From: Peter on 6 Jul 2010 18:03 What can I get as my next car? I have a Megane2 1.6 3dr (115) at the moment. The insurance renewal is around £650. I want to get something that is faster, but where the insurance is cheaper and car tax no more expensive. I have minor accident 3 years ago where I dinted the wheel arch. 1 speeding infraction 2 years ago. sb or sp30 or something like that? Are there any options? I don't want a diesel. Looking for something that is used, and 2 to 3 years old so has already lost a lot of its cost from new. Was looking for something similar in size to Golf/Astra/Focus hatch etc. I looked at the Astra Sri Turbo a year ago (can't afford vxr:( )and insurance was only around £800 for me, similar price for the Civic S-Type as well (cant afford R). I imagine if my insurance price for whatever reason has gone slightly up on what i have already then price for that will have gone up to. Any other options ideas on what I could look at? Are the Tsi engines any good, and any I can get used worth looking at? Could you get a 140hp Tsi on cheaper insurance and have it chiped to give more performance?
From: Albert T Cone on 7 Jul 2010 07:31 Peter wrote: > What can I get as my next car? I have a Megane2 1.6 3dr (115) at the > moment. The insurance renewal is around £650. > > I want to get something that is faster, but where the insurance is > cheaper and car tax no more expensive. I have minor accident 3 years > ago where I dinted the wheel arch. 1 speeding infraction 2 years ago. > sb or sp30 or something like that? There is a bit of a contradiction there, especially if you want to stick with hatchbacks. Hot hatch+sp30/accident record = not cheap > Are there any options? I don't want a diesel. The insurance premiums are statistically based, so the only way to escape your categorisation is to drive something which doesn't match your category. In other words, it may be worth looking at cars other than hatchbacks; try getting a quote on a volvo s40 T4, or a SAAB 93 aero, or some other high powered variety of a model typically driven by older more sedate drivers > Looking for something that is used, and 2 to 3 years old so has > already lost a lot of its cost from new. If that is for reasons of image, then I can't suggest anything, but if it is for reasons of reliability then I wouldn't discount something older or which has done a higher mileage if you are reasonably sure it hasn't been thrashed. You could get an '03 mondeo 3.0V6 St220 with 100k miles for about £3k, or an '02 Merc C320 with 60k miles for £4.5k. > Was looking for something similar in size to Golf/Astra/Focus hatch > etc. Unfortunately that is the most expensive type of car to insure, per performance. > Any other options ideas on what I could look at? Are the Tsi engines > any good, and any I can get used worth looking at? Could you get a > 140hp Tsi on cheaper insurance and have it chiped to give more > performance? By all accounts they are really quite nice engines, and yes, you can chip them, but the insurance companies really won't like you if you do
From: Rob on 11 Jul 2010 03:55 On 11/07/2010 01:24, JackH wrote: > On Jul 10, 10:41 pm, Peter<i...(a)ztec.com> wrote: > > >> I know in quite a few models of cars you have the same basic car, with >> the same engine, the only difference is the programming on the chip? > > Doubtful that it's just down to the map - in older VAG TDI terms, > you've usually got a different turbo / different injectors etc, and I > believe the 150bhp TDI lump as found in the Golf GT TDI had different > internals as well. > IIUC the only engine difference between the Mini One and the Mini Cooper is ECU programming. Rob
From: Chris Bartram on 11 Jul 2010 04:17 On 11/07/10 01:24, JackH wrote: > >> I know in quite a few models of cars you have the same basic car, with >> the same engine, the only difference is the programming on the chip? > There's usually a physical difference too, as JackH has mentioned. For example, the 1.4 16V in my better half's Lupo comes in a 75 or 100BHP variant: The engines look very similar, but for a start the cams are different, as well as the ECU map. >> I was looking at ecu as being sort of the same deal. You don't physically do >> anything to the brains of the car > You do. You change the instructions in it. If it says 'supply this much fuel and this much boost' and you alter that instruction, it's as much of a mod as say swapping a carb for a DCOE, but easier.
From: Adrian on 11 Jul 2010 05:17
Peter <inc(a)ztec.com> gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying: > Surely re-mapping the chip isn't modifying is it? Of course it is. |