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Best hot hatch upto £3500??

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Old 10 January 2007, 01:42 PM
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Gear Head
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Default Best hot hatch upto £3500??

Looking for a hot hatch as new as possible. Think this only really leaves the 306gti-6, but are there any other options?
What are the 16v golf mk3's like??
Old 10 January 2007, 01:44 PM
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Torpid
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Originally Posted by chrispurvis100
What are the 16v golf mk3's like??
Lardy pieces of crap that aren't very fast or agile. Buy the 306GTI if you're so hard up you can only afford 3.5K.
Old 10 January 2007, 01:46 PM
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Matteeboy
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I had one for three years and loved it (a mk3 Golf 16V Gti).
In fact at one point me, Mum and Dad had one each and had a six pager in "Volkswagen Driver!"

I'd say the Pug has the edge on handling and it's slightly quicker but the Golf is WAY more solid and is a good MWay cruiser.
The engine is bombproof and very cheap to run - Just make sure the cambelt has been changed at 70k - Vital.

Many go for the VR6 but it's much thirstier, pricier and softer than the 16v in set up. The 16v is a much better balanced car.

If you can find a good one, I highly recommend them - Go for as late as possible (mine was one of the last built) and avoid any S African built ones.

Torpid - Hmm, must take you out for a pint one day.

NOT.
Old 10 January 2007, 01:47 PM
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Gutmann pug
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172 clio's can be got for this money now
Old 10 January 2007, 01:47 PM
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Andy M3
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Saxo VTS would be a good choice
Old 10 January 2007, 01:50 PM
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Jesus, torpid, what is it with you?
Hard up? I think that buying my own place with my fiancee, saving for a wedding, running my old mans business since he had a stroke over a year ago, being 24 and being able to afford a 3.5K car is not exactly hard up!

You really can be an ar&ehole sometimes.
Now f%ck off!

Last edited by Gear Head; 10 January 2007 at 01:52 PM.
Old 10 January 2007, 01:54 PM
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Matt_taylor
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106 GTI!
Old 10 January 2007, 01:56 PM
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Originally Posted by chrispurvis100
Jesus, torpid, what is it with you?
Hard up? I think that buying my own place with my fiancee, saving for a wedding, running my old mans business since he had a stroke over a year ago, being 24 and being able to afford a 3.5K car is not exactly hard up!

You really can be an ar&ehole sometimes.
Now f%ck off!
I'm not interested in the sordid little details of your life. You asked for information I gave it.

The MK3 Golf 16V GTI is not a good hot hatch in my opinion. Despite what the other poster says they are poorly built compared to the MKII or MKIV, are not a good drive and command lower values than a MKII, which has to say something about them. I've driven 8v, 16V and VR6 and don't rate any of them other than the VR6 as a cruiser.

Of the cars available to you in the hot hatch class I'd take a GTI-6 above all the other choices. Although as you are clearly potless perhaps a Mondeo or Vectra diesel might be a smarter choice?
Old 10 January 2007, 01:56 PM
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What are the 106/306 like for reliability?
And I wouldn't be seen dead in a saxo!
Have also heard some horror stories about the 172's!
Old 10 January 2007, 01:58 PM
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I had a mk4 golf 1.6 16v for 3 years. That WAS poorly built! 10 trips to the dealers for warrenty work in 2.5 years!
Old 10 January 2007, 01:59 PM
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Only the South African mk3s suffered on build - Any German built ones were rock solid.
Mine never missed a beat in 25k miles and three years of ownership.
And I had a mk2 before it and a mk4 after it so have a fairly good idea of how they compare.
Mk4s handle appallingly - Apart from the R32 I had. Mk2s handle pretty well but have no brakes.

Mk3 is a good blend of reasonable performance and comfort.

And they'll outlast anything French by years.
Old 10 January 2007, 02:00 PM
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Originally Posted by Torpid
I'm not interested in the sordid little details of your life. You asked for information I gave it.

The MK3 Golf 16V GTI is not a good hot hatch in my opinion. Despite what the other poster says they are poorly built compared to the MKII or MKIV, are not a good drive and command lower values than a MKII, which has to say something about them. I've driven 8v, 16V and VR6 and don't rate any of them other than the VR6 as a cruiser.

Of the cars available to you in the hot hatch class I'd take a GTI-6 above all the other choices. Although as you are clearly potless perhaps a Mondeo or Vectra diesel might be a smarter choice?
Potless...... or maybe smart enough to blow all my savings on a new car.
Old 10 January 2007, 02:01 PM
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Torpid, you gave some "information" then had a little dig with your "so hard up" line.

People like you bore me to tears.
Old 10 January 2007, 02:02 PM
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The MK3 8v Golf GTI was woefully slow - however the 16v pushes 150bhp so is quite brisk and as for the handling - well nothing that a few hundred quid couldn't sort as for poorly built, your having a laugh arn't you. I owned a MK2 and ok the MK3 wasn't as sharp driving wise but the build quality is as good if not better.

Loads of these for 2-3k
Old 10 January 2007, 02:03 PM
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Originally Posted by Matteeboy
Torpid, you gave some "information" then had a little dig with your "so hard up" line.

People like you bore me to tears.
Feel free to ignore my comments then.
Old 10 January 2007, 02:04 PM
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BTW I also think MKIV golfs are ****, just not as bad as a MKIII.

3.5K spent on a MKII Golf Gti and a brake upgrade would be a smarter move and get you a car that might actually be worth something if you don't wreck it.
Old 10 January 2007, 02:08 PM
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3.5K, for a MK2! You're having a giraffe!
Old 10 January 2007, 02:09 PM
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Originally Posted by Matt_taylor
106 GTI!

I'll second that.
Old 10 January 2007, 02:13 PM
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Originally Posted by chrispurvis100
3.5K, for a MK2! You're having a giraffe!
Could get a very well sorted 16v track one for that.
Old 10 January 2007, 02:14 PM
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AS NEW AS POSSIBLE
Old 10 January 2007, 02:15 PM
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Originally Posted by chrispurvis100
AS NEW AS POSSIBLE
Didn't see that bit.
Old 10 January 2007, 02:27 PM
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Sprinkler system armed....

Mg ZS180!

There i said it! They are wicked!
Old 10 January 2007, 02:34 PM
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Nova 1.3 SR!


free parking space at mc 'd's
Old 10 January 2007, 02:36 PM
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Old 10 January 2007, 02:36 PM
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Originally Posted by chrispurvis100
3.5K, for a MK2! You're having a giraffe!
It will be worth 3.5K when you come to sell it unlike a MKIII.

VolksWizard - VW Audi specialist near J3 M42
Old 10 January 2007, 02:39 PM
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GTi-6 defo!
Old 10 January 2007, 02:43 PM
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What do you want to do with it? Mway cruising? round town stuff daily driver or occasional blasts?

m.
Old 10 January 2007, 02:46 PM
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General driving, mixture of both motorway and town work.
Old 10 January 2007, 02:54 PM
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If you can do without little comforts like electric windows and air con try and find a 306 Rallye. There basically a lightened GTI-6. I had one and regreted selling it .

Wolfie.
Old 10 January 2007, 02:56 PM
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Originally Posted by wolfie28
If you can do without little comforts like electric windows and air con try and find a 306 Rallye. There basically a lightened GTI-6. I had one and regreted selling it .

Wolfie.
He will want those creature comforts if he has any sense and is using the car as a daily driver.

The rallye is one of those cars I always wanted but never got round to owning but a GTI-6 is more or less the same thing isn't it?


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