What is the best handling Diesel road car you can buy £5000
Discussion
I need help finding the best handling diesel car there is.Im looking for a Fast afordable (under £5000)cheap(ish) to run but most important great handling diesel road car.
Its one of those hard questions to find an answer for without driving every car fast or round a track.I havent own that many different cars but love driving and i should change my car more often but i always get to attached to my car and end up keeping it for years.I currently own a Honda Civic Aerodeck 1.8vts estate,its quite nippy but the handling is a bit soft and it is a bit too pricey to fuel (27mpg).Im yearning for the great handling i used to feel in my 106 rallye S2.So if anyone can recommend a great handling diesel It would be very much appreciated.
Cheers
Its one of those hard questions to find an answer for without driving every car fast or round a track.I havent own that many different cars but love driving and i should change my car more often but i always get to attached to my car and end up keeping it for years.I currently own a Honda Civic Aerodeck 1.8vts estate,its quite nippy but the handling is a bit soft and it is a bit too pricey to fuel (27mpg).Im yearning for the great handling i used to feel in my 106 rallye S2.So if anyone can recommend a great handling diesel It would be very much appreciated.
Cheers
I'd say a 320d. I can't think of anything else that comes close to be honest. They've got a lovely balance, good throttle response, a nice revvy engine (designed to feel like a petrol), and because at £5k it's secondhand it's important to people like us that most of them left the factory with quite humble wheels and tyres, which is the optimal configuration for a smooth progressive drive. I've got an E92 320d and it drives beautifully - I much prefer it through the corners to all the other 3 series models bar the M3 (which is in a different league).
Edited to add - I saw you have a 106 Rallye. A 320d is going to feel very different
Good handling is not a universal term really. A 320d is satisfying, but nowhere near as smile-per-mile and chuckable as the 106. Different cars really, but both have "good" handling.
Edited to add - I saw you have a 106 Rallye. A 320d is going to feel very different
Good handling is not a universal term really. A 320d is satisfying, but nowhere near as smile-per-mile and chuckable as the 106. Different cars really, but both have "good" handling.Wow 6 replies in 10 mins Thanks for your suggestions.I have already looked at most of those cars on paper.I was just looking at the bmw 330 and 320 on autotrader but to be honest I am really looking for something that is similar to the rallye in the way it handels if there is such a car.
The problem you'll find is that cars like the 106 are lightweight, so less inertia to overcome, so better handling.
Diesels aren't generally designed for flinging around tracks. Couple that with the increasing weight of cars since the 106 was introduced and you'll find the handling characteristics are different. That doesn't mean they are bad, but if you want a car that handles like a 106, get a 106. If you want a diesel that handles well for a diesel look at the BMW suggestions or perhaps a D offering from Peugeot/Renault.
Personally I'd avoid the MINI but you might like them so it might be worth a test drive.
Diesels aren't generally designed for flinging around tracks. Couple that with the increasing weight of cars since the 106 was introduced and you'll find the handling characteristics are different. That doesn't mean they are bad, but if you want a car that handles like a 106, get a 106. If you want a diesel that handles well for a diesel look at the BMW suggestions or perhaps a D offering from Peugeot/Renault.
Personally I'd avoid the MINI but you might like them so it might be worth a test drive.
I'm not saying it's the 'best' handling but the Ibiza FR 130 or Cupra 160 is quite fun don't write it off as thinking it's a VAG so therefore dull to drive, much better than a Polo, although they do ride hard.
Also an Alfa 147/156 1.9 JTD 150 handle well. Even the 2.4 JTD in the 156 is a good 'petrol-like' diesel.
Also an Alfa 147/156 1.9 JTD 150 handle well. Even the 2.4 JTD in the 156 is a good 'petrol-like' diesel.
You can probably get a Fiesta Zetec S tdci for under £5k, much much better handling than a fabia VRS. On the flip side of that when you're not driving on anything other than an entertaining road the Fabia is the better, comfier, faster car.
But for £5k this would be even better than either of those IMO http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2011...
But for £5k this would be even better than either of those IMO http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2011...
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