Best B-road Blaster for under £7k?

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993kimbo

Original Poster

2,979 posts

186 months

Tuesday 18th January 2022

I'm looking for something fun,small and fizzy for bombing around the b-roads on Sunday morning in the dry and the wet and not bothering about the brambles that I've been forced into at the side of the road by the Range Rover.

I've had MX5's,a Golf GTi Mk5 dsg, Audi A4, a couple of Porsche Boxsters, but they all ended up costing a fair bit in maintenance bills, besides which I didn't like them getting scratched. I want something I don't care about now and I'm not bothered about depreciation/ future values.

I've narrowed it down to a few but have only driven a Golf and MX5. Your advice/experiences welcomed.

The Renault Clio I've been put off by tales of broken gearboxes, the Twingo lacks power apparently, the Polo has lots of DSG problems as does the Golf, that leaves the Suzuki.

Renault Clio 200 (or 182?)
Renault Twingo 133
Suzuki Swift
Polo GTi
Another Golf
Another Mazda

cheers!

pti

1,711 posts

145 months

Tuesday 18th January 2022

A well setup forced induction MX5.

They're hilarious fun.

popeyewhite

20,030 posts

121 months

Tuesday 18th January 2022

My Clio 190 was fantastic on the lanes, no gearbox issues, are they a thing?

Polo Gti not as fun as the Clio, but faster. Do you have to have the DSG?

Dave.

7,392 posts

254 months

Tuesday 18th January 2022

R53/R56 Cooper S

A good service, smaller wheels, chunkier tyres, a good set of coilovers and a few bushes.

popeyewhite

20,030 posts

121 months

Tuesday 18th January 2022

Dave. said:

A good service, smaller wheels, chunkier tyres, a good set of coilovers and a few bushes.

You could do that to the Polo!

Dave.

7,392 posts

254 months

Tuesday 18th January 2022

popeyewhite said:

You could do that to the Polo!

But then you’d still have a Polo…. tongue out

993kimbo

Original Poster

2,979 posts

186 months

Tuesday 18th January 2022

popeyewhite said:

My Clio 190 was fantastic on the lanes, no gearbox issues, are they a thing?
Do you have to have the DSG?

I don't have to have the dsg, but heard tales of Clio Gearbox woes, crunching from 2nd to 3rd and being expensive to fix.

jamieduff1981

8,029 posts

141 months

Tuesday 18th January 2022

How about an MR2 into the mix?

Deerfoot

4,908 posts

185 months

Tuesday 18th January 2022

Try a Swift Sport, I'm really impressed with my 2016 car, great fun to punt around the B roads in Wiltshire where I live.

georgeyboy12345

3,543 posts

36 months

Tuesday 18th January 2022

Edited by georgeyboy12345 on Tuesday 18th January 21:04

ZX10R NIN

27,677 posts

126 months

Tuesday 18th January 2022

993kimbo said:

If it's a B Road blaster then these would be my picks:

Megane RS250 Cup this would be my pick:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106163...

Focus ST-3 great cars with a very good engine:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202108276...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202107315...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202111259...

Mazda3 MPS

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202006089...

RS200 Cup

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110198...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202201111...

mattman

3,176 posts

223 months

Tuesday 18th January 2022

Surely the answer is an Audi TT? Cheap to run, bit of Quattro for extra grip and easy to increase power if needed?

Feirny

2,529 posts

148 months

Tuesday 18th January 2022

ZX10R NIN said:

If it's a B Road blaster then these would be my picks:

Megane RS250 Cup this would be my pick:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106163...

Just not that one, from that seller.

Canon_Fodder

1,771 posts

64 months

Tuesday 18th January 2022

No. 1 criteria for a B-road blaster is steering feel

Without that, fun will be limited

InitialDave

11,973 posts

120 months

Tuesday 18th January 2022

Could spend a lot less and get a Panda 100HP

M.F.D

703 posts

102 months

Tuesday 18th January 2022

So much available at this budget, but you cannot go wrong with any Renaultsport really.

R26 might be in budget, prices of good ones are rising a bit. Go for the R26 over the 225 for the LSD. Having said that, many have been upgraded by now.

Clio 172/182/197/200 are all a solid shout. Gearboxes can crunch between 2nd and 3rd as you've pointed out, but bare in mind that boxes are cheap and easily replaced. It certainly wouldn't put me off one.

Civic EP3 Type R is a good shout, robust, cheap to run, easily fettled with and appear to be appreciating at a decent rate.

R53 MCS. I would personally avoid the R56, had a few friends that have had serious problems with them and they seem pretty highly strung.

Mk3 MR2. You will be able to pick up a clean car with the 2ZZ 190 engine (found in the Corolla and Celica TS) well within budget. These are great fun with the extra power over standard. I've seen a few for sale around the £4/5k mark on the usual track pages.

Furyblade_Lee

4,108 posts

225 months

Tuesday 18th January 2022

For that budget i'd be looking at a turbo/supercharged Mk1 MX5. 220-270bhp. 1 tonne, RWD, not much would leave it down a country lane, even less be more fun!!!!

993kimbo

Original Poster

2,979 posts

186 months

Tuesday 18th January 2022

Thank you SO MUCH for the input guys.

Especially Georgieboy who's effort is off the scale. Thank you.

A lot to think of and look at here. Thanks again.

Belle427

9,037 posts

234 months

Tuesday 18th January 2022

I’d go Clio, I loved driving a 172 version my dad owned for a while, great fun on the B roads.

plenty

4,729 posts

187 months

Tuesday 18th January 2022

Synchros on all Clio 'boxes can let go especially given the age/mileage on most of them by now, but the 172/182 gearboxes are much more robust than the 197/200 ones. If it does let go a full rebuild isn't too bad - £500 or so for parts and labour, plus removal and refitting.

For B-roads you want something small, wieldy, raw and full of feedback which you can regularly use close to its full potential. Just powerful enough to dispatch overtakes comfortably but not so powerful that you're always holding back. For me a mk2 or mk3 Clio fulfils the brief better than most. Parts getting more scarce now is one downside - you can't get front wheel arch liners for mk2s now, nor OEM mk2 Cup spec wishbones.

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