Recommend me a car!
 

I've got 3,500 - 4,000 to spend on a car. I'm after a hatchback, that's reasonably fun to drive, but must be 1600cc or less (preferably).

I'm thinking of 106 / Saxo type stuff here, but any alternatives welcome.

So come on boys and girls, get your thinking caps on and let me have some ideas.

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

An area I'm fortunately lacking in scoobs, my last car was a rover P5B (neither small or hatchback and 3500cc) and that was back in 86.

sorry not help here :cool:


Cheers Mark.

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

Ahhh......1986! A good year! The year I was born. Happy days.

Anyway, back to SMALL, NON 3.5 litre cars. Thanks anyway Mark. :wink:

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

try autotrader for a suzuki swift seen a 55 reg for ?3,795.
1.3cc and are a fun drive.

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

1.6 Focus would be a good drive, and a bit bigger than a pug/saxo.

?3-4k would get a decent saxo/pug however they do not come up that often within that sort of price range. If you want something sproty then the 106 GTI is a bit of a giggle, however will probably have been ragged.

MrsMatt is happy to have a look and see what is in/coming in stock at her place on Monday - anymore details of what you want:-

3/5 door?
Are you a brand snob? (think we know the answer there already ;)) in which case she won't bother with highandry but what about a Skoda Fabia?
Petrol/diesel?

PS - 1986 my @rse

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

You should also look at a Toyota yaris the Tsport is a nice drive or a corolla.I personally would steer clear of the french cleo/saxo/106 type cars,but thats me.:thumbsup:

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

I luv my fiesta zetec 1.4.... is nippy and great fun to drive, quite roomy too

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

I think the Fiesta is a good suggestion. I also like Clios but some say too girly for Scoobs.
I have been very happy with my 1.4 Seat Ibiza. It is an SE so has all the big car stuff like proper climate control and a smart interior layout. 3 door as well so a nice look, well I think so. Not especially sporty to drive though despite a 'sports' suspension (yeah right...) which makes it feel lively if not twitchy, the engine though is rather sluggish. Cheap main dealer servicing, some parts warranted 5 years most other parts not too bad. Bought as a town car and commuter and does that well, easy to park in city streets, fine on motorway.

http://www.perrys.co.uk/group-images...tibizasite.jpg

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

106GTi without a doubt. Performance per pound, and outright handling is superb. You can find good ones, just look for an older owner. 140bhp is easily available with a sealed induction system and free flowing exhaust.

Great little cars!!!

Sub 1.6, petrol though, you won't find anything more fun to drive as everything started going safety safety and the cars start getting much heavier.

The Saxo 16v is basically the same car, but with much more of a boyracer image. But also much easier to get hold of. Same engine, same chassis, same shell.

But they are french, so don't expect much in terms of quality materials.

Either that, or a Charad GTi Turbo ;)

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

Rover Streetwise 1.4??

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

Loads of questions like yours posted on www.pistonheads.com/gassing in the General Gassing forum, just do a trawl through there for 'what car threads, there are loads!

Trace :)

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

+1 on the Ibiza, my wife has a 5 year old 1.2. It's a 3 pot engine with a pretty short ratio gearbox so much more peppy than anything else we test drove with a 1.2. Had it since new and it has not once missed a beat! The only problem we've had with it is the washer fluid tube to the back wiper pops off the washer bottle a the first sign of frost. You need to use a good quality anifreeze in the fluid in winter. Spec is good too as already said, even on our base model you get aircon, CD, elec windows, etc and it looks good as even the base model has colour coded bumpers and stuff. Interior rattles a lot but its a cheap car with fairly sporty suspension and a hard plastic interior, what do you expect? Ignore it and don't let it bother you and it's no problem.

It's a Polo with a different body on it, the floorplan is identical. When new and we unwrapped the floor mats they were in VW packaging badged up as "Volkswagen Polo" and had Seat Ibiza and Skoda Fabia underneath in tiny writing. All the components under the bonnet, engine mounts, belts, etc are all badged VAG.

Six years ago I had a Ford Focus TDCI Ghia (old shape) for three years and 60K miles as well and it only missed a beat once when the electronics went daft because a wee cable from the ECU that tells the alternator how much juice it needs to generate snapped. So the alternator was not charging properly and the ECU went under voltage. The drivers arm rest had a habit of breaking too and getting stuck in the up position.

Compared to my BMW 3 series that caused me nothing but trouble for three years, then the turbo collapsed and the engine blew (8300 damage one week out of warranty), boths cars have been great, especially the Ibiza, I don't think you can fault VW group's small cars. I've now gone back to Ford with a Mondeo TDCI and so far very happy too.

I'm even considering giving the Mondeo to my wife and using the Ibiza for 30K miles a year for work, my son will soon need to sit in the back with a forward facing child seat (now in a rear facing seat in the front) and the Ibiza is 3 door, so the 5 door Mondeo would be more practical for my wife. The fact I'm prepared to drive he Ibiza for that mileage when used to a Mondeo says something about it.

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

A Corsa is the craze nowadays :D

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

How about:

Renault Megane Coupe (1.4, 1.6 or 2.0)
Pug 206
Astra

Saxo = chav (or the vtr at least - and sorry to any vtr owners!)
Pug 106 = just too small and tinny

Hope this helps Scoobs!

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

If you can face the stigma a newish Panda is supposed to be half decent...

Thinking of chopping in my 2.3V5 VW Bora thanks to petrol prices/tax and general pain in the **** UK government road policies

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

Changed my mind. Been looking at these 106's, Saxo's etc, but they're a bit dull aren't they. Sooooooo, what about a Nissan Pulsar, R33 GTS Skyline, Honda Integra.

Some of them are putting out rude horsepower and are a little out of the ordinary. You can pick them up for less than 4 large. What do you reckon? Good deal or moneypit?

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

Dribbles

Integra I reckon compared to those two would be a bit boring, but I dont know what either would be like to look after and run.

If you can afford it its gotta be the skyline hasnt it :cool:

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

Or one of those mitsubishi import things, not an evo, the liitle sports thingumy.
I have always wanted a Corrado :lol: Probably get one for the Seat plus change but..... :lol:

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

What about an Impreza?

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

Theres a guy at work thats really really into those, his is heavily modfied all the bells and whistles etc etc. I can ask him tomorrow some general stuff if you like ?

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

Be careful --- You are right about the price, but its the running cost, insurance and repairs you need to think about.

Was with a mate in his Subaru Impreza yesterday - asked him about fuel consumption - "If I keep it under 3000 rpm I can get 25mpg!!!!" Otherwise if he is heavy with his right foot it eats ?55 worth of fuel in just over a 100 miles!

Don't get me wrong, they are fantastic cars, and I would love one - but it isn't the cost of purchase that bankrupts you, it's the ongoing cost of ownership. Before I got my SV I was looking at a Maserati 3200. They are about ?15K, and I could afford the insurance - but it was the fuel consumption and average ?2000 service costs (that's average costs) per year according to the owners club that really put me off.

Another of my mates has a Lotus Esprit Turbo - super fast, but has cost him over 15000 --- yes ?15k over the past 5 years. Be careful. If you want fun on four wheels with good fuel economy try a Mazda MX-5, Fiat Barchetta (gutted I sold mine last summer) or save a bit more and go for Lotus Elise or VX220.

The other option is to go for a Golf GTI - lots of those about and reasonably good build - or as has been mentioned before you could try a Focus (not sure about the cheapest ST)

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

For that price Buy,insure and tax one of these. Honda crx 1.6Vti with manual targa roof
Quick,honda reliability and 40mpg,kick the vtec in and match most modern hot hatches plus they are becoming classic and going up in price not down.
A genuine fun sportster well within your budget

I bought one to replace my old Porsche and it is just as much fun but a darned lot cheaper to run/maintain

N.B It is only a two seater so you don,t become everybodys taxi

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

MX-5 is a good call. I used ot have 1.6 UK car, on a P reg. No pwer steering, no electric windows. But it had rear wheel drive, and was bloody good fun.

Great Mazda reliability and very cheap to run. And when people call them a girls / hairdressers cars, it's only cos they aren't secure in their own sexuality!:smt081

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

Goldwing... car on two wheels or, slightly more seriously, Fiesta - bought one about 3 years ago for ?4K with 19000 miles on, fun* to drive and cheap to run...

* not of course compared to a bike...

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

Jeez!!! talk about being defensive :p ;)


Ben

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

For ?4k you can have mine - I'll even deliver it ;)

89k miles with full subaru history , two 'mature' owners from new. Unmolested - only extra is a Prodrive short shift gear linkage. Mint inside, outside is generally v.good.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/155/4...2380f62520.jpg

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

Im in same boat here, thinking of spending the same as you Scoobs, getting rid of my mx5 which is currently worth about ?6.5k. I would go bangernomics but dont think I could just go out and buy any old rotter regardless and try and run it. Plenty of petrol golfs around 2000 plates going for that price.

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

buy a merc

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

Heheheh, I know. :smt110

But they really are great fun cars, which a certain amount of people would not consider, just because their mates might take the mickey.

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

Suzuki Ignis Sport 1.5!

http://www.dsmcars.co.uk/Car%20Pictu...is%20sport.JPG

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

Got a Subaru Legacy myself, twin turbo 280 bhp and a little different to all the imprezzas:

http://inlinethumb42.webshots.com/19...600x600Q85.jpg

Cost wise it's been fine, consumables only, ?270 for four new Yokohama tyres not bad, some front discs and pads and a rear exhaust box (only because an aftermarket one had rotted through). Fuel is a bit steep, I get about 26-27 mpg on a general commute, mixture of A, B and a little town driving, I probably get about28-29 on a long motorway run, and sub 20 mpg when the foot is to the floor and the second turbo is in.

Combined with the Bilstein suspension it makes a great estate. Quicker than the SV by miles above 90 mph.

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

Scoobs, the oil price is the highest it's ever been and still rising, buy a small car you'll be happier in the long run.

Oil closed at $110.15 on Friday. Fuel is only going to get more expensive...

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

Buy you can have fun in anything, here I am in my old Seat Leon TDi 110 hp at the Nurburgring:

http://inlinethumb35.webshots.com/22...600x600Q85.jpg

Had a great tussle with an eighties 911 driven by a Luxembourger taking him in the first section, with him then getting me back on the up hill after adenaum bridge, in the queue to get off the track the following conversation took place through wound down windows:

Luxembourg 911 driver- "You are a verrry good driver."

Me- "It's a diesel"

Luxembourg 911 driver in a germanic victor meldrew voice- " I cannot believe it"

Made my weekend.

Another pic, with a modern 911 which was way faster than me:

http://inlinethumb42.webshots.com/51...600x600Q85.jpg

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

The porsche gone Mac?

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

Tim, the last time I saw your car, it wasnt that clean!

Really fancy a diesel as I really like the way that they deliver the power. We have TDCi Focus' for work and theyre excellent for town driving

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

MX5, great other choice, completly forgot.

You will be hard pushed to find a decent milage CRX Manual as most are autos. Good cars, but i'd rather the MX5 or 106GTi.

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

Oh, Impreza, very high running costs. Drinks fuel, and clutches are quite weak, but great cars.

Skyline, wouldn't even go there unless your a real petrolhead with money to spend.

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

OK, OK, this is proving to be a toughy. It's gotta be a four seater.

Driven a lot of Focus's's's's and they are capable and handle well, but don't do it for me. Seat Ibiza. Hmmmmm. i'll put that on the possible list.

However, I think I have the answer. Little bit different, but not totally out there.

Alfa Romeo 147?

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

Nice, dont know feck all about them, but nice looking car IMHO.

I'm guessing you dont want another Golf again though ? you'd surely pick up a VR6 easily enough for your budget ?

Re: Recommend me a car!
 

I don't hate the golf, but I'm thinking I'd like to try something different.