The Motor Forum

Grampa · Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 1:28 am Post subject:

Time's going on, so try a Scirocco I thought when I was passing the dealer last week (by the way Matt, my choice would be Viper Green too). None in stock, but the sales girl owned one so she let me have a look round - the interior seems better than I remembered, wouldn't be taking a drop after the Vauxhall after all, and it's nice in cloth which is good as the leather is a £1600 option.
Test drive of a R? - no chance - you can order one but none are being made available to dealers as demos until the first customer cars have been delivered.
So a test drive in a GT then? "We'll have to get one down from one of our other dealerships", and it's 4 months from order to delivery, so March 1st will be a struggle.
Get a phone call today - not one anywhere in the group which means all dealers within a 90 mile radius - hopefully they'll have one in a "few weeks" - she did offer me a go in a diesel Scirocco and a Golf GTi so I could get an idea of how the GT would be, which I declined.
Surprisingly it's also £30 a month cheaper than the MINI, but I can't get a quote on an R yet either.
Thought getting a new car was supposed to be fun.
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Andrew L

Matt · Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 1:49 am Post subject:

I don't like the sound of that; no demos until the customer's have theirs. Whilst it's possible to believe that Volkswagen are rightly proud of their new product, I'd not buy a car without testing it first.
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Small car, big heart.

DaveGibson · Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 11:08 am Post subject:

Eff One · Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 11:19 am Post subject:

See if you can do a deal - hire a Scirocco from Avis for a day on the basis that the dealership refunds you if you order one from them.
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"Racing is life. Everything before and after is just waiting." Steve McQueen

Grampa · Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 12:04 pm Post subject:

I had a quick look round to see if there were any used ones for sale nearby but no.

The hire thing is a good idea - at the moment though the Megane is still in the running so I could well get lumbered with the cost, but I will still have had a nice car for the day - I'll look into it. Ta.
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Andrew L

TimR · Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 1:54 pm Post subject:

Mark · Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 4:59 pm Post subject:

simonp · Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 9:30 pm Post subject:

If they're so popular ( a mystery to me personally) why do you hardly ever see them on the road. I suspect VW are doing a BMW and making sure they're in short supply to keep used prices high.

Mark · Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2009 9:33 pm Post subject:

Jasper · Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 12:10 pm Post subject:

Grampa · Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 4:02 pm Post subject:

simonp · Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 6:51 pm Post subject:

I thought about doing that, too and the nearest pick up is Heathrow airport!

Apex clipper · Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 10:16 am Post subject:

Matt · Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 12:33 pm Post subject:

If you'd have tested that RS, you'd have been put off by the chronic torque steer yadda yadda

I'm only pulling your leg, Chris.
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Small car, big heart.

Apex clipper · Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 12:45 pm Post subject:

DaveGibson · Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 12:49 pm Post subject:

I bought my Rover 75 without having a test drive and most of my company cars were ordered without trying one beforehand. I'm trying to remember whether I drove my first Mini Clubman before I bought it. I certainly went in it but I think, not having any insurance of my own (never having had my own car before), meant that the salesman drove. I do remember having test drives in a Mini 1275GT, Triumph Dolomite 1850, TR7V8 and the Lexus, though, which is not many out of the 25 cars I've had.

Apex clipper · Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 12:54 pm Post subject:

DaveGibson · Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 1:09 pm Post subject:

Not that basic, I had a stereo radio/cassette player.

Blarno · Posted: Sun Nov 29, 2009 1:53 pm Post subject:

TimR · Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 4:12 pm Post subject:

DaveGibson · Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 5:26 pm Post subject:

Grampa · Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 12:00 pm Post subject:

Had a drive in a Scirocco GT now - had to travel to a dealer two hours away in Aberystwyth - no matter it's a great drive, made for a VXR/Scirocco. The salesman there couldn't get a demo either, but was a little more enterprising and borrowed back one he'd sold to a regular customer (don't think I'd lend my car for a test drive, but thank you to the guy who was prepared to do) - both he and the dealer were very trusting - I was allowed to take it by myself - I usually get that on a demo car, but wouldn't have expected it when driving another owner's car.
Steering and handling were as you'd expect from what's been written about the car, and whilst the car doesn't have the 'straining at the leash' feel of the Astra it's not slower by the margin I'd expected - it's enough.
As said earlier, the cloth interior is nice, which is good because this one had leather and my god it's awful - looks more like 70's Ford vinyl. They feel a bit loose after the Astra's Recaros, but the cloth feels like it holds you better.
The Megane 250 and Scirocco R are looking like a no go unless my regular Contract Hire place can come up with better figures - the prices I've seen so far put both at an eye-watering £150 month more than the VXR - OK the R is a nearly £27000 car, but the Megane is only a few quid more to buy than the Astra so I can only assume there is no confidence in the residuals. MFG for a PCP is also ridiculously low, so that's a no go either.
BMW 125? - dealer was asked for a test drive in August and I still haven't heard anything - it was only an outside option anyway.
So at the moment it looks like MINI JCW v Scirocco (Matt - it will be Viper Green!) - with two MINIs already on the drive, I think I'm leaning towards the VW.
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Andrew L

Dr. Hfuhruhurr · Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 12:58 pm Post subject:

I drove a Scirocco 2.0 TSI a couple of months ago - it was that bright blue metallic with cloth seats, manual 'box and 18" alloys. Found it quite excellent to drive, even with electronic damping in sport mode it flowed over some quite pock-marked roads. It would be a good choice, I reckon.

Jasper · Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 2:50 pm Post subject:

I'm glad you liked it Gramps.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/class...ng200937341691305&logcode=flp

And I like the colour too.
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Grampa · Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 3:26 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the link - prooves two things for me: the leather is crap - look at the state of the bolster on the driver's seat after less than 4500 miles, and (from the other cars at the same dealer): it's not a car that wears a dark colour well.

My wife and daughter are horrified at the Viper Green BTW!
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Andrew L

Jasper · Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 4:10 pm Post subject:

I just popped out to a customers and noticd a S reg Micra in a shade very close to Viper Green but don't let that put you off.
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DaveGibson · Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 6:22 pm Post subject:

Clunes · Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2009 12:53 am Post subject:

EVO magazines latest long termed is a Viper green 2.0 TSI with options (paint, 19" alloys, sunroof, DVD nav, cruise, leather, folding mirrors and winter pack).

Short intro article - generally positive (including the leather seats).

Turbonutter · Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2009 5:05 pm Post subject:

Grampa · Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 1:52 am Post subject: