What Car Should I Buy?

Or an RS6 for a quid more:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3956533.htm

Or a Holden Ute, this one would be like coming home, surely:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3925959.htm

Would like please.

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3457692.htm

£8,499

Yes please.

Or an RS6 for a quid more:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3956533.htm

No thanks. Serious rear suspension issues.

Yeah, they had a bit of an issue. At that age I'd hope they'd have been sorted though?

That said I don't know too much about it- I thought the issue was the control arms were too soft, but that could be sorted by swapping them out?

Help me spend some money!

I have £6k to spend and it needs enough boot space for some luggage or a couple of bikes. It could also do with being fun to drive and reliable.

One current consideration is a MK1 TT 3.2 Quattro and another is perhaps an A4 convertible of similar vintage (I'm sure I could get a couple of bikes in the back seat area.)

What else is there out there?!

Thanks. :)

Mk5 Golf GT TDI?

Unless you wear leather trousers for a living and can do a nice perm and set, I'd avoid the TT. Parts are bowel-shatteringly expensive and they've always been taken to hell and back by some middle-management "Gareth Cheeseman" type.

A4 estate or S3...

Help me spend some money!

I have £6k to spend and it needs enough boot space for some luggage or a couple of bikes. It could also do with being fun to drive and reliable.

One current consideration is a MK1 TT 3.2 Quattro and another is perhaps an A4 convertible of similar vintage (I'm sure I could get a couple of bikes in the back seat area.)

What else is there out there?!

Thanks. :)

Autotrader has 151,751 cars under 6,000......

Passat Estate, 2 litre turbo diesel.

He said "fun to drive".

They're about as "fun" as being stabbed.

Mk5 Golf GT TDI?

sensible option for sure, great engine

^This.

And you can park the fucker anywhere.

V70 t5?

oooh.

The MK1 TTs are lovely, sitting in them is like being in a fighter plane. Parts are expensive though. Don't disregard it until you've ahd a go in one, they're completely unlike the newest middle management american styled new ones.

I'll give you that, but the new ones are utter stinkers.

they look awful the new ones - like a Chrysler monstrosity

The MK1 TTs are lovely, sitting in them is like being in a fighter plane. Parts are expensive though. Don't disregard it until you've ahd a go in one, they're completely unlike the newest middle management american styled new ones.

How on earth would you get two bikes in the back though?

He said "fun to drive".

They're about as "fun" as being stabbed.

Ok, replace the 2 litre TD lump with a 4 litre petrol W8.

So far insurance I've got two insurance quotes: £2600 and £1700.

Fucking, seriously? Stupid license transfer makes it look like I've been fully licensed since 2010. I think I missed any window of transferring Aus insurance history over here.

Anyone used this?

http://www.coverbox.co.uk/

Pay as you drive insurance, uses GPS tracking to calc mileage and insurance cost.

I was looking at insurance options in Holland as I bought a car over here and will be then moving back to the UK then moving to Sweden...

same shit with insurance history, but apparently if you ring your old insurers up they can give you a code that you give to the new insurers, or just send them a statement. i think any long gaps of being uninsured (years) might make this problematic though.

I checked out international insurance packages specifically designed for ex-pats and they were actually ok-some were based in America though so you have toadjust to totally different jargon. My current insurance is in Dutch so I have no fucking clue what the hell I am or am not covered for, but it works out at 38 euros a month so i'm ok with that.

A couple of places gave me silly quotes (100 a month+, which is still cheaper than UK) based on the fact it was the first time I was registered in Holland but the one i'm with are going on how long i've had my licence and how many accidents i've had. i rang them once i'd done the online thing and asked about needing to provide proof and they said that I was starting with 0 years no claims so I got less discount, but that isn't the same as having had an accident so i wasn't getting penalised for it either. Which is fair enough. UK insurers just seem to have carte blanche to screw everyone now because no-win-no-fee fraud is allegedly fucking their profit margins up.

Parker international is one of the largest international insurers and have offices in NYC and London so English policy, and they seem to do all the UN and international orgs so probably worth checking out if you can get their shitty website to work...

Ok, replace the 2 litre TD lump with a 4 litre petrol W8.

I have two of those laying around in the bike cupboard. Anyone who wants one should just send me a PM and I'll nip round with it and fit it for you.

uber: I found insurance for about £700, which isn't so bad considering the UK thinks I've only got 2 years driving history. It'll increase a bit when Mal gets her license but at least it's not more than the car!

Autotrader has 151,751 cars under 6,000......

Sorry, I mistook this for the 'What car should I buy thread....'

Thanks for the anwsers so far.

I know what you mean about TT's. There does seem to be one or two around that haven't been revved to within an inch of their life outside secondary schools by shiny suited junior estate agents though...

There is definitely room for two bikes in the back of the coupes (with the rear seats folded). I've checked.

I would definitely consider an S3, and A4 (probably cab for summer/Alpine fun to be swapped with an estate in September/October) or an A3 3.2 Quattro.

Other cars on the current shortlist are Alfa Romeo GT (again 3.2.) I have to admit, I did consider a Crossfire until I realised how ugly they were and came to my senses. (They do look like the new TT's.)

The MKV golf is out I'm afraid rusty, mostly due to preferring the shape of the MKIV and quite fancying an R32 if I were to get a Golf (and a Passat is a little too middle aged for my liking.)

This is hard. I haven't had a car for five years and now I've got decision paralysis.