What car?

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Scuba Steve

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keep the bm and do engine work to it... im sure for under 1k you could get 200bhp+ isnt hard to do

Auto Tune would be the ones you would want to talk too, you get a Saab your gonna be at the same square once youve done the exterior up
 

Brennan

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Scuba Steve said:
keep the bm and do engine work to it... im sure for under 1k you could get 200bhp+ isnt hard to do

Auto Tune would be the ones you would want to talk too, you get a Saab your gonna be at the same square once youve done the exterior up
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Take a bit more than 1k to sort it, thats BMW for ya. The E90 is a great car but so far mine proved to be unreliable and ive been out quite a bit on maintenance/repairs. I could get the Saab to 230bhp, it would be very sharp with its twin turbos, same power as a prefacelift E90 330d, its better spec'd and cheaper to repair than my E90
 

tbdevpaul

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tomah said:
Lovely looking motors, but is that engine based on the Fiat/GM diesel single turbo engine that's in the 150bhp Vectra/Astra? If so, you might want to avoid.
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Mates dads needed a brand new engine within 3 years from new and he does minimal mileage.
 

tomah

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Honestly, I'd either stick to what you have or upgrade to the 330d. You said yourself that you like your car and all you're really looking for is a bit more oomph.

The 9-3, even a powerful one, is still based on the same chassis as a Vectra iirc, and having owned a Vectra C, let's just say that the reviews of huge understeer aren't too exaggerated. You wouldn't compare the driving enjoyment of a 9-3 and 3 series, imo.
 

Brennan

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tomah said:
Honestly, I'd either stick to what you have or upgrade to the 330d. You said yourself that you like your car and all you're really looking for is a bit more oomph.

The 9-3, even a powerful one, is still based on the same chassis as a Vectra iirc, and having owned a Vectra C, let's just say that the reviews of huge understeer aren't too exaggerated. You wouldn't compare the driving enjoyment of a 9-3 and 3 series, imo.
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insurance is still quite expensive on a 330 after checking it and my own insurance company wont even insure me on one until im 25. Saab would be more as a stop gap as such, still moving up the ladder in terms of power though. I agree the 3 series is going to be more of an enjoyable drive, but i do like the left-field approach and charm of the Saab though. I would probably get a 330 next year, possibly even an LCI model
 

mk2driver

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If you are honestly looking at changing just because of power then get a petrol car. A quick diesel will cost you more to modify and also runs the risk of huge bills. You can buy petrol cars with over 200bhp out of the box which would probably handle better etc as well.
 

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You are trying to convince everyone else now about the Saab, just get it and let us know how it goes.


/thread
 

Brennan

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mk2driver said:
If you are honestly looking at changing just because of power then get a petrol car. A quick diesel will cost you more to modify and also runs the risk of huge bills. You can buy petrol cars with over 200bhp out of the box which would probably handle better etc as well.
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I agree with you, they are more fun to drive but who wants to pay the extortionate road tax on them, i certainly dont - its a joke
 

mk2driver

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AaronB said:
I agree with you, they are more fun to drive but who wants to pay the extortionate road tax on them, i certainly dont - its a joke
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What age of a car are you going for? The road tax thing only comes into play after 06 and its not that bad really. Plus you will save money normally by buying a petrol car which you could then use to run it. Remember a budget is just that, you dont have to spend all of it on the price of the car, factor in paying for the tax etc. Also you say you arent likely to keep it that long so really you may only be talking about paying for it for one or two years.
 

Brennan

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mk2driver said:
What age of a car are you going for? The road tax thing only comes into play after 06 and its not that bad really. Plus you will save money normally by buying a petrol car which you could then use to run it. Remember a budget is just that, you dont have to spend all of it on the price of the car, factor in paying for the tax etc. Also you say you arent likely to keep it that long so really you may only be talking about paying for it for one or two years.
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It was an 06/07 VXR i was looking at, (55 pate versions had teething troubles) they go for around the same money as the Saab, so im not really saving anything, alot harder to run than a diesel although a lot more fun too.
 

mk2driver

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AaronB said:
It was an 06/07 VXR i was looking at, (55 pate versions had teething troubles) they go for around the same money as the Saab, so im not really saving anything, alot harder to run than a diesel although a lot more fun too.
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This says the road tax for a VXR Astra is £270 per year, thats not bad? I thought you would be quoting figures of like £400+ as bad like some of the Subarus etc are on that bracket.

http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/advice/road-tax-guide/vauxhall/astra/vxr-2005/31048/

This quotes the BMW as £100 per year, that right? http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/advice/road-tax-guide/bmw/3-series/saloon-2005/38231/

Not really a massive jump, just lower your budget by £200 if your that concerned about the cost of tax? Im used to driving older cars where tax isnt based on CO2 emissions and so £270 doesnt seem bad to me as Im used to £220 a year anyway for anything I drive.
 

Rocko

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No that would be small engined 3 series.

How's your old man getting on? MP said there's some sh*t going down.
 
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