Hi - Again after a few years away
Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2014 2:42 pm
I have just re-joined the forum as part of my "research" into my next car that, as usual, is accelerating as I get closer to a decision. I used to be ColinC2 here many years ago but can't remember my password and my email address back then is no more... So V88CGH it has to be.
First some background... I am a complete car nut and am currently driving my 47th car since my first in 1974. Owned all sorts of stuff and thats probably worthy of a separate topic if anyone is interested. Save to say it includes 14 BMW's, 8 911's, a few Audis, a Maserati, and a couple of Mercedes.
Anyway I currently commute a lot between Bournemouth and West London which is great in the current car but my plans are to re-locate back to London in the new year for a few years and its not really a great car for the journeys I will do around West London, having found that when I was there for a few months last winter. And my GF hates driving it as it can be alittle ... intimidating ?
So something smaller, a little more practical , 4/5 doors, 2 pedals, but still a drivers car. And preferably not something i have owned before. Fairly fixed budget and so the original list was quite short :-
1. Audi S4 Avant (Would love an RS4 but manuals not for me)
2. Golf R
3. "Old" Audi RS6 (breaking the last requirement as I had one in 2005)
So off to Audi West London last Friday to lok at an Audi S4 Avant. But it was sold the day before and had left site to be prepared so could not even judge whether the red/black interior and white paintwork was to our taste. But while were there (and its quite a place ) my gf spotted another white car that she seemed to like straight away - an S3 Sportback Black edition with a black panoramic roof. And I had not even considered one...
Test drive the following day and I have to say I was very impressed - quality interior , pretty nifty , steering not as bad as some reviewers had said (much research being done between Friday dinner time and Saturday morning !!) and comfortable in the back seats around the and over the speed humps of Hounslow !! The looks grew on me - its really a "mini" A4 Avant ?? Discuss ....
Liked the sport mode on the gearbox with the bark on upshifts and blip on downshifts
I was not sure about white again and although the GF liked the pan roof i was not so sure. And of course once the S3 was added to the list then the RS3 should be considered .. even if it was stretching the budget a bit. At the same time the A4 Avant was removed as the GF thought nearly as big as the Mercedes we already have (there was a white one in the showroom albeit not an S4) , and that of course took out the RS6 for the same reasons.
Test drive of the Golf R was Monday and in summary its a great little drivers car but lacks the qaulity of the Audi, as well as been a little harsh. It may have been on run-flats but anyway overall I felt it was not really for me ...
Test drive of an RS3 is tomorrow and I have a feeling its going to be top of the list so I am guessing that it will come down to can I justify the extra expense ... or wait a couple of months and save the extra
Watch this space!
First some background... I am a complete car nut and am currently driving my 47th car since my first in 1974. Owned all sorts of stuff and thats probably worthy of a separate topic if anyone is interested. Save to say it includes 14 BMW's, 8 911's, a few Audis, a Maserati, and a couple of Mercedes.
Anyway I currently commute a lot between Bournemouth and West London which is great in the current car but my plans are to re-locate back to London in the new year for a few years and its not really a great car for the journeys I will do around West London, having found that when I was there for a few months last winter. And my GF hates driving it as it can be alittle ... intimidating ?
So something smaller, a little more practical , 4/5 doors, 2 pedals, but still a drivers car. And preferably not something i have owned before. Fairly fixed budget and so the original list was quite short :-
1. Audi S4 Avant (Would love an RS4 but manuals not for me)
2. Golf R
3. "Old" Audi RS6 (breaking the last requirement as I had one in 2005)
So off to Audi West London last Friday to lok at an Audi S4 Avant. But it was sold the day before and had left site to be prepared so could not even judge whether the red/black interior and white paintwork was to our taste. But while were there (and its quite a place ) my gf spotted another white car that she seemed to like straight away - an S3 Sportback Black edition with a black panoramic roof. And I had not even considered one...
Test drive the following day and I have to say I was very impressed - quality interior , pretty nifty , steering not as bad as some reviewers had said (much research being done between Friday dinner time and Saturday morning !!) and comfortable in the back seats around the and over the speed humps of Hounslow !! The looks grew on me - its really a "mini" A4 Avant ?? Discuss ....
Liked the sport mode on the gearbox with the bark on upshifts and blip on downshiftsI was not sure about white again and although the GF liked the pan roof i was not so sure. And of course once the S3 was added to the list then the RS3 should be considered .. even if it was stretching the budget a bit. At the same time the A4 Avant was removed as the GF thought nearly as big as the Mercedes we already have (there was a white one in the showroom albeit not an S4) , and that of course took out the RS6 for the same reasons.
Test drive of the Golf R was Monday and in summary its a great little drivers car but lacks the qaulity of the Audi, as well as been a little harsh. It may have been on run-flats but anyway overall I felt it was not really for me ...
Test drive of an RS3 is tomorrow and I have a feeling its going to be top of the list so I am guessing that it will come down to can I justify the extra expense ... or wait a couple of months and save the extra
Watch this space!