What to replace an S3 with???

[rickparmar]

any pics of the mk3 ess

 

[Ess_Three]

any pics of the mk3 ess

Here you go:

Not looking bad for a 10 year old Golf...

 

[simch]

I would agree that if you want to reduce your running costs then diesel is the way to go. PD130 or PD150 cars are all fine performers, remapped or not!

I always wonder though how coost effective it is to change cars to reduce running costs....you pay any dealer a large margin on a 2nd hand motor, and then even with say 15-20 more MPG off a diesel, you need to do a hell of a lot of miles to claw back the cost to change!!

How bout an LPG converson to the S3!

And in everyday road driving, not soing crazy speeds, (sub 110mph) , not thrashing them, not trackdays etc etc, a mapped PD diesel with say 180hp will not be too far off a stock S3 performance wise. The concern will be will you miss that "specialness" that comes with an S3....there is just something about them, even if as stock, they have a few flaws!
A nice Mk4 non anni PD130 /150, with black leather recaros and a few toys would be what I'd go for if I were you. Immensely more practical than the very small interiored S3, and with a few choice spension mods, they really handle suprisingly well. Still a classy hatchback too and IMO a far far nicer interior space to be in than the Mk5 golf, or anythign this side of a facelify nice spec A3 / S3!

 

[col6821]

Thanks Simch
It's all about the monthly running costs, currently £200 per month on fuel, this needs to be reduced due to an increased mortgage payment ('er indoors won't move to a smaller house and let me keep the S3).
It's not that the S3 is overly expensive to run (a constant 31.5 mpg over the last 17k miles) but that £200 is just for getting to work, which is a boring drive and could be done much cheaper.

I test drove a (wait for this, it'll kill you....)
.....Fiat Grande Punto 1.9 Sporting!
It wasn't bad but it's the first 130Bhp diesel I've driven so I've nothing to compare it to, although at £12.5k new with a 5% apr finance deal from Fiat, they're certainly trying to sell them!

 

[simch]

Its an atteactive looking car those punto grandes and qwuite rare out there too.......but build quality and residuals are quite poor IMO, and I think in the long run a VAG based similar powered car would surely be a better option?

There were some super deals on Seat Alteas recently I saw?

 

[rodenal]

Those little puntos are great cars but you would be as well to throw your money out the window, in 2 years time that car will be worth about half its current value, if even.

I wouldnt buy a new car if i were you, then you're taking an immediate hit that you dont get with a newish used car

 

[col6821]

Oh, agreed. I didn't go out with the intention of looking at new cars, but the (youngish) salesman wanted me to go for a spin, what can you do!!

 

[scib4]

Could you not pick up a new Skoda Fabia VRs for that money?

Better bet in my opioion!

As for the Punto, don't do it

 

[rodenal]

just to let you know i drove a 2.2 dti sri vectra hatch at the weekend, was a 52 plate for £5.5k with 60k miles and it was actually very nice

....let the abuse begin

 

[simch]

just to let you know i drove a 2.2 dti sri vectra hatch at the weekend, was a 52 plate for £5.5k with 60k miles and it was actually very nice

....let the abuse begin

No mate, you have been punished enough!! lol!


To be fair, its very hard to buy a bad newish car nowadays!!

 

[col6821]

Ha, I've seen a couple of cheap Vectra's around actually and I suspect that they're not all bad.
How about an MG ZT or ZT-T 135Cdti, I've had loads of MG's in the past without any probs......

 

[rodenal]

They're ok too but when i looked they didnt actually seem that cheap unless you went for a petrol.

A bit to old man-ish inside for me but they're fine cars, as simch said its quite hard to find a crap new-ish car i reckon.

Unless it looks like a daewoo and has chevrolet written on the front of it