Second Car advice needed!

[drummerian]

Hey guys,

first time poster but have read around this forum a bit and you guys seem to know your stuff!

I am a Uni student and will soon graduate to a full time job where I will need a nice reliable car that will be nice on the motorway and a bit more practical than my current car!

I currently drive a classic mini which i have had for 3 years now, rebuilt from scratch and recently have put a 1.3l nissan micra engine into. However, much as I love this car I realise I would like something a little safer, more practical and a bit more modern. Although I will not be buying til around may this year I am trying to get some ideas so I end up with the right car for me!

I have been thinking about the following cars, although I would love to hear opinions on these and anything else that would be a feasible option?
BMW 3 series
Audi A3/A4/S4 ?
Alpha Romeo 166/156


Here is what i ideally want from a car:

• Something with a bit of 'personality', i love my mini but would like a car that is more modern but with some of the same individuality
• I do almost all my own work on my cars, and wouldn't mind a car i can have a bit of fun with/i don't mind servicing myself
• £3000-£4000 budget, looking at around year 2000 cars
• A car with some 'gadgets', although after the mini i consider central locking a luxury!
• A good looking car
• A car with some performance, my mini goes round corners well, and, with the micra engine will out perform alot of cars out there.
• i am considering estates for practicality reasons, i do alot of windsurfing so would find this useful.
• rear wheel drive/4wd, want a change from the fwd's i am used to
• i don't want a hatchback but i don't want anything too big either.

thanks for any advice guys,

Merry xmas!

[kiethton]

nissan 200sx???

it should fill most of the boxes and be on budget

[drummerian]

kiethton said:

nissan 200sx???

it should fill most of the boxes and be on budget

a car i had considered, but i was hoping for something a little newer and slightly more refined in the looks department

[greggy50]

Mini with a micra engine sounds interesting not heard of that conversion before. Is it a fairly simple thing to do if could pm me some information would be appreciated
For 4k I would take a serious look at Mazda RX8's they seem stupidly good value with 2005 cars with sensible miles being available for around 4k only downside is poor mpg apart from that it is a hell of a lot of car for the money imo.
Edit - Quick example of one 2004 car only 40k miles for less than £4,000 as said above seem a real steal to me at this money.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2300515.htm

Edited by greggy50 on Saturday 25th December 02:41

[drummerian]

greggy50 said:

Mini with a micra engine sounds interesting not heard of that conversion before. Is it a fairly simple thing to do if could pm me some information would be appreciated
For 4k I would take a serious look at Mazda RX8's they seem stupidly good value with 2005 cars with sensible miles being available for around 4k only downside is poor mpg apart from that it is a hell of a lot of car for the money imo.

head over to theminiforum, there is a few of us on there now that have done/are doing the conversion. It is a nice simple first conversion in my opinion, mostly done by me because i can't afford the insurance in a vtech screamer! was a brilliant learning experience too!

RX8s appeal to me and i would love one since being thrown around thruxton a couple of times now in one! But, i am not so sold on the practicality aspects, i think i need somthing a little bigger. Also not sure on the insurance with one, i would be 21 with 4 years ncb when i purchase.

[greggy50]

drummerian said:

greggy50 said:

Mini with a micra engine sounds interesting not heard of that conversion before. Is it a fairly simple thing to do if could pm me some information would be appreciated
For 4k I would take a serious look at Mazda RX8's they seem stupidly good value with 2005 cars with sensible miles being available for around 4k only downside is poor mpg apart from that it is a hell of a lot of car for the money imo.

head over to theminiforum, there is a few of us on there now that have done/are doing the conversion. It is a nice simple first conversion in my opinion, mostly done by me because i can't afford the insurance in a vtech screamer! was a brilliant learning experience too!

RX8s appeal to me and i would love one since being thrown around thruxton a couple of times now in one! But, i am not so sold on the practicality aspects, i think i need somthing a little bigger. Also not sure on the insurance with one, i would be 21 with 4 years ncb when i purchase.

Fair enough's I am a member anway just not been on for a while been far too busy. Just being a student I have a silly amount of time of in the summer so wanted to spend some of it dropping something more substantional than the tweeked 998 it has at the moment.
And yeah they are not too bad I have been in back and you can fit four adults in relative comfort and boot is okay but admit it is no saloon car but far better than a mini lol. Insurance wise I looked for one next year and was getting quotes of 2.2k aged 19 with 1 year ncb on the 192 brake model not too bad considering a 1.25 fiesta is costing me £1,800 this year imagine it would be easily under a grand for you.
For something bigger maybe look at a nice e36 328i an older car but still a very nice motor have been in one with the 325i manifold mod and it had more than enough punch for a 2nd car and they still look good today imo
Edit - Another example helps to show you can get a very nice example for your budget hardly run in at this millage
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2245365.htm

Edited by greggy50 on Saturday 25th December 02:50

[speedtwelve]

I have a 127k miles 2004 Alfa 156 2.0 JTS Veloce as a daily driver. Here's what I think after a 1 1/2 years ownership:

Looks great for a mainstream car.
Flush rear doorhandles confuse passengers in an amusing fashion.
Just over 2 turns lock-lock, high-geared pointy steering and reasonable steering feel.
Throttle response a tad dull due to drive-by-wire throttle.
Brakes sufficient, and not over-servoed.
Chassis/damping good. Carry lots of speed over the 3rd World b-roads in Berkshire.
165 bhp 7000rpm redline 16v engine adequate to make progress. 23 secs 0-100 mph.
Gearshift quality fine, pretty positive and tactile, strong synchros.
Red instrument lighting cool, aux centre gauges also cool, night driving looks like night fast-jet cockpit.

Bills/maint over 25k miles = coilpack failed, otherwise reliable!

I usually drive a TVR Chimaera, and consider the Alfa as a worthy 'normal' alternative. I also looked at BMW 328s, but there seemed to be more Alfa available for a given sum.

Sorry about the FWD aspect, but it does lift-off oversteer quite well!

Edited by speedtwelve on Saturday 25th December 03:18

[Digby]

If the insurance isn't a killer, how about a scooby?

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2344265.htm

[tomsugden]

Don't buy an Audi S4 for that kind of money, it'll be a dog. When the turbos go it's several thousand to fix. How about an old shape S3?

[drummerian]

i like the 156 but really want rwd, otherwise it seems like a very nice car for the money.

scooby's are a bit high on the insurance side of things.

[sparks_E39]

E36 328 Sport

[N Dentressangle]

For £3.5k you can forget the E36 and go for an E46 330i Touring:



http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2000-W-B-M-W-330-SE-TOURING-...

The Alfa choices will provide you with more :cough: character if you want it. I'd definitely go for estate over saloon or 'coupe', especially if you carry stuff like surfboards regularly.

[drummerian]

N Dentressangle said:

For £3.5k you can forget the E36 and go for an E46 330i Touring:



http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2000-W-B-M-W-330-SE-TOURING-...

The Alfa choices will provide you with more :cough: character if you want it. I'd definitely go for estate over saloon or 'coupe', especially if you carry stuff like surfboards regularly.

great car, what are they like to live with?

i was always considering these, was just wondering what my other options were, can i get more for my money with something other than a bmw, and will the higher mileage matter too much?

thanks!

[chrisispringles]

I know that Volvos aren't exactly cool, especially when you're young, but what about a V70 T5? They're huge, comfortable, practical, reliable and with 250 bhp they don't hang about. £4k will get you a pretty tidy one as well.

[Digby]

Liking the Volvo above.At the other end of the scale, I have a cheap one of these and it's great for an all rounder.You get decent space, decent equipment and 4 wheel drive only when it needs it (been rather good in the snow even on crappy tyres).It's rather soulless though, but is like a van with all the seats folded down.

Honda CR-V

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2323659.htm

[drummerian]

volvo had popped into mind, but i need something with a little pis-az after the mini i think, and i'm not sure that a volvo will cut it

[drummerian]

volvo had popped into mind, but i need something with a little pis-az after the mini i think, and i'm not sure that a volvo will cut it

[Jw Vw]

drummerian said:

N Dentressangle said:

For £3.5k you can forget the E36 and go for an E46 330i Touring:



http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2000-W-B-M-W-330-SE-TOURING-...

The Alfa choices will provide you with more :cough: character if you want it. I'd definitely go for estate over saloon or 'coupe', especially if you carry stuff like surfboards regularly.

great car, what are they like to live with?

i was always considering these, was just wondering what my other options were, can i get more for my money with something other than a bmw, and will the higher mileage matter too much?

thanks!

Mileage will deffo not be a problem on one of these! Fantastic cars!

[drummerian]

i do like the look of the bmw's will have to find out which engine i can afford to insure

what do people think of the mercs, c class?

[Jw Vw]

drummerian said:

i do like the look of the bmw's will have to find out which engine i can afford to insure

what do people think of the mercs, c class?

What model years of C-Class!? if its 2000 onwards bloody forget it! quality and reliability is along way short of what a Merc should be!