Quote:
Originally Posted by Watsey
So it's a (mostly) FWD warm hatch with a 4-pot motor and a very modest power output. Just like all the other warm hatches.
So why buy one ?
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1) You may be looking for a BMW (as opposed to the other manufacturers)
2) You might be looking for one with lots of kit that comes under the 40k RFL trigger.
3) 265hp/FWD may be a better proposition for you than 300hp/4WD...
4) You may prefer the interior/exterior styling of the BMW
5) Starting price supposedly £5.5k less than M135i
6) etc
All warm/hot/chilli/vindallo strength hatches are compromises, aren't they, and which one you go for (if you want one) depends upon the combo that best fits your needs... The lighter weight cars often feel less refined and are not all that much faster... The mechanical engineering on the 128ti may be more robust than the electronic engineering (diffs etc) on some other cars...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Watsey
If I was in the market for a properly sorted (handling) Golf-sized hatch I'd be heading to Hyundai for an i30 N.
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Just a question, have you ever driven the i30 N Performance...?
I have and whilst I think it is dynamically probably better ultimately than my GTI, this is moot for 99% of the time and I would not have liked one long term... Mainly this was due to lack of DSG/Auto and some other creature comforts and, also, the interior does not feel as up to date as the BMW (infotainment etc)... then there are things like the strut brace in the boot reduces space and restricts the usability of the through loading... and its performance capabilities over and above the GTI are only ever really going to be in driving circumstances that you are unlikely to get into day-to-day, nor too often in that 10% of time you spend playing in the car...
As for warm...
I would hazard a guess than hardly any warm/hot hatches are bought simply on performance grounds... They all have to do the day-to-day most of the time and then be a fun car the 10% of times you get to play... That was what VW got so right in the Mk1 GTI...
I suspect that my Mk7.5 GTI would safely "see off" any of the 3 series cars I owned in the past over the North York Moors roads that are on my doorstep.... and that is at legal speed limits... and it does all of the rest of the stuff I need it do do as well as the 3-ers did... whilst being cheaper to buy, own, run...
My only "complaint" is that it does not feel as refined inside as the BMW's, and so that's why I will be very interested in 128Ti