Lost its grin factor.

kenny wrote: Has anyone else found that their car has lost the ability to make them smile. Mines just doesn't give me the same enjoyment it once did. Thinking of changing to a seat leon cupra r.

You need a bigger engine as others have said. The trouble with a 318 is that it's a bit low on grunt. I find that my 328 can still entertain after 18 months simply because most of the time I can't use all the power, so when I get the chance it still gives me a bit of a rush

The leon Cupra R is a good car though, but for the same cash you could get an E36 M3, an E46 328/330, an E39 528/530 or better still a really good E24 M6, E28 M5.

I have to say mine still makes me smile every time I drive it - and that is every day of the week.

I normally get bored after 6 months mind you so time will tell.

Regarding a Seat Cupra R - if you want one - get one.  I can't fault them other than the odd build issue.  You won't get anything like BMW build quality (and you may well only realise that after 3-4 months when you get lots of rattles) but you will get lots of smiles per mile from a car that performs seriously well.

Plus, a quick trip to a tuning garage and you end up with one very serious performance car (easily chipped to 220bhp and up to 250bhp).

I would give a caveat though - don't expect it to hold money like your BMW will, because the Cupra's are dropping serious amounts of money these days.  Last month they 'booked' down £490 - thats a lot of money on a car in that price range.

You need to think carefully before getting out of the BMW ownership experience.  More people go back to them than stay away.

Boredom of a car is a strange thing and it isn't to be confused with running a very reliable, very solid and very 'taken for granted' car.

I discovered this a few years ago when I went from a BMW to a Jaguar.  It was like going from First Class to Standard.

You think it's the same from the outside, and it looks almost the same inside, but it's only once the journey has begun that you realise how different it really is and the niggles grow every few miles...

The question is - if you were spending in the region of £18-22k on a new car...

Would you buy one?

spokey wrote: Coasting wrote: The question is - if you were spending in the region of £18-22k on a new car... Would you buy one? Yes. In fact, I'm probably going to drop around 30K for a fully loaded 120d or 35K for a fully loaded 130i.

You're kidding yes? 

You'd really be prepared to spend £30k on a 120d?

That, or the forthcoming 130i loaded up to £35k, would be tantamount to burning pound notes in public!

Wow.  I am very surprised indeed.

Then again, if the car is to your liking then I guess thats what car ownership is all about!

Before you do though....drive a new Golf GTi.

You'll get a very big surprise.  I did.

Very impressed indeed.

Doive wrote: I'd be inclined to go for an MG ZT260, nice big V8 power and good looking as well, rather than a well engineered but very ugly BMW hatchback.

Eeek!!! 

I was with you all the way until you mentioned that car!  I won't even repeat it's name for fear of retribution in the form of lightning striking me from the clouds above.

The words, looks awful, handles awful, has wasted capacity when bhp is compared to litres, reminds me of a yank tank, is built like a wet cardboard box, depreciate like the brick they are and "please stop it MG, I can't laugh any harder if you continue making cars"...they all spring to mind!

I can think of, ooooh, maybe 50 odd other cars I'd prefer.  After that, I'd probably choose death before it.