Advice: Fun estate on a budget

[GeoKen]

Hi all, I hope you are well. This is my first post please let me know if it’s in the wrong area etc. Sorry that my first post is asking for help but really struggling so could do with a nudge in the right direction.

Basically I now work at home, my partner has a reliable car but I can’t use it at weekends so I need something for fun drives/ transport of dog / bike. all my previous cars have been bought just to get to work and so this finally my chance to get something I actually want to drive so I’m kind of overthinking it ??

Budget up to £10k not too fussed about running costs as I won’t be doing high mileage and I’m factoring this into my budget, but it has to be something that I can get repaired locally or I guess if it’s cheap enough that’s it’s likely to last a couple years. Also petrol.

Sort of things I’ve considered:

Saab 93 turbo(~£3k): don’t see these popping up much any more, maybe petrol versions are more rare, would probably get one if it one came up cheap enough

Subaru legacy gt-b: would love one 10 years ago but realistically I would need someone who knew what they were doing to help maintain it. Would be heart over head decision.

Subaru legacy spec B (-£6k): (06/07 or some later model legacy) Could be my best bet if I’m patient?

Import v60 t6, have seen these locally for 9 / 10k although fast it doesn’t sound like they are that fun to drive especially the auto

Anything else I should consider?

Tldr:
Fun to drive petrol estate car, does not need to be relied upon for work, under £10k. North East uk area.

Edited by GeoKen on Monday 23 October 21:09

[jamesbilluk]

Audi S4 Estate

Lovely 4.2litre V8
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2023101831...

Alfa 159 3.2 V6 Sportwagon

E46 Touring 330i

[Ian Geary]

Hi there,

The problem with estates and fun to drive is that estates are generally large with a higher centre of gravity.

I did a track day in my BMW E61 touring, and irrespective of its 3 litre petrol manual running gear it was obviously (to me) the wrong car to be doing a track day in

Yes it handles it weight well, but it's never going to be small and nimble

So, how big does you estate need to be?

Something thike a focus at estate is going to shift pretty well, and be fairly decent.

Modern hatchbacks might suit your needs? Like a Mégane renauitsport?

Alfa did some good handling cars but the 156 estate was pretty cramped, and will be too old /rusty now.

I don't recall the Saab 93 being considered a particularly driver oriented car. It was a vectra underneath, though some came with decent V6 or turbo engines.

Ford made some good handling cars, so a Mondeo estate with a warmish engine might be called for? They are large though.

I guess there's always a 3 series of some flavour?

Hth

Ian

[ChrisH72]

Looking at your choices you seem to prefer older cars. But I'll throw in something more modern which I think looks good value at the moment.

Octaves vRS mk4

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2023101530...

You can just about get into one for 10k. Based on the mk7 Golf so it's a good car.

Or if going for an older car this Volvo looks quite cool.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2023071094...

It's an auto and I've no idea how good they were but there is something about a quick Volvo estate.

[bolidemichael]

Since ULEZ isn’t a factor for you

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202308291...

Can’t top a big and spacious V8

[GeoKen]

Ian Geary said:

Hi there,

The problem with estates and fun to drive is that estates are generally large with a higher centre of gravity.

I did a track day in my BMW E61 touring, and irrespective of its 3 litre petrol manual running gear it was obviously (to me) the wrong car to be doing a track day in

Yes it handles it weight well, but it's never going to be small and nimble

So, how big does you estate need to be?

Something thike a focus at estate is going to shift pretty well, and be fairly decent.

Modern hatchbacks might suit your needs? Like a Mégane renauitsport?

Alfa did some good handling cars but the 156 estate was pretty cramped, and will be too old /rusty now.

I don't recall the Saab 93 being considered a particularly driver oriented car. It was a vectra underneath, though some came with decent V6 or turbo engines.

Ford made some good handling cars, so a Mondeo estate with a warmish engine might be called for? They are large though.

I guess there's always a 3 series of some flavour?

Hth

Ian

This seems like sensible advice, I guess when I say fun it is relative - I’m not requiring track performance just something that is a bit bigger and faster than the bog standard French hatchbacks I have had to put up with for the last decade.

A 3 series or focus ST is definitely something I should be considering.

[InitialDave]

I'd buy a 6 pot 3 series.

[GeoKen]

jamesbilluk said:

Audi S4 Estate

Lovely 4.2litre V8

Alfa 159 3.2 V6 Sportwagon

E46 Touring 330i

That s4 is the kind of thing I wish I was brave enough to buy. Good suggestion!

[james6546]

I had a 9-3 aero sportwagon for a couple of years. Somehow seemed more than the sum of its parts.

I recommend the 2.8 V6T, it was an awesome engine, and wasn’t as uneconomical as I expected.

I replaced it with a newish Merc C class estate last year and I’d go back to the Saab in an instant.

[GeoKen]

Lots of good advice thanks all!

Octavia VRS is definitely the sort of thing I should get.

3 series as well, I think I had sort of considered I would be in between budgets of getting a cheap one and a good example but I will do some research

I guess I have a bit of FOMO for the type of cars I’ve missed out on or might not exist in the future.

[jamesbilluk]

GeoKen said:

That s4 is the kind of thing I wish I was brave enough to buy. Good suggestion!

I really like that generation of A4 as well,

Great sounding engine with these!

[nails1979]

I had a b7 S4 convertible for a few years. Good mile eater and generally all round good. But not 'fun'.

I've also had a mk2 TT V6, and a modded mk5 golf gti after it. I reckon a mk2 TT 2 litre with the 4wd option would be decent, but needs some fettling, basic breathing mods and a remap. Boots big enough for a decent sized dog with the back seats down as they're next to useless anyway. Suction mounts for the bike.

[a311]

V8 550

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2023102031...

Insignia VXR

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2023101429...


E class V8

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2023060581...


A6 Allroad

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2023101931...


Skoda Octavia Vrs estates are a good car. I've had 2. Practical all rounders for sure

[defblade]

Ian Geary said:

Hi there,

The problem with estates and fun to drive is that estates are generally large with a higher centre of gravity.

I did a track day in my BMW E61 touring, and irrespective of its 3 litre petrol manual running gear it was obviously (to me) the wrong car to be doing a track day in

Yes it handles it weight well, but it's never going to be small and nimble

So, how big does you estate need to be?

Thne Leggie Spec-b manages to confound all of this; the flat four keeps the engine CoG low and not too nose heavy; the car is made of high quality steel for relatively low weight overall; the Bilstein suspension makes it handle... and it's a tardis. Loads and loads of room inside. Yet it shrinks around you on the road like no big estate car should.

Downsides: only drinks 99ron, at 25mpg; wants £60+ of oil every 3500-7000 miles (I did mine every 6k); goes through a set of 4 tyres PDQ if you enjoy your driving. JDM radio only picks up Radio2. Possible lack of SH and potentially worries about clocking. OE brakes not the best, but easily swapped out.

[FastEdd11e]

WRX Wagon.
We had a Prodrive 2005 blobeye which was simply unbeatable.

You can get loads in them and they go like stink.

I wrote it off at 156k miles. It was still pulling like a stud on viagra!

[anonymous-user]

FastEdd11e said:

WRX Wagon.
We had a Prodrive 2005 blobeye which was simply unbeatable.

Do these not tend to suffer quite badly from rust now? Not to mention mechanically unsympathetic owners and the well-known self grenading 2.5. The 2.0s seem to demand ludicrous money for decent examples!

Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 24th October 12:08

[MiniMan64]

I can highly recommend an Octavia VRS. I’ve had mine nearly 3 years now and it’s great. Well built, decent looker to my eye, interior is modern and well equipped and it’s might quick in a straight line. I think mine has a Stage 1 on it which makes it even more rapid.

I’ll admit it’s not an ‘event’ car (like my previous 156 V6) but it does everything exceedingly well with very little fuss. In an ideal world I’d replace it with a C63 V8 but can’t bring myself too as the Octavia works so well!

[the-norseman]

I needed a "cheap" estate a few years ago but wanted something with a V6 engine I was torn between a 159 Sportwagon and 9-3 Estate.

I bought a very well looked after 2007 9-3 V6 estate in the end, previous owner had serviced it every 5k miles. Loved the car but it the end I didn't use it enough to justify keeping it especially as we bought a Volvo XC90 for family duties.

I'd be looking at either a SAAB 9-3 V6 (Turbo X if you can find one), Alfa 159 Sportwagon V6 (note these aren't a busso engine) or a Volvo 2.5T of some description.

This is quite rare, note its a 2.0T note 2.8 V6.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/145333405466?hash=item2...

Edited by the-norseman on Tuesday 24th October 12:24

[ninjag]

GeoKen said:

jamesbilluk said:

Audi S4 Estate

Lovely 4.2litre V8

Alfa 159 3.2 V6 Sportwagon

E46 Touring 330i

That s4 is the kind of thing I wish I was brave enough to buy. Good suggestion!

You can get the S4 B8 Avant with the excellent 3.0 V6 supercharged engine. Considerably less bravery required, most of the car is just standard A4 parts and easy to work on. Just make sure the DSG has been serviced every 40k.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202307029...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202308080...

[What The Deuces]

Good god, fun, and audi and not natural bedfellows.

Any kind of non x drive three series will be more rewarding to drive than any number of Saab/A4/Focus/Mondeo/Golf/Octavia etc