Rise of the used car market

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TimR

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Does anyone have a clear idea what the A110 would cost in Europe, as opposed the UK at all...?
 
mjheathcote

mjheathcote

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dickygrace said:
Same as here, they’re €59k and upwards.
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They aren't cheap, but then they are quite niche and all aluminium.
Residuals are high, you never see a cheap early car, but then, you rarely see one for sale that has actually been used either.
Manchester main dealer actually has an early car that has been used however, still early £40k`s
 
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TimR

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...and gently on the up, too..
It is the used car thread but I cant see residuals softening under the present global manufacturing circumstances....
 
dickygrace

dickygrace

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TimR said:
...and gently on the up, too..
It is the used car thread but I cant see residuals softening under the present global manufacturing circumstances....
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They will drop this year, there’s loads for sale and there aren’t many folk who’ll drop £50-60k on a Renault. Early ones will be £39995 in 6 months and £50k will give you the pick of them. I love the green one at Redline:


https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/20220322383402798157
 
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TimR

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Its just a turbo'd 4 banger...!
Its a very important little car IMO. And no less important, it had to be a very good car if it was to take it's place in the world of automobilia. And by most all accounts, it is !
They offer some great colours, and now speccing the chocolate brown leather that seemed to vanish before they settled on the three tier line up...and having done something to appease the techy types by uprating their woeful infotainment IIUC..
Its the only new car in the last >5 years to garner any interest from me, at any rate..!
 
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mjheathcote

mjheathcote

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TimR said:
Its just a turbo'd 4 banger...!
Its a very important little car IMO. And no less important, it had to be a very good car if it was to take it's place in the world of automobilia. And by most all accounts, it is !
They offer some great colours, and now speccing the chocolate brown leather that seemed to vanish before they settled on the three tier line up...and having done something to appease the techy types by uprating their woeful infotainment IIUC..
Its the only new car in the last >5 years to garner any interest from me, at any rate..!
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The problem is specing a new one, the essentials in my view add a significant amount to the base cost.
Just sports exhaust/wheels/brakes/parking sensors.
The cost for the additional colours are redicously expensive.
 
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TimR

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mjheathcote said:
The problem is specing a new one, the essentials in my view add a significant amount to the base cost.
Just sports exhaust/wheels/brakes/parking sensors.
The cost for the additional colours are redicously expensive.
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That's true. Im a whisker over £67K to spec the car of my choice, ( and no carbon roof ) !
But saving a few grand to get one that's used with the spec of someones else's vision, over a new car..Im not sure why you would unless availability is an issue.
Ignore me. Im not serious;y considering it atm. But that's the deal with buying second hand for me..Boring white/blue with blk interior...FFS. :(
 
FIFTY

FIFTY

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The problem is with spec'ing a new one is that the special colours are very expensive

The GT model comes with nearly everything you would want - more power better seats big brakes etc. Only the standard alloys on the GT are a bit naff

Also I noticed when you go from the A110 base model up to the GT or S the cost of the optional extras is almost half of that on the base model

So if you want a base model with nice seats, big brakes etc etc you are nearly at the base price of the GT minus 50hp

All rather infuriating!
 
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bigbob

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Chrisb2015 said:
Right all this talk about the A110 has reignited my interest. Just booked a test drive for an hours time. Will let you know what I think.
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Looking forward to the review. It is the only cost effective sports car that appeals to me at the moment. 300 PS soft spec with heated seats in dark blue please.
 
FIFTY

FIFTY

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I test drove one back to back with a GR Supra

After driving the Alpine, sat in the "Toyota" Supra; I took two turns out the garage and wanted to hand the keys back. While the Alpine much like with the 4200, I didn't want to stop driving...
 
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bigbob

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FIFTY said:
I test drove one back to back with a GR Supra

After driving the Alpine, sat in the "Toyota" Supra; I took two turns out the garage and wanted to hand the keys back. While the Alpine much like with the 4200, I didn't want to stop driving...
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I wanted to like the Supra but it is just over styled and will date quickly IMHO. Raw ingredients sound good mind.
 
Ewan

Ewan

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I opted for the (new/current) base model, and with my preferred spec it came to £54k. I went for dark blue, and upgraded the wheels. I only wanted a few other things, such as the storage pack and over-mats. I wanted to keep it simple, and don't need different brakes (there was nothing wrong with the standard brakes on the cars I have test driven, even on track), or parking sensors (I have eyes) or a sports exhaust (my Larini equipped Strad makes other cars sound pants anyway!).

Given that 2 and 3 year old cars can be £54k (or more), it seems to make more sense to just order new, and have the better infotainment, plus a full new warranty.

For clarity, although I have arranged this, I've not yet confirmed or paid the deposit. Mainly because I have a bid on a car coming to auction, so need to see what happens with that first. So I may, or may not, be about to be an Alpine owner.
 
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Chrisb2015

Chrisb2015

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So my very initial thoughts on the A110s are as follows....
  • It really is a good to drive as they say. I spent an hour in it unaccompanied on a variety of roads and surfaces. (Dual carriage ways, A roads, B roads and even some single track lanes).
    • Engine and gearbox - The integration is really good. The DCT is fairly flawless and keep it in either manual or sport and the changes are very crisp and ratios sensible. The engine is a lovely little thing, peppy, quick to respond and has real shove from low down. The small capacity engine with a relatively small turbo and low curb weight means it never felt laggy. This was one of the biggest surprises I had.
    • Drive - It goes really well to the point I would question if you sensibly need or could use much more on the public road. It is a fast car once on the move and the lack of weight really makes itself obvious when pushing on with the full 300 BHP. It changes direction in a really fluid way and never really felt flustered by either the road surface nor changes in camber.
    • Steering and breaking - The steering has a natural weight to it and seems very linear with lots of feedback from the road surface coming through. You can feel the road surface but the steering never pulls or distracts from the driving experience. They have nailed the steering and the wheel itself is the perfect size. The steering weight itself is lighter than the Strad I went in but heavier than a lot of other modern cars Ferrari, Audi etc. The brakes feel ideal for the job and really haul the car to a standstill and the car pleasantly avoids any pitching under braking.
    • Suspension - The S version I drove is the more focussed of the 3 model line up. On a ride/focus scale I would put it at about a 7. It is no Rolls Royce in the way it rides and you are always aware of the quality of the road surface and whilst undoubtedly firm the ride is compliant. It also avoids bouncing and bucking the way a Strad does and the Cup2 tyres were excellent.
    • Fit and finish - Perfectly acceptable with good panel gaps and some lovely design touches. Overall the material quality is good for most of the things you touch and interact with however those who love the bank vault, built to last forever feeling you get from a Porsche or Audi will be left wanting. It's not always the materials but the lightness that probably contributes to the feeling. For instance the interior door handle moves and flexes as you pull it and the centre console moves a little if you push it. I suspect these things could be easily fixed by high strength fixtures and fittings but these would weigh more. None of these things detracted from the overall feel good factor of the car.
    • Technology - How much do you need in this type of car? It has electric windows, mirrors, cruise control, a Focal stereo with CarPlay and a DAB Radio. I don't need anything else however if you value some other toys then I can understand it being a consideration.
    • Refinement - There is a lot of road and tyre noise. I suspect the relatively lightweight materials and lack of heavy sound insulation are to blame. It's not boomy or OTT but its more than your average daily driver. You could however hold a hands free call OK.
  • Summary - The car is a joy to drive and I defy anyone to have a go and be anything other than impressed by the way it moves down a road. Is it good value? Well at the entry point I think it is, at my ideal spec of £70k+ less so, but is it a bespoke sports car and you pay for exclusivity, low volume and the driving experience. I would have probably put a deposit down today but they dropped the bombshell that as I wanted the aero kit the car wouldn't even enter production until September. As we know, time kills deals.....
Any questions please let me know.
 
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Andyk

Andyk

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It is a great looking little car. I see in the updated one they had put a rear spoiler on the car….Delete that….why would they do this and spoil what is a lovely rear end.
 
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