What warm hatch?

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Right long story short, I need to save some money, and insurance is what path I'm going to take.

I currently drive an evo, I have gotten quotes on clio 182s, cooper s, civic type-r, and all are much more than I want to pay.

Put it this way for the little difference it costs between say a civic type-r and evo, I'd rather keep the evo.

So I need something that looks the part more than performance, what comes to mind is something like a suzuki swift sport, I'm yet to get insurance quotes on the suzuki but will be tomorrow, any opinions on them?

Anything else to consider?

It must have four seats, be in a lower insurance group than a cooper s, and look "warm", I'm not bothered whether it's diesel or petrol. And I'm not expecting blistering performance, just something with a bit of poke that's fun to drive.

Oh and be about 6 grand, it will be my daily driver and I will be picking up another mk1 mx-5 as a track toy (wasn't going to after I had the dreaded crank wobble but I drove one recently again and loved it - I'll just be avoiding pre 91 ).

Cheers

Edited by bremb0 on Tuesday 22 March 19:29

Edited by bremb0 on Tuesday 22 March 19:31

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dibbers006 said:

Fiesta ST?

I haven't really looked at them, I assumed (perhaps wrongly) that they are in a high insurance group despite not really having the performance to match.

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Thanks some good suggestions.

A few I'm definitely not interested in would be the sportka, I don't like the styling at all. And I want to get a fairly modern car, so a 306 would not be on the list unfortunately. Also I'd imagine there isn't much difference between the 172 and the quote I got for the 182 so that's off the list.

Again hadn't thought of the ford st170 as once I got quotes on the cooper s, clio 182 etc I just imagined the st's etc would be just as high.

I'll try getting a quote on a cupra, leon and ibiza but again I imagine prices will be high. Likely that the skoda equivalent vrs would be cheaper to insure.

Out of interest is parkers a reliable source for insurance groups? Hmmm probably not as even insurnace companies use different insurance groupings amongst themselves.

And am I depriving myself by automatically writing cars off that are a certain insurance group? I often hear that insurance groups don't always tell the whole picture and have heard of cases where people have bought left field cars in high insurance groups but had cheaper insurance than popular lower grouped cars.

I shold also have mentioned that I'd like a car with cheapish running costs, and reliable too.

Yeah I know it sounds like I want something that probably doesn't exist

edit:WOuld also love to hear a few "odd" (or rather less common) choices, such as the hyundai getz sport, yaris sport) they are the type of cars that I'm sure will be cheaper to insure

Edited by bremb0 on Tuesday 22 March 20:04

Edited by bremb0 on Tuesday 22 March 20:12

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Straight line performance definitely isn't a concern and most of the choices would feel slow compared to what I drive at the minute.

Main concern is insurance, then styling, then performance, I know some would say why not just get a low performance car, but the styling tends to be bland for me personally, which is why I want something a bit "stylish" if you know what I mean.

Again don't like the styling on the lupo, would love a 500 abarth but my 6 grand budget won't get me one.

Is the group 15 for the focus the new grouping or old grouping?

I'll be getting quotes tomorrow when calling insurance companies, as I find confused etc aren't usually cheaper than phoning direct

Thanks

Edited by bremb0 on Tuesday 22 March 20:25

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Diabolik said:

IIRC the ST170 seems to have hot hatch insurance prices, the Fiesta ST was far more reasonable on quotes for me.

That's what I thought which is why I scratched it off the list, as I said from when quotes for clio 182s etc were higher than I wanted to pay I automatically ignored what I would class as similar cars.

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oj121 said:

Defo have a look at the Fiesta ST mate. Only group 13 so a fair bit cheaper than the clio, CTR etc. Decent enough performance to not be embaressed by all but the elite hot hatches. Sure it wont break any records in a straight line but its the quickest of the warm hatches mentioned and can eaily be upgraded when the wallet becomes a little heavier. It looks the part, is well made (ive never had an issue with mine) and has a cracking little chasssis so will put a smile on your face when u go for it.

If that is too expensive take a look at the Suzuki Swift Sport as mentioned above. Great little cars. Well made, pokey enough for some b road fun and dont look too 'girlie' like some of the smaller hatches do.

But seriously give the F ST a go!

I'll definitley get a quote on it, I can pick one up eaily with my budget too.

What sort of mpg do you get out of it? Looked online at "official" figures but they never really hold much weight in the real world.

Again mpg isn't a primary concern as I'd be looking at strictly diesels but a decent mpg would be great.

Jonny1984 said:

I would have a look at a decent Yaris T Sport. Mine is an early "Y" reg, and will be gutted to see it go in a couple of months

From what others have said, I would love a go at a Panda 100HP.

I'd imagine the panda is decent for insurance but again I just don't like the styling.

Same story with the yaris.

Edited by bremb0 on Tuesday 22 March 20:46

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Jayho said:

Swift Sports probably the best to fit the bill tbh...

You can go for the cheaper and slightly older option of the Ignis Sport. I've got one and I love it to bits, but feels a bit crashy and unrefined compared to the Swift. But at the same time the thin walls and lightweight feel gives you the illusion you are going faster than you actually are, and are just a BLAST on the back roads. Think they're group 9 insurance? Costs me, 21 yrs old 3 yrs NCB, £600 to insure for the year.

How about an MG ZS or ZR? They're cheap to buy and still look very stylish IMO.

Toyota T-Sports are group 14 insurance, but when I got a quote for one it was only £100 more to insure compared to my Ignis.

It's certainly does seem good, as I mentioned I'll be getting quotes tomorrow but I'm sure the swift will come up cheaper than the st for example.

I've been googling and come across the colt czt, any opinions on that?

edit: seems to be in a highish insurance group

Edited by bremb0 on Tuesday 22 March 21:15

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Well done a few quick quotes using confused, the fiesta st was about £100 lower than the clio 182. The st170 was cheaper than the fiesta st.

The cupra was more expensive than the cooper s.

The mitsubishi colt cvt was the cheapest, even cheaper than the suzuki swift.

I have to say I'm surprised by the results.

I'll be running those cars by my insurer tomorrow to see what they come up with as they are a specialist insurer and don't show on confused.

edit: Tried an rx-8 the one with 230bhp just as a comparison for insurance (I have no interest in buying one) and it's more than an evo

re-edit: cheapest so far by some margin is a grande punto sporting the 1.9 diesel

Edited by bremb0 on Tuesday 22 March 21:40

Edited by bremb0 on Tuesday 22 March 21:41

Edited by bremb0 on Tuesday 22 March 21:54