Project Car / Motorbike thread. Let's see 'em.

[MasterOfReality]

Subarus can be expensive if things go wrong too. The plus side is that things rarely go wrong with them. The 100,000km timing belt job is more expensive than the same job on other cars because of the flat-four engine, which makes it a bit of a pig of a job. My '98 Outback has done over 330k km & is still going like a trooper.

A friend has had enormous troubles with a Renault (I think it was a Megane too, but the earlier one with the ugly arse, not sure if they're different under the skin now). Purely on his experience I'd be steering away from that one.

Mazdas are good; my parents have owned them for over 40 years (6 in that time), and none have had any major troubles.

Cheers, I'm just want to avoid a money pit with something euro if things start to break.

I just got myself a Skoda Octavia VRS 2008 wagon, in a 2lt turbo manual. Theyre the same as you see in the TDF (I havnt looked at this years though). They go 7.3s/100k stock, 7.5L/100km, very deep boot and I think more space than a commy, even a vz. Has all the mad electronic stuff you take for granted like heated seats, mirror defrosters, in car tire pressure checker, front n back sensors also connected to the radio for auto mute, auto dimming rear view mirror, half leather bucket seats, etc. They really do seem like more of a luxury car than their reputation acheives. Cost me $16.5k @ 101,000km, which I reckon is really good. It seems a bit niche to me.

A work buddy who also rides heaps is now looking at the less sporty 2012 1.4 turbo auto, and is super keen. Not as many features, but runs about 5.8L/100km. Its brand new and hes found one for $22.8k :bounce:. Amazing from a wagon... They are more or less a Golf chassy, Passat looks, at general VW group engine.. Just have to look out for a handful of dsg engines that were recalled, but they are hard to come by with Skoda

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=skoda+octavia+wagon+vrs&qpvt=skoda+octavia+wagon+vrs&FORM=IGRE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNunotJ14o8
This is a good laugh (if I got the right video! No flash player on this laptop......)

We are trying to stick to a hatch. Missus isn't a fan of the Skoda look.

What about a Polo GTI or new Toyota Corolla?
I have a bias towards VW, not sure about the new ones (with costs of servicing and parts, etc) but that's a myth as far as old Golf's are concerned. The Polo GTI is more bang for your buck; as much fun as a Golf GTI for less.

Toyota Corolla is a sensible option, but pretty bland if you're looking for something different.

A friend's mum has a WRX hatch, she's not overly fond of it anymore, says the quality of the interior isn't up to scratch.
I also know someone with a new Ford Focus and they love it. Really solid car, drives wonderfully.

Corolla is pretty bland. Missus feels the Polo Gti is a bit small (she wants something larger). I'd like a Golf GTi but how is the reliability? Are all the horror stories on VW reliability justified?

Interesting with the interior - my parents have a 2011 Forester and I thought interior wasn't bad, much better than the cars we have now. Perhaps my expectations are low

125,000kms for a 2.5ltr turbo subaru now, was 100 for the 2.0ltr .. assuming that WRX have the same service intervals as a GTb and a XT. Being technicaly the same engine. but still, buying a second hand car which probaly has 20-30km on it, he is likly to have to pay for the major service in the time he owns the car!


Are you auto or manual bias, that will make your decision easier, its basicaly impossible to get a second hand auto WRX.

I don't mind paying for the timing belt service, it just that I don't want to pay that amount for every service like I seem to be doing now haha.

Manual only. We both hate autos.

 

[scblack]

Ok so the daily 2003 XC Barina is shitting itself and I'm getting sick of minimum $900 repair bills every 6-12 months.

Want to stay with a hatch as this will be wifey's car for the shopping and our daily commuter (I have my own 4wd and v8 in the shed), but this time want something with a bit of pep. Looking to buy second hand around $35k give or take a few k. Don't want anything older than 2011.

Narrowed it down to Mazda 3 MPS, WRX hatch and Ford Focus ST.

Wifey likes WRX and Focus ST. I'm not fussed either way although the WRX does look like its been smacked with a massive ugly stick. I like MPS, Golf GTi and the Megane but worried about potential service costs if something dies. The same probably could be said for the Focus as its made in Germany.

Bottom line - i need something that will be able to comfortably last past 120,000km without things falling off it and incurring big costs, like the Barina. I tend to keep cars until they cost too much to maintain relative to their worth but want to get more than 10 years out of it.

Unrelated - MOR - weren't you considering a used Porsche 911? How is that plan panning out?

 

[MasterOfReality]

Unrelated - MOR - weren't you considering a used Porsche 911? How is that plan panning out?

Yes, was still planning on a late 70's early 80's SC (Camaro and 1750 & 2000 Alfa GTVs were also contenders) as a weekend car when my home reno wraps up, although its probably going to have to wait for a while now. The money thats going into this new car could have landed me an SC.

But then again we should probably get the newer car now whilst we are DINK, project stuff can wait a while.

Haven't had much time to think about it lately before the Barina started to die - too much stuff with work and personal matters going on!

 

[scblack]

Yes, still planning on a late 70's early 80's SC as a weekend car when my home reno wraps up.

Haven't had much time to think about it lately - too much stuff with work and personal matters going on!

Good stuff, keep that plan on track!

My experience with Focus:

• I had one last year as a company car, Trend model brand new July 2012. And a workmate had one also, same model.
• My sound system simply stopped responding one day and dealer had to re-configure the whole thing from scratch.
• Engine/gearbox (DSG) had a funny flaring happen if in standard auto mode at about 1,800rpm. Engine would jump up and down by 200rpm for no reason. Sport mode did not have the same flare occur, nor if you "manually" changed bears with the buttons.
• My workmate's DSG gearbox crapped itself within 1,000kms. Had to be replaced by dealer.
• Drive's very nicely - good sporting handling, seems well built.
• Since June or so 2012 they are made in Thailand for Australia, but not sure if ST model is still German made - check on that if you are concerned. At least the Thai made ones have the indicator stalk on the correct side for us, not euro side.

Personally I would NOT buy a high powered vehicle with FWD - handling is very compromised and torque steer can be an issue, plus it struggles to get all power properly to the ground. (ST is just FWD if you didn't already know).

I love the look and handling of top model Megane's. But I have zero knowledge of reliability or servicing issues.

 

[MasterOfReality]

Good stuff, keep that plan on track!

My experience with Focus:

• I had one last year as a company car, Trend model brand new July 2012. And a workmate had one also, same model.
• My sound system simply stopped responding one day and dealer had to re-configure the whole thing from scratch.
• Engine/gearbox (DSG) had a funny flaring happen if in standard auto mode at about 1,800rpm. Engine would jump up and down by 200rpm for no reason. Sport mode did not have the same flare occur, nor if you "manually" changed bears with the buttons.
• My workmate's DSG gearbox crapped itself within 1,000kms. Had to be replaced by dealer.
• Drive's very nicely - good sporting handling, seems well built.
• Since June or so 2012 they are made in Thailand for Australia, but not sure if ST model is still German made - check on that if you are concerned. At least the Thai made ones have the indicator stalk on the correct side for us, not euro side.

Personally I would NOT buy a high powered vehicle with FWD - handling is very compromised and torque steer can be an issue, plus it struggles to get all power properly to the ground. (ST is just FWD if you didn't already know).

I love the look and handling of top model Megane's. But I have zero knowledge of reliability or servicing issues.

Hehe we will see - if we can get a daily driver that puts a grin on my face then my priorities might change!

I have only been looking into this for the past two days but from what I have seen on youtube reviews is that the Mazda 3 MPS torque steers like hell.

The Megane is regularly rated as the top hot hatch with now the Focus ST a close second in the reviews I have see.. I love the look of the Megane as well but not many around for our budget.

ST still sourced from Germany so might run into the same parts price problems like I'm copping with the Barina, as it was the last of the euro Opel models.

Wifey is now sending me carsales links to WRX hatches. The good old Lebanese taxi ticks all the boxes at the moment. The Focus ST is the first of the series so there may be issues, whereas the WRX has been around for a while now.

I think I'll be going some for test drives very soon.

 

[Xavo.au]

Update on mine in the mechanics: couple of needed parts have arrived today - headlights & exhaust manifold I assume. They reckon it should be done on Monday after the guy comes in to give it a safety certificate.

 

[Elbo]

Corolla is pretty bland. Missus feels the Polo Gti is a bit small (she wants something larger). I'd like a Golf GTi but how is the reliability? Are all the horror stories on VW reliability justified?

Interesting with the interior - my parents have a 2011 Forester and I thought interior wasn't bad, much better than the cars we have now. Perhaps my expectations are low

Personally, I wouldn't buy a new Golf GTI. I prefer older Golfs (Mk1-Mk4) which I can vouch for as being quite reliable (and cheap to fix when they do break), but I can't say the same for the newer Golfs, except that what's been in the news lately about VW is a bit disconcerting. If you were going for a new VW, I would look carefully at what factory its coming out of before deciding. Having said that, I do think that VW unfairly bears the brunt of the whole "euro is expensive to fix" thing seeing as any new car that you can't really work on yourself is going to be expensive to fix. That's just the way it works these days.

 

[Elbo]

Got this in the mail today… the missing belt splash guard for my Golf, no more squealing belts in the wet!

 

[JonnyH]

Renault Megane ....

I've not had experience with the new Megane Hot hatches, but have owned 2 Renaults when I lived in the UK.

Clio - got it from new, drove it for 3 years, had a few little issues, overall not bad, but it was very basic.
Megane - was the dealer demo, drove it for 3 years, literally within weeks of its warranty expiring (3 yrs, I'd done around 80,000km), the following failed:
Aircon
Electric drivers window
CD Player
Middle brake light fell off the back window (Renault attempted to repair it twice and then told me just to take it off!)
Central locking
ABS Brakes

They (Renault's) are very popular in Europe for the same reason Hyundai are here (lots of car for you $), however they aren't built to last - more, they seem to be built to survive the warranty period. This was confirmed by a few mechanic friends.
Also - consider that these cars are built and designed for European driving - ie the majority of people only drive cars for upto 5 years and then swap them in for new ones (new car prices are very cheap!), average mileage is much lower than Aus, the roads are less stressful on suspension, and they don't have to cope with the heat / dust etc we get over here.

Add to that higher servicing costs, and the expense of any 'spares' having to be imported ... I would steer clear of a Megane over here (different story if you were in the UK and wanted one to keep for 2-3 years).

Just my experience, hope it helps!

p.s. The Ford Focus is regularly cited at the best in class in the European car magazines/tv shows.

 

[The Duckmeister]

I don't mind paying for the timing belt service, it just that I don't want to pay that amount for every service like I seem to be doing now haha.

Manual only. We both hate autos.

If you're not afraid to get a bit grubby every once in a while, oil & filter changes aren't all that hard to do yourself, which saves a bit of coin. And things like the Outback & Forester have that little bit extra ground clearance, so there's enough room to crawl under without jacking the car up. :smile:

 

[guitar1234]

I'm currently in my first year of an automotive apprenticeship and we are about to do a head gasket on a 2005(?) Reanault Megane at work.

So far its been hard enough sourcing parts, with it taking a month for gaskets and head bolts etc. to get here from France. Then the job itself look like it's going to be a bitch, there is next to no space and it will be a big job (5hrs +). But the owner seems to be pretty happy with it, no doubt it would be a half decent car to own, the interior is somewhat well appointed too

 

[wombat]

Hehe we will see - if we can get a daily driver that puts a grin on my face then my priorities might change!

I have only been looking into this for the past two days but from what I have seen on youtube reviews is that the Mazda 3 MPS torque steers like hell.

The Megane is regularly rated as the top hot hatch with now the Focus ST a close second in the reviews I have see.. I love the look of the Megane as well but not many around for our budget.

ST still sourced from Germany so might run into the same parts price problems like I'm copping with the Barina, as it was the last of the euro Opel models.

Wifey is now sending me carsales links to WRX hatches. The good old Lebanese taxi ticks all the boxes at the moment. The Focus ST is the first of the series so there may be issues, whereas the WRX has been around for a while now.

I think I'll be going some for test drives very soon.

I'm currently eyeballing Focus XR5s (budget's a fair whack smaller than yours), personally I prefer the look of the last XR5 (LV) to the new model; do you think I can find one with a sunroof though?

As for Meganes, they look sweet, but try sitting in one and looking out the back. The Astra GTC I had in Germany was a shocker for vision, but the Megane is possibly even worse; wouldn't top my list for practicality, that's for sure.

 

[brisneyland]

What about a Polo GTI or new Toyota Corolla?
I have a bias towards VW, not sure about the new ones (with costs of servicing and parts, etc) but that's a myth as far as old Golf's are concerned. The Polo GTI is more bang for your buck; as much fun as a Golf GTI for less.

New Golfs are expensive to service, and parts are overpriced. And I didn't think the old ones were much better to be honest.

Not sure whether to keep my Golf till it shits itself big time (I still really like driving it) or ditch it now and pick up a BRZ/86. If there was a turbo version of either of those I'd buy one in a heartbeat.

 

[guitar1234]

New Golfs are expensive to service, and parts are overpriced. And I didn't think the old ones were much better to be honest.

Not sure whether to keep my Golf till it shits itself big time (I still really like driving it) or ditch it now and pick up a BRZ/86. If there was a turbo version of either of those I'd buy one in a heartbeat.

All modern Golfs, Volkswagens and Audi's are expensive to service, the oil they use is crazy expensive.

I wouldnt be surprised if you could already buy a turbo kit for the BRZ/86, regardless they are awesome looking cars with a decent amount of aftermarket support, would love one :high5:

 

[Josh Seksy]

All modern Golfs, Volkswagens and Audi's are expensive to service, the oil they use is crazy expensive.

I wouldnt be surprised if you could already buy a turbo kit for the BRZ/86, regardless they are awesome looking cars with a decent amount of aftermarket support, would love one :high5:

http://www.greddy.com/products/jdm-special-order/frs-brz-86/

 

[Xavo.au]

All modern Golfs, Volkswagens and Audi's are expensive to service, the oil they use is crazy expensive.

Add Peugot's to that list. Mum's got one and it's a nice car to drive but there's always something wrong with it. Dealers are few and far between if you live outside a decent sized city also.

 

[Josh Seksy]

Add Peugot's to that list. Mum's got one and it's a nice car to drive but there's always something wrong with it. Dealers are few and far between if you live outside a decent sized city also.

I fail to understand how running good quality oil is a negative to a car?

 

[stubsy]

1978 sr500 ground up build. paint the tank and im done

 

[binner]

pride

^^^ nice resto fella, love the coil overs, fat red throttle and seat... looks the goods.

 

[Xavo.au]

I fail to understand how running good quality oil is a negative to a car?

I was referring to the fact that they're expensive to maintain - especially in Aus where spare parts, labour and oil for them is expensive.