Mark A

iTrader: (1)

Right.

I require some help in choosing a car to travel 40 miles a day across country to my new job. I want to use the car till the Impreza is fixed and sell it for the same money I bought it.

Therefore I need to buy a cheap car @ £500-£1000 which is fun to drive, reliable and economical.
Ideas so far.

1. Peugeot 106 XSi
2. Peugeot 205 GTi
3. Peugeot 306 xs


I'd prefer a non chav car as I have a very repectable job and park outside work.

Mark A

Jap2Scrap

Well any European GTi type hatchbacks are chavmobiles so you're better off with a Corolla GTi or something less 'trendy'.

I'm the least chav person I know (lol) with a respectable, professional and select job in a university but my VTS automatically qualifies me for chav status

AllanB

Daihatsu Charade GTti ! Cheap tax too at only 993cc and quicker than the 205 too.



AllanB

Petem95

Yes but....

205 GTi is probably a good bet as they are excellent to drive and assuming you go for a standard one, very well respected. No doubt get a few guys at the office mentioning how they used to own one etc!

Golf GTi Mk2 might be another option worth thinking about too.

Mark A

iTrader: (1)

Daihatsu Charades are as rare as hen's teeth.

Golf Gti mk2 is a good option

stilover

I used to own a 106GTI. The best handling car I have ever owned. You could throw it about like a lunatic, and never once did it throw me into the hedge. So Mark, of the 2 you highlight, I'd go for the 106 XSI. My mate had one, and to be honest it wasn't that much slower than the GTI for ground covering. If you can increase your budget though, get a GTI.
Have been thinking of getting a second car myself, to keep the miles off my STI PPP. 106GTI is high on my shopping list.

STilover

Mark A

iTrader: (1)

What about a clio 16v ? any opinion

BrettC

Just posted this on a similar post but how about Toyota mr2 mk1.
Very cheap to buy, very cheap to run, very reliable (a bit prone to rust though) and great fun.

Im not really sure what cars constitute 'chav' nowadays but i didnt think that a mk1 would be.....so long as no neons, flamer kits, tints, or burberry wrapped bass boxes.

I think these are more catagorised as classic now.

Andy Tang

iTrader: (3)

I will have to recommend a Mk2 Honda CRX 1.6 16v (non-VTEC to stay in your price range)

One of the best handling cars I've driven with standard suspension, better than my Mk2 Golf GTI 8v with adjustable suspension, better than my mates standard Nova GTE, better than my Citreon ZX (same chassis as a 306) with lowered front springs, lowered torsion bar and passive rear wheel steering, and better than standard Pug 306 XSi. Dare I say better than a standard UK classic Impreza (which is not a good handling car, but rather a car where the saving grace is the AWD)

fatherpierre

You'll get a decent 205gti for that price range.

MR2 mk1s are very hard to find now - and a good one will command more than your price range. Youu might get a shagged one with its arches dropping off and no MOT for your range!

BrettC

fatherpierre

I have to disagree mate. My two recent ones. one t-bar and one coupe/sunroof had full 12 month mots and were rust free apart from minor blemishes they also had tax!
Both were under £1000.

check out www.mr2dc.com

Mark A

iTrader: (1)

Been looking at early 306 xs anybody had one of these ?

Must buy soemthing in the next 2 days

stilover

Mark
I had a Clio 172. In a word, S**t. The build quality was just laughable. I had it to the dealer 9 times just to get the glove box to fit right. It never fit right. I would never buy another Renault for as long as I live. I couldn't wait to get rid of it.
Everyone raves on about the handling, but I never got it. It understeared too much for my liking. A 106GTI would run rings round it. When I had a 106 I raced a 172 Mark 1 cross country. He never got away from me.
Now why exactly did I buy a 172 ????????

STilover

fatherpierre

You did well then!

Knackered ones sell on ebay for over £500. One with good arches will have had some cash spent on replacements.

CrisPDuk

Coincidentally MrsD has a mint unmolested one previous owner Mk2 Golf Driver for sale if you're interested

vindaloo

Ford Ka or Suzuki Swift GTi (only found 4 in the autotrader in the country though)

J.

Playsatan

iTrader: (2)

An e30 BMW 325i. Mega cheap, lots of fun and what a noise.

Mark A

iTrader: (1)

Good idea, the search goes on

ChristianR

iTrader: (1)

r5 GTT, i have one for sale as well, only done 34,000 miles

Mark A

iTrader: (1)

Right going to look at a 205 1.6 GTi

Advise on what to look for to spot any trouble would be appreciated.

Mark

scoobyboy1

iTrader: (16)

I used to have a 106 GTi and miss it like mad, even though I've had a couple of scoobs and a Audi TT in the mean time, I still think that the 106 is the most fun Ive had in a car and you can chuck them into corners without worrying something might break, Thinking of getting another one as good ones with low mileage are getting rare now, and ive seen a few with low miles going for £5k, seen also a few with 60k miles going for as little as £2,5k so there are quite a few 106 gti's within anybodys budgets.

Mark A

iTrader: (1)

which sticky front tyres would people recommend?

miles25

I use Yokohama Advans on my 205

ScoobyJawa

Can't go far wrong with Eagle F1's GS-D3, best all rounder IMHO.

If they are for 1.9 wheels, get 195 50 15, same rolling diametre (just about!) as the stock 185 55 15 and a lot cheaper........