My lease is about to run out on my A3 and I am looking into what car to get for around £500-600 per month.
I have been looking at a 3Ltr A5 TDI Sport, C-Class Merc, or 1-2 year old porsche boxster.
I'm only 25 and I'm worried that the Merc will make me look like an old man and the porsche will make me look like a tw*t.
What do you guys think and do you have any better recommendations for that kind of money?
Why would the Boxster make you look like a tw*t?
Most of the criticisms of them stem from those with very little understanding in terms of cars. Either that or they focus in on the Poor mans 911, which, quite frankly, is a loada rubbish. That would be my choice, partly for residuals, but the fact that it is a drivers car. Ok, it won't have the poise or hooligan side of the Elise, but I know which one I'd rather be in on longer journeys. The 2005- Boxster is leaps and bounds ahead of the predecessor, in terms of build quality and design there is no comparison. Engines became a bit pokier as well. 3.2 is a good choice, but don't exclude the 2.7 - lower band for tax iirc, not much slower until 100+.
What does a 5 series work out on a lease? Good cars, a bit bigger than you were looking though.
a5 seems to be a nice car, I must admit, the more I see it the more I get it, but I'd still take the Boxster every day of the week.
Thanks Dave, I think my thoughts on the boxster has come from hearing people in the past say some of the things you mentioned such as poor mans 911 (however most of the people who say these things drive 1.1 fiats!).
I've seen some really good deals on used boxsters which start at £25,000 upwards but come fully loaded and with only 20-30k miles.
I have seen new ones available on PCP for around £560 which is tempting. So many options. When I first started leasing I was only getting £310 per month so the choice was really only a 1.6 A3 so it was easy!
A5 for me, does it all rather well and looks great.
Much more livley than a 5 series imo. Boxter hasnt got any room in it if you only have one car really. I think the A5 is what I would have for an all rounder..
Porsche : Porsche Boxster 2.7 (987)
That is now sold, but shows what you can get from 25k as you suggested.
Get a Boxster and play around with it if you can afford the running costs.
It is a girl magnet car...
Originally Posted by usxhe190
A ferrari 360 is a girl magnet car. Hate to say it but porkers are very common these days. You can get a 996 911 for 20k ffs.
355s have dropped to sensible money now too, but the running costs put most people off.
I'd still guess that any sensible woman would take a bloke with Boxster over the same bloke with a Chav'd Nova.
Your not wrong
When you are looking to bung it on a lease/finance, is there any limit on the age of the car? Ditto for work requirements etc?
I'd be remarkably tempted by this:
Taylormade Vehicle Solutions Ltd : Alpina B3 S Convertible
Would just get an m3 tbh. For that cost.
yes a ferrari 360 is also a girl magnet car...porkers are more common but it doesn't matter since most girls (especially those one that are more into their makeup) wouldn't know...
A ferrari 360 is a girl magnet car. Hate to say it but porkers are very common these days. You can get a 996 911 for 20k ffs.
all they see is - it is a porsche or ferrari...
it is like us guys with their shoes and handbags (e.g. do we care if it is a Gucci or Hermes Birkin - nope)...
I wouldn't.
If I'm honest, there is no place in the UK where you can drive the M3 to its full potential.
The Alpina, on the other hand, can be as much a relaxed cruiser as a monstrously quick sports car. Plus, with the Convertible, a perfect car for the summer.
you can also get the 987 or that money which is not too old within 3 years, low miles...
sure, it is always better to get a 911...but it will be older...
Its very neally as quick as the m3. So by saying that you are putting this out of the question as well.
And saying the m3 can not be a relaxed cruiser is a bit silly too. A walnut dash doesnt make it anymore comfortable.
My point was rather the speeds that you'd need to take the M3 to in corners to get anywhere near its full potential is unachievable in the UK, short of a track or circuit.
Instead, the B3 is focussed as a tourer, rather than an out and out sports car. Therefore with the shift in emphasis, it will do the spirited drive, but the refinement is still there, and to a greater degree than the M3.
Case in point, the gearbox.
m3 has the option of a manual, or SMG box. The former is a drivers tool, stir it correctly and you get unparalleled levels of driver involvement and feel. However, if the majority of time is spent in town, or doing the daily slog on the motorway, its not the best choice. Well, unless you are a masochist or Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Enter the SMG box. Fantastic, best of both worlds, right? Well, ish. Driving at 8 to 9 tenths, yes, its a fantastic box. Around town, not so much. Shift points are preprogrammed rather than user selected as a manual. Shifts are also designed to be as quick as possible, and to work best at peak revs, which is fantastic. However, around town only car thieves and chavs would drive the m3 in such a manner. The second problem is when really pressing on. Half of the fun of driving quickly is mastering the controls and enjoying the experience; if the SMG box is doing it for you, then driving to the limit is easier, but ultimately less satisfying than getting the entry to a corner precisely right, whilst simultaneously being in the correct gear and poised to fire the car out of the corner.
That is what the M3 is all about, ruthless performance when you demand it. However, as you quite rightly point out, it is a capable tourer, and certainly a nice place to be for longer journeys. But because of its origin as a sports car, that is what it is designed to be, and the compromise falls firmly on the side of sport, rather than luxury. Otherwise, it would end up a Range Rover, or Rolls Royce.
The Alpina is the opposite. It is as much a drivers car, but from a very different perspective. The philosophy is not to get around a track as quickly as possible, but to be able to drive from Munich to Frankfurt, in comfort, but at speed, and arrive feeling as fresh as you left. As a by product of this ease of use, and relaxed attitude, Alpina did the impossible: built a car that was rewarding when pushing on, but not raw at the same time. The B3 I feel, and most car journalists, who don't misconstrue it as an aftermarket M3, would agree.
Going back to the gearbox, the one in the B3 is an example of this philosophy. By keeping the Semi Auto from the standard 3 series, but with Alpina involvement, it has been honed to give a relaxed drive when required, as smooth as the autos Benz have been punting out for years. However, it will also allow seamless changes at speed, something that has traditionally been a weakness for autos. Through this, you get a car which will do distance in comfort, but has none of the draw backs or limitations of the m3, and as such, becomes the more refined choice if shaving tenths off of a lap time is not the most important issue.
That is why, despite my suggestion that the M3 is wasted in the UK, that the B3S has the option to be the best of both worlds. Add to that the exclusivity and anonymity that the fact most people will think its a normal 3 series, and its unbeatable. For the knowledgeable few, its an awesome car. I'd certainly like to think I'd own one at somepoint in my life time.
Edit - oops, may have gone a bit overboard.
Edit 2 - sorry wilksj01, didn't mean to side track your thread.
Last edited by dave87; 29-05-2008 at 11:39 PM.
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