What car for city driving?

[TheFungle]

Or stty driving more like it

I may forced into getting rid of the MX-5 soon, having driven it through the centre of London & Manchester on several occasions I know it's terrible in the city, if I had to drive it in those conditions every day I'd soon start to hate it.

So what car would keep a city dwelling PHer happy?

I'm thinking it has to be nippy, slightly leftfield and tough enough to with stand the stop-start nature of life in a pot-holed traffic ridden hell hole!

My thoughts at the moment are a Brabus Smart, Fiat Panda 100hp, the rest I will leave for you to suggest.

For now I'm not even thinking of a second car, hence the looking to get rid of the Mazda.

[The Moose]

What's the problem? I drive my '5 through, in and around London on a pretty regular basis and don't have any issues at all

[TheFungle]

The Moose said:

What's the problem? I drive my '5 through, in and around London on a pretty regular basis and don't have any issues at all

It's just not enjoyable in the slightest, as much as I love it for A/B road driving when I take it through constant stop/start traffic, over speed humps I know it's just not the right environment for it.

Plus, looking for a different style of car is always good fun

[The Moose]

TheFungle said:

The Moose said:

What's the problem? I drive my '5 through, in and around London on a pretty regular basis and don't have any issues at all

It's just not enjoyable in the slightest, as much as I love it for A/B road driving when I take it through constant stop/start traffic, over speed humps I know it's just not the right environment for it.

Plus, looking for a different style of car is always good fun

Ok - you're right - its not the natural environment for the car, but the clutch isn't heavy and not is the steering (an mine doesn't have PAS*).

All IMHO of course!

* Maybe I'm just powerfully built

[chrisxr2]

Classic mini, thread clised.

[sleep envy]

chrisxr2 said:

Classic mini, thread clised.

[/ inspector clouseau]

[TheFungle]

The Moose said:

TheFungle said:

The Moose said:

What's the problem? I drive my '5 through, in and around London on a pretty regular basis and don't have any issues at all

It's just not enjoyable in the slightest, as much as I love it for A/B road driving when I take it through constant stop/start traffic, over speed humps I know it's just not the right environment for it.

Plus, looking for a different style of car is always good fun

Ok - you're right - its not the natural environment for the car, but the clutch isn't heavy and not is the steering (an mine doesn't have PAS*).

All IMHO of course!

* Maybe I'm just powerfully built

Oh and visibility with the roof down is atrocious!

I'm also powerfully built

[FreeLitres]

Peugeot iOn?

One of the best possible cars for start-stop driving. Plus, you are used to RWD, so it wont try and kill you.

[Use Psychology]

smart roadster

taxi?

[PumpkinSteve]

Toyota IQ? Too expensive?

[ajprice]

Smart Brabus cabrio or roadster. So you can still get the roof down for that 1 day in August we call summer

[TheFungle]

[Papa Hotel]

Well, I found my Panda 100HP to be pretty much the perfect city car for me. Small, nimble, roomy, good visibility, cheap to run, decent economy in traffic. Also cracking fun when the road clears. Do it, you won't regret it.

[TheFungle]

Papa Hotel said:

Well, I found my Panda 100HP to be pretty much the perfect city car for me. Small, nimble, roomy, good visibility, cheap to run, decent economy in traffic. Also cracking fun when the road clears. Do it, you won't regret it.

I was close to buying one last year then I changed my mind at last minute and went for the Mazda, it's certainly a consideration if our move to the city happens

[Ozzie Osmond]

Let me help you,

• not a Smart
• not a diesel
• definitely not a Smart diesel!

Pretty much any proper car with a small petrol engine.

[Rickyy]

Puma?

[Camaro91]

Lincoln Town Car :P

[SD1992]

Possibly now what you are looking for, but my Mum has a 2004 Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 Life which is used exclusively for city driving and the occasional long trip to Edinburgh / Aberdeen.

We have had it since it was a year old (paid £3k for it on 6k ) and it is on 70k now. All it has needed is a brake calliper, a coolant hose (though the HG was gone, thankfully not), and a track rod end. It returns 45+ mpg no matter how hard I try, and is brilliant in town.

Honestly can't complain, it owes us nothing and still looks / feels like new when I have spent a day cleaning it

[EDLT]

Range Rover. You won't even notice the speed bumps and pot holes.

[Papa Hotel]

Rickyy said:

Puma?

There are few finer FWD cars for a countryside blast, it's no city car though. Poor rear visibility, I scraped 20mpg in mine in the city, I loved it, just not for city driving.