As you know (I've bored you enough with it) this car hunt was about finding something that made me feel good about the world in general so I wanted something to make me smile - trouble is the only car I really wanted was a porsche 997 Carrera S.
Having looked at all the numbers I concluded yes I could buy a 997 but it would have to be a Gen 1 and I would then live in fear of what might happen so I decided that for my own sanity I will only buy a Gen 2 997 (may not happen in my lifetime but I can live with that).
Having found the perfect spec M135 at a great price the family ventured out with the intent to purchase it and once we got to the test drive at the dealer my lads went straight past it to the E92 M3 :doh: - not a good sign really (the E46 M3 in the showroom didn't help matters much). So we did the test drive and the car felt nice, high riding position, very comfy with all mod cons and in sport mode you knew the engine would be fun BUT there wasn't a peep out of the posse :nerves: (another bad sign). We concluded that although quick the M135 just didn't feel special (the drab interior didn't help although it is much improved from previous generations so its not low rent at all like the Megane), it didn't grab us and make us want to fork out £27k+.
I wanted a car my wife and I could enjoy and getting to the TT (a 2.0 TFSI Special Edition in Black so no fancy Quattro or S-tronic gizmo's) as you can imagine my wife fell in love with the looks and after a drive she was smitten but this would have no bearing on the final outcome as it was to be my car (I do want everyone to be happy though). Lads thought it looked so much better than the M135i too.
Then it came to driving it, I wasn't expecting much to be honest (reputations and all that) so I snuggled into the drivers seat and first reaction was - this feels really upmarket (the opposite of the BMW), I felt good but that doesn't mean much if the drive isn't up to scratch. Once I'd gotten used to the feeling of it and I had sussed the car is very planted I pushed it a little and the car responded brilliantly and the numb steering people refer to was no worse than the M135 - it was looking positive. Once I got into the groove I realised that for me right now this was a car I could enjoy without losing my licence, feel good and the car looks great (being a 2009 car there were some body related makes that could easily be sorted). Dare I say it, it felt like a more cultured version of the 997 Gen 1 without the costs that go with it.
So it was unanimous decision that we would go for the TT with a view to keeping it 18 months and then re-evaluate, so yes
I have bought the TT j:
I know they have a reputation but so do the meganes and the bimmers etc. but all I can say to anyone looking is don't go for the obvious one without test driving and seeing for yourself. Yes it's been a long journey but I applied the same principles I applied when buying hifi i.e. try it for yourself (
I did have some prompting on here by Jezzer and I can't thank you enough for it mate :hug:have a hug from me
). The TT has come in at just under £13k so we've spent a lot less than first anticipated (although that wasn't the limiting factor in this choice) and ignoring the Porsche I would say the Megane was the 2nd best drivers car from the ones I drove, it just made me feel good and on reflection I would have bought it over the M135 despite everyones protestations, 4 years warranty etc negates any fears in my eyes no matter how badly built they are - all the buyer has to do is hand the keys over to the dealer for them to fix the car for free - it's a really good car IMO.
The best part of this route is that if we can live with the TT and the Yeti for 18 months then the process starts again but this time it will be a straight choice between a 997 Gen 2 or an E92 M3 so watch this space folks!
Now all I've got to do is sell my mint MK4 Golf GT TDi, she's a real beauty :cs:
Thank you everyone for your thoughts along my journey I can genuinely say you've helped shape the final outcome and you guys are like family (I'll now wait for the barage of hairdresser comments, probably warranted but I don't care as I love the car
).