OK, so when I bought my car I narrowed it down to the following last two cars:

BMW 335d

Skoda Octavia vRS 2.0TSI

Very different cars I know, but I think we all tend to look at very different models in the buying process.

So no prizes for guessing the octavia won! In the end I just couldnt justify the silly price for the Beemer.

However I was just wondering what list of cars came second to The Skoda's other people have bought.

So list the car you bought, the one you nearly bought, and what swayed it.

It was either my estate or a Roomster, heart said Fabia estate, but liked the colour of Roomster, but a better spec, so ended up purchasing the estate as was not sure on the looks of the roomster, a few months later I saw said roomster that I nearly bought and thought I could had that!

Davy

Probably would have been another Fiesta.

I nearly bought an Audi S3 instead of my Fabia VRS.

But they just felt uninvolving to drive. A bit too clinical.

That bought it down to a mkII VRS or a modified mkI...

I went for the latter.

would have gone for a seat... either ibiza cupra or leon cupra, both diesels. They were too expensive and hard to come by, so i opted for a nice Fabia I found in the end! Still like the Leon Cupra TDi's though, both old and new!

In the Summer of 2006, I whittled the choice down to either a BINI Cooper, Fiesta (possibly 1.4 TDCI), or the Fabia. I have posted a few times why I chose the Fabia over them.

In the same year I was offered a Mk2 MX-5 from a member of my Motor-club. In the Summer I still think it would have been very nice. However in winter when it's cold or when I'm loading the boot with stuff, I'm glad I bought the Fabia. A year before I bought the car I saw a nice Pug 106 1.6 Rallye on the garage forecourt where I et MOT's done, which would have been fun.

I am still not sure what I'd buy now, if I had too.

Edited 14 June, 201114 yr by Jim H

Back in 2003 was almost a Mazda 6, but the deal was very poor so went personal lease (maintained) for a 1/3 less and never looked back. Now on my 2nd Octavia Elegance.

Though about an Ibiza FR before the vRS but that's about it. A car I completely forgot about when looking for the vRS estate was an E39 5 series estate. Had a look round but most are high milers plus insurance and running costs would be a lot more.

Porsche 944 2.7 - but I then secured a company lease car and the temptation of a brand new car, that I otherwise couldn't afford, was too strong. 18 months later, I ditched the lease car having realised that having a brand new car isn't all it's cracked up to be. Part of me wishes I'd bought the 944, even if it was going to be the inevitable short ownership before I realised the shortcomings of that type of car for the lifestyle I lead!

My other choice was a mitsubishi evo 8 or 9 but the running costs & the fact it would be older than the octy put me off,the skoda at the time was better value.Still want a evo though......one day!

Considered;

Another Golf GTI (SWMBO told me to grow up before I lost my license),

Volvo V50&V60 (sales rep at dealers looked the wrong way at SWMBO and she told him how poor his cars looked without an Edward Cullen sat in the front of them, very loudly in front of all his other customers ),

Test drove;

Honda Accord Estate (Poor part ex offered, no discounts offered, so price was too much)

Superb Saloon 140BHP & 170BHP Diesel

Ordered;

Superb Elegance Estate 1.8TSI DSG (The VAT free deal made cost of ownership better value than the diesels).

Was also looking at a lovely scoobie legacy estate but we couldnt settle on a good deal :(

K:)

First time round I nearly bought a Fabia Estate instead of my Octavia.

Second time round I nearly bought a Civic instead of my Octavia.

Third time round I nearly bought an Octavia instead of my Bravo.

I sold my 16v mk2 golf gti and decided it was time to get something economical. Drove a fiat 500, but decided I had to keep looking around and found my peach of a Octy vrs by chance. Not economical but about the same as the mk2

Present Octy (Mk1 Elegance) or a Citroen C5. What decided me to get the Octy was the discovery that I couldn't see the bonnet of the Citroen, so couldn't drive it confidently down narrow twisty roads (a real must given where I live).

Looked at a few but the nearest was a Mazda 6 2.0d, didn't like the interior as much.

Also looked at used Golf GT 2.0tdi but thought it was overpriced.

Can't quite remember how I ended up going with a 2.0T petrol after looking at so many dervs. I was swithering between the two VRSs.

I actually wanted a Leon but there was no dealer nearby at the time.

Test drove

VRS TFSI and derv

Honda Civic 2.2d

Golf GT 2.0tdi

Toyota Avensis T180

Vectra TD 120/150

Mazda 6 2.0d

Edited 15 June, 201114 yr by Aspman

I looked at a renault twingo cup (the 1,2 turbo with cup suspension pack) .. was great value for money, cheap to run, handles like only a renault cup can, cheap to buy....

but. I just couldn't cope with the idea that it would probably fall apart :( (I know, I know, loads of megane 220 owners have proved this hypothesis wrong.... indeed i proved fiats rep wrong with my good faultless 100k in my punto, but still was too worried! lol..)

Honda Accord Type R - smallish boot, harder work to drive on a day to day basis.

Honda Accord diesel estate - too expensive, too boring.

Seat Leon Cupra R - boot too small.

Any form of BMW - too expensive.

Any form of Audi - ditto.

Golf GTD but there was absolutely no justification that i could see where the extra £12k would have gone in buying one.

I wanted a seat leon cupra r but for a tidy one they were to much money and i didnt want to get financed up with house not been finished so got octy instead

Ferrari..LOL

Just before we decided on another Fabia we looked at the Fiat Punto Evo and the new Ford Fiesta, found the Punto gutless but comfy and the Fiesta to small with a tiny boot.

Before I got my first Fabia, I almost bought a G-reg silver BMW e30 coupe, 2-litre straight six.

Old, but strangely cool

Came down to the Fabia or Polo 9n3 GTi - still tempted by one for the sake of a change - planning on going to see one on Sunday.

Looked a the Leon FR but thought the dash was horrible and the suspension too stiff for 30000 miles a year

Would have been very happy with a Focus if Ford's diesels had been better at the time (I know a remap would solve that issue before anyone says anything)