What car £2k

[Gloriaaaa]

Hello
I want a car for less than £2000.
Something which is a decent drive with fairly low running costs and is reliable. Preferably something which is possible to find within budget with less than 80k miles.
Though I realise they're two very different types of car I'd like it to fall into one of two categories:
-A saloon/estate with good build quality and nice interior.
-A warm/hot hatch which is fun to drive.

[carboy2017]

Honda Accord
VW Passat

both are good cars and bullet proof which you can buy for that budget (say 04-06 plates)

[Toed64]

I think I'd go for a Skoda Octavia VRs like this one:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Skoda-Octavia-1-8-vRS-2...

Nice build quality and finish, very comfortable, surprisingly large and quite quick. All VW underpinnings. Maybe this is a nice compromise between all of your requirements.

I tweaked mine. I replaced the restrictive exhaust system with a stainless system and had it remapped to about 230bhp. It was then quite a rapid cheapy. It never gave any trouble in the years I had it and it returned about 30mpg on my local commute and a lot more on a run.

We also had a 2004 Honda Accord for 4 years - totally reliable and utterly bland!

Edited by Toed64 on Monday 15th January 16:43

[ZX10R NIN]

It's hard to look past the IS200 at this price point.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

If you can stretch the budget haggle hard & for around £2250 this could be yours:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[ShoooRn]

ZX10R NIN said:

It's hard to look past the IS200 at this price point.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

If you can stretch the budget haggle hard & for around £2250 this could be yours:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

I agree but would try to find a higher mileage sport so that he got the LSD.

I have the Octavia VRS with the 1.8 20vT motor and can't fault it. Few electrical issues and a coilpack failure once but other than that no real issues! I return about 32mpg per weekly commute. I don't hang about when on a B road either and nowadays I drive home at 70mph not 60 like I used to with my old derv!

Accord Type R with high-ish miles would be ideal; occasionally see them on the bay:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/L-K-2002-HONDA-ACCORD-T...

Rarely you find a good one though!

[Gloriaaaa]

Toed64 said:

I think I'd go for a Skoda Octavia VRs like this one:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Skoda-Octavia-1-8-vRS-2...

Nice built quality and finish, very comfortable and quite large and quick. All VW underpinnings. Maybe this is a nice compromise between all of your requirements.

I tweaked mine. I replaced the restrictive exhaust system with a stainless system and had it remapped to about 230bhp. It was then quite a rapid cheapy. It never gave any trouble in the years I had it and it returned about 30mpg on my local commute and a lot more on a run.

We also had a 2004 Honda Accord for 4 years - totally reliable and utterly bland!

Funnily enough, the Octavia VRS is already on my list as a possibility.

[culpz]

ZX10R NIN's suggestion of an IS200 for a saloon is a good one. Maybe even an IS300 if you need more poke and the same mpg. They're a bit more rare though so less examples about, whereas IS200's are plentiful. Fits all your criteria really and loads around for well under 2k.

For the warm hatch, maybe a Suzuki Ignis Sport? Hot hatch would be a Clio 172/182. I know they're French but they're generally really solid and only usually have a few little niggles. If it does thrown up a fault, it's often a cheap fix anyway. Bit more of a wild card though that one.

[Gloriaaaa]

culpz said:

ZX10R NIN's suggestion of an IS200 for a saloon is a good one. Maybe even an IS300 if you need more poke and the same mpg. They're a bit more rare though so less examples about, whereas IS200's are plentiful. Fits all your criteria really and loads around for well under 2k.

For the warm hatch, maybe a Suzuki Ignis Sport? Hot hatch would be a Clio 172/182. I know they're French but they're generally really solid and only usually have a few little niggles. If it does thrown up a fault, it's often a cheap fix anyway. Bit more of a wild card though that one.

Clio RS would be on my list if the right one came up but they're mostly higher mileage than I would like. Am I correct in thinking they don't get great mpg either?

I've driven an ignis sport and whilst fun, I'm not keen on owning one.

[Shaoxter]

Probably a boring answer but there's tonnes of 6 cylinder BMW E46s to choose from.

[culpz]

Gloriaaaa said:

culpz said:

ZX10R NIN's suggestion of an IS200 for a saloon is a good one. Maybe even an IS300 if you need more poke and the same mpg. They're a bit more rare though so less examples about, whereas IS200's are plentiful. Fits all your criteria really and loads around for well under 2k.

For the warm hatch, maybe a Suzuki Ignis Sport? Hot hatch would be a Clio 172/182. I know they're French but they're generally really solid and only usually have a few little niggles. If it does thrown up a fault, it's often a cheap fix anyway. Bit more of a wild card though that one.

Clio RS would be on my list if the right one came up but they're mostly higher mileage than I would like. Am I correct in thinking they don't get great mpg either?

I've driven an ignis sport and whilst fun, I'm not keen on owning one.

They take the mileages well though. Many owners report them actually feeling alot faster and generally running better with more miles under their belt.

172's and 182's usually get great MPG for their performance. It's the much bigger and heavier 197's and 200's that are pretty woeful in comparison.

[ZX10R NIN]

ShoooRn said:

ZX10R NIN said:

It's hard to look past the IS200 at this price point.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

If you can stretch the budget haggle hard & for around £2250 this could be yours:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

I agree but would try to find a higher mileage sport so that he got the LSD.

I have the Octavia VRS with the 1.8 20vT motor and can't fault it. Few electrical issues and a coilpack failure once but other than that no real issues! I return about 32mpg per weekly commute. I don't hang about when on a B road either and nowadays I drive home at 70mph not 60 like I used to with my old derv!

Accord Type R with high-ish miles would be ideal; occasionally see them on the bay:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/L-K-2002-HONDA-ACCORD-T...

Rarely you find a good one though!

I didn't realise the Sport came with a Diff in which case here's a Sport OP, haggle & you should get it bang on budget.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

The Clio's are good fun cars but at this price point trying to find a well looked after one is hard, there are a few of interesting alternatives:

Grande Punto T Jet (Haggle & you should get this nigh on for your budget) you can still get low mileage ones of these.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

206 GTI 180

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Peugeot-206-gti-180/282...

Toyota Celica T Sport

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2003-53-Toyota-Celica-1...