Time for an Easter 'what car' thread...fun-but-practical???

[havoc]

The what car is for me, and hopefully at least a moderately "PH" car.

Expecting our first child in 2 months, so the ITR realistically needs to go soon. In terms of VFM it'll be hard to beat, but I'm going to need 4 doors for a few years at least.

Add to which my work are kicking up a fuss about me taking a car allowance against the wife's Golf but using the ITR most of the time. Fair enough...can't really argue there, even though there's good reasons for these few months.


So:-
<£10k
<5y.o. (ideally no more than 4)
4 or 5 doors - hatch or estate for preference
Decent boot and decent rear door apertures for getting child seat in-and-out
Quick enough - Golf GTi / ITR pace will be enough
Petrol (~12k a year miles) - fuel economy not critical but 25+mpg for preference.
'fun'
Manual only
One eye on resale - not necessarily dep'n, but easy to sell on



Ideas excluded so far:-
- 330i would be great but is too £££
- Legacy 3.0R is too rare in manual form
- R32 looks fun but a little too £££ and that'd be two Golfs in the family
- RX8 would be perfect if it was just a little MORE practical and a little less thirsty
- That FD2 Type R a friend of a friend is selling IS perfect...but £5k too much!
- 130i too small in the back
- Octavia vRS as I'm just not a big fan of the VAG control weights/feedback - Golf seems the best of the bunch and even there it's a little too aloof.

Ideas left with (to test drive over the next week or so):-
- Focus ST
- Mazda 3 MPS
- Hawkeye-variant Scooby WRX
- ...or I can be boring and take a company car - A3 Sportback TDi or Focus TDCi (both with cloth seats & flat paint but otherwise decent spec, can sacrifice some spec for the 170TDi / 163Zetec-S engines). Cost per month slightly more than running a £10k car over 2 years, but zero risk if anything goes wrong.

[Codswallop]

Can't think of many additional cars that fit your criteria tbh. Maybe you could add the 3.0 Jag X-Type to the list, and Mazda 6 MPS, but tbh, the 3 MPS seems to fit the bill quite well given your citeria.

[sawman]

following on from the legacy option, how about a forester, in turbo guise will give plenty of performance. I have a non turbo and have been really impressed with the balance of the car, I would imagine with the extra power of the turbo it would be pretty awesome

[Contigo]

Jag S-type R?

[djglover]

A 5 year old 330i, yes it will be hard to sell and a manual will be rocking horse ste to find, but, with the DTC off you will have MUCH more fun than any of the others

HTH

[AMGpower]

Simple. Mazda 6 MPS. 2.3 Turbo, 265 BHP, 4WD, and can come with sat nav, leather, and a BOSE stereo for well under 10k.
Something similar to this?
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...

[havoc]

Thanks all!

6 MPS is a thought - not sure on rear doors, worth a look.

330i - would need to be a Touring for practicality, and try finding one for <£10k...found a 325i touring for 12k but that's a half-breed of a motor and wouldn't sell as easy.

[anonymous-user]

The ST is a great option and I would also try a Mk5 GTI. What about the Mondeo ST and if you wanted an estate then X Types are worth a look. If you're brave then C43 estate

I thought 330i's were well under £10k these days?

[dave stew]

I don't think the Mazda would be great for resale. On the Suburu Legacy front, how about a 3.0R Spec B - they are virtually all manual?

[MarkGArgyle]

Vote for the Scoob from me!

I was in your situation in 2006 - I went from a Hyundai Coupe to a Hawkeye Scoob WRX and it was surprisingly practical. Admittedly I bought a Euro import at the time but looked at most of your shortlist at the time.

I managed 25mpg in normal commuting.

My 2p worth - if you can find an early model (Pre-March 06 I think?) it falls into the pre-emmissions tax instead of the £400+ that mine was in.

[paulmoonraker]

Scooby plus roof box for holidays.

[rb5er]

Drive your shortlist, i think they are good cars.

The impreza will stand out as most special to drive and the ST as the best all rounder and nicest place to spend time.

[rb5er]

S60R is mega comfy and quick too but probably too old for you.

[Dalto123]

What about the Seat Leon Cupra? Seem like pretty good value now. 240bhp, 37,852 miles, and just under budget, and in a nice colour combo too.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...

[Chris71]

Can't you flex the 5 year age limit?

Go back further and £10k will buy you all manner of things plus a susbtantial contingency fund. A mint 4-door E36 M3, an M5, various AMG Mercs...

On the more sensible side my first thought was an Octavia vRS. Dunno if an Alfa Brera or GT would provide the required practicality for buggies and child seats? Could always consider a Mondeo ST of some description ... there's even a derv if you want to be really sensible.

[jimmy156]

How about an Alfa 159 3.2 or another one

mmmm lovely:

[havoc]

Yonex - wife drives a mkV GTi already...can't have two in the household! ;o)

rb5er - good summary, matches with my experiences.

5 year limit is imposed by work, so stuck with that, and it's why the BMs are out.

Legacy Spec B - manual ones under 5y.o. are like hens teeth...still on thr list though.

[Rotary Madness]

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/3780284.htm

Its almost 25mpg

[a_bread]

yonex said:

I thought 330i's were well under £10k these days?

Not at the age the OP wants

[a_bread]

With regard to the RX8's exceptional thirst, you could look at that as being funded by the massive amount of change you'd have left from your budget.