Next car? Faster and Cheaper?

What can I get as my next car? I have a Megane2 1.6 3dr (115) at the moment. The insurance renewal is around £650.

I want to get something that is faster, but where the insurance is cheaper and car tax no more expensive. I have minor accident 3 years ago where I dinted the wheel arch. 1 speeding infraction 2 years ago. sb or sp30 or something like that?

Are there any options? I don't want a diesel.

Looking for something that is used, and 2 to 3 years old so has already lost a lot of its cost from new.

Was looking for something similar in size to Golf/Astra/Focus hatch etc.

I looked at the Astra Sri Turbo a year ago (can't afford vxr:( )and insurance was only around £800 for me, similar price for the Civic S-Type as well (cant afford R). I imagine if my insurance price for whatever reason has gone slightly up on what i have already then price for that will have gone up to.

Any other options ideas on what I could look at? Are the Tsi engines any good, and any I can get used worth looking at? Could you get a

140hp Tsi on cheaper insurance and have it chiped to give more performance?
Reply to
Peter
Loading thread data ...

There is a bit of a contradiction there, especially if you want to stick with hatchbacks. Hot hatch+sp30/accident record = not cheap

The insurance premiums are statistically based, so the only way to escape your categorisation is to drive something which doesn't match your category. In other words, it may be worth looking at cars other than hatchbacks; try getting a quote on a volvo s40 T4, or a SAAB 93 aero, or some other high powered variety of a model typically driven by older more sedate drivers

If that is for reasons of image, then I can't suggest anything, but if it is for reasons of reliability then I wouldn't discount something older or which has done a higher mileage if you are reasonably sure it hasn't been thrashed. You could get an '03 mondeo 3.0V6 St220 with 100k miles for about £3k, or an '02 Merc C320 with 60k miles for £4.5k.

Unfortunately that is the most expensive type of car to insure, per performance.

By all accounts they are really quite nice engines, and yes, you can chip them, but the insurance companies really won't like you if you do

Reply to
Albert T Cone

Excellent advice

Really? Damn.

Reply to
Mike P

Haha, OK, I'll qualify that with a "...then after 6 months of the same discussion choosing a Prius".

Reply to
Douglas Payne

I'd rather hand back my licence than be stuck with a Prius.

Reply to
Mike P

That's a modification and classed as one in the eyes of insurers etc.

The websites concerned are wrong - the performance characteristics of the vehicle have been enhanced and so compared to its standard manufactured stated specification, it has been modified.

My experience of having had a few mapped VAG TDIs in terms of the actual performance increase is you usually gain a minimal amount in terms of the outright top speed of the vehicle.

Where you gain in spades in real world terms when you've got a decent map in place, is in terms of the increase in low to upper mid range torque - in other words, whilst your top speed doesn't increase by all that much, you get there a fair bit quicker.

You don't usually lose out in the economy stakes either with something otherwise standard running a relatively sensible map... in fact with some, you actually gain when you drive sensibly.

Run a not so sensible map however, and you may start to question whether the extra poke is worth the extra running costs, not least the odd clutch or two if you intend to enjoy the bulk of the extra performance the bulk of the time.

Doubtful that it's just down to the map - in older VAG TDI terms, you've usually got a different turbo / different injectors etc, and I believe the 150bhp TDI lump as found in the Golf GT TDI had different internals as well.

Sometimes you get a different intercooler on the higher BHP models over the lower ones... and better brakes - worth considering things like the latter if you did increase the performance on anything.

You've deviated from the original stated specification, but you've not enhanced the performance characteristics of the car...

Yes... and you still need to notify DVLA. ;-)

It doesn't matter - see above.

They're talking out of their arse.

Ok, let's look at another scenario:

Mr Jones buys a secondhand car - the previous owner hasn't advertised it as mapped etc, and whilst Mr Jones likes the way the car drives, he's never driven one of the same model before and so just assumes that they all drive in exactly the same way and have the same performance on tap.

Mr Jones then has an accident.

Just for a moment we'll supposed the legal prophecy of the hysterically self-righteous comes true, and an accident investigator somehow subsequently determines that the car has been remapped...

Until such times as ECUs log the time and date of any changes they've gone through, (and I don't believe they do this at present or at least the stuff I've played with in VAG-COM doesn't), then there's no record of when the car was actually modified, nor is there any proof as to who sanctioned the changes in the first place, and who them effected them.

See what I'm getting at?

'Mr Jones, you are hereby charged with...'

'Ok, where's your conclusive proof / evidence that I'm responsible for this modification you allege has been carried out on the vehicle, and which I had no knowledge of right up until your investigation...?'

It's not like a big bore exhaust etc, as in it's physically there in front of you to look at and identify, is it.

Unless there's documented proof for the mapping having been carried out during your ownership of the vehicle, (as in an invoice with your details on it etc is produced as evidence to that effect), then unless you're thick enough to admit you are aware the car has been modified, there's a fair amount of 'reasonable doubt' for the bench to chew on... IMHO of course.

Whether you fancy putting the above to the test or not, is down to you. ;-)

'Speed kills!'

No it doesn't... inappropriate speed / myopic fuckwittery on the other hand...

-- JackH

Reply to
JackH

IIUC the only engine difference between the Mini One and the Mini Cooper is ECU programming.

Rob

Reply to
Rob

There's usually a physical difference too, as JackH has mentioned. For example, the 1.4 16V in my better half's Lupo comes in a 75 or 100BHP variant: The engines look very similar, but for a start the cams are different, as well as the ECU map.

You do. You change the instructions in it. If it says 'supply this much fuel and this much boost' and you alter that instruction, it's as much of a mod as say swapping a carb for a DCOE, but easier.

Reply to
Chris Bartram

Peter gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Of course it is.

Reply to
Adrian

Rob gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

On the Mk1 BMiniW, yes.

The Mk2 is 1.4 for the One and 1.6 for the Cooper.

Same with the Mk1 Audi TT - same basic engine, but mapping (and a few minor hardware mods) had it as 150, 180 or 225bhp.

Reply to
Adrian

Ah, thanks for that.

Rob

Reply to
Rob

And you know this for sure (1) because...?

(1) There is no sure way of knowing this when it comes to mapping, if you think about it.

-- JackH

Reply to
JackH

...Because declaring the re-map increases one's premium.

You mean there are people who don't declare re-maps to their insurance company?

Reply to
Douglas Payne

JackH gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Do you know what an actuary does?

Reply to
Adrian

ISTR reading somewhere that the 225 had beefier con-rods.

Reply to
Albert T Cone

If you count a completely different crankshaft (in the 225) as a minor hardware mod.

Reply to
AstraVanMann

y

Yes... now tell me how you come up with definitive figures in relation to something that's of an undefined quantity.

-- JackH

Reply to
JackH

They make accountants and statisticians look exciting and sexy.

Reply to
Elder

Some of the Saab tuning options these days are a tuning dongle that is pre-programmed with the map options you have bought.

When you flash the new map, it will store the original on the dongle along with the new one, so you as user can reflash it back any time you want. Not sure if it is Speedparts or BSR, but one of the two as part of their "staged" tuning options along with exhaust/filter/turbo/intercooler options, pick a tuning stage, and you get what ever hardware it contains, plus the flashing dongle designed to take that hardware into account and add power/torque/economy above the factory play safe levels.

Reply to
Elder

They are a bookie that went to uni.

Fraser

Reply to
Fraser Johnston

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.