The only way is UP!
Discussion
You may or more likely may not recall this Saab 9-3 that I bought for shed money at the end of last year.
It turns out a cheap 9-3 is a rare thing and this one proved to be a potential money pit with an ability to make simple things turn into major issues. After a flat battery in January I lost all faith in the car and its mechanical issues and decided that spending more than the purchase price just to make it a reliable car for the summer was not a good use of money. It’s also didn’t drive as I hoped it would.
So I returned to the classifieds looking for inspiration. I considered everything from 80s hot hatches to 986s and cheap 987s. What I wanted was small light fun without the need for constant maintenance. In the end I decided that the car for me was the UP GTI. Test drove one local to me but didn’t like the colour (Black) or the dealership’s attitude. But I was set on an UP GTI, specifically a VW Approved car. After missing out on a red one my attention was taken by a lower mileage more expensive car that was located in Inverness. So emails were sent, phone calls made and train tickets booked (£28 from Newcastle-Bargain). Finally after a few weeks wait I collected the car on Tuesday and I’m very happy with it.
It’s got the options I would have chosen new, Cruise Control and the Panoramic Sunroof which softens the blow of the Saab not working out slightly.
Because I had a long trip back I opted for the more scenic west of Scotland route home, which took in Motorways, A and Broads and some epic scenery that made the tiny UP feel even smaller. The car itself is fab, feels way more powerful than the 113bhp figure suggests, sounds great and handles well. It’s a comfortable road trip companion. There will be mods in the future but for now I’m just going to enjoy it and keep it standard and clean.
It turns out a cheap 9-3 is a rare thing and this one proved to be a potential money pit with an ability to make simple things turn into major issues. After a flat battery in January I lost all faith in the car and its mechanical issues and decided that spending more than the purchase price just to make it a reliable car for the summer was not a good use of money. It’s also didn’t drive as I hoped it would.
So I returned to the classifieds looking for inspiration. I considered everything from 80s hot hatches to 986s and cheap 987s. What I wanted was small light fun without the need for constant maintenance. In the end I decided that the car for me was the UP GTI. Test drove one local to me but didn’t like the colour (Black) or the dealership’s attitude. But I was set on an UP GTI, specifically a VW Approved car. After missing out on a red one my attention was taken by a lower mileage more expensive car that was located in Inverness. So emails were sent, phone calls made and train tickets booked (£28 from Newcastle-Bargain). Finally after a few weeks wait I collected the car on Tuesday and I’m very happy with it.
It’s got the options I would have chosen new, Cruise Control and the Panoramic Sunroof which softens the blow of the Saab not working out slightly.
Because I had a long trip back I opted for the more scenic west of Scotland route home, which took in Motorways, A and Broads and some epic scenery that made the tiny UP feel even smaller. The car itself is fab, feels way more powerful than the 113bhp figure suggests, sounds great and handles well. It’s a comfortable road trip companion. There will be mods in the future but for now I’m just going to enjoy it and keep it standard and clean.
Edited by ChrisH79 on Thursday 27th February 08:43
I had a normal Up a little while back, had lots of options and was really nice to drive, way more refined that it had any right to be. With 75hp they're a little slow but good fun to be had, I've hankered after a GTI since getting rid of it but they're still a little lofty price wise at the moment. Best of luck with it!
Best car I've ever owned. Full stop.
Honestly, it cost's me nothing to run, done 60k miles now and still factory discs and pads
55mpg easily, £120/£240 to service, starts every time, never broken down. It's great fun to drive as you can rev the nuts off it and still not break any speed limits, and the narrowness makes it incredibly easy to fit down narrow roads. Oh yeah, and drop the rear seats and it'll fit loads of stuff in too. Brilliant little car.Suggestions:
- Remap to 140bhp just gives that extra pep without overwhelming the chassis.
- Drop down to 16" wheels. Really improves the ride.
- If you don't want that expense, make sure you ditch the factory crappy Eco tyres (which split at the sniff of a pothole) and move upto 205's with a bit more sidewall.
- Worthwhile buying a spare wheel. Cheap enough, but won't fit over the front brakes so will need a swaparound if you puncture the front (especially if running the nasty OEM tyres!)
Matty_ said:
Suggestions:
- Remap to 140bhp just gives that extra pep without overwhelming the chassis.
- Drop down to 16" wheels. Really improves the ride.
- If you don't want that expense, make sure you ditch the factory crappy Eco tyres (which split at the sniff of a pothole) and move upto 205's with a bit more sidewall.
- Worthwhile buying a spare wheel. Cheap enough, but won't fit over the front brakes so will need a swaparound if you puncture the front (especially if running the nasty OEM tyres!)
I’m not sure about downsizing the wheels but I am definitely going with better tyres and at least wider 205s when they need replacing. - Remap to 140bhp just gives that extra pep without overwhelming the chassis.
- Drop down to 16" wheels. Really improves the ride.
- If you don't want that expense, make sure you ditch the factory crappy Eco tyres (which split at the sniff of a pothole) and move upto 205's with a bit more sidewall.
- Worthwhile buying a spare wheel. Cheap enough, but won't fit over the front brakes so will need a swaparound if you puncture the front (especially if running the nasty OEM tyres!)
I’m off to speak to someone about remapping in a couple of weeks
ChrisH79 said:
Good number plate too. I definitely love it. I’m looking forward to enjoying it I just hope they take miles well
As above, mines on 60k and still as it left the factory other than tyres, oil and filters so they definately do.Alas, simplicity (and therefore weight and running costs) is something many cars are very rapidly leaving behind.
71,000 miles on mine from new, all me.
Remapped to 149bhp on the dyno at 21,000 miles. JBS Derbyshire.
Winter tyres in the winter. It goes everywhere. I don't think I'll ever sell it.
Failures
Washer pump fuse
Couple of drop links
Original radio unit went pop at 4 months (warranty)
That's it.
JayKay has one, you know.....
Remapped to 149bhp on the dyno at 21,000 miles. JBS Derbyshire.
Winter tyres in the winter. It goes everywhere. I don't think I'll ever sell it.
Failures
Washer pump fuse
Couple of drop links
Original radio unit went pop at 4 months (warranty)
That's it.
JayKay has one, you know.....
Edited by The_Doc on Sunday 2nd March 16:31
) feels like 130mph.The_Doc said:
Winter tyres in the winter. It goes everywhere. I don't think I'll ever sell it.
I've been looking at selling mine, purely for a change as I'll have owned it 6 years very soon - I never own cars longer than 2 years normally! But honestly can't find anything that I want to replace it with.I was looking at Honda E's - as I only do a few miles now, but the stories of £800 door handles, £2.5k brake simulators, terrible parts availability puts me right off. At least with the VW up there's a plethora of parts available, very cheaply, and no crazy tech that'll end up costing me a fortune to replace.
Only alternative is to move up a class, but prefer the small city car.
The_Doc said:
JayKay has one, you know.....
Does he? Did a search, but can't find anything mentioning it....Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff