Chins

Driving home tonight with the realisation that my UK300 will be off to a new home next month leaves me with no regrets.

As I will of bored people with before Ive had 6 scoobies inc RB5 WR, STI V, P1 and now UK300. It still feels like I am searching for the ultimate.

The two best have been the two last ones, but both are far from perfect.

The UK300 is hugely competant. Has by far the best ride and handling combination. Is the best car to live with by miles on a day to day basis. But even with the PPP it lacks the real power to excite.

The P1 had the power, and gave a smile for the first 50 miles, but after that I'd rather drive the wifes Leon. Its crap interior, poor sound deadening etc made it for me not a great everyday car.

The UK300 gets easily the most looks and thumbs up from the lads on the street, but I dont get up early on a Sunday to go for a burn.

Will the new STI be the answer. Having not driven it, I suspect not. The power is not sufficently different from the UK300. The STI is the first Sccoby in 3 years Ive not put an order in for. Is it time Subaru dropped in a bigger power plant ? Am I making a wrong assesment of the new STI ?

Jonathan

ash1

iTrader: (2)

I test drove a 2nd hand P1 this week and compared to my series McRae I found it awesome

I was quote close to buying it (adrenalin I think), but then I paused for a minute and decided to have a think. Today I learn that the STI is coming out next Jan - what does this mean for the price of the P1s. I understand that dealers are reluctant to take any of the P1s back as they haven't sold the existing lot yet and then there's the UK300s knocking about and soon the STI.

I had been offered the P1 for 25k, but think come Feb its value maybe in the early 20ks.

Ash

Spudgun GTR

LMAO
you win the tenner , but only just

chins raised a good point about a bigger engine. why cant the 22b engine be used? its 2.2 litre isnt it? is it too expensive?
or how about a real engine, the rb26

chins, whatever you do, i hope it works out for you

Chins

Spudgun

I have amazed myself with the UK300. I bought the car on a basis of keeping it for 6 months, and it looks like I will for the first time in 3 years achieve my goal. Maybe my therapist is earning their money

Jonathan

Steve Perriam

jeez chins

u must keep the dealer in your are in business m8 !!

u have to much time on your hands or to much money...

or both

drive a Leon !! god folks we need to vote Chins off scoobynet he needs help

if thats how you feel perhaps u need to talk to Cem and grab an R33 /R 34 ?

wot r u looking for in a car m8 ?

steve

scoobycar60

Know what you mean Chins, I've got rid of my MY01....excellent car but lacked something somewhere needs more power / heavier steering or at least more feed back ? I dunno I will certainly test drive the STI when it appears but I will need a lot of convincing. Seems like an end of an era. The EVO7 seems to also fall into the same trap and true,it is a great car,but it does not excite in quite the same way as the old 6.Oh well flame retardent suit on.

Chins

Ash

I think your right with your assumptions. The P1 will always have people after it that cant get along with the new shape, however with STI V/VI on the market in good condition from £14k, £21k sounds about right. Arrons P1 with upgrades got £21k the other day.
Add in the new STI and the second hand UK300, and the fact that the P1 is based on a shape that went out of production over a year ago.

Its still a great car, but you need to buy wisely, and expect losses.

Steve

Ive gone the same route as Arron in my search for the holy grail
The S3 with more driver involvement and the boxer engine might do the trick for a car under £30k.

Jonathan

Veracocha

Chins,

you could always carry out some surgery on the S3 and make a few transplants!

chuckster

The new shape will never offer my personal Ultimate Impreza. It's become too sanitized. It's supposed to be a rally car for gawds sake. If I wanna go super fast on track I'll get a Caterham. If I wanna be whisked from London to Inverness in comfort I'll get a 5 Series.
If I want a car that'll get me to Inverness, with a wife 2 kids and a weeks worth of luggauge in the boot, then let me have as much fun as legally posible on UK roads...well I'll keep my 22B, which is more fun at 7/10ths than any EVO/MY01 I've ever driven.
EVO magazine are right IMHO, P1, RB5WR then STI7. (Of course they dismissed the 22B as 'too uncompromised', but mine isnt standard 'out of the box' spec anymore and who wants compromises anyway? LOL) I'm getting a MY01, cause the Audi dealers pi$$ed me off (so no more Audi's), and the S4 just ain't worth the money I spent on it.
Chuck

wilf

Chins,

I assume you are moving to an M3. Excellent motor but I reckon you will miss the scoob when haring about in the wet.

Good luck but I'm sure you'll return to the fold in another 6 months.

Adam M

I find it amusing taht chins is giving advice about the financial implications of buying cars.

I assume you must lease them or have them as comapny cars, because any one buying a car from new and struggling to keep it six months must be taking massive hits each time.

Jonathan, having met you several times, I think you are a great bloke, but in this circumstance, maybe you have to accept that you are teh type of person who isnt detsined to find the perfect car. I think your perfect car has to have novelty, and as such, needs to remain new. So long as cars grow old, you will always change them. If you accept that, you will be much happier.

PS. I would try an evo 6 or 7 if I were you. Or buy several cars with no compromise which are the best in their field and have no pretense at being an all rounder like an M3 (great compromise though it is).

Chins

Veracocha

The S3 did appeal again, but just needs too much spending on it to get it right. I'd never get that money back.

Chuckster

Your S4 lasted about the same length of time as mine.

Adam

I would have to argue about my position to advise people on running costs. With the number of cars Ive been through, plus being our companies fleet manager, I'm well positioned

My cars are bought on an allowance. I do lose money, but compared to what some people spend on modding cars in a year it would be a close call . And to top it off after spending all that money on mods a P1 with an exhaust systems gives as much power
Looking forward to seeing a properly tuned 22B someday

Dont think the M3 will be the ultimate car. The EVO VII is a dogs dinner and has NO appeal. Ive also driven the EVO VI, and would still buy a P1 over it. Its just a shame that Subaru has nothing to get the pulse racing in the pipeline that I'm aware of. However if things work out I might be able to add an old shape to the driveway for that wet weekend burn. Just need the Telecoms sector to sort its crap out so I can sell something.

Jonathan

Chins

Double Post

[Edited by Chins - 10/24/2001 8:32:54 PM]

Spudgun GTR

i have to say that in the past chins has saved me big bucks when it came to buying a car once.
whether he gets through **** loads of cars or not(he is my role model) he does know his stuff about buying one and all the wheeling and dealing aspects

chins, does it have to have four seats?
does it have to be a turbo?
how about a rep mobile which you can abuse during the week, and a tasty little number for the weekend?