Gah, new budget car choice...

[Si]

Unfortunately, due to the impracticality/lethality of transporting a tiny human in an MX5 , my wife's car is going to have to change . So we need a replacement, but with a few provisos, so, the following are essential:

• Ability to carry a tiny human(Currently nearly 1yo) safely
• Fun out of the box - no/minimal modes makes easy to insure
• at least 4 Seats
• Not too terrible on fuel (Mid 20's is fine)
• 2/3/4/5 doors all fine
• Nothing too shouty
• Mechanically dependable - I'm not averse to routine servicing stuff but don't want to be out there every weekend fixing bits
• Fun
• Reasonably nippy
• ISOFix if possible
• Not made of spit and crisp packets
• Max of around 2k
• Something a bit different
• Not an e46
• Size isn't important (arf arf snigger snigger, is it 1972 already?)
• Fun

Current shortlist is:
Spaceship Celica 190 - nice engines, supposedly decent chassis.
Stretch budget and Megane 225 (bottom of the pile at this price, apparently the early ones aren't as good as the later?)
Leon Cupra - not sure how entertaining this would be. More nippy than flat out fun.
Early Mini Cooper - although 115bhp in one of these is not encouraging.
Audi TT - Meh.
Octavia VRs - not the last word in fun.
SX - days of a 2k solid 14/a seem long gone


We've ruled out:
MG Z something - Chavfest, no matter how good. Allergic to K-series.
Impreza - too shouty.
Saab 9-5 - fast, reliable, but just too dull.
RX8 - Almost perfect, but just couldn't hack the fuel
Clio 172 - see 'spit and crisp packets' point.
EP3 - Chav Chariot of choice round here.
MK4 Golf GTi. Too many dulls.
Get a massive loan and buy a 996C2. Sad face.

So, come at me bro's.

[gixxerboy]

Omega mv6? Cheap , rwd and lots of space

[Dave270r]

Cross Mini Cooper off the list. My chef has one. It is slow, dull to drive, noisy, uncommunicative, badly made, has shocking cockpit ergonomics, shit seats, no room in the back... I'll end the judgement there for now.

1 series? A3? Both a bit dull I suppose. Accord Type R?

[dgr]

Ep3? I have never been a massive fan, but now i have owned one i love it. Pick one up cheap, mega reliable, so much fun when you want to make some progress.

[sx rider]

Not sure where you are based but this Volvo S60 looks like a deal. 2000 cc Turbo charged, fsh, 85k miles, traction control, ac, cruise control. In Essex for £1,495
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifie...xperiment=true

[Jonny]

Subaru Forester Turbo. Like an Impreza but all grown up?

[59bhp]

ive got the spaceship celica 190 and its a very capable chassis out of the box.

i bought it for the same reasons as you (minus tiny human) while i build the 200 and ive not had the urge to modify one bit,

its not gonna set the world alight but its reasonably quick, very good handling, get 30 ish mpg combined, nicely equiped, surprisingly large boot, enough room in the back seat for small children etc

the corolla tsport has the same 2zz engine but is slightly more practical (but different platform so doesnt handle aswell)

oh and none of them make 190 bhp (does any car make stock power?) stock they are about 175 ish (dyno dynamics rr)

[R3K1355]

With a little person surely having a 5-door is going to be useful, what with getting them in and out of the backseat all the time?

What about?

[Deacon]

The 172/182 is better built than you think.

And they are amazing on fuel.

And a riot.

Euro Ncap 3 star - not terrible.

[Mark]

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classifi...ge/1?logcode=p

Can be a bit twitchy on DCs but good fun down the back roads

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classifi...1500?logcode=p

Just for the engine

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classifi...guar?logcode=p


waft

[Si]

I'm more than happy with a 182 - my other half isn't though - I should have said, although size isn't crucial, the car is shared between us - my other half wants something that feels like there's something to it on her 3 lane dual carriageway commute (fair enough!). We're not talking having to have a landy, just something reasonably substantial, i.e. probably not a small hatch.

Omega/Volvo S60 - err, I think I may need to add another 'fun' bullet to my post...
EP3: See my first post - The reason she sold her DC2 was because of the chav attention they attract. EP3's definitely have an image now
1 Series/A3 - just too dull
ATR - good shout, forgot about that a quick search makes me think a reasonable one might be within reach.
Forester - quick in a straight line, but I kind of want the 'fun' element from throwing it around, rather than flat out speed
Regarding the 3/5dr thing - we have an E46 tourer as well - this is for occasional tiny person duties as some days one of us may be dropping the little guy off at nursery, and the other picking him up.

EDIT: Just seen Mark's suggestions:
Fiesta ST - image problem
Alfa - I want reliable Friends with 156s of that generation do not inspire confidence.
S-Type - FUN! FUN! We have a wafter already

[Mark]

Stop being a snob

[Mark]

oh and how about a Puma








































sorry

[Si]

Chuckles Only if I can bolt a bucket directly to the floor - then I may be able to enjoy the actual car

It's not necessarily me being a snob - bear that in mind Although, to be fair, she's 'rejecting' her wedding present, so I should just throw a strop and buy something stupid. Basically, she doesn't want something with a chav hatch image, which is fair enough - she overlooked that for four years with the 'teg, she's done her time

EDIT: Hmmm, http://www.pistonheads.com/classifie...ng-mot/1499254

Needs to last a couple of years, til we drop down from the fixed rate mortgage, then she can try and wangle an XFR on the company car scheme

[dandan]

A friend of mine has an Accord Type R and a tiny human, he loves it. (and the tiny human)
He was used to being on the drive every other weekend fixing an S-body so he joined a Type R owners club and offered his services to help with fixing/modifying other peoples cars because the Accord never breaks down!

[Si]

An ATR won't take much selling, off to eBay, BRB.

[dandan]

As long as it keeps you away from Soarers... I don't think you can really put them in the 'safe' bracket, and they definitely come under 'waft' and not so much 'fun' when unmodified.

[Si]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/T-REG-HOND...item20e07256c1
Yarrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Although I'm not sure I could look past the slaughtering of apostrophes.

[dandan]

!!!Do You Mean Apostrophe's?!!?

[Mark]

C70? or is that still more waft than fun