USED Vauxhall Monaro Coupe (04 - 07)

My car

This is certainly bang for your buck! I bought this car 6 months ago after looking at a number of cars that did not quite fill the certain set of criteria: power, looks, driver appeal and a smidgen of practicality. This is the only car I could find that fitted the bill and came with a fabulous V8 that is both refined when you want and makes a glorious roar on demand.

It's rare, looks superb, nicely made and I feel special every time I get in it.

On the downside, you might say it's quite thirsty (although if you set the cruise on the highway at 70ish you can get 32MPG). Frankly if you were worried about that sort of thing, I dont even know why you would consider a V8 in the first place.

It handles very nicely and tidily, commands a smooth ride and is superb as a passenger and drivers car on long journeys. All I can say is...if you find a nice one..get it! I dont think Holden will be producing any more V8 coupe in the foreseeable future!

It's rare, goes like stink, looks superb, nicely made and I feel special every time I get in it. I couldnt ask for more

My car

Quite simply, for the money, I challenge you to find a car that's more fun to drive than the Monaro.

Cabin quality is not exactly Audi-esque, but is more than adequate, and everything comes as standard. Having owned German cars in the past, it comes as a nice surprise to find out that the list price is not £6000 below the delivered price once you have added wheels, electric windows and so on.

The torque has to be experienced to be believed, and this can lead to problems delivering the power, particularly on a wet day. However, the engine keeps on pulling through the rev range.

Driven hard, you get the mileage you would expect from a 5.7-litre V8, but due to that torque, you can drive at 90mph doing a little over 2000 revs, which means a return of 24mpg on a long haul.

Space inside is good, and whilst access to the rear seats is a little tricky, you can fit proper people in the back in plenty of comfort.

Acceleration is as savage as the initial depreciation, which only makes the second-hand option more attractive.

All in all, it's more fun for your pound than anything else I can think of. Drive one through a tunnel, then try not to buy it!

My car

This car is simply awesome. The performance, the soundtrack, the looks, the long-distance cruising ability, the comfortable leather seats... all of it makes this car an absolutley fantastic proposition for proper petrolheads.

If you want fiddly electronic 'safety' systems, or good economy, or if you don't like the badge, get another car. If you want to be stunned, then get this car. On the road it is very good, exceptionally comfortable but still massive fun in the corners. Nothing I've ever driven has come close to the way it pulls in each gear, powering you to even more outrageous speeds.

And thats before we've got onto the tunability of these engines. Just with simple exhaust and intake modifications along with a tune, you can very quickly jump from 330bhp to 430bhp, and with better economy to boot. These engines can develop lots of power from everything from simple computer modifications up to superchargers and turbochargers for more than 500bhp.

The only area of weakness on this car is the brakes. They fade far too quickly and I would highly recommend you upgrade them, preferbly to a set of six-pot AP Racing brakes.

Overall, it's a brilliant car that you have to drive before you make judgement - I guarantee you'll love it.

My car

Inside this car, there's loads of space, and the front seats really good. The rear is not very easy to access, but very comfy. It has a fine stereo, climate control, parking sensors,amd so on. Generally, it's well made - there are a few creaks when cold, but otherwise it's solid.

As for driving it, it's a big car but only when parking or washing it! The controls are weighty but it all comes together brilliantly. Allow time for gear changes, especially from cold, and remember the gearbox is built to take serious horsepower. Tuning is certainly on the cards. It settles nicely into corners and is surprisingly good when you throw it around.

With respect to styling, I appreciate the subtlety. Look closer and the compound curves are really rather nice. It turns the right sort of heads.

Practically speaking, there's a big boot (but not on the later model), and the doors are wide. Fuel consumption, however, is bad - there's a honking great V8 under the bonnet, so don't expect much even on a steady run. My best was 25.6mpg cruising back from Scotland, my worst of 15mpg included some time in London. I average 17.5mpg (incidentally, only 4mpg less than my Subaru).

When it comes to selling it on, my guess is that it won't hold value like the BMW 330Ci I was considering. My guess is also that I've had much more fun than I would have in a common-as-Mondeos BMW.

It's not a back-street screamer – leave that to hot hatches – but show it a twisty A-road and it's great. It'll als