I'm still pretty much on the fence. I have only driven the audi so far, and it really didn't blow me away or anything.
There are some Scirocco R's that pop onto the autotrader from time to time that are only marginally more than the A3. Only worry about those is that the previous owner probably rode the crap out of it.
Then you have a bit of a problem as almost all hot hatch owners drive the crap out of their cars. Make sure you buy a car that still has a decent amount of time and/or km's left on the warranty and it should be fine. Do basic maintenance checks regularly.
Just a some pointers as you seem to going after this with your heart instead of your head. (I know I've been there pretty recently)
> Get insurance quotes. For some unknown reason if I bought a (yawn) GTI I would have paid R1200 pm on insurance, I'm currently paying R2200 for my Giulietta QV and I don't know why. It's nowhere near as ubiquitous as a GTI and is thus not such a huge hi-jack risk.
Insurance details:
* Full business use (I travel to clients more than 20 times a month)
* Parked behind locked gates at night.
* Parked in the street during the day.
* No tracker.
* No advanced driving course.
* Flat excess of R3400.
> Read up on the most common issues each car experiences and how much these issues cost to fix if not covered by warranty. (Thanks @TehStranger)
> Drive the cars. When I drove the Megane GT-Turbo (162 kW) last year October I was completely blown away by its ride, the Fiesta ST did not impress me with its suspension and interior but it's price point for the power you get certainly gave me a semi. Not one Renault dealer had a Clio RS for me to test drive. That left the Scirocco for me, until my dad said "Let's go to Arnold Chatz" and I never looked back. She might not be the quickest of the hot hatches, but she sure as hell was the most fun of the lot to drive and that's why I bought her.
> When you inspect the car do the following:
* Look for paint scratches, scuff marks and stone chips everywhere. Be meticulous about this. Negotiate a better price or otherwise have the dealership fix it.
* Check for loose fitting panels. This could indicate that the car was in an accident. On that note ask outright if the car was ever involved in an accident. Ask them to fix the issues at their cost or negotiate a better price.
* Check the doors and make sure they close without having to slam them. It's a simple job to adjust the locking mechanism if it is the cause, not such a simple job for the mechanically challenged to re-align the door.
* Insist to see the service booklet and ask them to give you a print out of the service history.
*
Check the conditions of the tyres! All the hot hatches you listed come with low profiles and the tyres usually last quite a bit less than regular cars. After 39000 km on the clock, I'm on my 2nd set of tyres and I don't do spirited driving - most of the time.
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