Another which car question

[michael-vwmsz]

New to the forum here and can see how many "What car?" posts are on here so i'm shamefully going to add another one to the list!
I currently drive a Kia which I have owned for the last 3 years and is serving me well, absolutely zero excitement but it is a reliable car and has never really missed a beat bar a timing chain issue which was fixed under warranty.

Anyway, looking at getting a second car in the summer as my Mrs needs one due to me changing jobs and travelling more to work, ideally I would like something with a bit more excitement and something that looks good visually. I don't want to get a real hot hatch as I would like a blend of reasonable economy and not having to pay a massive amount of tax annually but something that is adequate for blasting down B roads and doesn't cost the earth to run.

Budget wise I don't want to spend more than £12500 and realistically would like a car that is around 6 years old, mileage wise we don't dover an awful lot of miles between us, my commute to work is 10 miles each way and that is a steady drive mainly at 50mph. my options at the moment are the following.

VW Scirocco 2.0TDI or 1.4TSI - I really like these visually and can pick up a decent one for my budget in GT spec however i'm undecided on the engine, I've always driven petrol vehicles but like how Diesel cars pull.

Audi A1 S-line 2.0TDI or 1.4TFSI - This is the Mrs' choice of car and i'll be honest I really like them in the S-Line spec. I can pick up a 1.4TFSI 120bhp for around £9500-£10000 but I really like the look of the 1.4TFSI 185BHP however within my budget would mean getting one with higher mileage or a year older.

BMW 1 Series Coupe - I was initially hell bent on getting a BMW 120D but then read about the timing chain issues on the F20 engines and it really put me off, I have been looking at the 118i 180bhp but the figures dont really flatter and not sure if it would be as fun to drive as other cars. Have looked at the Coupes and really like these, is the 118i engine in the Coupes the same turbo charged engine in the 118i hatchback or is different?

These are the 3 main contenders at the moment, if anyone has any experience with these it would be great to hear your views or suggestions for similar cars.

[Toed64]

If you don't do many miles and have a short commute, you should probably avoid a modern diesel because the your driving pattern is not suited to DPF health. If they block, they are horribly expensive to replace.

If you like the BMW 1 series coupe, I'd recommend a 125i. The engine is super-smooth, responsive and very reliable, use no more fuel than the 4 cylinder petrol version and are more rewarding to drive. The sound track alone makes them worthwhile. They have the same engine as the 130i, but BMW electronically strangled them to differentiate them from the slightly more powerful (in standard tune) 135i. It's straightforward to remap them to about 260bhp with no risk.

[Mo28]

Avoid any VAG group cars with the 1.4 TFSI pushing 185bhp as they are renowned for being unreliable and drink oil like there's no tomorrow.
Mini Cooper S would be my choice.

[ZX10R NIN]

Here's the thing you don't do enough miles to be considering a diesel also all the cars you've listed are not what you'd call fun drivers cars in fact I'd rate one of these on par with everything you've listed:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Honestly with your budget I'd say get a hot hatch the fuel difference will be minor but the enjoyment difference will be massive with that in mind I'd suggest one of these three:

Clio RS200 2.0 & 1.6T

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Megane RS265 Lux with the Cup Chassis:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Non Cup RS265 Lux but this will still be better than everything you're currently looking at:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

Fiesta ST-3 with the Mountune upgrade

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

The VFM hot hatch is the Astra VXR

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[pieface2018]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Never really considered the hot hatches listed above but they do look good. I will steer well clear of the 1.4 180bhp engine as thats not the first time I have heard negative reports about them.

Thanks for all the suggestions