Reply With Quote[stock answer] Subaru Legacy 3.0R spec B [/stock answer]
Afternoon, all, hope you're all staying safe and well in these trying times.
I'm moving back to the UK next summer after 21 years abroad. I've got a house with a drive for two cars, and a garage too small to be of use for much more than my dad's Austin 7s.
And I've got a BMW 530i Touring, which is a wonderful car. But big.
So I'm thinking I need something small and fun. Small and nippy. Something with a bit of pizazz.
I guess I've got a budget of anything up to about £7k, but I'm not afraid of spending less! (Didn't someone on the SC have a 190 horse Celica recently for under £2k?) My default thinking is a Fiesta ST, as I don't think I can afford a VW Up! GTI.
What else should I be thinking of? Quick Yaris? I love the idea of the new Twingo, but the reviews are... mixed.
The alternative is to buy some fun convertible, like that A4 that came up on the SC, or maybe a Saab 9-3 convertible.
[stock answer] Subaru Legacy 3.0R spec B [/stock answer]
Lease a GR Yaris for three years.
Or an MX-5 on individual throttle bodies.
Fiesta ST is a very good choice, are there any Renault Clio Trophies around?
"A man of little significance"
It's hardly smaller, is it!!
I mean, it looks like great fun, but I was hoping for something a bit more... small! I like Subarus and have a Forester ta the moment. But not quite right...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-det...ize=3.0&page=1
It's genuinely the news of the RG Yaris that prompted this thread!Originally Posted by Foxy100
7k should get get you a nice R56 Mini Cooper S, if you choose carefully. I’ve got one and it’s a bloody hoot to drive. No rear legroom and a tiny boot though, so hardly practical. But who cares when you’re having this much fun?
Cheers,
Plug
Smaller than you might think. Certainly smaller than my Discovery 4!It's hardly smaller, is it!!
I mean, it looks like great fun, but I was hoping for something a bit more... small! I like Subarus and have a Forester ta the moment. But not quite right...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-det...ize=3.0&page=1
Hmm, I genuinely hadn't considered a Mini. I know my brother had a Cooper S - I'll get his opinion.
I don't mind the lack of space - it I need space, I can take the BMW. Room in the back for the kids for short trips is needed, but nothing more!
Honda Type R, there's a few lower mileage ones for under 7K. Great fun.
Toyota GT86.
Loving mine! But yes, not exactly small. Although not wide which is good.
If you want small the Suzuki Swift was supposed to be a lot of fun.
I've got the old model Suzuki Swift Sport, great little car. Lot of fun.
Walter, I can't believe you've overlooked the forum favourite.......7 grand would buy you a very decent one
What about a Panda 100HP? They might not be powerful but the people I know who've owned them say they're fantastic fun. That Panda chassis is certainly great fun to throw around. The downside is they're old. And made by Fiat.
"A man of little significance"
+1 for Fiat Panda 100HP, I had one for a few years, bought new on a credit card for sub £7k (it was 2007!) and nothing went wrong with it at all! (we also had a 1.2 Panda and ran it up to 100k miles and only replaced front pads, that never failed us either) 100HP is great fun, can whizz around without loosing licence, and just enjoy the roadholding and handling. Look at FiatForum, several on there and usually owned by enthusiasts. Cheers, John B4
Cooper S
Plenty around for that money
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I`ll second the Mini, I`m in a R55 Clubman, JCW, only 211bhp but who`s counting?
Last edited by Harleyrider; 13th November 2020 at 20:34.
Another shout for the Cooper S.
I had to hand back my last lease car in the summer during lockdown and didn't really see the point of leasing another. My son was in exactly the same position. He bought a very cheap Type R and I bought an even cheaper R56 Cooper S . I prefer mine-he his. However whilst the Civic engine is fairly bulletproof, the R56 "N14" is less so.
One month into ownership on a cold morning I heard the dreaded R56 "death rattle". 'Popped in a new cam chain tensioner that week (total cost £10.75) and the noise went away. I'll probably end up replacing the cam chain , guides and the water pump at some point soon as a precaution but that may cost almost £100
At the OP's budget I would see if i could get an R58.
JP
PS Had the 3.0 legacy - fab car but with the thirst of a tourist on "all inclusive" - Other son is buying his second MX5 this weekend
Last edited by stiglet; 13th November 2020 at 20:44.
If £7k can buy one of these then it gets my voteI`ll second the Mini, I`m in a R55 Clubman, JCW, only 211bhp but who`s counting?
Much fun to be had
I know what you mean - it’s as thirsty as me at a TZ McrGTG! (It averages 18mpg...)
Smart roadster brabus.... enjoying mine a lot. Rwd, practical enough with front and rear boot, convertible, looks great imo.
Yep, I’m thinking about buying a GR just for fun, brilliant car
I’ve not lusted after a car like I do for the Yaris for years
Abarth 595...little pocket rocket!
I've got a 2010 convertible with flappy paddles (cost sub £7k two years ago), and how I've still got a clean licence is beyond me!
;-)
.. but do you still have your fillings?
Renaultsport Clio F1.
Mega value just now for a limited edition car that’s an absolute hoot to drive, has wonderful seats and is totally practical as a shopping car.
I wish I’d not just found this one on AT as now I want to buy it.
And it’s less than a mediocre Sub.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...02008032028683
All the journalists I've seen who've driven it are raving about it. Autocar reported that when you pull up the handbrake it disconnects (presumably very quickly!) the rear drive so you can go round tight corners as if you were in a FWD car.
"A man of little significance"
Seat Leon 2.0 TSI Cupra
237 BHP
0-60 6.4 seconds
Tell you what, I'd love to be in a position to be trying to work out where to spend £7k on a fun car. I already have four fun cars but I did stare for a bit too long at Andy Tims' ad for his Clio Trophy, wondering if I should just move things round a bit.
"A man of little significance"
Seat Leon or Honda S2000 if 2 seats is OK. Civic Type R?
I’d be considering 5-6K on a renault clio 197, bm z4 / z4 coupe (might be a stretch) and put the balance into a bork fund.
Or the venerable MX5 as already suggested, a left field option is the rx8 for a lot under budget.
350Z or Boxster are options, but the Abarth is a good shout. ST probably as good as any though.
Supermini: Renault clio 172/182 or abarth 595
Hatchback: bmw 130i or Renault Renaultsport megane
Convertible: z4 / mx5
New: Yaris GR
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Mine's at 25mpg, a combination of pootling in S mode and spirited driving in Si (it's the facelift so has these gizmos).
It's not an issue, thanks to lockdown working at home I filled it up at two weeks ago and it's still got nearly half a tank, it would be more if it weren't for the fact most of the journeys I do get extended just because I like driving it!
For that money it would have to be an MX5 or a Mini Cooper S. Both the best grin to cash ratio you will find.
But as others have said the GR Yaris would be epic and also as an owner of an EP3 Civic Type R you couldn’t go far wrong and it would never go down in value.
As a (very!) long term 350z owner I'd say that's a pretty good shout - it's reasonably small, fast and fun. It does depend on what an individual would define as 'fun', though.
If it's something that's light on its feet, thrashable and frugal then look elsewhere. If fun is more mechanically bullet proof mini muscle car, then look no further.
Well I love my Skoda Citigo Monte Carlo. It fits the small and fun aspect, but fast it’s not.
Some really good suggestions, everyone - thank you all!
Sadly, I need four seats, otherwise, an MX-5 would be a cert! For the same reason, no GT86, no 370Z, no Ariel Atom!
But of the others, the Mini seems a possibility (nice wide choice out there!). A Panda 100hp is a cool idea, and I know it has a bit of a cilt following. I'll look at the Renault advert and a Leon Cupra might be a cheap way to get into a Golf GTI!
Thank you!
As someone mentioned below: BMW 130i
A hatchback with RWD, 6 speed manual transmission and the best (Non M\\) straight 6 engine BMW ever made producing 260+ bhp.
The newest examples are still 13 years old, so are beginning to need some TLC now, but they’re great cars and sound incredible!
How about a Fiesta ST?
Ah didn’t read the OP correctly.
That's a good shout. I ran an R53 for about 18 months and it was a blast to drive, but I don't mind running older cars with higher mileage (the whislte from the supercharger was fun). The back seats are bearable as long as you're not huge, they're fine for kids. The boot is tiny, though, I changed because I needed more bootspace. (I assume the size and handling of the R56 isn't that different from the R53.)
Dave E
Skating away on the thin ice of a new day
Just watched Jonny Smith’s GR review on his ‘The Late Brake Show’, and I now have some severe longing for a GR.
257bhp, 5.5secs 0-62, 360Nm torque, 4WD, huge brakes, rally fettling on the suspension & body shell, light as can be with carbon fibre roof & alloys...wow. Looks a real hoot to drive.
So have i and the bonus is all those BMW,Audi and Merc drivers wondering how all they can see are the tail lights of the Toyota Yaris.
Obviously the rear seats in my GT86 must be a figment of my imaginations, so :-)
is it really a 2+2? Well, consider me surprised!
I'll add it to the list!
I would do. Although it's anathema to say so on this forum, it's a better car to drive than the MX-5 (I have both). The only thing that it can't do, which the MX-5 can, is drop its roof.
Sorry for the thread tangent OP but I must admit I never imagined the day that I would hear so many petrolheads lusting after a Toyota Yaris!!
P.S. We've had our 2001 Mk1, in the family for 16 years and it's been brilliant. Boring? Perhaps but still brilliant nevertheless. Good to see Toyota widening their ranges to include some more interesting models in their range lineups.
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