newsuba

Peugeot hasn't made a decent hot hatch since the 205 GTi 1.9 and 306 GTi6/Rallye.

Gas is cheap ! If you want a big, lazy V8 with slushbox then go for it. Minimal effort to drive and comfortable;. Drawback is wielding a car the size of a Falcon or Commodore through said congested streets.

That's as true as all German cars are perfect. [quote name='loren said: Can't you get an auto WRX NZ new? But if you really want an auto I think a holden clubsport would be on the cards. AFAIK only the MY03 WRX was offered with auto in NZ. If you want a new shape auto you have to get a JDM S-GT.

True but no one buys a Mini for practicality, it's all about STYLE. SECONDED ! Naturally, cars I recommend are those that I've had butt-dyno time in. [quote name='DMSREX said: No i think you're wrong...... : try living day to day with a Renualt thats more than 12 months old and you'll see what i mean. Done that haha. 2002 Clio 1.4, ex-demo, about 100,000km. Signs of wear and tear and one or two rattles but nothing ever stopped working, broke or fell off. A nice little town car.

Forget the Mini convertible, Mini Cooper S FTW You're wrong. I've been in all three cars (v11 STI instead of WRX). The Focus has the best designed and built interior with good quality materials where it matters, ie. tactile surfaces. This is an area where Ford is second to only VW amongst mass manufacturers. Next is the Renault with good design but a more plasticky interior than the Focus. Last is the WRX with a poorly designed and executed interior of simply appalling materials. Of the three it was only the Subaru that had squeaks and rattles.

I like your choice in cars.

Just looked at the latest pricing... A WRX is now $50990 ! That sort of folding can buy any number of much more desirable used Euros or even a low mileage v11 STI.

EXCELLENT suggestions. Personal pick... R26, one of the fastest point-to-point cars around, quicker and more confidence inspiring than a v11 STI, let alone the feeble WRX. Second choice, Golf GTI, nice to drive and well built but not as exciting as the Megane, heaps around and will only get cheaper with the Mk6 about to arrive this year. Focus XR5 is fun and sounds great but it's heavy and not at all quick. If you have to get a WRX go for one of the revised MY09 models. Much improved over the early WRX and JDM S-GT.

Figures from press releases, they don't say what fuel. Other v6 sedans sold in NZ for comparison; Honda Accord 3.5L 202kW Legend 3.7L 226kW Toyota Aurion 3.5L 204kW Nissan Maxima 3.5L 170kW (so old that it can't be considered a competitor) Holden 3.6L 175kW 3.6L HO 195kW

Type R has a 60L tank. Type RA's have the smaller 50L tank.

That should be warning enough. 191kW from a 3.6L ? Is the S-Drive in permanent nanny mode ? And "Lineartronic" is another dumbname for a bollocky CVT transmission. All the indicators so far point to another ass-backwards new Subaru.

It really is as ugly as the concept car. Who designed this ? Ex-Hyundai/KIA employees ? http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/News/Search-Results/First-Official-Pictures/Subaru-Legacy-2009-first-pictures/Post.aspx

Exactly. Spec C is the homologation special so it doesn't need fancy wheels or seats etc. The roaduser can add those things by going through the extensive options list.

Wait 'til you see one on steelies. ;D Here's some rare pix of a stock v8 Spec C; no alloys, no Brembos, no STI seats. Strictly barebones.

Basically, early Spec C's came in two flavours; 1. 16" steel wheels, DCCD, STI 4-pot front/ 2-pot rear brakes, no ABS. 2. 17" alloy wheels, no DCCD, Brembo 4/2-pot brakes, ABS. Later (v8 > ?) Subaru were smart enough to integrate DCCD with ABS. And of course with an extensive option list available you often come across cars with a mix of performance and luxury options. Eg. a Spec C with airbags, aircon, Brembos but windup windows.

What Corollas do you have ? I had an '85 NZ assembled AE82 GT, non-emissioned 4AGE, Amon tuned suspension, NZ leather seats etc. Lightweight, fast (quicker than most Euro hot hatches) and a ball to drive. Car was written off a few years ago by a subsequent owner. Later AE92s and AE100s just didn't have the pizzaz of the AE82.

Hiya, A friend had RX turbo saloon back in the '80s. Crude 'n rude. ;D Grunty engine at the time but much too much for the feeble chassis. Yes, the 4wd system was better suited to an offroader. It was from an off-roader ? Who could have guessed Subaru would follow this up with first the Legacy and then the Impreza ?

Quick compared to what ? My old Corolla GT was quicker and better handling. Didn't those have a primitive part-time 4wd system ? That doesn't qualify as a real 4wd. ;D

You guys forgot the decimal point ! ACC petrol levy goes up from 9.34 cents per litre to 9.90 cents per litre from July 1 2009. That's 0.56 cents per litre. http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/acc+motor+vehicle+levy+increase+32

The guy's a numbnuts. You are right, the R888 is a road-legal (DOT status) track tyre.

That's the reason for a FSH and pre-purchase inspection. No 100% guarantee but it reduces the risk.

What did you expect from a dopey name like Playz ? Funny thing is, those tyres form the basis for the highly rated Adrenalin RE001. RT-615 is a pretty old design but still one fo the best tyres to come out of Falken.

I'm a more discerning buyer than most. The chances of a $10k or less turbocar NOT having problems is very slim to non-existant.

Rossmnz is basically right. As is Johnnynz. If you don't have at least $10k don't even think about any turbocharged car, let alone a WRX or STI. These are high maintenance cars that are not cheap to run, regardless of purchase cost. I would not touch ANY used turbocharged car without a full service history and detailed pre-purchase check.

Aftermarket "xenon" and blue bulbs are generally a waste of money. Why deliberately hobble your headlight performance ? Some suggested reading before you go blue... http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/blue/blue.html The only real way to get high performance out of xenons is to have them designed into the car from day one.