Which car? I am a little undecided.

[yorky500]

Over the past few years I have been back to SA a few times and have decided that its the place for me to semi-retire to.

I have a house in KZN (midlands) which I use as my base when I go back to visit. I am now sick of hiring a car and want my own set of wheels which I can park in the garage and use when I am there. I have had a wide range of hire cars e.g. Toyota Ethos to Audi A3, which as you can see depends on what I am prepared to pay for the duration of my stay.

So, I am currently toying with the following selections:
Audi A3 (2.0l);
Merc A250;
BMW 2 series; or
VW Golf GTi/R.

Any of the above would be circa 12-18 months old, depending on what deal I can find at the time, and all within warranty. They are all much of the same if I am honest and the only real "left field" choice that I like is the Ford Wildtrak. The above listed cars offer a bit of comfort and toys (as I am getting older) but also allow me to be a bit of "boy racer" when I want to be.

I have already driven the Audi and Merc A200 (as hire cars although in 1.4 and 1.6l versions respectively). I will obviously try the others as well the closer I come to deciding.

Another option I have considered would be to buy a medium sized reliable and boring car but also buy something that I can use for "spirited driving" e.g. WRx/STi/M3. I have never owned an Evo, but they are hard to find. Also it could be that this could be rather heavy on the wallet, something I am all too familiar with when it comes to cars!

Any suggestions/comments welcome. I am constantly on Autotrader and Gumtree and its getting somewhat confusing now as I keep looking at all sorts of manufacturers.