What fun, cheap (rwd?) hatch?
Discussion
I feel the need to re-jig the family fleet for more fun.
The Mondeo estate can stay for family-hauling duties, but the wife's Fabia could be up-graded. The Fabia is actually quite fun to drive, albeit a bit soft and the 1.2HTP is definitely lacking in acceleration.
An early 00's small-ish hatchback with good handling and a reasonable boot would be good. Power isn't too important, but I'd like something with rear wheel drive (as all of my cars have been FWD) so choices are limited -what are BMW compacts like to own?
Alternatively, I could just lower the Fabia and fit a rear arb....
The Mondeo estate can stay for family-hauling duties, but the wife's Fabia could be up-graded. The Fabia is actually quite fun to drive, albeit a bit soft and the 1.2HTP is definitely lacking in acceleration.
An early 00's small-ish hatchback with good handling and a reasonable boot would be good. Power isn't too important, but I'd like something with rear wheel drive (as all of my cars have been FWD) so choices are limited -what are BMW compacts like to own?
Alternatively, I could just lower the Fabia and fit a rear arb....
Got a budget in mind?
Sounds like BM is going to be the way to go... Friend of mine had an e36 318td compact and loved it.
Could it be a spacious-ish coupe? Rx8? I'm not the biggest fan of them, I test drove one coming from a vx220 turbo and it felt dull-witted, slow and oddly superficial. But they are pretty damn cheap these days.
How about 4wd? Might get a slightly broader range of choices?
Sounds like BM is going to be the way to go... Friend of mine had an e36 318td compact and loved it.
Could it be a spacious-ish coupe? Rx8? I'm not the biggest fan of them, I test drove one coming from a vx220 turbo and it felt dull-witted, slow and oddly superficial. But they are pretty damn cheap these days.
How about 4wd? Might get a slightly broader range of choices?
i had an e36 316 compact through last winter and absolutely loved it. bit under powered meant not much fun in the dry but with the open diff easily got the back sliding in the wet. very comfortable car and nice little touches inside make driving it easy.had covered 140k miles and there was never any problems, only reason it went was because a lorry reversed into it outside work and wrote it off for me
I had a 340 and I wouldn't recommend it.
The BMW Compacts are pretty good but you want to get yourself a 325ti if you can. The engine sounds beautiful. The rest of the car is about on the same level as a Ford Mondeo. Nothing special but does the job albiet a few ratttles here and there.
The BMW Compacts are pretty good but you want to get yourself a 325ti if you can. The engine sounds beautiful. The rest of the car is about on the same level as a Ford Mondeo. Nothing special but does the job albiet a few ratttles here and there.
Edited by volvoforlife on Thursday 30th December 15:38
MC Bodge said:
a 325ti would be good, but running costs maybe a bit high.
Not really. Much the same mpg as the 2 litre, tyres may be a little more expensive (but will depend more on rim size), insurance may be a little higher, takes more oil etc than a 4 cylinder engine when servicing but the job is much the same so again prices only a little higher.Grin factor of the 2.5 however is much higher
Disco You said:
I've always heard that the BMW compacts are terrible, my mum had one and there's nothing that comes to mind about it that makes me think anything different.
Is RWD really that important? It massively limits your choices.
The first gen wasn't good but the last one which stopped in 2004 I think is very good. Its the same as any other E46 just with a hatchback - no cost cutting as such.Is RWD really that important? It massively limits your choices.
volvoforlife said:
Disco You said:
I've always heard that the BMW compacts are terrible, my mum had one and there's nothing that comes to mind about it that makes me think anything different.
Is RWD really that important? It massively limits your choices.
The first gen wasn't good but the last one which stopped in 2004 I think is very good. Its the same as any other E46 just with a hatchback - no cost cutting as such.Is RWD really that important? It massively limits your choices.
clarkey328is said:
Rear wheel drive hatchbacks are few and far between, especially with a small budget. Have you considered an estate or saloon? In the case of the E36 "compact", it's the same size as the coupe...
Hatchbacks have a handy hatch. Saloon cars are much less useful to me.Estate cars are great, but I'd want something fairly small.
MC Bodge said:
clarkey328is said:
Rear wheel drive hatchbacks are few and far between, especially with a small budget. Have you considered an estate or saloon? In the case of the E36 "compact", it's the same size as the coupe...
Hatchbacks have a handy hatch. Saloon cars are much less useful to me.Estate cars are great, but I'd want something fairly small.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff