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Why buy a CTR??

Danger200

Danger200

96.2
Messages
20,803
just a discussion really.
i'm getting to the stage where my fiesta is grinding on me and keeps going wrong so i need a new car.
there are three cars that i fancy that are all in the same sort of price bracket. the CTR, a beemer 330ci and an astra turbo coupe or hatch back.

i prefer the CTR and so does my gf, but you can't beat the pshh of a turbo but then it's a vauxhall and the beemer has a bit of class but isn't as fun as a CTR.
i'm confused and need you lot to make my mind up for me :D i live by what clarkson says and he loved it.
please help
 
good CTR with 50K & air con = 5,5K

good 330 52 plate @ 60K & half decent options = 8K

vauxhall, no idea sorry.

CTR is lighter. CTR has a shoddy interior by comparison and terrible sound system. CTR is for ragging around in, bouncing off the limiter, cheap mods. CTR has depreciated so much you won't lose much if you own for a couple of years.

BMW is for smooth driving, good options, nice place to be, excellent package. more common, as the e46 3 series everywhere.

real world performance is tit for tat, insurance is cheaper on 330. MPG is really the same. servicing costs if you go main dealer will be considerably cheaper with CTR. BMW won't go wrong, neither will the civic, both excellent cars.
 
i have owned multiple examples of each so if you want any further clarification and VS points pm me.
 
it's quite hard to decide between them as they are similar with pros and cons like you said.

which one's quicker? not that i speed but traffic light grand prix and i need to get in front of the lorry next to me, which will get me out of the way quicker?
i like the idea that the honda is cheaper to service though and what about tax, how much is a CTR?
i find that the civics have a lower mileage which i like but then it's contending with the turbo
 
ok nice one.
i drove a couple of my mum's beemers and a recent 325 coupe and i quite liked it and it sounded nice. but then again i haven't really heard a civic give it the beans
 
if you're looking at a Vauxhall, go for the GSI over the coupe. better spec and 10bhp quicker.

out of the 3, i''d have the beemer.


BTW, what age are you? id have a look at insurance costs before you decide, just to make sure you can afford it.
 
which one is quicker. tough call. 0-60 i think the CTR pips it. the book of a CTR with 1 up is 6.5? to 60. the 330ci is mid 6's. however it is worth stating that the torque on the 330 is where the win is. a 330 is easier to drive quickly. it has traction control, and more torque so less thrashing to make speed. the 330 when sitting on the motorway/dual carriageway at anything over 70 is much much quieter. i'm always amazed at how much road noise you get on a CTR, the woooooooooooooooooooooooooooo noise of the rear wheels especially.

to "get in front of dat lorry" and perform a nice smooth overtake without dropping it into vtec the 330 will win.

if you start loading a civic up with your mate/girlfriend it slows down a lot more than 330 as the torque stacks up against it.

which one is quicker round a track? i don't know. have to let the boys like hasnic answer that i have no idea.

road tax is moot point, i would imagine the 330 is more expensive as it's 3 litre over 2 litre, but we're talking small fry compared to everything else to consider. go to parkers to get the actual MPG/road tax bands and so on.

the short answer is if you have had neither, and want to shell out less money, less running costs, more "fun" driving then get the CTR. if you want a nice car to ponce around in, and take on long drives and get massive feel good factor get the BM. at a slightly higher expense. there are lots of dogs of both around so spend a bit more to get a goodun. do NOT be tempted by £6K 330s as they will be traps.
 
its hard to compare 2 totally diffeent styles of car and ways that they drive tbh,

civics are fun but are very off or on when driving,i would think the bmw is more of a smoother drive that "will" go fast,but will object to constant thrashing like you would with the ctr.

just my 2 pence worth anyway.

smooth cars tend to get boring once you have played with all the toys anyway..
 
im 21 soon to be 22 and the insurance is around a grand for each car.
the gsi is nice and i have seen a few pop up for around the same price as the sri.

i want a car that when i get in it in the morning i can pootle to work and have a calm drive and then on the way home i can open up the taps and have a quick little blast on the country roads.
i dont tend have more than two people including myself in the car, i probably wont get a sub and i carry a little bit of baggage in the boot (gym bag, mini tool kit, WD40). sometimes i have a couple heavy passengers but still need the car to perform well.

when you say on or off driving i take it thats the vtec band? my driving style is either boring or fast haha so i need something that will handle aswell.

thats the only thing that im not too keen on about the CTR is the lack of torque, well not lack of but its quite low in comparison with the bhp it has. if i got one i would probably fit an exhaust system, filter and some lighter alloys, would that help the torque?
 
Take a ctr out for a drive, you'll love it!!! I've driven both a fair amount and the 330 is lovely but nowhere near as much fun as the ctr. You're young buy a 330 tourer when it's time for dogs and kids. Vauxhall shouldn't even be an idea.
 
If you have a "busy" driving style, then the CTR is the better option IMO.

By that I mean, do you like shifting down to overtake, and using the gears to get the best out of the car?

You can definitely pootle to work in a CTR. I do. It's quite civilised if you drive it normally. When you want it to be a bit more of an animal you drop it a couple of cogs and give it some welly.

All good fun.

The Bimmer will be more refined, more torquey, allowing a lazier driving style. The interior will be more plush and you'll have more toys to play with.

I'm sure it's a lovely thing to drive, but I prefer the more "seat of your pants" experience of the CTR.
 
i spent a while on autotrader/pistonheads last night and there aren't any good 330ci's going for reasonable money so i would have to advise you get the CTR.
 
regarding the beemers i found these which look ok:
http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-u...icleYearOfManufacture=2000&vehicleRegLetter=X

http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-u...hicleYearOfManufacture=2001&vehicleRegLetter=

some civics which i like:
http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-u...cleYearOfManufacture=2003&vehicleRegLetter=03

http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-u...hicleYearOfManufacture=2003&vehicleRegLetter=

but i also like the astra. has anyone had any experience with the astra? its a turbo aswell which is what ive allways wanted and its cheaper to buy/insure/run than the CTR....my predicament.
but like i said before though clarkson loved the type r and i enjoyed watching him get it up on three wheels pretty easily.
i agree the 330ci is an older mans car, i would like a bit of fun when driving. and the CTR is the sort of pinnacle of hot hatches, and it has 6 gears which is good for cruisin and you lot love it.
NFN - yeah i love down shifting and i want to be quicker than everything on the road haha not dangerous driving or anything but traffic light grand prix, getting out of danger on motorways ie lorry pulling over and im in the lane it wants to crush
 
the first BMW, x reg @ 6350, the price is about right for the age, given it is nearly 10 years old. alarm bells are that it has induction kit and has been dicked around with already, possible high number of owners. nice spec though. it has the harman kardon sound system, you can tell because it has the subwoofer button on the dash so that is a very nice option to have. shame about the wood dash. one of mine had that, never bothered me.

there is something about that car i don't like, i can't put my finger on it though.

the second one you posted, 2001 with 33K @ 6,500 has been for sale for over a week now. i noticed this last week. it if were a genuine 330 with those miles it would be worth 8,000 private sale and would have sold. there was a very cheap 2001 with 45K @ 6,500 that sold in one day last week as i missed it. so i can only assume there is something wrong with that one to not have sold already... im going for cat D or no history. also been dicked around with, wheels, i think its a london car too. TRAPPISTE.
 
as far as the civics go that 30th AE you picked up looks like a peach. price vs age and mileage is correct

30th ae has the special recaro seats, 3/4 tints and is a very nice CTR. concern with that one is it is being sold at a dealer so you don't know who past owner was, and they will be making £500+++ profit on it so why did they pick it up cheap? no mention of history. usually a trader hams up their ad it reads very basic.


second civic has got some horrendous 18" wheels & exhaust on that means that god knows what else has been messed with. does he have standard wheels? sounds like genuine seller, no mention of history. non aircon model. air con is the only option on civics so not having that is not so clever.

for 6K you should be able to get a 04 (facelift) with 50-60K mint condition with air con.

check pistonheads mate you get better examples on there, also the civic type r for sale forum.
 
don't know if i pasted this one
http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-u...cleYearOfManufacture=2003&vehicleRegLetter=03

wow you're pretty good haha, i would never have picked up on a few of those things.
well to be honest i think 6g is probably my budget but i would rather not have one over 65,000 and air con would be nice, and i do like the facelifts as they seem to have a better spec.
i agree those wheels look awful, if i were to change the wheels i quite like Compomotive MO's but they are mega money
 
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