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Car Choices



Jamie

ClioSport Club Member
The time has come to decide as to what to do with my car and what to replace it with and I am finding it very difficult to make this decision.

Now I am doing a reasonable mileage and the car choice which I would like to go down is the 172 or 182 as it ticks all the appropriate boxes. (Also great time to trade up right now.)

There is nothing actually wrong with my Williams and although if i were knit picking I could spend about £600 on getting it exactly where I would want it again. These changes would include a new quieter exhaust and a new manifold as it is is blowing slightly. I would also change most of the suspension parts for new standard items for an overall fresher feel but aside from that the car runs fine, used as a daily driver for the past 2 years doing a min of 30 miles a day and it has been fine. Due to previous work I have had carried out there is no rust and the wheels are also in VGC.

The main citation for changing the car would be to get an overall newer and safer car. Due to a recent accident I am far more aware of what saftey features a car has and I really feel the Williams is particuarly unsafe as it doesn't even have an airbag.

The options I see myself facing are getting a 172 or 82 dependent on what deal I can strike or keep the Williams as a weekend car and have a more modern car for the commute to work and back. (The Williams can feel far too raw for 200 mile weeks).

Bearing all this in mind I went to see a couple of car's today and although I think the 172 and 182 look's great from the outside and fairly nice inside (saw the FF's) they just feel so bland? Coming from the Williams I was finding it so difficult to get excited about the car's. Everything felt so normal, wasn't even the smallest amount of differentitaion from a 1.2 bar the seats. I wanted to love these cars so much as I know its the right decision to make and although I could afford to run two cars it's just not going to be economical to do and by that virtue and my nature I find that choice equally difficult in the opposite direction.

Has anyone come from a Williams to a Mk2 RS?
 

Poopensharten

ClioSport Club Member
  Golf R
I think the main factor here is budget.

That said mate, for price and performance theres not many other cars out there that will do what the 172/182's will do as far as that goes.
Why not think about a Phase 1 clio? I own one myself and i cannot fault it in the slightest, its safe enough i feel and the performance is there when the mood takes you.

If not this then why not look at the VTS/GTi's? effectivley the same car and not far away in performance, these can be picked up very resonably if you have a look. Other than this what about a C2 GT? These are very nimble (owned one myself a while ago), lowered they can be very good fun on a b road. There really quite comfortable little cars aswell.
Really cheap to insure (group 6).

regards, Dan
 
M

mini-valver

Personally, I'd never sell the Williams purely because of how mint your example is. I'd look into getting something for your commute and have a multi-car policy to keep insurance down. What about a DCi or small diesal so you get cheap tax, good fuel economy and it's safe.

If you really dont want a second car then IMO there's not a lot else that will touch a 1*2 for fun and affordability. Driven a cup yet?
 

Jamie

ClioSport Club Member
Thanks for the responses.

I think as I cant make up my mind and the fact that the car isn't going to depreciate and the £2k it would fetch isn't exactly life changing money I may look at getting a second car and keeping it on the drive for now.

With how cheap 172's are may just get one anyway for a bit and flog it if I don't like it? But then having a 172 and Williams on the drive is this just purley excessive? And buying another hot hatch is a bit of a gamble as I know I did well with the Williams but if I bought a shitter of a 172 its going to cost me.

The MPG isn't to much of a consideration as I don't particuarly drive with a mentally heavy foot and before now I have been able to squeeze 39mpg out of the Williams on a combined of 365 miles which I am sure a 172 could match. However when I cane the Williams its rearly, rearly heavy! not sure a 172 would be so.

Ok a diesel could get considerably more but if I worked out the annual savings cost of 39mpg to 50mpg its not going to be a material amount. Going from driving mine to a 1.9 diesel though on a daily run is going to be difficult as some of the roads I take to require a modicum of overtaking and from driving the wifes punto I know it can become so tedious. I think I just want to much.
 
As someone else has said, try looking at a Trophy. Or how about a Fabia VRS? Diesel but with performance?
 
M

mini-valver

I think with the 1*2's you have to drive the car a bit to get the best from it, they're not as special as a Williams as such so maybe you need the car to surprise you for it to feel "right".

Buy a ph1 172 for 2-3k and keep the Willy off the road for a bit. If you dont like it, you're not gonna regret selling the Williams.
 


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