First look hints & tips

First look hints & tips

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acme

Original Poster:

2,991 posts

204 months

Friday 10th June 2022
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Afternoon all, going to look at one tomorrow with a view to a test drive, any hints and tips for what to look for?

This will be my daily driver to be driven almost entirely over A & B roads so comfort and usability is important, though I'm aware of its limitations etc.

The dealer has said there are previous gen Legende models available, which would actually suit me, anyone know roughly what these last retailed at?

Cheers in advance for any replies.

johnnyreggae

2,991 posts

166 months

Friday 10th June 2022
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There was a thread last week about first test drive near Cambridge which answers the same sort of question - the 2021 cars will probably be priced at a grand or two off list - see prices for ex-demo cars on Autotrader or here - enjoy

samoht

6,115 posts

152 months

Friday 10th June 2022
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Other thread is here https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&... in which I received lots of helpful info from Alpinists.

mcmigo

136 posts

159 months

Friday 10th June 2022
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I have a 2020 legende.

Nothing especially to look out for. The seats aren’t as comfy as the buckets in the pure , but both me and my wife drive ours and there is over a foot in height between us so had to get the legende. But I would spend a fair bit of time in them if possible- any drive over say 2 hours they are not great.

Only other thing really is the exhaust. I didn’t spec the sports one in the end as I set off to the gym each morning at 530 am and didn’t want to annoy the neighbours. But most will want the sports exhaust as it sounds much better so check that as well


acme

Original Poster:

2,991 posts

204 months

Friday 10th June 2022
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Many thanks to johnnyreggae & samoht for your replies, that’s appreciated.

I’ve been trawling through the general A110 thread so am slowly learning. Cheers

acme

Original Poster:

2,991 posts

204 months

Friday 10th June 2022
quotequote all
mcmigo said:
I have a 2020 legende.

Nothing especially to look out for. The seats aren’t as comfy as the buckets in the pure , but both me and my wife drive ours and there is over a foot in height between us so had to get the legende. But I would spend a fair bit of time in them if possible- any drive over say 2 hours they are not great.

Only other thing really is the exhaust. I didn’t spec the sports one in the end as I set off to the gym each morning at 530 am and didn’t want to annoy the neighbours. But most will want the sports exhaust as it sounds much better so check that as well
Many thanks for your reply, appreciated.

Interesting that you too note the buckets are more comfortable, on looks alone you’d assume the opposite. I should get a sit in both, but the demo has buckets.

Two reasons for having the comforts; it’ll be my daily & I’d prefer the brown interior which I don’t think you can get on the Pure with buckets, am I right?

Seats are so important to me, current cars recaros are appalling, base bolsters set at 45 degrees & a really high position.

Interesting re the exhaust, I’m not a fan of ‘farting & popping’ exhausts, bit I could be wrong on that.

Hoofty

695 posts

196 months

Friday 10th June 2022
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acme said:
Many thanks for your reply, appreciated.

Interesting that you too note the buckets are more comfortable, on looks alone you’d assume the opposite. I should get a sit in both, but the demo has buckets.

Two reasons for having the comforts; it’ll be my daily & I’d prefer the brown interior which I don’t think you can get on the Pure with buckets, am I right?

Seats are so important to me, current cars recaros are appalling, base bolsters set at 45 degrees & a really high position.

Interesting re the exhaust, I’m not a fan of ‘farting & popping’ exhausts, bit I could be wrong on that.
General feeling is that the cushioning on the buckets is deeper/softer than comfort seats, but obviously the comfort seats are adjustable so could provide a preferred posture. Both elements contribute to actual comfort, to different degrees in different users - try both if you can. Confirm you cannot get brown trim on buckets.

Two points on the sports exhaust; 1) Sports Exh comes with the passive interior sound pipe (which makes DCOE-like gurgles over ~25% throttle, I love it, others don't), and 2) it only pops and bangs in Sport mode (and I love that too, especially the bangs on upshifts. No, I will not grow up). Like other vacuum actuated exhaust valves it starts up open, and gradually quietens down as vacuum builds. Thereafter it reopens at high rpm in standard mode (based on a recent forumite's experience) or is open all the time in Sport mode.

It makes a great daily btw. Just so, so useable. Really hope you like it! smile

Nick

chuck_ster

538 posts

247 months

Saturday 11th June 2022
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I've a 2021 Legende, I'm 6'1 and fairly skinny I suppose. I've taken mine on all day tours with mu wife and find the seats very comfortable. On the other hand, the seats in our Jag epace ruin my back. I don't think you can generalise that buckets are more comfy than the comfort seats.
Mines used daily..interior storage, access to the front boot (you have to get put, walk to passenger side to release it), infotainment are all absolutely diabolical. As I have this purely for the pleasure of driving these compromises don't bother me at all. Far more fun far more of the time than the various 911s, Evora etc etc I've owned before.

LGC-Adams

127 posts

50 months

Saturday 11th June 2022
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OP.......see recent threads on exhaust and inlet noise.

A lot of what you hear when driving is noise from the the "inlet resonator" pipe attached to engine/cabin bulkhead. Very easily blocked off if you don't like it.

Pops and bangs are different process of course, and not simple to modify.

acme

Original Poster:

2,991 posts

204 months

Wednesday 15th June 2022
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Thanks to those who responded. I did get a test drive and my overall initial thoughts are it seems really quite unique – akin to a mini supercar/exotic.

I tested it in normal & sports and manual too, I do like that in the former the exhaust is fairly subdued, I’m not normally a fan of artificial/overly loud exhausts - I assume there’s an element of trickery going on? As I understand some sound is piped in, but is it artificially so via speakers as well?

I drove A & B roads as well as some dual carriageway, in particular over rough/loud concrete sections where it seemed quite loud, perhaps that’s the aluminium construction.

Suspension was interesting, whilst it certainly isn’t crashy and you can feel the quality of the components it did feel quite stiff and ‘of a piece’, not as soft as I’d imagined given all I’d read.

One question I do have, & this was a pure model, when pushing on which I didn’t do that hard at all for obvious reasons, but I was a little surprised at how ‘flighty’ it got, it wasn’t as bad as the MK3 MR2 I had years ago which could get into something akin to a tank slapper when pushed, but it certainly moved around quite a bit, & I appreciate it was designed to not be your typical tied down modern car that pummels a road.

Seats; being a pure it had buckets, but I also sat in a Legende, though didn’t drive that. As others have said the padding on the buckets is good, and I was surprised the reclined position and not being able to change it wasn’t an issue. However, having sat in the comforts I do feel the wider front of the seat base/less restrictive due to the high side bolsters does make them more comfortable, but without spending some time in them it’s hard to truly tell.

The gearbox was superb, in auto it seemed to work as well as a torque converter, and so much better than a DSG I had. As a manual man I was quite surprised just how much I enjoyed it.

Anyone follow prices and know what 2018/2019 cars were and are now typically going for (appreciate I can simply look but not sure if right now being the only time I've looked is truly representative)? Difficult/daft question I appreciate but what led me to look at new was that second hand weren’t that much less.

Cheers


Edited by acme on Wednesday 15th June 13:50


Edited by acme on Wednesday 15th June 15:01

johnnyreggae

2,991 posts

166 months

Wednesday 15th June 2022
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From Sep 2019 list on the road prices Pure £ 47810 / Legende £ 51810 / A110S £56810 - option prices fairly much unchanged

bcr5784

7,174 posts

151 months

Wednesday 15th June 2022
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Some comments.

Regarding road noise, although it's not perfect it is much quieter than a Cayman in that respect, but you will find surfaces that it doesn't like.

Flighty. The rear is quite mobile, which personally I really like - you feel part of the process of driving, rather than being a passenger. However if you really want it to be a bit more tied down the Life110 mods may suit you - the change to the geo will only cost you £100 or so and even the change of springs is not that expensive.

I too expected ride to be softer at low speeds (having come from a Cayman with PASM), but it smooths out nicely when you get up to B road speeds.

There is no artificial sound via the speakers - only the sound pipe and the exhaust.

acme

Original Poster:

2,991 posts

204 months

Thursday 16th June 2022
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bcr5784 said:
Some comments.

Regarding road noise, although it's not perfect it is much quieter than a Cayman in that respect, but you will find surfaces that it doesn't like.

Flighty. The rear is quite mobile, which personally I really like - you feel part of the process of driving, rather than being a passenger. However if you really want it to be a bit more tied down the Life110 mods may suit you - the change to the geo will only cost you £100 or so and even the change of springs is not that expensive.

I too expected ride to be softer at low speeds (having come from a Cayman with PASM), but it smooths out nicely when you get up to B road speeds.

There is no artificial sound via the speakers - only the sound pipe and the exhaust.
Good to know re a Cayman. My barometer is an old 911 & we all know what they’re like!

I’m not overly fussed about it, I was just a little surprised at how much it did it, I like that it’s a seemingly unique take on a modern sports car. That’s why the Life geo settings appeal but no more ultimately. I understand from one article DP was quite surprised at the factory settings.

I guess my expectations had been overly raised from articles suggesting it was akin to a limo!

That’s good to know, piped in sound as I have on my current car I don’t mind, totally fake is exactly the kind of modern nonsense I’m trying to get away from with the A110.

Post the test drive I’m surprised they’re not everywhere, I’ve seen perhaps two or three on the road. Guess like the GT86 everyone lauds them & nobody buys them….

springfan62

851 posts

82 months

Thursday 16th June 2022
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acme said:
Good to know re a Cayman. My barometer is an old 911 & we all know what they’re like!

I’m not overly fussed about it, I was just a little surprised at how much it did it, I like that it’s a seemingly unique take on a modern sports car. That’s why the Life geo settings appeal but no more ultimately. I understand from one article DP was quite surprised at the factory settings.

I guess my expectations had been overly raised from articles suggesting it was akin to a limo!

That’s good to know, piped in sound as I have on my current car I don’t mind, totally fake is exactly the kind of modern nonsense I’m trying to get away from with the A110.

Post the test drive I’m surprised they’re not everywhere, I’ve seen perhaps two or three on the road. Guess like the GT86 everyone lauds them & nobody buys them….
My previous "fun" car was a 72 911 2.4S, the only thing I miss from the 911 was the engine sound. The A110 is fine but the 911 on cam was a beautiful noise. In all other respects the A110 is so much more complete and its car you can use in normal life, the old 911 had far too many compromises.
Great for a quick blast but not for a journey.

If you are after a great drive get the A110, the reason they are not everywhere is probably because it doesn't have the right badge but I would not swap mine for any other car, period.



domrusty

267 posts

45 months

Thursday 16th June 2022
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acme said:
That’s why the Life geo settings appeal but no more ultimately. I understand from one article DP was quite surprised at the factory settings.
The Life110 geo settings are the best £120 you’ll ever spend imho… Though I can also recommend the 300PS map for those who have the lower output engines.