Help with 3k fun DD choice

[Era Vulgaris]

I've just got a job which requires a 25 mile commute after working from home for years and selling my cars.

So in the market for a car, and I need one soon as I'm starting next week! I've got a max budget of £3k but I would hate to have to buy something dynamically crap, as that 25 mile commute is through some lovely country roads that should not be full. Reliability is a concern, as is mpg for a DD (some style would be nice too but you can't have everything)

So, I narrowed it down to the following:

BMW 520i/523i - a few 90-100k around that price, year 1999-2000 being careful of nikasil. Petrol and insurance will be more than I'd like but at least its waftmatic and can play a bit.
Ford Focus - is the ST any good? Seem to be a few around that level albeit leggy (reliable? A few friends have had nothing but trouble with theres, are they unlucky?)
BMW 318i - powerless but should make up for it in good mpg (that would be the sacrifice I suppose).

Now a few leftfield choices:
Toyota Celica - new shape. Heard its slow but looks ok-ish.
MX-5 - just don't know if I could

Discounted Audi as I'm not a fan of the older shape models that I'd get for 3k and most Jap sprouty wing stuff (something more clean though?)

I'm racking my brain and the classifieds... anyone help me out with any other ideas?

[Silverbullet767]

How about a clio 172, can they be had for £3k?

[Lefty 200 Drams]

The MX5 certainly won't appeal to everyone but try driving one...

E36 BM? 328 perhaps?

What would you class as reasonable mpg? I just bought an Impreza Turbo snotter for £1500 and with a mixture of b-road thrapping and a-road crusing (on a 32-mile each-way commute) I get 22-24mpg. It's great fun, quick (ish) and practical.

Clio 172 is a very good shout. How about a 306 GTi or Rallye?

A colleague of mine just bought an x-type 3.0 v6 for £3k. Not really my thing but they do drive quite nicely and is a fair bit of car for the money.

[excel monkey]

Sounds like you're not so fussed about a wafty car, so how about:

Clio 172
Puma
106/306 GTI
Focus 2.0
early Mini One or Cooper (if you can stretch the budget a bit)

[Era Vulgaris]

Clio would be a good shout although that's our other car at the moment so kinda ruled it out on that basis.

Puma might be OK... Never driven one. I do like the MX5 I just don't know if I could be seen in it, so used to bigger 'man' cars.

E36 is a good idea too, not really looked at any, guess they will offer the same rwd fun I'm used to (had 3 series most of my life). Not sure on the smaller 106s, I think it would need to be able to cruise also when required and they might grow tiresome quite quickly.

Still leaning towards the focus too although the Mrs hates them for some reason. Is there a better engine to go for in those? 1.6, 1.8, ST (is there a 2.0 without ST?)

ETA: The Mini would be a great choice if I could stretch the budget but hands are tied

Edited by Era Vulgaris on Friday 28th May 10:05

[Risotto]

If you're bothered about MPG, an MX-5 might not be great (although in all other respects a 5 would be a good choice). You'd get much better MPG out of a 172.

[Krise]

Go for the st, had one as a company hack, did 125K in about 18 months never missed a beat, I know who my co sold it onto and its rolled over 160 I believe and its still going strong, but beware of the thirst, mid to low 20s mpg and less if hooning but very comfy, cheap to service, and make a great noise !

[Fartgalen]

I reckon any set of DD's would be a fun daily toy.

[Lefty 200 Drams]

Krise said:

Go for the st, make a great noise !

I think they're nice cars but I must disagree on the noise, they sound really dull in my 'umble!

[excel monkey]

Era Vulgaris said:

Puma might be OK... Never driven one. I do like the MX5 I just don't know if I could be seen in it, so used to bigger 'man' cars.

Get a 1.7 Puma in a "manly" colour like black or dark grey - you'll be OK. Not "lipstick red" like the one I used to run.

Era Vulgaris said:

Still leaning towards the focus too although the Mrs hates them for some reason. Is there a better engine to go for in those? 1.6, 1.8, ST (is there a 2.0 without ST?)

Yes the Mk1 Focus 2.0 came as a Zetec or a Ghia. 2.0 Zetec came as a 3 door or 5 door. I think the Ghia was 5 door only.

Era Vulgaris said:

The Mini would be a great choice if I could stretch the budget but hands are tied

Early 2002 Minis are down to £3995 in the PH classifieds - maybe you could haggle a bit more off those prices.

[Lefty 200 Drams]

Hang on...

You don't want an MX5 because it's not manly enough but you'd consider a Mini?



Up here at least, Minis seem to be driven solely by overweight women with too much spray-on orange tan and dyed blonde hair.

[Era Vulgaris]

Mid to low 20's for a focus, christ. Didn't expect that to be honest. I think I could sacrifice some speed and live with a 2.0.

There's a garage near me that I've just looked at, has a few cars mentioned above that I'll go check out. Also has some Mazda's, which I've never really considered but I'll check out.

Definately can't stretch to those minis, have to think of insurance/tax etc too so I'm thinking 2.5-3 really. Thanks for the help folks, gives me more to look at!

[Era Vulgaris]

Lefty 200 Drams said:

Hang on...

You don't want an MX5 because it's not manly enough but you'd consider a Mini?



Up here at least, Minis seem to be driven solely by overweight women with too much spray-on orange tan and dyed blonde hair.

I think that's the same everywhere, but least you can make a mini look half masculine with a few stick on bits (would that make it a shemale?). Your kind of stuck with a 5 always looking, well, girly. Which is fine if your in touch with your feminine side, which I'm obviously not enough.

Edited by Era Vulgaris on Friday 28th May 10:41

[ManOpener]

Era Vulgaris said:

Clio would be a good shout although that's our other car at the moment so kinda ruled it out on that basis.

Puma might be OK... Never driven one. I do like the MX5 I just don't know if I could be seen in it, so used to bigger 'man' cars.

E36 is a good idea too, not really looked at any, guess they will offer the same rwd fun I'm used to (had 3 series most of my life). Not sure on the smaller 106s, I think it would need to be able to cruise also when required and they might grow tiresome quite quickly.

Still leaning towards the focus too although the Mrs hates them for some reason. Is there a better engine to go for in those? 1.6, 1.8, ST (is there a 2.0 without ST?)

ETA: The Mini would be a great choice if I could stretch the budget but hands are tied

Edited by Era Vulgaris on Friday 28th May 10:05

Focus ST170s can be had for about £3k (or at least I've seen them for that little). They're apparently very good.

[emicen]

ManOpener said:

Era Vulgaris said:

Clio would be a good shout although that's our other car at the moment so kinda ruled it out on that basis.

Puma might be OK... Never driven one. I do like the MX5 I just don't know if I could be seen in it, so used to bigger 'man' cars.

E36 is a good idea too, not really looked at any, guess they will offer the same rwd fun I'm used to (had 3 series most of my life). Not sure on the smaller 106s, I think it would need to be able to cruise also when required and they might grow tiresome quite quickly.

Still leaning towards the focus too although the Mrs hates them for some reason. Is there a better engine to go for in those? 1.6, 1.8, ST (is there a 2.0 without ST?)

ETA: The Mini would be a great choice if I could stretch the budget but hands are tied

Edited by Era Vulgaris on Friday 28th May 10:05

Focus ST170s can be had for about £3k (or at least I've seen them for that little). They're apparently very good.

You really wouldnt believe how thirsty they are. Mate of mine in work ran one and was getting the same sort of MPG my ST205 Celica GTFour returns on a very similar commute.

[Lefty 200 Drams]

How about 3x £1000 cars?

That way, when one doesn't start you have 2 backups.

[Stu R]

Go for some 90's japanese fun. Without wishing to sound like a scratched record 3K will buy you a really nice 200sx, which are great for the milage, easy to tune, cheap as chips to run and great to drive. Or if you fancy something a bit bigger you could always go for a 300zx

[PulsatingStar]

You could consider an Accord Type R. I average about 27mpg in mine and its pretty decent. When I chose it was between this and the E36 M3 but I figured the Honda would be a fair bit cheaper to run and not too far behind the M3 for fun.

[anonymous-user]

I wouldn't go for the 318i for 'fun' driving. As much as I like mine they aren't fast and dont handle well, also if you drive it hard you will be looking at low 20s mpg. I get about 31mpg daily which generally 50% town driving and lots of slowing down and speeding up.
How about a 328i e46? They are much faster and can be found for around £3k

The st170s are meant to be good, I'm actually considering one for myself at the moment. But they are horrendous on fuel or so I've been told.

The clio 172s are meant to be really good and aren't much money now. That was again on my want list, but was scuppered due to the insurance costs.

Edited by anonymous-user on Friday 28th May 11:33

[topless_mx5]

Era Vulgaris said:

Your kind of stuck with a 5 always looking, well, girly. Which is fine if your in touch with your feminine side, which I'm obviously not enough.

Err...