This week I have changed my mind...

By the time we got to the M62 he was all of 400 metres ahead of me. Still it seemed to have soothed his ego that he passed me, although his car struggled to keep pace with me increasing my speed back to my normal cruise by tapping the (+) button on the cruise control.

Or Skoda, which is arguably even more sensible.

Sensible people buy Leons and get the best of both worlds :p

People with driving gloves, nodding hippies and a range of sunglasses drive Seats.

I've toyed with the idea of a Cupra R for my next car :-) But think I prefer the Civic Type R to be honest.

CTR FTW. >-)

FTW? I've never driven a Cupra R - I've driven my mates CTR a few times, and it's a magnificent piece of kit, the engine is simply a piece of mechanical art. The closest I've driven to a Cupra R is a 150bhp Golf 1.8T, which when driven hard back to back with my 206, barely felt any quicker than the 206. It was smoother, and when driven at 6/10ths was easier to go briskly - but not a great deal. Having said that, it only 40bhp on me, combined with about 300/400kgs so I suppose that's to be expected.

I've also considered R32s, but they're too much coin, and 147 GTAs but I don't think I dare. And an S2000 if my back will let me after more surgery in a month or so.

Actually I don't think you're doing them justice.

Almost certainly because the Golf 1.8T is barely quicker. :)

Yes. I like VAG's 1.8T, but it isn't a GTI engine in 150 PS guise.

More to the point it's also a mark four Golf, which is inert.

Driving the mark two or five Golf GTI, I'm still amazed at how wrong the mark three and four Golfs were.

Are these not too fast for navigation rallies? :)

Heh. But the engine is sublime.

With my SteveH "only-buy-what-I-drive" hat on, what you want is a Saab Viggen. Cheap, 2.3 230 bhp and pokey. Who cares that it's front wheel drive, it's still a devestatingly quick cross country machine.

Have you already dismissed the 2.0 turbo Astra?

Civic Type R For The Win ;)

Well they're the best words I could think of :-)

They look cool as though.

No they're big, and bargey and ugly, and don't Saabs handle like crap?

Well, my mate has a 53 plate GSi Turbo, his brother has one of those limited edition SRi 190 turbos, like a 52 or summet another has a Y plate Coupe turbo - so I've dismissed it on that basis heh. Also, the interior isn't very nice.

I see a 147 GTA and think, "he's a local" because nobody would take one beyond twenty minutes of home or a dealership, surely? :-)

They're not big, ugly, hmm - the look has grown on me. As far as handling like crap goes, aie yes until you brace them up.

Their biggest issue is putting the power down.

Well it's dull. But the car itself looks okay. Besides have you *seen* the interior of the Civic Type R? Okay, it's a little tarted up... but... c'mon?

The New Civic is something else... unless that's what you meant?

But it looks like any other Honda...

And front fog lamps, because otherwise they look unfinished.

They're so not me heh :-)

Yea but then there would be FOUR in the group, and that's just too not cool :-)

No I meant the EP3, not the just out one. I'd be looking for an 04 facelift model. I like the interior, looks racey. Obviously I'd have to find one with aircon hehe.

Ooh not so on that case either. Bloke driving one yesterday was a complete earhole. Our local garage is at a crossroads with entrances from the major "A" road and the lesser "A" road crossing it. I filled up and tried to drive out and twatty bloke in the Leon had just dumped the car at an angle by the shop blocking the way out past the pump. So I drove around the block of pumps onto the major A road then drove up to the lights and waited to turn left. The bloke in the Leon came out of the shop as the lights went to Red + Amber and jumpoed into the car, screamed across the forecourt in cloud of tyre smoke and tried to beat all the traffic turning left by driving across the forecourt heading for the exit to the lesser "A" road.

Just as someone turned into the same entrance.

Bang.

And strangely enough an entire forecourt full of drivers, the lass in the shop, and the people waiting at the lights all acted as witnesses that it was his fault.

But I'd also be looking for Anniversary spec, full red recaros etc :-)

Agreed.

In news:45e04ce1$0$2459$ snipped-for-privacy@news.zen.co.uk, DervMan wittered on forthwith;

The Leon drives much better than the Golf though, it's almost as nice to drive as a Focus Mk1.

I think the Mk5 Golf is only a slight improvement on the Mk4, tbh.

I would. I drove my 164 Q4 forwards and backwards to Italy a fair few times and it was reliable. I suspect the constant tyre replacements on a 147 would be enough to put me off.

I quite like Saabs. I have a soft spot for the fast 9-5 jobs.

As long as you're a gear above where you'd expect to be, they're fine.

Ashtray Turbos actually drive not badly. (I can't bring myself to say anything more positive than that about a Vauxhall).

Jap cars are always crap inside. I was driving a late spec Honda Legend last week and it felt like I was driving a posh NHS waiting room. All plastic and no imagination. The leather had no character, the switches were all ridiculously huge and tacky, the radio was pants and the centre console looked almost as tacky as the one in the B6 Passat.

In news: snipped-for-privacy@news.individual.net, Elder wittered on forthwith;

I *like* Leons, but I think the A3 is crap - not as crap as the Mk4/5 Golf, but crap.

"Pete M" wrote in message news:erpnn2$utk$ snipped-for-privacy@registered.motzarella.org...

Absolutely yes. Much much better. It's amazing that VW could screw it up so much.

I couldn't find a Leon TDI in the right specification or colour for love nor money when wanting to change the Honda.

Okay it's still a Golf, but it disguises its roots well.

Now the current Passat compared to the previous one, they're closer.

It's a sweet idea - 3.2 V6 over the front wheels, driving the front wheels. Lots of American cars have the same power over the same wheels, driving the same wheels too...

I like the 9000 and 9-5 either way. I recall justifying why somebody should get a 9-5 Aero over the 2.3 or 2.0 turbos - lower fuel consumption. :-)

Indeed. It isn't a big compromise for the most part, but stepping into say the 1999 9-3 Viggen from most normal cars and they're a bit, erm, wheelspinny...

It isn't really a Vauxhall, though, it just wears a Vauxhall badge.

That generation of Astra drives well. Beaten by the Focus on points. They're also much cheaper to buy used.

Heheheheh.

Soft touch dashboard, to stop it from rattling and creaking

"Pete M" wrote in message news:erpnn7$utk$ snipped-for-privacy@registered.motzarella.org...

I wanted to dislike the Audi for being overpriced, dull to sit in and unexciting. I dislike it for being overpriced and unexciting, but it's a nicer place to spend time.

Come to think of it I really need to borrow it for a trip to and from Edinburgh to check relative seat comfort compared with the 9-3.

The 9-3 diesel is the only car I've owned where it wouldn't be uncomfortable to drive non stop so as to empty the tank after just filling it.