Small - cheapish - fastish - 4 seats - won’t break

[weeve]

Sooooo
I’d like a pointless needless waste of money car…. We have pax van and the wife has a decent car for the long school run and thus we have no need for anything. But…, I sometimes do the school run and doing it in the pax van is a chore. Roads are generally clear and good but small and with bends in it…..

I’d like something polo or perhaps golf sized that is a bit fun to use but safe enough to bring the kids home in one piece. I’d like a speedy yaris to be honest but barely any room in back and too much money for flippant toy for me.

I don’t want to stand out and stealth is preferred and the car can look as rubbish as it likes as far as I, concerned . No remaps. Priority is as small as possible for 4 (2 kids) max £15k ideally but it’s a toy so less is best, petrol or non plug in hybrid, less than 10 years old, less than 60k miles. Really want a good music sound and would prefer not to retrofit but can if needed. No interest in engine noise fakery. I’ve read all on here and done multiple searches but it’s the usual suspects 308, megane, polo/golf gti, leon etc etc that come up. I’d really like something else, Japanese would be nice but not imported…. any other ideas? I’d like it to work at least most of the time as rural living is a faff to fix when stuff breaks. Not a badge snob but Vauxhalls aren’t my thing.

[Jimjimhim]

The Megane that you're already aware of, there's a reason why they get suggested so much.

[Neil1323bolts]

20k would get you an i20N , which is pretty much exactly what car you described.

[Silvanus]

Mazda MPS, Kia Proceed GT or Hyundai Veloster Turbo spring to mind.

Couple of left field choices would be Volvo V40 T5, Alfa Giulietta QV/Cloverleaf or a Mini Paceman JCW.

[weeve]

I should add that the Clio/208 size would prob work… although I’ve no idea if they are any good? I bought a Clio 172 new back in the day and loved it but that was a million years ago and haven’t been in a Renault since.

[weeve]

Neil1323bolts said:

20k would get you an i20N , which is pretty much exactly what car you described.

Yes, my kids love them although only see a baby blue one and over budget for me.

[macron]

Depends on what really matters.

Straight line speed, debadged golf R or M135i, not sure but you might get a 140 in budget.

Handling, it's the megane but stealthy they're not.

Compromise, Fiesta ST, maybe debadged 208GTi. They're closer to 10k and are a hoot.

[weeve]

Silvanus said:

Mazda MPS, Kia Proceed GT or Hyundai Veloster Turbo spring to mind.

Couple of left field choices would be Volvo V40 T5, Alfa Giulietta QV/Cloverleaf or a Mini Paceman JCW.

Thanks. Think some of these a bit big. Paceman is nice ( we’ve had a countryman) but I always feel a mini is a bit showy … but that’s perhaps all the stripes and red bits. The polo gti is plain and just about fast enough ok… but for the love of god some eejit decided a red dash was where it’s at? I don’t need red, when you’re old you’re angry enough as it is.

[weeve]

…. maybe debadged 208GTi…. Yes looks good. Do they break easily I wonder?

[Jimjimhim]

macron said:

Depends on what really matters.

Straight line speed, debadged golf R or M135i, not sure but you might get a 140 in budget.

Handling, it's the megane but stealthy they're not.

Compromise, Fiesta ST, maybe debadged 208GTi. They're closer to 10k and are a hoot.

None of those cars are stealthy, the type of car the OP is after isn't going to be something that's stealthy anyway.

[ChrisH72]

Hot hatches are generally quite shouty. That's kind of their thing and none of them are particularly subtle.

I think you're after supermini size rather than small family hatch. A supermini will easily cope with 2 kids in the back on occasion but might be too small for trips away.

Here's my old Fiesta ST3.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2024082030...

I ran it for 4 years and it was absolutely excellent. Its on sale for a fair bit more than I got as part ex but that's to be expected. They don't seem to be able to sell it as I let it go back in May.

Might be too in your face possibly?

How about a Swift Sport?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2024091239...

Fairly cheap. Small. 5dr practicality. Quite subtle, I don't think anyone would look twice. Nippy enough to be fun.

Or if you want a quick(ish) Yaris that won't break the bank you could always go a bit older.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2024022870...

[macron]

Found it!

Plain Jane Toyota with a 3.5. just needs the back lights swapping to less glitzy ones.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2024061708...

[thetapeworm]

macron said:

Found it!

Plain Jane Toyota with a 3.5. just needs the back lights swapping to less glitzy ones.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2024061708...

If you don't I might, I love these!

So dull.

I've been looking at the Toyota Crown a lot recently, well within budget but way too big and import only like the above, very anonymous though.

Seat tend to be pretty bland when it comes to their older hotter stuff but I don't like the dashboards, a 3.2 A3 maybe?

I'd be tempted to compromise a little on the blending in and just get a fun hot hatch, you have a healthy budget.

[Crudeoink]

weeve said:

Sooooo


I’d like a speedy yaris to be honest but barely any room in back and too much money for flippant toy for me.

What about the earlier Yaris GRMN with the 1.8L supercharged engine? Theres on one autotrader without the loud sticker kit for 17k, could probably negotiate that closer to your budget

[Mr E]

Silvanus said:

Alfa Giulietta QV/Cloverleaf

Just bought one for shed money. Scruffy. Amusing in a heavily boosted FWD kind of way.

Edit: just seen “won’t break”
The engine is good. The rest of the car is free with the engine?

Edited by Mr E on Wednesday 2nd October 08:59

[JQ]

VW UP Gti

My wife has an e-Up (the EV) and it's absolutely brilliant. It's also surprisingly roomy on the inside, despite being tiny on the outside - our kids are 6' 1" and 5' 8" and get transported in it without issue. The Gti seems to get rave reviews and sounds perfect for the type of driving you're proposing. Might be worth a look.

[AyBee]

Scirocco R? Tends to be less shouty than the Golf equivalent, also less common.

[weeve]

Thanks all. Appreciate speedy and not shouty are a hard combo… some compromise will be needed obv as perhaps will some debadging which is fine but I want to avoid standing out to extent possible with little mods.

Supermini size would be fine. The fiesta speed and drive ia a good shout but the body is a bit young for me.

Like the white Jap special in terms of plain Jane look but a little more mainstream perhaps so can flip it one if circs change in due course. Suzuki swifts are great little things and on my list but if they could go a little faster that would be nice.

[weeve]

JQ said:

VW UP Gti

My wife has an e-Up (the EV) and it's absolutely brilliant. It's also surprisingly roomy on the inside, despite being tiny on the outside - our kids are 6' 1" and 5' 8" and get transported in it without issue. The Gti seems to get rave reviews and sounds perfect for the type of driving you're proposing. Might be worth a look.

Yup. On the list. Just wonder though if a 2.0 Polo gti at top budget will be better if one appears without a red haemorrhage dash I’m not at wedded to a VW (I know I’ve mentioned it above) but someone local has one and it looks boring and I guess upside would be safer/better built.

[weeve]

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2024072320... These things any good? Can I expect to be at the repair station more than at the school?