What Car???

Mr.Boots

Im looking for a 'Nearly' new car....hoping to buy in the next week or so and have been looking at dealer demo's ect and trying to get a good deal seing as its october.
Firstly i cant believe how useless some dealers/salesmen are at the basics such as calling me back...offering me a test drive....knowing what they are selling ect....A few have excelent customer service skills.....Most should stay in bed in the morning.I guess thats a rant for a different day.
Im looking for a fun car....but dont want anything to high powered.
I want to spend 20-28k.
so far i have been drooling over,
Mazda MX5
Honda Civic Type S
VW Golf GT 170
Any more ideas ???
Experience of Good Dealers/Bad Dealers????

omega man

For some of those cars your budget might not stretch to get a nearly new. Would you consider a smaller car?

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=789128

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=659896

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=707041

I would also consider a Cooper S or perhaps up to an Octavia Vrs?

bazz26

Yep something like a MINI Cooper S:
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=796835

Also maybe a Smart Roadster similar to this one but obviously a little older and cheaper:
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=Car&carID=695644&message=You%20searched%20for%3A%20Smart%20Roadster%2C%20Year%3A%202007%2E%20Your%20search%20returned%20one%20vehicle%2C%20which%20is%20shown%20below%2E&CFID=53960763&CFTOKEN=52357146

Or if you need something a little more practical then how about one of these:
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=764516

S.I.R

id take the clio... though have you conciderd a older lotus elise/vx 220 or anything along them lines or just a somewhat practical hot hatch ?


also if you can... id import a astra VXR from england or n.i.... great car that handles like poop but looks great :eek:

JHMEG

Are you sure you wouldn't prefer a Civic Type-R to the Type-S? The S is still a 2.0 litre but is missing 40bhp. Not sure what the demand for the S would be like either when it comes to selling it on.

(Also consider the Integra of the same engine, but again, the R is the one to get).

bennyx_o

omega man wrote: »

For some of those cars your budget might not stretch to get a nearly new. Would you consider a smaller car?

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=789128

Thats my car!

I can highly recommend it. Good power, great handling, good interior space and boot.

omega man

bennyx_o wrote: »

Thats my car!

I can highly recommend it. Good power, great handling, good interior space and boot.

Nice one bennyx! Thats actually your car or you have one like it?? Its a car that took my interest but was just too small so i went for a Mazda 3 MPS. How do the insurance brigade class it??

bennyx_o

omega man wrote: »

Nice one bennyx! Thats actually your car or you have one like it?? Its a car that took my interest but was just too small so i went for a Mazda 3 MPS. How do the insurance brigade class it??

Thats actually my car, looking at it out the window as I type. Insurance was a toughie noone seemed to have it on their system officially yet so it's pretty much the same as I was paying on my previous car (Suzuki Swift Sport)

I had originally looked at the 3 MPS, but being only 20 insurance would've been impossible!

omega man

bennyx_o wrote: »

Thats actually my car, looking at it out the window as I type. Insurance was a toughie noone seemed to have it on their system officially yet so it's pretty much the same as I was paying on my previous car (Suzuki Swift Sport)

I had originally looked at the 3 MPS, but being only 20 insurance would've been impossible!

Think you made a good compromise by going for the opc then. Sounds like you got lucky with the insurance as i imagine it will get a high enough group rating even though its only a 1.6.

bennyx_o

Yea, seemed to get lucky alright.

I can also say the Smart Roadster is another brilliant car. Used to own one. Great handling and just all around great fun.

They do have their problems though. They all leak, all of them. Some not as bad as others, but they all do. If you do go to look at one, check under the carpet in the driver and passenger footwell. If it's wet, I'd walk away or you could be in for some hefty bills further down the line.

.Longshanks.

JHMEG wrote: »

Are you sure you wouldn't prefer a Civic Type-R to the Type-S? The S is still a 2.0 litre but is missing 40bhp. Not sure what the demand for the S would be like either when it comes to selling it on.

(Also consider the Integra of the same engine, but again, the R is the one to get).

The current Civic Type-S is 1.8, not 2.0.
http://www.honda.ie/configurator/index.cfm?fuseaction=detail&subsection=standardGroup&variantID=7549

mack1

Mr.Boots wrote: »

Mazda MX5
Honda Civic Type S
VW Golf GT 170
Any more ideas ???
Experience of Good Dealers/Bad Dealers????

Agree with you on dealers - car dealers generally have a bad reputation for service - then Irish service industry generally has bad rep for a service industry - put the 2 together and look what you get!

From your list above, if you can live with the impracticality the MX-5 is a gem, it really is.
Honda - go for the type R
VW - run a mile and keep running - the GT is shocking, it really is, turbo lag so bad you have time to make a sandwich - plus VW dealers are the worst (I know, I've got one!) go for an older GTi if you are gettin a VW!