Early Audi S3 or Vauxhall 220 NA
 

Similar money, both of them between 10-11k, the s3 is the non facelift model with 210bhp, can be mapped to 260Bhp. Got an audi already and love em, hold the value well.
The vaux 220 is lighter, more nimble and still returns a decent mpg, I'm guessing servicng would be cheaper on the 220. I know they are chalk and cheese, more keen on the Audi, but fancy a change, and the vx should not loose too much money and would be ideal for a track day.
The vaux may be more fun to drive and have more character, but the audi will be solid and predictable.

Any comments?

Btw-Owned 3 scoobies b4 so I don't fancy another one ;)

Do you need the practicality of the Audi? Do you have another car to run when the journey is too long for the VX220 or if it is persisting down?

Both two different types of car to make a comparison.

Steve

PS I'd get the VX ;)

Again 2 totally different cars. Gotta ask yourself what you want out of it. If it's day to day then s3. If you intend to do a lot of track vx it is. Know of peeps who have vx/turbo's day to day - they wish they had summat else to drive and keep the vaux for special. Little or no storage space in vaux - only enough for one rucksack (passenger seat).

I do commute prob 50 miles a day round trip and I have a gixxer 600 SRAD, my missus has a mondeo for long trips, so I don't really need a sensible car, I've had 30 cars I just get bored so quickly. The audi looks nice, but I can't afford the facelift model, the VX may just keep me interested a bit longet than 5 months, or it may be a pain the ass, if money were no object to a degree, then an Exige, but it is :(

Seeing as you have alternative transport ( mondeo ) then definately the VX 220 as you will get bored of the S3 very quickly. They are not that fast as standard and even if you map it, it still has the Mk4 golf chassis which is pants. Very nice cars the S3's but it isnt exciting at all. VX 220 would be a riot with not much on the road being able to match its performance.

Just bought a Series 1 Elise. Its noisy, cramped, totally impractical and fecking rapid - its awesome. And am getting 50mpg.

Decat arrived this morning. now for big ass induction kit and bigger throttle body.
(to be followed by 4-2-1 manifold).

VX220 is easy/cheap to tune and turns heads. Totally spartan interiors but having the bike you'll be use to f'all comfort.

VX all the way

ewan

...is that a typo?! :eek:


Cheers,
Grant

Oh nay nay, 239 miles out of 20 litres. 150 of those are motorway doin 85ish.

ewan

Sold my VX220 yesterday, and missing it already.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/Ollly/vx220.jpg

You can use them everyday (and I did, check out the photo). But it is nice to have something to fall back on, although it is by no means essential. I bought a couple of grand's worth of leather lined, low mileage Merc E class, easily the best car combination I can think of for £15k.

You will love owning a VX. A real headturner, beautiful to drive, beautiful to look at too. Slightly brittle reliability and build, but like all the best cars it's extremely simple, and hence cheap and easy to fix. Economy is great. And prices are low too: blame the badge snobs.

Surely you will never love a boring Audi that merely does most things quite well, and generally blends in with everything else?

I know Id rather be in a S3 instead of that vauxhall if I ever have a accident. Those Vx's crumble like paper. And then theres depreciation and comfort. VBH preffered the S3 to the 325ci/330ci? aswell.

Who gives a fcuk what VBH thinks. Shes a daft munter. No way is an S3 better than a 330i and i had an S3. Its a fun car he wants by the sounds of things you have no fun if all you worry about is crash protection. VX still safer than a bike.

Life's for living - get the VX!

Have you driven the S3? From my experience of driving the 210bhp S3, it handled fine and solidly, but wasn't really enetertaining to drive at all. Felt quicker than it was due to the bottom 4 gears all being really quite low and close, in an engine with enough torque to not need that.

They're designed to do different things, and both has a place. However, for entertaining driving, there can only be one answer (VX)

totally agree! I would have loved a VX but the MRs talked me out of it (hence the meg 225) but if your in a position to buy a VX For gods sake just do it!

Bought the s3, love the car, needs a chip asap though, I was a bit worried about the depreciation with the Vx, I don't keep my cars very long and change them a lot. Speaking with the missus being her company car I'd only have use of the mondeo at the weekend, so the winter commute on 5 miles of country roads then another 15 on main roads. Guess the Vx would of been a no brainer if I had another car to commute in :(

VX!!!

If youve already got an Audi, why get an S3 which sacrifices some driving pleasure for comfort and refinement? The VX is a proper sportscar.

Having a nice comfy Audi and a VX for fun on sunny weekends sounds ideal!!!

Had to sell the Audi A3 1.8t to fund the S3, maybe next time or just a quicker m-bike ;)

Wuss! That journey sounds perfect for a VX!

I know, I know, the 5 miles of country non gritted roads in the winter made me double think, same thing that turned me off of a 360Bhp RX7 late last year.

At least the S3 has AWD which I am used to after 3 scoobs :) I've got some saving to do for the chip, and it's been lowered next week after a week of ownership, the modifying bug never leaves you..

Great choice, classy motor with prestige and power (once re-mapped) :)

http://homepages.nildram.co.uk/~pc18...tts3/edit2.jpg

lol.. was going to start a 'S3 thread..' searched and this one came up.. hows the car? Looking @ pre-facelifts myself..

Car is OK, it's getting a custon remap and a decat in June. It's now got an induction kit and a set of H&R springs. I don't really find it very exciting to drive, and on the limit with std shocks is interesting. Missus loves driving it, looks nice,good depreciation, reliable and 35mpg on a run, but all these are well and good, but after scoob ownership life is a little dull, but hoping after remap and a decent of shocks it may have a bit more fizz and give me a grin. Test drive one first then see what you think, I've been adding up suspension mods and you can easily spend £1500 after thicker Arb's, adj rear tie bar arms, decent shocks and springs add on that a remap etc , you looking at about 2k. Good luck :)

What an excellent picture that is.. :thumb:

I test drove an S3 (225) and i thought it was nippy without being devastatingly quick although it handled pretty well - nice and solid and beautifully made.

A guy in our club though has a remapped version and trust me - a remap transforms these things - easily stays with blobeye STi's no probs.

A VX is more of a weekend toy if you ask me - fine if you have a passat/mondeo/vectra sat on teh drive as well but not so good if your only car.

49 mpg is possible in an Elise on motorway trips. Think 49 is quoted for the extra urban figure in all the mags.

I'd plump for the vx, especially as summer is here. It'll be a fun car and something different to the rest. I got my minto s1 for 8.5k, I don't know what the vx220s go for.

i had a vx220 n/a and sold it after 3 months. i think it's really a matter of what you can put up with but my reasons for the sale were lack of space for two cars and practicality. loved going out in it, but i couldn't imagine having one as an only car, especially in the middle of winter...pouring down...freezing...on a motorway?? you may have discovered in searches that the heaters are fairly crap, windscreen wipers are feeble, roofs can leak etc. to correct a statement above, it does of course, have a boot, so its not actually as impractical as it seems. can get a decent amount of shopping in there. if i did it again (& despite the above, i would) i'd have to have two cars and a garage for the vx. by the way, it doesn't sound within the budget, but i'd only consider the turbo. if n/a only, definitely get an exhaust as it sounds like a tractor.