_{If I gave up a high performance car to something much less quick then I would need to go for something completely different - in my case a hot hatch would not be the way to go. Too slow. I've come to the conclusion having tried several (including the BMW M135i that I thought would fit the bill nicely until I drove one) - that I would have to go for something like an SUV. I'm lucky as I've got my Octavia for day to day use and then I can wheel out my sports car when I need an adrenelin fix., so I decided to keep it as a winter Garage Queen. and enjoy it in the good weather.}

Edited 11 October, 201312 yr by Timoctav

I doubt if the 3 door cossy as a standard car was as quick as a petrol Ocy VRS.

 

Factor in the age it was made in, the brakes, the suspension... I'd put my money on the Octy.

 

So not much of a downgrade really.

 

 

Scoob STI, yes that is a quickish car.

The VRS has 20% more weight, yet only 10% more horsepower. The Cossy's 0-60 time was 6 secs. Believe me, 200bhp in the 1980's felt every bit as fast a 300bhp car does nowadays. Perhaps it is more perception than reality but the Cossy actually "felt" faster in it's day than my 310bhp scoob did a decade later. There were very very few cars available for affordable money that could get anywhere near the Cossy at the time. It was faster than many Porsches and most hot hatches produced just 100-130bhp. When the turbo kicked in you really felt it .

Edited 11 October, 201312 yr by Orville

I remember the Cossie with much affection, I had one in 1986 from new, the original whale tail 3 door one in white. Fantastic car, Ford produced some truly great cars back then - I had a 1976 Mk2 Escort RS Mexico, a 1979 Escort RS 2000. Then had a few Alfas, also brilliant if not entirely reliable, before I had a 1982 Ford Capri 2.8 injection and then the RS Cosworth. Better than all those as a drivers car by a long way was my 1989 Lancia Delta HF Integrale - nothing - and I mean nothing - could keep up with that car in the wet or in any condition on a really challenging twisty road.

 

Those were great days, sadly gone for ever....

Edited 11 October, 201312 yr by Timoctav

I've always chosen the 'warm' variant of whatever car I've had. Each generation has brought more power, but usually more weight. They just cancel each other out.

 

The Cosworth Sierra was indeed a fast car considering its family runabout heritage. 

 

I had a (don't laugh) an MG Montego turbo, on paper it was down on power from current generation vRSs but possibly a match in some places such as straight ahead acceleration. The mind goes a bit fuzzy, it's been about 20 years since I drove that thing :P

I think ive just got old,always loved my sporty cars but just sick to death spending loads on servicing/repairs/MGP etc.  Just hoping the VRS keeps me happy on my small commute to work, the only thing im not looking forward to is where i work, on a dock (massive potholes) next to a glass recycling plant (glass dust everywhere) and ships discharging coal dust (wind blows wrong way car will turn from white to black very fast).

 

Few of pervious cars

First car was Astra SR (23 years ago)

Nova GSI (H reg)

Astra GSI (L reg)

Jap import Impretza (still restricted to 110, but bloody fast getting therem, M reg)

Current Evo 8 (55 reg)

Edited 11 October, 201312 yr by crailton

The VRS has 20% more weight, yet only 10% more horsepower. The Cossy's 0-60 time was 6 secs. Believe me, 200bhp in the 1980's felt every bit as fast a 300bhp car does nowadays. Perhaps it is more perception than reality but the Cossy actually "felt" faster in it's day than my 310bhp scoob did a decade later. There were very very few cars available for affordable money that could get anywhere near the Cossy at the time. It was faster than many Porsches and most hot hatches produced just 100-130bhp. When the turbo kicked in you really felt it .

 

True, but we don't drag our cars all the time.

As I said, based on the times, stock brakes, stock suspension on a real world road the new Octy Tsi is probably a quicker A to B car.

 

Taking nothing away from the Cossy, it was a good car in it's day.

But in modern times there is not a huge difference so the Octy is not much of a step down (if at all) in performance.

 

What it will be is a lot less exciting, because generally modern cars are far more boring to drive with linear performance and superior insulation from what's going on.

 

I'm not going to go into a detailed car history like people above, but I've had a few quick cars too and the Octy is not fun once you get used to it on the road.  It's capable, refined and a good family car.

Yup - well, I'm trying to downgrade, I need to wait and see what happens with build / delivery dates.

 

I (still) own a Porsche 987 MK1, stunning car, quick enough for me and crazily well thought out - it's been a very tough decision but I need something with a teeny bit more practicality and better fuel economy. I think the MK3 vRS tdi hatch pretty much ticks the boxes for what I wanted, it's going to be nowhere near as fast or good in the corners but I have to think more sensibly about other things in my life at the moment and so I've had to come to a compromise.

 

In summary i'm getting:

 

- Lower monthly payments

- No servicing costs

- No MOT costs

- Warranty to cover most things for 3 years

- Cheaper tyres

- Cheaper road tax (£30 vs £245)

- Better fuel economy

- More space for camping weekends etc

- Cheaper insurance

 

And it's still a relatively "fast" car - can't really argue with that

 

I sure will miss the current car, but I won't miss the "hate" I get for driving a porsche, honestly some people are utterly strange and seem to assume you're some kind of tax dodging millionaire, all I can say is I wish that was the case! - BUT everyone who I've spoken to loves the vRS? - at least I'll be "popular" again.....lol

Edited 11 October, 201312 yr by thebigred

 

I sure will miss the current car, but I won't miss the "hate" I get for driving a porsche, honestly some people are utterly strange and seem to assume you're some kind of tax dodging millionaire, all I can say is I wish that was the case! - BUT everyone who I've spoken to loves the vRS? - at least I'll be "popular" again.....lol

Strangely that's something that - touch wood - I've never suffered from with driving Porsches.

 

But I fully sympathise with your logic seeking a cheaper alternative. Having had my Octavia for 4 months now as a daily driver when I'm driving it I wonder why I need anything better. Then I get in the Porsche and that logic goes out of the window. I love everything about it.Been struggling with my conscience on what on earth to replace it with and not really yet come up with an answer. I thought the BMW M135i would fit the bill, but my wife couldn't get comfortable and found the offset accelerator really uncomfortable. I found it OK to drive but the performance certainly felt surprisingly weak after our Porsche - not really a fair comparison I guess. Now thinking maybe an SUV like the BMW X3......

Edited 11 October, 201312 yr by Timoctav

Strangely that's something that - touch wood - I've never suffered from with driving Porsches.

I'm glad to hear that, I think they can get a bad rep as cars, actually they are pretty amazing bits of kit - I hope one day I can own one again, before it's illegal to own anything fun.

 

Don't get me wrong, some people love her, most don't and say they don't like Porsche's - usually after a 20 min "spin" they're rethinking though

I am selling my 2011 AMG E63 estate (525 hp) and replacing it with a new vRS petrol estate. Wanted a daily driver that is more economical to run but still enjoyable to drive and big enough for the family, thus the Octavia. Also run a new Range Rover 4.4 tdv8, a 911 GT3 RS and 1989 911 Turbo with 330 hp. But really looking forward to another Skoda. Last one we owned was my wifes' Fabia 1.9TDi over 10 years ago,super little car.

I am selling my 2011 AMG E63 estate (525 hp) and replacing it with a new vRS petrol estate. Wanted a daily driver that is more economical to run but still enjoyable to drive and big enough for the family, thus the Octavia. Also run a new Range Rover 4.4 tdv8, a 911 GT3 RS and 1989 911 Turbo with 330 hp. But really looking forward to another Skoda. Last one we owned was my wifes' Fabia 1.9TDi over 10 years ago,super little car.

I don't think that counts as downgrading if you still have a GT3  

I do love a Scooby and had one as a company car for a short time until it was stolen. The comment about the growl from the engine was spot on. The problem is every time I drove it it a devil told me to drive faster.

 

I prefer Q cars and the best I had was a 99 Passat Syncro. 2.8 V6 petrol permanent 4X4, no badges apart from being slightly lower looked like a TDI. I surprised many a faster car especially around B Roads. Slight problem if you pootled about or ragged it, it always seem to do 22 mpg, ouch.

 

You'll be fine with a VRS you can have a play when you want to and keep your licence and pootle the rest of the time in comfort at reasonable MPG, go to B&Q and get the stuff home and bits wont fall off.

When I got my first Scooby it 'was' a Q car Everyone took the Michael out of me for buying a farmers car. I even drove round with a copy of Horse and Hound on the parcel shelf for a laugh. Mind you it didn't handle very well :( They had plenty of grip, but understeered quite badly. My second Scooby was massively improved in this area as well as have a better engine response