Help my wife choose a car
08 May 2006, 10:14 PM
#1
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Help my wife choose a car
Previously I've chosen things for her she didn't like, so this time I'm just letting her choose, but she can't LOL.
She is losing her company car - 05 Octavia vRS in 3 weeks when she starts a new job.
We are soon to move nearer to her work (probably 5 miles), but the proposed car would also be our long distance car that could also be left at airports/go shopping etc.
Her favourite car so far that she has owned/driven has been her Ford Puma, which we sold a year ago when she got the company car.
I'm trying to get the criteria out of her, but she wants something stylish and accepts that a Puma doesn't really have the refinement and space to be a long distance car.
I think we've discounted soft tops, but two seater would be OK, RWD wouldn't be ideal in Scotland having tried that once. So I think that means it needs to be a hot hatch, medium or large coupe or saloon? She doesn't like the look of the WRX.
Focus ST is a bit thirsty and plastic infested.
She doesn't like diesel engines as she likes to rev a petrol engine a bit
Does that leave us with a Golf GTI or Astra VXR?.
Budget not too important, more important that it is fun to drive and perceived good value.
She is losing her company car - 05 Octavia vRS in 3 weeks when she starts a new job.
We are soon to move nearer to her work (probably 5 miles), but the proposed car would also be our long distance car that could also be left at airports/go shopping etc.
Her favourite car so far that she has owned/driven has been her Ford Puma, which we sold a year ago when she got the company car.
I'm trying to get the criteria out of her, but she wants something stylish and accepts that a Puma doesn't really have the refinement and space to be a long distance car.
I think we've discounted soft tops, but two seater would be OK, RWD wouldn't be ideal in Scotland having tried that once. So I think that means it needs to be a hot hatch, medium or large coupe or saloon? She doesn't like the look of the WRX.
Focus ST is a bit thirsty and plastic infested.
She doesn't like diesel engines as she likes to rev a petrol engine a bit
Does that leave us with a Golf GTI or Astra VXR?.
Budget not too important, more important that it is fun to drive and perceived good value.
08 May 2006, 11:14 PM
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audi a3 2.0T in fwd or quattro spec? basically a golf gti but with a nicer(to me) interior and without the silly waiting list
was going to be getting one of these to replace my sti but have done a deal with my boss and am keeping the sti and getting an a3 2.0tdi quattro sline. long name but nice car!
or slightly less practical a tt sport,the one with stripped out interior
or more practical RS4 estate,perfect for shopping trips
or if you feel like taking a gamble alfa GT!
was going to be getting one of these to replace my sti but have done a deal with my boss and am keeping the sti and getting an a3 2.0tdi quattro sline. long name but nice car!
or slightly less practical a tt sport,the one with stripped out interior
or more practical RS4 estate,perfect for shopping trips
or if you feel like taking a gamble alfa GT!
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09 May 2006, 02:21 AM
#11
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Aye, I'd drive a Cooper-S too and see what you think.... I did it a couple of months ago and was really impressed with the steering/handling and punch from the engine.
Cheers,
Grant
Cheers,
Grant
09 May 2006, 08:39 AM
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Originally Posted by deuchars
Cooper S??
09 May 2006, 08:50 AM
#14
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BMW M3? 
Audi S4
Nissan 350 (RWD though)
I wouldn't discount a boxster
996 C4s
CLK
Audi S4
Nissan 350 (RWD though)
I wouldn't discount a boxster
996 C4s
CLK
09 May 2006, 09:12 AM
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VXR,ST,GTI.Three thief magnets sadly.VXR and ST also will be extremely common.New Golf does look nice though.
Is she not tempted by the new vRS? Pretty safe leaving it and you know what a big improvement it is on the last one (which is great)
Is she not tempted by the new vRS? Pretty safe leaving it and you know what a big improvement it is on the last one (which is great)
09 May 2006, 09:53 AM
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How about a Forester 2.5XT my wife loves it. Silly power in a japanise wardrobe. Just a bit wallowie on the bends, I think the prodrive springs would sort that out. Also PPP avaliable. Or the Forester STI!
09 May 2006, 10:41 AM
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She likes the Forester less than the Impreza. RWD wouldn't suit her driving skills. New vRS is an option, but she only went for the old one because it was the only one with good performance on the company list. I read that the handling on the new vRS is not up to Golf standards.
09 May 2006, 12:50 PM
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John, does she want the performance or do you?
Or is style important?
All I'm reading from your post is "I want" not "she wants". Now I appreciate she doesn't necessarily know what she wants (well, she does, she just doesn't know how to express it)
If she gets what you want, she won't be happy.
It appears she loved the Puma most of all, and yet they are not that fast. But they are "cute"
You need to think like a woman, dude, not a man. A Golf gti is just a fast golf. It basically looks and feels the same as a 1.6.
If she liked the Octavia that much, how come she doesn't want another one?
She obviously has taste if she doesn't like the look of the WRX. And you are really struggling fro something good to drive if you must have front wheel drive.
My suggestions:-
Cooper S with some careful accessories
Merc SKL (it doesn't snow THAT often in Fife
)
Mazda MX5
New Civic
Old Civic R
Z4
And the curveball - if she really liked the Puma, she'd love an Integra. DC5's are much more refined than DC2s. Feel, handling, gearchange very similar.
Or is style important?
All I'm reading from your post is "I want" not "she wants". Now I appreciate she doesn't necessarily know what she wants (well, she does, she just doesn't know how to express it)
If she gets what you want, she won't be happy.
It appears she loved the Puma most of all, and yet they are not that fast. But they are "cute"
You need to think like a woman, dude, not a man. A Golf gti is just a fast golf. It basically looks and feels the same as a 1.6.
If she liked the Octavia that much, how come she doesn't want another one?
She obviously has taste if she doesn't like the look of the WRX. And you are really struggling fro something good to drive if you must have front wheel drive.
My suggestions:-
Cooper S with some careful accessories
Merc SKL (it doesn't snow THAT often in Fife
)Mazda MX5
New Civic
Old Civic R
Z4
And the curveball - if she really liked the Puma, she'd love an Integra. DC5's are much more refined than DC2s. Feel, handling, gearchange very similar.
09 May 2006, 12:56 PM
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Thanks Diablo, some nice ideas there. It seemed to be her that was wanting the performance which is why she seemed quite keen on a 350Z. Having said that she didn't use a fraction of its performance on the test drive, and that expensive engine, tyres, brakes are all going to waste and the RWD will put her in a hedge. I suggested to her that the 350Z would be good if she wanted to really master the car and take some tuition on driving powerful RWD, but she wasn't so keen.
Whilst it doesn't snow often in Fife, the road temperature is below 8C for about half the year. RWD on summer tyres just doesn't like that trust me. For the same reason, a convertible would be silly. She liked the Boxster to look at, but thought it would provoke ill feeling - they can be a bit funny round 'ere - and I suspect she is right.
Alfa will break surely?
Whilst it doesn't snow often in Fife, the road temperature is below 8C for about half the year. RWD on summer tyres just doesn't like that trust me. For the same reason, a convertible would be silly. She liked the Boxster to look at, but thought it would provoke ill feeling - they can be a bit funny round 'ere - and I suspect she is right.
Alfa will break surely?
Last edited by john banks; 09 May 2006 at 12:58 PM.
09 May 2006, 01:11 PM
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Honda Civic Sport 1.6vtec engine.
Excellent cars that like to be reved a bit
Oh and i happen to be selling mine
http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/showthread.php?t=510479
Excellent cars that like to be reved a bit
Oh and i happen to be selling mine
http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/showthread.php?t=510479
09 May 2006, 01:26 PM
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Originally Posted by john banks
Thanks Diablo, some nice ideas there. It seemed to be her that was wanting the performance which is why she seemed quite keen on a 350Z. Having said that she didn't use a fraction of its performance on the test drive, and that expensive engine, tyres, brakes are all going to waste and the RWD will put her in a hedge. I suggested to her that the 350Z would be good if she wanted to really master the car and take some tuition on driving powerful RWD, but she wasn't so keen.
Whilst it doesn't snow often in Fife, the road temperature is below 8C for about half the year. RWD on summer tyres just doesn't like that trust me. For the same reason, a convertible would be silly. She liked the Boxster to look at, but thought it would provoke ill feeling - they can be a bit funny round 'ere - and I suspect she is right.
Alfa will break surely?
Whilst it doesn't snow often in Fife, the road temperature is below 8C for about half the year. RWD on summer tyres just doesn't like that trust me. For the same reason, a convertible would be silly. She liked the Boxster to look at, but thought it would provoke ill feeling - they can be a bit funny round 'ere - and I suspect she is right.
Alfa will break surely?
John, big difference between wanting a car with all that performance and actually using it. It's about margins and having it there, just in case.
