What car... Again... 6k available..

[stedaley]

Hey guys,

After finally getting a car a few months ago, i need to move up the car ladder quickly and am looking to upgrade from my 1.4 06 clio to something hopefully abit more modern and up to date.

Love my little clio, just having had the car bug for 15+ years, (only 23 now but i started young) i dont want to be stuck with a car that i cant enjoy. Yes it gets me from a to b, but im hoping for something more.

Ideas have been thrown around
---IDEA 1
Buy a 6k car outright and enjoy it for 2/3years with moderate costs and maintenance

---IDEA 2
6k deposit on a nearly new 14/15 car and finance the rest.

With options about 50/50 if im honest in what feedback ive gotten so far,

6k is a good amount of money to play around with, But im hoping speaking with car owners with a few years experience will point me in the right direction with what cars to start test driving and looking at.

Outright owners
Clio 197/200, fiesta st (to 2012), mk5 golf, civic type r, bmw 1series 120d, impreza, twingo 133, swift sport, audi a3/a4, Octavia vrs, maybe at a push intergra type r,

Finance cars
Fiesta st-2 2014 -13k
Focus st 2014 - 17k
Golf r 2011-17k
320d 2011- 14k
Audi a5 3.0tdi - 12k
335d 2007 - 12k

Just to give you an idea of what im looking at. Insurance is fine, with typical comutes being 10-15miles each way daily (mon-fri) and the occasional southampton-northampton every other weekend. Petrol/diesel isnt a huge concern but around 30-40 on long trips is what im aiming for.

Ill be looking for some bells and whistles, current car doesnt have ac so i would like some creature comforts, heated seats, folding door mirrors, cruise control, etc, but open for ideas.

4 people is a must, but can be 3 or 5door, just have to have that option to be able to go to work with passengers.

Throw me some links

Ste

[ZX10R NIN]

I'd go for idea one spend 6-7k you'll still get a nice ride but it won't have the added cost every month.

330i but you'll have to haggle
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

Loaded Focus ST 3
http://www2.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

as an alternative to the above how about a Mondeo with the same engine but more kit, a proper sleeper
http://www2.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Renault sport Megane 25k on the clock
http://www2.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

The above would be my pick

Edited by ZX10R NIN on Wednesday 22 July 07:30

[CallorFold]

You'll struggle to get into a Clio 200 for £6K, a tidy 197 F1 shouldn't be too hard to find though

I had the same £6K budget as you and ended up with a Clio 197 no regrets, it's a fantastic car.

[Axionknight]

ZX10R NIN said:

I'd go for idea one spend 6-7k you'll still get a nice ride but it won't have the added cost every month.

330i but you'll have to haggle
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

Loaded Focus ST 3
http://www2.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

as an alternative to the above how about a Mondeo with the same engine but more kit, a proper sleeper
http://www2.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Renault sport Megane 25k on the clock
http://www2.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

The above would be my pick

Edited by ZX10R NIN on Wednesday 22 July 07:30

That Megane seems awful cheap for it's mileage - everything else at the 5-7k price point has done triple the distance. Seems fishy, :P

[skene]

I was in the same position as you about 2 years ago, I hate the idea of finance so I went out and bought the nicest Civic Type-R EP3 that I could!

All my mates around me (I'm only 21) are going down the finance routes and have more expensive and nicer cars than me, but after a big redundancy scare at my work I'm seriously glad I don't have £xxxpm to worry about over a car!

[CallorFold]

skene said:

I was in the same position as you about 2 years ago, I hate the idea of finance so I went out and bought the nicest Civic Type-R EP3 that I could!

All my mates around me (I'm only 21) are going down the finance routes and have more expensive and nicer cars than me, but after a big redundancy scare at my work I'm seriously glad I don't have £xxxpm to worry about over a car!

I'm willing to bet the Type R is a whole lot faster and more fun to drive than anything they're leasing unless they've got deep pockets!

[james_gt3rs]

Personally I would spend, say, £4k on the car, then keep £2k reserved for servicing and potential repairs... you never know when a big bill could appear unfortunately.

[ryanthescot]

pug 106 rallye as a daily and mx5 turbo for fun/track car. you could get both for about 6k.

pug
mx5 turbo

have fun

[lewisf182]

£6k budget, without doubt the 130i. IMHO no hot hatch around that price backet can match it in speed, noise and over all specialness - RWD, 260hp, amazing straight 6 sound etc.

Running costs are extermely reasonable too as the 1 series in general is solid as is the N52 engine.

So many blown 4 pots at this price range, we've got decades of those to come so go straight 6 while you can.

Next on the list for me would by FN2 type R, been looking at these recently and the 2 litre howler appeals!

[Feirny]

Axionknight said:

That Megane seems awful cheap for it's mileage - everything else at the 5-7k price point has done triple the distance. Seems fishy, :P

Cheap? Seems a bit expensive to me. Can get a decent R26 for that money.

I deal with the guy selling through work, and he's decent.

[bakerstreet]

lewisf182 said:

£6k budget, without doubt the 130i. IMHO no hot hatch around that price backet can match it in speed, noise and over all specialness - RWD, 260hp, amazing straight 6 sound etc.

Running costs are extermely reasonable too as the 1 series in general is solid as is the N52 engine.

So many blown 4 pots at this price range, we've got decades of those to come so go straight 6 while you can.

Next on the list for me would by FN2 type R, been looking at these recently and the 2 litre howler appeals!

I'd say get an EP3 Type R over the FN2. Yes, the FN2 has more toys and a much better interior, but the suspension is very very hard non the FN2. Also the EP3 Type R doesn't have the well documented gearbox issues of the FN2.

You can also use a roof rack and a bike rack with an EP3.

The engine in the EP3/FN2 is fantastic and easily the most exciting car I have owned to date. My current Saab has over 50bhp more than the Civic, but its no where near as fun

[ZX10R NIN]

Axionknight said:

That Megane seems awful cheap for it's mileage - everything else at the 5-7k price point has done triple the distance. Seems fishy, :P

I agree but it does seem to be all present & correct so I put it in.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

R26
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

F1 R26
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...

Edited by ZX10R NIN on Wednesday 22 July 17:58

[rb5er]

lewisf182 said:

£6k budget, without doubt the 130i. IMHO no hot hatch around that price backet can match it in speed, noise and over all specialness - RWD, 260hp, amazing straight 6 sound etc.

Specialness? I really don't see that, nothing bespoke about the car at all, just feels like a 1series with a 3.0 engine in... which it is.

Noise, they sound OK but not great and speed? Well come on, most hot hatches are as fast if not faster.

Do you not find the overly fat steering wheel, weird offset pedals and crappy gearbox annoying? It really aggs me when I drive a friends. A car I want to like but find quite frustrating.

OP pick a few cars and go test drive, only you can decide what floats your boat. Opinions are like aholes etc.

350z, impreza or Focus ST for me at that price point.

[lewisf182]

rb5er said:

Specialness? I really don't see that, nothing bespoke about the car at all, just feels like a 1series with a 3.0 engine in... which it is.

Noise, they sound OK but not great and speed? Well come on, most hot hatches are as fast if not faster.

Do you not find the overly fat steering wheel, weird offset pedals and crappy gearbox annoying? It really aggs me when I drive a friends. A car I want to like but find quite frustrating.

OP pick a few cars and go test drive, only you can decide what floats your boat. Opinions are like aholes etc.

350z, impreza or Focus ST for me at that price point.

This is what i've never understood, the 130i is faster than all hot hatches of its time (2006) and none that i can think of are rwd. And a 6 cylinder sounds better than any 4 pot, full stop, even a screaming vtec. The 4 pots only sound remotely OK with exhaust and air filter mods, the 6 cylinder stock beats them all hands down, let alone bringing an aftermarket exhaust into the mix.

R32 probably does sound marginally better thinking about it though, but they have held their value extremely well meaning decent examples arent in budget.

I really like the steering wheel, it makes it feel extremely solid unlike its french counterparts. The gearbox is pretty crap until its warmed up yes, then its as good as any other gearbox i've driven.

Overall the small car big engine does make it feel speciaL IME, nobody expects a 1 series to have a 3 litre in there.

[ZX10R NIN]

The 330i rides better & is a nicer place to be than the 130i I'd pick a three series over a 1 series every time as for top speeds there's nothing in it.

[rb5er]

If you check in gear times you will find that a Focus ST is quicker than a 130i. If you think the gearbox is good you can't have driven many cars. I found the gearbox poor as per most manual BMW's. No thoughts on the offset pedals?

If you like the steering then fair enough. Small car big engine yes but people do expect them to have a big engine and no they are not faster than the turbocharged 2.0's of 2006. Check in gear times, 0-60 difference of 0.2 of a second is negligable when they have less torque in gear than the rest.

Edited by rb5er on Thursday 23 July 08:15

[ZX10R NIN]

So OP have you decided what your going to test drive?

[TheAngryDog]

Havent we seen this all before?

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

There was another guy who was just like this, cant remember his user name, though to be fair, he did these posts every 3 days, so you're not that bad. Carry on

[stedaley]

TheAngryDog said:

Havent we seen this all before?

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

There was another guy who was just like this, cant remember his user name, though to be fair, he did these posts every 3 days, so you're not that bad. Carry on

I know!! I keep posting on here and then something comes up!! It sucks but at least all you guys are alright about it!!

[stedaley]

ZX10R NIN said:

So OP have you decided what your going to test drive?

Booked a fiesta st test drive with a mate just to see what all the fuss is about!

the 130i id never really thought about, i know the missus loves these cars, would have to have a look at one to see how i feel, Have a mate who works with these and only ever owned BMWs (330d 330i 320d M3) so may be worth giving him a shout,

The Focus ST never appealed to me and after seeing the R26/225 Megane my mate has i wasnt as fussed on it as i thought.

350z, again id never looked for, only assuming that it would be abit cramped on the Inside,

Intergra Dc5 would be my Pick but with few of them out there its hard to find one to test drive, even harder to find one in the price range. Never liked the Type R civic compared to them tbh,

197/200 are good choices but i was let down by the options and quality of the interiors compared to other hatches, they are the same as my current Clio on the inside