What does the panel recommend?

I get big (30%-ish) discount on brand new cars, but have to pay it back if I sell the car in the next 5 years. Am allowed one car for me, and one for the wife. Can spend 35k-ish altogether. I want everything rolled into the two - economy, performance, load-carrier, city shopper, four doors, fun, and of course reliability and preferably resale value. Oh yeah, and safety, as Portuguese drivers have the highest accident/mortality rate in Europe.

The trick is - looks like the wife is insisting on a small economic city shopper, so I have to combine the load-carrier with the sporty thing. Obvious choice is a WRX 5-door, but could I really live with it for the next 5 years?

Which two would you pick, and why? I'm looking either for general agreement, or original thinking!

Looking forward to some suggestions

Brendan

 

New 5 door MY01 and a new Mini Cooper.

Pretty good combo!!

Jza

 

Jza - Good choice!

How's that for harmony? The_Gza and Jza both vote for the Mini Cooper and a WRX Wagon

 

Get an EVO VII and something for her as a runaround

 

£35k after a 30% discount is more like £50k rrp so perhaps you could up your sights a little...ruling out our favourite Japanese performance 'bargains'.

I love Mini's too but perhaps something even cheaper would leave enough for a mad Audi RS4 or large engined BMW/Merc 'performance' estate!

 

M3 and a Mini, or if the M3 doesn't do your load carrying thing go for the Audi S4 estate thing (or RS4 for an extra couple of pence).

p.s. You should be able to get her a 1986 mini for about 25 quid, leaving you a real 49975 for yourself

 

Audi S8 and a Bus Pass !

 

STi VII and Lotus Elise. If you can persuade the missus that the economical little car is better off mid-engined...

 

Thanks for the comments so far.

I have a couple of technical hitches - one is that the 35k figure was for average UK retail price, so I was hoping to spend 25k in fact. The other is re the Elise and Mini Cooper both of which I would love, but She (rightly) wants something with 4 doors in case of need for baby seat . (We have a 13 yr old already!)

To give you an idea, my calculations show I can get the following at the following:

MYO2 WRX @ 14,830
BMW 330D Touring @ 19,800
BMW X5 3.0D @ 24k
Merc A-class 1.7D LWB @ 9,200 (her favourite)
RS4 @ 37,900 (but aren't these woolly around corners?)
Boxster S @ 29,500

I've no idea how these compare to UK or import prices, but it's what is open to me.

Anyone got any more ideas - pleeeeeeeeeze? Do Merc do a slightly mad C-class estate? I'm also wondering about an Alpina 3-series Touring, but can't find their prices.

Brendan

 

Evo 6 and a new Mini.Niiiiiiiiiiiice.

 

How about an Audi A2 or Merc A140 for her. What does that leave you - £21k based on UK prices. UK WRX.