Half decent car for £1500?

[TheAngryDog]

Hit me with your suggestions please. I need something half decent with a reasonable turn of speed that will be reliable. Sick of reliability issues after my M5 experience.

Thanks.

[300bhp/ton]

Rental...

[GreatGranny]

Civic Type S?

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

[cbmotorsport]

Golf GTI? One of the 1.8T era? Or a Seat Leon Cupra?

I've seen them with intergalactic mileages.

[RSTurboPaul]

Celica 2.0 GT?

Clio 172/182?

MX5?

[Berkshire bred]

Deffinetly my mx5 that may happen to be for sale. Just had a load of welding and has 12 months mot on it. Needs a cambelt but none interference engine and a cambelt kit with tensioner is only £120 and £40 for a water pump if your feeling flush. Mk2.5 1.6 04 plate maroon with 85k ish on it. I'd like a grand but may be negotiable.

[Toed64]

Toyota Corolla or Celica TSport.

E46 BMW 325TI

Mazda MX5

Toyota MR2 MK3

Subaru Forester Turbo (2.0)

Subaru Legacy/Outback H6 (3.0)

Skoda Fabia VRS (1.9 TDI)

Skoda Octavia VRS (1.8T)

[Mr Tidy]

Some good suggestions already!

Of those I've only owned a BMW 325ti and a Leon Cupra, and really liked both.

I also had a 320td that was pretty good for a diesel, and very economical.

I'm sure an Octavia VrS would be as good as a Cupra, the only issue with both of those is the cost of a cam-belt change.

[ZX10R NIN]

TheAngryDog said:

Hit me with your suggestions please. I need something half decent with a reasonable turn of speed that will be reliable. Sick of reliability issues after my M5 experience.

Thanks.

Mercedes CLK they're pretty much bulletproof & in 240/270 form put out the same bhp both are reliable & will see you right for a good few years while you're sorting the M5.

240

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

270

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

I'd go for the diesel just because a map give it another 50bhp so they're even better on fuel, in standard form they go just as well as the petrol but are more efficient leaving you with more to spend on the BMW.

If you can up iit by around £400 the this 320 Avantgarde looks like a good buy.

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

[mike74]

Don't even consider going down the clio 182 route... horrifically, spectacularly, tremendously, hilariously unreliable.

And not particularly cheap or easy to fix either.

[colinrob]

E39 BMW had a few 540,s myself bit out of price range now though but may get a decent 530/535

[cbmotorsport]

mike74 said:

Don't even consider going down the clio 182 route... horrifically, spectacularly, tremendously, hilariously unreliable.

And not particularly cheap or easy to fix either.

Had a 172 for a while, was very easy to work on, cheap parts, and very few jobs your average Joe couldn't do with a set of spanners and a manual.

Only big expense on them is cambelt and dephaser (£500)

[RSTurboPaul]

cbmotorsport said:

mike74 said:

Don't even consider going down the clio 182 route... horrifically, spectacularly, tremendously, hilariously unreliable.

And not particularly cheap or easy to fix either.

Had a 172 for a while, was very easy to work on, cheap parts, and very few jobs your average Joe couldn't do with a set of spanners and a manual.

Only big expense on them is cambelt and dephaser (£500)

I was going to say... there are only a few posts on forums like Cliosport about issues with the 182 - they are not a 1980s Lancia.

French cars are designed to have everything fall off but leave the important bits to just keep on going!

[SteRB5138]

You get a lot for your money with Saab's:

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

Not much over 100k, 2.3L Turbo but an Auto. Not a bad SOTW

[aquarianone]

My dad picked up an IS250 (2006 I think) for around that budget, nice interior, comfortable drive, not super slow and still looks quite smart / modern

Worth a punt <2k

[ajguk]

Picked up a Saab 9-3 Aero 2.0T this year for just under £2k, it's been great to me so far.

Should be plenty around your budget. Just beware high tax on the 9-5s, £500+ on a shed doesn't make sense to me (mine's £290 I think so more palletable).

[nitrodave]

ajguk said:

Picked up a Saab 9-3 Aero 2.0T this year for just under £2k, it's been great to me so far.

Should be plenty around your budget. Just beware high tax on the 9-5s, £500+ on a shed doesn't make sense to me (mine's £290 I think so more palletable).

Same here. Picked up a manual 2006 93 aero a few years back for £1300 when we were buying a house and cutting costs. Was only meant to be a stop gap car, but 3 years on and we love it still. Fast, comfortable, reliable and costs peanuts to run

[Frimley111R]

Another vote for the SAAB 9-3

X-Types always seem to have very favourable owner comments too

[aka_kerrly]

lexus is or better still a is300 if you dont mind automatics. staggering value for money and based on the 2 ive had in the last few years. also incredibly reliable an low running costs aside from fuel.

[TheAngryDog]

Thanks all. Could be a change of plan once the M5 is rebuilt and sold, so a cheap runner may become a more expensive car, such as another supercharged Merc or Audi S4.