£5000 budget for a weekend/fun car...
Discussion
Yes it's another what car thread but in my defence it's the only one I've ever started.
So driving a 118d m-sport just isn't fun but needed for my 125 mile a day commute but enough is enough! Getting myself an Econetic Fiesta for the drive on a good pcp deal (benefits of a brother working for Ford) so will have £5k max to spend on a fun car.
Must be fairly modern, reliable and not an Impreza. Will do 6k a year including a trip to Europe. I've thought of the following so far but what would you all choose as I've bound to have forgotten some hidden treasures.
Honda S2000 - 9k redline and convertible for those rare sunny days
Clio 182 Trophy - Miss my old 182 and 3 wheels in corners is always fun
Honda Integra Dc2 - although most have moon mileage and getting old now
E36 M3 - hard to find a un-molested example
Porsche Boxter - Porsche running costs
So driving a 118d m-sport just isn't fun but needed for my 125 mile a day commute but enough is enough! Getting myself an Econetic Fiesta for the drive on a good pcp deal (benefits of a brother working for Ford) so will have £5k max to spend on a fun car.
Must be fairly modern, reliable and not an Impreza. Will do 6k a year including a trip to Europe. I've thought of the following so far but what would you all choose as I've bound to have forgotten some hidden treasures.
Honda S2000 - 9k redline and convertible for those rare sunny days
Clio 182 Trophy - Miss my old 182 and 3 wheels in corners is always fun
Honda Integra Dc2 - although most have moon mileage and getting old now
E36 M3 - hard to find a un-molested example
Porsche Boxter - Porsche running costs
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C493214#
Biased of course, but the TVR S is a brilliant little fun car.
I've had mine since August, covered nearly 6000 miles since then, and it really hasn't missed a beat in all that time. Pretty good for a 25 year old car.
Sounds like a dirty muscle car, drives like a 60s sports car, cheap to insure and cheap to buy, if you can find one as there are never too many for sale at any time.
Of course, just don't believe the fuel gauge, a lesson I've learnt twice since August.
vixen1700 said:
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C493214#
Biased of course, but the TVR S is a brilliant little fun car.
D
OP, those cars you've listed are way too sensible. They are the sort of everyday performance car that you'd have if you could only run one car and wanted performance and practicality. Get something a bit different, a Westfield or a Fisher Fury or something, more than enough space to go on a road holiday, more performance and more of an event to drive than any of the cars you listed.
Evo said:
What's the brief op, does it have to be fast, make the right noise, roof down, Tvr is a good shout though.
It doesn't have to be silly fast but reasonably quick. Ideally I want something that makes a lovely sound and has a sense of occasion to drive. A Westfield was considered but I haven't got a garage, only a car port so needs to be able to be kept securely... It's a difficult one. The s2000 is currently top as it's reliable, quick enough, roof down, makes a good noise for 4 cylinders and are rare enough to be special as a weekend car. But that TVR......
Honda S2000 - have you seen the cost of insurance insurance!! 33% more for me than on a boxster / 350z / TT
Clio 182 Trophy - Good car, but you can get more oomph for the money, and if it doesn't need to be that practical why get another hatch if you have a fiesta runabout? I would say not special enough... though I had one before and suffered reliability issues so probably biased.
Honda Integra Dc2 - interesting... I might think about that myself!
E36 M3 - agree hard to find a un-molested example
Porsche Boxster - Tempting but could be a money pit at the bottom end of the market... that intermediate bearing.. scary prospect on a 5k car.
How about Impreza WRX STI with PPP there is a mint one on autotrader at the moment for 6k.
Nissan 350z might be cheaper to run than a Boxster and it has more power (280bhp?)
I kinda dismissed the Audi TT because of all the reviews complaining about the handling... but perhaps most reliable / 3.2 V6 has 250bhp, 1.8T has 225bhp.
I have the same dilemma but I want to use the car for a short commute as well.
Clio 182 Trophy - Good car, but you can get more oomph for the money, and if it doesn't need to be that practical why get another hatch if you have a fiesta runabout? I would say not special enough... though I had one before and suffered reliability issues so probably biased.
Honda Integra Dc2 - interesting... I might think about that myself!
E36 M3 - agree hard to find a un-molested example
Porsche Boxster - Tempting but could be a money pit at the bottom end of the market... that intermediate bearing.. scary prospect on a 5k car.
How about Impreza WRX STI with PPP there is a mint one on autotrader at the moment for 6k.
Nissan 350z might be cheaper to run than a Boxster and it has more power (280bhp?)
I kinda dismissed the Audi TT because of all the reviews complaining about the handling... but perhaps most reliable / 3.2 V6 has 250bhp, 1.8T has 225bhp.
I have the same dilemma but I want to use the car for a short commute as well.
Edited by Glade on Sunday 11th May 21:29
Glade said:
Honda S2000 - have you seen the cost of insurance insurance!! 33% more for me than on a boxster / 350z / TT
Clio 182 Trophy - Good car, but you can get more oomph for the money, and if it doesn't need to be that practical why get another hatch if you have a fiesta runabout? I would say not special enough... though I had one before and suffered reliability issues so probably biased.
Honda Integra Dc2 - interesting... I might think about that myself!
E36 M3 - agree hard to find a un-molested example
Porsche Boxster - Tempting but could be a money pit at the bottom end of the market... that intermediate bearing.. scary prospect on a 5k car.
How about Impreza WRX STI with PPP there is a mint one on autotrader at the moment for 6k.
Nissan 350z might be cheaper to run than a Boxster and it has more power (280bhp?)
I kinda dismissed the Audi TT because of all the reviews complaining about the handling... but perhaps most reliable / 3.2 V6 has 250bhp, 1.8T has 225bhp.
I have the same dilemma but I want to use the car for a short commute as well.
The insurance on the S2000 isn't too bad for me strangely but haven't compared it against rivals. A 350z doesn't really appeal to me as my brother has a later 313bhp version so would like something different. Clio 182 Trophy - Good car, but you can get more oomph for the money, and if it doesn't need to be that practical why get another hatch if you have a fiesta runabout? I would say not special enough... though I had one before and suffered reliability issues so probably biased.
Honda Integra Dc2 - interesting... I might think about that myself!
E36 M3 - agree hard to find a un-molested example
Porsche Boxster - Tempting but could be a money pit at the bottom end of the market... that intermediate bearing.. scary prospect on a 5k car.
How about Impreza WRX STI with PPP there is a mint one on autotrader at the moment for 6k.
Nissan 350z might be cheaper to run than a Boxster and it has more power (280bhp?)
I kinda dismissed the Audi TT because of all the reviews complaining about the handling... but perhaps most reliable / 3.2 V6 has 250bhp, 1.8T has 225bhp.
I have the same dilemma but I want to use the car for a short commute as well.
Edited by Glade on Sunday 11th May 21:29
That's what puts me off the Porsche is if (when) something goes wrong it'll be eye watering! I don't want to be putting any more than £5k into a weekend car either.
An Impreza/Evo doesn't appeal, would rather a high revving n/a.
A corrado VR6 is short listed and a TT 3.2 would be nice with a good exhaust but probably not within budget.
A900ss said:
I've just come back from a weekend away to the Evo Triangle. 4 TVR's.
Just buy one if it's a weekend car.
They're just 'special'.
Good luck.
Reading the adverts for TVR's they all seem to be garaged over winter which I can't do at home unfortunately, I wouldn't want to ruin it. I suppose I could rent a garage.. Just buy one if it's a weekend car.
They're just 'special'.
Good luck.
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