"Sporty" trim like AMG, S-Line and now ST Line

[mac11irl]

The MIL had a 2011 S-Line A1 1.6 diesel..

stupid massive alloys, low profile tyres "sporty" seats and trim. But the ride was imo crap. An performance felt awful.

then.. she got a puncture one saturday morning. Had to drive it 1/4mile to safe place to pull in by which time the side wall had gone in 2places. I drove out to rescue her - can of gunk a pump and the battery where the spare should.. wasnt worth a toss. So drove her home (the other 1/2 mile. Got FIL to bring the dead wheel to tyre fitters - NONE in clonmel had the size, and couldnt get it until the following Thursday..

so drove back, put it back on and i drove it the other 1/2mile home on the rim, having swapped it to the back.

FIL wound up having to take a 1/2 day from work on monday morning, drive 40miles to Audi dealer in waterford, as they closed on saturday at 1pm, with the wheel and paid 200odd quid for a new tyre... fk that!

Then the dpf had a couple of canaries as the MIL is a gentle mostly urban driver... it got chopped for a 2014 mazda3 2.2... and last week FIL chopped his 2007 mazda3 for a petrol mazda2, and took the '3 off the MIL.. (shes finally back in a petrol which makes so much more sense for her)

Meanwhile the brother in law has an insignia 2.0l cdti - no vx line or that, just a decent spec and 160bhp.. so betterer than @skinnyman 's next door vx-line..

[Aspman]

T

Then the dpf had a couple of canaries as the MIL is a gentle mostly urban driver... it got chopped for a 2014 mazda3 2.2... and last week FIL chopped his 2007 mazda3 for a petrol mazda2, and took the '3 off the MIL.. (shes finally back in a petrol which makes so much more sense for her)

 

 

Funnily enough my MIL/FIL is thinking of chopping their Audi in for a Mazda after driving a 6 in NZ and my 3 and starting to think Audi is getting too expensive.

They still don't have a spare but at least the 3 has a wheel well and you can buy one (no idea bout the 6).

[gullyg]

Funnily enough my MIL/FIL is thinking of chopping their Audi in for a Mazda after driving a 6 in NZ and my 3 and starting to think Audi is getting too expensive.

They still don't have a spare but at least the 3 has a wheel well and you can buy one (no idea bout the 6).

From my very very shonky memory the 6 has a full spare but that might be wrong.

The 6 is a lovely car but a bit dull.

We ended up going for a msport BMW cause I couldn't stand the plastic wheel arches on the "lower" models. Unfortunately it means winter tyres are going to be an issue unless I get new wheels - £700 each for the back.

[Aspman]

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/our-cars/mazda-6-22d-se-l-nav-auto/mazda-6-skyactiv-the-final-reckoning/

 

Same as the 3, doesn't come with a spare but there is space for one as an option.

[Captain Sisko]

I didnt know about M-Sport (isnt that BMWs motorsport division) I thought those were just special edition limited models?

 

Theres a VX Line now??

:S

 

I think I've been cocooned in my little Fiesta too long as I used to keep abreast of car changes.

Time for a :coffee: and catch up on it all!!

[Aspman]

I didnt know about M-Sport (isnt that BMWs motorsport division) I thought those were just special edition limited models?

 

Theres a VX Line now??

:S

 

I think I've been cocooned in my little Fiesta too long as I used to keep abreast of car changes.

Time for a :coffee: and catch up on it all!!

 

Yeah definitely a trend now for cars with more show than go. But probably down to the cost of running a car being so high now.

[sigarland1987]

Vanden Plas for the win

 I remember my mum had a red Metro Vanden plas, electric windows, leather seats and wood trim, it was brilliant!

 

I quite like the sporty look on cars, its all down to personal preference though, you choose what you like and enjoy it!

Edited 2 November, 2016 by sigarland1987

[wonkyewok]

 I remember my mum had a red Metro Vanden plas, electric windows, leather seats and wood trim, it was brilliant!

 

That's kind of cool though - it doesn't advertise as going faster, it's just more luxurious.

[Lady Elanore]

I didnt know about M-Sport (isnt that BMWs motorsport division) I thought those were just special edition limited models?

 

Theres a VX Line now??

:S

 

I think I've been cocooned in my little Fiesta too long as I used to keep abreast of car changes.

Time for a :coffee: and catch up on it all!!

 

It gets worse. The top of the tree is the M model, ie M2, M3, M4 etc and then you would expect to have M-Sport  models, except they have an interim set of M-performance models. Sometimes called M-lite by their owners, we have cars like the M140 through to M760 etc. I guess these are comparable with cars like the AMG C45 which is Merc version of an AMG-lite.  

When you consider that the numbers no longer relate to engine size at all, then the whole naming system is almost pointless

Edited 2 November, 2016 by Lady Elanore

[BenjiC]

Ford have recently launched ST Line Trim which I can't really see the point since they have Zetec and Zetec S for the sporty trims on their cars

 

Audi have had S-Line trim for about 10 years now? so their normal cars have the sporty looks and equipment of an S level car.

Mercedes have "AMG LINE" so their normal cars look like the AMG sporty models

and VW have R-Line

Not sure about BMW

The ST Line trim has replaced Zetec S. It's just part of their global rebranding. It's a milder ST. Can spec them with 150ps, and they're nippy 1l turbos. For the people that want something fun and sprightly but still want the sub £100 road tax and good mpg. Zetec basically just adds extra kit and styling, but nothing to the performance.

[Ootohere]

After April 2017 that will be what ever for the 1st year then £140 VED after that will it not?

http://gov.uk/government/publications/vehicle-excise-duty

Edited 2 November, 2016 by Offski

[fabdavrav]

It's all just marketing...

 

Originally the sports versions were one off lines & names were short...Lotus Carton, Lotus Sunbeam, M3, Ford Cosworth (Escort or Sierra).

 

But then people want the looks, but can't afford it, so a "cheaper" version with less power is produced. Then they have to produce a very cheap to insure sporty version for the youth market to buy etc., etc.

 

I prefer to do the opposite ......no badges, stock bumpers & sleeper style..

 

Also less chance of someone wanting to nick it!!

[Ootohere]

Car thieves are usually car people and have more knowledge of the power and handling and value of vehicles than just the likes of junkies that just want to nick stuff out of them.

[mikey vrs]

Popular, L, GL and Ghia made sense when I was young

My first car was a Ford Fiesta 1.1 Ghia....silver with chrome bumpers & trim around the wheels & a nice bit of fake wood on the instrument cluster... my mate had the popular plus version......

[mikey vrs]

When i was looking for a replacement for my mk2 octavia vrs i looked at a standard Volvo V60 & the r-design model,both had the same 1.6 D2 engine,I thought the standard one looked to boring & normal & even though i had to get a sensible car the r-design spec worked for me as i like the extra spec & interior & exterior improvements,after having the vrs the 18" wheels & sports suspension on the volvo is fine for me but could be to harsh for some. 

[octyal]

 I remember my mum had a red Metro Vanden plas, electric windows, leather seats and wood trim, it was brilliant!

 

I quite like the sporty look on cars, its all down to personal preference though, you choose what you like and enjoy it!

 

BL/Rover missed a trick the Vanden Plas in the 80's - they could have done a Van Damme Plus model, beefy engine (say Metro/Montego Turbo as a base) with a chunky bodykit :D

Edited 4 November, 2016 by octyal

[Ootohere]

A 'Simply Clever' idea for Skoda.  

The Von Dutch Edition.  Nothing performance wise different but it has Sporty Pinstriping stylee decals.

[gullyg]

When i was looking for a replacement for my mk2 octavia vrs i looked at a standard Volvo V60 & the r-design model,both had the same 1.6 D2 engine,I thought the standard one looked to boring & normal & even though i had to get a sensible car the r-design spec worked for me as i like the extra spec & interior & exterior improvements,after having the vrs the 18" wheels & sports suspension on the volvo is fine for me but could be to harsh for some.

That's the same experiance I had on both the Xc60s I test drove. The r-design was nice and firm but not too firm the se-lux had too much body roll. If you believe the press the xc60 r design is to be avoided as it'll break your back even on the 18" wheels - dealers car of 20" wheels was fine for me.

Again with the X3 - apparently you're nuts if you stick with the standard msport suspension, you either have to go soft and wallowy or fork out another £800 on adaptive suspension and hope it doesn't break.

It's not just "SUV" type cars - in my book most of the vauxhalls that enterprise love giving me are far too soft and involve me feeling sick as a passenger unless you get a "sports" trim.

My mates loaner pug 308 actually made me feel sick driving it - which was a first.

It's a pity the sports trims are often all mouth and no trousers as they're trying to cash in on the better models but often they can be (imho) good value as a trim upgrade.

Marketing, got to love it.

[alltorque]

One of my favourite cars was a 1984 VX Cavalier SRi. Two-tone red over charcoal. 5-door hatch and genuine Recaro front seats. Big alloys and very low profile tyres...for it's day. Looked fabulous and attracted compliments everywhere it went....even came back to the car one day to find a small group of people inspecting it, and that was in Denmark. Went well too, with it's 1.8 / 115bhp 4-pot injected motor and 5-speed 'box. Nowadays, my Fabia 1.2/110 Hatch is probably as quick. But doesn't have the same presence. Not seen one of those SRis for many a year.

[KenONeill]

BL/Rover missed a trick the Vanden Plas in the 80's - they could have done a Van Damme Plus model, beefy engine (say Metro/Montego Turbo as a base) with a chunky bodykit :D

That would have been an MG.

[Yoss]

Like this you mean?

To be fair, I think octyal knows this, I think he was was making a reference to Vanden Plas sounding like Claude Van Dam. I'm just using it as an excuse to post a picture of an MG Maestro Turbo.

[KenONeill]

MG-Maestro-Review.jpg

Like this you mean?

To be fair, I think octyal knows this, I think he was was making a reference to Vanden Plas sounding like Claude Van Dam. I'm just using it as an excuse to post a picture of an MG Maestro Turbo.

 

Oh and by the time I heard of the "Muscles from Brussels" and "Steven Seagal" it was too late for them; I'd already discovered Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, and of course they're a gateway drug to Hong Kong and Chinese action films...

[Ootohere]

All clear now, that will be why a Chinese Company bought MG.

Now why did they buy into London Cabs and take over Volvo?

Edited 7 November, 2016 by Offski

[Guest BigJase88]

I think people need to get over this

If i were offered say a bmw msport or a bmw se varient with the same spec engine of course i would chose the msport.

I don't understand why people get snobby about this sort of thing. Each to their own. Sportier cars look better its a fact and if thats what someone wants then good on them

Edited 7 November, 2016 by BigJase88

[Lady Elanore]

When I got my first BMW 123 I chose the SE model over the M-Sport. The rock hard original run flat tyres coupled with the very firm M-Sport suspension made the car too jittery for quick cross country driving in my opinion. The downside was the SE didn't look as good, although I still think it was better and more fun, to drive