Cars: September 2007 Archives

Make/Model: Audi TT 3.2 Quattro Coupe S-Tronic
Colour: Silver
New?: No, 5500km on clock
Engine: 3.2l V6
Power/Torque: 184kW @ 6300rpm, 320Nm @ 2500-3000rpm
Average Fuel Consumption: 9.4 l/100 km
Performance: 0-100km/h in 5.7 s, 250 km/h top speed.
Owned: August 2007 - current
Notes:
After being bored by the BMW's reliability, good looks, powerful engine and fantastic fuel consumption I decided to look around for something that will inspire an emotive driving experience once again. I almost purchased an S-Type Jaguar, but one day before accepting the deal I saw a new Audi TT Coupe driving past me and I immediately had the WOW reaction.

So I did some research and realised that the car actually has 4 seats - even though the rear seats are extremely small, they are good enough for my 3 year old daughter who really enjoys sitting in that small space. So I took one for a test drive and I was hooked. Problem was just that 3.2l TT's were on a 4 month waiting list. That, and that alone, caused me to accept an offer from a guy who had his for 3 months and only had 5500km on the clock. He really looked after his car as it was in mint condition - so I accepted the deal and drove off with this little demon.

I say demon since the car has very much the same kind of performance than the Alfa GT - just much faster and much more stable on the road (due to its quattro drive). The DSG gearbox (Audi calls it S-Tronic) is really an amazing automatic gearbox. It can preselect the next gear and perform a gear shift in under 0.01 seconds - hence the only car I ever saw where the automatic is *faster* than the manual and more fuel economic. So I did not complain when the car came equipped with DSG instead of manual.

Driving it is an absolute pleasure. So far the car has not given any trouble - though I have discovered a rattle or two. I guess all cars rattle. I would really like to take it down to the coast to get that extra boost in performance. The car has a launch control feature to get from 0 - 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds - and it really works well. It has a very hard suspension so if that is not your thing do not buy it. The breaks do not feel as sharp as the BMW, however it stops in the same distance so it works just as well.

If you drive it normally it always switches gears at the red line - at 6500rpm, however when using launch control the car really freaks you out - before you can take your eyes down to the speedometer it is on 140 km/h and switching gears at 7500rpm. It has a beautiful grunt at high revs that helps getting the adrenaline pumped.

It is an absolutely beautiful car that gives good fuel consumption when not pushing it too hard (I get 8.2 l/100km for normal driving and 11.5 l/100km for hard driving). So far this borders on one of the most exciting cars I have ever owned. Definitely a step up from the BMW in terms of emotive driving. The Alfa GT still has the edge when it comes to pure exhilleration, but with better fuel consumption, much faster performance and better build quality it is just plain better.

Make/Model: Jaguar X-Type 2.2l Diesel
Colour: Winter Gold
New?: Yes
Engine: 2.2l Diesel, 4 cylinder, 4 valves/cylinder
Power/Torque: 114kW @ 3500rpm, 360Nm @ 1800rpm
Average Fuel Consumption: 6.0 l/100 km
Performance: 0-100km/h in 8.9 s, 220 km/h top speed.
Owned: August 2007 - current
Notes:
This is not a replacement for my BMW 330d. In August 2006 when I sold my Alfa I also sold my Corsa (it was getting really old with > 130000km on the clock), and I purchased a new Chevrolet Spark LT as replacement for the aging Corsa. That car had a 1 litre engine, power steering, electric windows, ABS. With only 48.5 kW and 87.3 Nm torque, it crawled to 100 km/h in 13.9 seconds, and top speed was limited to 160 km/h. But it was brand new and a very nice little car, with a boot bigger than most other hatches. So when I sold the BMW I decided it was time to get a better second car. The problem is the car I replaced the BMW with is a sports car and does not really have big rear seats, so to take it on long journeys would be hard on my poor daughter. So I decided to get a nice second car, and the Jaguar fit the bill perfectly.

I have not driven it extensively, however I did drive enough to be able to form some solid opinions. It has an extremely comfortable suspension - when you drive it it feels like you are flying. It is really the most comfortable car I ever drove.

The 2.2l diesel engine is plenty powerful - not like the BMW - but more than enough for a second car. We are still trying to break it in as it currently has less than 1000km on the clock, so the fuel consumption is still bad (about 9 l/100km).

In terms of features this car is not lacking. All the usual luxuries are present, with the absence of some more advanced things like Xenon lights, automatic headlights/rain sensors, park distance control etc. But that does not really distract from the magnificence of a Jaguar. It is thus far a truly amazing car and since it is my wife's car, I will not replace it anytime soon :)

Make/Model: BMW 330d E90
Colour: Sparkling Graphite
New?: Yes
Engine: 3.0l 24v turbocharged longitudinal inline 6 diesel
Power/Torque: 160kW @ 4000rpm, 480Nm @ 1750-2750rpm
Average Fuel Consumption: 6.5 l/100 km
Performance: 0-100km/h in 6.9 s, 246 km/h top speed.
Owned: July 2006 - August 2007
Notes:
I guess the extremely high fuel consumption of the GT got me a bit rattled, so I thought by purchasing a BMW 330 at R1000 per month less (got a better financial deal), and saving R1000 per month on fuel bills the BMW might just be the "better" deal even though the car itself was more expensive than the GT.

I originally wanted a 330i, but once I took a test drive in a 330d the apparent power difference was just too convincing. The 330i is fast, but not that you'd notice. The 330d with its huge 480Nm torque and turbocharged engine really kicks you in the back when you depress the fuel pedal.

The styling is very elegant, but after a while I did not feel special in my car anymore as everybody had a 3 series E90 sedan. That was the biggest frustration of this fantastic car - it looked like everybody else's car.

Technically I never drove a car that felt so responsive and powerful. From 0 - 100 it is not the fastest car - the GT was faster, but since the full torque is available from a low 1750rpm every day driving was much more exciting.

We took the car on a 5000km trip in Namibia - up to Etosha - and apart from a flat tyre (this car had run flat tyres) it held up perfectly on all those dirt roads. I can honestly say from all my cars (bar the Astra 2.0 CSX) this was the most reliable and stable car I ever drove. I could push it hard and still get 8.5 l/100km diesel consumption. I had to refill only 5 times during my 5000km trip through Namibia - that translates to about 6.3 l/100km.

So to summarise - it is good looking, but boring; it is devastatingly powerful, but boring (revs stops at 4500rpm); it is neatly finished in the interior, but boring; it is great, but boring.

Make/Model: Alfa Romeo GT 3.2l V6
Colour: Silver
New?: Yes
Engine: 3.2l 24v transverse V6 petrol direct injection
Power/Torque: 176kW @ 6200rpm, 300Nm @ 4800rpm
Average Fuel Consumption: 14 l/100 km
Performance: 0-100km/h in 6.7 s, 243 km/h top speed.
Owned: August 2005 - July 2006
Notes:
Without a doubt the most beautiful car I ever owned. Alfa Romeo knows how to build beautiful, emotive cars. And the help of the Italian styling house Bertoni did not do any injustice either.

Revving a 3.2l V6 is just so much more exciting than a 2.0l turbo charged engine... The sound is like music to your ears. And the highly individualistic interior styling immediately had me fall for this car.

Needless to say the performance was very different than the Astra turbo coupe. It did not have that low rev power but the higher the rev counter went the more insanely the power felt. When we took the car down to George I knew what the full 176kW felt like... Up here in the highveld one looses about 18% of the full power capability of a naturally aspirated car.

This car screamed for attention as it was very hard for people to walk by without making some comment about how awesome it looked. If it was not for the air conditioner which persistently gave me problems, as well as the ridiculous fuel consumption I would have never sold it. The air conditioner caused some weird noises when revving the car with the aircon turned on. They replaced the air conditioner but the problem still persisted. The car rattled a bit as well. Lastly, the fuel consumption was just crazy. Look here - a normal day in town:

So eventually I got tired of above-mentioned issues and it was once again time to let go of a beautiful car.

Make/Model: Opel Astra Turbo Coupe 2.0
Colour: Capri Yellow
New?: Yes
Engine: 2.0l 16v turbo petrol direct injection
Power/Torque: 147kW @ 5600rpm, 250Nm @ 2000rpm
Average Fuel Consumption: 9.87 l/100 km
Performance: 0-100km/h in 7.63 s, 245 km/h top speed.
Owned: December 2003 - August 2005
Notes:
This was my first high performance car. And boy what a feeling it was when I drove it out of the dealer's showroom... I never drove any vehicle before with this kind of performance - it was 2.2 seconds faster than my 2.0 CSX!

I remember flooring the car in Pretoria on my way home - only to have my heart skip a couple of beats as the enormous power pushed me against the seat. I knew I was in love with this car....

Until the trouble started. One day I was taking over another vehicle and the turbo suddenly decided halfway through to stop working... All I can say is that scared the hell out of me, as it is extremely dangerous to have a fast car whose performance is unpredictable. You can never trust your car to behave in a certain way.

Obviously I took it back to the dealer and they discovered after the third time in the shop, that the turbo blew. So they installed (under warranty) a new turbo unit. Once again I was a happy driver... Until two weeks later when the engine management light came on again... The turbo gradually lost pressure until one day when there were no significant boost anymore.

I knew that as much as I loved this Bertoni styled beauty, I could not live with all the trouble it gave me. This is the proverbial ex-lover which you can neither live with nor without.

Make/Model: Opel Astra 2.0i CSX
Colour: Silver
New?: Yes
Engine: 2.0l petrol direct injection
Power/Torque: 92kW @ 5800rpm, 180Nm @ 4400rpm
Average Fuel Consumption: 11.7 l/100 km
Performance: 0-100km/h in 9.6 s, 201 km/h top speed.
Owned: September 2002 - December 2003
Notes:
This was my first performance car, as I consider any car that does 0 - 100 km/h in under 10 seconds as a performance car. It was one of the best vehicles I ever owned - never giving me any kind of trouble whatsoever.

It had solid performance and enough features such as ABS, EBD, electric windows, airbags, power steering etc. to be a worthy upgrade from the Corsa. The only reason I ever sold it was my ever increasing desire for acceleration. I always wanted an Opel Astra Turbo Coupe, but never had the extra money for it. All I can say is I was never disappointed and it is still one of my all time favourites.

I am one of those people who regularly purchase new cars... I guess I just like the feel and smell of a brand new car, and to experience different styles and performances.

During the next couple of weeks I'll play catchup on all my previously owned vehicles. I will write short reviews based on my personal experiences and opinions - they will NOT be objective reviews as my intent is to include emotion.

Starting then with my very first car - the Opel Corsa 1.6i Sedan.

Make/Model: Opel Corsa 1.6i Sedan
Colour: Turquoise
New?: Had 16000km on the clock - demo model
Engine: 1.6l petrol direct injection
Power/Torque: 75kW @ 5800rpm, 139Nm @ 3200rpm
Average Fuel Consumption: 7 l/100 km
Performance: 0-100km/h in 10.8 s, 178 km/h top speed.
Owned: December 1999 - July 2006
Notes:
The car was a very solid car that never gave me any mechanical problems - bar the one time it refused to start in my garage due to a flat battery, but after having driven it for 4 years it is logical the battery would go flat eventually.

The car had quite good performance - at that time 75 kW from a 1.6 litre engine was quite good. It had nice acceleration, and never felt sluggish. It did not have power steering, EBD, electrical windows or ABS, but it did not bother me as it was my first car.

Since it is not a performance car I cannot really say much more than it was a brilliant first car and never let me down.