Is it just me or is it that car manufacturers don't seem to offer the exact car that i want.Let me explain....
I would like a Citreon C5 with the hydroelastic suspension which means that it has to be the Exclusive model.I also wish it to be petrol and manual.They only do a 2.0 litre petrol automatic in Exclusive trim.Ie no manual gearbox for the model i want.
Next car i looked at was a Honda Accord.My requirements are that i want a soft suspension.The GT version is perfect looking with all the toys but only comes with 17" alloys and sport suspension(ie hard).They make the lower model with 16" wheels and standard suspension but non of the toys and body kit which i would like.
Next car i looked at is the Mazda 6.I think the Mazda looks awesome with the body kit on and boot spoiler but the only 2 models that have it is the Sport (2.5 litre engine..too big) or the Limited edition Tamura(this one comes with 18" alloys which will make the ride to hard.
What i am getting at is the range of models they have don't seem to suit my exact requirements.
I cannot see why they don't make a standard car(15-16" wheels,ordinary suspension etc) and then let you specify wether you want extra large alloys(always on the top models),Hard suspension(always on the sport models) and body kit if needed.
When i've asked about adding or subtracting from the spec they quote stupid prices.
If anyone can surgest a large car with soft suspension,quiet cabin,petrol,manual and looks good(ie body kit) then let me know.
The only one to come close is a Saab 93.
Thoughts?
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BMW 3 Series SE, you can spec it up the exact way you want with any wheels, suspension or bodykit that you fancy.
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This is nothing new. Back in te late 70s, mum wanted a Mk1 Golf, preferably a 1.3. At the time, the 1.3 only came with three doors, and the whole idea was to upgrade from a Mk1 Polo, so she ended up buying a 1.1 L, which could be had with 5 doors.
The only alternative was upgrading to the 1.5 GLS, but that would have been too expensive.
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You're right, and it's a right pain. In fact we just ended up with a top of the range Jazz when we really could have done without the glass roof and bigger alloys. This approach does reduce the number of variants the factory produces and means it's easier to buy a car from stock or on a short leadtime.
The alternative route though, is to go the way the "prestige" marques do and have huge lists of options, but this is a very expensive way of adding spec to a car. It also means that if you want a particular spec then it's likely to be a factory order on a longish leadtime.
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I have the same problem. You can't buy a CRV with leather and a sunroof unless you have the mediocre satnav that adds about £1200 to the price, auto lights and wipers, 18" wheels, and a reversing camera, none of which I want, or want to pay for.
Similar situations obtain with most of the obvious alternatives, with the exception of the Freelander 2, which might get my vote in the end, despite being relatively poorer on fuel and comparatively expensive.
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Videodoctor, the reason you have difficulty finding what you want is that you seek the unusual combination of bodykit but normal wheels and suspension. The manufacturers evidently find that's a rare combination of desires, which is why they either offer all the bling or none of it.
If you really want all hose bits of plastic stuck onto your car, couldn't you get them as aftermarket add-ons?
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If you really want all hose bits of plastic stuck onto your car couldn't you get them as aftermarket add-ons?
NW,
He does....that's why he posted that he wants them. Quite a few people like their cars to 'look right', me included, it's not unusual.
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I found the C5 online brochure a bit hard to follow, but it appears to me that you can have a manual gearbox with either a 1.8 or 2.0 petrol engine for the Saloon, or with a 1.8 petrol engine for the Tourer. tinyurl.com/lbkrgw
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But can you have that 2.0 manual petrol combination with the hydropneumatic suspension, which is what the Doctor is after?
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Thanks for the replies guys.The C5 is only available with an auto gear box in the Exclusive trim(which gets the hydroelastic suspension).If i opted for steel springs then i can have a manual gear box.Why you cannot buy a manual 2.0 petrol with the dandy suspension is beyond me and hence the reason for starting this thread.
Buy the way,my budget is £20,000(or less) and i don't like BMW's due their hard suspension(and seats).I currently drive an 07 Vectra and have also looked at the Insignia but being a member of a Vectra club there seems to be too many faults appearing and no availability of spares.
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From the OP, the Honda looks like it is closest to giving you what you want.
Have you spoken to a dealer about swapping the 17's for 16's ?
I have heard of Volvo dealers helping prospective buyers out for this very reason. If it's the difference between a sale or not, I'm sure something could be arranged.
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From the OP the Honda looks like it is closest to giving you what you want. Have you spoken to a dealer about swapping the 17's for 16's ?
Swapping the wheels is only half the solution. The OP also doesn't want the 'sports' suspension, something that's more difficult to swap.
Edited by Lou_O on 21/09/2009 at 14:56
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My mistake...though I have to ask do Honda really put different 'Sports' suspension on an Accord ?
The reason I ask is because I have a 'Sport' model but the suspension is the same as the other models in the range, the difference being the bodykit and interior trim/seats.
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My mistake...though I have to ask do Honda really put different 'Sports' suspension on an Accord ?
It's entirely feasible that they don't, but getting a straight answer might be difficult.
On the wheel size, I was offered a straight swap to 15" from the 16's on our Jazz (didn't take them up). Although the overall diameter of the wheel & tyre will remain the same, the smaller wheel might look odd on a car with a body kit.
I did read somewhere that Sport versions of BMW's ride better than SE's as the dampers are gas filled. Don't know if that's still the case. Main issue with 3 Series BMW's and ride, is run-flat tyres.
Edited by Bill Payer on 21/09/2009 at 15:59
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Part of the answer maybe that the OP wants to mix the appearance of sportiness with the fact of softliness. I would seem to me that body-kits with high(-ish) profile tyres would look a bit odd & contradictory - and might seem so to others come trade-in time, with consequent knock-on (knock-off!) effects on value.
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I did read somewhere that Sport versions of BMW's ride better than SE's as the dampers are gas filled. Don't know if that's still the case. Main issue with 3 Series BMW's and ride is run-flat tyres.
In my (limited) experience Sport versions of the current model ride even worse than SE's - at the moment.
However, there is good news if the OP wishes to reconsider a BM. With the full support of BMW, Bridgestone have produded a more comfortable run-flat tyre, and look to have succeeded by all accounts. These new "third generation" runflats are only claimed to be 5% harder riding than conventional tyres (and quieter too, I believe).
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The showroom Octavia FL I ended up with was fitted with 'sport' suspension and 17" rims.
[Ideally I'd have had steel wheels and nave plates].
Was not keen in principle on them. But a final test drive showed a perfectly acceptable ride which I do not regret 3000 miles later. Cleaning them is a pain and takes longer than washing the car.
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Whats the general opinion on the C5 Exclusive?
The ride and quietness really appeal but theres that niggling feeling at the back of my mind that its still a Citroen(ie French and unreliable).
Also i only do a very low mileage every year mostly round town so thats why i need a petrol.I believe the diesels need to regen their exhaust gases and because i don't do much mileage i feel the exhaust would become blocked.
Is this still true? or have they got better in the past few years? I wouldn't want to have to go for a blast on the motorway just to regen the exhaust.
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I haven't tried a C5 (either Citroen or Sinclair) but there seem to be quite a few Citroen owners on this forum who are very happy with them. Renaults seem to be recovering from a quality lapse (2000-2005 approx.) but there don't seem to be many Peugeot fans around. We had a lovely Freudian typo in a thread recently - Pegout.
But also have a look at the Skoda Superb (1.8 TSI as you want a petrol version) - you should find this comfortable without being wallowy. If that's too big (I think it's comparable to the C5 in size) try an Octavia.
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If you are expecting the legendary "magic carpet ride" from the latest C5 (Citroen, not Sinclair), I would test drive one first. I had a spin in a C6 a few weeks ago whilst in France and couldn't believe how firm the suspension was.
The low speed ride was, frankly, terrible and reminiscent of an Audi. Things improved at speed, but it was a very long way from the gliding sensation my rose tinted memory tells me was characteristic of hydropneumatic Citroens in days gone by.
The worst thing was, there was a switch to adjust the damper settings. The two settings were called "Normale" and "Sport" which I guess is French for "Hard" and "Teeth Jarring". Very sad, as I thought the reason you choose a Citroen is for the ride comfort and not for its ability to set record times around the Nurburgring.
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