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[navanman]

Started a new job recently and ive got the option of getting a company car, if u dont take the car u get a car allowance but since the lads i work with have just gotten their new cars ive gotten a bit of penis envy. You can choose any 4-5 door car up to certain value so here is my list of contenders. give ur views on each. Since im in the EU this means fuck all car wise to all the US GAFers but feel free to slag/rant over each one.

Peugeot 407:

Mazda 6:

Volvo v40:

Alfa 156:

Totota Avensis:

 

[Doth Togo]

Alfa 156 or the Peugeot 407. Without a doubt.

If you could get a 406 Pintafarina coupe, that would be the best of all worlds.

 

[fart]

you should get the peugeot because we can't. (i hear it's a bit of a disappointment though)

 

[darscot]

No VW love?

 

[Falch]

That new Peugeot is a real looker, but I'm not the keen of french cars in general.

Of the cars listed, I'd go go for either the Mazda 6 (my dad is probably going to buy one this or next year) or the S40. The Alfa 156 is pretty old, and a new one is expected to arrive soon. Avensis is too boring IMO.

I'd compare all the extra's each car has, which will probably mean you'll get more bang for the buck with the 6 than with a European car like the S40.

How much € can you "spend"?

 

[navanman]

No VW love?

oops meant to post pic of that too but its a bit old now but still very nice. one the lads got a black one yesterday.

 

[navanman]

ive got around €33K to spend depending on what extras i can get thrown in.

 

[darscot]

Well you know what gets my vote.

 

[Doth Togo]

oops meant to post pic of that too but its a bit old now but still very nice. one the lads got a black one yesterday.

I own a V6 GLX Passat 4-motion and love it. It's great to toss around on the weekends on the country roads with the sunroof open and some Massive Attack blasting out of the speakers. I'd highly recommend a Passat over all other choices.

That being said, a 407 wouldn't be a bad alternative.

 

[AlphaSnake]

The Mazda or the VW. Euro cars are fuuuugly.

 

[Doth Togo]

The VW is German.

...

 

[Falch]

How about the 1 serie:

Btw, there is a new Passat coming pretty soon:

Puts the current model to shame IMO.

And an Audi A4 is nice too.

 

[AlphaSnake]

The VW is German.

...

Wow, no shit? But the Passat and Jetta are catered for our tastes. The Peugeot and Alfa-Romeo are strictly Euro cars...and like I said, UGLY.

 

[navanman]

US cars are boring to look at, not my Euro taste at all and handle for shit.
Im off to California for 6 weeks and ive got horrid Chevy Cavalier from Avis.

 

[AlphaSnake]

US cars are boring to look at, not my Euro taste at all and handle for shit.
Im off to California for 6 weeks and ive got horrid Chevy Cavalier from Avis.

American cars are also beyond ugly.

 

[navanman]

oooohhh the 1 series is a bit weird even for me, id have to see in the metal as they say. its a bit too Chris Banglyeeee for me.

The new passat is fucking deadly though, might wait for it, its like cross between avensis front and 407 rear.

 

[Falch]

Yeah I agree with you on the beamer, it looks kinda weird. Pretty noisy too apparently.

New Passat is coming early 2005.

Audi A4:

One of my personal favs though is the Lexus IS200:

And the sportcross version:

That one might be too expensive already though.

 

[Malleymal]

i got my 2005 Chrysler 300 M on the way... u will envy me

 

[lexbubble]

get the volvo or the VW. i wish i could get a company car. thats awesome dude!

 

[AlphaSnake]

i got my 2005 Chrysler 300 M on the way... u will envy me

I will laugh at you, that's for sure. Hahahaha.

 

[Tekky]

Style-wise, of those cars posted, I think the Mazda comes out on top.

I don't like the "mouth" of the Peugeot, the "beak" on the Volvo or the Alfa (hideous!). The Toyota and the VW look too plain. The Peugeot looks nice from the back, though.

Lexus looks nice too, and probably is a good car, though expensive. Don't care for the BMW.

 

[Doth Togo]

Wow, no shit? But the Passat and Jetta are catered for our tastes. The Peugeot and Alfa-Romeo are strictly Euro cars...and like I said, UGLY.

No, smartass, the VWs are not catered for our tastes. Do some research and you'll find that nobody buys them over here. They're CATERED for the Euros.

I respect your opinion on the style but get your facts straight.

 

[SteveMeister]

No, smartass, the VWs are not catered for our tastes. Do some research and you'll find that nobody buys them over here. They're CATERED for the Euros.

I respect your opinion on the style but get your facts straight.

Well, the New Beetle was specifically designed for the US market. But otherwise, VW's are designed to appeal worldwide -- not just Europe, and not just the US. In fact, the upcoming Microbus was ORIGINALLY designed as a concept to be marketed specifically in the US, but VW recently decided to delay production (to around '07) and re-design it to have more global appeal.

 

[AlphaSnake]

No, smartass, the VWs are not catered for our tastes. Do some research and you'll find that nobody buys them over here. They're CATERED for the Euros.

I respect your opinion on the style but get your facts straight.

Are you kidding? VWs don't sell well? I see as many Jettas and Beetles here in New York as I do leaves on trees. The Jetta and Beetle were designed for the US market. Also, I think I made it pretty clear that the ugly Euro cars are the ones we don't see here.

 

[golem]

the 1 series is fugly... yikes

that new passat looks sharp

the 6 is a nice car for the money (here in the US at least)

 

[darscot]

Were do you guys some up with this weird stuff about taste catering. VW makes cars that look German. Mazda has recently revamped there whole line to copy that. Actually almost all Japanese cars are following German styling. VW is rocking the NA market right now. Were do you guys live.

 

[MoxManiac]

Edited for stupidity

 

[miyuru]

Whoa I don't understand.

You get a free car?

!!!

 

[AlphaSnake]

Whoa I don't understand.

You get a free car?

!!!

Plenty of jobs offer a company car.

 

[MoxManiac]

What the hell? I meant to post that in the other thread, the one MAF started.

 

[navanman]

yeah company car is a perk of the job, they also pay the insurance and road tax. if i dont take the car i have a car allowance of €7500/yr. i also get 22c a mile petrol expenses for every mile i do from homw/work/home.

2 more contenders which i forgot yesterday:

Renault Laguna:

Nissan Primera:

 

[DaCocoBrova]

Last year this time when I was in Europe, I was amazed at how different the cars were as well as how small. Small US cars seem large by comparison. I couldn't fit in a lot of the cabs on offer in Paris. The E classes were nice tho.

 

[AlphaSnake]

Damn that Primera (Altima) is hideos too. The Renault looks nice, though.

 

[navanman]

Last year this time when I was in Europe, I was amazed at how different the cars were as well as how small. Small US cars seem large by comparison. I couldn't fit in a lot of the cabs on offer in Paris. The E classes were nice tho.

No offence intended but the average american is of bigger build than the comparable European. I would also say that European cars are better designed interior space wise. Average European family would ahve Ford Focus, Toyota Corolla or if they neeeded the mini MPVS like Focus C-Max or Renault Scenic.

 

[Tommie Hu$tle]

Take the company car and be out. While the rest of the chaps are pounding away at a 5 to 6 year loan you can stack that cash and if you choose you can take that roughly 30,000 and put it down on a BMW with at 200 dollar payment for 2 years.

 

[nitewulf]

dont go for an ugly hatchback, get the mazda for gods sake. and how the hell do i get your job?
alpha, the chrysler cars are definitely NOT ugly, dont know what you've been smoking...
plenty of american cars look very good, Lincoln LS, the current Mustang, Dodge Intrepid/Avenger, Pontiac Grand Prix, Cadillac Seville/Deville etc.

 

[AlphaSnake]

dont go for an ugly hatchback, get the mazda for gods sake. and how the hell do i get your job?
alpha, the chrysler cars are definitely NOT ugly, dont know what you've been smoking...
plenty of american cars look very good, Lincoln LS, the current Mustang, Dodge Intrepid/Avenger, Pontiac Grand Prix, Cadillac Seville/Deville etc.

The 300M is a travesty. There are some American cars that look nice; like the new Cadillacs, the Lincoln LS, new Focus, new Ford GT and a few others. But that Chrysler?

Ugly.

 

[navanman]

i looked at pics of 300M to see what goes for modern american car design. its not a bad looking car but the wheelarches are too big and the wheels too small for the car. the interior and dash looks nice and clean

 

[darscot]

That and the front end is off a Peterbuilt.

 

[AlphaSnake]

The back makes the car look like a Bentley...the front brings the car back to real life and makes it shout "HEY! You're an ugly Chrysler!"

 

[golem]

i looked at pics of 300M to see what goes for modern american car design. its not a bad looking car but the wheelarches are too big and the wheels too small for the car. the interior and dash looks nice and clean

arches are just right when you're rollin 27's!

 

[fart]

No offence intended but the average american is of bigger build than the comparable European. I would also say that European cars are better designed interior space wise. Average European family would ahve Ford Focus, Toyota Corolla or if they neeeded the mini MPVS like Focus C-Max or Renault Scenic.

bigger build? you mean fatter

 

[ballhog]

Avoid the VW, they are cool cars but in my experiance, unreliable. Toyota is allways the way to go. My Celica has 180,000 miles, spent $500 on repairs In four years and it has never failed to start, which I couldn't say about any of the four VW's I've had.

 

[darscot]

Avoid the VW, they are cool cars but in my experiance, unreliable. Toyota is allways the way to go. My Celica has 180,000 miles, spent $500 on repairs In four years and it has never failed to start, which I couldn't say about any of the four VW's I've had.

Don't be knockin VW. I believe more VW have reached 1000000 miles then any other manufacturer. I'm not 100% but I know they held this title at one point.

 

[ballhog]

You can get alot of miles out of a VW, but you will pay, and get towed, and gennerally suffer.

 

[Gek54]

Mazda 3

 

[retardboy]

Peugeot 407
Mazda 6 hatch

Audi A3 Sportback

(Quite possibly my next car even though it would be a downgrade, I love the A3.

 

[Tekky]

Don't be knockin VW. I believe more VW have reached 1000000 miles then any other manufacturer. I'm not 100% but I know they held this title at one point.

VW _used_ to be good, before they were built in Mexico and before they started added lots of electrical doodads.

New ones are built like crap, and all the electrical doodads stop working after a while. I'm not just spouting off; this is what Consumer Reports surveys say.

 

[navanman]

i get the A3 in a heartbeat but the standard version is a 3dr hatchback but that 5 door fastback version is at leat better looking than the old A3 5-door. but in my eyes a 5-door A3 is a Golf clone so why not get a VW Golf.

 

[Pug]

navanman, I have had the 407 for 3 weeks now 2.2L SE. Start off its probably the best looking car in its class, no matter what a certain Alpha may say! It is also probably the best handling car in its class, its great through the country lanes of Wales!
The Build quality is the best Peugeot have ever produced and is certaintly up with VW now. The 2.2L engine is fine and it shifts when required, I also tested the 136bhp diesel which is a fantastic engine that will give you nigh on 50mpg and will still do a 0-60 in around 9 secs and a top whack of around 135mph, in fact I was amazed on how good the diesel was. Still I liked the petrol slightly better. By the way the 407 has more air bags than you can shake a stick at. All in all I have been highly impressed with the car for the short time I've had, my last car was a Leguna and although I can't really fault it the 407 is a lot better.