20 yr old, £8k, Sub 7 sec, 4 seats.... "What Car" thread....
Discussion
Hi all…
This is, unfortunately, another “what car” thread. The difference is my preferences are more than “4 wheels and probably some windows would be nice for £12k” and I will (OK probably maybe) listen to the advice given here and genuinely value your opinions… When I suggested a special “what car” subsection I was instructed to provide more information when making a thread of this type, so here goes, plenty of info…
Arselicking over…
Right I am now 20 but have a nice pay rise coming which coincides relatively neatly with my 21st birthday so am looking for another car as a treat… My budget will be up to around finance for around £8-9k if you include my current part ex and maybe a £1000 deposit. I do around 8,000 miles a year and am used to being held by the heels and shaken to empty my pockets every time I visit the forecourt with my current average being 22mpg. I do a pretty mixed cycle of 50-50 stop start and motorway driving, but need something that will take me and 3 mates on a 3 hour stint up the M1 every few months as well as keep a smile on my face the times I take the B-roads and country lanes home…
I currently drive a Volvo S60T5 and tbh quite like most things about it and am glad I bought it. I like the interior (perfect ergonomics, leather seats like arm chairs, solid, better looking ones available but little things like the spaceball gear stick on the manual is a genuinely good looking touch), the sound system is great too… It’s just a pleasant place to be, simple as… As for performance other than it liking a drink I cannot fault anything on the 5 Cyl T5 unit.Tthere are few things available to a 20 year old with the mid range grunt to match it on the motorway. I have test driven a fair few hot hatches in the last 6 months and in the traffic light drag race I have no doubt some of them can beat it in the launch but have yet to drive one that is a driveable and pulls as well as this does in the right hand lane on the motorway. Biggest let down in the handling. FWD and the fatboy side of 1600kgs is never going to be the best formula is it, but I have no doubt in terms of grip levels the car is actually not too bad, I know I’ve kept up with things I wouldn’t have expected too on the twistys but its just the lack of feel that gripes me…
It is for this reason AWD/RWD in my next car is a must!
List of my “specifications”:
- £9,000 (The lower the better)
- 4WD/RWD Manual
- Comfortably sub 7 secs to 60.
- 150 (ish) or more top end…
- Respectable handling (the better the better though!!!)
- Leather interior with good (for age) spec…
- Pass the “nice place to be at 6.30am on a January morning” test.
- Seat 4, preferably 5, adults (a little cramped in the back isn’t my problem, I’m not going to be a passenger, but nothing circa old Fiesta for leg room)
- Not so pig ugly as to make small children vomit, but something of a Q-car about it would be nice…
- Would be great if the car could be remapped up a good few hp….
Now, being 21 insurance is an issue so the typical options are out the window. Scooby and Evo are not worth a look at and despite the not so bad insurance of the E46 M3 the potential for huge bills just puts me off. That can wait for a few years when my next big payrise of potentially 6k comes through…
My current short list is:
S60R + Remap: I know it will tick all the boxes above in particular the interior comfort I have become accustomed too, and quite frankly don’t wan’t to miss. Massive temptation to break into the 300+bhp sub 6 second club which realistically is the next step for me from a pure straight line go basis. I have heard criticism of the handling but this always seems to be preceded by the words “compared to the M3”. I’m sure it would be a step up from what I have now… heard a few horror stories about the 4C active chassis going kaput along with all the other electronic and suspension foibles but still hold my faith in the engines, gearboxes etc etc on the Volvo… 5 pot sounds great too IMHO, watching the TG episode with the Rs and Polestar C30 confirmed this!
BMW E46 330: The default setting. I know the drive will be great (dad had one about 6 years ago and remember the thing sticking like glue) so there is no point going on about that. The reliability also seems pretty good too from the research I’ve done. The engine is the only part I’m slightly worried about, it’s certainly going to be a bit more frugal than my current car and I’m sure N/A will be a good plus point too. But while 230bhp isn’t bad by any means and I have no reason to doubt the 0-60 times of the Beemer I am still worried that on the motorway and on the overtake it just won’t have the go that I have now and that I’ll be left disappointed, what’s more a simple remap isn’t going to make much difference… My big disappointment is with the interior which IMHO feels and looks very dated, though the exterior with the sportier body kit and decent alloys still looks good in my opinion and is aging rather well…
Mazda 6MPS: Am amazed how cheap these can be picked up for. Don’t know much about it to be honest but have been told the handling is quite good, the power output is similar to what I have now but I have no idea of “how” it delivers that power; and whether a remap can significantly boost this (being turbocharged I imagine it will)… Does it need to be ragged or does it have a great mid range etc etc. The interiors again on the pictures look OK and the spec is quite impressive but again, more research and opinion required…. That grill, what were they thinking!!! Still doesn’t put me off as the rest of the car is very “Q” with a few subtle hints of what lurks beneath for those in the know…
Mazda RX-8: A bit different to the above but I am still under the impression you can cram some normal sized humans in the back. Never heard a bad t hing said about the handling but there seems to be a lot of criticism of the engine being liable to drink Castrol like it was petrol before exploding after 60k… Also criticism of the MPG but again, no worse than what Im driving now. Again, any opinions of the interiors and ride/comfort of this car would be appreciated as again, it’s not something I have researched as much as the others…
Any others you can think of?
1,209 words above. Wow, productive day at work
Sorry for the long post but I genuinely want the advice, and would rather you know what Im looking for in a car to help me…
I'm waiting to be slated by the PH masses for something so I will apologise and
in the mean time...
Cheers….
This is, unfortunately, another “what car” thread. The difference is my preferences are more than “4 wheels and probably some windows would be nice for £12k” and I will (OK probably maybe) listen to the advice given here and genuinely value your opinions… When I suggested a special “what car” subsection I was instructed to provide more information when making a thread of this type, so here goes, plenty of info…
Arselicking over…
Right I am now 20 but have a nice pay rise coming which coincides relatively neatly with my 21st birthday so am looking for another car as a treat… My budget will be up to around finance for around £8-9k if you include my current part ex and maybe a £1000 deposit. I do around 8,000 miles a year and am used to being held by the heels and shaken to empty my pockets every time I visit the forecourt with my current average being 22mpg. I do a pretty mixed cycle of 50-50 stop start and motorway driving, but need something that will take me and 3 mates on a 3 hour stint up the M1 every few months as well as keep a smile on my face the times I take the B-roads and country lanes home…
I currently drive a Volvo S60T5 and tbh quite like most things about it and am glad I bought it. I like the interior (perfect ergonomics, leather seats like arm chairs, solid, better looking ones available but little things like the spaceball gear stick on the manual is a genuinely good looking touch), the sound system is great too… It’s just a pleasant place to be, simple as… As for performance other than it liking a drink I cannot fault anything on the 5 Cyl T5 unit.Tthere are few things available to a 20 year old with the mid range grunt to match it on the motorway. I have test driven a fair few hot hatches in the last 6 months and in the traffic light drag race I have no doubt some of them can beat it in the launch but have yet to drive one that is a driveable and pulls as well as this does in the right hand lane on the motorway. Biggest let down in the handling. FWD and the fatboy side of 1600kgs is never going to be the best formula is it, but I have no doubt in terms of grip levels the car is actually not too bad, I know I’ve kept up with things I wouldn’t have expected too on the twistys but its just the lack of feel that gripes me…
It is for this reason AWD/RWD in my next car is a must!
List of my “specifications”:
- £9,000 (The lower the better)
- 4WD/RWD Manual
- Comfortably sub 7 secs to 60.
- 150 (ish) or more top end…
- Respectable handling (the better the better though!!!)
- Leather interior with good (for age) spec…
- Pass the “nice place to be at 6.30am on a January morning” test.
- Seat 4, preferably 5, adults (a little cramped in the back isn’t my problem, I’m not going to be a passenger, but nothing circa old Fiesta for leg room)
- Not so pig ugly as to make small children vomit, but something of a Q-car about it would be nice…
- Would be great if the car could be remapped up a good few hp….
Now, being 21 insurance is an issue so the typical options are out the window. Scooby and Evo are not worth a look at and despite the not so bad insurance of the E46 M3 the potential for huge bills just puts me off. That can wait for a few years when my next big payrise of potentially 6k comes through…
My current short list is:
S60R + Remap: I know it will tick all the boxes above in particular the interior comfort I have become accustomed too, and quite frankly don’t wan’t to miss. Massive temptation to break into the 300+bhp sub 6 second club which realistically is the next step for me from a pure straight line go basis. I have heard criticism of the handling but this always seems to be preceded by the words “compared to the M3”. I’m sure it would be a step up from what I have now… heard a few horror stories about the 4C active chassis going kaput along with all the other electronic and suspension foibles but still hold my faith in the engines, gearboxes etc etc on the Volvo… 5 pot sounds great too IMHO, watching the TG episode with the Rs and Polestar C30 confirmed this!
BMW E46 330: The default setting. I know the drive will be great (dad had one about 6 years ago and remember the thing sticking like glue) so there is no point going on about that. The reliability also seems pretty good too from the research I’ve done. The engine is the only part I’m slightly worried about, it’s certainly going to be a bit more frugal than my current car and I’m sure N/A will be a good plus point too. But while 230bhp isn’t bad by any means and I have no reason to doubt the 0-60 times of the Beemer I am still worried that on the motorway and on the overtake it just won’t have the go that I have now and that I’ll be left disappointed, what’s more a simple remap isn’t going to make much difference… My big disappointment is with the interior which IMHO feels and looks very dated, though the exterior with the sportier body kit and decent alloys still looks good in my opinion and is aging rather well…
Mazda 6MPS: Am amazed how cheap these can be picked up for. Don’t know much about it to be honest but have been told the handling is quite good, the power output is similar to what I have now but I have no idea of “how” it delivers that power; and whether a remap can significantly boost this (being turbocharged I imagine it will)… Does it need to be ragged or does it have a great mid range etc etc. The interiors again on the pictures look OK and the spec is quite impressive but again, more research and opinion required…. That grill, what were they thinking!!! Still doesn’t put me off as the rest of the car is very “Q” with a few subtle hints of what lurks beneath for those in the know…
Mazda RX-8: A bit different to the above but I am still under the impression you can cram some normal sized humans in the back. Never heard a bad t hing said about the handling but there seems to be a lot of criticism of the engine being liable to drink Castrol like it was petrol before exploding after 60k… Also criticism of the MPG but again, no worse than what Im driving now. Again, any opinions of the interiors and ride/comfort of this car would be appreciated as again, it’s not something I have researched as much as the others…
Any others you can think of?
1,209 words above. Wow, productive day at work
Sorry for the long post but I genuinely want the advice, and would rather you know what Im looking for in a car to help me…
I'm waiting to be slated by the PH masses for something so I will apologise and
in the mean time...Cheers….
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/classifieds/2503776.h...
What would insurance be like on that? I hazard a guess at better than an E46 330i
It's a jack of all trades.
What would insurance be like on that? I hazard a guess at better than an E46 330i
It's a jack of all trades.
Go for an rx8, you'll pick up a good example for your money. Oil consumption is a myth however it does drink the petrol (I averaged 26mpg in mine, worst was in single figures on a track day 
)
The car is reliable as long as it is properly cared for, I had no issues with mine as I serviced it myself and so the parts were actually changed when required. It does not require a rebuild at 60k miles, that was the RX7, although I believe a rebuild is recommended at 120k miles.
Only problems I've heard of are - Catalytic convertors, droplinks and the coil packs.
Recalls were issued for - oil cooler pipes, front passenger side suspension arm (ball joint), ecu upgrade and an exhaust heat-shield.
)The car is reliable as long as it is properly cared for, I had no issues with mine as I serviced it myself and so the parts were actually changed when required. It does not require a rebuild at 60k miles, that was the RX7, although I believe a rebuild is recommended at 120k miles.
Only problems I've heard of are - Catalytic convertors, droplinks and the coil packs.
Recalls were issued for - oil cooler pipes, front passenger side suspension arm (ball joint), ecu upgrade and an exhaust heat-shield.
AB said:
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/classifieds/2503776.h...
What would insurance be like on that? I hazard a guess at better than an E46 330i
It's a jack of all trades.
Uncle had a E39 540i which I had a little play in and to be honest loved the V8 grunt, just was a tiny bit too barge like for me, which bearing in mind I was driving an S70T5 at the time was saying something What would insurance be like on that? I hazard a guess at better than an E46 330i
It's a jack of all trades.
Also had a play in a mates E60 530 and found the handling had definitely improved and was openly impressed with the engine, just felt it could find a much better home in the 3 series and leave the 5s for the V8s...EDIT: Dads also going and getting himself a E39 M5... Can't be sticking my meagre 530 next to that on the driveway
Lunch time, see what suggestions are there when I return...
Edited by jimbobsimmonds on Tuesday 22 February 13:17
I think I'll suggest this most of the time now on 'what car threads' - Jaguar S-type 3.0 Manual.
£5K should get one in very tidy condition and lowish miles.
RWD, 240bhp, 0-60 in 6.9s for the manual V6, insurance is disturbingly cheap, seats 4 in comfort for long rides, spritely on a B-road blast and hides its bulk well. Only trick is finding one without the 'death by beige' interior.
Does 20mpg round the doors and expect over 30 on a run no trouble.
If mpg is more important £7+ should get you a tidy 2.7 TDV6 one which is by all accounts a very good engine and give 40mpg on run no sweat.
ETA - image might be the only problem but then it means you get a lot more car than equivalent BM/Merc/Audi.
£5K should get one in very tidy condition and lowish miles.
RWD, 240bhp, 0-60 in 6.9s for the manual V6, insurance is disturbingly cheap, seats 4 in comfort for long rides, spritely on a B-road blast and hides its bulk well. Only trick is finding one without the 'death by beige' interior.
Does 20mpg round the doors and expect over 30 on a run no trouble.
If mpg is more important £7+ should get you a tidy 2.7 TDV6 one which is by all accounts a very good engine and give 40mpg on run no sweat.
ETA - image might be the only problem but then it means you get a lot more car than equivalent BM/Merc/Audi.
Edited by renrut on Tuesday 22 February 12:50
WRT the RX-8 the rear will seat adults but if you're at all above average size its a short journeys only thing, ditto if front seat passengers are tall.
Otherwise a good car, my mate had one for ages and never had a problem other than the engine flooding itself which was fixed by an ECU update by Mazda for free. Quick, nimble and look good.
Otherwise a good car, my mate had one for ages and never had a problem other than the engine flooding itself which was fixed by an ECU update by Mazda for free. Quick, nimble and look good.
Fox- said:
TAHodgson said:
Not done much research, but I'd of thought a B5 Audi S4 would fit the criteria, maybe even an RS4?
An RS4? For £9k? For somebody concerned about huge bills aged 20?Best reply all day!
This budget would buy a cracking 330Ci.
As for the Jaguar 3.0L V6. Actually driven one of them and found it to be much better than expected, still didn't really do anything for me though. Not too keen on the styling to be honest either...
Beyond Rational said:
jimbobsimmonds said:
EDIT: Dads also going and getting himself a E30M5...
Good luck with that.jimbobsimmonds said:
As for the Jaguar 3.0L V6. Actually driven one of them and found it to be much better than expected, still didn't really do anything for me though. Not too keen on the styling to be honest either...
The styling is a bit of an acquired taste, like Marmite, but I like plenty of 'unusual' in my cars so it suits me fine. It's also a bit bigger than the cars you've listed, so I'd say try all of them if you can and see which feels right.Be different at 20, S60R with the remap would be a fantastic bit of kit.
But, spending a bit on the set up of your current S60 would probably take it to a very similar level of performance for a fraction of the price.
For other choices the Legacy seems like a glaring ommission from your list. Infact there's a fair few Japanese turbos that would do the job but I guess insurance is maybe an issue.
But, spending a bit on the set up of your current S60 would probably take it to a very similar level of performance for a fraction of the price.
For other choices the Legacy seems like a glaring ommission from your list. Infact there's a fair few Japanese turbos that would do the job but I guess insurance is maybe an issue.
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