Unashamedly - a what car thread?
19 July 2011, 02:39 PM
#1
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
Unashamedly - a what car thread?
If you had £8K to spend on a car to keep for at least 3 years.
Mileage of about 15K. Some of it work related but work is helping to fund the purchase, not the fuel.
Servicing costs aren't a big issue. Fuel costs are an issue but not too much of a concern that turbo'd petrol cars are out of the question - any new purchase would have to go some to be worse than my 4.0L Jeep Cherokee. Not too sure if I should stay with petrol or change to diesel. I'll be doing about 15K a year. Can't see it being that much more. I've done 7K in the Jeep in 2 years.
Short list (in no order) :-
Focus ST
Renault Clio Cup 200
Leon Cupra R
MY05 STI
MYxx WRX
Octavia VRS
Audi S3/S4
E46 330i/330d
Only one diesel in there. I'll have to look further into exactly how much difference the fuel costs would be over 12 months and 15K of say the 330D and the MY05STI.
Mileage of about 15K. Some of it work related but work is helping to fund the purchase, not the fuel.
Servicing costs aren't a big issue. Fuel costs are an issue but not too much of a concern that turbo'd petrol cars are out of the question - any new purchase would have to go some to be worse than my 4.0L Jeep Cherokee. Not too sure if I should stay with petrol or change to diesel. I'll be doing about 15K a year. Can't see it being that much more. I've done 7K in the Jeep in 2 years.
Short list (in no order) :-
Focus ST
Renault Clio Cup 200
Leon Cupra R
MY05 STI
MYxx WRX
Octavia VRS
Audi S3/S4
E46 330i/330d
Only one diesel in there. I'll have to look further into exactly how much difference the fuel costs would be over 12 months and 15K of say the 330D and the MY05STI.
19 July 2011, 03:52 PM
#4
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
Would a turbo replacement - as per the advert I posted - put you off?
What is the deal with these swirl flaps?
How hard it is to find a nice looking 330D Sport with a manual gearbox!?
Going completely off the original candidates list - would an 03 330D Sport be a better car than a 57 plate SAAB 93 diesel turbo.
Not keen on Audi A4s or Mondeos - as I seem to venturing in that direction.
What is the deal with these swirl flaps?
How hard it is to find a nice looking 330D Sport with a manual gearbox!?
Going completely off the original candidates list - would an 03 330D Sport be a better car than a 57 plate SAAB 93 diesel turbo.
Not keen on Audi A4s or Mondeos - as I seem to venturing in that direction.
Last edited by EddScott; 19 July 2011 at 03:57 PM.
19 July 2011, 05:02 PM
#5
Scooby Regular
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: 32 cylinders and many cats
Posts: 18,658
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Not if it has been done properly.
The swirl flaps I believed were more an issue on the 320d.
I would much prefer the 330d to the 9-3.
I like Mondeos, but they have their share of injector problems which can be costly enough to write off a good car.
15k to me = diesel, but do you own calcs. Looking for a runabout I bought an 2003 Legacy H6 because it was cheap and unpopular because of emissions and economy, but has an autobox, cam chains, low pressure petrol fuel injection system, no turbos or intercoolers. But it is a winter/runabout/park anywhere car that won't do a lot of miles. If I didn't want a winter car then a 330i would be of most interest from your list.
The swirl flaps I believed were more an issue on the 320d.
I would much prefer the 330d to the 9-3.
I like Mondeos, but they have their share of injector problems which can be costly enough to write off a good car.
15k to me = diesel, but do you own calcs. Looking for a runabout I bought an 2003 Legacy H6 because it was cheap and unpopular because of emissions and economy, but has an autobox, cam chains, low pressure petrol fuel injection system, no turbos or intercoolers. But it is a winter/runabout/park anywhere car that won't do a lot of miles. If I didn't want a winter car then a 330i would be of most interest from your list.
Last edited by john banks; 19 July 2011 at 05:06 PM.
19 July 2011, 05:04 PM
#6
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
And yet for not a huge amount more.....
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2989702.htm
2 years younger, half the mileage and not really that much different to insure. Should the decision boil down to fuel alone?
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2989702.htm
2 years younger, half the mileage and not really that much different to insure. Should the decision boil down to fuel alone?
Trending Topics
19 July 2011, 05:58 PM
#8
Scooby Senior
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2003-BMW-5...item415b2ff0b1
My Mrs had done 50k in 2 years in hers, Has cost us around £500 in servicing in that time and thats it!
My Mrs had done 50k in 2 years in hers, Has cost us around £500 in servicing in that time and thats it!
19 July 2011, 07:49 PM
#9
Scooby Regular
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Here, There, Everywhere
Posts: 10,619
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I wouldn't do 15k miles a year in anything other than a decent engines TDI.
Focus ST or Impreza STI is just burning money away. And anything petrol that gets decent MPG is underpowered anyway.
Focus ST or Impreza STI is just burning money away. And anything petrol that gets decent MPG is underpowered anyway.
19 July 2011, 09:45 PM
#12
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
We trek up to the wifes 'rents in Yorkshire once in a while and I always find myself wishing we were in something other than her Seat Leon TDI90. I used the Jeep once and it cost me £140 in petrol
OK, so say we stay with the E46 - as much as I love the look of the 5 that 500 posted, it's a bit too big and if it breaks it will probably be eye watering to repair. Do I stay 330D, or go with 330i ??
To me, a mapped 330D would toast a 330i and still not make me worry about fuel costs on a long voyage. I'd even be happy to drive it to Le Mans next year
Last edited by EddScott; 19 July 2011 at 09:47 PM.
19 July 2011, 10:26 PM
#13
Scooby Senior
To be fair, there is not much in running costs between the 3 and the 5, infact, my mate has an E46 330d msport and he has spent more in maintanance over the last couple years than we have, his car only does a third of the mileage that ours does too.
Check the stats of the 545 too, good mpg (don't forget lpg is around half the price of petrol too) 0-60 in 5.4 and over 330 bhp!
Check the stats of the 545 too, good mpg (don't forget lpg is around half the price of petrol too) 0-60 in 5.4 and over 330 bhp!
20 July 2011, 06:27 AM
#14
I have a soft spot for Skoda,not follow the crowd and all that......being a bit different from the norm (the car,not me!)
There is of course a diesel vRS.Sure you would get one for 10k
There is of course a diesel vRS.Sure you would get one for 10k
20 July 2011, 07:46 PM
#15
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
Quite like the VRS but I kinda, sorta, almost but not quite, stalked the receptionist of the local Skoda dealership so I'd be horrifically embarrassed going in there for servicing.
Think I'm sold on a 330D. Has to be manual 6 speed, has to be an M Sport with all the nice trimming and a dark colour. The one I linked to above looks bang on what I want really.
Think I'm sold on a 330D. Has to be manual 6 speed, has to be an M Sport with all the nice trimming and a dark colour. The one I linked to above looks bang on what I want really.
21 July 2011, 11:09 AM
#16
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
Has anyone had a mapped 330D?
If I had a mapped 330D - the later 204BHP model - how would it compare to say a UK classic? Would it compare - in gear - to a mapped Classic Type RA?
If I had a mapped 330D - the later 204BHP model - how would it compare to say a UK classic? Would it compare - in gear - to a mapped Classic Type RA?
21 July 2011, 03:32 PM
#20
Scooby Regular
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Central Scotland
Posts: 3,687
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
40mpg isn't too much though.
I could get 30mpg from a 276bhp WRX on a run from Edinburgh to Yorkshire so you need to balance an extra 10mpg over a decent petrol with the higher cost of the fuel in the first place, the lower cost of the road tax on the diesel and a check on service intervals as some diesels have 12k service intervals where their petrol counterparts sit at 20k
5t.
I could get 30mpg from a 276bhp WRX on a run from Edinburgh to Yorkshire so you need to balance an extra 10mpg over a decent petrol with the higher cost of the fuel in the first place, the lower cost of the road tax on the diesel and a check on service intervals as some diesels have 12k service intervals where their petrol counterparts sit at 20k
5t.
21 July 2011, 07:06 PM
#21
28 July 2011, 11:52 AM
#22
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
OK, so I'm thinking I don't want to spend as much as planned on a car.
I don't want to have so much tied up in a car and I don't want to have to keep the car longer than 2 years.
If I've got a new budget of £4.5K and I keep the car for 2 years, what should I get.
Has to be reasonable comfortable, quick would be nice and better MPG than my 4.0L Cherokee.
I see Audi S3s can be had around this price - opinions?
I don't want to have so much tied up in a car and I don't want to have to keep the car longer than 2 years.
If I've got a new budget of £4.5K and I keep the car for 2 years, what should I get.
Has to be reasonable comfortable, quick would be nice and better MPG than my 4.0L Cherokee.
I see Audi S3s can be had around this price - opinions?
Last edited by EddScott; 28 July 2011 at 11:58 AM.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
ossett2k2
Engine Management and ECU Remapping
15
23 September 2015 09:11 AM