What car to replace my EP3 with a £5-8k budget…

[TheAlastair34]

Clarkie1988 said:

This may be the route I take. I know the sports cats aren’t worth much but just worried they’ll come back to nick the new cat? Once you’re under a car jacked up, will you really not bother cutting it off considering it only takes seconds?

you can get cat theft guards will stop this happening or simple put them off

[Clarkie1988]

TheAlastair34 said:

Clarkie1988 said:

This may be the route I take. I know the sports cats aren’t worth much but just worried they’ll come back to nick the new cat? Once you’re under a car jacked up, will you really not bother cutting it off considering it only takes seconds?

you can get cat theft guards will stop this happening or simple put them off

I’ve asked so many garages for this and done loads of searching online and they have all said they don’t do guards for an EP3…not sure if that’s due to ground clearance or there isn’t a market for them but I’ve not had any success. Can find loads of Prius guards though!

[TheAlastair34]

Clarkie1988 said:

I’ve asked so many garages for this and done loads of searching online and they have all said they don’t do guards for an EP3…not sure if that’s due to ground clearance or there isn’t a market for them but I’ve not had any success. Can find loads of Prius guards though!

Id just have something made by a fabrication firm, is it at the bottom of the car i presume so its easy to get to?

something like a sump guard but covers the cat section and have it fitted with security bolts or something like that, as soon as they look under it and its hard work they will leave it

[DaveyBoyWonder]

I'd rather have a mint, late EP3 over a Fiesta or an E46 330i.

If you get the cat problem sorted, is there nothing you can do to stop them having a go again? Like upgraded alarm with motion sensors or something? I'd love an EP3 and might be in a position to look for something of that sort soon...

[Tommo87]

Sports Cat. 200 cell. Have it fitted to the existing mild steel pipe to save money.

It will look totally different to a standard cat, so unlikely for them do not realise its not the huge earner they thought,


Alternatively, fit a decat for everyday use and pay £50 every MOT for the sports cat to be fitted/removed either side.

[RoVoFob]

Clarkie1988 said:

You’re selling it quite well mate! Looking on autotrader thought they seem to command quite a price tag even for the older high mileage ones! I’ve had a read of the babybmw forum and they have such rave reviews. Think I’ll need to test drive one for myself!

Well...I’ve always wanted to shake it up with something different, but always come back to the 130i, which is why I normally tell people it’s the best car in the universe! Blends light weight and agility with decent kit and refinement better than anything else I can think of for the money...

They’re not cheap, but always seem pretty well priced to me alongside the alternatives I mentioned. Have a look at some 147 GTAs and Clio V6s if you want to feel better!

Whereabout are you based? I’m more than happy to take you out in mine if you’re anywhere near NE London/Essex...

[PH User]

A 330i is a nice car with a lovely engine, but it's a reps car.

Have a drive in a RS250 Mégane, they are a great fun car.

[Speed Badger]

My friend with an EP3 sold his Cat as he was so worried about theft. Got a straight through pipe and pocketed nearly £700 quid.

I would look at the Megane 250, really good all round car.

[Clarkie1988]

TheAlastair34 said:

Clarkie1988 said:

I’ve asked so many garages for this and done loads of searching online and they have all said they don’t do guards for an EP3…not sure if that’s due to ground clearance or there isn’t a market for them but I’ve not had any success. Can find loads of Prius guards though!

Id just have something made by a fabrication firm, is it at the bottom of the car i presume so its easy to get to?

something like a sump guard but covers the cat section and have it fitted with security bolts or something like that, as soon as they look under it and its hard work they will leave it

Yea mate right underneath and very easy to see lol. Don’t suppose you have the details of that company do you? Everyone around me (Bucks) doesn’t seem interested

[Clarkie1988]

DaveyBoyWonder said:

I'd rather have a mint, late EP3 over a Fiesta or an E46 330i.

If you get the cat problem sorted, is there nothing you can do to stop them having a go again? Like upgraded alarm with motion sensors or something? I'd love an EP3 and might be in a position to look for something of that sort soon...

Yea that’s my whole feeling too. I do like fiesta STs but there’s too many of them. I know EP3s aren’t exactly the rarest car but I probably only see another one once a week if that!
I’ve managed to find a bike alarm off Amazon which triggers as soon as there’s any movement and it’s sooo loud. Hopefully if the car is jacked it will sense movement and go off

[Clarkie1988]

Tommo87 said:

Sports Cat. 200 cell. Have it fitted to the existing mild steel pipe to save money.

It will look totally different to a standard cat, so unlikely for them do not realise its not the huge earner they thought,


Alternatively, fit a decat for everyday use and pay £50 every MOT for the sports cat to be fitted/removed either side.

That’s my other option - sorry for silly question but can you be pulled over if the car has a decat? I never get pulled over by police as I don’t drive like an idiot but wouldn’t want unnecessary attention if it’s noisier than usual….

[Clarkie1988]

RoVoFob said:

Clarkie1988 said:

You’re selling it quite well mate! Looking on autotrader thought they seem to command quite a price tag even for the older high mileage ones! I’ve had a read of the babybmw forum and they have such rave reviews. Think I’ll need to test drive one for myself!

Well...I’ve always wanted to shake it up with something different, but always come back to the 130i, which is why I normally tell people it’s the best car in the universe! Blends light weight and agility with decent kit and refinement better than anything else I can think of for the money...

They’re not cheap, but always seem pretty well priced to me alongside the alternatives I mentioned. Have a look at some 147 GTAs and Clio V6s if you want to feel better!

Whereabout are you based? I’m more than happy to take you out in mine if you’re anywhere near NE London/Essex...

I work for an Italian car service centre so the Italian electronics have put me off owning an Alfa. Lovely cars and performance but going from a civic I think it will be too much of a headache.

I’m in Bucks but my parents live in Essex/east London so may give you a shout if I’m in the area - thank you so much for the offer!

[Clarkie1988]

PH User said:

A 330i is a nice car with a lovely engine, but it's a reps car.

Have a drive in a RS250 Mégane, they are a great fun car.

Yea that’s the thing, a 330i but look fancy to a non car person but feel down I know it’s a rep mobile haha.

I think my list is narrowing down to 130i (still love the 125i coupe shape though), or a Clio/Megane…

How’s the maintenance and reliability on the 250?

[PH User]

Clarkie1988 said:

PH User said:

A 330i is a nice car with a lovely engine, but it's a reps car.

Have a drive in a RS250 Mégane, they are a great fun car.

Yea that’s the thing, a 330i but look fancy to a non car person but feel down I know it’s a rep mobile haha.

I think my list is narrowing down to 130i (still love the 125i coupe shape though), or a Clio/Megane…

How’s the maintenance and reliability on the 250?

They are pretty tough cars on the whole, they aren't like Renault's of old!

[ZX10R NIN]

It sounds like you want to keep the EP3, so I'd investigate a good quality Sports Cat, now looking at the other options then you have access to some very talented cars.

The 130i is a nice car but it's no hot hatch, both it & the 330i benefit from the same M3 upgrades which for me makes the 330i the smarter buy as they're better value:

330i

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106033...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106123...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105122...

335i

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106033...

R32 Cultured 6 pot with a nice chassis

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202103120...

Hot Hatch wise it's hard to look past the Megane RS 250 they're a fantastic steer but finding one with Cup Chassis for your budget will be the hard part:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106093...

Now you can get a GTC VXR for the top end of your budget & that is a sweet steer (a newer take on the RS) not quite as sharp as the RS but close & a bit more rounded.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106023...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105182...

The third pick is the Focus ST with it's sweet 5 pot & nice chassis:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106073...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106133...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106043...

[RoVoFob]

Clarkie1988 said:

I work for an Italian car service centre so the Italian electronics have put me off owning an Alfa. Lovely cars and performance but going from a civic I think it will be too much of a headache.

I’m in Bucks but my parents live in Essex/east London so may give you a shout if I’m in the area - thank you so much for the offer!

Yes, I always think it’s great to have friends with Italian cars - or work with them - but I wouldn’t want to own one.

Ah, handy. My mum’s in Oxfordshire, so I have the mirror setup...Feel free to get in touch. I’ll never tire of talking about 130is!

[mnaylor]

As another poster said, I would keep the EP3, just get a sports cat for it. None of the other cars mentioned are better than the EP3 in my opinion. To each their own though.

[The Rotrex Kid]

mnaylor said:

As another poster said, I would keep the EP3, just get a sports cat for it. None of the other cars mentioned are better than the EP3 in my opinion. To each their own though.

Agreed.

[anonymous-user]

RoVoFob said:

No one batting an eyelid for the 130i should mean it’s less likely to have its catalyst nicked. People in the know realise that it’s something special, while everyone else thinks it’s an ordinary 1 Series. Debadge it and it’s just the twin exhausts that give it away. It may look like an ordinary 1 Series, but I promise it doesn’t drive like one...May be worth considering, if you do have to change your car.

Having owned one that turned into a moneypit prior to being scrapped due to engine failure I would recommend avoiding one of these. It might have been reliable with 20k miles in the clock but after 70k miles it was a shocker.

[Yadizzle1]

I'm very biased but I think a 330ci is a great daily for an enthusiast. I owned one a couple of years ago and absolutely loved it, so much so that every day since I've sold it I've been looking for another and recently found the right one.

The drivetrain is great, makes a lovely noise, very powerful and torquey and the manual box is well judged ratio wise to make you feel involved on a b road bash. Handling is nice, hydraulic steering so you can tell everyone what a purist you are (steering feel is actually pretty great) and ofcourse it's rwd too.The coupe looks epic to boot.

Apart from all the perfomancey bits, it's a quiet and refined car to cruise around in with a lot of nice features if you find a decently specced one.