First warm/hot car for 5K
Discussion
I’m mid 20s 4 years NCB and spent more on insurance past 2 years than the purchase cost for an old e46. That combined with the 365 VED and it doesn’t feel worth it. Only bought it as was local and seemed decent condition but it’s not quick and i’m musing about something more modern and faster. I get about 225 miles a tank with a lot of city driving which I guess is the culprit. I’m aware that probably most engines would suffer in that use case but i’m thinking less cylinders and turbo may do better?
l I see a lot of Audi TT in the sub 5K price range, quite a few mk1 225 which I still like the look of but it’s from the same period of my e46 so potentially a sideways step? Plus it’d be naive to buy a car that age and expect no issues. Mk2 TTs there are plenty though performance wise not sure if the 2.0tfsi 200 would feel all that quicker than my car particularly the fwd variants. Really like the look of TTS some maybe within a budget creep but i’m sure they bring a whole new level of costs associated. What draws me to TT is it seems they live an easier life than GTI, S3 etc though i’m not set on them it’s more about the performance.
I don’t do much mileage annually at present although i’d like to think with something a bit more planted and capable i’d spend more time driving for leisure. That said l’m definitely not after a ‘drivers car’ it’ll be largely used for my commute on dual carriageway and city driving. Usually always wet weather here and I like the combo of awd/haldex with a quick engine that hopefully isn’t too thirsty. Re the TT the different bodystyle and potentially better insurance is just a bonus. However could be a better bet to get the rung below?
Would appreciate any thoughts. I am not mechanically minded so would be relying on a garage to carry out any work if it came to it
l I see a lot of Audi TT in the sub 5K price range, quite a few mk1 225 which I still like the look of but it’s from the same period of my e46 so potentially a sideways step? Plus it’d be naive to buy a car that age and expect no issues. Mk2 TTs there are plenty though performance wise not sure if the 2.0tfsi 200 would feel all that quicker than my car particularly the fwd variants. Really like the look of TTS some maybe within a budget creep but i’m sure they bring a whole new level of costs associated. What draws me to TT is it seems they live an easier life than GTI, S3 etc though i’m not set on them it’s more about the performance.
I don’t do much mileage annually at present although i’d like to think with something a bit more planted and capable i’d spend more time driving for leisure. That said l’m definitely not after a ‘drivers car’ it’ll be largely used for my commute on dual carriageway and city driving. Usually always wet weather here and I like the combo of awd/haldex with a quick engine that hopefully isn’t too thirsty. Re the TT the different bodystyle and potentially better insurance is just a bonus. However could be a better bet to get the rung below?
Would appreciate any thoughts. I am not mechanically minded so would be relying on a garage to carry out any work if it came to it
Those mark 2 TTs are well-priced and modern enough. The 2.0TFSI engine is a peach and could feel very quick in my Scirocco of that era but really would be wasted for commuting. On long motorway runs they’re capable of 50mpg but around town more like 30. You definitely don’t need Quattro around town. A TT would be a good prospect if you enjoy it for leisure rather than a commuter
You don't say what E46 you've got, so that might change some of this.
I've got both E46 (330Ci convertible) and a Mk1 TT 225, and I'd say they're quite different experiences, but probably similar to use as a daily (basically a lottery as to what will break next, like any 20 year old car, but both generally fairly easy to either find specialists for or work on yourself). The TT feels faster because of the turbo and 4wd for launching, the E46 sounds nicer, steering feels better. I find the TT a bit more fun to drive but I imagine the gap would be closer with an E46 coupe as the weights would be closer. Both are generally well made and fairly civilised inside for their age, so you probably wouldn't feel much of a step up overall.
I've not driven the 2.0TFSI in the Mk2 but I did try a Mk2 TTS and the interior is definitely a step up, and the handling is better than the Mk1. I don't imagine you'd really notice the minor loss in power compared to the 225 (obviously the TTS was another thing entirely). There's a bit less interior space if you're tall and the back seats are largely symbolic, if that matters.
I've got both E46 (330Ci convertible) and a Mk1 TT 225, and I'd say they're quite different experiences, but probably similar to use as a daily (basically a lottery as to what will break next, like any 20 year old car, but both generally fairly easy to either find specialists for or work on yourself). The TT feels faster because of the turbo and 4wd for launching, the E46 sounds nicer, steering feels better. I find the TT a bit more fun to drive but I imagine the gap would be closer with an E46 coupe as the weights would be closer. Both are generally well made and fairly civilised inside for their age, so you probably wouldn't feel much of a step up overall.
I've not driven the 2.0TFSI in the Mk2 but I did try a Mk2 TTS and the interior is definitely a step up, and the handling is better than the Mk1. I don't imagine you'd really notice the minor loss in power compared to the 225 (obviously the TTS was another thing entirely). There's a bit less interior space if you're tall and the back seats are largely symbolic, if that matters.
E63eeeeee... said:
You don't say what E46 you've got, so that might change some of this.
I've got both E46 (330Ci convertible) and a Mk1 TT 225, and I'd say they're quite different experiences, but probably similar to use as a daily (basically a lottery as to what will break next, like any 20 year old car, but both generally fairly easy to either find specialists for or work on yourself). The TT feels faster because of the turbo and 4wd for launching, the E46 sounds nicer, steering feels better. I find the TT a bit more fun to drive but I imagine the gap would be closer with an E46 coupe as the weights would be closer. Both are generally well made and fairly civilised inside for their age, so you probably wouldn't feel much of a step up overall.
I've not driven the 2.0TFSI in the Mk2 but I did try a Mk2 TTS and the interior is definitely a step up, and the handling is better than the Mk1. I don't imagine you'd really notice the minor loss in power compared to the 225 (obviously the TTS was another thing entirely). There's a bit less interior space if you're tall and the back seats are largely symbolic, if that matters.
Mines is a 325 couple though if it was a 330 I would still want a change to be honest. Quite a few of the mk1 that come up are the 225 rather than 180 and lesser ones. Seen some local online circa 100k miles history for about 2k but i’m dubious it’d be a sorted car for that price. Obviously because i’m on posting on here it would be nice to get the hot one i.e 225 or TTS but i’m more just after the best car with that/similar engine. I've got both E46 (330Ci convertible) and a Mk1 TT 225, and I'd say they're quite different experiences, but probably similar to use as a daily (basically a lottery as to what will break next, like any 20 year old car, but both generally fairly easy to either find specialists for or work on yourself). The TT feels faster because of the turbo and 4wd for launching, the E46 sounds nicer, steering feels better. I find the TT a bit more fun to drive but I imagine the gap would be closer with an E46 coupe as the weights would be closer. Both are generally well made and fairly civilised inside for their age, so you probably wouldn't feel much of a step up overall.
I've not driven the 2.0TFSI in the Mk2 but I did try a Mk2 TTS and the interior is definitely a step up, and the handling is better than the Mk1. I don't imagine you'd really notice the minor loss in power compared to the 225 (obviously the TTS was another thing entirely). There's a bit less interior space if you're tall and the back seats are largely symbolic, if that matters.
I’ve even seen a couple mk1 S3s advertised but they often have mods
LightningBlue said:
Those mark 2 TTs are well-priced and modern enough. The 2.0TFSI engine is a peach and could feel very quick in my Scirocco of that era but really would be wasted for commuting. On long motorway runs they’re capable of 50mpg but around town more like 30. You definitely don’t need Quattro around town. A TT would be a good prospect if you enjoy it for leisure rather than a commuter
Afaik the 2.0t tt is a gti engine or detuned slightly so definitely would be faster than my 325. Quattro is more of a want than need but as above the quick ones would be nice. I’ve seen a couple of these mk2 TT 2.0tfsi around 3/4K I read something about carbon build up but these engines seem to be plentiful so can’t bebad
66HFM said:
The answer as always is an Octavia VRS... now what was the question....?
I don’t need space at all really so the octavia especially estate would be overkill though I wouldn’t be averse to it if it happened the best spec with that engine was a leon or skoda etcAs far as why i’m looking at the 1.8/2.0t vag cars is it seems they offer the best mix of power and being relatively inexpensive insurance wise etc. The bmw and merc ones are still out of budget I think. Would be open to other marques
Edited by Alphabet on Friday 10th May 22:00
Edited by Alphabet on Friday 10th May 22:10
£2k 225s will most likely cost the same amount to keep going, especially if you're paying to get the work done. I paid £1600 for my first one and having spent roughly that again, doing most of the work myself, it was still tatty and had jobs needed doing when I traded it in for a better one. If you're looking for something usable with a decent service history and MOT history I'd imagine you're looking at least £3k, more likely £4k. There are loads out there, so you can afford to be picky, but lots of them have bad service histories and genuinely shocking MOT histories, I suspect the typical TT owner had a different attitude to cars than the typical E46 owner.
66HFM said:
The answer as always is an Octavia VRS... now what was the question....?
Poster asks about 2-door small nippyish coupe.Contributor responds with mediocre family car.
Buy the TT OP, when insurance gets easier you can always upgrade to an S or even RS, if you don't need a mediocre family car by then.
I had an E46 330ci manual at 23, it remains to be one of my absolute favourite cars (that I've owned). If could go back I would pick an E46 again. In fact, two years after selling that car, I went out and bought another 330ci Manual and it was just as fantastic as I remembered.
Another one that ranks up the top is a Mk5 Golf GTI that I had after the 330ci, it was incredible but I was lucky enough to get into one with a full vw service history, low owners and in ideal condition. A scirocco should deliver similar pleasure from what I understand.
I had a MK2 TTS roadster from summer last year till a couple of months ago. Compared to the GTI, it didn't feel quite as darty, involving or fast despite the huge power increase from GTI to TTS. I didn't really feel it was as much of a drivers car but it was decent enough on a sunny day with the roof down and pointing and shooting, that may be ideal for your commuting purposes. I'd get a solid 35mpg on a 70mph run on cruise control and the interior was really lovely which are key factors on something you'd use as a daily.
Another one that ranks up the top is a Mk5 Golf GTI that I had after the 330ci, it was incredible but I was lucky enough to get into one with a full vw service history, low owners and in ideal condition. A scirocco should deliver similar pleasure from what I understand.
I had a MK2 TTS roadster from summer last year till a couple of months ago. Compared to the GTI, it didn't feel quite as darty, involving or fast despite the huge power increase from GTI to TTS. I didn't really feel it was as much of a drivers car but it was decent enough on a sunny day with the roof down and pointing and shooting, that may be ideal for your commuting purposes. I'd get a solid 35mpg on a 70mph run on cruise control and the interior was really lovely which are key factors on something you'd use as a daily.
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