Small car for French twisties
Discussion
So having come back from the Pyrenees a couple of months ago on my ktm 890 Smt, I really enjoyed the tight and twisty roads. But just before I went I bought a damaged fiat 500 twin air which I repaired and found a right laugh to drive.
The issue with the bikes is that we trailer them down and we have to take different gear, tools etc with us, we roast and also having two young kids, I don't like to be away for too long (we was away for 11 days this time in total and did everything we wanted to do in about 4 days).
It's been a while since I've owned a car having had company cars for years now, my last car being a Clio 197 r27 many years ago.
So I've managed to convince my mates that a trip in small hot hatches would be perfect considering we all used to own 306 GTIs back in the day too.
So I had my mind set on a Fiat 500 abarth, the only issue being its very tight with two car seats in the back, it's not the end of the world but would like something I could possibly enjoy with the family too.
Can anyone offer any alternatives? It must be turbo charged ideally, have room for the kids (not a game changer), cheap consumables, not old etc but at the same time have character. Looking around the £5-6k max mark
The issue with the bikes is that we trailer them down and we have to take different gear, tools etc with us, we roast and also having two young kids, I don't like to be away for too long (we was away for 11 days this time in total and did everything we wanted to do in about 4 days).
It's been a while since I've owned a car having had company cars for years now, my last car being a Clio 197 r27 many years ago.
So I've managed to convince my mates that a trip in small hot hatches would be perfect considering we all used to own 306 GTIs back in the day too.
So I had my mind set on a Fiat 500 abarth, the only issue being its very tight with two car seats in the back, it's not the end of the world but would like something I could possibly enjoy with the family too.
Can anyone offer any alternatives? It must be turbo charged ideally, have room for the kids (not a game changer), cheap consumables, not old etc but at the same time have character. Looking around the £5-6k max mark
5-6k gets you an early ST, won all the group tests because fun, as in predictable handling with some overseer if you want it, if not outright fast.
An early 208gti, forged engines post facelift in 2015, posher than the ST, but they're 10 year old hatches so it's all relative. Always faster in the tests, always the runner up BC Fiesta "fun".
Clio 197/200 which has been fettled or not, hold their money well but costs to maintain that, so a bit deceptive really (dephaser and belts are expensive). Easy to sell though, should get a 60-80k mile one, quite a following now. The later MK3/ auto only will sneak in, still has quite a following but prices of the 197/2's often now much higher. If that will last who knows, the MK2 interiors are, frankly gash, and anyone who says otherwise is deluded, but the MK3 was also gash, just in a much more plasticy way.
Or a Mini cooper S, firmer ride than these, more planted in the corners, but convertible available which I'd go for myself as it sounds like you can get away with that.
Wildcard, if you like the plastic interior, for reasons I've never understood people get damp over the Swift sport. I find them totally underwhelming and just cannot understand what road testers were comparing them to. Don't handle like a fiesta, sub Clio quality interior, slower than anything else. But owners w
k themselves silly over them!
For me, if it's a brief love affair, I'd go Clio 197/200, enjoy it and sell on post trip. If I was keeping it, 208 by Peugeot Sport or a Prestige (has leather and sunroof, a nice place to be, relatively).
ETA, you said turbo, and you've had a 197 before, but I still think you'd enjoy it more than some of the others.
An early 208gti, forged engines post facelift in 2015, posher than the ST, but they're 10 year old hatches so it's all relative. Always faster in the tests, always the runner up BC Fiesta "fun".
Clio 197/200 which has been fettled or not, hold their money well but costs to maintain that, so a bit deceptive really (dephaser and belts are expensive). Easy to sell though, should get a 60-80k mile one, quite a following now. The later MK3/ auto only will sneak in, still has quite a following but prices of the 197/2's often now much higher. If that will last who knows, the MK2 interiors are, frankly gash, and anyone who says otherwise is deluded, but the MK3 was also gash, just in a much more plasticy way.
Or a Mini cooper S, firmer ride than these, more planted in the corners, but convertible available which I'd go for myself as it sounds like you can get away with that.
Wildcard, if you like the plastic interior, for reasons I've never understood people get damp over the Swift sport. I find them totally underwhelming and just cannot understand what road testers were comparing them to. Don't handle like a fiesta, sub Clio quality interior, slower than anything else. But owners w
k themselves silly over them! For me, if it's a brief love affair, I'd go Clio 197/200, enjoy it and sell on post trip. If I was keeping it, 208 by Peugeot Sport or a Prestige (has leather and sunroof, a nice place to be, relatively).
ETA, you said turbo, and you've had a 197 before, but I still think you'd enjoy it more than some of the others.
Edited by macron on Saturday 4th October 11:07
Shakob said:
So having come back from the Pyrenees a couple of months ago on my ktm 890 Smt, I really enjoyed the tight and twisty roads. But just before I went I bought a damaged fiat 500 twin air which I repaired and found a right laugh to drive.
The issue with the bikes is that we trailer them down and we have to take different gear, tools etc with us, we roast and also having two young kids, I don't like to be away for too long (we was away for 11 days this time in total and did everything we wanted to do in about 4 days).
It's been a while since I've owned a car having had company cars for years now, my last car being a Clio 197 r27 many years ago.
So I've managed to convince my mates that a trip in small hot hatches would be perfect considering we all used to own 306 GTIs back in the day too.
So I had my mind set on a Fiat 500 abarth, the only issue being its very tight with two car seats in the back, it's not the end of the world but would like something I could possibly enjoy with the family too.
Can anyone offer any alternatives? It must be turbo charged ideally, have room for the kids (not a game changer), cheap consumables, not old etc but at the same time have character. Looking around the £5-6k max mark
Astra GTC VXR would be at the top of my list, cracking steers & the adaptive dampersthrottle maps make them a family friendly option too:The issue with the bikes is that we trailer them down and we have to take different gear, tools etc with us, we roast and also having two young kids, I don't like to be away for too long (we was away for 11 days this time in total and did everything we wanted to do in about 4 days).
It's been a while since I've owned a car having had company cars for years now, my last car being a Clio 197 r27 many years ago.
So I've managed to convince my mates that a trip in small hot hatches would be perfect considering we all used to own 306 GTIs back in the day too.
So I had my mind set on a Fiat 500 abarth, the only issue being its very tight with two car seats in the back, it's not the end of the world but would like something I could possibly enjoy with the family too.
Can anyone offer any alternatives? It must be turbo charged ideally, have room for the kids (not a game changer), cheap consumables, not old etc but at the same time have character. Looking around the £5-6k max mark
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202509206...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202508135...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202507284...
Peugeot Sport 208 GTI:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202509116...
The cars above are only bested by the PS308 GTI at the bottom of the page.
Prestige:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202510016...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202509246...
DS3 Performance:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202509076...
Giulietta Cloverleaf good steer:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202509236...
Abarth Punto evo2 a bit bigger than the 595 but just as much fun, you'll have to change the headunit to add Android auto/Carplay:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202509206...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202509146...
2.0t Focus ST-2:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202509035...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202508145...
Leftfield
Hyundai Veloster:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202502139...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202411226...
ProCeed GT Tech:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202509156...
Now this CAT S could be a great buy but do a VCheck & properly inspect the car (check the brakes to see how much life they have left) as you would with any car:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202509056...
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