New Car!!

[YSSMAN]

Re-consider, Brad. Re-consider! Have another look at that '98 A4 1.8T!

EDIT: just saw your W8 4Motion mention - man - is that really what those are going for, or is that just a great deal?

...I may go out there tomorrow (or is it today?) afternoon and take a look at her. Tim and I are pretty decent friends, so I'm sure he would hand me the keys if I asked nicely. Otherwise, I know that if I asked he would do his best to find me what I want, or get me something as similar as possible. He deals strictly with VW/Audi products (for the most part... There may be a BMW or a Volvo lingering from time-to-time), and he is pretty good at finding great cars.

I did see that he had a '99 Jetta GLX VR6, which would be awesome... But for the money (if I recall, it was $7500... it did have low miles though), its a no-go.

On the W8: It largely depends on what you find, what condition its in, and more importantly what transmission it has. The W8 with the 6-speed is exceptionally hard to find, and they usually hold their value rather well... The same can be said for the rarely-seen W8 Wagons too. Still, it isn't a horrible price, but its more than double what I'd want to pay right now...

As it stands, $6-7K (assuming I can get $2500 out of my car) is about all I can do at the moment. Beyond that, God only knows what insurance would be like on the newer and decidedly "higher class" car.

 

[1X83Z]

So, how long 'til we get the pics with the piece of paper saying "Doug - M5Power - I love GTP" on the engine bay and all that?

You know, that's a good point Diego. You know what I did? I saw the owner of the car in front of the same house that I just happened to take the pictures of my prior car in front of. After asking him to open the door for an interior shot, I then followed him when he took the car over to the house where I took the Carrera GT picture two years ago to pose. Then I asked him to drive across town and park it in the background of my Flying Spur spot from two days ago. Incredibly, he happily obliged allowing me to do all these things.

Actually no - it was just an unbelievable coincidence that the car appeared in all three places.

There may be a BMW or a Volvo lingering from time-to-time), and he is pretty good at finding great cars.

There's a Navigator there right now - a car which I very much see you in!

On the W8: It largely depends on what you find, what condition its in, and more importantly what transmission it has. The W8 with the 6-speed is exceptionally hard to find, and they usually hold their value rather well... The same can be said for the rarely-seen W8 Wagons too. Still, it isn't a horrible price, but its more than double what I'd want to pay right now...

...hovering in the vicinity of what I just paid. If I had known I could've had a W8 Passat, I may have at least drove one! Although I think in the end I'd rather just have the four rings. Still, an option I never even considered.

As it stands, $6-7K (assuming I can get $2500 out of my car) is about all I can do at the moment. Beyond that, God only knows what insurance would be like on the newer and decidedly "higher class" car.

Higher class, maybe, although not much quicker - they're not exactly all-out performance machines, A4 or Passat, and I think insurance companies view them as more of a 'responsible person's car.' I think you'll see your premiums increase less than you think you would. But as you mention the Jetta's paid off - and there's a lot to be said for that. I still say look A4, though. If you can find a manual turbocharged '97, that's the one to get, and it should be in your price range.

 

[Diego440]

With your past, I don't think you have much right to get mad when someone asks for proof

 

[1X83Z]

With your past, I don't think you have much right to get mad when someone asks for proof

I think proof has been provided, my man.

Not to worry - I'm sure you'll be seeing a lot of the car in the future, just as you saw lots of the Tribute (1, 2).

 

[Casio]

On a slightly related note - Casio: what car do you drive?

A Cordoba

(Yeah, I know...)

 

[1X83Z]

A Cordoba

(Yeah, I know...)

We don't get them here, and I've always kind of admired their styling. They sell them in Mexico, and I saw one, once. YSSMAN would agree that they're cool, but that's probably because we're underexposed to the Cordoba.

 

[Scaff]

Nice car and a good colour as well, always good to see an A4 in something other than silver, blue or black (based on UK you would think these just about the only colours the A4 comes in). Just a shame (in my opinion) that its an auto, but each to his own. 👍

Those biturbo S4s are pretty crazy - I can only imagine how a V8 would feel. The biturbos were so quick with just 270 horsepower - the V8s had nearly thirty percent more.

A few years ago I drove an RS6 Avant, 4.2 V8 with the biturbos, and despite the car weight the performance was quite insane (those little buggers kick out around 440bhp).

I think the A4 is for the drivers, and the Passat is for the women.

Nah the 3-series is for the drivers, the A4 for the build quality (particularly the interior) and the Passat for the person who wants the other two but can't quite stretch that far (then again I could be just a little biased in this one).


Regards

Scaff

 

[1X83Z]

A few years ago I drove an RS6 Avant, 4.2 V8 with the biturbos, and despite the car weight the performance was quite insane (those little buggers kick out around 440bhp).

The RS6 is nuts (rated at 450bhp in the states) - the US didn't get them in Avant form (in fact the UK supposedly got 75% of the 1000 eventually made) but we did get the sedans and I see them around every so often. It was the quickest sedan ever sold in this country, until the new M5 came out. Those were automatic-only, too - Audi knows what's up.

Nah the 3-series is for the drivers, the A4 for the build quality (particularly the interior) and the Passat for the person who wants the other two but can't quite stretch that far (then again I could be just a little biased in this one).

Perhaps so - but while the 3-series is probably the best drive overall, of the A4/Passat duo, the A4 is certainly the drivers' car.

 

[Scaff]

The RS6 is nuts - the US didn't get them in Avant form (in fact the UK supposedly got 75% of the 1000 eventually made) but we did get the sedans and I see them around every so often. It was the quickest sedan ever sold in this country, until the new M5 came out. Those were automatic-only, too - Audi knows what's up.

We did get more than a few of them here in the UK, and yes they were auto only, which wouldn't have been my personal choice, but it was at least a descent autobox.

There's no manual alternative, but the five-speed autobox (borrowed from the mighty A8 W12, and reprogrammed for much faster shifts) kicks down instantly when asked. In fact it's a little too eager here when in non-sport mode; an engine this torquey can happily hold a high gear, although kickdown is good if you want to emulate the forces that can bring on a 4.7-second 0-62 time. Surely no saloon can beat that.

Switch to manual Tiptronic mode, and you can use Alfa-like paddles on the steering wheel. And here's why this is the best auto-turned-manual I've yet tried. The upshifts are instant yet smooth, the downshifts positive and rev-matched with a transmission lock-up which makes it feel like a real manual-based 'box. Think Ferrari F1 without the surges and clonks.

Source - http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evocarreviews/27342/audi_rs6.html

Perhaps so - but while the 3-series is probably the best drive overall, of the A4/Passat duo, the A4 is certainly the drivers' car.

Between the A4 and Passat the Audi is most certainly the more driver focused of the two.


Regards

Scaff

 

[1X83Z]

Source - http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evocarreviews/27342/audi_rs6.html

Oh Evo - correctly analyzing all the brilliant attributes of Tiptronic.

 

[Pupik]

Don't go breaking those engine mounts, you hear? Nice choice, Doug.

 

[1X83Z]

Don't go breaking those engine mounts, you hear? Nice choice, Doug.

Let's pray that's not as big of an issue as it was in the last car.

 

[harrytuttle]

All,

Bought a new car today.

Quality purchase. Even the color is nice. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. muy-👍

 

[1X83Z]

Quality purchase. Even the color is nice. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. muy-👍

It's no STi, but thanks for the kind words, harry.

 

[Keef]

HPA could fix that for ya...

And how are those tires doing? They look pretty smooth on the edges. Maybe it's just the resolution.

 

[1X83Z]

HPA could fix that for ya...

And how are those tires doing? They look pretty smooth on the edges. Maybe it's just the resolution.

Yeah - I bought it knowing that it needed new tires and one or two relatively minor mechanical things. It may or may not need a new battery, also. The car should be in perfect shape - with the tires plus the mechanical things taken care of - by the middle of June.

 

[Joey D]

You thought about what sort of tires you're going to put on it yet?

 

[Keef]

Ooh! Oooh! Ask me. I like recommending killer tires. So does it rain a lot in Denver or Atlanta? Obviously it's pretty hot down there but I'm not sure about over there. And I know you'd be concerned with treadwear over performance...

 

[Joey D]

I have Hydroedges and I love them, great dry and wet weather performance and pretty good snow traction. The tread wear is good to, I've put 40,000 miles on mine and still have quite a bit of tread left.

 

[Keef]

I just looked up these Kuhmos and I think they'd be a good match for Doug. They're very inexpensive compared to most of the competition and they still have better than average wet and dry performance. The selling point of these tires is the price.

But these Bridgestones are the second best performer in the Ultra High Performance All-Season class, but are $10 cheaper than the barely-better leader, a Yokohama. They perform almost like a summer tire in the dry, and better in the wet, and will still stop well in a couple inches of snow. Quattro will make you go no matter what tires you have.

 

[1X83Z]

I just looked up these Kuhmos and I think they'd be a good match for Doug. They're very inexpensive compared to most of the competition and they still have better than average wet and dry performance. The selling point of these tires is the price.

Why the hell are they so cheap? I'm ready to buy tonight at this price. Just because they don't last very long (I notice they're Z-rated)?

EDIT: for the record, though I hadn't given it much thought, I was thinking generic, all-season, H-rated tires - the vehicle had H-ratings from the factory. It's already a better handler than any car I've had before it, even on the old tires it's got presently, and I really don't like how quickly Z tires wear.

 

[YSSMAN]

Based on my experience with the Jetta, H-rated tires are more than enough to keep most people happy. As a matter of fact, H-rated tires are pretty much at the peak of the performance of the car if I'm not mistaken... So I wouldn't go crazy for Z-rated rubber...

Anyway, my recommendations:

BF Goodrich Traction T/A H. For $89 your getting a pretty decent all-around tire that is comfortable, quiet, and capable on wet, dry, and snowy roads. Sure, it isn't the best tire out there, but you are certainly getting what you pay for, and if you aren't into paying much, this may not be a bad deal. Oh, and to let you in on a little secret, I'm buying these for my Jetta at the end of the summer...

Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S. Okay, at $115 they are a bit expensive. But you are getting better scores than the BF Goodrich ones across the board, and that certainly counts for something. I see a lot of newer, high-end cars coming with the Pilots as standard-fare these days, so one would expect a good amount of performance overall from the tire. They may be worth a look if they fit into the budget...

 

[1X83Z]

Based on my experience with the Jetta, H-rated tires are more than enough to keep most people happy. As a matter of fact, H-rated tires are pretty much at the peak of the performance of the car if I'm not mistaken...

Good point - in fact the vehicle's speed limiter kicks in at the ultimate rating for H tired (130mph) rendering the added speed of a Z tire useless; the handling benefit would be only marginal since the vehicle isn't really designed for it.

Furthermore, I would like to buy this set of tires and maybe be able to not have to buy another set for as long as I own the car. So I'd like to get ~45,000 miles out of them, if that isn't ridiculous. Maybe it is, since I went through two sets in 35,000 miles on my Volvo. However, I drove the hell out of that car.

To answer the earlier question - it rains some in Denver and quite a bit in Atlanta, although I consider myself a very good adverse condition driver, having driven in four Denver winters, including two without all-wheel drive. However I feel like it won't much matter in this case since I'm not really looking for performance tires.

Thanks for the suggestions, all, though to be honest I think I'm going to walk in to Big O and tell them to put some all-season tire on that costs about $100 that fits the rim and will last for a while. That strategy worked so well last time...

 

[a6m5]

Depending on the shipping charge, that Michelin's a killer deal.

Falken Ziex ZE-512
I kinda like this one. Can't remember who owned Falken, but I had a set for a little while. Nice tires. 👍

Thanks for the suggestions, all, though to be honest I think I'm going to walk in to Big O and tell them to put some all-season tire on that costs about $100 that fits the rim and will last for a while. That strategy worked so well last time...

Grab the yellowpages, call around. Tires go on sale all the time. And depending on their inventory situation, they will give you discounted price, which really should've been the real price to begin with.

Call around. 👍

 

[Keef]

I agree with YSS about the Pilot Exalto. That's pretty much one of the best all-season tires on the market, no matter the performance class. According to Tire Rack's ratings those Michelins do everything very well.

And Kuhmo tires are inexpensive because they're the Kia of tire companies. And you know you'd rather have an Optima than a Taurus. Also, they have a 420 treadwear rating. While M Spec has told me that treadwear ratings are brand-specific, a rating in the 400s by any brand generally means the tire will last more than a couple years.

And making a visit to the tire store probably is your best bet. I'm a fan of Discount Tire personally, but I'm not sure if you have those stores out in Denver. No matter what tire you get you're not really going to have a problem accelerating because of your Quattro.

 

[YSSMAN]

I'm a fan of Discount Tire personally, but I'm not sure if you have those stores out in Denver.

I was until I was totally dicked-over by the one closest to my Dad's house when they not only completely screwed up my paperwork, but also gave me the wrong tires as compared to what I ordered (195-60 HR-14s), and gave me some crap-tastic knock-off tires (195-60 R-14s) that have pretty much worsened the driving experience even compared to the worn-out Kuhmos that were on the car when I bought it.

---

Funny thing, and I nearly forgot about it: My Jetta is actually from Denver, the guy who owned it before me moved to GR a few years back and brought the car with him...

 

[Joey D]

I've never had a problem with Discount...Bell Tire on the other hand has screwed up more things on my truck then I care to count. One that comes to mind is when they got it high centered on the lift.

 

[1X83Z]

We have Discount Tire but the main thing is whether they have it in Atlanta. I think I'm going to go to Big O Tires because they warranty their tires for some stupid amount of time, which I cashed in big on in the Volvo - I'd run over crap in the road, come in with a huge puncture, and they'd give me a free tire. I can't figure out how the hell they stayed in business.

Honestly guys I took the car out on the highway today in pretty heavy rain and almost hydroplaned to my death. The vehicle in front of me braked and I attempted to and took off sliding. I steered safely and slowly into the other lane, dropped down to about 40mph, and threw my hazards on until my exit.

To sum up, the tires have become a priority.

 

[Joey D]

Ya Discount has that warranty thing as well. I don't know what happened but one of my tires wore out really quick, so I just ran some nails in the sidewalls and bingo I got a new tire for $15 bucks.

 

[Duke]

Folks, speed rating does not indicate tire wear. Now, coincidentally, high-speed-rated tires are usually designed for the sports market, so they are often soft compounds with an aggressive tread design. But that's tangential.