Thinking of Buying - Opinions ?

Quigs Snr

Thinking of getting a 1998 VW Golf Cabrio. 2.0l

Its dark green, creamish colored roof, 56k on the clock. About 11k.

Read reviews around the place some bad (but lets face it, you're more likely to write to complain when things go wrong, the people who have no problems tend not to write). Some think it's a bit girly.

Basically, it's this or a 99/00 Alfa 156 2.0. My insurance is almost the same either way.

What do people think ?

STaN

Get the Alpha. Nicer car, newer. Golf looks a bit boxy imo. Too small to be a convertible.

mike65

Alfa Alfa Alfa! I never thought I'd be saying that!

Mike.

Quigs Snr

Wow I'm surprised. I would have thought that the VW would be more popular given the horror stories I am hearing about the Alfa's reliability.

Just had a convertible (MGF) and swore I'd get something sensible this time. Thought the Golf would be halfway there. That Alfa is damn fast though for a saloon car.

mike65

Wow I'm surprised. I would have thought that the VW would be more popular given the horror stories I am hearing about the Alfa's reliability.

But you'll forgive her anything if you love her!

I think Alfas are pretty well screwed together these days, unless someone here has a good horror story...?

Mike.

Chimaera

Golf cabrio is one ugly car! Especially with that rollover bar in the middle. It's also a very old design - there was no mark IV cabrio Golf - they just restyled the ends of the Mark III cabrio to make it look like the Mark IV. So you've got Golf MkIII interior and suspension.

It's also a hatch with the roof chopped off, so it's not going to be very stiff - expect scuttle shake and creaking trim.

Normally, I'd say don't touch an Alfa, but in this case it's the lesser of two evils.

If you're looking for a practical convertible, try looking for a Saab 9-3 or 900 - will have some of the same issues as the golf (scuttle shake mainly) but very reliable and quite practical - also quite pretty in their own way.

louie

Stay away from Alfa 156. Gives a lot of trouble.
They are only good if you buy a new one. Keep it for two years then sell it.

VW will be my choice, espacially the convertible ones. They look cool and are very good cars as well.

Quigs Snr

Drove them both yesterday. The Alfa goes like hell, the VW is a bit sluggish. Have to say the VW was remarkably solid. I have had two soft tops now and both shook like hell, the VW is had no shake that I could hear or feel.

Still in two minds. Approx the same price. One is faster, the other has no roof (I like that). I like both cars for very different reasons.

Borzoi

I'm surprised that after having a convertible that you're even thinking of buying a standard saloon car.

While the Golf wouldn't be my choice, it's a four seater, and without waiting a few years for an Astra, it's by far the cheapest 4-per convertible around.

Quigs Snr

Hmmm, pretty much no-one likes the golf except me.

Have a late entrant into the competition. A volvo S40 T4. Very quick, a little bit of an oul fella's car, but very tempting.

mike65

Quiggsy, have you checked the insurance situation? I wont swear to it but I reckon a rag-top will mean a higher premium
esp if you live in an urban area...you're in Waterford somewhere if I remember correctly.

Mike.

Quigs Snr

Yup, after being ripped off for 3 years with the MGF, it was the first thing I checked. insurance is as follows........ (27 male, 4 yrs no claims in waterford)

98 Golf Cabrio 2.0 : 1344
98 Volvo S40 T4 : 1150
99 Alfa 156 2.0 : 1150

tinofapples

Quigs , is that fully comp ? If so what company are you getting those quotes off ? I'm almost in the same boat as you , 27 in August , 4 years no claims bonus and paying a bit more than those quotes for a 2.0 Accord .

mike65

...what company are you getting those quotes off ?

I was thinking that today as well! Quiggs who are you with, or is it some company group scheme thing?

Mike.

Quigs Snr

No third party fire and theft only. These are only quick quotes I got from insure.ie. Normally you get them cheaper if you shop around or go to the companies directly I have found.

Fully comp is about 300-400 more. (Volvo and Alfa are about 1450-1500 fully comp haven't checked the Golf).

Hibernian is the company. Although I have not yet checked with ARB Underwriting who insured me as a 24year old with a full license for 2 months and 2 years no claims on an MGF for 1800 punts. (1475 Euro to renew this year). This was at a time when none of the mainstreams would quote apart from St Pauls who offered cover at 4400 !!.

ondafly

well quigs , funnily enough my dad told me last night he just bought a golf cabrio - its a 1.8 - so I'll know what its like in a few days - as for the Alfa, I wouldn't touch one, lovely car to look at, but unfortunetly the build quality is still not one of Alfa's strong points, and there sure is alot of them about

Quigs Snr

Have driven them all now. I'm almost 100% set now on the Volvo S40 T4. Talk about a wolf in sheeps clothing. I was shaking when I got out of the car. Pulling away, I thought no way is this thing going to stay on the road. What car tested it at 6.7 seconds to 60 and a top speed of 141mph. From a 1855cc Turbo 200bhp. Very Impressive.

Nice leather interior too, very comfortable as well. Poor on fuel consumption, but all my cars have been, so I guess I am used to that.

mike65

Originally posted by Quigs Snr
I was shaking when I got out of the car. Pulling away, I thought no way is this thing going to stay on the road. What car tested it at 6.7 seconds to 60 and a top speed of 141mph.

Where were you "testing" it? Sounds like you went out the Tramore Road!

Mike.

Quigs Snr

I was testing it out near middleton. If you are going down that way and spot 2 big tyre streaks at the start of the dual carraigeway into Cork, well that was me !

Quigs Snr

Well holy sh***

It looks like I am getting the Volvo, but I just had good news from the insurance company !

My quote TP F&T was 1133 Euro. (27yrs, 4yr NCD, Full Licence)

If I put my partner on as a named driver (26yrs, 2 yr NCD, Full License, she drives a 2.0 Prelude)...

The quote for both of us, me as main and her as named driver is..... 892 Euro !!!!!!!!!!

Single men, get yourself a girlfriend as soon as possible and put her down as named driver. I am told by Hibernian that if your better half has a bigger engine then the discount is larger because they reckon that on longer journeys the larger engined car will be used more... (If only they knew that my smaller 1.9T4 would swallow her 2.0i Prelude, maybe they wouldn't think so, still I have furnished them with full details of both cars, and this is what they think. Who am I to argue ?)

mike65

Quigs Snr, Have you bought your new chariot yet?

Mike.

Quigs Snr

Got it a couple of days ago.

98 Volvo S40 T4. 200bhp, tested by What Car to go 0-100km in 6.7 seconds,145 mph top speed.

It's Silver with wood trim inside and half leather interior. 59,000 miles, NCT till late next year, taxed for another 4 months.

Full main dealer service history. Only trouble is one of the front discs is warped so I need to get that replaced (bought it private for 9500 Euro, knew about the disk at the time).

Pleased with it so far. VERY heavy on petrol, but it goes like a rocket if you want it to.

mike65

I'll keep my eye out for a silver streak with a posse of Garda
cars in pursuit!

Mike.

Is1ldur

I drove a black T4, before I got my present car. Really wanted to get it, but the dealer did a bit too much messing around. Monster acceleration though, really gets the blood going. In the end, I held off and got myself an Alfa 156 2.0l TSpark, 00-reg. I must say I absolutely love it. It is definitely the most elegant car on the road, and is a rocket also...but that's just my opinion. Fair play on the T4 though, and mind the speeding tickets.
BTW, why do you only get insured third party f & T> Its usually not a lot more for fully comp, and it means a lot if you happen to smash into a wall, as I found out 4 yrs ago.

Quigs Snr

Yeah, in the end it was almost a dead heat between the T4 and the Alfa 156 2.0. For the same cash, I was looking at a 99 Alfa 2.0, 41k, 1yr warranty, sports pack.

To be honest, I felt the Alfa was the better drive, sharper steering and suspension, however, the horror stories about reliability scared me off, plus the fact that I know 2 people with one, one says not a problem, the other told me to run away if offered one. With my luck, I would have ended up buying his car ! Normally they wouldn't but my last car cost me so much in repairs that I was a bit wary this time !

So really that was it. Plus the lunatic factor that the turbo gives the T4 ! Either way though, in the end, I would have been equally happy with either car. In fact I have been looking at Alfas all weekend wondering did I make the wrong choice.

BTW, I am getting Fully comp after all. Only 130 Euro more.

Is1ldur

Well now that you have 200 hp, you can enjoy smoking us Alfa Owners at the lights, you are about the only people who can with a 2.0 l engine. The Alfa has quite a lot of horse for a 2.0 l.

Quigs Snr

And to make it really embarrassing for the Alfa owners, the pre 00 T4's were 1.9l (1855cc), although the BHP, top speed and acceleration remained the same !! (fule economy not so good though). Still do love the look of the Alfa's especially from the back.