What Car £1500 - £2000 - Daily Drive with a bit of go

[crouchingpigeon]

Looking to get a car in the next few weeks having not had one for a few years. It'll be used daily but the commute to work is about 10 miles all in so c 4000 miles a year so I'm not that fussed about fuel consumption. Ideally:

4 seats
Reasonably sprightly (150bhp +)
Nice Spec (Leather etc.)

So far we've been looking at Mk4 1.8T GTI and Alfa 147 Either 2 litre petrol or 1.9JTDM.

We're swaying towards the Alfa as it's a pretty little thing and is a lovely place to sit interior wise. Just wondering if there's any similar cars we're overlooking?

[crouchingpigeon]

Should have added, this will be a joint car with the missus who 'Is not at the point in her life where she wants to be driving a saloon'. This rules out the jags and BMWs although a 328 would probably be my choice. So add hatchback to that list of requirements.

Clio sport a decent shout, can a decent example of those be had at that price range?

[crouchingpigeon]

Good suggestions. The BMWs are completely off limits, Even an M3 apparently. A leon, as good a car is it is, is what her ex used to have so that's a no as well!

[crouchingpigeon]

bodhi said:

Bonefish Blues said:

Yep, but Mrs CrouchingP she say no.

So what is required is a 328i and a pair of bks

Haha, this. Or a willingness to forgo a 50% contribution to the car and everything that goes with it even though I'll be the one using it 90% of the time!

[crouchingpigeon]

Maintainence costs are a factor and servicing and driving a big Jag at the age of 29 isn't something i'd relish! The Saabs do like a hell of a lot of car for the money, again though, my other half is 27 and I think the Saab would be a bit too grown up.

[crouchingpigeon]

dme123 said:

These questions always turn into some sort of st half witted logic puzzle/guessing game. You get a massively open ended set of requirements then a set of absurd reasons why entire swathes of the possible suggestions are out of the question.

If it mustn't include cars with more than 6 hoses under the bonnet, or saloons, or ones with more than a 45 profile tyre, or anything that your girlfriend has had sex in the back of before etc. etc. then either say upfront or just tell us what the car is that you're presumably trying to steer us towards suggesting and thus validating the choice you've already made!

Fair enough, I guess I thought by mentioning the Golf and 147 I was trying to show the type of car we were looking at. ie, hatchback, smallish, 150 Bhp.

The Cupra and the Clio fit this bill. The 328 would be perfect if not for her having an irrational fear of long cars. That merc compact looks interesting though. Cheers for the suggestions guys

[crouchingpigeon]

Afromonk said:

I too have noticed that this is very common on "what car for..." threads recently.
The OP posts a set of requirements and then moves the goalposts occasionally for some reason.


What about a celica? Nippy, stylish, reliable and cheap.8
Audi TT?
Mini cooper R53?
Mk1 Focus ST?

Didn't mean to move goalposts or st on people's suggestions. Focus ST170 is a decent shout, there a couple close by for that sort of money

[crouchingpigeon]

skinny said:

i test drove a 147 before i got my golf mk4 gti. similar age and price. window stitches broken, interior plastics taken a beating, gearbox was like stirring soup. admittedly i probably saw a lemon but the quality in the golf was 10 times better. shame, cos i really wanted the alfa!

Edited by skinny on Friday 29th August 10:59

Useful info, going to look at an 06 147 tomorrow so will see what that's like, the golfs do seem very well put together inside if a little dull. I saw a very tired 147 last week that looked a state inside.

[crouchingpigeon]

crouchingpigeon said:

Afromonk said:

I too have noticed that this is very common on "what car for..." threads recently.
The OP posts a set of requirements and then moves the goalposts occasionally for some reason.


What about a celica? Nippy, stylish, reliable and cheap.8
Audi TT?
Mini cooper R53?
Mk1 Focus ST?

Didn't mean to move goalposts or st on people's suggestions. Focus ST170 is a decent shout, there a couple close by for that sort of money

Bought an 04 plate st170 yesterday, very happy with it so far as is her indoors