Is there anything sub 3k to challenge an S3 ?
- Thread starter jq_quint
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Hahahahaha, I can't keep this up any longer. You get wound up very easily fella. You are entitled to your opinion on cars, as long as you agree that Korean cars are crap and that 4wd/Haldex cars are a winner.
Oh, and if you like blue cheese you are also wrong.
OP: Get an s3, or a tqs and pocket the difference.
Oh, and if you like blue cheese you are also wrong.
OP: Get an s3, or a tqs and pocket the difference.
Yeah I do get wound up really easy, because if anybody spoke to me in real life the way that people think it is acceptable to on forums I'd smash their teeth in. If you were sat in the pub with your mates it'd all be totally different.
Why should my opinion on something be conditional to accepting your opinion?
Not really denial, just my view (same thing I guess!)
To keep things simple, just say we're talking standard unmolested S3s: I wouldnt let go of an absolutley immaculate one even for 8k. Change that to one with rusty roof rails, creeking ARBs, smokey turbo and I'd be begging someone to take it off me for 2k.... 10 year old car, condition means alot more than the badge.
I know similar can probably be said for all the cars I listed originally, just knowing the downsides to a model probably makes you over value a good one.
That said and after reading the suggestion an RX8 is probably the best all round alternative.
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Wow, my last post was at 22.30ish between than & now it's all gone wrong!
We are all adults on this forum are
we not?
We are all entitled to our own opinion & shouldn't fall out about it.
Really, posting about smashing someone's teeth out is really uncalled for & shows (me anyway) how immature you really are!
Again this is just an opinion of a 30yr old man!
Make love not war!
Pat
We are all adults on this forum are
we not?
We are all entitled to our own opinion & shouldn't fall out about it.
Really, posting about smashing someone's teeth out is really uncalled for & shows (me anyway) how immature you really are!
Again this is just an opinion of a 30yr old man!
Make love not war!
Pat
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I think that with winter here and a high chance of snow soon you will see any 4 wheel drive car come into their own.
Last year in the snow all I saw was abandoned rear wheel drive cars on the side of the road. BMWs & Mercs. I even had to help get my mates 350 SLK out of a public carpark where it had got stuck.
Other thing I would consider is the age. Most S3s are now approaching 10 years old but something like the Sunny GTIr must be getting close to 18 years old now!
The S3 is still a lot of car for the money and I've had a great time owning mine with very few issues at all.
Last year in the snow all I saw was abandoned rear wheel drive cars on the side of the road. BMWs & Mercs. I even had to help get my mates 350 SLK out of a public carpark where it had got stuck.
Other thing I would consider is the age. Most S3s are now approaching 10 years old but something like the Sunny GTIr must be getting close to 18 years old now!
The S3 is still a lot of car for the money and I've had a great time owning mine with very few issues at all.
I've spoken to many people over the years about the Pulsar and while everyone agrees the performance is brilliant, everyone also agrees that the gear box is **** and you will have to replace it at some point.
I can't believe you fished me. I am properly upset about that.
Who said you can't fish a fisherman?
beanoir
Large Member
Don't worry jardo you'll get over it.
Back on topic, 4wd is a major bonus to have all year, but especially when the temperature plummets. A small 4wd Audi will be a good choice, although not sure what sort of condition a sub 3k one would be in.
beanoir
Large Member
I think you're right Westy, pretty much the same reason i've been through a few Audis now.
The S3 is a great all-rounder and you can rely on it to go nearly anywhere or do nearly anything (within reason).
It does lack excitement sometimes but thats to be expected for a german hatchback.
For the money yes there are alternatives, but not many and you could soon tick most of the list if you're after certain things like 4WD or non-Jap.
My S3 is my workhorse, and a dam fine one at that.
MR2 tubby. Leather seats in it are sooo comfy, 0-60 of less than 6! Handle fairly well when you get to learn the handling as the limits are quite snappy. Exhaust and decat will spit flames all day. LSD as standard, Have loads of kit as standard which for the time they came out ie late 80s early 90s was crazy.
Pulsar..as nice as the thought might be..unreliable as sin! A mate had one and it spent more time on axel stands than it did on the road. Although saying that a lot of S3`s on here do the same reading through some of the posts lol!
Oh and the S2 comment...for 3k you`ll get a dog with near 200k on it and rusty as hell sadly. Gotta pay around 5k for one ideally.
Pulsar..as nice as the thought might be..unreliable as sin! A mate had one and it spent more time on axel stands than it did on the road. Although saying that a lot of S3`s on here do the same reading through some of the posts lol!
Oh and the S2 comment...for 3k you`ll get a dog with near 200k on it and rusty as hell sadly. Gotta pay around 5k for one ideally.
Ummm Astra mk4 GSi? I'd say just as rare as s3s, couldn't comment on the quality though. You could pick up a pretty nice evo4 RS for 3k now, definately a nice daily, not exactly too thirsty.
I'd love a Pulsar GTiR - Not sure if I could afford it and the number of spare gearboxes I'd need to run one for a year, though.
Alfa romeo GTV V6, although maybe not as reliable as you'd hope and the boots are tiny on them. Fiat Coupe 20v Turbo, 8 series bmw, Alfa GT Coupe have dipped into 4k now but wont offer the same performance as the S3. Merc CLK but will probably have high miles on it and will be an auto. Megane 225 can be had for under 4k, better drivers car but the interior materials arnt that nice and for under 4k its probably not going to be in a good state.
As for rust on the roof rails with S3's, yes its a problem, mine has it and audi wont sort it, its not broken through the paint luckly but this doesnt effect the performance of my car and it wont fail its MOT because of it, so on one hand it takes away from the standard of the car but it can also be used to knock the price down on what could be a tidy motor otherwise. I probably wont get the rust sorted on my either as it wont add much value to the car now, its annoying knowing its there but I can live with it. Key thing with an S3 is making sure its been serviced properly, theres alot of cheap ones out there because people buy them and cant afford to maintain them, same thing has happened with the E36 M3, cheap car to buy but not a cheap car to run.
As for rust on the roof rails with S3's, yes its a problem, mine has it and audi wont sort it, its not broken through the paint luckly but this doesnt effect the performance of my car and it wont fail its MOT because of it, so on one hand it takes away from the standard of the car but it can also be used to knock the price down on what could be a tidy motor otherwise. I probably wont get the rust sorted on my either as it wont add much value to the car now, its annoying knowing its there but I can live with it. Key thing with an S3 is making sure its been serviced properly, theres alot of cheap ones out there because people buy them and cant afford to maintain them, same thing has happened with the E36 M3, cheap car to buy but not a cheap car to run.
camscockle20vT
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Lmao i love reading the banter on here, id suggest buying an A3 1.8t, and spend the other £1500 you would have on making it an s3 killer. (come on someone tell me im wrong lol)
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camscockle20vT
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Yep your wrong..... (or fishing)....
Never been any good at fishing dude, iv not got the patients
also i dont see the point of asking whats better than an s3 for less money? Its not going to happen as you get what you pay for. For 3k id go buy a lcr but you would be guarenteed to spend another 1k ontop just putting it right. I just suggest the A3 as its not that hard or exspensive to get it upto the performance spec of the lcr. ( tell me im wrong agen lol)
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key point here. theres alot to buy for around 3k. all having pro's and cons. even the s3. its just the S3 is best at doin everything
personally id consider a 200sx s14a. an enthusiast owned one thats prob had alot of work done already. just flippin dangerous in the wet!
others id consider is:
clio 182 cup. downside is lacks torque that were used to.
megane 225. downside is the lower priced ones look aged, prob not great condition. but has the torque and boost the clio cant offer.
celica gt-4. downside is it can be considered chavvy. but its 4wd and a very underestimated car.
jq_quint
Registered User
Jeez guys this went a little way off track .......but some very interesting views....
Must say the motors (imo) that stand out as great suggestions are:
Mazda RX8 231 - and get this just checked autotrader and they start below 2k!!!! example 2004 plate, 231bhp, 60k miles, from a garage .£1895.00..wow
AND cyclops had one ! Really like this motor, but are they considered a little bit of a ladies car? (not like a brutey S3)..
Defo a good call though..
and secondly..
Celica GT4 - great car with pedigree......with a nig following....great call also.....
hmmmm not swayed yet though (although c'mon look at that rx8 price !)
Must say the motors (imo) that stand out as great suggestions are:
Mazda RX8 231 - and get this just checked autotrader and they start below 2k!!!! example 2004 plate, 231bhp, 60k miles, from a garage .£1895.00..wow
AND cyclops had one ! Really like this motor, but are they considered a little bit of a ladies car? (not like a brutey S3)..
Defo a good call though..
and secondly..
Celica GT4 - great car with pedigree......with a nig following....great call also.....
hmmmm not swayed yet though (although c'mon look at that rx8 price !)
jq_quint
Registered User
lol in my haste i didn't spot the f**k off dent in this RX8.....it seems they start around £2350 for NONE damaged versions...lol
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RX8's look great and handle good out the box, but they have crap fuel economy and the engines use a lot of oil.
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rx8 = very high maintenance engine, most will have the life screamed out of them at that entry price, budget for a rebuild...IMO
My old celica and pulsar. Celica is probably the best car i have owned i think. Pulsar was more fun though.
.
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Nothing wrong with RX8's if they have been run in correctly and have been started and stopped correctly, as well as had the appropriate recalls. They use 0.25L of oil per 1000 miles and are pricey to tax, otherwise you will struggle to find a better built, more performance orientated daily driver car than the RX8 for the price they are (bearing in mind you can pick up a -60K 231 for under £2500). Perfect 50 50 weight distribution which is mind bogglingly low, a cracking chassis which is incredibly stiff, great suspension and brakes, a quick steering rack and most importantly a low Polar Moment. Which is an often overlooked part of handling.
Here's the one I drive as my company car -
Here's the one I drive as my company car -
jq_quint
Registered User
Baby was on the way and needed something more sensible with more room so got an a4 then 3 years later the s3.
Mate, I reckon if you sit in an rx8 you will fall in love, it feels like your sitting in a wicked sports car, really nice to drive, a mate recently bought one. Iv taken it out a few times, and even though it lacks the torque, it's still pretty fun to drive! Sit in an s3 and it's just a hatch with a nice interior...
Nothing wrong with RX8's if they have been run in correctly and have been started and stopped correctly, as well as had the appropriate recalls. They use 0.25L of oil per 1000 miles and are pricey to tax, otherwise you will struggle to find a better built, more performance orientated daily driver car than the RX8 for the price they are (bearing in mind you can pick up a -60K 231 for under £2500). Perfect 50 50 weight distribution which is mind bogglingly low, a cracking chassis which is incredibly stiff, great suspension and brakes, a quick steering rack and most importantly a low Polar Moment. Which is an often overlooked part of handling.
Here's the one I drive as my company car -
There a sweet looking car but unfortunately for me I cant fit in them lol disadvantage of height. jardo what do you mean by starting and stopping them correctly, is that like leaving our engines running for a bit before we switch off to help the turbo.
Chris.
ROBBerto84
Registered User
Someone hit the nail on the head with quality. You get a highend model based on a poor car and the interior will be shocking. Just my opinion (which comes from a limited experience of 1 year in a ruined mk4 astra 1.4 and 11 months in my s3) the quality from the leather recaros, the sound from the bose speakers and the general feel when closing doors, boot and even the bonnet is very satisfying.
And i don't remember you saying, or anyone asking, what you're changing from. Compared to my last car the S3 is indefinately better in quality and even after 11 months of ownership the performance still puts a smile on my face, even if it's a completely standard 210 facelift with just a jetex panel. All in all i'd say yes, there are quicker cars out there, or cars with better build, handling or practicality but they're rarely all in the same car.
Hey, it's just my tupence but you won't be unhappy if you drop the cash on an s3, unless you buy a dog of course! And i should point out that in my car search i realised i could get an s3 for my budget i stopped looking around at other options
And i don't remember you saying, or anyone asking, what you're changing from. Compared to my last car the S3 is indefinately better in quality and even after 11 months of ownership the performance still puts a smile on my face, even if it's a completely standard 210 facelift with just a jetex panel. All in all i'd say yes, there are quicker cars out there, or cars with better build, handling or practicality but they're rarely all in the same car.
Hey, it's just my tupence but you won't be unhappy if you drop the cash on an s3, unless you buy a dog of course! And i should point out that in my car search i realised i could get an s3 for my budget i stopped looking around at other options
