Fun, good handling small cars?

[ejenner]

The_Burg said:

MGF, early ones are in the classic insurance range and far better than you would imagine. Failing that the forum default of MX5, slower, rusty and dire on fuel but still fun.

For slower speed fun an MGB. Look after it and it will work.

If you need a roof / 4 seats. MG ZR even the 105 is a laugh.

That must be the worst list of recommendations I've ever seen.

[Deutscheblonde]

R56, really? If you're going for a mini it has to be the R53, smaller, more reliable, plus that whine. Personally I think you can't go wrong with a 1*2. I've just returned to one after a 130i & a Z4 3.0 and I adore it. Fun, good mpg (sitting on 35.5), cheap.

[ejenner]

Deutscheblonde said:

R56, really? If you're going for a mini it has to be the R53, smaller, more reliable, plus that whine. Personally I think you can't go wrong with a 1*2. I've just returned to one after a 130i & a Z4 3.0 and I adore it. Fun, good mpg (sitting on 35.5), cheap.

R53 IS a good car. So says a MINI specialist. But I still reckon if you are young you should get an old mans car. You will be king of the heap. Girls are always thinking about babies and a 4/5-door really gets the embers burning! Sounds stupid from a man's point of view but logically it makes sense!

[andyissuperman]

jacklewisno1 said:

Abarth 500!!

Would if I could but unfortunately I'm not made of money

I've been looking at some mini's, I've found a nice R56 but it's a bit too expensive I think :/ might be a case of waiting for the right car to come along when I've saved up some more dolla'

[ejenner]

andyissuperman said:

jacklewisno1 said:

Abarth 500!!

Would if I could but unfortunately I'm not made of money

I've been looking at some mini's, I've found a nice R56 but it's a bit too expensive I think :/ might be a case of waiting for the right car to come along when I've saved up some more dolla'

Just buy a big car...

For example, you'd be like the Don of your hood: http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/v...

[Deutscheblonde]

ejenner said:

ust buy a big car...

For example, you'd be like the Don of your hood: http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/v...

He's 19, not 49.

[Rammy76]

RenaultSport Twingo? Meant to be good fun to drive.

Haven't looked to see how much they cost though.

[Deutscheblonde]

Rammy76 said:

RenaultSport Twingo? Meant to be good fun to drive.

Haven't looked to see how much they cost though.

Newer, & therefore more expensive than a 1*2. Example:

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/r...

[Kentish]

Another vote for the MINI.

From the R50 to the latest R56, I've driven both & there's little difference between how they feel on the road.

They're fantastic to drive, I hadn't realised just how good they are.

It's like driving an older car but more refined; you feel like you are actually driving it instead of there being a lot of mechanical & electronic hardware isolating you from the driving experience.

I've only just bought mine & I'll keep it a long time I'm sure & when the time comes to replace it I'll buy a newer one.

I do hope that they always keep the standard hatch model & don't tinker with the design too much!

[Rammy76]

Deutscheblonde said:

Rammy76 said:

RenaultSport Twingo? Meant to be good fun to drive.

Haven't looked to see how much they cost though.

Newer, & therefore more expensive than a 1*2. Example:

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/r...

Good value those, wouldn't mind one myself

Edited by Rammy76 on Saturday 24th August 23:17

[Doodles19]

ejenner said:

Get a big car.

Like an Isignia. The girls will love you... seriously.

...really though, an Insignia?!

[jacklewisno1]

andyissuperman said:

Would if I could but unfortunately I'm not made of money

I've been looking at some mini's, I've found a nice R56 but it's a bit too expensive I think :/ might be a case of waiting for the right car to come along when I've saved up some more dolla'

Ahh shame i got mine for around 9k and there starting to come down in value now so they may be affordable sooner than you think. Cheap on insurance too only an extra 15 quid over my previous car a 500 1.2. And i was 21 when i insured it.

[The_Burg]

ejenner said:

The_Burg said:

MGF, early ones are in the classic insurance range and far better than you would imagine. Failing that the forum default of MX5, slower, rusty and dire on fuel but still fun.

For slower speed fun an MGB. Look after it and it will work.

If you need a roof / 4 seats. MG ZR even the 105 is a laugh.

That must be the worst list of recommendations I've ever seen.

Have you ever driven any of them? I was sceptical.

MGF must be the best fun you can have for the least money, as little as £500 for a mid engined sports car with sub 7 sec to 60 and smidge under 140mph top end, though i woudn't recommend trying to vmax one.

The ZR160 has no near rival either for the money.

Only near is the Volvo T5 quite a bit faster but likes petrol and though stupid quick for the cash no where near the fun.

Name a rival for the money.

[ejenner]

Deutscheblonde said:

ejenner said:

ust buy a big car...

For example, you'd be like the Don of your hood: http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/v...

He's 19, not 49.

..if he was 49 driving an Insignia then that wouldn't be cool at all, there wouldn't be any benefit. Conventional logic says if you are young you must have a little French 3-door or a budget Ford. A neighbour of mine has a mate who has had a couple of big 4-door Audi's, he's in his teens or early 20s. Mate of mine had a Vectra when they were new and he was 18 at the time. I had a pretty new Mitsubishi Galant when I was 20 and it worked for me. Agreed, it is a high-risk move as you could get it very wrong... the Mitsubishi Galant was pretty close to sh1p but I thought it was alright after lowering and wheels. Looking at it these days you'd just laugh but back in the late 90s it wasn't too bad.

[MoelyCrio]

Mini if you want to impress the girls.
MX5 if you want a pure driving experience.
Good on you for not wanting a white Corsa on PCP.

[ejenner]

The_Burg said:

ejenner said:

The_Burg said:

MGF, early ones are in the classic insurance range and far better than you would imagine. Failing that the forum default of MX5, slower, rusty and dire on fuel but still fun.

For slower speed fun an MGB. Look after it and it will work.

If you need a roof / 4 seats. MG ZR even the 105 is a laugh.

That must be the worst list of recommendations I've ever seen.

Have you ever driven any of them? I was sceptical.

MGF must be the best fun you can have for the least money, as little as £500 for a mid engined sports car with sub 7 sec to 60 and smidge under 140mph top end, though i woudn't recommend trying to vmax one.

The ZR160 has no near rival either for the money.

Only near is the Volvo T5 quite a bit faster but likes petrol and though stupid quick for the cash no where near the fun.

Name a rival for the money.

Actually same friend who had the Vectra also bought a new ZR 160 and it was bloddy fast. But he ended up returning it to the dealer as it just kept breaking in weird an unusual ways. He replaced that with a ZT 180 which was also very quick... and also very large for his time in life. That was a winner although it did suffer from a couple of common faults like the plastic manifolds problem and the fuel pump problem.

The issue with modern MGs is that the word 'cheap' does not even begin to cover it in terms of build quality. That's why you can buy them so cheap second-hand. It's not so much that big things will certainly go wrong with them. More a case that every single electrical contact and wire will start to corrode, the metal parts which aren't outer shell (because manufactures have stopped making rusty bodies) go all flakey, all the bushes are made from pencil erasers, all the common components like alternators are the lowest possible quality. In the case of the MGs - they are cheap for a reason.

[Rickyy]

Fun, good handling small cars and a Vauxhall Insignia gets suggested?

Another one to look at, if you can find a straight one, is a 306 GTI-6. Not far off 170bhp and a very good steer.

[ejenner]

Rickyy said:

Fun, good handling small cars and a Vauxhall Insignia gets suggested?

Another one to look at, if you can find a straight one, is a 306 GTI-6. Not far off 170bhp and a very good steer.

It was more the fact he said he was 19 and looking for something 'cool' - all I'm saying is that small cars aren't the coolest thing you can get when you are 19.

Old cars aren't cool when you are young either. Having said that, I wouldn't recommend buying a brand new car... I bought 2 and the Galant was my 3rd car... and I didn't lose shed-loads of money on the Galant. My advice... having been through it... buy a quite-new small engined big car with lots of kit on.

[traffman]

Lefty said:

Mk1 Focus!

I just had a loan of a 13 year old focus 1.6 Zyrtec s and it's a smashing little thing. Worth maybe £1500, on a good day. Best handling (in the pure sense of handling cause it ain't that grippy) front drive car I've driven in a long time.

Echo that one Lefty , albeit the one i drove was an estate , but it put a smile on my face.

[ejenner]

traffman said:

Lefty said:

Mk1 Focus!

I just had a loan of a 13 year old focus 1.6 Zyrtec s and it's a smashing little thing. Worth maybe £1500, on a good day. Best handling (in the pure sense of handling cause it ain't that grippy) front drive car I've driven in a long time.

Echo that one Lefty , albeit the one i drove was an estate , but it put a smile on my face.

Actually, the MK1 Focus is a fab car... looks a lot like what it is though.