Advice needed please!

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
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Mon 13 Mar 2006 12:22
Advice needed please! - thumbitin
Hello people, i have a bit of a difficult descision on my hands and would be very grateful for any help given. I'm 23 year old male soon to be 24. I've driven the same car for 6 years and have decided its time for a change.
I'm currently looking for a new car at the moment and have narrowed my choices down to...
Mark 2 golf gti 16v OR Astra GSI 16v...
insurance is roughly the same as are parts...
performance is better with the astra BUT it comes with the 'boy racer' tag.
The VW will be slower but the styling speaks for itself on old GTIs.
Any advice would be very much appreciated.
Thanks in advance
Ben
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Mon 13 Mar 2006 12:30
Advice needed please! - Xileno {P}
My choice would be the Golf, it's just a much nicer and better built car IMHO. However, your biggest problem will be finding one, most have either been thoroughly thrashed by now or are in the hands of enthusiasts who are on another planet concerning prices.
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Mon 13 Mar 2006 12:34
Advice needed please! - Adam {P}
Personally I'd go for the Golf but if you like the GSi, who cares what anyone else thinks? It's your car and that's all that matters.

Have you driven both yet?
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Mon 13 Mar 2006 12:40
Advice needed please! - thumbitin
annoyingly, i have only been a passenger in both. my insurance doesn't cover me for driving other cars. I have a mk2 1.6 golf now, so have a good idea of them. My friend had an astra, apparently the handling isn't too hot. True what you say though i shouldn't care what others think! don't know what i'm doing here! lol
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Mon 13 Mar 2006 20:16
Advice needed please! - Martin Devon
Most modern cars, if the suspension and tyres etc. are up to scratch handle Ok. If you can 'lose' a normal car even driven relatively hard then you are just driving too fast for the conditions. Also remember one thing. You have to be able to stop in the distance in which you can see. I.E. if you travel around the bend outside my house and plough into the herd of sheep being sheperded along the road by the farmer then you, and only you are to blame. Could prove very costly. It seems to me that most young people drive too fast, (as do some older folk), But girlies in 106's seem to have a death wish. Have I missed something?

VBR............................MD.
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Mon 13 Mar 2006 12:36
Advice needed please! - thumbitin
i know what you mean, thats the main concern i have. Really don't want a thrashed example it puts me off when you see the amount of owners some of them have had. suppose its to be expected for cars that are 15 years old now.
Got a couple of grand to spend so should be able to get a good example of either one. Rust seems to be a common factor on the astras but the engine like the golfs are bullet proof.
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Mon 13 Mar 2006 19:22
Advice needed please! - blue_haddock
Out of the two i'd go for the Golf. To find a good example your best off joining an owners club and try to find one through there.
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Mon 13 Mar 2006 20:22
Advice needed please! - Jonathan {p}
Go for a Mazda mx6, beat those two hands down on looks and performance, will seat 4 at a push.
Good ones on a 97 P or R go for less than £3k.
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Mon 13 Mar 2006 20:47
Advice needed please! - blue_haddock
Isn't the MX6 just a ford probe in drag?
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Mon 13 Mar 2006 20:48
Advice needed please! - Xileno {P}
Other way round I think.
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Mon 13 Mar 2006 21:00
Advice needed please! - Jonathan {p}
Other way round I think.


True.
The engine in both is Mazda. They share components, but are externally at least, different cars (hatch/boot).
This is actually a good thing, you can buy spare parts at ford prices.
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