Is it worth it?

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CallorFold

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Currently I own a Ford Focus 1.6 Petrol which I've owned for less than a year. The car has 34K on the clock and I managed to pick it up at a really good price of £4000. I reckon I could sell it for between £4000-4500.

The cost to buy an 09 Plate Twingo with around 20-30k on the clock would be about £7000.

Is the change worth while for the extra cost?

My reason for wanting to swap is really because I'm bored of my Focus. It's a great solid car, but I just don't feel myself enjoying it when I'm driving.

My uses for the car are generally short journeys, 5miles each way to work, and about 8each way from my place to my girlfriends also paired with occasional trips out but never anything too far. I do some motorway driving but by no means am I looking for a car oriented towards that. I want something small and nippy for A-roads and town driving.

Benefits of the Twingo:
Same fuel consumption as Focus
Cheaper Road Tax
From what I've seen all reviews say its great fun to drive!
Insurance would cost me about the same (only 21 years old)

So, is the extra £2500 ish worth me upgrading from my 100BHP Focus 06 plate with 34K on the clock, to a Twingo 133 09 plate with around 20-30K on the clock?
 
Welcome :) Am presuming you're looking at an RS (RenaultSport) twingo from your comments.

The twingos are amazing fun to drive, point it around on a fun A-road and it's always a hoot. There's enough power to keep you going, but not too much that it detracts from the handling. From a purely driving fun perspective, it's very hard to beat a twingo in the price bracket.

Some would say that there's not enough insulation against road noise, but unless you're doing lots of motorway miles I doubt it would bother you (It doesn't bother me). We've had members on here who have done lots of motorway miles in their 133s however, and been very happy with them.

Perhaps the only way for you to be able to tell would be to go have a good test-drive of one, and take it on the kind of roads you'll be using it on. Personally, I was hooked after my first test drive in a 133
 
As DrDrew said - get yourself a test drive of one and see what you make of it. I went from a clio 197 to a twingo and it hasn't bothered me in the slightest. I have just as much fun in the twingo as I previously had in the 197.
 
to add more to DrDrew. i have driven mine for 5 hours on motorway and doesnt bother me in the slightest. its noisy but you can still have a conversation at 70


and it is def a fun car to drive, it is 2 completely differnt beasts, keep it at 2/3 k on the needle and its a good fuel efficient run around but put your foot down and its a fantastic totally differnt car, that will be hard to get th smile off your face.
 
I went from a Clio 197 to rs twingo too and haven't looked back I love it, grips loads better than the Clio too if you drive it sensible you get really good mpg ( comparing to 197 ) go for it!
 
Thanks all for the great responses.

Yes it was the RenaultSport Twingo 133 - unsure if I would go for the CUP body or just the standard 133 but I'm personally not a fan of the Gordini.

As for the pricing, from what I've seen they're all pretty tightly packed around the £6000-10000 mark for anything ranging from 08 50K miles to 11 plate "almost new".

I guess a road test will give me a better understanding of it it's worth the upgrade or not. Most of my friends are telling me its not worth it, purely because the power gains aren't all that much and the car I have is perfectly fine. I just cant help but feel so bored every time I get behind the wheel of my Focus and something like this, with a bit more power, and a much lighter body, with no loss of features - just screams at me to BUY IT!! :)

EDIT: I'm using AutoTrader to search, and I'm based near Birmingham (West Midlands) and there really doesn't seem like much for sale locally, most are looking at quite a distance (60+ miles) which I'm sceptical about doing unless I see something that looks like a real gem!
 
well you could always go to a renault dealer and test drive a new one, as its only just a tweak on the old, so will basically drive the same.

def test drive, becasue you will be hooked, i know i was like most of us on here, after the first test drive you are screwed as will want one.

and yes there is not much if any power gain if any, but you dont buy a twingo for power, as there is more powerful small turboed cars. youd buy it for the fun of the drive and corners.
 
Matt on here is sellin his very nice white r26r look alike 10 plate cup for 8k

As manofhow said test drive 1 cos when u get back to the dealers your be signin the paper work.

I have a non cup 1 I got it because I won't my back to stay in 1 piece lol
 
Yeah the Twingo just seems to fit the bill perfectly for my requirements.

I simply cannot afford to insure, tax and run something closer to the 200BHP end of the scale....as much as id love to!

The Twingo has great reviews, will cost roughly the same to run as my current 1.6 Focus, and the insurance company wont take me to the cleaners! Not to mention I keep hearing its great fun to drive!

I shall look into booking a test drive in one soon :)
 
Just do it :D dont be boring :cool:
It will be a lot more fun and a bit more unique than your focus lol x
 
My thoughts exactly :)

I'm in no rush so I'll try and put a little money aside for a couple of months and keep my eye out for any little bargains that crop up :)

In the short-term, ill go book myself a test drive :)
 
Your friends have never driven a renaultsport have they?

Yes it's only 33bhp more but the focus weighs more and renaultsports are more known for their cornering/handling capabilities, you'll be surprised what the twingo RS's have to offer and many people underrate them until they have driven one.

Also to add to this the twingo RS is by no means 'fast' but neither is it slow, it seems to have a near perfect balance on running costs/power and handling.

Get down to you local Dealers and get a test drive is the best way to go about it though ;)
 
See that's the exact same attitude I had towards it. Sure 33bhp doesn't sound much, but it is MORE than what I have currently and with the improved handling, lighter weight it makes for an awesome little car!

The main selling point on this for me is the seemingly perfect balance of price vs performance. It's nicely within my budget's and the every day running costs seem to work out very similar to what I already have :)

Just wish I had the kind of cash laying around to go pick this up tomorrow because I would without hesitation :)
 
Everyone has said what I could say!

Get one and you won't regret it, I come from Milton Keynes and forever getting whooped between the roundabouts but drive it into the corners and nothing gets away!
 
CallorFold":19u55o7i said:
Most of my friends are telling me its not worth it, purely because the power gains aren't all that much and the car I have is perfectly fine

Don't listen (always) to friends ;)

I'm the only one of my friends that drives a Renault and you can't believe how much they've busted my balls for that.. until I've let them drive it.
 
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