what fun car...3K budget

[BigRichi]

Ok so currently driving a 2002 Lexus IS200 sport.

Has been mega reliable....good daily drive for work....good condition.....ok chassis.....nice inside.....a bit boring.....not much oomph.....fairly low MPG compared to performance.

I'm a bit bored with it....I used to love jumping in the car and going for a drive on a sunday just for drivings sake....if you know what I mean and the IS just doesnt do that for me

Past cars include a

- Impreza....good fun....thinking about another.
- Elise with Kseries....great fun...Cant afford to buy one just now
- Elise 111R....my perfect car....definately cant afford to buy one just now
- Corrado VR6.....ok fun but not keen on the front drive chassis after the elise and dont really have time for the constant upkeep an older car needs

So I fancy a change into something to inspire me back into enjoying a weekends drive.

- Max 3K budget
- every day reliability
- not a million miles on the clock, say under 60k
- ability to make me want to clean it on a saturday and take it out on a sunday, put 150 miles on it with a smile across my face

considered so far

- MX5......ex has one.....good fun....cant get comfortable with the steering wheel....not much ooomph either
- MR2.....not many in budget without a million miles
- Impreza.....needs to be a Classic shape but not many standard ones available.
- MGTF 160.....dont know much about them.
- 206 GTI....dont know much about them
- Cliosport......should be good fun???

Any other suggestions??

Cheers

Edited by BigRichi on Thursday 26th August 00:34

[Wadeski]

what do you consider high mileage? 50-60k on a mid 90s MX-5 or MR2 isnt huge considering how well they are built?

[BigRichi]

Wadeski said:

what do you consider high mileage? 50-60k on a mid 90s MX-5 or MR2 isnt huge considering how well they are built?

I agree....looking up to about 60k...would maybe go a bit higher for the right car though

[BigRichi]

Anybody??
Everybody Loves a what car thread dont they?? LOL

[Snails]

£3000, which is a decent price for a Ph2,

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1939365.htm


Or you can get a very clean, 'mint', low mileage ph1 for less £3000, however they can can be few and far between, especially with less than 60000 miles as all of them are now reaching their 10th birthdays. They are great fun to drive though, I bloody love mine

Edited by Snails on Thursday 26th August 15:55

[Wadeski]

for me its an MR2 turbo or a Fiat Coupe 20v turbo.

quickest and most "special" feeling at that price range imho.

[grim_d]

Snails said:

£3000, which is a decent price for a Ph2,

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1939365.htm

When I was looking (9 months ago) they were quite a bit more expensive for a good one, I had 3k in my pocket and could not find a 172 I liked. Went for a Pulsar instead.

Still think I will get one once I am back on my feet and get out of my rubbish accord.

Edited by grim_d on Thursday 26th August 15:58

[Chris71]

If you want everyday usability but also something that'll feel like a weekend car it's got to be an MR2 or MX5 for that budget I think.

Sports saloons and hot hatches are all well and good, but they always feel strangely utilitarian. It's easier to imagine 'just going for a drive' on a sunny Sunday in a 2-seat sports car. A TF160 might be worth a look too; don't know much about them, but I'm told the TF was a far better driver's car than the F.

Purely on hearsay I wouldn't expect too much of the 206 GTI. The 205, on the other hand, is a great car and a good one should still be in budget (just, they're getting expensive for what they are). They do require a bit of commitment to run and they're strangely thirsty for a small 4-cylinder (actually, so is the MX5 for that matter), but they're great fun.

Oh, on the hot hatch side, a Clio 172 is down to that sort of price these days I think?

ETA Doh! Beaten to it on the Clio. I think to be honest the MX5 and MR2 are the obvious contenders for what you're after; reliable, cheap-ish to run and buy, proper sports cars.

Edited by Chris71 on Thursday 26th August 16:00