Totally wrong section probably but this is my fave room Thinkin of shiftin the turbo and gettin a Golf mk4, the 1.8 20v turbo one. These any good? And how do they compare power/speed wise to an RST? And are they easily tuneable? Cheers

 

personally i'd say don't do it....

they're kinda big and lumpy and really don't feel as fast as a 1.8T should if you know what i mean. Compared to an RS with moderate power i guarentee you'll be dissapointed.

all my opinion of course

 

Its just the birds just bought a new Mini Cooper and its just so much better driving a newer car its more comfy, smooth, reliable etc. I mean the RST is a great car and good to drive and good reputation and respect on the road and stuff but i just fancy somethin a bit newer until Im a wee bit older! Im 20, have had two RST's since i was 18 and i'm skint cos of it. If i did go for a newer car i know for definite id still have another RS down the line. It gets to you though that everyone in my family (apart from my dad) and work and stuff say ive got an old banger all the time. The only people who seem to like them are people who are into cars. You guys must know what i mean. My cars only done 32k now and it certainly is not a 'banger' to me! Look at me gettin all emotional and stuff about my car

 

mate the day you sell a 32k RST for a Golf GTI or similar is one you'll regret for the rest of your life....

they can call it a banger all they like lets see how theirs goes against it, i know who my moneys on lol. I'm 19 and always have people asking me why i bother with a shonky old escort, Because it's a car i've always liked and is proper underrated.

The reliability factor always comes into it, but you'll never get the rush you do from a RST.

Stick with the turbo mate

 

well, i think standard they are 150bhp and as said before prob wont feel quick. they are heavy and not great handlers. stick with thy rst. you will never turn heads in a gti

 

Dont do it, they are sooooo slow

Ive embarrased a few R32s and they will be alot more quicker than the one you are looking at

 

As above dont do it

 

well, it depends what u want. if u want a comfortably cruiser then get one. they can be tuned to 180bhp fairly easily as its a detuned audi tt engine i think.

a mk2 8v will prob match a standard one in performance

 

a mk2 8v probably isn't much more reliable than a RST, but i'd still have one of them over the mk4. G60 probably what i'd go for....

 

mk4 golf turbo's are pants dude. great build quality and all that but,very uninspiring to drive and well slow. they can be chipped to 210bhp very easily though!!

 

even with 210hp an RST with a genuine 180hp would still leave it dead...

no comparison IMO....

 

o yeah baby

 

they are silly slow mate! dont get one i beg you.

 

It's not all about speed. My next car will never be as quick as my RST, but at least I won't be driving a 19 year old Escort anymore


If you want a newer car and can put up with going slower, do it.

 

^^^ true, but i'd bet it would be regretted if a rst was stuck to his tailgate and he couldnt pull away. and lets face it people like to be quicker than the other bloke

 

But id let him past, switch on my heated leather seats and chill out knowing that im gonna get home ok and knowing my car will start the next morning for my work

I love the RST but i think its maybe gettin a bit old for me, no matter how fast it could be. Its a great fun car to drive but at the end of the day its now 16 years old and parts are getting harder to source, etc.
Ive still not got my mind 100% set on buyin a new car but im just tryin to weigh up the pros/cons

 

my mates got a 180bhp model with a tt 225 ecu, turbo back exhust and full intake system, makes 250bhp and the chatter it gives of is imense.
to smooth and modern for my liking but very quick and turbo chatter is good

 

the 40 yr old bloke that sold me the rst to me didnt sell it for reasons of age. he still loved it to bits, so never think your too old for it. its a classic car, not a lairy boy racer hot hatch, well its the way i look at them anyway.

everything u say makes sense though, there are valid arguements for and against.

do you like the attention yours get and would you miss it?
do u enjoy a b road thrash?
but, do u now prefer comfort whilst cruising etc over speed and character of a car?

anyway, good luck with whatever u do, at least u will be safe in the knowledge that ur money wont be tied up in the escort for long, it will sell in no time with that mileage im sure

 

get a seat leon cupra r, a induction kit, chip and decat and your looking at a real 260-270 bhp. better looking car to (yellow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

 

Still not that fast

 

i think alot of ford rs owners will find most other average cars not majorly quick.

leons are very nice cars though

 

being honest a nice cupra leon is tempting, i've been in one thats silly fast but still not the same rush, doesn't feel like raw power you get in a RS....

A type R is in the same sort of league without any lag so something else i'd think about (even though i waste most of em by 3rd gear ).

End of the day mate it's how you feel in a car, if you ain't happy overall in the RS it's a matter of time til you're just sick of it and there ain't much anyone can tell you.

(But make sure you keep the turbo anyway lol)

 

dont get a type r, my dads got one and its shit, 1800rpm power band (2300rpm if you cane it to the limiter) altho it does handle if you want to over take you may find your selves spending long periods of time holding the car at 6200rpm (thats when it comes on cam, power goes from 140bhp at 600rpm to 197 at 6200rpm) and unless you are up in the 6200+ rpm the car is very unispiring

again, the leon is to smooth (turbo comes on at about 1500 rpm) unlike the rs. i think its the quirkyness of the rs that atracts people (no power steering, no traction control, no eps, no abs (if your lucky) lots of lag and good fun.

but as most of you will agree, worry about whether your car will start in the morning, whether it will make it to work, whether it will blow up if you boot it to long, rust!!!, all of these factors are shite!!!!!!!!

i personally dont think you can rely on an rs turbo as a main car!!

 

i would have thought the gti would have been good for 250bhp to be honest ive sold my own rst in favour of getting something newer the feeling of crashing in pot holes has pointed me in a new direction

 

325ci sport coupe???
just a idea

 

why do people think RST's are unreliable?!

 

i ask that question aswell. i get it all the time that they are unreliable,BUT i have never once had a problem with mine(except fuel relay).

 

well i would like to get a mint rst one day but so many people on here inc me have spent so much on rsts and the reason i would say rsts are unreliable is bcos of there age and parts from ford are gettin harder to get now.

 

fair does mate. my s2 isn't mint,but its also not a shitter. didnt give alot for it either

 

Keep the S2 for special and get a nice runabout golf. Basic Mk3's can be had for buttons and even GTi's can be picked up for not a lot.