I am expecting some varying answers to this

Sparky

Sparky

Sparky

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Ok i have a few quid in cash that the Mrs has earmarked for her next car. The choices are,wait for it!

A VX220 [her mate has one] she thinks they are cute.

Audi TT Circa 55/06 [ again she likes the shape/look].

Lotus Elise

Mini Cooper S

Astra VXR


Not really looking for the usual "they are totally different cars" speech as i have already been down that road with her. What im looking for is experiences from people who have owned the above cars [good or bad]. Which of the above offers the best performance/value.

Bare inmind that she does 4k a year max.

None of these are my choices [well i do like the Cooper S in JCW form] :D
 
Got a couple of mates with the Cooper S, never had any trouble with it, in my opinion look great and have a bit of go about them. Gf also wants one of these!

VX220 will be pretty hardcore, however with her friend having one she may already be aware of that?

Guy at work has just bought a 3.2 Quattro and I must admit...I love it! Sounds fantastic, goes well, comfey (in my opinion), this is the one I would go for :)

Has she looked into a Focus St or even a BMW 130i? Again god contenders to go onto the list!
 
VX220 has no mod cons, a completely harsh ride and is basically a focused sports car for driving thrills only. If thats the sort of car for you, then you'd laugh at an Audi TT. Elise is as per VX220 but arguably even more focused.

An Audi TT is a comfortable, cool, chic looking quick Coupe. If thats the sort of car for you, a VX220 is never going to do the trick.

A 55 plate TT is a waste of money, as it'll be expensive yet the same as the 02 plate ones for half the price.

Personally I think a Mini Cooper S is probably what she'd be happiest with long term.
 
I owned a Vx220 for 2 and half years. Loved it, and if i hadn't of been made redundant and needed the cash i'd still have it now.

I had the N/A version, i was 21 and insurance cost me 750 quid. Would have liked the slightly heavier, less noisy and more powerful 2.0 turbo but with insurance at over 1500 quid i couldn't afford to.

While owning the car, the biggest problems i had with it was servicing and repairs. Only certain Vauxhall dealerships are allowed to deal with these "special" cars, so ensure your local dealer can service them, or find a local specialist in lotus cars.

Fuel wise, the car is very good i could do 35-40 while cruising around, and around 25-30 while driving like an idiot.

The best part about this car, is the great low driving position ( terrible on hill junctions, can't see if anything coming..) and the handling. The straight line speed is good, and pulls well in every gear, and you do get a good sense of speed, but not break your neck quick.

There is no point buying this car, if she wants to drive around slowly or just just it on motorways.On windy days, the car can feel very light and you can feel it twitching under higher speeds. The car comes to life on B roads, accelerating through the bends, and always brought a smile to my face :) Another note is the obvious lack of boot space. You can get many carry bags in there, but nothing much bigger due to the smallish opening. and obviously has no luxuries due to it being a drivers car, no traction, electrics, aircon.. etc (has abs though!)

Over my ownership i spent roughly £400 on 2 services (had a full GEO done in there too) 100 on a new tyre (damn screws!) and that's all.
Very reliable engine, no faults over my period of ownership, and i owned it and used it every day of the year, snowy weather being my favourite :)



The Lotus, is, EXACTLY the same car, although instead of a 2.2, it has a 1.8. and a different slightly sexier body. the obvious plus's of a lotus are a) i drive a Lotus, and b) i drive a Lotus. It's all about the name... (which therefore you pay more insurance :P)
 
I think the TT would probably be best for her unless she's genuinely after the hardcore drive of a VX220 or Elise. Cooper S is too common and the VXR is just not that great (capable, but not great).
 
[TW]Fox;16318935 said:
VX220 has no mod cons, a completely harsh ride and is basically a focused sports car for driving thrills only. If thats the sort of car for you, then you'd laugh at an Audi TT. Elise is as per VX220 but arguably even more focused.

An Audi TT is a comfortable, cool, chic looking quick Coupe. If thats the sort of car for you, a VX220 is never going to do the trick.

A 55 plate TT is a waste of money, as it'll be expensive yet the same as the 02 plate ones for half the price.

Personally I think a Mini Cooper S is probably what she'd be happiest with long term.
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These are almost my exact thoughts.
 
I'm going to stereotype here but I'm going to suggest she is the sort of girl who picks a car almost entirely on how it looks and doesnt know enough to realise quite what an Elise is like, only that it looks cute and cool - because it does look cool. My girlfriend is similar, she really wants an Audi TT but has no idea what Quattro is, doesnt know what a turbo does and thinks the performance offered by her Corsa diesel is fine. She clearly wants a TT because it looks nice, and I think your girlfriend is similar in this regard.

She'll soon get sick of an Elise etc and want to move it on, so I'd guide her away from it. TT is a good shout but obviously its a 225-250bhp performance coupe and has costs associated with that, costs she may not be prepared to shell out just for the looks.

Cooper S just seems more.. practical?

Astra, lol.
 
Pretty much Fox, she does 4k miles a year so running costs and servicing do not come into her thought process. I like the Mini, can be tuned quite easily and a lot of fun from what ive experienced. Also looking at the 2nd hand market, i think she will get a lot more car for my money.
 
JonnyGeee said:
the obvious plus's of a lotus are a) i drive a Lotus, and b) i drive a Lotus. It's all about the name... (which therefore you pay more insurance :P)
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Really isn't all about the name at all :confused: And most Lotus owners I know are far more modest than that :p
 
So is the plan to buy what she'll be better off with? Or to take advantage of her apparent good taste without considering usability and buy something fun you can drive?
 
I have something fun to drive [well will have once the G Power Supercharger is fitted] i want something for her that will not cost ME a arm and a leg in consumables.
 
Mini or Audi are womens cars so stick with them.

The mini will hold its value better, but are getting a bit common now
TTs are just a Golf with a bit more power

She should get a Fiat 500
 
That looks like my car history right there.

All of the cars she's mentioned are good looking (in my opinion) so I can see the appeal however they're quite different in their driving/handling/practicality.

* A VX220 [her mate has one] she thinks they are cute.
I didn't end up buying one as it happens however I did test drive several as well as spend months doing research on them. They're good value for money and cheaper/more reliable than a similar priced Elise however they're no more practical or comfortable. Handling isn't as good although performance is almost identical. They generally lack any creature comforts like electric windows, central locking (unless you get a turbo) and carpets/soundproofing etc. They're damn noisy to drive, especially wind noise.
As a drivers car they're pretty damn good, if you like trying to peel the tyres off the rims then they're great but as an everyday car for a female I'm not sure I'd advise on.

*Audi TT Circa 55/06 [ again she likes the shape/look].
I owned a 3.2TT and test drove 225s and out of the two I'd definitely say I preferred the 3.2 although in hindsight I probably wouldn't get the DSG again. It was a nice novelty but after a few weeks it gets tedious and you just pine for a regular gearbox. Performance was more than adequate and the V6 noise is great. Personally I quite liked the predictability of the handling as it was more FWD biased so more forgiving but some think it's wooden and lifeless. I don't see the TT as a sports car, it's a compromise car so the handling is just right. If it was sharp like an Elise then it wouldn't be as comfortable and more people would end up backwards in hedges.
For a female driver that appreciates something a bit more sporty but without the compromises of the VX/Elise then it's a good choice. Could cost a bit to run although I personally thought it was cheap on everything bar petrol (18mpg average)

*Lotus Elise
The only car I've ever driven which really, really, really impressed me so much that I almost doubled my budget and bought one. I was blown away by just how much of an accurate driving tool the Elise was when I test drove it that I just had to have one. It made me grin everytime I drove it, even just popping to the shops was an adventure.
As I type this I'm having fond memories and wishing that I still had it, truely amazing car!
It is however a very raw animal, impractical and noisy just like the VX. Boot space is pretty much zero, hardly any extras (ABS and CL is about it) and it can be tiresome on motorways, having a conversation isn't something you want to do put it that way however if you enjoy cornering harder than physics dictates you can then you'll love the Elise. I just wish I had more need for a fun car and I'd have another in an instant.

*Mini Cooper S
My current car. Not as fast as the Elise/TT/VX but it excels in the fun factor. It's practical, comfortable and cheap to run. It's more of an everyday car and can be used to take passengers without them requiring a spine transplant and new ears after a journey. Sure it's not as fun as the Elise but it's half the price and costs pennies to run in comparison, plus it's got a reasonable boot so it ticks all my current requirement boxes.

*Astra VXR
Don't know, sorry.

Overall I'd say that if she wants a compromised but amazing driving tool then get the Elise but be prepared for those compromises. If however she wants something that's *almost* as good fun but much easier to live with then get the TT or Mini, both are very good but without the downsides.
 
Thanks for that eidolon, showed her your post and after 15 minutes [well once Eastenders had finished] she says "How old would the mini be?" Half the battle won i think.
 
CS||nuTs said:
Thanks for that eidolon, showed her your post and after 15 minutes [well once Eastenders had finished] she says "How old would the mini be?" Half the battle won i think.
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For what it's worth, you can increase the power on a standard Cooper S to 210BHP for £300 (inc fitting). It's a simple pulley change to 15%, easy to do, totally safe and no real downsides apart from using maybe a bit more fuel.

Also remember that the mini is quite a lightweight car so 210BHP is going to probably be more than enough for most people.
 
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