the incoming pun, but saying that the Megane is made out of cheese does grate on me. It's a nice place to sit, in my eyes. The MK3 has come along way from the the MK2 225, which i'd agree was very flimsy and prone to breaking a fair bit.
That is my thought too.
I do have a Mk7.5 ST line correct. I was just assuming that if I add 15% to the handling / performance it would be close enough. The Fiesta is a wonderful car to drive and has excellent balance.
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