Following on from this post, I'm after peoples objective thoughts on those two cars.

Dave has been very helpful on the previous thread re the Almera but anybody got any comments about either or the Ibiza? Both cars would be '98 or newer and the Ibiza would be a 2.0l GTi or Cupra Sport with the 16v engine.

All thoughts and opinions appreciated :D

Dont know about the Ibiza but the Leon Cupra is quick!, I had a yellow one sitting up my arse on the M3 on Tuesday morning so I booted it which normally leaves most things well in the distance and to my surprise he was that far behind!

Yes I was way ahead but he kept up very very well. When I came off at the M25 I saw the back and the Cupra badge and a very nice non-standard exsaust, so Iam guessing he had it chipped.

I live on the same road as a Seat garage in Camberley, Surrey and see the 210bhp Yellow Leons flying up the road all the time, very nice indeed!. Love the wheels and the big Brembo brakes!! :D

Seat all day for me on this one, I couldnt bring myself to drive an Almera. My grandad has one!

[Edited by TomM - 10/17/2002 3:09:40 PM]

Aye but this will be the old shape Ibiza not the new one with the 1.8T engine - its the one with the MK3 Golf GTi engine in it.

I know what you mean re the Almera but the GTi's with the Kit look alright, and seem to go well too.......... Will most likely depend on what comes along first ;)

just my 2p's worth but becasue of the Nissan's 'grandad' image they are absolute bargain second hand buys.

Moose - aye, thought that too ;) and we'd plan on running it for a good few years so prob wouldn't loose out too much ;) :)

Also, don't forget the MGF/Elise-engined VVC Rover 200/25 as another bargain hot-rod.

143bhp, 0-60 7.1 in Autocar, before you think about tuning.
I found my parents an S Reg one with 20k for a stealth-mobile ! Without the body add-ons of the 25 GTi or later MG ZR, the original
'200 Vi' was certainly quick enough to hold station with a V40 T4 over 20 A road miles

i had a ibiza cupra 99 and it was pretty shyte, if you can get a turbo one then yeah but otherwise i wouldn't really reccomend it!

Flat - aye, I thought of that but I can't pull myself to go with a Rover - sorry, its a top engine but I know too many peeps who had 200's and the grief they've had with them.......:(

I bought my wife a MY99 Seat Ibiza Cupra GTi 8v - from my experiance of driving it its got lots of low down power but runs out of puff over 4.5k revs. Wheelspins like mad esp in the wet and is fairly functional inside - that said its cheap to run, is OK on insurance and we havent had anything go wrong with it. Oh and she loves it!

The 16v version is about 1 sec quicker to 60 but u have to scream the nuts off it to get there - no low down oooomph.

The wifes is better than the almera Gti I borrowed for a day a couple of years ago anyway.

I had a 16V Cupra, the 8v is torquier around town but does run out of puff higher up as mentioned above.
The 16V is gutless below 4000rpm but pulls quite strong after that.
If you like the older Golf GTis you'll like it though, I still like the shape, its nice and rorty and good to chuck about. Chassis is firm but crude, ride is harsh.

When all is said and done I'd try both cars (then buy a 306 GTi6 or Rallye)

I've done the GTi-6 thing - great car but the missus wants something different ;) Also, as a car for her, the turning circle on the pug was crap ;) so something else beckons.....

As flat mentioned above re a 200vi (which I'm not keen on), although thats a bit poo, there's a dirt cheap 200 BRM LE, which is better by miles than a vi, near us for sale, gonna have a look at that and see if she likes it or not ;)

Thanks for all the opinions so far :D Keep em coming :)

My missus has had an Ibiza 1.4 from new (Sep '99 car, last of the ones that looked like a Polo from the front) and it has only needed a wheel bearing in 48k miles.

One of her mates has a P-plate Almera GTi and it seems vastly undedrrated to me from the few times her husband and I have been out in it; standard strut braces front & rear etc., but why are the alloys so small?

Both decent enough cars, but neither on my shopping list if I decide to go for a hatch to replace the Scoob.

I kinda like the Rover BRM, but the facelift cars (especially the MG's) make it look very old already.

Fen

Back to the Rover...

You were thinking about an Almera GTi as an option? That's what I looked at for my parents before getting the 200Vi. It offers nothing different except a bodykit and a squarer shape.

You say that the 200 BRM is better by miles than the Vi - The only difference is trim and marginally changed gear ratios - the Vi still has leather - which is the only thing smelly about it !

If you buy one like you would a Subaru - FSH, looked after, lowish mileage, you can still pick up a bargain.

Flat,

The BRM has a much better trim (full red leather and lots of aluminium) and completely different suspension setup too, as well as the gear ratios which you mentioned which make it slightly slower to 60 but faster to the 1/4 or 100mpg can't remember which!! ;):) It also has a Torsion Diff which the vi doesn't have.
I don't think it shares one same part with the Vi suspension wise and is rated as the best they have to offer, much better the the 25GTi which is supposedly much better than the 200vi............
Thats going on what the BRM owners club and MG/Rover Club say though.....

Anyway - keep the views coming, they're all appreciated :) we'll pop over and have a look at the BRM - missus might not like it anyway ;) :rolleyes:

[Edited by ScoobyJawa - 10/18/2002 9:13:00 AM]

Any odds that she doesn't like the orange grille?

Fen

200BRM ? Hairdressers car - buy a RAV4

.... actually the 3 door my girlfriend had was bloody good fun..

RB5 - I've shown her a pic of the grill ;) she says its ok, will have to see it but theres always the option to code it silver or something ;)

Went to see the car today ( 200 BRM ) and she loved it :) So she's bringing it home on her 25th birthday in a week :D

The interior is something else, red leather, chrome etc puts my scoob to shame!! Handling is sweet, got the torsion diff cutting in on the roundabout ;) and the close ratio box is very nice, keeps the engine in the VVC powerband :D Overall a very nice car to drive, doesn't feel as instantly quick as my old 306GTi-6 but when its screaming I'm sure it is ;) The grill wasn't an issue either :eek:

Glad you like it - chuckable and revvable !

You can always have the grille sprayed silver like a few people do.

Hi Flat,

Certainly was revvable!!! ;)

The orange grill stays though ;) as its a feature of the car and the missus quite likes it :D

Seems to corner well too ;) :eek:

(couldn't resist the temptation :rolleyes: )