Why?

badgerbaiter · 6 Apr 2007, 07:55 (Ref:1884705)

driving around on a normal journey checking out other peoples cars and i end up asking myself the same question...

why?

when you can...

**Tim Falce** · 6 Apr 2007, 10:21 (Ref:1884783)

Yeah but they're both girlie cars aren't they.

badgerbaiter · 6 Apr 2007, 22:10 (Ref:1885165)

Quote:

Originally Posted by falcemob

Yeah but they're both girlie cars aren't they.

how dare you

looks like the first photo has been removed.. kinda makes the post a bit pointless and confusing now

for anyone that didnt see it, it was an audi TT. I know they are ugly and offensive so i'm all for that kind of censorship

Cryos · 6 Apr 2007, 22:22 (Ref:1885172)

I personally wouldnt go for the alfa, id go for the TT. It just depends how much of a car nut you are, any carnut is aligned to a certain group. I for example lean towards the VW's & Audi's with BMW following close behind.

Alfa's unreliable past is basically common knowladge, its not true in some of its product lines (well i see countless 156's broken down!) and that does affect what people go for also.

so Joe Soap knows that alfa looks good but will probably spend most of its days i n the dealer

While the car nuts wont have any interest if its not their brand

**garcon** · 6 Apr 2007, 22:27 (Ref:1885180)

Actually I find the new TT is at least as good looking from some angles as the Brera.

The Brera looked absolutely stunning in all the preview pictures - but when you see one in the flesh.... My God does it have a fat arse!

JimW · 7 Apr 2007, 10:37 (Ref:1885367)

TT for me, partly because my shape does not seem to fit into Italian cars. Also I like cars which start, go and keep on going.

Regards

Jim

**garcon** · 7 Apr 2007, 10:44 (Ref:1885371)

In reliability terms a new Audi isn't an awful lot better then a new Alfa these days. Alfas have improved. And Audis aren't as reliable as many seem to think... why so many people believe a car with a nice, well made interior is automatically going to be reliable I don't know.

If you want reliability, you have to go Japanese. The Germans don't cut it.

badgerbaiter · 7 Apr 2007, 17:36 (Ref:1885509)

Quote:

Originally Posted by garcon

In reliability terms a new Audi isn't an awful lot better then a new Alfa these days. Alfas have improved. And Audis aren't as reliable as many seem to think... why so many people believe a car with a nice, well made interior is automatically going to be reliable I don't know.

If you want reliability, you have to go Japanese. The Germans don't cut it.

unfortunately people still believe in that myth, garcon. they have some idea that a german car can drive forever without breaking down. Only cars that can do that are japanese cars and older volvos.

Cryos · 7 Apr 2007, 18:35 (Ref:1885557)

LOL

http://www.tdiclub.com/

For anyone who thinks that a german car cannot last have a look at some of the members cars which are at 300000miles (TDi not reliable yeh ??)

Case in point i had at one stage a 156 2.0 tspark for a lend from an alfa dealer here for the week (this was around the time i was going for a new car) and for the first day it was fine, but started noticing rattling and a wierd droning noise. So anyway there i am on the M50 going to work and dash goes blank, car is still running and driving perfect just no dash. (btw this is a brand new 06 car at the time with 200miles on it) then about 10 mins later the car dies so i pull over. Call the dealer, they come and take the car away. Long story short i didnt go for it.

So i decided to go the focus route, an experience which lasted to the front gate of the ford dealer, same electrical problem.

Third time lucky, VW Dealer so got a lend of a 1.9tdi jetta for a few days and absolutly drove the crap out of it (Must explain dad and myself have had tdi golfs and passats for a while and they do take punishment), few days passes i come back sign the cheque.

My supervisor has an Alfa 156 also and he is currently looking to get rid of it because nearly once a month its going back to the dealer.

I will agree that stupid electical problems that shouldnt happen with the Audi's, VW's, Mercs and BMW's alike however the dealers do have the resources to fix the problem the first time.

I can almost garentee you that if you put a Jetta / Passat TDi against a Avensis D4D you would find that both cars would be as reliable.

badgerbaiter · 7 Apr 2007, 19:18 (Ref:1885590)

Quote:

Originally Posted by rxie

For anyone who thinks that a german car cannot last have a look at some of the members cars which are at 300000miles (TDi not reliable yeh ??)

that just brings up the (very old) quote 'i have a broom thats 300 years old. Its had 30 brushes and 40 handles replaced'

also, i'm not sure you can thrash a diesel. they dont really rev high enough to do the engine much harm

but anyway, this is getting close to an argument and i dont want any more negative ratings from evilP

you love german cars, i hate them.. lets leave it there

Cryos · 7 Apr 2007, 19:29 (Ref:1885597)

Evilp your not going to bash me around for casuing arguments again

Country roads in ireland are quiet a test for a car

badgerbaiter · 7 Apr 2007, 20:18 (Ref:1885626)

i forgot! I love the porsche 956/962!!!

**garcon** · 7 Apr 2007, 23:18 (Ref:1885744)

Rxie, I'll grant you that German diesel engines are among the best and most reliable out there - the number of Mercedes taxis that have passed the 1m km mark is testament enough to that.

I think German reliability issues are generally a more recent thing, and as you say are almost entirely electrical - brought about by the more complex nature of modern cars.

In the grand scheme of things, the vast majority of new cars are reliable these days - even Alfas.

Though maybe not Astons.

JHamilton · 7 Apr 2007, 23:48 (Ref:1885762)

How quick is the Alfa?

btw...the new TT did not impress me in person. It only looks slightly less like a Beetle from the side, but is still too tall.

**garcon** · 8 Apr 2007, 00:15 (Ref:1885778)

The Alfa Brera? Depends what version you go for. Top of the range is a 3.2 V6 4wd, which is nowhere near as quick as it should be. It's that great big fat arse it has to lug around.

badgerbaiter · 10 Apr 2007, 08:17 (Ref:1887743)

Quote:

Originally Posted by garcon

The Alfa Brera? Depends what version you go for. Top of the range is a 3.2 V6 4wd, which is nowhere near as quick as it should be. It's that great big fat arse it has to lug around.

thats also my excuse for not being as quick as i should be

dj choc ice · 10 Apr 2007, 17:27 (Ref:1888203)

Quote:

Originally Posted by badgerbaiter

thats also my excuse for not being as quick as i should be

same goes for the 3.2 V6 audi TT or atleast the old shape one anyways.

**garcon** · 10 Apr 2007, 17:47 (Ref:1888232)

Quote:

Originally Posted by badgerbaiter

thats also my excuse for not being as quick as i should be

Mine too.

johnh875 · 11 Apr 2007, 02:06 (Ref:1888684)

I wouldn't buy either car, I think the styling of both is something you either love or not (not necessarily hate) and I don't love the styling of either.

dj choc ice · 14 Apr 2007, 14:54 (Ref:1891117)

in that case do what i would do, buy a monaro VXR used, 400bhp for the thick end of £20,000 is fantastic value for money and the monaro is a handsome car imo.

**garcon** · 16 Apr 2007, 12:59 (Ref:1892936)

Saw (and heard!) a Monaro VXR 500 in black yesterday. Beastly (in a good way).

dj choc ice · 16 Apr 2007, 16:56 (Ref:1893172)

very nice, the new monaro VXR is one of those great supercar smashing cars which looks normal and has real character which is something i find is missing with many modern cars today.

im beggining to find modern cars, although quick just dont do it for me any more, i love 1980's performance cars and early 90's performance cars too much, i adore lancia delta's even though they rust badly and break down a lot.

not just that but i still love the rather bonkers looking escort cosworth and the under rated nissan sunny GTI-R, i also bloody love the peugeot 306 GTI-6, they just have that something that i love from a car.

not just that but modern supercars, ACCCCHHHHHH!!!!!, the new porsche 911 turbo for example, yes bloody quick car and apparently astonishingly good to drive, and practical and reliable.
but its fat and bloated and its boring and conservative, a supercar imo should not be reliable and comftorble, you want that buy a GT car like a BMW M6 or VW continetal GT

.

imo the best supercars ever made were the porsche 911 GT1, mercedes CLK GTR and mclaren F1 GTR, they were hardcore and wild just a race car with a numberplate designed to go as fast as humanly possible.
if i want a supercar i want to go ****epants quick, have hair like tom chilton by the end of it and think "christ that was good, now i have to wait another month because its broken".

that whole breaking down thing just gives a car so much personality and character, yes its annoying but i love cars for their faults in the good way, i wont like a car thats dull or ugly or awful to drive, but if its fabulous to look at and decent to drive but horrificly unreliable i just love it.

its part the reason why if i won the lottery i would be tempted to buy a race car, imo supercars are quick nowadays but rather soft, think of the old supercars as those ballistic cocktails that tasted like orange juice then blew your head off after two sips.
and think of the modern supercars as those limp wristed alcopops, taste nice and get you drunk but after about 10 hours of drinking them and a pile of bottles so high it could rival everest.

**garcon** · 16 Apr 2007, 18:32 (Ref:1893250)

If you've been reading about Harry Metcalfe's exploits with his Pagani Zonda in EVO magazine, I think "christ that was good, now i have to wait another month because its broken" fits quite well...

dj choc ice · 17 Apr 2007, 16:08 (Ref:1893933)

Quote:

Originally Posted by garcon

If you've been reading about Harry Metcalfe's exploits with his Pagani Zonda in EVO magazine, I think "christ that was good, now i have to wait another month because its broken" fits quite well...

indeed it does, ive been a keen reader of EVO magazine for a good few years now and its a dream to work for them driving all those goddamn lovely cars.

especially cars like the lamborghini murcielago or a while ago when they tested the bentley EXP speed 8 GTP in 2003, i would kill to drive that beauty.