The hottest 5dr hatch (or small saloon) for 7k?
Discussion
MiseryStreak said:
Well known for it's frugality around town 
TEKNOPUG said:
MiseryStreak said:
Well known for it's frugality around town If frugality was paramount then a Mazda 3 (or indeed a 6) 2.2 Diesel Sport with a BBR remap should do it. I'd gone at least a fortnight without recommending that, so it was about time. If not so important then the MPS would be best.
MiseryStreak said:
TEKNOPUG said:
MiseryStreak said:
Well known for it's frugality around town If frugality was paramount then a Mazda 3 (or indeed a 6) 2.2 Diesel Sport with a BBR remap should do it. I'd gone at least a fortnight without recommending that, so it was about time. If not so important then the MPS would be best.
pimpchez said:
Although you will only get a mk1 for that price . Pretty dam hot at stage 3 let me tell you
ArmaghMan said:
WetPaint said:
Ive decided on a mk5 Golf gti. Doesnt sound fantastic, but not bad either. Its a little heavier than I would like but all modern cars are. Handles its weight very well though and is generally a very good all round package.
The one I drove was a bit ropey so the search continues.
So of the 5 original criteria 4 have been ditched.The one I drove was a bit ropey so the search continues.
Chassis/ handling....not really
Noise..... Not at all
Driven wheels..... Nope
MPG..... That's the one
Power.... Nope
Those were the original 5 criteria in order of importance and you're going for a Mk5 Gti
MPG - high 20s around town. Not unless you drive like your grannies gran.
Noise - Nope, DSG makes a nice noise on full throttle upshift but thats it
Driven wheels - Nope, wrong end
Handling - tidy and fun for a fwd but not spectacular
Power - without a remap nope
Looks like the OP has done what a lot of us do, set out with a list of wants for his perfect car and ended up putting the sensible head on and buying something ordinary
That said I do really like my little Golf as an everyday car.
Mr Whippy said:
It depends how heavy your right foot is I suppose.
I just don't think that any performance orientated saloon car is going to manage high 20s in stop/start traffic around town. You need something light and with a small engine.If you need 4 doors/big boot/estate, decent grunt (200+ bhp, 6 cylinders etc) AND high town MPG, then I'm afraid that you can really only choose 2 of those 3. It sounds like you're looking for the holy grail: Performance, Practicality AND Economical.
If town MPG is so important, then I can only imagine that the OP is doing a lot, if not the majority of their driving in town. Which therefore begs the question; why go for something performance driven if you are very rarely going to get the chance to use it properly?
If you want a practical saloon with decent performance then you need to accept that it's going to need a big/powerful engine and therefore will like a drink. Or you get a big car with small engine and no performance......small car with small engine and performance...
I don't know whether the OP has done the maths on how much extra it will cost a year in fuel between high 20s and high teens in town - need to know what sort of current mileage.
All things considered, maybe look for a Nice Honda Accord Type-R and spend the difference on a refresh?
I've changed my mind from the Golf. Having a extended test drive in the one I was going to buy left me less than certain that I wanted it. It just didn't excite me. I think the 15 mins on my initial drive passed by through rose tinted glasses. A very good car, but not 'special'.
In a stunning turn of events, I've elected to ditch the hot hatch idea and go for something more 'warm' instead. I've come to the conclusion that I can't have the car I want (S2 Elise) and trying to find something similar with 5 doors and a boot is just not going to happen. It's like that Samoan(?) shot put chap who ran in the 100m because he couldn't partake in his own event. Still an Olympian, but built for different purposes.
I may have the opportunity to purchase my Elise in Feb next year, so I'm going to try something that should keep it's value for just under a year or so and be cheap ish to run.
I'll hand in my PH membership card on the way out. (Or maybe saving money on fuel and insurance for a year in order to help fund an Elise in the future might redeem me.)
In a stunning turn of events, I've elected to ditch the hot hatch idea and go for something more 'warm' instead. I've come to the conclusion that I can't have the car I want (S2 Elise) and trying to find something similar with 5 doors and a boot is just not going to happen. It's like that Samoan(?) shot put chap who ran in the 100m because he couldn't partake in his own event. Still an Olympian, but built for different purposes.
I may have the opportunity to purchase my Elise in Feb next year, so I'm going to try something that should keep it's value for just under a year or so and be cheap ish to run.
I'll hand in my PH membership card on the way out. (Or maybe saving money on fuel and insurance for a year in order to help fund an Elise in the future might redeem me.)
Edited by WetPaint on Monday 21st April 19:11
Wet paint, the best thing you can do is try and get over your dislike of the e90 BMW 3 series. It pretty much ticks all your boxes - you can get a quick little 320d or 320si that will address the round town mpg, plus the 325i, 330i and 330d give the six cylinder noise and grunt that you're after. Rear wheel drive. Get an m sport and some decent alloys and you might get to like the look too. Loads for sale of all models mentioned at your budget and less than 70000 miles
WetPaint said:
I may have the opportunity to purchase my Elise in Feb next year, so I'm going to try something that should keep it's value for just under a year or so and be cheap ish to run.
I'll hand in my PH membership card on the way out. (Or maybe saving money on fuel and insurance for a year in order to help fund an Elise in the future might redeem me.)
There will be no need to hand in that membership, you're buying an Elise and doing the very sensible thing of not wasting proper sports car savings on some boring overpowered daily driver in the mean time. Just buy a 106 Rallye or other cheap 90's warm hatch to run around in until next year, buy it with a fresh MOT and good service history and sell it for the same as you paid for it.I'll hand in my PH membership card on the way out. (Or maybe saving money on fuel and insurance for a year in order to help fund an Elise in the future might redeem me.)
WetPaint said:
Warm might be pushing it, but I've been looking at basically the same cars, but the next rung down. ST becomes Zetec S, MPS becomes Sport etc.
Swift sport looks nice, but I'm not sure it will be big enough and I'm sure they only come in a 3 door.
So yes, back to square one really.
You don't think you might need a bit more room? A basic petrol Mk1 Focus perhaps, or an E46 3-series 318i? Both ought to be cheap and frugal-ish but with a decent chassis underneath.Swift sport looks nice, but I'm not sure it will be big enough and I'm sure they only come in a 3 door.
So yes, back to square one really.
WetPaint said:
Warm might be pushing it, but I've been looking at basically the same cars, but the next rung down. ST becomes Zetec S, MPS becomes Sport etc.
Swift sport looks nice, but I'm not sure it will be big enough and I'm sure they only come in a 3 door.
So yes, back to square one really.
Lots come in 2 doors only including the Zetec S/ST.Swift sport looks nice, but I'm not sure it will be big enough and I'm sure they only come in a 3 door.
So yes, back to square one really.
When I was looking (ended up with an ST as it is small and has 3 seatbelts in the back), I think the 4 doors were limited to the Suzuki Swift GLX and Panda 100HP. May be more, none that appealed.
Hell27 said:
Wet paint, the best thing you can do is try and get over your dislike of the e90 BMW 3 series. It pretty much ticks all your boxes - you can get a quick little 320d or 320si that will address the round town mpg, plus the 325i, 330i and 330d give the six cylinder noise and grunt that you're after. Rear wheel drive. Get an m sport and some decent alloys and you might get to like the look too. Loads for sale of all models mentioned at your budget and less than 70000 miles
I'm looking into this with an open mind. I'll see how I get on. I'm reluctant to go 4pot petrol or diesel, but research suggests the 320d is quite a good engine, but will obviously not tick the 'noise' box. Mpg's appear as low on the I6's as they do on the MPS and ST though so I may have to compromise. Again. Damn this thread. Drove a Focus Zetec today. Didn't like it much at all.
Edited by WetPaint on Tuesday 22 April 18:35
Hell27 said:
Wet paint, the best thing you can do is try and get over your dislike of the e90 BMW 3 series. It pretty much ticks all your boxes - you can get a quick little 320d or 320si that will address the round town mpg, plus the 325i, 330i and 330d give the six cylinder noise and grunt that you're after. Rear wheel drive. Get an m sport and some decent alloys and you might get to like the look too. Loads for sale of all models mentioned at your budget and less than 70000 miles
I think I said much the same quite a few pages back.I'm not super keen on them but they tick so many boxes vs what other stuff is out there that they make a good overall choice.
The 330i isn't that un-frugal is it?
And given total running costs it's probably very reasonable indeed.
The diesels just cost more to buy, similar mpg for similar power outputs unless you do oodles of motorway work (after fuel costs probably evens out), and diesels also have more expensive bits to go wrong, which do seem to go wrong.
In the right colour with the right wheels I think they can look pretty nice. Personally I think they look best in Touring, then Saloon, with the Coupe a bit like a banana kinda shape (I don't think I'd have one of those)
Dave
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