Help meh

Tom

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I'm giving very very serious consideration to buying a new(ish) car. I fancy an Audi TT to replace my '98 A4.

I just fancy a change from the safe but boring Vauxhalls, Volvos and the A4 that I've always driven. I want something that I can boot every now and again, before I get too old and fat and start to look like I'm having a mid-life crisis.

Looking on Autotrader, there are models around 10 grand that seem ok, I could probably stretch to about 13 grand with a part ex, so what should I be looking at? I'm not arsed about a soft top (higher insurance anyway), and I wouldn't consider LHD. I do about 20 000 miles a year.

Are there other cars I should consider?

Will I look like a twat?
 

Gray

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I will always go for Audi's now, since ive had this '80 car, ive been nothing but impressed with it..

I want something a little newer though, A4/A3 would do me just fine, altho in the Audi 80 my heads always hitting the roof, hope they have bigger headroom in em ;s
 

Tom

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You can buy mine if you like :) Its worth about 4k I reckon. Oh, and theres about 6 inches headroom if not more...
 

old.user4556

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If you're looking at roadster specific cars, a second hand Vauxhall VX220? Will be quicker, better fuel economy and feel like a proper roadster although it won't be as "sexy" as a TT. If it's 10k for the TT, i presume it's a high miler 180 bhp version which is ~7.5 secs to 60. Not sure if you can get a VX220 as cheap as 10k, might have to shop about.

An alternative might be a Honda Civic Type R - quicker to 60, plenty of room for four adults and luggage space. The VTEC howl as is climbs over 7000 rpm comes straight from the devil and is something that makes your neck hair stand on end. Can pick up a decent second hand one for about 11k-12k. Fast and practicle if you should want to ship your TV gear about.

Perhaps a second hand Seat Leon Cupra R? Similar properties to the Civic, built upon the same chassis as the Audi TT.

Will you look like a twat? No, but afterall, it's just a VW Golf underneath and there are cheaper/faster alternatives.

G
 

Tom

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Well, the 10k ones were all LHD. I'm looking at around 14k now, with average 60k on the clock. I'm not concerned about mileage too much, most of it will be motorway miles which doesn't really do anything bad to the car.

I've just been quoted £1600 for my insurance. Fuckers, I'm paying £740 atm.
 

old.user4556

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Still, it's 60k miles on the clock and you're looking at expensive servicing and timing belts at that sort of mileage.

If you're doing 20k miles a year, a set of tyres per year isn't unrealistic and tyres for a TT are certainly not cheap, so think about that aswell.

Personally, I think 'fuck it' and buy one - but i'd much rather have a Civic Type R, more practical and a faster car.

G
 

Trem

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Audi TT's are a lovely drive, not terribly quick.

Always remember that they are mega common now and popular amongst hairdressers and women with fat rich boyfriends.

Hope this helped.
 

jaba

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Ive also heard that they are not too reliable, mates dad has one and it breaks quite frequently. If I had money to burn I think the Type R suggestion is pretty good, also you could get a lovely 2nd hand BMW M3 for that kinda money, nice cars, very fast :)
 

Tom

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Had a look at one today, going for a test drive tomorrow. 1.8T, 225BHP, quattro. Cost from a dealer will be about 18k, which is much more than I wanted to spend, but hey you only live once so fuck it.

Sitting inside is like being in a pillbox. Everything is really nicely put together, no wobbly or noisy bits of plastic. The back seats are fucking useless, so I guess my coat will be going on there. Loads of boot space though, much more than I was expecting.
 

Will

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If I was getting a silly car, I'd have a Caterham 7. You can apparently get a single mtb attached to the roll bar. :)
 

Gumbo

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I love my silly car, but the only place I can put my uni is in the passenger seat, and then only the small one. My boot is about large enough to get a loaf of bread in, but it'll be toasty warm by the time you get home :)
 

Tom

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My personal finances have just taken a huge dent :(

Still, I can rejoice in the bloody great grin I'll be sporting as I accelerate toward the tree that will kill me :)
 

old.user4556

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Nice one Tom, you'll be well happy I imagine.

Willier, if you had to choose between the TT or broadband - what would it be? ;)

G
 

Trem

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If Wilier has one then its proof that they are poofs cars imo.
































:p
 

Tom

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God dammit. The car won't be ready until Monday/Tuesday! Dammit! DAMMIT!
 

Tom

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God dammit! Now they're insisting on a Tracker Monitor (which I was going to do anyway), or they refuse to insure me!

FGS!! gfewjgLGERGREF!"E! $T£^£!"£$%$"¬
 

old.user4556

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Yeah, not too unreasonable for it to require a tracker.
 

old.Tohtori

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After my bro bought a Dodge charger for 15k Euro, and noticing that a new peugeot costs around 21k, i'll never even consider buying anything else then a good ol yank monster :p

It's ridicilous really. Less cash, muchos coolnes. And those things don't fall on you on the highway, built to last. No fancy hightech crap.
 

Tom

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Until it gets to a corner, at which point the suspension leans so far over you can reach out of the window and run your hand along the tarmac.
 

GDW

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WARNING : Other things to consider when buying a Dodge Charger

1. Fuel consumption!!!!!
2. Service costs !!!!!
3.Parts costs!!!!!
4. Insurance cost !!!!!
5. Left Hand drive !!!!
6. Resale value!!!!!!
 

old.Tohtori

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WARNING : Other things to consider when buying a Dodge Charger

1. Fuel consumption!!!!!
How much does it use? All of it. You don't think about fuel consumption.Ever. Part of the "owning a yank" protocol :p

2. Service costs !!!!!
You do it yourself.Every self respecting "yanker" knows how to fix it. Or learns.

3.Parts costs!!!!!
Atleast in finland we got so many yank car drivers and/or places to buy parts that engine parts are quite cheap to come by. A new fuel pump cost my bro 10 euro and a riendly neighborhood carjack put it in for another tenner.

4. Insurance cost !!!!!
In finland, the same as a normal car.

5. Left Hand drive !!!!
Couldn't comment on that, here we drive on the normal side of the road (j/k)

6. Resale value!!!!!!
After fixing the "stand-by" problems the car had, fuel lines etc, the resale value of the car now(since it's an original, paint and all) is over 20k. And every year it gets more tothe cashpile. In 10 years, since yanks are fading away, it will be worth a hek of a lot more.


I guess though, yank might not be a good buy in the UK....coudn't tell...speaking locally here.
 

GDW

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Given Tom lives in the UK it seems a bit silly that someone from Finland would recommend him an American car for use in the UK. Maybe its just me but I cant see any benefit in it.
 

~Yuckfou~

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SLK, but then I'm on my second, they suit me perfectly. Motorway muncher, comfy, quick, pose value. Big boot, don't believe the bollox that gets printed about convertables. "with the roof down you have no boot space", incorrect, AND at least I CAN have the roof down.
200 - girls car
230 - quickish
320 - teh qwik!
32AMG - dunno, still saving.
15k should get you a nice one from a stealership. I'll be selling my '03 in 6 months or so if you can wait, should have 60/70,000 on it by then :/
Will be getting a new shape one natch.(hopes)
 

old.user4556

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Dodge Charger?

Ok yeah, if you find a pristine one then .. er .. I guess it's nice. The fact that it corners like an oil tanker, weighs about 2 tonnes, does 10 mpg and are notoriously unreliable puts me off a little bit :).

G
 

Gumbo

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Tom said:
God dammit! Now they're insisting on a Tracker Monitor (which I was going to do anyway), or they refuse to insure me!

FGS!! gfewjgLGERGREF!"E! $T£^£!"£$%$"¬

Which firm? It's only really Tescos that insist on trackers on Elises for example, and the saving is less than the cost of the tracker + sub, shop around time.

Bear in mind also that the tracker is really only any good if you notice the car has been swiped within 30 minutes or so, and the police cars with the tracking equipment happen to be in the right area. If the car was nicked to order it'll be disabled within about that amount of time anyway. If it's joyriders, you probably don't want it back and will be better off if the fuckers burn it out. Much quicker way to get the claim sorted.
 

Tom

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Its with the AA, I can't really change now as I only renewed it 2 months ago, and their underwriter would keep a large chunk of my premium. I'm getting the tracker monitor, that way, the car lets them know its being nicked, the first I know is when I get a call saying its being nicked. Response time is usually around an hour I'm told.

I was going to get one anyway (have one on my A4), because I don't want my work equipment stolen, its all insured but its a major pain in the arse.
 

Trem

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Tom said:
God dammit! Now they're insisting on a Tracker Monitor (which I was going to do anyway), or they refuse to insure me!

FGS!! gfewjgLGERGREF!"E! $T£^£!"£$%$"¬

Aye they are fuckers, Norwich Union don't ask for a Tracker and thats who I went with. I told Tesco to fuck off, my words were "why the fuck would I want my car back after a chav has thrashed it around the country".

I do not agree with Trackers at all, just another goalpost for the insurance companies to move.
 

Trem

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Oh yeah, Norwich Union were 50% cheaper than Tesco without the Tracker required.
 

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