I have driven the Cooper S (3 door) and thought it was a brilliant handler but it was also a little too stiff and didn’t feel like it was a league above the Octavia vRS in terms of premiumness.
BHPian mango_pal recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
There are four of us in the house, my parents, my partner & I.
We have three cars at present, largely because of legacy: both my parents and I used to commute to work every day.
Now however, we don’t need three cars. The last time all three of them were used at the same time was in 2020!
This is the garage:
- 2016 Vento 1.2 TSI (run 25,000km); bought new
- 2016 Audi A3 TDI (run 45,000km); bought used in 2018
- 2017 Octavia vRS 230 (run 42,000km); bought used in 2021
All three cars are in immaculate condition.
So we are looking to downsize the garage to two cars and these are the options that we were considering the following options:
Option 1: Sell the A3 and the Vento, buy a used Mini Countryman S
- The reason for this option is that both my parents love the Mini Countryman and as both of them are driving enthusiasts, they want the S or the JCW.
- This option also means that the capital outlay post selling the two cars will be ~15 lakhs which is acceptable.
- The downside of this is we have two relatively premium cars in the garage: the Mini and the vRS and no real workhorse / beater car.
Option 2: Sell the A3, keep the Vento and the vRS, don’t buy another car
- Financially, this is just more sensible. Pocket the money from the sale of the A3 (depreciation of the car is next to 0 considering the current market) and use the Vento for city pitter-potter and the vRS for longer drives.
- The downside of this is that they don’t get the car that they love (or think they love).
This brings me to a few questions: is the Mini Cooper Countryman S worth it (leaving price aside)? I have driven the Cooper S (3 door) and thought it was a brilliant handler but it was also a little too stiff and didn’t feel like it was a league above the vRS in terms of premiumness. What does the Coutryman offer that the vRS doesn’t?
Would love the community’s thoughts on the above two options, feedback on the Countryman S, and if there are any other cars that we might be overlooking which could be better than the Countryman (compact and fun to drive!)
PS: Selling the vRS is not an option!
Here’s what BHPian sunikkat had to say on the matter:
Option 3: Sell the Vento, keep A3 and vRS. Do a stage 1 remap for A3 and you have 2 totally fun to drive cars + Audi badge
No additional cost, but will save some money too
Here’s what BHPian dipen had to say on the matter:
Option 1
Sell the Vento and buy no new car. The A3 can be a good beater. Its a TDI, is fast, is frugal, relatively compact and handles decently well. This way all drivers in the house will be happy as both vRS and A3 are enjoyable to drive so no one feels the pinch in picking either key. Issue with this option is that its so easy that you wont feel any change in life (change is the spice of life). No new toy to play with.
Option 2
Sell the Vento and A3 though I wouldn’t recommend the Countryman S. The ride quality is just abysmal for the price across all Coopers. You already have one stiff car in the Vrs. Buy a comfortable luxury SUV (compact / semi-large) as the next. Since you are happy with pre-owned options earlier, the choices are plenty. Whole idea is the upgrade or change should feel like one both engine and ride wise and features wise or at least overall. The variety of cars will add spice and depending on the mood, road trip; the choice will be made.
Here’s what BHPian shancz had to say on the matter:
The cars you’ve mentioned fall beyond my means so the below suggestions are primarily driven by numbers and guesswork.
Some observations:
- The A3 TDI should be the one to go.
- The Vento TSI, bought new, should serve as an excellent beater till it lasts. No point taking a hit by selling it and buying something else.
- If your parents love the Countryman then get it, no point playing practical on it. If you look at the alternatives all I can see is the Kodiaq and the Tiguan which according to me aren’t really a competition as the exclusivity of the Countryman is unmatched. Plus would be a nice change to welcome something outside the VW-Skoda family
Which option to go with is your call but I see another option, with a 3 car garage, where the Vento as the beater, the Countryman for your parents and the vRS for you.
I don’t think that the savings in selling the Vento and buying another beater car would exceed 2-3 lakhs and this doesn’t include the steep downgrade you’ll feel when you step out from the vRS or the Countryman into the beater which isn’t the Vento. Not to forget the safety angle as well.
Here’s what BHPian lamborghini had to say on the matter:
Sell the Vento, keep the A3 & the vRS :
Biggest downside of the Vento is the dry clutch DSG especially since yours is pretty much city run. The A3 is fairly easy to drive around the city, and is a very nimble handler (without compromising on the ride) not to mention wouldn’t feel as aged as the vento.
A remap would give the A3 the added punch too.
The money from the sale of the Vento would look after the maintenance of both the vRS and the A3 – and in Bombay, the A3 can function as a beater – get PPF on the bumpers + mirrors and you are good to go.
Similarly the vRS is a legend in it’s own so I’d keep it and enjoy it and maybe after a few years upgrade to a 330 / Mini.
That being said, I’d actually consider selling this off and picking up a pre-owned Cooper / Countryman S or JCW if the heart desires instant gratification along with the Vento as both the vRS and Mini have a lot of similar qualities – fun to drive, petrol powered, stiff ride.
This way you have a fun car (vRS / Mini) + a cruiser (A3).
Keyword: The garage dilemma: Which car to sell between a VW Vento & an Audi A3?