hodgy0_2

surely Ed

Tim W

iTrader: (1)

Seeing as you're looking around the 20k marque, I think you should go sod it and get something with the one true engine

I'm sorely tempted myself tbh!

markjmd

iTrader: (11)

The higher, CO2-based, tax rates ARE being applied retrospectively to cars registered after March 2006, but at one point not very long ago, the government was planning to extend this back to all cars registered after March 2001. It's that second part they did a U-turn on, and never put into practise.

SunnySideUp

Tim

That would do me just great ..... I assume I would need to shoot the dog?!

Maybe I could park the Scooby up the club thus keeping it?

SunnySideUp

So, it is retrospective Taxation .... and something I believe will apply to the new Hatches being sold today. I think that the high taxation rates will be hiked retrospectively to £600, £900, £1000.

That would kill residual values stone dead .... I'm not too keen on buying a £20,000 car - only to find, 2 years later I couldn't even get £7500 for it!!

Tim W

iTrader: (1)

No need to buy another MX5 though as you'd have more than enough RWD action with that brute to last the rest of your lifetime! So Scoob could be kept as your sensible car

Besides back seat would be more than large enough for the dog, unless it's a Newfoundland/Great-Dane hybrid

markjmd

iTrader: (11)

If things ever get to the point where a government manages to stay in power in this country despite hiking up road-tax to £1000 on 5 year old cars, I doubt very much that I'd be bothered, as I'll have seen the writing on the wall and emigrated by then

SunnySideUp

The writing IS on the wall ..... they can easily sell it too - no-one is going to cry if the big 4x4's get smacked, just the same as they will not lose any sleep over the speeders and aggro drivers (the mark we all have) getting smacked for hige hikes in Car Tax.

It will happen, I can assure you ....

Mark'sWRX

I'm afraid I have to agree with Pete.

I feel sorry for people who have relatively ordinary cars from 2006 with high emissions.

E.g. VW Sharan/Seat Alhambra 2.0 petrol (233g) or Vauxhall Zafira 2.0T (228g)

2 of the worst depreciating cars you can buy are the Renault Laguna 3.0 and the Mazda RX8. Both top band tax. I doubt a 2006 Laguna would be worth anything now.

Another example is the Mondeo ST220 (249g) that Pete said he was keen on. Think again!

That's why I'm sticking with my remapped 05 WRX at 219g.

zippy!

iTrader: (1)

going back to the passat idea and it not having the power of other performance motors not many people knnow but there is a passat r36 available which is not only more powerfull than the r32 or vxr but is also really well handling too almost a match for the mighty scooby with none of the drawbacks!

SunnySideUp

Well, today I have found a serious contender!!

Popped into another Vauxhall Dealership ... sat in an Insignia - what a brilliant car to be in, it looks really good too.

Better, the Dealer said he has 5 Insignia VXR's coming in this week ... they have the highest spec. he says - and carry a List Price of £34,000.

These 5, however, will have a price of £24,000.

This car seems like an Impreza beater ... amd I missing anything?

It rivals the Audi S4 - so they say, and at £24,000 I suspect that it knocks the Audi into the weeds?

"Finally this is a VXR-badged Vauxhall that can cope with the enormous power its engine produces. And that’s just as well given that the big turbocharged V6 kicks out 321bhp and 435Nm of torque. From a standstill it rockets the Insignia to 62mph in just 5.8 seconds, but find a tight corner and that sophisticated chassis means you can accelerate out with confidence, all four wheels gripping hard and launching the car at the horizon"

Mikkel

I would choose the VXR Insignia over the new Impreza I have to say.

Mark'sWRX

But the road tax will be £950 in the first year and £435 (at least) next.

It is band M (the top one!) It has a estimated residual value of 33% after 3 years.

Surely this is going against your main reason for not buying a Scoob? In 5-10 years it will cost as much to tax as it's worth.

SunnySideUp

The main reason is that the Dog cannot fit in the Impreza .... that's what got me looking elsewhere!

Mikkel

GB270 Wagon would be the car I'd go for out of them all if I were you and given your requirements. That is, if you can't afford an RS4.

aggs

The VXR is a good car, probably not as in your face performance wise, both visually and driving it, its a good sensible fast understated looking road car, but not really one for on the limit driving,its not that sort of car.
Not sure what the residuals would be over time, but since you plan keeping it for a while this would not be too much of a problem.
Big car, probably more refined than an Impreza,but at the end of ther day its a another Vauxhall, not really a headturner in my view and once a few years old will not be sought after.
I do not not know what the fuel consumption would be either?

g1m3n05

The VXR is nice, however. I think its value will depreciate a lot faster than a lot of others because it looks like nothing else in the Vauxhaull range and i think it will be a one hit wander, whereas the Impreza will be sought after for a good few years as the next generation will be wanting to get there hands on the hatchbacks rather than the saloons in 5 years time. The A3/S3 Sortback Quattro might be worth a look as its pretty damn reliable, spacious, awd and as everyone knows German cars hold their value, especially the A3 quattro, you can still have fun in the snow with that too. Other than that, if you want to performance, looks and space... The RS is a head turner.

SunnySideUp

The Focus Rs and Astra VXR are both cars which look OK for the kiddies to be honest, at my age I would simply look silly getting out of one of those - they are too 'blingy' IMO

The Focus ST looked more subdued.

The Insignia VXR looks great - but, I think you are right, it will lose loads of money in a short time I suspect? OR, it could build a cult following? It is certainly fast and refined ... but will probably go wrong, unlike the Subaru.

Then again, are Subaru as reliable as they once were? I think they are still bullet proof if left alone, but it's been 10 years since I bought one ......

Am I alone in thinking that cars, these days, are loaded with fancy electronics and stuff which were just dreams a few years ago.

I, errrrrm, even looked at a Hyundia i30 today (as it was next door to the Mazda garage!) ... I was totally shocked, the version I looked at was a 2.0 Diesel with fancy chrome wheels. It had everything on it - cruise, climate, leather seats (heated), fogs, seemed very well built! The price for all this? £14,000 OTR!!!

The Korean cars are the new boys on the block, honestly - if they brought in a Sports Model HatchBack I would give it serious consideration.

SunnySideUp

Well, I think I have been around the block and come full circle, back to Subaru!!

Do you think owning an Impreza for 10 years has affected my brain cells?? I just don't settle with anything on a Test Drive like I did the WRX-S I took out a couple of weeks ago .... it's a sad state of affairs, but I need a Subaru next ... it's quite clear.

I guess, if I put the back seats down I can fit the dog in reasonably successfully?

G00ner

I'd never buy another Subaru again, but if I had to -

Subaru : WRX GB270 Sports Wagon Prodrive Limited Edition (No 64 of only 100)

SunnySideUp

That's what I want ......

Not too sure about what mess will be left when it is returned to standard though?

paulwrxboro

I see petes back on form again

More_Boost

Go the whole hog,you would get your clubs easy in the back... would eat the VXR for dinner

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Sorry SSU, but that is a compromise and you will regret it as regards the dog.

Keep looking as the right car is out there somewhere.

DJ_Jon

iTrader: (7)

What is wrong with the GB270 wagon?

SunnySideUp

EH?

Nothing - other than the owner wants to attempt to remove the music and sat nav stuff.

SunnySideUp

That's a nice car, above .. as a Toy I guess?

But, sadly, it's an Audi .... and we know that Audi drivers are a bunch of right to55ers

They have taken over from BMW drivers.

aggs

Get the 06 PPP Wagon.
A bit more descreet,with same performance. 270bhp and 310lbs torque at low revs (3300 rpm I think it was.)
I love mine after coming from a classic.

The cash you save from the GB wagon you can get a dog guard,boot liner, mid-level rear spoiler and maybe Prodrive lowering springs and a few other goodies?

Looks great with the front lip spoiler, but had to remove mine due to country living!!

Read Evo Magazine write ups, they liked it!

should get one for around £12000.

Andy Murdoch

My cherished Scoob lies under wraps for over half the year and my daily driver is Octavia VRs Mk II 2.0TSi. Absolutely fantastic car, maybe not a sure footed as the Scoob but the boot space is unbeatable. The level of trim is far superior to the Scoob, with so many small design features that are just not there in the Scoob, ie my newage door pockets are nothing but a joke, 1 CD and they're full, LOL!

I get approx 33mpg urban cycle using V-power but I'm sure a good motorway run would see it climb.

The 6-speed box is an excellent shift and the engine is very good and torquey. I've had this for 2 years now and I would definitely buy another one!

An Impreza is a very expensive daily driver and I doubt I would run one for that use.

Skoda is the future!

SunnySideUp

Thanks Andy ... interesting.

When I look on the drive and an Impreza is sitting there, I am drawn to go out and drive it - just for the hell of it.

If an Octavia vRS was sat there, I'm not so sure it would shout at me in the same way? Wouldn't it just look like it was sat at the Taxi Rank?

The Facelifted 2009 looks slightly less of a Taxi Cab ..... but, it still does have that 'look'.

£15,200 OTR for the 200 BHP Petrol is an appeal - but, only if it fires my soul (I'm not so sure it would?)