chrisola

Thinking of changing the scoob..

I love the noise, and the power surge & grip etc, but want a bit more comfort, different looks, more quality inside, more MPG!!

I run a MY00 with a cat back Ninja exhaust, get about 25mpg on my work run (all B and A road, short bypass blast, or all bypass).

I've been looking at:

S2000
Focus ST
Golf GTi
Astra VXR
Audi S3

So far i think the ST is a no go due to most people on the owners club getting around 22mpg!

Looking to hear from anyone whos made the jump from a scooby to one of the above to chime in with thoughts and feelings

I'm not too fussed about absoloute power, to be honest my scoob is pretty much too fast as it is, it sails so quickly up to 90ish!

I'm after something reliable, thrashable, reasonable high 20's\low 30's mpg, looks good and is built well.. but not too fast.. insurance group 17. Practicality not an issue, as long as it seats 2 and is comfy

Image counts for nothing, i only ever buy what *i* like

Maybe a newer STi would be a safe choice, but i fancy something a bit less showy and potent !!!!!

little rick

I've got a classic MY00 and my dad runs an S2000

I prefer mine, he prefers his - mainly because of the way you have to realy wind the S2000 up
It is a really nice car and lots of fun - although a little tail happy for me at times

As regards mpg you wont be looking at much better - I estimate about 25-26 for the scooby - he recons he gets about 27 unless its motorway cruising stuff where it'll go to very low 30's
On the plus side his servicing is far less than what I pay and its only every 12months - although I nearly passed out at the price of his rear tyres
Build quality is no problem but like most cars the standard radio is pants and you need a fairly expensive adapter if you want to be able to use the on dash remote controls (not sure of the proper name) with any other head unit

Can't comment on any of the others I'm afraid

LG John

The S2000 isn't a massive saving on fuel if you are getting 25mpg out of your scooby. I had a decat MY99 scooby and got around 23-24mpg and in the S2000 I got about 26-27 but I used to give it death

However, in terms of running costs overall the difference is night and day - the S2000 is far more manageable to run as a daily driver. It's also far more fun to drive. I've posted plenty about it before so search "S2000" and posts by me and you'll dig up pretty much every S2000 thread ever made on here

Sub97

What about a 130i?

Looks are subjective, but I was in one at the weekend, and the interior is very nice IMO. Pretty quick too, handle well, and should return around 30mpg pretty easily.

dexter

Mate, I`ve owned a couple of Scoobs (blob-eye with PPP, and STI with PPP), and I`ve also owned the ST, and the Mk V GTI.

Yes, if MPG is any sort of an issue, forget the ST, as it`s little (if any) better than a Scoob.

The Mk V GTI, however, is an excellent car, as it provides a bit of poke (especially remapped ), allied to good handling, and good build quality. It will also attain late 20`s to early 30`s mpg, week in - week out; and that`s just around town and some quick blasts in there. On the m-ways it`s even better. Insurance isn`t too bad either (grp 17).

No, it won`t outhandle the Scoob, nor will it outrun it, but it DOES match all of the attributes you seem to be looking for, especially in the interior.

If you do get one, try to get one with the 18`Monza alloys on, as they look better (IMHO), they definitely help resale value, and the ride is no different/harder, etc, with them on, as opposed to the 17`s.

One with leather is nice as well, if you can source one.

Anyway, good luck, and enjoy the test-drive.

PS: I`ve also driven the Astra VXR, quite extensively (but road-only), and felt it to be quicker than both the GTI, and the ST.

As I said.............enjoy !

MooseRacer

Mk5 GTI is a revelation after VW's recent efforts with the Golf GTI.

Having driven many Mk3s and Mk4s I would never have even considered one when the time came for me to change, but the MK5 has gone back to having a good blend of speed and agility...it really does handle rather than just grip.

I get 30mpg around town and more on longer runs. Has a very flexible engine with decent shove from low down and still happy to rev.

There are cars out there that do the "hot hatch" thing better but the Golf is not far off and as an ownership prospect its a winner.

John57

I get 28mpg from my S2000 ..... I only ever got about 22mpg from the Scooby (MY05WRX PPP) when I had it. Both driven the same.

S2000 is soooo different to the Scooby though - as Saxo Boy said earlier - do a search and read ..... and read. Then try one

matchmaker

What about an Octavia vRS - same car underneath as the Golf, but cheaper and more of a "Q-car"? More space too.

RichB

I went STi4 to S2000 and never looked back, totally different cars. You don't have to rev the nuts off it to make progress, they are a quick car, a full tank (£45 ish) does about 240-250 miles so not fantastic. Boot space is poor due to the space saver but we did 3k round Europe in ours. It just depends on whether you want in inconvienence of 2 seats but the joys of top down motoring or you want the practicalities of a boring 4 seat metal box that just happens to be moderately quick but everyone has...

Rokerlad

Another thumbs up for the MK V GTI. Not the quickest of the current band of hot hatches but still a great car, quality seats / interior and has a definite 'feel good' factor about it. As had been said, the 18" Monzas are a must have.

B9GLY

save some cash and go for a civic type r, get a very nice one with no miles for 12k!

Jonto

What he said above.

I had an MY00, then a Clio Cup and now a MkV GTI.

Best all round car i have ever owned. 35mpg is easy to extract and the engine is flexible and sounds great. Mine has leather which i love but not the 18inch Monza II's which i would have loved. Given the choice again i would get xenons aswell.

Great all round car...........what you waiting for? Get out there and buy one !

Longjing

I got one over a Golf (for the space) and an A3 (tight space, harsh ride and just didn't like it). Same engine.

I thought the A3 2.0t wasn't all that and the dealer was a tool. The Golf was lovely really, just a bit small in the back/boot. That said, paying 5k less wasn't exactly a problem... plus I like the anti-snob appeal of the badge.

I'd like more power tbh, but not through the front wheels.

Devildog

Seconded

MooseRacer

Quite agree and am a fan of the Fabia, but just don't like the looks of either previous or current Octavia. The extra space is gained by bigger overhang at the rear and I just don't like the look of that

matchmaker

Wheelspin becomes a way of life