Well...I need a new car now considering my old one got written off. I have about £8-9 k thats going to be available within the next few months and I have to decide which car to get. I am leaning heavily towards an Audi A3 2006/07 model as they look pretty sweet and a bit flash too. But before I make up my mind I would like to give bit-tech the chance to enlighten me and see if you can suggest good alternatives! It has to preferably be 5 door although if its good enough I may consider a 3 door. It has to look pretty damn sweet as the Audi is great inside and out and a bit of a showoff car which I would like for my friends (mainly because I have never had the chance for that but now I do!) I want it to be a great car to drive, performance (and i dont mean speed) is everything, good easy, solid performer, great on controls and driving experience. The insurance needs to be good on it as I only have 1 years no claim. No more than £900 ish. Suggestions?
It seems that your choice of the A3 is a good one. I'm unsure on the insurance but its a nice car, nifty and reliable not to mention safe. A VW Golf is similar to the A3 but perhaps a little smaller and you can get a sporty one for that price at around 3 years old. The Golf is generally more efficient than the A3 but if you want to show off I suppose the Audi takes that. Although it may come down to what trim you have. And go for a 5 door, I think you would appreciate it more, now I have a 5 door I can't turn back to a 3 door, especially now that my grandparents are driving less than they used to.
the 2006/07 A3 is pretty sweet, i personally would lean towards the Audi A4! theres a fair few of them to be had in that price range, the 2.0TDI (140) is pretty nippy (my brother has the 2006 A4) if thats a little too large for your liking, the A3 is a solid choice, although i would steer clear of the petrols and head straight for the TDI range, (the 2.0tdi being the better choice again) just lookin on auto trader now theres a fair few of the 2.0 TDI's, s-line's to be had in your price range, insurance-wise, depends on where you live really, the 2.0 TDI 140bhp is an insurance group 11 so not tooo bad, it's always worth ringing the insurance companies up and talking to them, i was getting crazy high quotes of 3500+ for my shitty 1.5 almera, rang quinn up and they did it for 1495 and i can drive any other car up to a 4.2 litre and i'd be covered!
The A4? The boot is mahoosive! I think a car of that size would be an overkill if you are originally looking for an A3!
Try a Lancer 1.6, I had one a couple of years ago before getting one of the new ones. Prices new are from 10K, but you can get a good deal at the mo, or looking at a used ones an 08 plate for under 7k with about 20k miles on the clock. Not the flashest of motors, and not the fastest, but cheap to insure. When it comes to driving I did enjoy it, but I got rid of it to get a faster car. If you could afford to splash out a bit more, you might be able to get a New Lancer GS2 say 1.5l petrol, will come in nice on insurance, and looks pretty flash, you won't get the same stuff as the Audi on the inside, but it will look sweet. I've just found some 58 plate of those for just under 11k with only 2-3k miles on them. Try http://www.mitsubishi-cars.co.uk/usedcars/usedcars.asp Regards GiGo
Could probably get classic insurance on 1 that would make it fairly cheap. to OP what about the lower power rx8? or a focus ST or old shape RS?
I am 24 but will be 25 in november! which is when il be buying the car! november time when im 25 years old with 1 years no claims bonus. Hmm...Rx8? not a bad choice..will do some research into it....focus ST? got lemme google that - any particular model? pics would be great! keep em coming! Edit: Had a look at the ST - Its pretty sweet but I cant seem to filter it on auto-trader specifically! doesnt have the model in which it shows up for...very odd. It does seem pretty sweet though but will need more info on it before I consider it seriously as opposed to the audi a3...also i understand it is over 2litre? that is a problem for me and insurance!
Another vote for an Audi here - though I'm going to be a bit biased (I own an '05 plate A4 S-Line 2.0T) Bit out of your price range though. I'd deffinately reccomend one though. Have a look round and be picky. Mines got around 200bhp, but I reckon anything down to 160ish will be nippy enough to be fun. Handling wise the S-Line is worth getting, they sit slightly lower and are stiffened up - plus you get really grippy seats. Whatever you get make sure it's got decent rubber on it - they're heavy cars (if you're moving up from a hatchback like i did) and having cheapo ditchfinders on them doesn't help in the slightest. I'd also say try and find a quattro - though that makes the choice significantly smaller - you might not notice it much, but those times you do - it's worth every penny. RwD
Sod the A3. Golf dressed in drag. Bloody rip off and full of nasty plastic - totally uneconomical purchase, you're paying for the name and nothing else. Much better off with something like a Focus ST as you have mentioned or you might even get lucky and find an early Z4 with a few miles on the clock for that. Civic Type R? Go Jap if you can bear it - they won't die as quick as the Audi and will cost you 1/3 of the price to fix if they do.
nobody going to suggest a BMW then?! for that kinda money you might just about be able to pick up one of the newer face lifted models 2005 + and as long as its been looked after and had its services should be good for a few more miles!
They might be a Golf in drag, but they're not full of crap plastic imo. We're on our 2nd and the interior is great, and without a single squeak or rattle in any way. The S-line seats are supportive, yet incredibly comfortable even on long journeys. One thing to watch for is a pretty harsh ride, some people can't cope with it, some can. It gives you prodigious grip, and great handling, but can make delicate passengers a bit ill. Test it first. Focus ST is an interesting one, the only trouble is the 2.5T engine, quite pricey on insurance groups, it's not a car for the faint-hearted. I wouldn't go for an RX8 in a thousand years, personally. It looks different, and it's certainly quick, but day-to-day performance is seriously inhibited by the total lack of torque from that clever rotary engine - I'd much rather have something with a bit of torque for more effortless driving. We're erring on the performance side here, is that what the OP wants? For £8k you can pick up a number of really nice, comfortable cars. Volvo V70? Citroen C6? If I were in the market for a comfy luxo-barge I'd buy a Jag XJ - they're seriously comfy, wonderfully characterful cars, and often with a decent amount of poke when you feel like doing something other than wafting. If you feel really daring the XJR is one of the most remarkable ways to go licence-losingly fast, being surrounded with acres of lovely wood and leather. Certainly nicer than the equivalent German alternative imo.
Brand new shiny Tata Nano! Be the envy of your whole neighborhood. Of course you would get laughed out and have to move. Oh, the embarrassment. Might even have a few quid left over. Maybe buy 2? john
If your going to be 25 with a years no claims that opens it up a bit when i turned 25 in march it allowed me to look at cars id never have been able to insure before hand and that was with NO no claims, only driving experience. The ST is a 2.5 so it might be worth seeing how much insurance would be when your 25 before considering them. Personally im not a fan of A3's i just find them expensive, when you look at the other cars in the same price range. I have heard that parts are expensive also, but ive never had personal experience with that. Seat leon cupras might be worth a look they're basically S3's anyways
I was just going to suggest a Cupra. The Seat Leon, Golf and A3 are all basically the same car. My experience from Audi's is unless you go for a higher model they are pretty basic equipment wise. Nice cars though, would be my choice.
Swings and roundabouts. My mother nearly purchased one a few years ago - once she got a bit of equipment into the spec the price sky rocketed. She went next door and bought a brand new top of the line Freelander for a grand more....
