£6K to spend - warm/hot hatch

[Drive Blind]

Is it as straight forward as EP3 type R or EP3 type R?

I test drove and nearly bought a Fabia vRS but I just cant bring myself to buy a diesel.

The scotsman in me wants the Fabia, the boy racer wants the type R.

Is there an obvious alternative that I'm missing?

Clio's are too small - and French. I don't necessarily need a big boot or 4/5 doors. Commute is 50 miles per day, mix of A road and DC. EP3 type R would manage 30mpg when driven economically - I don't really want to go below this. But the roads are all heavily congested during the commute so the type R is wasted?

AAArrrrrrrrrrrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! help please,

[ShiggyBiggs]

Id have a look at something like this
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2250706.htm

[300bhp/ton]

So you don't need a boot or the seats, so why the smeg a fwd hatch???

Buy a proper sports car or something instead.

What sort of budget are you looking at? Guessing £6k'ish.


200SX s14, a BMW of some sort. 350z maybe. if mid 20's mog are ok you could even look at V8 muscle cars.

[wackojacko]

EP3's are fantastic cars.

Clio 182 cup or Trophy's are a little more exlcusive.


S2000 (bit of drop top rev tastic fun ?)

[George H]

I would go for this

http://pistonheads.com/sales/2775705.htm

[nottyash]

I owned a Fabia VRS from new in 2005, but it needs a remap to be anything like the CTR, and even then it wont handle like one and the dash is pretty cheap looking.
When remapped they do struggle for grip in slippy conditions.
However you will get close to 50MPG with 190BHP with double the torque of a CTR. This means put your foot down at 40 mph in top gear and it will pull away quickly making it more drivable as a CTR requires revving and driving hard to achieve the performance.
Its a personal preference but i have to say a remapped VRS is quite addictive.....but then so is a Honda VTEC.

[Drive Blind]

300bhp/ton said:

So you don't need a boot or the seats, so why the smeg a fwd hatch???

What sort of budget are you looking at? Guessing £6k'ish.

if mid 20's mog are ok you could even look at V8 muscle cars.

yup £6K- ish

don't really want anything over 6 years old. Nothing modded, something that out the box is a decent car.

2l petrol is about as juicy as I want to go. 35 mpg doddling along at 60 and probably 20-25 when hooning.

[Drive Blind]

ShiggyBiggs said:

Id have a look at something like this
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2250706.htm

no thanks

[Drive Blind]

nottyash said:

I owned a Fabia VRS from new in 2005, but it needs a remap to be anything like the CTR, and even then it wont handle like one and the dash is pretty cheap looking.
When remapped they do struggle for grip in slippy conditions.
However you will get close to 50MPG with 190BHP with double the torque of a CTR. This means put your foot down at 40 mph in top gear and it will pull away quickly making it more drivable as a CTR requires revving and driving hard to achieve the performance.
Its a personal preference but i have to say a remapped VRS is quite addictive.....but then so is a Honda VTEC.

I realise the standard vRS wont be anything near the CTR - but the 50+mpg appeals with still decent performance.

However I would probably need to lower the vRS + fit RARB. CTR is superb right out the box.

[Drive Blind]

George H said:

I would go for this

http://pistonheads.com/sales/2775705.htm

sorry, no way

[Baryonyx]

George H said:

I would go for this

http://pistonheads.com/sales/2775705.htm

Pricey, but these are holding their value well. Low miles, in good nick. Probably a decent buy, and they look like great little cars.

[Diesel Fury]

Sounds like you've already made your mind up about buying a CTR.

[danneth]

http://pistonheads.com/sales/2778928.htm

these can be found if you look round hard enough

[_Leg_]

2003 Works Mini? Bit older but worth a look? Personally for that money, even as a JCW owner, albeit an 08, I would go for the Clio or a Megane.

[EDLT]

danneth said:

http://pistonheads.com/sales/2778928.htm

these can be found if you look round hard enough

Awesome cars.

I have to agree with 300bhp/ton though, if you don't need a hatchback then there are more interesting cars available for 6k.

[Drive Blind]

Diesel Fury said:

Sounds like you've already made your mind up about buying a CTR.

I think I have - I was just checking I'm not missing out an obvious alternative

[bigcam101]

Have you thought about Seat Ibiza 1.8fr same engine as cupra but slightly less powerful and insurance group is only 12 which is not bad for a car with 150bhp.

[tyranical]

bigcam101 said:

Have you thought about Seat Ibiza 1.8fr same engine as cupra but slightly less powerful and insurance group is only 12 which is not bad for a car with 150bhp.

I've got one and had it remapped at P-torque... my FR 150 is now an FR 215/260lb.ft torque

Its also faster (in a straight line) than my mates Type R and if driven sensibly 35mpg is easily achieved, I've had 42mpg on a run from Chester to Cornwall.

Handling wise they're not so great, not awful just average handling. A few choice mods will transform the handling though.

Never had any problems with it at all in my 2 years of ownership.

[Classic Grad 98]

Suzuki Swift Sport?

[300bhp/ton]

Drive Blind said:

yup £6K- ish

don't really want anything over 6 years old. Nothing modded, something that out the box is a decent car.

2l petrol is about as juicy as I want to go. 35 mpg doddling along at 60 and probably 20-25 when hooning.

The CTR is a fine hatch. Not really me though.

If you fancy something new and chuckable I quite like the look of the Mitsubishi Colt RalliArt. £6.5k will get you an 09 plate. 1.5 turbo and a remap will see 200-210hp and they only weight about 1000kg which appeals to me.

Not sure if in budget but I'd probably also look at R53 MINI Cooper S's.