What practical/fast/cheap car ?

Original Poster

5,713 posts

146 months

Sunday 11th October 2020

I currently have an RX-7 and a 350Z, and realised that I don't really need two sports cars, so I now want to replace the Z with something more practical for daily duties, but similarly fast and reliable.

By practical I mean being able to easily sling a couple of bicycles or suitcases in the back (with the rear seats down).

Looking at spending up to about £8k or so, but happy to spend a lot less if the car is good condition. I would prefer to avoid the top rate of road tax (since I'm already taxing two cars), so either pre-23rd March 2006 or under 225 g/km CO2. I would also prefer a vehicle that is London ULEZ-eligible, since my sister lives just inside next year's expanded zone.

I'm thinking of a circa three litre naturally aspirated engine, because I've already got one ageing turbo car to maintain and I want this to be reliable, but could perhaps be persuaded by a turbo with a reputation for reliability.

I don't mind about auto or manual, as long as it's a good auto or good manual.

I'm not expecting to need to carry more than two people. Fuel economy is less of a concern as I don't do high miles. Image isn't a big factor. Comfortable is good, I don't expect involving handling but competence and balance would be nice. I'd prefer nothing too huge, smaller is better as long as it has the load space.

Shortlist so far, to give you an idea:

1) Lexus IS300 SportCross 2000-05 ~£3500
+ Reliable, not too big, decent engine (2JZ)
- Load bay a bit short? Bit older. Auto only. Less power than the others.

2) BMW 330i E91 Touring 2005-13 ~£5000
+ Perhaps the best drive, could get a newer car as duck under top rate tax
- Concerned about reliability/cost of repairs
? How much less reliable is the 335i?

3) Subaru Legacy BP H6 3.0R 2003-06* £2000-£4000+
+ 4WD, surprisingly light, flat six novelty value
- Nose heavy, my wife isn't keen, auto is reputed to be less good on the pre-facelifts

Falls into top rate road tax after March 2006

All these picks are quite rare; there are two IS300s and three 330i Tourings I can see, and perhaps half a dozen Legacy Estate 3.0s for sale currently. The Legacies are generally ~150k miles, the others around 80-100k.

I did consider a Stagea, but they seem even rarer. I prefer FR/4WD considering we're talking about quite a bit of power and torque, but realise that a larger-sized hot hatch like a Focus ST might work.

All ideas welcome, as is experience of any of the above to drive and/or to maintain.

ZX10R NIN

27,598 posts

125 months

Sunday 11th October 2020

Scootersp

3,167 posts

188 months

Monday 12th October 2020

Check for sill rust on the is300, also the load area isn't that wide or high.

Should be very reliable though, I like them, shame Lexus don't do anything slightly newer in estate form.

Check out a Toyota caldina there's a nice 4wd turbo one, left field choice

braddo

10,466 posts

188 months

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202009193...

Monday 12th October 2020

4wd turbo Volvo?

StephMurphy

182 posts

47 months

Monday 12th October 2020

BMW 435D and a quality re-map. 350 bhp. 550 lbs-ft. 175 mph. 40 mpg. Enough space. If you want 4 doors, 335D.

StephMurphy

182 posts

47 months

Monday 12th October 2020

Sorry i missed the bit about budget. Earlier 335D or 335i for about £6500.

Original Poster

5,713 posts

146 months

Monday 12th October 2020

Scootersp said:

Ta for that, yeah the one I rang about has had a sill patched, will need to check that.

Caldina GT-Four - great shout! Found one for sale...

DKL

4,491 posts

222 months

Monday 12th October 2020

c55 estate or even the e55 if you can live with the size. The latter will be a stretch on £8k mind.

Original Poster

5,713 posts

146 months

Monday 12th October 2020

Thanks a lot, plenty to consider there and lots of rabbit-holes to fall down ;-)

ZX10R NIN said:

My pick if you want a hot hatch would be a Focus ST-3 they're a good steer & with the seats down will take your bikes:

Yeah, quite like the idea of these

ZX10R NIN said:

Megane GT

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202007060...

Megane Privilege

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202006150...

Seems like the Megane 220 GT would be a good choice, sadly it doesn't seem like anyone wanted one new as can't see any for sale! Others a bit slow, or likely more focused than I'm seeking with the full on Renaultsport models.

ZX10R NIN said:

2.5T Mondeo Titanium X this makes a lot of sense with it's sweet 5 pot & low purchase price I know it's probably a bit bigger than you wanted but it ticks a lot of boxes.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202008172...

Yeah, Mondeos with the 2.5T seem worth considering alongside the Focus STs

Original Poster

5,713 posts

146 months

Tuesday 13th October 2020

DKL said:

c55 estate or even the e55 if you can live with the size. The latter will be a stretch on £8k mind.

C55 is an idea, small estate with a V8, worth stretching the budget a bit perhaps. It sounds like they might just have come after the worst of Mercedes' quality problems were resolved, too ?

braddo

10,466 posts

188 months

Tuesday 13th October 2020

Finding a good C55 is likely to be a challenge around £10k or less.

Maybe consider a C350 around 2006-2008, although they are thin on the ground right now.

cerb4.5lee

30,570 posts

180 months

Tuesday 13th October 2020

samoht said:

If I remember correctly you went to a fair amount of trouble to find yourself a really nice 350Z, and you haven't had it for very long. Did you not get on with it? Or do you just fancy a change to something more practical?

smile

Original Poster

5,713 posts

146 months

Wednesday 14th October 2020

cerb4.5lee said:

This is a slight tangent from the thread, but happy to share.

From 2012-19 I had my RX-7 as my only car. Now, it was only used at weekends, but still, if my wife and I wanted to drive somewhere, it was the RX-7. Over an 18 month period starting in 2018, it needed a second engine rebuild (first one was 'done by monkeys' apparently), a new turbo control pack, and new dampers. It wasn't just the money, it was paying the money and not being able to enjoy the car being fully fit, as it all took months to get sorted. So when a colleague suggested he might buy it from me, I decided to sell.

So in September last year I bought the 350Z to replace the RX-7. Similar performance, similar layout, very different levels of reliability. However, by the time I'd got the RX-7 working and ready to consider selling, I decided I didn't want to part with it. The RX-7 is much smaller and more intimate inside, sitting you lower than the Z. The steering is weighty and communicative, the clutch heavier but with better feel. The rush of boost from the sequential turbos through the short gearing feels thrilling every time you press the right pedal. I think that driving the Z for a bit made me appreciate the FD more.

Now, the 350Z has done exactly what it said on the tin. It's a coupe based on the Skyline V35 platform, the driving position is spacious and comfortable (sitting that bit higher is much better at night, with less glare), the engine is really nicely torquey down low and powerful when extended. It's less hassle to drive around town, and has only needed standard things like tyres and brake pads. And driving the Z most of the time has taken the miles off the RX-7, giving it less chance to go wrong. It's a great car, it just couldn't replace the RX-7 in my affections.

However, with the Z having been switched into the role of practical daily driver, the lack of ability to accommodate large items in the boot has rather come to the fore. The boot is a bit shallow, but what really kills it is the double-act of the bulky strut brace between the towers and the pointless bulkhead behind the seats. It was craning a 25kg suitcase forwards to drop into the 'slot' between these, holding at arm's length, that made me think that, for the £8k or so that it's worth, I could perhaps buy something that would make a more practical daily driver.

cerb4.5lee

30,570 posts

180 months

Wednesday 14th October 2020

Thank you for sharing and I really appreciate that you did. smile

I totally get where you are coming from now. thumbup

DaveyBoyWonder

2,500 posts

174 months

Wednesday 14th October 2020

First thing I thought of when reading the description was an E91 330i. I've said it a number of times in posts on here but my old one is one of the few cars I've had that I genuinely miss. Well built, lovely engine, lovely auto box for cruising but could certainly get a shift on when needed. Will get another one day...

Mr Tidy

22,313 posts

127 months

Thursday 15th October 2020

I've tried looking for a manual E91 330i a couple of times, but they seem to be few and far between!

In 2018 my compromise was a manual E91 325i, then in 2019 it became an E90 330i that had the split/fold rear seat option - but that ought to work for bikes or luggage.

I can get four 18" car wheels in it just fine!

Original Poster

5,713 posts

146 months

Tuesday 27th October 2020

braddo said:

Finding a good C55 is likely to be a challenge around £10k or less.

Quoted for truth.

I went to see one that is up for £9k in Southampton. I really enjoyed driving it, love that engine and it seems to work quite well with the 5-speed auto, handling feel is pretty decent (felt quite similar to my 350Z actually), comfortable seats. However, a pre-purchase inspection threw up significant rust around the back end, as well as a load of other issues.

So now I want a C55 estate, but not that one.

There's one other in the classifieds, also £9k, Cat C and in NI. So not that.

Newera imports have a nice black one.. for which they're asking over £17k.

I'm probably happy to spend up to around £12k for a decent C55 wagon now ;-)

Original Poster

5,713 posts

146 months

Saturday 28th November 2020

I've today agreed to buy a C55 Estate. Budget has been stretched some more, for a car that's had a lot of money lavished on it lately so should be a reasonable bet.

Picking it up next weekend, can't wait! Thanks to DKL for the suggestion, really appreciate everyone's ideas, many of which I'd not thought of - I don't think I even knew about the C55 estate before this thread. Really glad I asked the PH collective for ideas, how else would I have gone looking for something practical and ended up with a 5.4L V8 ?

cerb4.5lee

30,570 posts

180 months