Sylvester Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 Hi all, Due to growing family and need for more transport flexibility unfortunatley it is soon going to be time to change the Zed for something more practical So, the fun of choosing the next car begins. I'm trying to keep as much performance as possible in the replacement but it will need to seat 4 with 4 doors and be able to transport a weekends worth of luggage. I am fairly limited in budget ( a few K more than I can sell the Zed for - so say 25K max but preferably nearer £20K. ) Running costs need to be similar or less than the Zed. I am a bit of a car image snob so would never be seen in a Vectra for example... Options I am considering..(all 2nd hand I guess ) Scooby - got the go and the seats and the luggage capacity but butt ugly, boy racer image and poor interior quality. Mrs hates them.... Mitsu Evo - as above and even more of the same - plus dreadful range per tank. Golf R32 (5dr) would probably be perfect but very expensive. GTI a maybe but do I really want FWD... Audi A3 3.2 - even more expensive BMW 330 or similar... great car apparently but don't really like the image of BMW, possible though. Mazda RX8 - looking like the best bet - anyone come to a Zed from an RX8 and could give me some comparitive feedback. Any feedback on above or other ideas ? Cheers folks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 Audi A4 or A6? Can get some cracking VAG diesels in that price range. Could also try a Leon Cupra R can get 55plates for around 15k with225bhp. My choice would be the EVO but if I had to be sensible an Audi would win every time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkfish Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 You can get Audi S4s (03, 53 & 04) for around 20-25K. Not even high mileage either. That's what I would plump for if I had to buy a car using your criteria. 4.2 V8 muscle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sylvester Posted November 17, 2006 Author Share Posted November 17, 2006 Expect A6 too big to fit in garage - Zed only just fits widthwise - have about 8 to 10 inches length to play with ( sic )! I expect if A3 is too expensive then A4 will be as well ( at least the performance varieties ). Diesel - had not thought about that possibility.. I have now.... NO! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trev-the-Rev Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 The A3 lacks soul and the RX8 is a fuel guzzler. If you want performance then go for either the Scooby or the Evo, and the 330 if you want better build quality and less performance but still entertaining to drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyC Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 The A3 3.2 wouldn't be out of your range mate - you could pick up a decent 04 or 54 plate with around 30k mileage for under £20k. My mate bought his 04 with 20k on it last year for around £20k so I'm sure you could do better. Hey - you could even make him an offer!! Servicing pricey though. Personnally I wouldn't touch a Scooby or an Evo purely on the basis that I think they're proper chav mobiles - imo obviously. Plus you'll be doing oil changes more frequently if nothing else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sylvester Posted November 17, 2006 Author Share Posted November 17, 2006 AndyC yes agreed - A3 still on the list still - just seems pricey. Still, I quite fancy trying out 4WD and DSG having never driven a car with either before. Trying to work out what the difference from Sport to S Line is ... the Audi site is not very clear on it. I know people say its dull to drive but if most of the miles are going to be 3 up ( or even 4 in the future ) then the driving is not going to be that spirited in the twisty bits anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkW Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 Had an RX8 for 2 years, then a chipped 2.5TDi quattro A4 for 12 months before the Zed. [Flame Suit on] Personally, I think the RX8 is a great car, but its strengths are more about handling and feel rather than outright performance. Had one of the first ones off the boat when it was something different, now I see them everywhere though and they dont get a second glance. I think the Zed design has aged better, maybe due to the fact they are less common. The Rex is well specced like the Zed, and fairly practical as long as youre not looking to put 2 six footers in the back. Fuel isnt great, but its a 230hp car. I averaged 19mpg over 2 years, my Zed is currently averaging 22/23 over similar routes. The main difference is I can get 32mpg on a run in the zed, the RX8 never got over about 23mpg so if you are doing lots of motorway driving youll notice it. The oil thing is really a non-issue. If you are an enthusiast then checking regularly shouldnt be a problem, and a litre or so every couple of thousand miles is all mine needed. Prices seem to have nosedived for them so I would look at getting a 12/18 month old one for a snip. Oh, and Velocity Red is by far the best colour. All in all I prefer the Zeds more brutish performance, but the Rex is a great car to drive and can be deceptively fast once you learn how to deal with its mostly linear power delivery. Its not a great traffic light grand prix car though, even though 0-60 is quoted as 6.4 I think, most mags struggle to get under 7s. Quite note on my Audi, it was well built, luxurious, quite quick and a nice place to be but it has horrible, horrible steering and the ride (Sport Model) was hard and crashy without being overly sporty. If you could find an Audi with decent steering and a good ride then it could be a good car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinbad Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 I'd have to agree on getting an S4, its not an RS model but it has over 300bhp. Underated and with plenty of luggage space. Nice badge and 4wd. Scooby - it may have poor interior plastics but it's solid. Fast, nearly as quick as the evo but with longer service intervals and hence less expensive to run. A3 and R32 are similar, will hold their value, wont be as fun to drive as the Z or the Scooby/Evo. 330 - not a bad choice, good build quality, decent handling nice power. loads of 3series rep cars around though. (how about the 330dsport? just as quick with better mpg?) RX-8 - Cramped! All in my humble opinion. Ive only ever had the priveleage to own one of the above, so the rest is from what ive read or heard. I'm sure uv'e heard this before but your best bet is to try before you buy and get some test drives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkW Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 Scooby - got the go and the seats and the luggage capacity but butt ugly, boy racer image and poor interior quality. Mrs hates them.... Has a couple of these too - but wouldnt have one again for the reasons you quote above! Fun to drive and quick, AWD excellent in the wet, but they are just si Chav now. STi is SO laggy under 4.5k, then it flies. Needs the PPP to get round this to a degree and give you 300bhp. Beleive the older 2.0 is viewed better than the new 2.5l as well. Cant you keep the Zed and buy a cheap Vectra for the weekends Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyC Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 AndyC yes agreed - A3 still on the list still - just seems pricey. Still, I quite fancy trying out 4WD and DSG having never driven a car with either before. Trying to work out what the difference from Sport to S Line is ... the Audi site is not very clear on it. I know people say its dull to drive but if most of the miles are going to be 3 up ( or even 4 in the future ) then the driving is not going to be that spirited in the twisty bits anyway. Have had a blat in it and DSG is stunningly quick and v smooth, I'm not a big fan of any auto but I have to say that it does work well. The Quattro system is unbelievable, you really can chuck the car about on the twisty stuff and it very, very, very rarely loses traction, even with the ESP off. No idea on the sport or s-line - Jon's has neither. You're right about it being dull to drive though - I found it very sterile after being in the Z, but Jon says that he'd lose his licence in the Z cos it makes him drive like a joyrider. I guess like anything else its what you're used to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 Definatley get a Leon Cupra R, 30mpg, 225bhp, very tunable if you wanted, under 15k and its petrol . The only reason to choose the S3 over the LCR is if 4WD & dsg are essential. Ive had a semi-auto car before and the novelty will soon wear off and the craving for a manual will return Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H5 Posted November 18, 2006 Share Posted November 18, 2006 Only thing with the Leon is a front wheel drive car with a turbo'd lump tends to give a very acquired driving experience, and if you like the Zed might be a bit....... unbalanced?! Another one into the mix - there's a 2002 Merc C32 AMG Estate with 26k on the clock for £19,995 at the mo........ That's a whole load of car for the money!! EDIT: Just read the description of it in full, it's even got a BOSE sound system in it!! lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winged Rodent Posted November 18, 2006 Share Posted November 18, 2006 How about a Subaru Legacy 3.0 R Spec? You can get 1 year old examples (UK spec not grey imports) for around £20k. Or, if you buy new, Subaru will give you £3k worth of petrol vouchers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captint Posted November 18, 2006 Share Posted November 18, 2006 Or you could get a lefty Mustang, cheap, swift, great for roads with no corners, around 25K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lomoto Posted November 18, 2006 Share Posted November 18, 2006 Or you could get a lefty Mustang, cheap, swift, great for roads with no corners, around 25K that would be my choice in dark green with black center ,polished lip alloys, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sylvester Posted November 19, 2006 Author Share Posted November 19, 2006 Again thanks for the left fielders! Mustong too big for the garage... although Ilovew the thought of owning a V8 at least once in my life..... Legacy is a maybe... not sure its quality is anmy better than a scooby inside is it ? And what about running costs..... Will look into that one though. Looked into the Leon - agree with the comment about the drive being totally different.. still whatever I go for will probably be different! The new 240BHP Cupra due early next year looked really interesting.... the write up in this week's autocar was not encouraging though Had not thought of the Merc... having had new cars for the past 10 years or so I have built up a prejudice against something with miles on it... think I will have to change my thought patterns - you can get a heck of a lot of car going that route but you also get a lot of running costs to go with it. So the S4 sounds like a great idea but with say 25K on the clock its probably due some big bills... Oh and I'm not keeping the Zed and getting a cheap runaround for the family stuff - they are more important to me than that so I will drive them around in something safe! Forgot how much fun it was deciding a the next car... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam's Z Posted November 19, 2006 Share Posted November 19, 2006 Civic Type R??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sylvester Posted November 19, 2006 Author Share Posted November 19, 2006 Civic Type R??? Gotta have 4 doors - and probably more luggage space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lomoto Posted November 19, 2006 Share Posted November 19, 2006 something a bit more sedate then, X type Jag ?? some cracking deals on these at the moment in Car supermarkets Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revsport Posted November 19, 2006 Share Posted November 19, 2006 Skyline r34 5 door Lew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captint Posted November 19, 2006 Share Posted November 19, 2006 . Oh and I'm not keeping the Zed and getting a cheap runaround for the family stuff - they are more important to me than that so I will drive them around in something safe! You could get a Volvo T5, safe for the family (like dring around in a 911 coated in the moon), they are fast as fook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M13KYF Posted November 19, 2006 Share Posted November 19, 2006 New S3 Audi 5.7 0-60 and over 260bhp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ir_fuel Posted November 19, 2006 Share Posted November 19, 2006 New S3 Audi 5.7 0-60 and over 260bhp read above, gotta have 4 doors Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M13KYF Posted November 19, 2006 Share Posted November 19, 2006 aaahhhh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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