The TPU UK Clubhouse

[Tatty_Two]

I know a fair few people who rent cars aswell. Car ownership has gone a bit doolally.

Id still take an estate over an SUV any day.

Yeah I lease now, it works out cheaper for me than the cost of buying a half decent new car. I sold my old car which was paid for and got enough for the deposit and 2 years worth of rental without dipping my hands into my own cash.

 

[kurosagi01]

By rental you mean like PCP? I saw an article of people using rental cars from like enterprise for months or something.

 

[Tatty_Two]

By rental you mean like PCP? I saw an article of people using rental cars from like enterprise for months or something.

I assumed he meant leasing, with PCP you are the owner of the car but you have the option to hand it back at the end of the contract term or pay a lump sum to keep it, with leasing you will never be the owner, it's just a hand back, because of that I don't pay the road tax

 

[mechtech]

As much as I love my cars and even though I use a Faraday box for my car keys, if they want to take our cars they can take it. Just don't come near me or my partner or hurt my cat then I'm good.
Cars are replaceable at the end of the day.

My wheels are such a rusted beeter I’d probably have to pay someone to take it lol

 

[AusWolf]

Combination of inflation and car manufacturers know there are people out there that prefer driving hatchbacks over like performance Saloon and coupes.
Probably the biggest culprit to blame the trend is Volkswagen group and then the Japanese car manufacturers followed afterwards.

I am a firm believer that parents with newborn baby(babies) do not need compact SUV or even SUVs at all.
But the marketing trend is showing people buying compact SUV or even SUVs now as more of a status symbol and brainwashed people to think they need them as new parents.

SUVs are a fad. Some of them aren't even bigger than any other car when it comes to interior space. My company rented a Mokka for a trip of mine once. When I sat in, my first thought was "where has the car gone?"

The only people buying hot hatches now are enthusiast that have money or love to spend all their money on crazy finance deals on them.

That's a shame.

A hot hatch should be around 200 bhp and £20k max, imo. That's all the fun you need on public roads.

Yeah I lease now, it works out cheaper for me than the cost of buying a half decent new car. I sold my old car which was paid for and got enough for the deposit and 2 years worth of rental without dipping my hands into my own cash.

I'd never lease. I tend to make this weird emotional attachment to the things I own. It would break my heart to bring my car back to the dealership to get another one.

 

[Why_Me]

SUVs are a fad. Some of them aren't even bigger than any other car when it comes to interior space. My company rented a Mokka for a trip of mine once. When I sat in, my first thought was "where has the car gone?"


That's a shame.

A hot hatch should be around 200 bhp and £20k max, imo. That's all the fun you need on public roads.


I'd never lease. I tend to make this weird emotional attachment to the things I own. It would break my heart to bring my car back to the dealership to get another one.

SUV's and 4x4 pickup trucks are the go to vehicles if you live in the northern hemisphere such as Alaska, Canada or the Nordic countries.

 

[kurosagi01]

I assumed he meant leasing, with PCP you are the owner of the car but you have the option to hand it back at the end of the contract term or pay a lump sum to keep it, with leasing you will never be the owner, it's just a hand back, because of that I don't pay the road tax

I initially did PCP and then went with bank loan instead in the end.

SUVs are a fad. Some of them aren't even bigger than any other car when it comes to interior space. My company rented a Mokka for a trip of mine once. When I sat in, my first thought was "where has the car gone?"


That's a shame.

A hot hatch should be around 200 bhp and £20k max, imo. That's all the fun you need on public roads.


I'd never lease. I tend to make this weird emotional attachment to the things I own. It would break my heart to bring my car back to the dealership to get another one.

Pretty much compact SUVs are just fatter hatchbacks with a even worse turning circle which again..what makes it "safer"? I genuinely think people that think they can see more because they are higher up are delusional.

200bhp is all you need for nice twisty road blast for sure, motorway, straight-line speed though on the other hand if you want enough power to upset people 400hp is plenty and the max for any road car to be "safe".

I've pretty much gone down to use bank loan only now for my car purchases.

 

[AusWolf]

I initially did PCP and then went with bank loan instead in the end.

I'd never do PCP. Sure, the lower monthly instalments sound cool until you're facing the final payment at the end of the term. Also, bringing the car back is a no-go for me for the above mentioned reason.

Pretty much compact SUVs are just fatter hatchbacks with a even worse turning circle which again..what makes it "safer"? I genuinely think people that think they can see more because they are higher up are delusional.

I agree. Sitting higher can also be a weak point during an accident, as the weight centre of the vehicle is higher, making it more prone to roll over. Not to mention the longer play on the suspension which makes it more wobbly. I'll never understand where "sport" comes from in the term "sport utility vehicle". They're the exact opposite of being sporty.

200bhp is all you need for nice twisty road blast for sure, motorway, straight-line speed though on the other hand if you want enough power to upset people 400hp is plenty and the max for any road car to be "safe".

Exactly. That's why I'm thinking 200 bhp and £20k new should be where hot hatches fall. Leave the big turbos and V6es for the more expensive highway cruisers.

I've pretty much gone down to use bank loan only now for my car purchases.

Agreed. Nothing beats the interest rates on those (unless your credit score is rubbish, of course).

 

[kurosagi01]

I'd never do PCP. Sure, the lower monthly instalments sound cool until you're facing the final payment at the end of the term. Also, bringing the car back is a no-go for me for the above mentioned reason.


I agree. Sitting higher can also be a weak point during an accident, as the weight centre of the vehicle is higher, making it more prone to roll over. Not to mention the longer play on the suspension which makes it more wobbly. I'll never understand where "sport" comes from in the term "sport utility vehicle". They're the exact opposite of being sporty.


Exactly. That's why I'm thinking 200 bhp and £20k new should be where hot hatches fall. Leave the big turbos and V6es for the more expensive highway cruisers.


Agreed. Nothing beats the interest rates on those (unless your credit score is rubbish, of course).

You have the option to extend the PCP if you wanted to keep the car which is what I initially thought of doing but I kept changing my mind back then.
I went from black GT86 to a "performance" diesel as I was doing a lot of mileage, which was the worst decision I have made in my life.

Most likely the sports utility vehicle came from because they were originally used for people that drive on farms or do a lot of off-road driving.
Which is what they were designed for..but they started selling them as a "ordinary" car and is now used as a "status" car or used as a marketing gimmick for new parents.

200hp around £20k was the hot-hatch domain back in 90-2000s, the mk5 golf GTI was around that price bracket, the EP3 Civic Type-R was the same as well.
Step in the Audi S3, Audi RS3 and BMW 130i that is when the price started creeping up.

 

[Eva01Master]

But to the same token, the M140i, the RS3 and later, the AMG A45S brought a different level of performance and luxury to the tier, they are not hot hatches, but super hatches; every manufacturer seems to be dialing up the amount of HP they can cram into that form factor, kinda like sports cars became supercars, which became hypercars...

I'm on a Q3 right now, but it's time to retire it, I think I'll go get one of the same, but newer, depending on the cockpit space of the new platform, with the seat completely back and reclined, the B pillar usually robs me of visibility on most cars.

 

[Tatty_Two]

But to the same token, the M140i, the RS3 and later, the AMG A45S brought a different level of performance and luxury to the tier, they are not hot hatches, but super hatches; every manufacturer seems to be dialing up the amount of HP they can cram into that form factor, kinda like sports cars became supercars, which became hypercars...

I'm on a Q3 right now, but it's time to retire it, I think I'll go get one of the same, but newer, depending on the cockpit space of the new platform, with the seat completely back and reclined, the B pillar usually robs me of visibility on most cars.

I test drove the new M135 a few months ago as I was trying to decide which model of the new 1 series to buy, damn that thing was a monster (in a good way..... mainly) but ended up getting the 120 Msport, still pretty quick but much better ride quality, my old bones just can't take the hurtin anymore

 

[kurosagi01]

But to the same token, the M140i, the RS3 and later, the AMG A45S brought a different level of performance and luxury to the tier, they are not hot hatches, but super hatches; every manufacturer seems to be dialing up the amount of HP they can cram into that form factor, kinda like sports cars became supercars, which became hypercars...

I'm on a Q3 right now, but it's time to retire it, I think I'll go get one of the same, but newer, depending on the cockpit space of the new platform, with the seat completely back and reclined, the B pillar usually robs me of visibility on most cars.

Indeed all the 300hp+ HP hatchbacks are now in a "super hatch" category, but the media doesn't list them under that but so be it.

I test drove the new M135 a few months ago as I was trying to decide which model of the new 1 series to buy, damn that thing was a monster (in a good way..... mainly) but ended up getting the 120 Msport, still pretty quick but much better ride quality, my old bones just can't take the hurtin anymore

I did consider M135i/140/235/240 before I settled with the Type-R, there was way too many beaten up ones around the sub £20k mark even if they have around 20-80k mileage. The cabin space is a lot more cramped in them as well in comparison to other 300hp hatches. Insurance wasn't a deal breaker for me as all my insurance has essentially been the same.

 

[AusWolf]

You have the option to extend the PCP if you wanted to keep the car which is what I initially thought of doing but I kept changing my mind back then.
I went from black GT86 to a "performance" diesel as I was doing a lot of mileage, which was the worst decision I have made in my life.

I don't like diesel. It's dirty and it sounds like ass.
I don't like PCP, either. I like owning what I buy. PCP/lease is more like a subscription service than actual ownership.

Most likely the sports utility vehicle came from because they were originally used for people that drive on farms or do a lot of off-road driving.
Which is what they were designed for..but they started selling them as a "ordinary" car and is now used as a "status" car or used as a marketing gimmick for new parents.

That's a nice story, but where does the word "sport" come into play? Working on a farm isn't a very sporty thing to do, neither is being a new parent.

200hp around £20k was the hot-hatch domain back in 90-2000s, the mk5 golf GTI was around that price bracket, the EP3 Civic Type-R was the same as well.
Step in the Audi S3, Audi RS3 and BMW 130i that is when the price started creeping up.

Heck, even my (now stolen) Fiesta ST was about 18 grand brand new back in '16. That's what a hot hatch is, imo.

 

[68Olds]

Speaking of SUVs, I saw a Rolls Royce Cullinan yesterday. I have never seen one before so I googled 'rolls royce suv' to find the model. The search found several used models (2021) in the $350,000usd price range. WTF!

https://www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com/en_US/showroom/cullinan.html

 

[AusWolf]

Speaking of SUVs, I saw a Rolls Royce Cullinan yesterday. I have never seen one before so I googled 'rolls royce suv' to find the model. The search found several used models (2021) in the $350,000usd price range. WTF!

https://www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com/en_US/showroom/cullinan.html

That's no surprise. Even Lamborghini has an SUV these days.

 

[Count von Schwalbe]

That's a nice story, but where does the word "sport" come into play?

This is what an SUV should be able to do.

=

 

[Eva01Master]

Speaking of SUVs, I saw a Rolls Royce Cullinan yesterday. I have never seen one before so I googled 'rolls royce suv' to find the model. The search found several used models (2021) in the $350,000usd price range. WTF!

https://www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com/en_US/showroom/cullinan.html

Can't call a Cullinan an SUV, the guys at Rolls Royce will get mighty mad. When they were coming with the marketing for this car, they decided to come up with some major bullshit like "tall-sided vehicle" if memory serves me.

 

[AusWolf]

View attachment 402618View attachment 402619

This is what an SUV should be able to do.


View attachment 402622 = View attachment 402621

I guess that comes down to the sad reality we live in today. No car / phone / personal computer / etc. is what it's supposed to be anymore. They're all fake status symbols these days.

 

[68Olds]

Can't call a Cullinan an SUV, the guys at Rolls Royce will get mighty mad. When they were coming with the marketing for this car, they decided to come up with some major bullshit like "tall-sided vehicle" if memory serves me.

My apologies to the guys at RR, but if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck... Well, you know.

 

[KrazyT]

Just checked the RR website, Cullinan model and no "SUV" word
I can think of RR as the one luxury car company that the price tag is almost correct.

 

[kurosagi01]

Well speaking of cars...no more Civic Type-R being sold in Europe and UK, a limited edition will be available to order next year which will be the last set sold.
I guess the prices of JDM civic type-Rs are just going to go up in value even more and maybe all the rest of the Type-R in the UK might go up in value too.
Toyota is apparently looking to manufacture the GR Corolla in the UK which means there could be both GR Yaris and Corolla to choose.

 

[KrazyT]

Seen that.
Here, the future last edition of Type-R will cost 64.420 € with a beautiful 58.134 € malus, total : 122.554 €.
*edit : Just 1 model will be available here in France !

It's cool to have right steering, you can import cars directly from Japan !

 

[AusWolf]

Well speaking of cars...no more Civic Type-R being sold in Europe and UK, a limited edition will be available to order next year which will be the last set sold.
I guess the prices of JDM civic type-Rs are just going to go up in value even more and maybe all the rest of the Type-R in the UK might go up in value too.
Toyota is apparently looking to manufacture the GR Corolla in the UK which means there could be both GR Yaris and Corolla to choose.

The problem with late model Type-R in my opinion is that they transformed the small and affordable pocket rocket into a £30k+ racing machine. There's got to be a limit of how much people are willing to pay for a hot hatch, and the Type-R crossed that boundary by a considerable margin. Now, Toyota is making the same mistake with the GR Yaris, imo. Like I said, £20k (maybe £25k) and 200 bhp is where a hot hatch should be.

Seen that.
Here, the future last edition of Type-R will cost 64.420 € with a beautiful 58.134 € malus, total : 122.554 €.
*edit : Just 1 model will be available here in France !

That's exactly the problem with the hot hatch market lately. Manufacturers try to sell them as supercars for some odd reason.
As a result, people looking for a hot hatch can't afford them anymore, while people looking for supercars are not interested.

It's cool to have right steering, you can import cars directly from Japan !

As long as you don't mind the indicator and wiper stalks being on the opposite sides of the steering wheel (the UK has the indicator on the left, Japan has it on the right).

 

[kurosagi01]

Seen that.
Here, the future last edition of Type-R will cost 64.420 € with a beautiful 58.134 € malus, total : 122.554 €.
*edit : Just 1 model will be available here in France !

It's cool to have right steering, you can import cars directly from Japan !

Since the FK2 release they went from £30k-35k to like £35-40k I think for the FK8? And then FL5 is £45k+?

The problem with late model Type-R in my opinion is that they transformed the small and affordable pocket rocket into a £30k+ racing machine. There's got to be a limit of how much people are willing to pay for a hot hatch, and the Type-R crossed that boundary by a considerable margin. Now, Toyota is making the same mistake with the GR Yaris, imo. Like I said, £20k (maybe £25k) and 200 bhp is where a hot hatch should be.


That's exactly the problem with the hot hatch market lately. Manufacturers try to sell them as supercars for some odd reason.
As a result, people looking for a hot hatch can't afford them anymore, while people looking for supercars are not interested.


As long as you don't mind the indicator and wiper stalks being on the opposite sides of the steering wheel (the UK has the indicator on the left, Japan has it on the right).

Well we all know the Type-R got bumped into the "hyper" hatch category...although I think since the release of FK8 and FL5 they are more a saloon than hatchback. Similar to the Skoda Octavia.
The last true hatchback would be the FK2 but that obviously got price bump because of the new engine setup with a turbo.

There really isn't any "new" hot hatch that fits the category of around £20k new anymore, does the fiat 500 abarth still exist?
The i20n would have been great if people actually gave Hyundai a chance but they dropped i20n not long after release.
The warm hatch like Swift sport 1.4 turbo still exist I believe.
Peugeot have given up with hot hatches and so have Vauxhall since being bought by PSA(Peugeot).

The Mini Cooper got priced out instantly as BMW got greedier.

 

[Tatty_Two]

The problem with late model Type-R in my opinion is that they transformed the small and affordable pocket rocket into a £30k+ racing machine. There's got to be a limit of how much people are willing to pay for a hot hatch, and the Type-R crossed that boundary by a considerable margin. Now, Toyota is making the same mistake with the GR Yaris, imo. Like I said, £20k (maybe £25k) and 200 bhp is where a hot hatch should be.


That's exactly the problem with the hot hatch market lately. Manufacturers try to sell them as supercars for some odd reason.
As a result, people looking for a hot hatch can't afford them anymore, while people looking for supercars are not interested.


As long as you don't mind the indicator and wiper stalks being on the opposite sides of the steering wheel (the UK has the indicator on the left, Japan has it on the right).

Everything non pocket rocket costs these prices in 2025 (with the odd exception), take a look at this SEAT Leon for example mid sized family hatchback, mid spec, not one of their sportier models with just a 116BHP engine, this is brand new from their website, I only use this as an example because I bought the 300BHP Cupra version of this car in 2017 for less money, prices are going up faster than graphic cards .............