Sorry guys, another what car thread!

[ultraheed]

Right, been over a year since I had my ep3 type R and i'm looking at getting another car! I'm currently driving my mums fiesta lx so in need of a bit more power. Had a few things in mind, namely a mazda 3 mps, but am totally open to any suggestions that might have gone unnoticed. I'm 23 as of tomorrow and have a maximum budget of £8000, preferably we won't have to go that high. Main factors are:

• has to be sub 7 seconds to 60
• has to be insurable considering my age (maximum is 1000 per year)
• reliable enough to work every day
• running costs that won't financially ruin me!

Cheers in advance guys

[sebhaque]

Just throwing a few at you buddy:

Audi S3
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2498845.htm

BMW 330ci
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2498800.htm

BMW Z4
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2679682.htm

Ford Focus ST
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2593760.htm

Honda S2000
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2448536.htm

Lotus Elise S1
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2240920.htm

Mazda RX8
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2674689.htm

Mercedes C32
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2623508.htm

Renault Clio 197
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2606156.htm

Skoda Octavia vRS
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2541777.htm

Vauxhall Astra VXR
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2612472.htm

Volkswagen Golf R32
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2612909.htm



I don't know the ins and outs of insurance but I've tried to be sensible - no STis or Evos as they'll be a non-vaseline session for you; I'm of a similar age and insurance was the reason I had to chop in my STi.

[ultraheed]

Would love an evo eventually, but I know what you mean about insurance. On a site note, done a quick quote for a S2000 earlier on a comparison website, over 3 grand!

[andy43]

Of the list up there, I'm guessing the only sensible insurance will be on the Lotus and the Skoda.

[sebhaque]

Holy bananas, I'm not looking forward to renewal time for the VX220 then... two years ago my Impreza was £1500 to insure. Come renewal about 8 months ago, the cheapest quote was £3800! Equated to over 50p a mile just in insurance.

Have you considered adding your parents as named drivers? This will lower the insurance, and if you ensure you are the main driver it's not fronting. It might also be worth investigating the difference in price dependant on whether you keep the car in a garage, on the drive, or in the street - I've heard that some insurers assume that a car left in the garage is also left unlocked and therefore charge more than what it would be to keep it on the street or on a driveway.

I can't think of any other insurance alternatives rather than getting lucky with Admiral's multicar policy - I pay less for a 120d and VX220 turbo than I would do for the VX alone. If I factor in the price of both cars and the longevity/frugality of the BMW then I'm quids in after two years!

ETA not that I'm bothered about cost, I love both cars because they're top notch at what I want them to do - the VX is amazing on the back roads, the BMW provides a brilliant environment for the ~300 miles of motorway it gets a week, as well as returning 60mpg consistently.

[Matt UK]

Do you need practicality?

If not, get an early Mk1 MX5 and have some mild RWD fun for a year and do a few track days. Not that fast, but it will feel it. And it will stop and steer in a way that the heavier cars just won't.

Buy well and you might not even lose much on it in 12 months. Easy to learn a bit of DIY tinkering on as well.

[6potdave]

That's a great list, but your a git... I had spent the last 6 months narrowing down my search and you come along and widen it again!

[sebhaque]

6potdave said:

That's a great list, but your a git... I had spent the last 6 months narrowing down my search and you come along and widen it again!

Who me? I could post a few more cars that I omitted from my previous post...

[ultraheed]

Insurance is a mental thing. Cheapest quote for an S2000 is £3200 while for the C32 AMG the cheapest is £1700. Need to accept that on any car with some decent performance will command some pretty big premiums at my age.

I'm not too big on practicality. Would still have access to the fiesta so could use that if need be. I'd prefer to stay away from the vxr, ST's etc. Would rather something a bit different and obscure, surprise a few people in the process! Thats why i liked the idea of the MPS, don't see many about and the earlier ones are much more discreet.

[Tuvra]

Fabia VRS, Renault Clio 197, JCW cooper S, Audi TT QS, Motorsport Puma thingy? Sub 7 seconds and cheap insurance is always going to be a challenge at 23, I'm paying £3k for a FRS at 24

[ensignia]

Mazda RX-8. And as luck would have it I happen to be selling mine

Insurance (23 also) is under £800 through MoreThan, but I do live in a relatively low-risk postcode.

[ewan221]

350z ??? though suppose imsurance will be an issue

[insanojackson]

sebhaque said:

Holy bananas, I'm not looking forward to renewal time for the VX220 then... two years ago my Impreza was £1500 to insure. Come renewal about 8 months ago, the cheapest quote was £3800! Equated to over 50p a mile just in insurance.

Have you considered adding your parents as named drivers? This will lower the insurance, and if you ensure you are the main driver it's not fronting. It might also be worth investigating the difference in price dependant on whether you keep the car in a garage, on the drive, or in the street - I've heard that some insurers assume that a car left in the garage is also left unlocked and therefore charge more than what it would be to keep it on the street or on a driveway.

I can't think of any other insurance alternatives rather than getting lucky with Admiral's multicar policy - I pay less for a 120d and VX220 turbo than I would do for the VX alone. If I factor in the price of both cars and the longevity/frugality of the BMW then I'm quids in after two years!

ETA not that I'm bothered about cost, I love both cars because they're top notch at what I want them to do - the VX is amazing on the back roads, the BMW provides a brilliant environment for the ~300 miles of motorway it gets a week, as well as returning 60mpg consistently.

I find the vx220 (well my N/a) fairly cheap to insure me and my partner £350 for 5000 miles a year, that includes 5 trackdays(which i will never use) and was done without using no claims as its on my main car.