French hot hatch choice..
Discussion
I'm 19, been driving for 2 years. All three of my Cars have boasted a HUGE 60bhp and now I'm looking to get something a bit quicker and a bit more fun..
I'm on a bit of a budget, got about £1000 for a Car and want insurance under £1500 really.
I've had a quote of £1500 to Insure a Saxo VTS and a quote of £1600 to insure a 205 gti.
Any other suggestions or experiences?
Cheers.
I'm on a bit of a budget, got about £1000 for a Car and want insurance under £1500 really.
I've had a quote of £1500 to Insure a Saxo VTS and a quote of £1600 to insure a 205 gti.
Any other suggestions or experiences?
Cheers.
What about an S1 106 Rallye?
Not too powerful, not such aggressive lift off oversteer as the 205 and depreciation proof if you buy right.
A left field alternative to the 205 is a 309 GTi which, in my opinion, handles better than the 205 due to the increased wheelbase, not as pretty though...
Not too powerful, not such aggressive lift off oversteer as the 205 and depreciation proof if you buy right.
A left field alternative to the 205 is a 309 GTi which, in my opinion, handles better than the 205 due to the increased wheelbase, not as pretty though...
If you're using it daily.....
Xsara VTS is best all rounder. Mean engine, excellent handling, a really well sorted hot hatch. Excellent sleeper value, practical and reliable. A bit of a bastid to work on the engine though - it's packed quite tight in there. And it just looks a bit.....you know!
Saxo VTS is a good all rounder too. Very cheap at the moment, will feel like a rocket compared with what you've had before. Funny driving position but alot of fun to throw around. Aim for a standard one too. They've all been ragged, but some will have been ragged right it's right (warmed up, well serviced etc) and some won't! If you can get over the image it's probably the best value way forward - a mate of mine just picked up a black 99T plate VTS with T&T for £500!
AX GT/GTi, ZX 16v & BX 16v. All a bit rarer these days, especially the BX and ZX. None are losing value now though (BX and ZX are actually appreciating) and all are hugely under rated. AX GT is just plain endearing, ZX 16v's (don't confuse it with a 'warm' Volcane model) handling is frankly the best I've come across in a FWD car and the BX 16v....well I've still got one after 7.5years. All will likely be cheap to insure too, because insurance companies don't know about them.
106 XSi/Rallye/GTi. All hugely competant cars. XSi is the weakest one here, but better daily than a Rallye because it's more refined. S1 Rallye is much better when you want a bit of fun. S2 Rallye is more like a mildly tuned Saxo VTR with small doorcards, but still good fun. 106 GTi is a Saxo VTS with some detail changes. Costs more than a Saxo VTS but then you do get a bit more too (much better seats, slightly (I mean very slightly) better quality trim inside etc.
205 GTi. Don't need to say alot. Reliable mechanicals, pretty good at just about everything. Just watch the rust hasn't got the car you're looking at! And it's an old car, so like the AX/BX suggestion above, bare in mind you might need to dedicate just that little bit more time keeping it running as a daily.
306 GTi-6. Same as a Xsara VTS, but with 6 gears (which is widely acknowledged to make it slightly slower!) and a good looking body. Probably one of the best hot hatches ever, let alone from France. Just watch it's not a dog for £1k. Xsara VTS' are usually worth half as much due to less desirability.
Renaults....well the Clio 172 is the best one of recent years but you can't afford one. £1500 would get one worth buying though. Otherwise Clio 16v mk1 is a nice car with a good engine and good seating. Same engine as a Renault 19 16v.....one of those on SOTW this week too!
HTH
Xsara VTS is best all rounder. Mean engine, excellent handling, a really well sorted hot hatch. Excellent sleeper value, practical and reliable. A bit of a bastid to work on the engine though - it's packed quite tight in there. And it just looks a bit.....you know!
Saxo VTS is a good all rounder too. Very cheap at the moment, will feel like a rocket compared with what you've had before. Funny driving position but alot of fun to throw around. Aim for a standard one too. They've all been ragged, but some will have been ragged right it's right (warmed up, well serviced etc) and some won't! If you can get over the image it's probably the best value way forward - a mate of mine just picked up a black 99T plate VTS with T&T for £500!
AX GT/GTi, ZX 16v & BX 16v. All a bit rarer these days, especially the BX and ZX. None are losing value now though (BX and ZX are actually appreciating) and all are hugely under rated. AX GT is just plain endearing, ZX 16v's (don't confuse it with a 'warm' Volcane model) handling is frankly the best I've come across in a FWD car and the BX 16v....well I've still got one after 7.5years. All will likely be cheap to insure too, because insurance companies don't know about them.
106 XSi/Rallye/GTi. All hugely competant cars. XSi is the weakest one here, but better daily than a Rallye because it's more refined. S1 Rallye is much better when you want a bit of fun. S2 Rallye is more like a mildly tuned Saxo VTR with small doorcards, but still good fun. 106 GTi is a Saxo VTS with some detail changes. Costs more than a Saxo VTS but then you do get a bit more too (much better seats, slightly (I mean very slightly) better quality trim inside etc.
205 GTi. Don't need to say alot. Reliable mechanicals, pretty good at just about everything. Just watch the rust hasn't got the car you're looking at! And it's an old car, so like the AX/BX suggestion above, bare in mind you might need to dedicate just that little bit more time keeping it running as a daily.
306 GTi-6. Same as a Xsara VTS, but with 6 gears (which is widely acknowledged to make it slightly slower!) and a good looking body. Probably one of the best hot hatches ever, let alone from France. Just watch it's not a dog for £1k. Xsara VTS' are usually worth half as much due to less desirability.
Renaults....well the Clio 172 is the best one of recent years but you can't afford one. £1500 would get one worth buying though. Otherwise Clio 16v mk1 is a nice car with a good engine and good seating. Same engine as a Renault 19 16v.....one of those on SOTW this week too!
HTH
Edited by Kitchski on Friday 7th October 20:10
Old Merc said:
Remember though with your budget and the age of these cars you will find it hard to find a "good one".
Don't subscribe to that myself. £1500 is enough to get a good 306 GTi-6 or 106 GTi. Or a good 205 GTi, though it would probably be the 1.6.Even £1000 will get a good Xsara or Saxo VTS.
Little Butch said:
Cheers for the help guys!
I've seen a 106 Rallye S2 up for £1100 about an hour away, checked insurance and they only want £1k, what can you tell me about these?
They're basically a slightly more spartan version of the Saxo VTR. If you want a "real" Rallye, the S1 with the 1.3 is the way to go.I've seen a 106 Rallye S2 up for £1100 about an hour away, checked insurance and they only want £1k, what can you tell me about these?
Little Butch said:
I think they look nicer than Vtr's, nowhere near as common either! They weigh In at 865kg apparently so I guess fun to chuck around?
If they weigh 865kg I'll eat my doorbell! VTR tips in at over 900kg and you won't lose 40 odd kg from shaving the doorcards down and ditched electric windows!Good choice. Definitely stick steelies on it and spend a few quid replacing worn out bushes and stuff with genuine stuff (leave powerflex rubbish alone) and you'll have a ball.
If there were any decent GTI-6's about for £1000 I'd own two. There aren't, there don't even seem to be any non wrecked/chavved/hammered/crashed ones about for "proper" money any more. 'Tis a shame because they are awesome cars and I really wanted an immaculate one above a Clio sport.
If there were any decent GTI-6's about for £1000 I'd own two. There aren't, there don't even seem to be any non wrecked/chavved/hammered/crashed ones about for "proper" money any more. 'Tis a shame because they are awesome cars and I really wanted an immaculate one above a Clio sport.
Just went and had a look, looks straight enough with no dents and only 3 owners from new. Mot untill august next year and a couple of months tax.. £850
Few scratches although none of them major, front bumper needs a respray as it's destroyed with stone chips and the arches could do with a touch up aswell (mate's a sprayer).
I'm pretty pleased with that deal!
Few scratches although none of them major, front bumper needs a respray as it's destroyed with stone chips and the arches could do with a touch up aswell (mate's a sprayer).
I'm pretty pleased with that deal!
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