really liking the idea of a 20vt, and thinking of buying one once i've sold my 2 current cars. i'm struggling to think of many cars that compete directly with the 20vt as alternatives. i know i'll get a biased opinion on here, but how does the coupe compare to the mini cooper s? i know it's more expensive, but it's within my reach.

other turbos i can think of are the forfour brabus, astra vxr, corsa vxr, seat cupra, golf gti, etc. but all of these are either too expensive, or just don't appeal to me.

i guess the audi tt 225bhp is another contender... anyone driven one of these?

i should explain something else. i'm based in ireland, so smaller engines are more attractive as you pay far less road tax.

out of all the cars listed above the coupe is the cheaper option and for the package you get with the coupe 20vt

a/c
brembos
leather interior with the best interior ive seen of a car in its class
unique looking car
huge boot space
room for 4 full size adluts unlike the TT
225bhp for less than 2k
pre 2000 so cheap road tax unless ireland is slightly different

None of the ones mentioned seems to be in the same category / class. Other than the TT maybe (although Germanic styling ahem). So... what are you actually looking for in a car?

i have had a go off the tt not my sort of car doesn't handle that good for being 4wd not that quick . my mate owns a s3 that is alot better car but what ever floats your boat

i'm looking for lots of torque without a huge engine. needs to handle around corners, and be fairly comfy. even when you take money out of the equation, the coupe makes sense for me. i'd like it to look good too, so the S3 is out. i guess a nissan 200sx is an option?

Nissan 200SX is slightly down on power and torque (well... depending on state of tune and version).

I guess depending on personal taste you might want to look at the RS Fords, maybe an early Boxster, Supra,... Then again the Fiat Coupe is something special and you can really fall in love with it for its looks, quirks, character, speed, flair,... well lots of things really. Just try to get the best one you can afford. Generally the ones that look really good are really good. The cars seem to get treated inside and outside equally well by their owners. Buying one from a Forum member might offer you some extra insight into its life and maintenance as well as problems, which is probably worth more than a Full Fiat Main Dealer Service History.

Treat the car well and it will treat you well.

the only car of te similar era that the reviews are slighty better for are for the v.w corrado vr6,the rover 220 turbo,calibre turbo were poor towards the fiat/vw equivelents mind you a bmw 328i coupe was nice

i like to ask but are you 17-18 looking for a cheap turbo car.

as we all know the only real threat and contender for the 20vt is the 16vt

How about the ST205 Celica GT4? Lots of torque, 4WD with great handling but a bit thirsty and a bit old by now.

I would also consider what kind of typical driving you intend to do with the prospective car. Ive owned plenty of cars and a good coop shines above most when you do a lot of highway/expressway driving...for me there is something special about the 20VT in the 60-90mph region, right in the meat of the torque curve and all without the need to select lower gears! I would go as far as saying i get more satisfaction from my 20VT for high speed cruising than my 360 Modena!

(different story in the twisties and start-stop traffic though - i take my Modena for the former and my S/C M Coupe for latter )

Ive got a Mazda RX8 231 and theyre a great car in the twisties. Yes MPG is not great, but they look great inside and out.

The coupe is a fantastic car though. I had one a while ago and im back on the forum looking to buy another one. There really is something addictive about them!

If it's soley tax you're worried about and can live with the fuel costs then a RX7 or RX8 should be right up your street. They have a 1.3L engine.

I can only think of a one car that matches the coupe on price, performance and looks.
Alfa GTV 3.2 V6

Although with the Alfa you don't have back seats worth a damn, the boot space isn't great and its more thirsty tan the coupe... but its the closest I can think of.

I've owned both the coupe and the GTV, and I love them both. I've also owned 156 V6 and 2.0TS. I love them all, they've got character that you don't get in other cars.

This video was posted in "coupe press" section.
Top Gear Coupe test
Might help a little

Agree with Spookly, the GTV V6 is by far the best comparison for price / performance as they are also available for around the same price and offer blend of style and performance..

I have also owned both, the 20 VT and GTV V6, they are different in character and the engines are both very different in deliver (coupe is low down torque, more grunt and GTV more top end power and high rev V6 noise)

Coupe is def more practical, more economical but i would say the GTV hasnt dated quite as much as the coupe and the standard leather seats in GTV are MUCH better than the std leathers in the coupe, and come in much nicer colours (tan or red in particular look good compared to the tan in the coupe which i think looks cheap and nasty compared to the tan in the GTV which looks like ferrari tan leather) I would also say there is a much better choice of good GTV's on the market than 20VT's now.

As far as looking after them, the 20VT and GTV's i owned were both superbly reliable but i was very fussy about service history before i bought.

My aim is to stick both a 20VT and a GTV V6 (red, tan leather or silver with red leather IMO are best combinations) in my garage because you can buy a very good version of both for between 3 and 4k.

They are very similar cars but with different character but both equally appealing i think

happy hunting, i am looking too !

mini cooper s - superbly well handling car but very common!

forfour brabus - is a Mitsi Colt?
astra vxr - is just another astra and common
corsa vxr - heard good reviews but still a corsa
seat cupra - don't know enuf to comment
golf gti - just another golf but i see the appeal too
audi tt 225 - timeless & classic car already, slower than you'd think though

A well cared for Coupe Plus or LE would be what your after, slightly modded, nice torque, a decent suspension upgrade and nice exhaust, so so exclusive and Roberts your father's Brother!

mini cooper does handdle well, but not that quick and look at the shocking 0-100 and 60-100 times! not that well made on the pre face lift. very common.

forfour are quick and look nasty and not very well made most smarts have very bad reliablty.

astra vxr isn't a bad car its quick and fun even if it does torque steer but at 10k starting prices its hardly a coop contender. will lose the apeal once older like the mk4 astras did.

corsa vxr, almost a better bet than the astra as they are smaller and more chuckable but not as quick. like the styling and the interior is well made and feels nice with lovely seats. bad image will kill prices and again not in the same price bracket as a coop.

seat cupra- don't have much experiance of the leon but the ibiza is a cracking little car well made and nice enough in side and handles quite well. power is easy to get to.

golf gti, i take it you mean the mk4 golf as its the most costest price wise to a coop, crap cars! hated driving my ex's car and unless you have the turbo no go and i wouldn't even say the turbo is quick. handles like crap and not well made either and they are easy to break in to like we found out twice in 4 months!

audi tt not much knolage from them but nice enough.

The Cupra turbo (in either R or VT guise) is a good car. I had one for 6 months as a temporary company car and liked it.

Powerful, smooth turbo... nice. But look at it, and then look at a coupe or a GTV... what do you think?

I actually prefer the look of the coupe to the GTV. Although its a close call. Last week I sold my GTV :-( ... too many cars lying around for the wifes liking. So I am now down to just the coupe and my wifes slightly modded 156 2.0 TS. But I plan on keeping a coupe in my garage, and probably getting a GTV again.

just to clarify, i'm 28, so insurance is not a problem.
it seems the only worthy contender is the GTV. i prefer the GTV in many ways, mainly aesthetic, but i would rather low down torque, rather than revving the nuts off it to get to the power band (i've done the honda thing already).

i already wanted a coop, now i've officially made up my mind. all that's needed is to sell my cars now... in the current market, that could take a while, so you may not hear from me for a while, but i'll be keeping my eyes on the classified section

The GTV low down is a lot, lot better than the Coupe off boost. Granted, when the Fiat has spooled up the surge of torque is nice, and something the N/A GTV can't keep up with. But that doesn't happen until 2750RPM (IIRC ). It depends on your definition of low down really. However I have always found my GTV to be a lot more responsive throughout the revrange, however it is slower than a Coupe.

This was my standard Coupe:



And heres a graph I found for a GTA (Granted slightly different to the 3.0)

JCW Works, plenty quick enough for any UK road and not common like the standard S Comparable 0-60 to a standard 20vt at 6.4 seconds and a complete rollerskate Sounds nothing like a coupe though Whirr and go as my brother has dubbed it

Very hard ride on urban roads, partly down to the run-flats, but also the uprated suspension (the standard S is bumpy too)

Set you back at least £8k for a decent one though

Depends what is on the V5 - a lot of imported RX7 are registered as a 2.6. Some insurance companies will not insure an RX7 registered as a 1.3

even the works minis and stuff aren't that quick above 60mph and aren't as quick as a coop.

Mini's are un-reliable for what they are and very expensive when they go wrong. I have a mate, who's a mechanic and works for FA Roper and won't touch them or Smart cars as they are a nightmare when things go wrong.

I looked at Cupra r's before the coupé, no comparison - they are dull inside and out and for 225 bhp pretty flat.

156 / 147 GTA??

Unless you track it, it is plenty quick enough for that additional 10mph that is legal

I haven't had any reliability issues while I have had mine

"but all of these are either too expensive, or just don't appeal to me."

You said it mate.

There is NOTHING comparable for the price.

I went through the same process and considered many of the same cars.Not mentioned which I also thought about were the Renault Alpine GTA and Smart brabus roadster coupe. I kept coming back to the coop though. I got a 97 20vt off a forum member and imported it from leeds , it was only €600 vrt then but probably more now they've changed the rules. Had the car a few years now and very happy with my decision. I pay around 600 euros tax and the same again for insurance. The search for alternatives is interesting but ultimatelly fruitless, I don't think you will find better value for money.
hmmmmmm
.......

Unless you find a pre 79 Lotus with modern running gear and a Hayabusa engine or some such creation which manages to dodge all the tax/ vrt loop holes.Backpages of Retro cars magazine is your best bet for that kind of thing.

just to clear up a misconception - i OWN a smart roadster, and it is not unreliable, in fact i had more hassle with my honda and suzuki in the past. it hasn't missed a beat in the 18 months i've owned it, it has has been a joy to drive and own, and the running costs are about as cheap as you can get for a car.

shaggy... here's a long shot... any chance you want to trade in your coop for a roadster?

and by the way shaggy, i think you might be on octane.ie - if so, i'll see you at the classic run on sunday, i'll be driving my bmw 2002...