Your Opinions Please...

Monster

Monster

Monster

Associate
Joined
19 Oct 2002
Posts
1,475
Location
Reading
Starting to get a little bored of my current car - Fiesta ST 2.0. Its an absolutely outstanding little car, drives well, handles well, comfy etc - no problems at all. Its a 56 plate, with 20k miles. I do probably about 15,000 miles per year currently and the depreciation if getting pretty bad with it.

I would like your opinions on the best route of action and cars:

1. Keep the car another year and ride the depreciation wave as its a solid reliable car?

2. Buy something else:

Leon Cupra R
Audi A3 - 3.2 V6
Audi A3 2.0 Diesel (150)
Vauxhall Astra Sri 1.9 CDTI / 2.0T

Older Focus ST170 and pocket the change?

Something else?

I do a lot of miles, so depreciation being low is pretty much a requirement, but I have added the diesel cars in there as they would be cheaper to run in the long term I think?

I figure my car is worth about £7.5k and therefore I have upto about £11k to spend on something reliable, exciting, good at motorway driving, and acceptable to turn up to the office and meetings in (no huge fire breathing exhausts etc!)

Just wanted opinions basically to help me decide what I should do! Thanks in advance.
 
Something like Fox's car comes to mind actually.

Ohh, and no Astra please :p

Usual ST220 recommendation. Although neither cars depreciate particularly slowly.

Are you limiting it to just saloons/hatchbacks?
 
If you don't *mind* paying for it's running costs, you don't *have* to resign yourself to driving a crappy diesel... :)

A3 3.2 V6 would be a lovely upgrade too :D
 
Skeeter said:
So the garish white/blue stripes arent a problem atm? lol
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Thankfully I picked one that doesnt have the stupid stripes, and just looks like a small focus :)

I'd ideally want something mid sized, and preferably a hatchback as the looks appeal to me more. Every car I've come across either costs a bomb to run, or kills me with depreciation.

Am I resigned to just thinking "to hell with it" and just buy something like the Cupra as at least its got a decent grin factor?
 
Also, I know a lot of you are LCR owners, how reliable are they generally, would it be something happy with motorway driving each day, also whats the cabin noise like?
 
I used to use mine daily for a motorway commute, and it never missed a beat. Indeed, the only trouble it ever gave me was when I tracked it, serious trouble none-the-less, but it was down to being driven incredibly hard on a track and not really due to reliability issues.

Cabin noise isn't too intrusive, certainly a heck of a lot less than something altogether more raw (like an Integra Type-R), but due to the large, low profile tyres, firm suspension, and minimal sound proofing, its not whisper quiet like a BMW or something of that ilk.

The only real issues with the 1.8T are coil-packs and water pumps. By now, most coil-packs out there should be newer revisions that don't suffer premature failure (caused by a gap of air that has since been removed from the design), and most people change the plastic waterpump for a metal one upon cambelt time.

Certainly no point in spending £11K on one however.
 
paradigm said:
I used to use mine daily for a motorway commute, and it never missed a beat. Indeed, the only trouble it ever gave me was when I tracked it, serious trouble none-the-less, but it was down to being driven incredibly hard on a track and not really due to reliability issues.

Cabin noise isn't too intrusive, certainly a heck of a lot less than something altogether more raw (like an Integra Type-R), but due to the large, low profile tyres, firm suspension, and minimal sound proofing, its not whisper quiet like a BMW or something of that ilk.

The only real issues with the 1.8T are coil-packs and water pumps. By now, most coil-packs out there should be newer revisions that don't suffer premature failure (caused by a gap of air that has since been removed from the design), and most people change the plastic waterpump for a metal one upon cambelt time.

Certainly no point in spending £11K on one however.
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What would you recommend to spend to get one with 30/40k miles? Cheaper than £10k? When does the belt get changed - 60k?

thepharcyde said:
I think you would be disappointed going for a ST170 unless it leaves enough change for FI :D
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Whats FI? The ST170 is the super cheap option for just getting me up and down the motorway, thought it would be a little better than my fiesta as more power and a 6th gear?
 
Monster said:
What would you recommend to spend to get one with 30/40k miles? Cheaper than £10k? When does the belt get changed - 60k?
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Should be able to get a 40,000 mile example for £10k, but why be so fussed about the milage? I'd rather have a 60k one with all the expensive work done, that has been looked after properly. Belt should be at 60,000 miles, and camchain tensioner will need doing around 90,000.


Monster said:
Whats FI?
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Forced induction.
 
Ye obviously I'd like to get one with all the work done etc, but I'd like to have something with low mileage because there is something written into my work contract that says my car must have done a certain mileage or less. I don't think its ever been mentioned to anyone, but 99% of people drive 2 year old Audis/BMWs to my work. (We dont get paid enough for new ones!)

My last higher mileage car was 45k miles when it decided it would start to fall apart, then again it was an Astra!

Whats Forced Induction? Some sort of mod I presume? Does that up the power a lot? Costly?
 
howardcanning said:
If you don't *mind* paying for it's running costs, you don't *have* to resign yourself to driving a crappy diesel... :)

A3 3.2 V6 would be a lovely upgrade too :D
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Diesels are not crap, well some of them.

Buying the V6 would be a waste of money unless you want the DSG, the tax on it and mpg just isn't worth it over a remapped T Quattro.

Afaik they don't have a 150 diesel A3, 110 140 and 170. The A3 has gone through its final facelift for a few years and the V6 is no longer in production due to being inefficient and not in line with VAG goals.

If it had to be an A3 I would wait 6 months or so as there will be some bargains about, more so than now.

Regardless, you are going to suffer depreciation on any model.
 
zain said:
Diesels are not crap, well some of them.

Buying the V6 would be a waste of money unless you want the DSG, the tax on it and mpg just isn't worth it over a remapped T Quattro.

Afaik they don't have a 150 diesel A3, 110 140 and 170. The A3 has gone through its final facelift for a few years and the V6 is no longer in production due to being inefficient and not in line with VAG goals.

If it had to be an A3 I would wait 6 months or so as there will be some bargains about, more so than now.

Regardless, you are going to suffer depreciation on any model.
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Some useful food for thought on the 3.2, remapping etc would probably be a better bet. I think the price premium on the Audi currently puts it above what I'd like to spend etc, and the diesels are lacking in power bar the 170 which is too costly. I'm starting to think of keeping mine for 2 more months to save and then getting an approx £9k LCR/Civic Type-R. Although looking at rising petrol prices I might end up bankrupt.

Are there no fast diesels about in my budget? :(
 
If you want something that won't depreciate too badly then avoid the Astras. They lose money faster than most of us lose patience with scottyboys posts.
 
Monster said:
Some useful food for thought on the 3.2, remapping etc would probably be a better bet. I think the price premium on the Audi currently puts it above what I'd like to spend etc, and the diesels are lacking in power bar the 170 which is too costly. I'm starting to think of keeping mine for 2 more months to save and then getting an approx £9k LCR/Civic Type-R. Although looking at rising petrol prices I might end up bankrupt.

Are there no fast diesels about in my budget? :(
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How far do you drive daily, and what kind of driving? The LCR won't bankrupt you if you don't hoon it. Over 30MPG is easily do-able day-to-day, and over 40 is possible if you really try.
 
paradigm said:
How far do you drive daily, and what kind of driving? The LCR won't bankrupt you if you don't hoon it. Over 30MPG is easily do-able day-to-day, and over 40 is possible if you really try.
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Without trying to be awkward it varies a lot. Having worked out where I am going to be mainly based over the next year I'm looking to do about 26,000 business miles, and probably about 5,000 non business miles. I think I'm getting about 33-34mpg with the Fiesta at current. The miles will be mostly A-road and motorway miles - say 75%.
 
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