Thanks for comments. Some I take with a pinch of salt since I haven't explained my situation fully, like the ones about the loans.

Mikey - I don't like your comment about not understanding power to weight etc. Some of the slower cars on their I wouldn't mind driving because of how they look/what the insides like, not because I think they're going to go like stink. And people are entitled to say what they want in reply to any OP's question, but that doesn't mean the OP has to agree with or appreciate those comments I'm afraid.

I'm not looking to argue because that is actual bullshit on a forum, it's just my view.

I've just got a quote on a Polo GTI which I hadn't even considered until now (stupid when I drive a 6N2 anyway!!!) and they're only £54 a month to insure (when I renew) and I pay £79 a month now!!!! That wouldn't be a bad car really, apart from gearbox issues would worry me.

Mikey - I don't like your comment about not understanding power to weight etc. Some of the slower cars on their I wouldn't mind driving because of how they look/what the insides like, not because I think they're going to go like stink.

Previously..

Any car with 150bhp is going to be quick compared to the 75bhp skate I drive now to be honest.

If you're gonna change your tune or add a different agenda later, do consider the effect your initial limited info had on people's opinions before getting snotty about it..

Sigh,

How have you got time to sit around doing all this tit for tat bollocks?

I didn't change my tune, I would expect any 150bhp car to be MUCH quicker than my 75bhp 6n2,

BUT some of the slower cars on there aren't on there because I think they'll be any the quicker, they're there because I wouldn't mind driving one at all. Regardless of how quick/slow it is.

The original question, "what car would you have?". Answers please, if you wouldn't have any of them, don't reply......I haven't asked;

What do you think of these cars?

Is a loan a good idea?

Do I know about power/weight ratio?

Blah blah blah,

I'm sure it's a forum rule as it is on most forums to stick on topic so let's try and do that............... that'll be novel,

I didn't change my tune, I would expect any 150bhp car to be MUCH quicker than my 75bhp 6n2,

Dont count on it with a mk4 golf, big, heavy and just plain shit imo

That's a fair comment on a Polo forum tbh about Mk4 Golfs!

My brothers 1.4 75bhp Golf doesn't seem much different (if at all) to my 75bhp Polo!!

(I know I know, a 1.4 MK4 Golf when they call the 2.0 GTI a 2slow seems ridiculous!!)

Mk4 golf gt tdi 130 should be pretty pokey even though the mk4s are all supposed to be slow, + they don't have that old car look about them, + goodies inside with high spec and potetoomal for tuning... And it's a diesel

Or you could buy me a 6n2 tdi and I'll love you long time

The concept of a diesel is good, and I like that 130s and 150s are cheaper to insure than their petrol equivalents in my case, and tax should be cheaper, and you can have them re-mapped relatively cheaply with excellent results.

BUT, most are high milers which is fine for a diesel engine, but not so good for all the other parts, suspension etc?

And, because I do so few miles, does it make economic sense to have a diesel? Mind you, if I had something a bit quicker, I'd probably drive much more at weekends etc.

Depends what kind of driving your doing really, diesels are better on the open road and journeys rather than town driving. I work for Peugeot as a mechanic as from experience we find the old people that have diesels for town driving tend to have a lot of problems compared to companies who buy fleets of then off us driving up and down the country as diesels benifit from a good blast and you get better MPG on dstance journeys as apose to the old ladys driving round town stopping everywhere.

If your short distance with the odd long one a petrol probably is better for you, I do 30mile a day in my 1.4 8v and put £50 a week in it + more if I do a lot at weekends. Where as my mum does the same mileage a day with a diesel and puts no more then £25 a week including weekend mileage.

That's why I definitely want a 6n2 TDI!!

If its a toss up between a small engined petrol car or a sporty diesel car of the same model then the diesel gets my vote. Under powered heavy cars are bad on fuel as they have to work harder to move all the weight they are carrying. Where as a pokey derv will be a much more effortless drive, not just for the car but also for you

Fair point about other parts wearing out quicker, but on the flip side when you've had a under powered engine having to pull a lot of weight around for how ever many thousands of miles its going to take its toll on parts too (mostly the engine). Also its worth bearing in mind that a lot of the tdi's will of been bought as motorway mile munchers (hence the high mileage) which is relatively easy going on most of the cars wearing parts

That's a very good point about motorway miles, but presumably I'm a million times better going for a VW PD engine than a Vectra CDTI (or whatever engines the SRi's have in them).

Seen stories about re-mapped Vectra SRI's being 200bhp+ and wheel spinning up to 4th gear. WTF. That seems ridiculous to me having the car I have at the moment.

Bora TDI 150's seem cheap to insure so might be worth a look, especially a sport.

My brother borrowed an Astra TDi (only had about 3k on the clock) a little while ago which is around the 160bhp and it seemed to pick up really well!! Wouldn't have minded having that for a few days tbh!

if fuel cost is not a issue then get a VR6, you can get them at penny prices especially MK4 Golfs and the NOISE always turns me on :-D .... annnndd i'd stay away from Vauxhall CDTi engines as their "duel-mass Flywheel" tend to go fairly quickly and their not cheap to change, ( onwed a astra CDTi 150BHP spec )

Why not look at things like the Fabia / Ibiza / Polo TDi if you want something thats going to be reasonably quick without being too expensive to buy.

Might not be speed machines but they are reasonably upgradable and will do decent mpg all the time.

VR6, 150bhp golf mk4 TDII :D

DMF are a common fault on most cars that have them tbh. Its normally because people dont know how to drive them properly, flooring it in a high gear because the engine will pull, dosnt mean that everthing else will work.

I just got a mk2 golf gti after having numurous tdi's, and a renaulsport clio 197.

The clio I will admit was a quick car, especially down country lanes, but you had to rev the balls off it.

And considering its a 2.0 16v N/a, in a car that dosnt really weigh much, i averaged 26mpg and that was just pootling.

Speaking from personal experience old cars are more fun, might not actually be going as quick, but it seems like you are. Also feels as though your actually driving it, rather than just being sat behind the wheel..

just my 2p's worth anyway

also seriously contemplating VR swap in my golf..... could be done quite cheap lol

I had infinate amounts of fun in my first car, 1.3 Golf MK2. It was excellent to drive.

4-speed gearbox, direct non-pas steering!!!

I do miss driving that car! It wasn't as quick as the Polo in a line, but going around corners I loved it. Handled like poo but it didn't matter!

Still none the wiser on next car. I keep looking at the Lexus IS200's but I'd just be so worried about it being vandalised! Everything else is a go'er!

6cyl engine, 24v is so attractive! The 153bhp is too! And everything about the looks of them I love.

IS200's are really thirsty though for what they are mate. Not that quick either, unless you strap a supercharger on it

I expected everyone to say Polo 6N2 GTi but I don't think anyone has yet!

I sort of want one because they're thirsty and high on tax??? Like I could be sensible and keep my car or get something slow and cheap to run like a 2.0 MK4 Golf, but I'm 24...... so I shouldn't be TOO sensible?

I chose one already in my first post (go check, it was the 318) and that was fine until it came with a personal opinion. And as you chose to single me out from similar opinion i won't make that mistake with you again.

But for the sake of those who still wanna help, how closely is the 1.6 litre 125bhp Polo 6n2 GTi significant to either size/weight or expense compared to the 2.0 cars you're looking at? Tax band for pre-01, yes. Insurance, not really, not in that company. Fuel is by far the biggest expense in running costs (you're not gonna get clobbered with depreciation here), and it's relatively economical so it's leagues cheaper to run overall. It's out of the boundary of choice.

Being unwelcome i shall continue to keep suggestions to myself. But if you want more ideas perhaps you should give people something to go on other than the premium 2.0 medium-sector saloon list and then wonder why they haven't suggested a shopping trolley just like the one you already have. I don't mean to over-emphasize, i realize this being a Polo club it's reasonable to expect it.

So my point, if it were me, i'd write a list of what's important. Keeping it outside the box - what i'd use it for, likes and dislikes, needs, wants, preferences, hates, etc etc. In fact, i think i did in a similar topic of my own.

You might not want a Grand Vitara or MX5 but nobody's gonna have a clue if you don't give them a picture of what you really want from a car. Just thought i'd share that because i think people here could be more helpful if they have that.

Good luck with the search.

i would have a vasectomy as any libido you once had would be sucked out of you driving one of those beigeboxes

I'm with Saf!

I stopped at:

VW Golf MK4 GTI 2.0 (115bhp)

Would be slow and less fun than my polo GT. (98.68 bhp/tonne) going on current weight and factory fly figures.

Based on a mk4 weighing somewhere in the order of 1200 KG's then its 95.83 BHP/Tonne - less than my polo if it is still 75bhp at the fly.

If I was going for a beigebox as saf put it i'd be looking at a mk4 golf 1.9D or BMW E36 diesel or similar. Might as well go the full-hog on the beige front!

Edited 17 May, 201214 yr by randombadger69

I expected everyone to say Polo 6N2 GTi but I don't think anyone has yet!

I sort of want one because they're thirsty and high on tax??? Like I could be sensible and keep my car or get something slow and cheap to run like a 2.0 MK4 Golf, but I'm 24...... so I shouldn't be TOO sensible?

2.Slow is what they should have called them because they are horrific. I drove one and they are a nice car to drive. They aren't exciting at all, nor are they fast but if you had to drive around just chucking miles onto a car it wouldn't be a bad place to sit.

All the cars you've chosen are basically cheap because they are the shit variant that no one wants because they aren't quick and they are thirsty. You can get slow ones that give better MPG or faster ones that give the same MPG. Either one of those is worth more money than the thirsty slow ones.

As for the IS2000 I can't imagine its going to be huge amounts of fun. I drove a Supercharged one which was around 200BHP and it didn't feel *that* quick. So I can imagine the standard one will be quick as its quite a big heavy car.

Have you looked at a 2.0 16V MK3 Golf GTI? I have the same engine in a Vento and love it. Nice place to be if you swap the mk3 dash out for a 3.5 cabby one as it gives you the more modern red and blue lighting which makes a huge difference. Will return 40MPG if you drive it sensibly. Even if you spank it will get it down to 25-30 depending on how much death you give it. Will put a smile on your face. Most of the running gear is shared with the VR6 and 8V GTI so its cheap and easy to get a hold of. The car to buy isn't massively expensive. I know people say mk3s are boring and I didn't really like them much either. But I've had a few now and they are nice cars to drive even if they look a bit bland. But I'd say less bland than the mk4s your looking at. Even more so than the 2.0 pseudo GTI. It really is just a badge on those.

Thanks for the replies and thanks Mikey for posting again. I've looked at a few 318ci's on AT, they're lovely lookers, e46s in coupe form. Sorry you felt your opinion was shunted before. I reacted the wrong way, so I apologise.

I do appreciate to most the cars I have listed are bland shit boxes but as a step up from a polo 1.4 most wouldnt be too shabby, even if lacking in feel and fun factor. I would like a car thats either a nice place to be, or that will just give me a bit more feeling and sensation of acceleration when I put my foot down.

I did look at mk3 gti golfs thay can be picked up for peanuts! Some look lovely, especially in red, but ideally id like something newer. I wont rule them out though and will look into it.

As insurance is a much bigget factor than fuel, I had a look tonight and got some quotes. Someone on PH mentioned a corolla sport some time ago, which id written off as uninsurable due to the power figures, 187bhp. But being a corolla they're stupid cheap to insure. Lots complaining about handling, but given my car history, will that really be an issue??

Sorry for any typos, bad grammar etc. Tapping away on my phone fighting heavy eyelids.

Anyone else frequent PH forums??? Seems a good crowd with a broad knowledge and lots of differing opinions that rarely escalate in to arguments.