fun dad car - GT86 replacement

[996_3.4]

Hi everyone,
 
I've recently switched from a GT86 & 996 to a Jag (sorry, Jaaaaag) XE S, as I have a 2 year-old and wanted something more practical.
 
While the Jag is a very nice car, it's a lot heavier and feels number than what I am used to. It goes fast and sounds great, but simply isn't that great a drive.
 
I've started thinking about my options. I'd want something that retains the light, reasonably low-powered, tossable ethic the 86 had, but with four doors and a half-decent trunk. And less than 10 years old. I wouldn’t be bound to daily duties, but would be the household’s only car.
 
The only car that sort of tickles my fancy is a 308 GTI BPS. The manual box is a big plus, the reliability, maybe not so much. I've yet to drive one, too.
 
VWs just aren't my thing, so a Golf GTI isn't an option. And I'd want something "subtle", so out go the CTR / I30N / etc.

Do you have any suggestions?

Cheers

[SarGara]

Mazda RX8 is the only thing that comes to mind as a GT86 similiar car with use-able rear seats. But falls outside your 10yr threshold.
I went with the Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce but it would be too close to your XE to suggest here.

[996_3.4]

I don't think I'm ready for a rotary ! And they're a little old yes.

Re: Giulia, I thought about those but in mainland EU the Veloce is 4WD only, which makes them very close to the XE in terms of weight. They're also incredibly hard to find, and 5-10k more than the Jag used.

[Vsix and Vtec]

Go up the range, an XF-S or if you can find one, XFR-S Shooting Brake. Family friendly, but with more firepower than even some Ferrari.

[996_3.4]

I'm looking for less weight and less power than my XE, not more

[wyson]

Suzuki Swift Manual? Weighs less than a ton. All the reviews say its fun to drive.

Some sort of Mini variant? Seems to be a number of tuners out there for these as well. I ve only driven a basic Cooper, but it was fun to drive and very chuckable.

Fiesta ST? They seem to have a great reputation in the press. The basic Fiesta is also fun to drive and very chuckable.

Edited by wyson on Thursday 17th July 15:49

[Chris_i8]

MINI Cooper S 5dr?
Audi S1?

[FamousPheasant]

Current GR86 and former Giulia Veloce owner here.

Worth trying the Giulia out. The steering is fast and it makes the car feel lighter than it is. It's the most nimble feeling saloon I've owned and that includes a 435i and XFR.

Otherwise it's a hot hatch. 308 BPS is a good shout, I would also consider the focus ST (it's supposed to have a quick steering rack like the Giulia) or a RS Megane.

Or, failing that go full "cool dad", forego the 10 year age limit, and buy a Quattroporte.

[ZX10R NIN]

The 308 is a great option & they're pretty reliable, the only costly item is the discs it would be my pick.

[hothatch1.6]

I have a 308 GTi precisely for this use case, get the 270 if pre-facelift, the 250 doesn't have the LSD and therefore not as good in the bends

[Weekendrebuild]

Chris_i8 said:

MINI Cooper S 5dr?
Audi S1?

He said fun.

[Weekendrebuild]

Why do you need a different car for a 2 year old ? Or 4 doors even? Buy the wife a rangerover, buy yourself plenty of toys one for everyday of the week. Cool dads drive 2 seaters

[996_3.4]

I had two 2+2s before, but for our yearly mileage, I'd rather stick to just one car. Otherwise we'll only drive the fun one once in a blue moon, and that's not cool

Some good suggestions. The 308 only exists in 270 / 263hp guise over here so they all have LSDs (and expensive disks).

I test drove a Clubman S, loved the form factor, chassis was OK but the engine had no oomph past 5k, and the clubman's weight wasn't helping (an AWD S is within 60kg of my Jag). A regular 5-door hatch might be a better bet.

S1s are cool as hell but probably a little small on the inside.

I'll also keep the Giulia in my head should an interesting one pop up.

[ChrisH72]

Depends on budget but the latest Focus ST is a nice car.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2025062438...

You mentioned not wanting a VW but there are always the alternatives by Skoda and Seat. An Octavia VRS is a very practical option.

Definitely worth driving the 308 though. They look very good value.

[cerb4.5lee]

Weekendrebuild said:

Cool dads drive 2 seaters

Kids love going out in 2 seaters in my experience as well.

[ChrisH72]

cerb4.5lee said:

Weekendrebuild said:

Cool dads drive 2 seaters

Kids love going out in 2 seaters in my experience as well.

Mine too. I have a 9 year old son and he loves the mx5. If you only have one child then having a 2 seater is fine. Obviously means running two cars though. My wife has no interest in cars so I decided when our son was born that she should have a nearly new family MPV which we still have to this day. It's a 1.4 petrol Hyundai ix20 which now has 86k miles on it. On paper it's the slowest and most boring car you can get but we both absolutely love it! It was cheap to buy and has been utterly reliable whilst taking everything we could throw at it. And the best thing is it leaves me free to run a 2 seat sports car.

[ZX10R NIN]

996_3.4 said:

I had two 2+2s before, but for our yearly mileage, I'd rather stick to just one car. Otherwise we'll only drive the fun one once in a blue moon, and that's not cool

Some good suggestions. The 308 only exists in 270 / 263hp guise over here so they all have LSDs (and expensive disks).

I test drove a Clubman S, loved the form factor, chassis was OK but the engine had no oomph past 5k, and the clubman's weight wasn't helping (an AWD S is within 60kg of my Jag). A regular 5-door hatch might be a better bet.

S1s are cool as hell but probably a little small on the inside.

I'll also keep the Giulia in my head should an interesting one pop up.

Yes the discs are expensive but it's once every 45-60k, depending on the car you buy you may not have to buy them.

[996_3.4]

ChrisH72 said:

Depends on budget but the latest Focus ST is a nice car.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2025062438...

You mentioned not wanting a VW but there are always the alternatives by Skoda and Seat. An Octavia VRS is a very practical option.

Definitely worth driving the 308 though. They look very good value.

I like the Focus ST but with the local CO2 regs, they're very expensive (as is pretty much any car >2 liters and <4 years old).

Though about the Octavia RS but I'm afraid it'll be a bit too much of a barge. Practical and fast, but not Sunday morning early drive material.

[Andy86GT]

As a GT86 driver myself, I can't think on anything modern that's comparable and more family friendly.
If really pressed I'd probably say an M320i, but I suspect that's similar to your XE.
All the other suggestions are FWD and thus a different driving experience.

[thetapeworm]

GR86?

SEAT Leon ST Cupra 300 4Drive (Estate) - unless you get the "R" variant they blend in pretty well with base model Leons if you don't know what you're looking for and are far less likely to be stolen than a Golf R Estate.