Well, the other thing that's complicating my decision (it shouldn't, but it is) is the fact that my folks come down to Sydney one every 12-18 months, during which case I need to ferry them around. I'm currently driving a Honda (Acura) Integra coupe which my mother complains endlessly about how small the rear seat is (wait till she sees the Alfa kiddie rear seat) and about how there are only two doors, and how I should get a Toyota Corolla (which I will be happy to buy as my wife's car if and when I get married - a long time from now hopefully :D ). I can just hear the issues this is going to bring up if I get an Italian two-door, effectively two-seater car.

My sister's planning to trade in her RAV4 and get either a Toyota MR2 Spyder or an MG convertible which is STRICTLY two-seater so I guess we can take two cars whenever our folks visit - one for each parent. I can just see their faces when we go to mass in two cars. :D

I dunno - some might say it's a good position to be in but it's really giving me the shits - I don't want to make the wrong decision and then have to wait three years till my lease ends... http://www.pk-hq.com/community/images/smilies/1wut.gif

Built in stereos? Are you sure we're talking about scooters here? Never seen one with a built in stereo!
And what the hell are they doing on the pavement? Motor vehicles should be on the road. Anyone doing that in the UK would be looking at a hefty penalty.

Well here in the UK they are dead cool, I get loads of good comments about my Vespa - mostly because it has all the chrome on it which makes it stand out from all the gazillions of commuter-scooters about. People come over to talk to me about it, or wave at me/give thumbs up when I ride past.

[ 10-09-2002, 11:16 AM: Message edited by: Epona ]

Yes Epona, i DO mean scooters. I don't know exactly where the stereo is built in, but you can hear em coming from a mile distance. It's mostly 16 year olds that drive them and the music they play on it is mostly hardcore house. They just drive those scooters a little wild overhere. Especially the pizzadelivery boys get involved in a lot of accidents because they simply ignore every red light just to be in time with their delivery.

Memnoch, as a mechanic, I would strongly recommend the VW. You are going to have significantly fewer problems with it than with the Alfa. I have a soft spot for Alfas and Fiats, love 'em to death, but it's a near-constant battle to keep either on the road. Alfa geartrains are less reliable than Jaguar electrical, and that's not a good thing. Having driven the VW and Alfa models you're looking at, the straight-line performance is quite similar, although I preferred the Alfa for handling in mid to high speed cornering. You likely won't be able to get the same service level on the Alfa as you will on the VW, and the Alfa will be nearly guaranteed to have at least one significant service call over the course of a three-year lease. It's a tough decision to make, especially when you become emotionally attached to the idea of an Alfa, but I think you'll be better off in the long haul to get the VW.
My $.02.

This is EXACTLY the kind of info I need - each new car road test will rave about the qualities of the car in the present tense, but I'm also concerned with how they go over the course of three years - and resale value, of course.

And that emotional attachment - it's all good, but at the end of the day this is $2k a month for 36 months I'll be shelling out, so I want to make the right decision. AAAARRRGGGHHH!!!! [img]graemlins/madhell.gif[/img]

As a mech, can you recommend anything else around that range, Absynthe? I'm a masochist - I'd like to complicate my decision as much as possible. :D

But, but Menmoch!! I thought you were going to marry me!! *puppy dog eyes for old time's sake* or was that Victoria...? [img]tongue.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img] ;)

Good luck on the decision Mario! [img]smile.gif[/img]

Oh and I can attest to what Johnny says, scooters are mostly used by annoying adolescents here and yes, they do have built-in radios/stereos a lot of the times [img]graemlins/1disgust.gif[/img]

<font color=orange>GULP!!! Did you say $2000 per month? Is that US or Aussie? What is the exchange rate between the two? The payment on my wife's minivan is only $219 per month. I drive a '96 Toyota Camry which is paid off. BEST DAMNED CAR IN THE WORLD AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED! Of course, I'd like a pick-up truck, but with three kids and one car payment already, I don't see it happening anytime soon. :( </font>

Johnny, Melusine, blimey you learn something new every day.
Here you can only ride mopeds (under 50cc) at age 16 and that's what pizza delivery boys ride too. Now they are annoying!

I am sorry to hear that scooterists in your country are giving us a bad name :( Hardcore House, honestly. Makes me want to weep. You get a few House fans at rallies, but they're outnumbered 100 to 1 by mods and skins. Although having said that, with scooters becoming very trendy here at the moment it is only a matter of time before that happens here.

Mostly the youngsters here nip about on those little 50cc plastic jobs - not at all stylish. So it's easy to differentiate between them and the serious scoot enthusiast who ride mostly Vespas and Lambrettas.

I was wondering that myself Memnoch ;)

Being a member of the mod squad must pay great! [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img]

Honestly, I would recommend something from the top three Euro builders, VW, Mercedes or BMW, for the combination of capacity, reliability, amenities and performance that you're after. The Audi that Z posted a pic of is a fantastic car, but the price tag is steep. Have you looked into a Subaru WRX? Those are reliable, competent cars that can be outfitted for higher performance at a fairly good price - at least around here. Do your Mercedes dealers offer pre-owned leases? There's a couple around here that do, and it offers a nice in for a performance sedan at a lower cost than new.
Good luck on the hunt, Mem!