The new ride..

[TopCat]

So I'm back in my "sensible" phase, and back in a daysul...

Went over to the UK last weekend, had a look at a few cars, but came back with this...



First off, big thank you to Kace, who gave me some great pointers and advice.

Its the 2.0L Sport version, so a middle of the line spec for an A5, but some really nice touches. 170bhp, lovely leather seats, great interior, and auto lights and wipers make it a very nice place to be for longer drives. And with tax of €280... its an annual saving of €1,000 over the ST! Between driving it back from the UK and some medium trips over the weekend, I've about 500 miles up, and loving it. Although its not a quattro, it grips very well, but you do notice the weight of a car a little over the Focus. I haven't been really pushing it on yet, you just find yourself bit further toward the outside of the corner as you exit. The car isn't loosing grip or anything, I just need to get my turn in a bit sharper I think. Its subtle, but noticeable. I might not be keeping the car very long, but if I was, I definitely consider the 3.0L quattro. The car feels like it's well able to handle more power, and although you'd take a hit on the VRT, the tax is not crazy, at around €750.

Anyway, a few more pics below, thanks for looking.

T

[Kace]

Looks great !

What colour is that - I like it. Is it Daytona Grey ?

Tyres look pretty new also - saves you the guts of a grand if they don't need to be replaced.

[TopCat]

Yup, Daytona grey.

Out of the cars I looked at, it had by far the best body work (lowest mileage too), so that was big factor in the end.

[Sebastian]

she's looking very hot.
best of luck with her does it have xenons?

[TopCat]

Thanks Seb. Yup, got xenon headlights.

[Johnk]

Looks very nice indeed.

[Chris_Heilong]

love the interior, well wear

[threediamonds]

Oh i likey- whenever you are out in bernards showing it off- let me know and ill give a spin out to have a proper gander!

[optical illusion]

I don't like sensible Tom

[Myfeckin FTO]

I don't like sensible Tom

I don't like "Sensible Tom" either.

A lot of talk about savings on tax/fuel etc on a turf burner when for a quarter of the price of above A5 old "Fun Tom" could have bought a 350Z and spent a fraction of the savings on the road tax and petrol.

(says the man now driving a 7 seater).

[CJ]

Nice looking machine Tom, good luck with it.

[TopCat]

Thanks guys.

...for a quarter of the price of above A5 old "Fun Tom" could have bought a 350Z and spent a fraction of the savings on the road tax and petrol...

Well, I could have.. but then I wouldn't be able to bring my friends anywhere, or bikes anywhere. And more importantly for me, and the main driver behind getting this, I may have to move this on again in a couple of months, so I need something that will sell reasonably fast.

If I was driven by saving money, I would not have spent €20k+ on a car, lol. The fact that my tax is a bit less is a bonus, but not my reason for buying. If I wanted fun and money saving, I would have kept the ST. And I know you love your 350z, but the ST is at least as fun 95% of the time, had 4 seats, and a boot (and lets not forget cheaper tax than a zed ).

And I take your point, people are blindly lead by tax figures and petrol prices, buy a car for €15k, and loose €3,000 a year in depreciation. They don't put in the background work, and add up the figures. But that's not what I'm doing. I put in the leg work and effort myself, (as I did with all my previous cars) and now I'll have what to me is a good looking luxury car I've been lusting after since it came out. A dream car (to me) considering a very modest salary, but it'll cost me nothing for the few months I have it (might even make a few quid).

[Myfeckin FTO]

Yep - I know the rational behind buying the A5. I was just pulling your chain tbh.

Theres no doubt its a fab machine and you'll have no trouble shifting it on when the time comes.
I'll keep an eye out for you around Galway - I'm working there myself these days.