Quote:
Originally Posted by lowglider
Hey Vekke, can I ask you about the other aspects of the Lupo 3l? How have you been pleased with the overall build quality and mechanicals? Is the ride quality comfortable enough for longer trips or too harsh? Being a small car, how noisy and stable is it at higher speeds?
One Lupo 3l converted to manual transmission is for sale nearby and it˙s hard to put it out of my mind.
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Best car I have ever driven. I have little problems on my lupo 3l with the gearbox hydraulic pump system. So if it is already manual its suberb. Then you just have to do the neutral shifting yourself but IMO that is not a problem. When you have converted the 3L to manual you can drive over 400000 km without problems on the engine or gearbox.
- Build quality very high in my mind.
- Car is as noisy as executive class cars in the range of 40000€. So its very pleasant in longer highway cruises.
- Car is stable even at max speed which is 165 km/h. You can partically drive without hands/one finger.
- When pushed on gravel roads car is tail happy but in normal driving it understeers if you go too fast to corners.
When you buy Lupo 3L you should check for the following faults:
This week 49 I evaluated 7 Lupo 3L in German car dealer and only one was in that good condition that I could buy it for my customer. So check the car for following faults:
- Engine oil leaks in front of the engine and in backside (3 cars). Little oil leaks are ok but if the whole engine is covered in oil avoid.
- hydraulic transmission system. Oil level and the functioning of it. If the car is working it should not only take no more than 15 seconds to be able to start the engine. When you start the engine and put it to E and release brake pedal car should start to move forward at least when you apply little gas. If the fill cap is loose they have added oil (2 car). It should be very tight to open with your hands and might need toolt to open. Car which I bought I was not able to get open with my hands. Car should also keep the pressure up when you turn the engine down. After about one hour from stop this current lupo starts hers engine right away! So no waiting is needed if the system is in mint condition. My own lupo needs usually about 15 seconds almost every time even after small stop.
- Rear truck lid. If the brake light is on the lid car is crash repaired with cheaper parts. Ask the dealer about the crash. Light should be inside behind the glass (3 cars)
- Check the underside of the car for crash data or possible oil leaks near the engine (2 cars)
- How the engine sounds when you rev it at standstill. You need to test few to get the feeling but some run like a dream. Working engine should not make any weird noises. Also the gas fumes should not be dark, head gasket leak etc 1 car)
- Check the service history. You can feel and tell if the car has been carried out or not.
On test drive test the brakes. Weird strong noises from the rear brakes (1 car)
- Make some s driving on the road to find if some wheel bearings are worn. This is pretty sheap to replace but again cost few hundred euros (1 car)
- Test the glide in neutral system
- test the start stop system (2 cars)
- Is all the power still there, does it pull in low and high revs
- Test button to zero your fuel consumption gauge button
- Test the ECO button
- Drive some bumpy roads to test the suspension and wishbones (1 car)
- Test all gears with auto and with manual mode, any weird noises and its a no go.
If you are not experienced in enough I would advise to take it some car inspection place that can look the faults. OEM 3L parts are quite expensive but usually you can use basic lupo parts they are just heavier...
If you have VAG com last thing is to check the fault codes after the test drive.
Some of those faults are easy to fix but most are expensive repairs. So think twice if you are buying a cheap 3L model and check it properly.
When you got a nicely working 3L you cannot stop smiling while driving
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If you decide not to buy that Lupo 3L I am very much interested in that. Is it in germany?