...........what else is there ?
Time to change Mrs TLR's Cooper S........
TIA 🙂
123d
Golf GTD/GTi
Volvo V30
RS3 come January - at £40k though comes at a price 😉
Golf R
RS3 for sure.
Would avoid s line A3s, had an S3 and was really crashy and not much fun to be in.
Or an RS4 perhaps ?
Sounds like pistonheads now.
Obviously anyone wanting a new car has to go for the most powerful and most exclusive model first.
Does she want the ultimate handling, sub 7sec 0-60, long service intervals, 4x4, 5 doors etc??
Just bought a A3 Sportback S-line for the Mrs Optical...wanted the Quattro but got a deal on the sline....great to drive and been ok in the snow as well.
Does it have to be 4wd and 5dr?
Scirocco R is better value than a Golf R, although does without the 4wd. Scirocco 2.0 GT is the same engine as the golf GTI too.
New C30 is nice, as someone said above.
1 series coupe? (due for a facelift next year I think).
Mammoth lead times on some VAG cars at the moment (new/factory build) and second hand / nearly new prices are high as a result. Hopefully you can find what you want at the right price.
As has been said above, S-Line A3s do ride 'a bit hard'.
The Volvo's steering is almost completely weightless, very uninvolving to drive and the interior is a bit mleh as well.
I am pretty sure the Golf R is 2wd.
To borrow Mr Awesome's phrase, s-line/m sport = all show no go.
That RS3 looks like way too many horses in such a small car. Mental.
Errmmm - budget, type of engine (assume quick), etc?
Golf R is AWD. Scirocco R is FWD.
Golf R is a good option as is the current S3 - soon to be replaced so prices can be haggled hard.
BM 123d is great but you sound like you might want AWD?
S-Line/M Sport on a measly engined car is quite simply:
Gay.
"The Volvo's steering is almost completely weightless, very uninvolving to drive and the interior is a bit mleh as well.
I am pretty sure the Golf R is 2wd."
I agree that others drive better than the c30, but might be worth a shot. Can be some good deals.
Pretty sure the Golf R is 4wd, hence the price difference over the Scirocco R.
Subaru Impreza if you want 5drs and 4wd?
My friend is a salesman for VW and he said that the lead time for a new Golf is 20 weeks at the moment.
Alfa Gulietta
😆 😆Alfa Gulietta
"To borrow Mr Awesome's phrase, s-line/m sport = all show no go. "
"S-Line/M Sport on a measly engined car is quite simply: Gay. "
Well I've got an S Line A4 Avant and I think it looks great, drives well comfortable and with the 140Tdi engine its quick enough when it needs to be and if I don't pin it everywhere I'll get 650 to 700 to a tank of diesel.
Down side is tyres are ****ing expensive.
Civic Type-R? or even a New Cooper S... is your current one a Supercharged, or the newer Turbo one? Or even one of those Countryman jobbies if the 4x4 is important.
Alfa Gulietta
+1
Took 4 months for my new Golf to arrive, to confirm what thesurfbus said. Worth the wait though 🙂
Skoda Octavia vRS. 170 Diesel if you must, but my DSG petrol one with a 255bhp remap is awesome. Same switchgear as the VWs and a fraction of the price and IMHO its a bit better laid out than the golf. I paid just under 20k for the estate with dsg, leather, zenons, cruise. A similarly specced golf gti would be nearly 30k! I imagine an A3 would be more again.
don't forget the remap though (Shark Performance FTW) 😉
3 out of 5...
http://www.whatcar.com/car-reviews/audi/a3-sportback/summary/25182-13
And the cheapest quattro is £23k - you could get a proper car for that kinda money.
If you like Audi's:
http://www.whatcar.com/used-cars-for-sale/details/audi-s4-s4-saloon/3130/11543138/default.aspx
The only quattro A3 worth getting would be an S3 or RS3. Pretty pointless otherwise I think.
my wife drives a lamborghini but it's not that practical
I am very rich though
LOOK - HERE I AM
Scared - don't you mean a [b][u]LAMBORGHINI?[/u] [/b] 😉
I have a "fully loaded" A3 Sportback 2.0T FSI Quattro S-line Special Edition.
I have had it from new for just over 4 years and really can't fault it. The Quattro system makes it handle like a go cart, but I can't honestly say it seems that sure footed in the snow, but it is all relative. A different drive to a rear wheel BMW not necessarily better or worse but definitely different.
Engine is sweet with a nice rasp when you put your foot down although not as smooth or refined as my old VW V5. If I went for something else it would need to be a flat 6 in either a BMW or Porsche.
But for the time being 200HP is sufficient for me. I have never driven an S3 so don't know how much more capable it is, but at the end of the day it is same 2.0 4 cylinder engine
The Sportback is a nice bike friendly car without being too big. You probably can't get any more bikes in than a Golf say but it is just a little easier.
We've got an 07 2.0TFSI Quattro Sline Sportback, great car. It is a bit hard on the suspension though, but in the time we've had it we haven't had any real problems at all. It just gets an annual service which is about £150 to £200 depending on where you go.
When we were looking we specifically wanted the 4wd car and there wasn't much choice about. It was either a golf 4motion, at that time they only made the R32, or an A3.
I'd certainly have another
but I can't honestly say it seems that sure footed in the snow
due to the rubber band summer tires no doubt!
[i]but I can't honestly say it seems that sure footed in the snow
due to the rubber band summer tires no doubt![/i]
Yep that will be it. I like my cars like my women - low maintenance.
Have a read of [url= http://www.allardmotorcompany.com/filestore/list/documents/Allard-A3-TDI-quattro.pdf ]THIS [/url] Audi A3 tdi quattro, very very quick car.
I'm a diehard fast Golf fan, but there's a '60 plate Golf R in the dealer up the road with 2000 miles on it; it's £36,995!!!! Thats ridiculous. Standard car is over 30k, has a cloth interior, no satnav etc. S3 would be considerably (6-7k) cheaper than similar spec Golf R (same engine), due to outgoing model.
Guy at work ordered a Sportback in October, late April delivery!
[i]I have a "fully loaded" A3 Sportback 2.0T FSI Quattro S-line Special Edition. [/i]
It must be in a small font to get that across the bootlid!
thinking S3....
how impressive is the 4wd [we'd fit winter tyres for our snow conditions]....
the cooper s is an 08 turbo, to be either sold or kept as a run-aboot.....
It's a Haldex clutch so not full time 4wd (I think). I found it a bit of an uninspiring drive tbh; very fast and plenty of grip but not much feel. Other thing to consider is S3/A3 is now 7 odd years old and due for replacement very soon, although I suppose that's the reason for the competitive pricing just now.
RS3 with 5 pot turbo will surely have a bit more about it, lovely engine! Lot of cash though.
BMW 1M is on the way for similar money to the RS3. Know which I'd rather have. Can't afford either though 🙁
What about the new Subaru STI saloon. Quite pricey, thirsty, fairly coorse looking; but supposed to have ironed out all the negatives of hatchback.
Lancia Delta Evo 2
you will need to save some money to keep it running obviously 😀
I've got a 2007 s3, had it from new.
Its very fast, and surefooted in all conditions. th 4wd works well in the snow and has got me places where other cars have failed.
its practical and reliable, and a nice place to sit.
BUT - its the most boring fast car I've ever owned, its amazing how a car this fast can be this boring. I think its because its got no depth, any idiot can drive it and get to within 95% of its total capability.
How many miles are the folks with the A3 TFSI getting to the gallon?
How do you know the 4wd is working? As far as I know it kicks in when needed but is generally 2wd. So how do you know it isn't just a very grippy drive rather than the 4wd?
Personally it doesn't interest me but I do like the rs4.
Panda 4x4 and blow the rest on coke and hookers....
You know it makes sense 😉
[i]thesurfbus - Member
How many miles are the folks with the A3 TFSI getting to the gallon?[/i]
Motorway driving 30 mpg perhaps 32mpg if I am taking my time
Elsewhere - commute a mix of local roads mainly perhaps 27mpg.
These figures are for the Quattro model - this hits the figures by about 20 to 25% according to the specs.
I have a Octavia 4x4,Older style Haldex 4x4 system,Very good car,Haldex keeps the car front wheel drive and then puts power to the rear wheels if the front starts to slip,or if you smack the throttle pedal to the floor.
Been out in mine and passed all sorts of cars on the slippery icy stuff we have had recently,The look of suprise on some peoples faces when a Skoda passes them,whilst they are there spinning there BMW,Ford,Vauxhall etc makes me laugh.
Will be having a Audi Quatro next of another Octavia 4x4
Its a common misunderstanding that the haldex only engages the rear wheels when the fronts start to slip. This was the case with the first gen haldex, but the newer versions are more complex:-
From a standing start , if the front wheel starts to slip (by something like 6 degrees) the rear wheels will engage.
if the car is already rolling, then the computer that controls the haldex sends a varying amount of power to the rear depending on various inputs, such as throttle position, speed of throttle press, yaw/pitch/roll angles etc. So its constantly varying the amount sent backwards between 0% and 99%, although in practice you would rarely get 99% at the back.
In practice, It works brilliantly, the car never feels like a front wheel drive car. From a standing start in the wet, if you dump the clutch (and drive like a ****t), all four wheels will spin up and its impossible to tell that the fronts span up slightly before the rears.
Haldex systems vary massively nowadays but I still prefer "proper" Torsen 4WD. Had earlyish Haldex in my R32 Golf (mk4) and it did work very well indeed but there were times you could feel the torque bias shifting - which was a bit weird.
[i]How many miles are the folks with the A3 TFSI getting to the gallon?
Motorway driving 30 mpg perhaps 32mpg if I am taking my time
Elsewhere - commute a mix of local roads mainly perhaps 27mpg.[/i]
And as its FSi don't you have to use the 'premium' unleaded - which actually brings it down into my 3.5i 'economy' territory...
