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RS4 James

Is the GT86 going to be safe for my girlfriend?

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Hi, I'm new on here.  I have been thinking about another car for a while now to replace the current Audi B5 RS4 which has been a truly fantastic car over the last 6 years.  The Audi will be missed greatly, it’s been a real all weather load lugger (although the 4 figure service bills and 22mpg won’t be missed).  The only issue with the Audi is that it’s always been a very rare car and now that it’s 18 years old, the values are going upwards yet the parts availability to keep them running is going downwards.  In truth I don't really want to sell it but it does make sense to get something newer for the daily drive, hopefully saving a lot of money in running costs in the process.
 
I’ve driven some newer Audi RS cars (RS3 & RS4) but neither seem to match the excitement and feeling of being truly special that I currently have with the much older B5 RS4.  I also have a VW Transporter now so don’t necessarily need the practicality of an estate or hatchback car.  So that’s where the GT86 comes in.  I think I am after something completely different from what I am used to.
 
I went to drive a GT86 last year (the Subaru version) at a main dealer and it felt great.  I loved the way the back end easily stepped out of line and could be collected again.  But therein lies the problem:  
 
My girlfriend is moving in next month and we will only have space for 2 x vehicles so the GT86 would be the one car to replace both my RS4 and also her ageing Fiat Panda, leaving the VW Transporter to take care of the practical stuff.  My girlfriend is not a confident driver, gets flustered easily behind the wheel and she has little interest in driving or cars other than in getting from A to B.  She has never driven the Audi and although she likes the look of the GT86, she would prefer to replace the Audi with something more mundane, higher and practical like a Skoda Yeti.  Good car I know but not exactly exciting.
 
I think I can easily talk her round to the GT86 but the question is whether it is sensible to be giving a fairly twitchy tail happy car to someone who might not know what to do (and who might panic) should the back end slide?  The roads round our way (Peak District) can be quite slippery with leaves, ice, mud etc this time of year and I’d feel really terrible if she ended up loosing the back end and spun off the road or worse.
 
I know that some skid pan training might be useful for her - if I could convince her to give it a go.  Has anyone else had this dilemma?  How easy is the GT86 to drive for those who don't appreciate, care or know the difference between FWD and RWD?  Would putting my girlfriend in the GT86 be an accident waiting to happen and should we just play it safe and buy something quick and fun but FWD or AWD, or heaven forbid a Skoda Yeti instead?  Maybe I'm over thinking this?

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My misses is exactly the same. So 1 week after getting the BRZ I chucked her behind the wheel and she loved it. If you provoke it, it will chuck the back end out but you drive normally it's fine.

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My wife has her own GT86 after driving my old one and has never had any issues and drives 60 miles a day to work and back. If you get rid of the primacys and get some better tyres ps4's or similar it then becomes less of an issue of the backend stepping out. You really have to provoke it to loose it with quality tyres on.

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Change the stock tyres though. Even in cold weather (before this even colder spell) the back end on mine can step out at less than 20mph on a small roundabout if I apply anything other than light throttle before car is straightened up to exit. Lol

 

Beaten to it by alucardo 

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If my girlfriend suggested a Skoda Yeti I don't  think she'd be my girlfriend any more :P

Jokes aside, best thing to do would be to get her to test drive one. My girlfriend used to drive a 1.2tdi Polo and had no interest in cars either - in the 4 years we've been together we have done skid pan training with a company called 'CarKraft' (not sure if they're still about but I'm sure similar companies are out there) and she now has an Abarth 595.

However in contrast to others - I let her have a go in my car a couple of times and she hates it to the point she refuses to drive it now - I think the throttle and clutch being quite 'on/off' and it not being that comfortable are the biggest contributors to this.

In terms of the car stepping out, as mentioned above, just stick some better tyres on (recommend PS4's) and it never really steps out unintentionally.

 

 

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The GT86 has a very intrusive stability control and traction control system if you leave it on, so it won't slide very far without intervening, so there is that. It's not a difficult car to drive really, just like any other as far as your girlfriend is concerned. So I wouldn't overly worry about it, just because it's RWD. Some better tyres will help here over the stock Primacy tyre as other's have said. If she's only going to pootle around in it, there should be no issues. By all means if you can get her to do some skidpan training then it all helps of course. As long as she hasn't got a lead foot, I think she'll be fine. 

My fiancé hasn't driven my car for two years and he's a bit scared of it, but then again he is a very competent driver, so no worries there. :P

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As above, tyres change everything although you cant really take liberties with this car. Its not a hard car to drive but unlike a mundane car you do have to 'drive' it. I have a VW T5 and it is an easier more relaxed driver, maybe she would be better using the VW (better mpg too, probably)

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Congrats on her moving in, sorry to hear your RS4 has to go! I can only agree with what everybody has already said so far, the car is forgiving and easy to drive, the traction control and stability control is aggressive and very good at keeping the car in check if left on. 

The visibility is pretty good for a sports car, its comfy, the lights are powerful and the clutch and throttle are light so this should help with her confidence. The low down seating position and not being able to see the back of the car might be a negative for her though.

As others have said I would definitely replace the tyres if you the car you buy is fitted with factory fitted Michelin Primacys, they turn to wood this time of year. 

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Thanks all for your replies.  Didn't know about the traction control so that's a big plus and yes good idea about swapping out the tyres.  Assume you can still get it to slide easily enough with some grippier rubber?

Think it might be a goer but I'll try and take her for a test drive somewhere first to make sure she likes it and if we do get one then also think about booking us both on a skid pan day.

Will be a shame about the RS4, there's really nothing much else you see day to day that can match it on the road for outright grip and pace in all weathers, but like I said I'm also excited about a change.  A slower but more balanced and adjustable RWD car like the GT86 sounds just the ticket.  Also should the worst happen and it does get dented, it would be easily repairable unlike the Audi where wheels, body panels, bumpers and an increasing list of other components are no longer available from the manufacturer.

Just out of interest, can you get a mountain bike inside a GT86 if needed?  Alternatively I assume there are roof racks available?

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Still easy enough to un-stick it with grippier tires on (I run 235's all round as opposed to the stock 215's and can still have fun when it's needed).

Where abouts are you based? Another good thing about the 86 is that the owners clubs are very active and I'm sure if anyone was near to you they wouldn't mind taking you out in theirs with better tyres etc. if you wanted to see what it's like :) 

 

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You'll have a job to pack a bicycle in the boot. The height of the boot is the most limiting factor aside from an otherwise excellent load space for a small coupe. It'll just take a large suitcase to give you an idea of the depth. I suspect you'd have to take pedals off as well as front wheel. Not sure about length once the wheel is off, but probably ok unless it's a 29er.

Like most RWD cars, it is first in line to wag the tail in icy conditions, but it sounds like you have a more sensible vehicle to fall back on. Apart from that, the default traction control (pre face-lift) is very stringent - you can be a right clown as long as you're not carrying too much speed.

 

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What is everyone doing to get these cars to step out?

I've hooned mine all over the peak district in various weathers and I could have an industrial accident and still have enough fingers left to count the number of times my backend's stepped out on me. Clearly my feathery touch is too light.

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What is everyone doing to get these cars to step out?

I've hooned mine all over the peak district in various weathers and I could have an industrial accident and still have enough fingers left to count the number of times my backend's stepped out on me. Clearly my feathery touch is too light.

Same here. If I provoke it the car will slide but most of the time it doesn't when driving normally and I'm not always hanging about

 

 

And I still have the OEM tyres (premacy hp)

 

Sent from my LYA-L29 using Tapatalk

 

 

 

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Iv got the ps4's on a standard 86 and with the traction control on its near impossible to get it to let go, even driving like a hooligan. I did turn everything off the other day on a cold wet morning to see if it would let go and low and behold span 180 at a junction in front of laughing van drivers. Luckily didn't damage anything. 

Basically drive sensibly and anyone can drive it, be silly and it might teach you a lesson. 

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My partner has an Audi TTS so she has the straight line speed and I have the cornering nimbleness.  Although there's less between them in performance than you might think (the TD NA kit makes all the difference).

I worried that her being used to 4WD would cause a problem driving my BRZ but there is no issue as she is lighter footed than me.  Definitely change the tyres, though, as the Primacies are crap in anything but dry conditions.  For your area, think seriously about all-weathers that are safe and predictable.

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Guest 86guns

I'm going to go against the grain here. My wife drives a Panda. She'll always drive a Panda. A car is a car to her. If your girlfriend is currently happy in a Panda then fair do's she's not a petrolhead. Accept it and don't force her into something she (and you) will regret. Look forward to the future when you can have space and money for 3 cars and enjoy your relationship. 

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17 hours ago, maurice said:

Using the throttle pedal?

That's clearly where I've gone wrong. I thought the gutless FA20 was to blame, but I'm standing on the brake pedal :P

Years ago, during a discussion with an accident investigator I was asked why I kept referring to it as a throttle pedal. I responded that it's not an On / Off switch. It's a way of controlling air / fuel flow so I can control how much acceleration I want at any time.

 

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The traction control will abolutely keep you on the road, it very much errs on the side of safety.

But I don't understand why you're buying a car for her to drive, that she doesn't want - she wants something tall, comfortable and a feeling of safety. A GT86 is none of those things and full of compromises which to someone who doesn't care about the thrill of driving are simply not worth it.

Sounds like the car is being bought for you, and her needs are utterly irrelevant. Surely there's an *actual* compromise between a light-weight rear wheel drive sports car, and a Fiat Panda...

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The traction control will abolutely keep you on the road, it very much errs on the side of safety.
But I don't understand why you're buying a car for her to drive, that she doesn't want - she wants something tall, comfortable and a feeling of safety. A GT86 is none of those things and full of compromises which to someone who doesn't care about the thrill of driving are simply not worth it.
Sounds like the car is being bought for you, and her needs are utterly irrelevant. Surely there's an *actual* compromise between a light-weight rear wheel drive sports car, and a Fiat Panda...
Years ago my misses wouldn't drive anything other than small hatch backs. Then got the keys to a Mk1 ford Kuga for a long weekend. She went off to change the baby in the car after a show and when I got back she had set the seat and mirrors to her position so I said fine you drive and every since then she has loved the bigger cars and now has a duster. Sometimes they need to drive something outside of what they are used to / like to see that it's not all bad. She drew the straw at my old transit though

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21 hours ago, RS4 James said:

 Alternatively I assume there are roof racks available?

1

 

 

I recently spent a lot of time looking into racks for GT86 with no luck and ended up with a Seasucker , not tried on GT86 or on a long drive yet,  but seems rock solid  and has the advantages it fits in seconds and I can swap it between cars ( anyone looking for a now redundant Golf R rack ?) , loads of reviews in the cycling forums , including this one for the two bike version

 

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Sorry, should have clarified, I'm not buying a car for her, she's selling her Panda because it's on it's last legs, I'm selling my RS4 and this is a car for both of us (plus we now have the T5 van for practical stuff).  It's more than likely that I'll be driving the GT86 most of the time and her the van, it's just that if we went for the GT86 I want her to feel happy in it, and be able to drive it safely, without me having to worry that she's going to end up in the hedgerows as a result of being caught out by an unexpected rear end slide.

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