VOLKSWAGEN SCIROCCO
2008-2014
Although called a coupé, the Scirocco was basically a fancy Golf. It even had reasonable boot access and rear seats. It was good to drive and easy enough to own, too. It was pricey as new but is now great value.
The engines are great: a 2.0-litre turbo petrol, a 2.0-litre diesel in two states of tune and from 2010 a 1.4-litre turbo petrol, all offering a manual or dualclutch automatic gearbox. Oh, and the full-force R arrived in 2009 as a proper old-school sports coupé.
Upgraded over the years, there were standard cars with air-con and GTS, more frugal Bluemotion versions and then the sporty R-lines and the Black Editions. Most would want the partly leather-lined Rs, but there are lots to choose from and it’s all about the price. The top-spec Turbo R is probably your best bet for future classic resale values.
Caring private sellers are the best to buy from. There are some ex-company cars with lots of exowners that should be avoided. Watch for coil-pack failure on petrols, plus rattly timing chains (changes need to be scheduled). Otherwise, it’s broken suspension bushes and random ECU failures.