Most fun/ chuckable cheap tax car?
Discussion
Afternoon folks
Wife’s car took a massive rear end hit from a jag xe the other day. I’m fairly sure it’s going to be written off. We don’t have the capacity for a full on search right now and we have some changing circumstances where the £13k or so it’s worth would be decent short term insurance should we need it. So to that end I’ve convinced her we should consider a cheaper car in the interim and to get her back into something more suitable for her next year when the madness that is the used market calms down a little.
Now here comes the cunning plan. I would like to man maths my way into a spare fun car too (have a daily and rebuilding a classic) and I’m thinking if I can find something now that’s dirt cheap to tax (£30 or lower bracket), cheap to insure and doesn’t go expensively wrong all the time, then maybe when she gets back into a decent car again i can convince her we should keep it around as a ‘family spare’.
Then I can go and Chuck it around Mallory or donington every now and again too.
I’m well rehearsed in how fun even a 99hp duratorq fiesta can be on track having thrown one about a bit recently before it went to the scrappy.
I can’t think of anything other than something with the vag 1.4tsi in it, or an ecoboost fiesta.
Time for the hive mind to give me a steer.
Budget wise, let’s say £3k?
Wife’s car took a massive rear end hit from a jag xe the other day. I’m fairly sure it’s going to be written off. We don’t have the capacity for a full on search right now and we have some changing circumstances where the £13k or so it’s worth would be decent short term insurance should we need it. So to that end I’ve convinced her we should consider a cheaper car in the interim and to get her back into something more suitable for her next year when the madness that is the used market calms down a little.
Now here comes the cunning plan. I would like to man maths my way into a spare fun car too (have a daily and rebuilding a classic) and I’m thinking if I can find something now that’s dirt cheap to tax (£30 or lower bracket), cheap to insure and doesn’t go expensively wrong all the time, then maybe when she gets back into a decent car again i can convince her we should keep it around as a ‘family spare’.
Then I can go and Chuck it around Mallory or donington every now and again too.
I’m well rehearsed in how fun even a 99hp duratorq fiesta can be on track having thrown one about a bit recently before it went to the scrappy. I can’t think of anything other than something with the vag 1.4tsi in it, or an ecoboost fiesta.
Time for the hive mind to give me a steer.
Budget wise, let’s say £3k?
Suzuki Swift 1.2L.
Needs lots of revs to go anywhere fast but the steering and handling is hilarious. And RFL is £30. Insurance about £140 pa.
The only expensive things I put on it are decent tyres, and as I take every opportunity to throw it round corners and roundabouts that seems like a good investment...
Needs lots of revs to go anywhere fast but the steering and handling is hilarious. And RFL is £30. Insurance about £140 pa.
The only expensive things I put on it are decent tyres, and as I take every opportunity to throw it round corners and roundabouts that seems like a good investment...
eltax91 said:
Afternoon folks
Wife’s car took a massive rear end hit from a jag xe the other day. I’m fairly sure it’s going to be written off. We don’t have the capacity for a full on search right now and we have some changing circumstances where the £13k or so it’s worth would be decent short term insurance should we need it. So to that end I’ve convinced her we should consider a cheaper car in the interim and to get her back into something more suitable for her next year when the madness that is the used market calms down a little.
Now here comes the cunning plan. I would like to man maths my way into a spare fun car too (have a daily and rebuilding a classic) and I’m thinking if I can find something now that’s dirt cheap to tax (£30 or lower bracket), cheap to insure and doesn’t go expensively wrong all the time, then maybe when she gets back into a decent car again i can convince her we should keep it around as a ‘family spare’.
Then I can go and Chuck it around Mallory or donington every now and again too. I’m well rehearsed in how fun even a 99hp duratorq fiesta can be on track having thrown one about a bit recently before it went to the scrappy.
I can’t think of anything other than something with the vag 1.4tsi in it, or an ecoboost fiesta.
Time for the hive mind to give me a steer.
Budget wise, let’s say £3k?
I'd forgo the £30 tax & if you do you can get a decent nice steer that will keep the wife happy too:Wife’s car took a massive rear end hit from a jag xe the other day. I’m fairly sure it’s going to be written off. We don’t have the capacity for a full on search right now and we have some changing circumstances where the £13k or so it’s worth would be decent short term insurance should we need it. So to that end I’ve convinced her we should consider a cheaper car in the interim and to get her back into something more suitable for her next year when the madness that is the used market calms down a little.
Now here comes the cunning plan. I would like to man maths my way into a spare fun car too (have a daily and rebuilding a classic) and I’m thinking if I can find something now that’s dirt cheap to tax (£30 or lower bracket), cheap to insure and doesn’t go expensively wrong all the time, then maybe when she gets back into a decent car again i can convince her we should keep it around as a ‘family spare’.
Then I can go and Chuck it around Mallory or donington every now and again too.
I’m well rehearsed in how fun even a 99hp duratorq fiesta can be on track having thrown one about a bit recently before it went to the scrappy. I can’t think of anything other than something with the vag 1.4tsi in it, or an ecoboost fiesta.
Time for the hive mind to give me a steer.
Budget wise, let’s say £3k?
DS3 DSport Plus 150
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202108015...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105062...
Astra GTC SRI 140
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202108206...
1.6 Fiesta Titanium
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202104241...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202107134...
Suzuki Swift Sport
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202104131...
Mazda2 Sport
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105293...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202108136...
Alfa Mito Veloce 140
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202108106...
155
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202108136...
ZX10R NIN said:
I'd argue this is massively overpriced. You're paying for it being a 61 plate. I bought my SSS with much less mileage for £1,350.
I had test-driven 7 of them over the course of a weekend, with examples ranging between £1,000 and £3,000 - the one I bought was the best of the lot (obviously, which is why I bought it) despite being one of the cheaper ones. Good ones can clearly be had for a hell of a lot less.
TREMAiNE said:
I'd argue this is massively overpriced. You're paying for it being a 61 plate.
I bought my SSS with much less mileage for £1,350.
I had test-driven 7 of them over the course of a weekend, with examples ranging between £1,000 and £3,000 - the one I bought was the best of the lot (obviously, which is why I bought it) despite being one of the cheaper ones. Good ones can clearly be had for a hell of a lot less.
Like all of the cars listed above it's just an example, I'm not telling the OP to buy that particular car I bought my SSS with much less mileage for £1,350.
I had test-driven 7 of them over the course of a weekend, with examples ranging between £1,000 and £3,000 - the one I bought was the best of the lot (obviously, which is why I bought it) despite being one of the cheaper ones. Good ones can clearly be had for a hell of a lot less.
Thanks all
I’d not thought of a few of those! Swift sport is a great shout and always fancied one.
Yes, we can always creep and ‘get rid’ of the tax restraint, but then we start creeping into MK5 golf territory and all its competitors. The more I loosen the requirements, the more likely is the wife will protest when she picks up a nice new motor and I’ll ultimately not get to keep it for its fun purpose.
It’ll be easy to go from ‘well we might as well keep it love, it’s only costing us £5/600 a year’ to ‘erm, yeah we could use that grand on something else this year’
I’d not thought of a few of those! Swift sport is a great shout and always fancied one.
Yes, we can always creep and ‘get rid’ of the tax restraint, but then we start creeping into MK5 golf territory and all its competitors. The more I loosen the requirements, the more likely is the wife will protest when she picks up a nice new motor and I’ll ultimately not get to keep it for its fun purpose.
It’ll be easy to go from ‘well we might as well keep it love, it’s only costing us £5/600 a year’ to ‘erm, yeah we could use that grand on something else this year’
You are restricting yourself to kind of boring stuff if you want to pay less than £30 a year tax at that price, this is what I could find
BMW 320 ED - good bones, RWD, get it remapped and you have 225 bhp and 310 lb ft, get some decent shocks/ springs/tyres/brakes, etc
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202104261...
In the same vein, a 118d - remap it to 185 bhp, 295 lb ft, plus other go faster bits if you can be bothered
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106284...
Leaving diesels, here's some petrol stuff
Alfa Romeo Mito TwinAir - remap will get power to 120 bhp
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202107285...
Ford Focus 1.0 Ecoboost - remap will get power to 160 bhp
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202102279...
Seat Ibiza FR 1.2 TSI - remap will get power to 130 bhp
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105112...
BMW 320 ED - good bones, RWD, get it remapped and you have 225 bhp and 310 lb ft, get some decent shocks/ springs/tyres/brakes, etc
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202104261...
In the same vein, a 118d - remap it to 185 bhp, 295 lb ft, plus other go faster bits if you can be bothered
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106284...
Leaving diesels, here's some petrol stuff
Alfa Romeo Mito TwinAir - remap will get power to 120 bhp
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202107285...
Ford Focus 1.0 Ecoboost - remap will get power to 160 bhp
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202102279...
Seat Ibiza FR 1.2 TSI - remap will get power to 130 bhp
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202105112...
eltax91 said:
Thanks all
I’d not thought of a few of those! Swift sport is a great shout and always fancied one.
Yes, we can always creep and ‘get rid’ of the tax restraint, but then we start creeping into MK5 golf territory and all its competitors. The more I loosen the requirements, the more likely is the wife will protest when she picks up a nice new motor and I’ll ultimately not get to keep it for its fun purpose.
It’ll be easy to go from ‘well we might as well keep it love, it’s only costing us £5/600 a year’ to ‘erm, yeah we could use that grand on something else this year’
Here's the thing the worst Tax offender above was £210 all the above have sensible running costs, so your £550 a year running costs won't change but you will have to fork out an extra £180 which is £15 a month (that's if you went for something like the DS3 but the nicer interior handling & extra go would make it so worth it) which I think you could get passed by the accounts department or worst ways just sort it yourself off books I’d not thought of a few of those! Swift sport is a great shout and always fancied one.
Yes, we can always creep and ‘get rid’ of the tax restraint, but then we start creeping into MK5 golf territory and all its competitors. The more I loosen the requirements, the more likely is the wife will protest when she picks up a nice new motor and I’ll ultimately not get to keep it for its fun purpose.
It’ll be easy to go from ‘well we might as well keep it love, it’s only costing us £5/600 a year’ to ‘erm, yeah we could use that grand on something else this year’
On something like the Astra it's £140
ZX10R NIN said:
Here's the thing the worst Tax offender above was £210 all the above have sensible running costs, so your £550 a year running costs won't change but you will have to fork out an extra £180 which is £15 a month (that's if you went for something like the DS3 but the nicer interior handling & extra go would make it so worth it) which I think you could get passed by the accounts department or worst ways just sort it yourself off books
On something like the Astra it's £140
Fair one. I’ll take it under advise and see what the next few days bring. On something like the Astra it's £140
RS Grant said:
Not sure after the recent WBAC boom, but I’m sure you used to be able to get an Up! GTI for that kind of money… I think they’re extremely cool cars and I assume (not checked) that running costs/tax are going to be pretty low as well. 
Not even close to £3k I don’t think? They’ve been steady/ on the up for a while. 
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