[Irish]

That is the question!

Rang the bank today seems I don't owe them as much as I thought and with maybe a 3k deposit I could get a new car in April/May or so of next year which although is a fair few months away, I would need to order a factory spec GTI in Jan/Feb or so.

What are the essential extras? Climate is an optional extra here so is it worth it having had it in the A3?

The 18s are a must IMO.

Do I go for xenons again? I thik it'd be hard to do without.

Do I pay over the odds for leather again and add heated seats for those extra warm feelings...oh er!

Do I keep the A3 a bit longer (it'll be 2 years old by then - longest I'll have kept a car for!) and hold out for the S3 due out end of '06?

Do I wait to see what the new BM coupe is like?

Or do I give up this car lark, maybe get a Golf 1.6 Sportline with some nice wheels and buy a house?

Being 23, can I put off the property purchase just another while and enjoy one more nice car?

 

[mags]

Go for the leather seats and you get heated seats as standard, I'd definately recomend getting the armrest and the upgraded MFD. If you still have your original alloys for the A3 why not put the CH's on?. If it was me I would keep the A3 (much better build quality) and buy a house - ireland is getting so expensive and property does not seem to have been affected in the same way as the UK, I'm thinking about getting a place in Kinsale at the moment.

On another note I have just spent the last 2 weeks in Ireland and I saw more Gti's on the roads there in that time than I have seen in the UK since they came out, they must be a big seller there.

 

[Irish]

That's mad, haven't seen more than 10/12 on the road !

Forgot to say armrest would have to be bought too yep.

As much as I love the CHs I'd like to get the 18s. I might keep the CHs for when/if I get bored with the look but I might sell them to make a quick bit of cash when the time comes.

Bear in mind without a single extra the GTI is E35,000 here...With xenons, climate, leather and 18s you're talking 41/42K. Is that a lot for a Golf?

I think between leather and climate I'd go for climate purely to make the interior look a bit more classy, manual controls look so bad in this day and age IMO.

Keeping the A3 AND a mortgage is not really an option as the A3 with insurance per month is 1K a month which is a mortgage in itself.

 

[Black]

Pay the A3 off and buy a house. May sound like an old man but you will have to get into property some time and unlike cars the price will only go up. The later you leave it the harder it gets.

If you are 23 and truly want a lark get a real sports car, Elise, Boxster etc before settling into the House thing.

 

[mags]

Don't Gti's come standard with climate there?

I saw about 6 or 7 in Dublin last Sunday and then a fair few in Wicklow.

I'd definately keep the A3 and not lose any more money as I don't know about there but 2nd hand prices for the Gti don't seem to be doing so well here - I was offered ?7500 less than list by 3 dealers today the best being ?5000 than I paid for it 6 months ago ad that was for a trade in.

Buy a house[8-|]

 

[Irish]

Pay the A3 off and buy a house.

No point paying it all off...Will just pay 43K plus interest to the bank when I could just trade it next year having paid about 20K or so. Like renting a house except I own the car.

Sadly things like Boxster aren't practical here, insurance, tax, fuel...all crazy not to mention the prices of even 2000 Boxsters - 40K+.

Mags - climate deffo not standard here no mate.

One way or the other, I can keep paying 800 a month for a 2 year old car next year or have a new one for the same per month or less.

Just seeing what options are at the moment anyway.

 

[CkB]

Did climate change for 2006 spec then?? It was in as std on the 2005??

As for the heated seats, that's Winter Pack, doesn't come as standard (last time I checked , please shoot if I am that wrong!) just with the leather??

As for option, toughie, house over car, if the property prices are worse over here, i'd have to think about the house seriously... I'm 23 as well and next year is my year to get out of the hous eunless something goes seriously peter tong!

But then cars are so much damn fun! []

I hate decisions! []

 

[Gti Fly]

Buy a house!

You've got a nice car already

Get on the housing ladder as early as u can really.. Car's just depreciate/eat money! especially brand new ones

 

[KuniD]

Gotta agree buy a property!

I'm in the same boat, I'm 23 and was pondering waiting for the GTI, but
instead got the TDI and a flat with my sister in Hampstead, London []

And its greeeeaaaat [] The sooner you get on the ladder the better tbh!

 

[Gti Fly]

Further to my point,

The house's round my way are ?200k. 4 years ago they were just above ?100k.

If i'd bought 4 years ago, I'd be

a) paying a morgage for ?100k

b) be able to sell the house for a cool ?100k profit!! HOW LONG would that take u to earn?!

The earlier u can get onto the housing market, the LESS (touch wood) you'll have to borrow long term...

 

[kenl]

Buy a house.

I bought my first flat when I was 22 and it was the best thing I ever did as the last thing you want is to have a mortgage as you approach retirement - that may sound a long way in the future but you may kick yourself when you are older if you "waste" a lot of money on cars.

There is nothing wrong with a 1.6 Golf you know []

 

[Mark V]

I'd go for climate purely to make the interior look a bit more classy, manual controls look so bad in this day and age IMO.

Very true, the only problem being that on the Golf the climate controls look like manual controls as you get three knobs rather than the 'classier' button sytem with digital display you got on the old Mk IV!

 

[Martyn]

Honestly Irish! You need to buy the house[:O]

I have learnt over the years that cars are like pissing money down the drain.

Keep the A3 - its beautiful.. and you'll keep it that way and get your money down on a house deposit.

 

[flynntech]

Mark if you want the GTI get it.

The way the housing market is gone in Ireland it has to slow down sooner or later. I dont see a crash as there is still demand.

100 plus % mortgages are now available which will make it easier to get on the ladder when you are ready.

Your A3 is out of warranty next year too and think if the gearbox or
turbo goes for a shite on you. Do you want to be paying a grand a month
for a car out of warranty?

 

[TheDoc]

are you really talking about ording a car in jan/feb and thinking about the spec now !?, chances are a few more options will be availible then anyway. I doubled my money on my first house, and that money makes a difference to the rest of your life, by a house, then if you have got any spare cash buy another car. I change cars on average every year at the mo but do have a expensive house and a small mortgage, don't give up cars just put them on hold for a while.

 

[Robbo GTI]

Buy a house!! I had to sell my Civic Type-R to get one (moved in 9 mths ago) but now its great... love the house (is a brand spanking new one too []) And now to cap it off I have a lovelt GTI on order [h]

I will be 24 next week and really couldn't have standed living at home any longer!!

 

[thomask1]

More news you probably don't want to hear...forget the car, buy a house!

I'm 28 and bought my house 2 years ago, it's gone up by ?50k in that time, which is great, but I really regret not doing it sooner. I absolutely, positively guarantee you will regret buying a car over buying a house in a few years time if that's what you do.

A car is a depreciating asset and if it's a GTI then you could class it as a luxury, to buy one at the expense of not buying a house (an appreciating asset) would be madness. You're only 23, you've plenty of years ahead of you to buy cool cars and to be honest you already have a very nice car. Forget what the Chap with the warranty worries says, you could extend it for peanuts.

 

[Sporran]

or buy a caravan and get a tow hitch fitted to your GTI

 

[Spin 150PD]

Mark, I'd have to say buy the house, it might not cost you as much as you think and once you have a foot on the ladder you can have a GTi and probably get one with a great discount once all the fuss about it being the 'latest must have' as died down.

I'm guessing that you may have to sell the A3 initially to lower your monthly outgoings, this will be the hardest bit but once you have the property your priorities change, much better to have some cash in your pocket than a flash car on the drive IMO.

I was in the same position as you when I was your age and always had the latest hot hatch whilst living at home with parents, I had to lower my standards car wise for a few years but have now built my way back up as the mortgage becomes more affordable with time, just think if you buy a house early next year within 12/18 months (market dependant) you may have built up enough equity to buy your new car. I have moved 3 times in the last 6 yrs and each time I bank a few grand from the equity to put towards my 'car fund' - probably not the best financial practice but it works for me and enables me to indulge my passion.

I fully understand where you are coming from, this GTi thing gets under your skin but nothing acrues money like your house, buy a house mate there will be other GTi's.

In the meantime keep enjoying the A3, if I had yours with your spec/colour combination I'm not sure I would exchange it for the GTi anyway but then again I do understand the illogical boredom thing!

 

[marriedblonde]

I'm gonna be really boring and say buy a house. I waited til I was 27 before I bought my first house and I really wished I had done it sooner.

I was torn between a new car or a house when I did finally buy one and obviously the house won. But the new car was only put on hold for a short while, I think I ordered mk mkIV Gti1.8 18 months after buying the house so it wasn't that big a deal. Actually waiting 5 months for the car to turn up was worse!

On the plus side in the 6 years I have owned the house I have acquired ?90K in equity and I am about to put an offer in on a big 4 bedder with detached double garage with room a proper roof so loads of storeage (guess what sold me on this house!) and there is no way on earth I would have been able to even think about buying it if I hadn't bought the first one.

J.