GTI vs Cooper S vs Ralliart vs MX-5???

[Swallowtail]

I'd also look at the 123d. That thing would be awesome!

Going to have a look at one for my wife. Brilliant little car, undercuts the TT by trucks-full of $ and goes harder. And uses about 60% of the fuel. There is very little in the coupe market space that's half decent below $60K.

Just had another look, it's actually 160KW / 400NM, not 150/400. Not bad power output for a 2.0 motor of any description, let alone a diesel!

[GoLfMan]

Going to have a look at one for my wife. Brilliant little car, undercuts the TT by trucks-full of $ and goes harder. And uses about 60% of the fuel. There is very little in the coupe market space that's half decent below $60K.

you should love it

outright acceleration in diesels might not be epic, but believe me you'll get addicted to the mid range punch

everyone who's driven my TDI Polo is impressed with the pick up, and I've only got a miserly 300nm

[MariusGT]

Going to have a look at one for my wife. Brilliant little car, undercuts the TT by trucks-full of $ and goes harder. And uses about 60% of the fuel. There is very little in the coupe market space that's half decent below $60K.

Just had another look, it's actually 160KW / 400NM, not 150/400. Not bad power output for a 2.0 motor of any description, let alone a diesel!

Eh?

I just looked it up on redbook: 150/340.....

0-100 7.0 flat in manual, 7.1 steptronic

[GoLfMan]

Eh?

I just looked it up on redbook: 150/340.....

0-100 7.0 flat in manual, 7.1 steptronic

does it reeaalllyyyy matter??

[Swallowtail]

LOL... nope... I got 160KW from BMW Aus site, but looking here http://www.bmw.com/com/en/newvehicle...datasheet.html it is 150KW/400NM.

Standing start is never brilliant in a diesel, but in gear (i.e. real world) it's rapid - 80-120 in 4th 5.5 sec, the same as a 335i (135i 5.0s, 125i 3.0L petrol 6.8s, Golf MkV GTI 6.0s)

[GoLfMan]

LOL... nope... I got 160KW from BMW Aus site, but looking here http://www.bmw.com/com/en/newvehicle...datasheet.html it is 150KW/400NM.

In gear i't's rapid - 80-120 in 4th 5.5 sec, the same as a 335i (135i 5.0s, 125i 3.0L petrol 6.8s, Golf MkV GTI 6.0s)

I just wish they brought out the 335d here (600nm in a medium sized car...) Apparently its an absolute rocket ship stock! Imagine with a reflash!!!!

[geeza]

My mate had a cooper S and it was great but very small, he has just upgraded to a BMW 125i (coupe) which is a fantastic car - its a little more expensive and really you're paying for the engine but its worth it i reckon

Goes hard, sounds great, great handling (he thinks as good or better tan the copper S) and sh*t loads of gadgets - great blue tooth phone system all done on the steering wheel

[Swallowtail]

My mate had a cooper S and it was great but very small, he has just upgraded to a BMW 125i (coupe) which is a fantastic car - its a little more expensive and really you're paying for the engine but its worth it i reckon

Goes hard, sounds great, great handling (he thinks as good or better tan the copper S) and sh*t loads of gadgets - great blue tooth phone system all done on the steering wheel

Problem with the 125 is that you hit the luxury car tax... and as a result it comes across as being over-priced, particularly when you compare it with the 123 that gets exemption from LCT because of the fuel economy. It's a great 6cyl engine though, sounds wonderful (MUCH better than the diesel) but the 123 to me seems like a better overall package - quicker, cheaper, cost less to run.

[GoLfMan]

only problem with deisels is the service costs

are BMW any different????

[MariusGT]

Hmmm we seem to have veered away from the compact cars in OP- I love how threads swerve around!!!

60-70k for a relatively small car (123d) is up there... As
mentioned "paying for the engine"

don't know if it is worth it though... If I was dead keen on a diesel I would go find a gt sport tdi that suited me and pocket the $35k difference

[Swallowtail]

If you pay 60 - 70K for a 123d then they saw you coming...

The Sports hatch is < $51K + on roads but before discounting, and the coupe is < $58K + onroads but again before discounting.

So no, we have not gone off-topic at all. The OP was asking about sporty cars in the $50K - $55K price range, which is exactly where these cars sit...

And I know this is a VW forum, but if you think the GT Sport Golf would come close in any respect to a 123d... other than being cheaper!

[MariusGT]

Ok then redbook is wrong on 2 fronts: price and power.

However if you think the gt sport tdi @ approx 30-33k 125kw 380nm (or is it 350?) and a 0-100 of 8.something is a poor alternative to the 123d then I think you indeed are in need of a sign.

I know we MIGHT be comparing apples and oranges here (BMW coupe and VW hatch) but really?

[Lima]

Given the auto requirement there is no choice, it has to be the GTI given the DSG technology. I once read that MINI has to kill a giant Panda every time they put an auto into a Cooper S. Hang on, no it wasn't Pandas, I think was baby seals. Yeah, that's it, for every auto Cooper S MINI makes they have to kill 1000 baby seals.

If manual boxes were an option and if size wasn't an issue I'd go like this...

1. Cooper S or GTI ... toss a coin.
2. See above.
3. MX-5 (I do really like these, though, would be a lot of fun).
4. What was the one left over, I forgot.

[pologti18t]

The MX% has a 6 speed auto with paddle shifters. Go test drive one