JEEP replacement - M3 / RS2 / C43

[craigw]

Hi chaps,

Thinking of replacing the Cherokee 4.0 that my girlfriend drives (and me on weekends)

Looking for something reliable & fun, needs 4 seats & doors & good boot space.

Looking to spend £15 -20k & want most depreciation proof also.

Shortlist
- E36 M3 evo saloon
- Audi RS2 (RHD)
- Mercedes C43 AMG

What do you think?

I like the idea of the M3 but think it looks a bit dated, the Audi is clearly amazing & the Merc looks quite discreet but fast.

I'd value your opinions as I need something to drive which excites me like the 348 does!

[Whoozit]

An RS2 is lossa fun but can be frustrating in town traffic as there's little oomph before 4k rpm, you can bog down sometimes unless you're revving it. I've got one, there's an independent that deals in RHD RS2s and is where I bought mine from so if you're interested, send me an email.

The AMG will be fast BUT the Merc estates are big cars, so it depends what you want out of it.

[jeremyc]

quote:I've got one, there's an independent that deals in RHD RS2s and is where I bought mine from so if you're interested, send me an email.

I'm also interested in an RS2 so would like to contact you offline, but you don't seem to have an email set up in your profile Whoozit.

Can you either email me through my profile or update yours with an address and I'll drop you a line.

[craigw]

I was thinking more of the C43 saloon. Is the RS2 difficult to driva around town, ie heavy clutch etc (its mainly to be used my g/f)

I drove one but was a few years ago & all I can remember is that it was bloody quick.

[Whoozit]

The clutch in the RS2 is not particularly heavy, just positive. You need to have a fairly good feel for clutch/revs tradeoff in town, but you can get used to it. The gearbox benefits from being used deliberately, changes can't really be hurried too much. I would certainly never describe it as user-friendly, but it is very satisfying to drive when you get it all to hang together.

[craigw]

is the specialist Fontain motors ?

[RUF 3]

A couple of years ago I ran a C43 Merc. It was a tremendous car - over 300bhp in a small saloon has to be fun. It handled well, and had the best Autobox I have used. I sold it as the massive depreciation was beginning to hit these cars, and scraped out in time. I now see them at around £20k, and to me they look like good value. I previously had an M3 Evolution, but the C43 was twice the car (and without the BMW stigma). RS2 I have driven some years ago, but nowadays they seem like a lot of money for an old car, and I do recall the on / off nature of the power delivery made it seem like hard work. I got out of it feeling distinctly underwhelmed. The C43 would have my vote by a big margin !

[craigw]

thanks RUF3, that's good to know. I've never been a huge merc fan but really like the discreet looks & sound of the C43.

Sorry to quiz you but in what way was it better than the M3 ? It's not that I'm going to be ragging it around lanes, Its mainly for town driving with the odd weekend blast down to the South Coast. Does the handling & power differ much from the M3 ?

>> Edited by craigw on Monday 1st July 17:47

[RUF 3]

IMHO, the Merc is a far better built car than the BMW, and also quieter and roomier. The V8 has masses of torque so is quick at any revs, whereas the M3 really had to be caned to make quick progress. The Merc handling, I felt, was more progressive. The Merc engine is bombproof, but I have heard of some M3 engine problems (cams/timing ?). Most of all the C43 is very innocuous and much rarer. The best thing to do is get a drive in each - I'm sure the C43 will impress you more. Do not be put off by the Auto box, if every Auto was that good I would never buy a manual car again. The other bonus was that my wife thought it was a great car for her to drive, which always makes life simpler !

[getcarter]

Can't comment on the others, but if you go the beemer route (IMHO) - E36 M3 was the worst evo. You'd be better spending money on a top condition E30 (and have money to spare for a house in Scotland) or an E46 330 (probably just get one in budget). It's a better car - honest.

Steve (E46 M3)

[craigw]

Thanks guys, all very informative. What do you think about depreciation on these ?