Quickish Family Car ~5k?
Discussion
Hey there guys,
Will be on the look out for something to provide a bit more fun in the next few months, considering a quickish hatch of some sort. I realise this topic most probably has been done to death, but with prices of certain models falling in to my price bracket recently I thought it'd be worth asking about.
Budget is £5-6k (would prefer closer to 5).. Not all that many requirements other than it must be a 5dr, something around 200hp, reasonably economical (~35mpg) and have a decent boot!.
It will be the only motor and I regularly have 4 people in the car so i'd like more of an all rounder really. MKV GTi seems to be the top contender at the mo, seem to be able to pick up some decent examples around the 5k mark.
So where would your money go guys?
Thanks.
Will be on the look out for something to provide a bit more fun in the next few months, considering a quickish hatch of some sort. I realise this topic most probably has been done to death, but with prices of certain models falling in to my price bracket recently I thought it'd be worth asking about.
Budget is £5-6k (would prefer closer to 5).. Not all that many requirements other than it must be a 5dr, something around 200hp, reasonably economical (~35mpg) and have a decent boot!.
It will be the only motor and I regularly have 4 people in the car so i'd like more of an all rounder really. MKV GTi seems to be the top contender at the mo, seem to be able to pick up some decent examples around the 5k mark.
So where would your money go guys?
Thanks.
Cheers for the suggestions guys, have driven a few of the Saabs in work and although quick they're not at all fun to drive. I was hoping to retain some sort of fun factor for the lone weekend hoons, hence the GTi thought.
Octavia could be an option, some nice examples around for £5k.. Not a fan of the Mondeo sorry!
Guess I should have made the 'Fun' bit clearer in my original post.
Octavia could be an option, some nice examples around for £5k.. Not a fan of the Mondeo sorry!
Guess I should have made the 'Fun' bit clearer in my original post.
Does it have to be a hatch? Could get something like this?
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...
We've got a mk2 Octavia VRS which pretty much fits those requirements. Slightly larger than the Golf both in the back seats and the boot and it's also both lighter and more aerodynamics so should be more economical. You'll only average 35mpg if you use it primarily on long motorway journeys though. 30 is more realistic around town.
HonestIago said:
Impreza WRX wagon for £3-4k and spend the difference on fuel 
I think these are far better value - 3.0 as well (although your fuel bill and RFL will be horrific)http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...
You really need the SpecB for the Legacy to be in any way comparable to an Impreza. Power is the same as any 3.0R. but it's the suspension and STi 6-sp gearbox that make the Spec.B fun. RFL is not horrific, but we average 27mpg and it would be a lot less if you press-on all the time.
It is a great all-rounder though, as you can have fun on a twisty B-road, or waft to the Alps and back fully loaded with happy kids.
It is a great all-rounder though, as you can have fun on a twisty B-road, or waft to the Alps and back fully loaded with happy kids.
Look around extensively for just this a little while back.
Mazda6 MPS, Mondeo ST220, Octavia vRS, Saab 9-3 main options in a hatch - if you're willing to go saloon I was looking also at Impreza WRX, Accord Type R and e39 5 Series.
5k should get you a good example of any of the above.
Was really very sorely tempted by the ST, WRX or 5 series but the MPG and potential for big bills put me off in the end. Had my heart set on the e39 but I would only entertain a 330d or 330i and the more I read up on them the more the potential problems seemed to come up. Mazda is rare so prepare to travel. I ultimately went with the vRS as pretty much ticks all the boxes you could want from a car at this price - cheap to maintain, reliable, more than big enough and with a decent remap and supporting mods 220bhp+ with a reliable 35 - 40 mpg. I also went with an absolute best of the best Mk1 for less money rather than a ropey Mk2 for top of the budget, not regretted it once - far more raw and pleasant driving experience (Mk2 is a lot more refined though if you like that sort of thing).
Wouldn't bother with the Golf. Pretty much the same car as the Octy but much smaller and you pay VW tax so a Mk5 at this price is going to be high miles and pretty past it and the Mk4 isn't big enough for family duty imho and shouldn't be anything like as expensive. Not sure i'd call a Golf boot reasonable either, but each to their own...
Mazda6 MPS, Mondeo ST220, Octavia vRS, Saab 9-3 main options in a hatch - if you're willing to go saloon I was looking also at Impreza WRX, Accord Type R and e39 5 Series.
5k should get you a good example of any of the above.
Was really very sorely tempted by the ST, WRX or 5 series but the MPG and potential for big bills put me off in the end. Had my heart set on the e39 but I would only entertain a 330d or 330i and the more I read up on them the more the potential problems seemed to come up. Mazda is rare so prepare to travel. I ultimately went with the vRS as pretty much ticks all the boxes you could want from a car at this price - cheap to maintain, reliable, more than big enough and with a decent remap and supporting mods 220bhp+ with a reliable 35 - 40 mpg. I also went with an absolute best of the best Mk1 for less money rather than a ropey Mk2 for top of the budget, not regretted it once - far more raw and pleasant driving experience (Mk2 is a lot more refined though if you like that sort of thing).
Wouldn't bother with the Golf. Pretty much the same car as the Octy but much smaller and you pay VW tax so a Mk5 at this price is going to be high miles and pretty past it and the Mk4 isn't big enough for family duty imho and shouldn't be anything like as expensive. Not sure i'd call a Golf boot reasonable either, but each to their own...
More practical than the Golf but a little bit duller....2.0Tsi Passat estate
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...
MRobbins1987 said:
E46 330 touring
This is the correct answer in my book. £5k is way more than enough to take your pick of the best. It's big enough for a small family, a great cruiser that'll do 36mpg on motorway or 30mpg in mixed driving, and still great fun down a B-road.If you can't find a good, manual one (getting a little scarce), then a 325i would do the same job, just with about 40bhp less and no real advantage in fuel economy.
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