Reply With QuoteA Smart?
This isn’t a request for a trade, but rather that I’ve been tasked to find her a car with the criteria that it be ‘small and nippy’. It’ll be mainly used for local running around and a budget of £6-8k is going to be the target price.
The ‘hot hatch/supermini’ sector is one that I have little interest or knowledge of tbh, but having been impressed with Skoda of late I thought perhaps a Fabia vRS might do the job. However I’m keen to hear of some alternatives that come recommended for consideration.
TIA
R
PS Auto gearbox is a requirement.
Last edited by ralphy; 23rd August 2022 at 19:58. Reason: Update
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
A Smart?
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
I can't comment on the vRS but we've had several basic Fabias and I wouldn't recommend those. On the other hand, my eldest has the basic model / engine VW Up and it's a great little car - nippy in town, but admittedly found lacking at higher speeds on an uphill gradient (but likely sorted if you went above the basic engine). The VW feels much more solid than the Fabia (and I'm quite Skoda pro, I owned a Superb for 10 years and my runs a Yeti now).
Fiat 500 abarth ?
Small, nippy great fun and plenty in that price range
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Audi A1, It's my wife's car but i use it more and more, cracking little machine.
It's the 1.4 automatic - Petrol.
I got the wife a Kia Picanto GT a few years ago and its a real hoot...possibly out of your price unfortunately...you could always go old school ..Toyota Yaris T sport...madder than a bunch of frogs and built to last forever: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-det...02206277197806
How 'nippy' does she want? Fiesta ST-2 and Polo GTi are both within budget. Or how about a Suzuki Swift? Motoring journos usually have nice things to say about those.
Get her something boring like a Toyota Yaris, for some reason my wife like it?
Not as small as they used to be, but my wife loves her Mini. No idea what £6-8k will get you, but they're available in 3 door, 5 door and convertible. Depending on your definition of 'nippy' there's the 1.5L Cooper or 2L Cooper S to choose from
A friend has one and when I’ve been in it, it felt solid, fast and secure. I quite liked it.Originally Posted by Peter franks
Another friend has a Polo and that is nice and solid as well being nippy. My brother in law also has one and loves it and he likes fast cars (this one is his daughters).
We have an Up! and even in normal guise it’s pretty nippy, but don’t know about the auto version.
Last edited by bambam; 17th August 2022 at 10:12.
We bought a 2.0 Mini Countryman earlier this year. Loads of space inside and, as itvis an All 4, sticks to road like glue. Had it remapped so performance is very impressive. Highly recommended.
We bought a VW Up 5 years ago as a second car, to be passed on to our daughter next year when she is 17. It’s been absolutely brilliant and I will often use it for local journeys rather than our Golf.
It’s not very quick (60 Bhp version) but very good for what we need, I would thoroughly recommend one.
This. Bought the other half one last year and its great, if you can go for the 90bhp TSI version (the one with the turbo), its night and day difference with the 60/75 bhp versions. Really torquey low down and still get just over 50mpg.
Consider a 208Gti. Low tax, 40 mpg, 0-60 under 6sec, handles like it's on rails, decent boot and room for 4. 2014 on will have the 208bhp. Looks really cute as well especially in white hence women like them. Good spec too.
So far...
Yaris T-sport and 208 GTi both discounted as they're manual gearbox only.
Smart - 'too small'.
VW Up - she had one a few years ago and I didn't get on with the auto box - but I will try to find a 90bhp TSI version and try that.
Audi A1 - nearest is over 100 miles away.
Abarth - " " ditto.
Other suggestions haven't 'appealed' to her, however a VW Polo GTi does and we're off to see one on Friday.
I'll update progress, meanwhile other alternatives still welcome.
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
Depends on how far she travels etc, but our runaround is a Nissan Leaf. Auto (obviously - all electric cars are) and takes off like a scalded cat if that's what you want. Also zero tailpipe emissions, almost entirely silent, costs buttons to run.
Downside is that it looks a lot like a squashed frog, range isn't great, might not be in your price range. But thoroughly recommended.
Surely needs to be an MX-5
Where it only up to me...
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
My son has an Up - great little car but the automatic version is apparently dreadful. Every website you’ll look at will say ‘avoid the auto’!
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Fiesta MK7 onwards, Renault Clio both great little cars, and cheap tix if she breaks it
She won’t be disappointed with the Polo, cracking wee cars 😀👍🏻So far...
Yaris T-sport and 208 GTi both discounted as they're manual gearbox only.
Smart - 'too small'.
VW Up - she had one a few years ago and I didn't get on with the auto box - but I will try to find a 90bhp TSI version and try that.
Audi A1 - nearest is over 100 miles away.
Abarth - " " ditto.
Other suggestions haven't 'appealed' to her, however a VW Polo GTi does and we're off to see one on Friday.
I'll update progress, meanwhile other alternatives still welcome.
R
Update: The Polo GTI above was rather nice, but the seller had mislaid the service history.
So the search went on…
and on…
and on…
Got close to a deal on a Polo SE (from a dealer) but when I took it out for a drive there were several faults on it. When I pointed this out I was told ‘Once the car gets sold we then sort all that out’.
My response was ‘Once a car is sorted out then I’ll buy it’ - perhaps I’m getting old?
Back to the GTI: suggested to the seller that he approach the VAG dealer he bought it from and see if they could come up with service history from their database. And bingo, they did - full history!
So SWMBO’s collecting the car on Friday.
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
Great result and a great car.Update: The Polo GTI above was rather nice, but the seller had mislaid the service history.
So the search went on…
and on…
and on…
Got close to a deal on a Polo SE (from a dealer) but when I took it out for a drive there were several faults on it. When I pointed this out I was told ‘Once the car gets sold we then sort all that out’.
My response was ‘Once a car is sorted out then I’ll buy it’ - perhaps I’m getting old?
Back to the GTI: suggested to the seller that he approach the VAG dealer he bought it from and see if they could come up with service history from their database. And bingo, they did - full history!
So SWMBO’s collecting the car on Friday.
R
Share the frustration with resolving issues once sold, and I’m only 46. Make it good before sale, then just do the final wash & shine. Any issue shouts lazy to me.
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