Review your car

2000 Audi A3 5 Door 1.8T Sport. If you are looking for a fun car that is also relatively economical then look no further. 0-60 in a quick 8.2 seconds, because of turbo lag under 1500 it feels much quicker than this when doing in gear acceleration and a fuel economy figure returned to me in my everday usege of 35-37mpg.

Plus points, semi locking front diff really helps put the power down. The torsion beam rear setup lends itself nicely to lift off oversteer so if you over cook just lighten the throttle and it will lift back into line. Very nice interior compared to other cars in the golf class.

Downsides, the rear seat leg room is very tight. Both front seats need to be fairly forward if you are planning to let adults get into the back of the car.

The prices are relatively high to purchase but they are very reliable so running costs are low and the depreciation is also rather slow.

Performance 8/10
Running costs 7/10
Overall rating (fun factor) 8.5/10

I'll do one for my new A4 when I have gotten used to all of it's foibles.;)
 
Generation 6 Celica GT. Cheap secondhand buy.

+ The best driving position...in world! low, laid back, feet up, gear stick & handbrake high up & close together, swooping instrument panel makes you feel cocooned.

+ Grippy, nimble handling. Light on the rear end.

+ 0-6 in under 8 seconds, top speed over 140mph & plenty of mid range power.

+ Bomb proof engines & possibly everything ells.

+ Low insurance group & on a slow run 30-35mpg.

On the minus side:

- Odd looking 'face'.

- FWD.

- As quick or quicker than MR2 but not as fun.

+ Looks like a Supra & thats reason enough to like it.
 
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Generation 4 Honda Prelude JDM SI 2.2L VTEC. Cheap secondhand but hard to find one that hasn't rusted to to bits.

+ ASTONISHINGLY good looking, from any angle.

+ 0-60 in a little over 6 seconds. Top speed unknown (import's restricted). Loads of mid range power, (Once you have a vtec you'll never want to go back).

+ Loads of toys & buttons to play with (if thats your thing), cruise control, a/c, electric climate control, electriclly folding mirrors, electric everything, (mine is 18 years old & everything still works).

+ (Not confirmed), EDM models 188bhp, JDM models apparently closer to 200.

+ Four inch s/s freeflow exaust sounds fantastic when it goes into vtec.

+ Half digital dash never fails to make you feel like captain kirk, very star trek-ish.

+ Superb handling, virtually zero bodyroll, hugelly responsive stearing imho. Nobody knows what the 'x-factor' is, but this car has it.



- Leg room in the back is non-existent.

- Driving position is too high...Period.

- 10-15mpg while racing. Otherwise around 30mpg.

- Rust prone.




(I'm hoping that someone while review an integra type R on this thread).
 
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2002 Mitsubishi Galant v6

* Too soft

* Too slow

* Too nose heavy

* Too...Front wheel drive



Some people seem to love the soft, quiet, whoolly jumperish-ness of it though.

Typical, I buy a more modern car & I don't like it.
 
2006 Ford Fiesta Zetec-S TDCI

+ 55mpg average and seen 66mpg max.
+ £30 a year to tax and cheap to insure.
+ Cheap tyres sizes, cheap parts, generally cheap to run.
+ Loads of room for four average blokes for a hatchback, more than my mates A4 avant.
+ Enough low down torque to make for an easy drive and great fun handling-wise.
+ Excellent steering feel.
+ Decently equipped (A/C, half leather, alloys, electric everything).

- Very narrow powerband.
- Feels very slow after driving the Focus.
- PSA enginer sounds HORRIBLE, like a transit.
- Ride too harsh even standard
- Badly needs a 6th gear.

Thinking of getting rid of it for something else tbh, mainly due to the 6th gear which makes motorway cruising a bit annoying, noisy and can drop mpg to 50 when it could be 60mpg all day long with a longer 5th or 6th gear.
 
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Audi 80 sport

+ Much better in every way then the A4 which replaced it imho. Lower, lighter, stiffer, sportier, better looking & they had the better engines (5 cylinders).

- very small & ill equiped for this day & age...But who gives a F&%K about that anyway, its the driving experience that counts.
 
AUDI A8 (D3 4E) 2006 3.7 petrol V8 40v in quattro

Bad points (but not for everyone if you know what I'm saying)
- Road tax = 450pounds
- Insurance = depends from your post code starts from 150/mth up to 300/mth
- MPG = mine average is 9mpg's, can go down even below 4, but you can squeeze up to 30mpg's on motorway and up to 14-16 urban, but I'm loving it ;) and never getting bored..
- Heating steering wheel, leather one !?!?! why would you want to sweat you hands during the drive...stupid
- No Post Code search in sat nav
- If you planning to buy petrol V8, go straight for 4.2, nothing wrong with 3.7, but with same MPGs you getting more power so it's obvious.
- to change the thermostat for 20pounds you have to take the whole front off together with the cam belt, total cost at least 30x part cost

Good points:
- 4x4 with locking differential which is a great fun if you lift the suspension max up and go off road
- Air suspension, superb, 4settings
- Superb BOSS surround system +6cd
- Great interior design, everything is there where it should be.
- Great seats, very very comfy with lots of settings
- gears paddle shifters
- greeeeat exhaust noise ;)
- fantastic turn diameter with smooth power steering, 5m long car feels like a ford ka, you'll be surprise how easy is to park the car on narrow car parks, morrisons etc.
- good torque and power, acceleration is super as well.
- very good brakes, discs like a satellite dish :)
- lots of gadgets
- voice control of all the functions inc phone, cd player, nav and all other bits
- massive boot
- great build quality
- key-less operation all round, as long key is close to your body so it can send the signal through it, as soon you touch the door handle (or place handle within a inch without touching) it unlocks, then press start and of you go, superb feature

A genuinely great car to drive, can be very comfy or very sporty, depends how you set it up, but go for 4.2 ;)
 
( - Heating steering wheel, leather one !?!?! )

Sounds like the A8 has everything but the kitchen sink!? or does it have that as well?:lol::lol:

By the way Marc07, are you rich?
 
jc denton said:
( - Heating steering wheel, leather one !?!?! )

Sounds like the A8 has everything but the kitchen sink!? or does it have that as well?:lol::lol:

By the way Marc07, are you rich?
Click to expand...

Well....there is a place for a kitchen sink and dishwasher in the boot.
Heating steering wheel came as standard, but it's a very very stupid idea !!!

In regards to your last question, it is a bit stupid, don't take me wrong m8, but if you need to know I'm not struggling and like a real petrol head I don't care how much it cost to run, tax, petrol. I just like the car a lot and love the sound of V8's (I would love W12 much more, but then I would have to split with my misses ;).

Regards
Marc07
 
Marc07 said:
Well....there is a place for a kitchen sink and dishwasher in the boot.
Heating steering wheel came as standard, but it's a very very stupid idea !!!

In regards to your last question, it is a bit stupid, don't take me wrong m8, but if you need to know I'm not struggling and like a real petrol head I don't care how much it cost to run, tax, petrol. I just like the car a lot and love the sound of V8's (I would love W12 much more, but then I would have to split with my misses ;).

Regards
Marc07
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It's always a tough call when your lady is involved with regards to your choice of car, but once you have her well trained and used to your funny little ways! it is very hard to do this all over again with another woman! :lol:
Who knows Marc, one day the lady may come round to your way of thinking!
Good luck with that :amuse:
 
Hmmmm.....I've got very good relationship whit my misses (future wife) as usual or most of the time is like I want, but when she promise something and we agree to something together she is not changing it.
When we agreed after many arguments what will the best for out new future family years ago -> (new family car) Ford Focus S-Max, It was me who by ''accident'' stopped at Audi Dealership and came back with 3.7 V8 petrol instead of 2.0 V4 diesel...do you know what I'm saying ;)
 
Unruly in the wet and little better in the dry. These large cars always have problems in the dynamics department. It's like steering a rogue asteroid or a sofa on Asda trolley casters. As for stopping, well forget it, all that huge mass makes it impossible to lose speed in a hurry.

I suggest you buy a Vauxhall Nova for a better driving experience.
 
HDi fun said:
Unruly in the wet and little better in the dry. These large cars always have problems in the dynamics department. It's like steering a rogue asteroid or a sofa on Asda trolley casters. As for stopping, well forget it, all that huge mass makes it impossible to lose speed in a hurry.

I suggest you buy a Vauxhall Nova for a better driving experience.
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Well....I suggest you to spend 60k on a new one or something like 15k on a 5year old one, drive it and then making stupid comments.
If you comparing 60k Audi's flag ship model which is not much heavier than yours e39 due to aluminium body with break discs bigger than your steering wheel to asteroid on asda trolley casters then it clearly proofs that you have no idea what you are talking about, sorry.
Let me tell you that with a top range tyres 255/40 and those massive discs and callipers I have no problems with losing speed in a hurry ;)
Really funny :)
 
I like laden shopping trolley style understeer ;) I'm only being silly - my car drives very nicely indeed in fairness. The E39 has always been well respected for its road dynamics. Mine is no exception. They really don't feel their weight on the road - and seem to shrink around you when you start pressing on.

Genuinely - it's a tongue in cheek post. :)
 
HDi, i think you have made a mistake... you're meant to review your own car, not someone else's. you perfectly described my two tonne barge!!! however given it's size i'm suitably impressed with the midrange torque when the boost picks up!
 
Olley said:
HDi, i think you have made a mistake... you're meant to review your own car, not someone else's. you perfectly described my two tonne barge!!! however given it's size i'm suitably impressed with the midrange torque when the boost picks up!
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With an ECU remap your car would keep pace quite reasonabily with mine I expect. The 528i is not an especially quick car, although the 0-60 is about eight seconds so it's perfectly usable of course. Handling is good though, it totally belies its weight if you choose to chuck it about.
 
HDi fun said:
With an ECU remap your car would keep pace quite reasonabily with mine I expect. The 528i is not an especially quick car, although the 0-60 is about eight seconds so it's perfectly usable of course. Handling is good though, it totally belies its weight if you choose to chuck it about.
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i don't think it is worth doing. i'm trying to spend as little on it as possible. i will credit it on towing capabilities though. never had a problem while towing with it!
 
Olley said:
i don't think it is worth doing. i'm trying to spend as little on it as possible. i will credit it on towing capabilities though. never had a problem while towing with it!
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You won't - they're accomplished towing cars. I previously ran a Peugeot 406 2.2 HDi with a remap - that delivered about 320lbft and about 190bhp. Towing was effortless. Strangely, or perhaps not, the remap also aided fuel economy slightly. Driven without heavy trailer the midrange thump was blistering and effortless. The BMW is equally effortless but it's not quite in the same league unless you really let it have its head.
 
Celtic tuning did mine for about £300 in April 2006. They are very thorough and have a nationwide service, despite being based in the South West.
 
i'll have a butchers me thinks.

on a side note, my old car (the mondeo) was great fun to drive, pretty much went where you pointed it. gripped well with the 225 45 17's on there. not great on fuel. but think that was down to my enthusiastic right foot!
 
Mondeos have all had good handling right from the MkI models. The post 2007 ones are phenomenal - like you say, they go where you point 'em without argument. The 2.2 TDCi is a stonking engine as well. Even in stock tune the overboost delivers nearly 300lbft in short bursts.

If I choose to buy a new car I'll definitely have it on the short list.

My E39 was an emergency buy after a bad crash in 2009 which left me unable to work for 18 months - money was tight and I went for something reliable and cheap to service. Hence petrol rather than diesel.
 
i had a lowered mk2 1.8 petrol. put the 2L throttle body on it and a straight through de cat exhaust. sounded good, wasn't overly quick but was enough to surprise a few people at the lights!
 
The 1.8 was a better engine in the pre 2001 Mondeos anyway. I found the 2.0 litre unit a bit torque shy - needed working quite hard to give it's best. Ford also chose to fit lower gear ratios in the 2.0 models to disguise this but this came at the expense of refinement. The V6 was probably the model of choice but those were not particularly quick either and could get a bit thirsty.
 
Mitsubishi FTO

GOOD:

Perfect driving position & very nice interior (I'm not talking about the quality of the interior, just the way it makes you feel cocooned).

The best auto box ever! Period! & the only one I've ever known that does exactly what you want when you want. Electric gear change is great too! Essentially it gives you two different driving modes. Given the choice I'd have the Tiptronic rather than a manual.

V6 quad cam engine is one of my new favorite engines. Revy, smooth, relatively powerful & sounds just fantastic.

As for handling, I don't think any FWD car could match the awesomeness of the 4WS Prelude. I would describe the handling as 'chuckable' & fun.

Quirkier & cuter & better looking than other cars in this class.


BAD:


Front wheel drive.

Back 3 spark plugs are a nightmare to get too!

I like writing these reviews...I'll write one for the MR2 as soon as I settle into it.
 
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