£10k budget - 4 seats - petrol

[ArsE82]

Hi Folks

I will need to buy a car shortly that meets the following criteria:

Fun - decent handling that can be accessed and enjoyed relatively easily
Budget - £10k is my self-set budget, though I could go a little higher.
Practical - just needs four seats really. It can be a two/three door but I need to be able to get an 8-year-old in the back occasionally. We have a 'sports SUV' already for proper family duties

It'll only probably do about 10k miles a year so MPG isn't really an issue. I could live with 25MPG.

It's probably worth detailing my car history so you can understand what I've enjoyed previously:

Alfa 147 GTA - enjoyed much more after I had an LSD fitted
Mazda 6 MPS - ok but a bit boring. Great 4WD drifts in snow-covered car-parks
MINI R53 GP - Amazing. Wish I still had it
E92 M3 - Amazing. Wish I still had it
E82 135i Coupe - like a mini-M3 but less sure-footed
Tesla Model S - My current steer, but this will be going back soon. I have no green credentials. It was a tax decision!

I initially fancied a 135i hatch but they're around £15k.

My current short-list:

Megane RS 250 - I've never owned a Renault, but everything I've read says these are amazing. You can get a lot for £10k too.

Am I missing anything?

Over to you ZX and Co!

Cheers

[ZX10R NIN]

The hard bit will be getting an RS250 with the Cup Chassis but if you can find one they're a cracking steer.

RS250 Cup

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202108236...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202111229...

RS250 with the Cup Chassis

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110108...

A very good alternative to the Megane is the Astra VXR GTC it's not as sweet a steer as the Megane but it's a very good alternate:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202111099...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202111239...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110118...

Golf R32 not the sharpest steer but that cultured engine makes up for it

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202011196...

If you don't mind a nice coupe then the Infiniti G37 is a good option:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202109097...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202111119...

Mazda3 MPS

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202109097...

Brave Pill E46 M3:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202108166...

335i M Sport a good all rounder that like the 135i benefits from the addition of some M3 parts:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202106033...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202103130...

330i M Sport

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202103130...

Audi S5

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110178...

All are good options it depends on what you want from your car.

[RoVoFob]

My normal recommendation for this kind of brief is the BMW 130i - it’s lighter and more analogue than the 135i, with a still torquey but revvy straight-six, shorter gears and a good balance of grip and power…without going down the four-wheel-drive route. It’s also pretty light, being only 50kg heavier than a - less powerful - Cayman of the same age.

You talk about the M135i hatch - I had an M140i work car at the same time as my own 130i and I preferred the 130i’s steering, throttle response, sound and amount of power to the M140i, which felt like a comfy rocket ship, but wasn’t actually that engaging to drive.

Decent 130is are available from less than £5,000, giving you plenty of change to spruce up the suspension if you want something a bit sharper. Lots of inexpensive options. I’ve just booked mine in to have new springs, shocks and a few other suspension bits fitted - should be around £1,100 all in with the Bilstein B12 kit.

Might give you some of the overengineed feistiness of the Alfa - minus the traction issues - with the more grown up feel of your old 135i…

[ZX10R NIN]

Leftfield:

2.2 Brera Prodrive S

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202111209...

3.2

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202111169...

Hatchback WRX STI

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202111059...

WRX S

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202111239...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202107225...

C30 T5 R Design

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110068...

[wilbo83]

Some great suggestions in here. I'm likely to be searching with similar criteria next year however I was keen on having 5 doors for the convenience of getting the kids in. Some of these suggestions (mainly the Megane RS250) are now making me reconsider that! I'd also forgotten about the WRX hatch, but as a previous WRX PPP owner who really misses that noise, that is now firmly on the shortlist.

[Super Sonic]

Honda Civic.

[42 Carat Plonker]

GT86

[TurboBlue]

As the sensible answers seem to have been given already, I'll provide the very left field choices.

1999 Honda Accord 2.2 Type R
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202111159...

2005 MG ZT 260 V8 SE
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110309...

They are a bit chalk and cheese and I've no experience of the Type R but I have just recently bought a ZT V8.

[ArsE82]

Thanks for all the responses - much appreciated.

ZX10R NIN said:

RS250 Cup

RS250 with the Cup Chassis

Astra VXR GTC

2.2 Brera Prodrive S

3.2

My wife was surprisingly receptive to the Astra, as well as the Megane. We're going to look at a 250 Cup tomorrow.

RoVoFob said:

BMW 130i

Good shout but sadly very difficult to find a decent one now, it would appear.

Super Sonic said:

Honda Civic.

Type-R? Thanks, but not really my cup of tea. I did have an Accord Type-R years ago though, which I loved.

42 Carat Plonker said:

GT86

I believe they're a sweet chassis but I think I'd struggle with the relatively low BHP. Thanks though.

[RoVoFob]

ArsE82 said:

Thanks for all the responses - much appreciated.

RoVoFob said:

BMW 130i

Good shout but sadly very difficult to find a decent one now, it would appear.

You may have to wait for a particularly low mileage one, but there should be plenty of well looked after and well equipped 130is available for way under your budget and they should deal with high mileages pretty well. As you’d have so much change, you could give whatever you bought a pretty thorough spruce up if you wanted, too.

Here are the ones that jumped out to me:

£6,750, 2007 (07), 130i LE 3dr, 120k miles
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202111219...

£6,850, 2006 (06), 130i SE 3dr, 62k miles
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/324875199751?hash=item4...

£7,000, 2008 (58), 130i 3dr, 139k miles
https://babybmw.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=58&t...

[ZX10R NIN]

ArsE82 said:

Thanks for all the responses - much appreciated.

ZX10R NIN said:

RS250 Cup

RS250 with the Cup Chassis

Astra VXR GTC

2.2 Brera Prodrive S

3.2

My wife was surprisingly receptive to the Astra, as well as the Megane. We're going to look at a 250 Cup tomorrow.

The Astra is a good pick & you'll get a slightly newer one & of course those lovely Recaro's, how was the Megane?

[ArsE82]

ZX10R NIN said:

ArsE82 said:

Thanks for all the responses - much appreciated.

ZX10R NIN said:

RS250 Cup

RS250 with the Cup Chassis

Astra VXR GTC

2.2 Brera Prodrive S

3.2

My wife was surprisingly receptive to the Astra, as well as the Megane. We're going to look at a 250 Cup tomorrow.

The Astra is a good pick & you'll get a slightly newer one & of course those lovely Recaro's, how was the Megane?

Really liked the Megane. It was unprepared, so a bit dirty inside and out. But it drove really well, on the restricted test-drive that I had in a built-up area. Anyway, somewhat moot as it seems to have disappeared off AT, so presumed sold.

The search continues...

[ZX10R NIN]

ArsE82 said:

Really liked the Megane. It was unprepared, so a bit dirty inside and out. But it drove really well, on the restricted test-drive that I had in a built-up area. Anyway, somewhat moot as it seems to have disappeared off AT, so presumed sold.

The search continues...

If there's one close to you test drive the VXR.

[ArsE82]

Looks like I've bought a Megane!

2011 RS Megane 250
Cup Pack
Visibility Pack
Leather Recaro

Needs a bit of a tidy-up but can't wait to get my hands on it. I'll start a Reader's Car thread when I get a moment:



Cheers all

[Sslink]

ArsE82 said:

Looks like I've bought a Megane!

2011 RS Megane 250
Cup Pack
Visibility Pack
Leather Recaro

Needs a bit of a tidy-up but can't wait to get my hands on it. I'll start a Reader's Car thread when I get a moment:



Cheers all

Oh you swine! I've been coveting that motor for weeks! I was trying to justify the running costs with my commute. You've probably done me a favour really.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I imagined I would!

[ZX10R NIN]

ArsE82 said:

Looks like I've bought a Megane!

2011 RS Megane 250
Cup Pack
Visibility Pack
Leather Recaro

Needs a bit of a tidy-up but can't wait to get my hands on it. I'll start a Reader's Car thread when I get a moment:



Cheers all

Nice buy

[p4cks]

Looks good OP. And it's sometimes best to get a car that needs some cleaning/fettling as once you've done that, it feels like it's become your car as opposed to someone else's.

Or that might just be me.

[ArsE82]

Sslink said:

Oh you swine! I've been coveting that motor for weeks! I was trying to justify the running costs with my commute. You've probably done me a favour really.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I imagined I would!

Ooof - sorry! Was it definitely this one? In York? Does your name begin with a K?

ZX10R NIN said:

Nice buy

Cheers!

p4cks said:

Looks good OP. And it's sometimes best to get a car that needs some cleaning/fettling as once you've done that, it feels like it's become your car as opposed to someone else's.

Or that might just be me.

Cheers - you're absolutely right. I'm going to put some time aside to properly get in to it. It's booked in on Monday for a full wheel refurbish