Which Coupe?

[70 C]

I' about to turn 24 this year and i think it's about time i had a coupe in my life after years of hatchbacks & a saloon. Budget is a strict £5,000!

I have the following in mind (in no order)

Alfa Romeo GT / GTV - 2.0 Petrol (No V6 i'm afraid)

Mercedes-Benz CLK - 200/230 Kompressor (Manual!)

BMW 323Ci / 328Ci - possibly 330Ci (Have owned a BMW before - change?)

Mazda RX8 192bhp

Audi TT quattro - 225bhp


Other leftfield options i'm thinking would be fun -

Jaguar XK8 - early example...

Smart Coupe - that's the Roadster Coupe not the city car!

- just realised there is a 5-cylinder difference between those pair!

A bit of background is i only do around 10-15 miles a day and occasional trip away - it would be my only car and would like to keep for a few years. I haven't driven any of them so looking for some advice basically.

Any more suggestions? I think i have most covered, as i'm not interested in Japanese cars (apart from RX8) and don't want any American car either.

Thanks.

[Fittster]

70 C said:

Mercedes-Benz CLK - 200/230 Kompressor (Manual!)

Is CLK with a manual box really going to be a nicer/sportier car than an auto?

[trickywoo]

Fiat Coupe in 20v turbo form.

[70 C]

The CLK - I've heard of £1k + Auto box rebuilds which to be honest scare me, so i am - perhaps foolishly - assuming the manual will be solid?

[Harji]

Being an RX8 owner I am going for the obvious - RX8. You should be able to pick an early well looked after example for that cash. They key words are well looked after, anything woth a stamp missing, forget it.

However, it will rape you on the fuel. But it is so much fun. I doubt you'll get one in your budget but the PZ models would be the best, as they have a Prodrive tuned set up on it.

[edo]

given the relatively low miles - something a bit older? 49,000 miles in 22 years!!

1989 PORSCHE 944 Lux 2.7 FH 2dr
Trade Seller: Vulcan Vans






3 Doors, Manual 5 Speed, Coupe, Petrol, 49,000 miles, Red. Previous Owners: 8, A real original example of a popular entry into porsche this magnificant example is not to be confused with some of the lesser quality 944's out there there are cheaper ones out there very few better, the specification at build included abs electric lift out roof 215/60 vr tyres split rear seat black pinstripe velour black carpets and trim cloth luggage cover elec seats uprated battery (new porsche 1 just fitted) passenger door mirror electric alarm headlamp wash wipe vertical h/dlight control havering coverered a mere 49,000 miles is about 2k miles p. yr & has got an extensive (17!) service history at porsche & porsche specialists (ronnoco) the bodywork condition is excellent the vehicle drives reallY well
£4,975

[kambites]

You'd get a lovely Corrado VR6 for that.

[70 C]

It's funny you should put that 944 up as i was going to put it on the list - however i've never had a car that's fairly modern so would like a newer car - good suggestion though thanks!

[300bhp/ton]

Lots of coupes for the money. How about a 5.7 V8 Camaro with 320-350hp?

[paoloh]

70 C said:

I' about to turn 24 this year and i think it's about time i had a coupe in my life after years of hatchbacks & a saloon. Budget is a strict £5,000!

I have the following in mind (in no order)

Alfa Romeo GT / GTV - 2.0 Petrol (No V6 i'm afraid)

Mercedes-Benz CLK - 200/230 Kompressor (Manual!)

BMW 323Ci / 328Ci - possibly 330Ci (Have owned a BMW before - change?)

Mazda RX8 192bhp

Audi TT quattro - 225bhp


Other leftfield options i'm thinking would be fun -

Jaguar XK8 - early example...

Smart Coupe - that's the Roadster Coupe not the city car!

- just realised there is a 5-cylinder difference between those pair!

A bit of background is i only do around 10-15 miles a day and occasional trip away - it would be my only car and would like to keep for a few years. I haven't driven any of them so looking for some advice basically.

Any more suggestions? I think i have most covered, as i'm not interested in Japanese cars (apart from RX8) and don't want any American car either.

Thanks.

£5k would get you into a new shape CLK if you hunt hard enough.

[djt100]

300bhp/ton said:

Lots of coupes for the money. How about a 5.7 V8 Camaro with 320-350hp?

My brother had a 2000, V6 model at 19 and absolutely loved it. Cheap to insure as well , 1/2 the price of a 2.0gt Celica at the time !

[anonymous-user]

You are way too young to drive a Jaguar (hey, I think that I am too, and I'm 48), but an Alfa would suit. If you could find a Fiat Coupe Turbo that has not been grotesquely chavved up and/or horribly thrashed, you might have a lot of fun, but budget for new front tyres every few minutes. I assume that insurance precludes the V6 GTV (a delightful car in every way), in which case it might also preclude the Fiat.

[70 C]

I did think about some American cars but they're not really for me. But thanks.

The Jag, yes it's a bit old-man - especially the early cheaper ones in dark green and wood trim interior - also the auto box doesn't really appeal. But then it does look good, it's british, oh, and has a V8!

I am leaning towards an Alfa though...

[robsco]

May I ask why you wouldn't go for a V6 GTV but you've included 6 cylinder BMWs? Its a genuine question as that would be my choice every day of the week. Failing that, if I could find a straight, fairly low mileage 20V Turbo Fiat Coupe, I'd be over the moon with one of those too.

[anonymous-user]

About the only thing which J Clarkson has said with which I agree is that no one can call themself a petrolhead unless they have owned at least one Alfa Romeo. At the very least, you learn about putting oil into cars.

I add that, although built on the same floor plan, the Fiat Coupe has more room in the back and a larger boot than a GTV, but those things may not matter greatly to a young bloke seeking a coupe.

[Chris71]

70 C said:

Alfa Romeo GT / GTV - 2.0 Petrol (No V6 i'm afraid)

Why no V6 out of interest? I looked into them a while back and the word was that the Twin Spark was nearly as thirsty. Plus if you go to a proper specialist insurer the extra grunt shouldn't hurt your premium too much.

If fuel is an issue I'd do some research before looking at RX8s too. A colleague has run two and struggled to get the mpg out of the teens. And that's just the oil consumption.

...It's a shame, because in other respects they're fantastic cars - practical, comfortable, fun to drive.

At the same time as the Alfa I looked at Corrados and the consensus was that they had the potential to spring some pretty scary bills. I was told to think of running costs as being on a par with a Porsche 944 or an M3 rather than usual VW fayre.

Speaking of which, I would seriously consider a mint 944. Perhaps look at buying a really good 8 valve 'lux' model and keeping a big pot of change for cook and hookers mechanical contingencies. Should do over 30mpg, will carry four at a push and the boot is tardis like for a coupe - it even has folding seats.

Oh, and two leftfield suggestions - one of the quicker variants of the FWD Toyota Celica or an Integra Type R?

[70 C]

Simply down to insurance (as always!!)

Very strange quotes - a V6 Alfa (both GT & GTV) were £2k plus p.a, 2.0 Alfa - £700 p.a to insure...

BMW/CLK/RX8 were only £700/£650/£800.

Jag XK8 was £1,000 yet Smart Roadster Coupe was £1,800...madness!

TBH i would like to spend less than £1k for insurance if possible.

[300bhp/ton]

doogz said:

That's American.

Presume they said no American then? (didn't read all the thread).

And in fairness, mines a European Type approved model, so only as American as a Ford Focus. And they were all built in Canada.

[300bhp/ton]

djt100 said:

My brother had a 2000, V6 model at 19 and absolutely loved it. Cheap to insure as well , 1/2 the price of a 2.0gt Celica at the time !

The latter (98-02) 3.8 V6's weren't bad in fairness. Not supercar quick, but grunty and 8.5 sec 0-60mph or better.

[Chris71]

70 C said:

Simply down to insurance (as always!!)

Very strange quotes - a V6 Alfa (both GT & GTV) were £2k plus p.a, 2.0 Alfa - £700 p.a to insure...

BMW/CLK/RX8 were only £700/£650/£800.

Jag XK8 was £1,000 yet Smart Roadster Coupe was £1,800...madness!

TBH i would like to spend less than £1k for insurance if possible.

Have you tried specialist sports car (or 'modern classic') policies rather than mainstream insurers?

That's another area where something like a 944 (or possible a Corrado) would come up trumps. I insured my 924S as a daily driver for about £600 a few years ago, when I was younger than you are, and it lived outside, was used for commuting etc. That was with Lancaster. God knows how much anything with a Porsche badge would have been charged on Compare the Meerkat.