Struan1745

Paid and PM'd ...

Finally picked up this afternoon! Will cross-post in Trophy register. It's dark so I can't take any photos ... currently updating the sketchy R-Link software...

Still waiting for delivery, probably not until 25 May now (leasing company estimate)! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Appreciated, I'll be in contact when the car turns up. That would be great. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Cheers all! There was one parked in the Service area at Metro Renault which tipped the scales for me. Apparently it belongs to one of the sales staff, which I took as a good sign. The matte white looked great with the black roof. Found it hard not to laugh when the "After Sales Manager" (aka Ming Moll) was pitching all the paint protection, window tints and 'leather protection' gear to me. Pretty happy with the car as is...

Just put a deposit on a Clio 220 Trophy LE in matt white. W00t! Delivery next week, hopefully.

Yep, I added a bit of flex into my budget ... Was planning to drive Fiesta ST and Polo, so 308 and Golf not really a fair comparison w/the Clio, more a "what if...". Couldn't drive a new/demo Meg up either, unfortunately.

Well, this is what I drove today, with initial impressions. RS 200 Cup - great chassis, looks good, underwhelming inside. Weird hesitation in first gear? Dealer is offering a very attractive price on a new 220 Trophy (which is what I want..) but being Brisbane there are no demos to drive (they sold the Trophy demo this week). So didn't get to play with R-Link and sit in the Recaros, or try the ride on the Trophy chassis, and the better stereo, etc etc. Peugeot 308GTi 270 - beautiful looking car, very nice inside, great engine, great gearbox, sounds good, incredible brakes, just on the right edge of hardness between 'hot hatch' and compromise. What's not to like? Bloody expensive, although we didn't haggle with the salesman as he was the only one on the floor and a Mitsubishi guy took us for a drive ... who told us the demo had been in the yard for three months and they wanted to get rid of it. Peugeot has a $2,000 cash back offer on as well. One thing though, Peugeot has kept their stupid Peugeot Link software on the display panel which of course has no apps in it because it isn't supported in Australia ... brilliant. VW Golf GTi DSG - it's a Golf, in Comfort mode it's like the old man's 90 TSi (yawn) in Sport mode it crushes everything; the DSG even gives you a downshift on corner braking. It's not perfect and it doesn't look as good as the 308, but you can't fault it. Great engine, lots of technology (including CarPlay), decent room in the back. Major issue? We drove a demo with DSG and Drive Assist, dunno what the list price was new but they weren't going to budge below $45k and there's no factory bonuses or incentives from VW (understandable, they must be selling these hand over fist). So, OZ RS folk, how much 'better' is the Trophy than the Cup? I should really have driven a Polo GTI to compare like with like on the VW side.

Thanks Simon, preference really is for something in warranty or less than 3-4 years old as I'll lease it through work (and would prefer the peace of mind of also still having warranty). Manual is fine (my wife actually prefers it). Other criteria is it needs to look 'attractive', hence the RS starting point! What about the 308 GTi 250? That way I might be able to sneak something with two doors into the garage as a weekend only car and still put the k's on something suitably French.

Thanks fella that's good info. Something else to line up for a test, plenty of Golfs up here.

Cheers Barns. The 220 + track tyres is a good idea. Assume you're looking at GTi used? Demo models cheapest $38k on Carsales. And yes, the 135 is a cheap entry to the M world but having a current warranty is a big selling point!

Lol It was a brief hypothesis. Something about spending $40k on a three year old tarted-up Golf wagon isn't that appealing.

And the service costs on the Audi look eye-watering for a mid-life car. How did you find the QV? The Alfa / Jeep dealer network is a bit off-putting. Such a beautiful car though. There's a few of these at Essendon Renault, seems v.cheap?! https://www.carsales.com.au/dealer/details/Renault-Clio-2016/OAG-AD-14357909/?Cr=0

Lazy Sunday on Carsales... MY14 S3 Quattro? It even looks like a wagon! Might be a stretch to get down to $35k. https://www.carsales.com.au/dealer/details/Audi-S3-2014/OAG-AD-14507648/?Cr=1 (Can't believe all my posts on OZ RS mention German cars ... sorrrrry).

Well the Commander in Chief and I had a discussion this morning and with the likely addition to the family in the next 12 months, "it has to have four doors." This changes many things. So I'm thinking 220, Cup Premo or save some coin and get GT Line for a few years. PS I had a ride in an M135, the interior was absolutely beautiful, but it just felt a little cramped inside. I also feel there's a massive 'badge tax' in Aus for the Bavarians. But, resale and all that..

Ha, yes, that is the exact car I was eyeing off! Seems a nice compromise between the Trophy-R (nails, bit much for a highway commute) and the non-Cup Megs. Boxsters are very nice... it's just when I see '2003' and 'Porsche' I visualise numbers with four figures in them every time I get it serviced. The 5 year warranty is a big selling point, part of the reason I started looking at RS again! That black 987 is swag though! I'd probably get quizzed at work about my "change in personal circumstances "...