Second fun car for under 5k

[MadmaxNC]

Hi all,

In the process of getting rid of a car that I no longer drive and was wondering if I could have everyone's help.

I am looking for a car thats a least a 4 seater, thats decently fast. Maybe in the range of a 0-60mph in sub 7s and a hoot to drive on the b roads.

Currently have mx5 NC which I part own with my brother whom wants to keep it OEM so turbo charging the NC is out of the question.

Have been looking at the Mazda 3 or 6 mps, Subaru Impreza WRX blobeye, Honda Civic type R either the FN2 or EP3.

If you have any other suggestions I'm all ears, if you owned one then moved onto other would like to hear your experience owning one.

Thanks

[Xcore]

R26 megane or leggy mk7 fiesta st

[p4cks]

Abarth 500 Esseesse. Great little cars but suspension is a bit crashy

[Mr Tidy]

Maybe a BMW 130i might fit the bill.

I haven't had one, but have had a 325i, two Z4 Coupes and currently a 330i with the same N52 engine and it's a lovely N/A straight 6 that revs happily to 7,000rpm!

[RoVoFob]

Mr Tidy said:

Maybe a BMW 130i might fit the bill.

I haven't had one, but have had a 325i, two Z4 Coupes and currently a 330i with the same N52 engine and it's a lovely N/A straight 6 that revs happily to 7,000rpm!

I see that fellow BMW fan Mr Tidy has beaten me to it. Three-time 130i owner here, which I’d very much recommend for your brief.

The reason I keep coming back to the 130i is that it is more powerful than the other options you’ve mentioned, has really nice, meaty steering (especially in pre-facelift models), a torquey but revvy six-cylinder engine and sounds great. Just make sure you replace runflat tyres if fitted, as they make the ride very firm and scupper the grip/handling.

I’ve driven an immaculate EP3 and while the engine and handling are great, I found the steering horrendous and this really limited my confidence in the car and how much I enjoyed driving it.

If you’d value something with more space, the Subaru Legacy 3.0R Spec B is about as agile and fun as a car of its size can be. I had the estate and it was very practical, the flat-six engine sounded glorious and it handled very well. I did find the seats uncomfortable though, so make sure you can get comfy if it appeals.

[pb8g09]

Focus ST 2.5.

Think you might struggle to find a decent 130i in this market for that money.

[RoVoFob]

pb8g09 said:

Focus ST 2.5.

Think you might struggle to find a decent 130i in this market for that money.

Some are pricey, but there are others that seem pretty reasonable sub-£5k. I’d look at these two, personally:

£4,900: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202206307...

£4,995: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225078667387?hash=item3...

I always found Focus STs more expensive than 130is, but it’s possible Ford prices have dropped since I last looked.