Car for less than £6000 with best road holding and handling

[lifeofbrian2022]

Hi all. I have just move to the North Pennines in Cumbria and after driving through those amazing roads in my Renault Kangoo, I fancy something a little(LOT) better. Something good to mod and make my own but starts as a good car.

I'd like something that handles well with excellent road holding and manners. I don't want a 21st century motoring show experience of losing the back end on every corner. Unlike them, I don't call that a fun car.

For a long time I thought about an MX5 but have come to learn that they are "fun" cars, not cars you should belt through cliff edge roads every day, as they don't hold the road well. I understand Mazda even went as far as making sure the mk3 MX5 didn't have better road holding than the mk2.

I drove a mk1 MX5 and wasn't impressed, was like driving a go cart, I thought it had no better connection to the road than an Ibiza FR. Only with the "fun" of nearly dying on every other bend.

So think more GT3 or Touring car, than go kart or drift car. What cars have impressed you?

[RD-1]

A 986 Boxster?

Would probably need a suspension refresh for best results.

[Summit_Detailing]

Focus ST.

[ZX10R NIN]

I'd say a hot hatch is the place to look with your budget.

197 F1 (use the money save to retrim the Recaro's) Clio:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202210100...

200 Cup

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202306299...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202303225...

If you want something more modern then it's very hard to look past the 208 GTI:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202306058...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202306228...

Prestige:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202304206...

[Krikkit]

MX5 with suspension mods, I'd probably go for the 2.0 NC with LSD, then well setup Meister coilovers.

[samoht]

Road holding is how far away the limit is, Handling is what happens when you get there.

Nothing wrong with prioritising the former over the latter, which it sounds like you are.

Audis are known to have good consistent grip, and with the quattro model you have a benefit in a rural winter too.

TT looks good https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202306258...

[ChevronB19]

ZX10R NIN said:

I'd say a hot hatch is the place to look with your budget.

197 F1 (use the money save to retrim the Recaro's) Clio:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202210100...

200 Cup

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202306299...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202303225...

If you want something more modern then it's very hard to look past the 208 GTI:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202306058...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202306228...

Prestige:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202304206...

As someone who has lived in north, east and west Cumbria (as well as other places) I would echo clio 197/200, superb handling and quick enough.

[ZX10R NIN]

A bit leftfield & you'll be looking at a CAT car but the Lotus Elan could be a very good leftfield option:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202305257...

[OutInTheShed]

Good roadholding and handling in the boondocks isn't always the same as on a race track or well kept A road.

I'd suggest something with ground clearance, tyres and suspension which can cope with lanes in winter.
Avoid low slung sports cars, you can see much further down the road in a taller car.

Buy something fairly sensible with decent power, put good tyres on it and don't drive like a prat.
If you're in The North, you might want to budget for winter wheels and tyres.

[Birr97]

Subaru Impreza WRX?

Here's a wagon but I'm sure there's sedans in budget as well.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2023052477...

[Belle427]

Turbo converted Mk 1 Mx5 with decent suspension set up properly is a riot.
They are a bit mundane as standard.

[lifeofbrian2022]

samoht said:

Road holding is how far away the limit is, Handling is what happens when you get there.

Nothing wrong with prioritising the former over the latter, which it sounds like you are.

Audis are known to have good consistent grip, and with the quattro model you have a benefit in a rural winter too.

TT looks good https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202306258...

Exactly, I want something with great grip, but that's not much use if it can't get the tail back in if it loses it. Thanks for the tip.

[trevalvole]

ZX10R NIN said:

I'd say a hot hatch is the place to look with your budget.

197 F1 (use the money save to retrim the Recaro's) Clio:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202210100...

200 Cup

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202306299...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202303225...

If you want something more modern then it's very hard to look past the 208 GTI:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202306058...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202306228...

Prestige:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202304206...

The extra torque from the 208's turbo might be useful on those hills.

[TameRacingDriver]

lifeofbrian2022 said:

For a long time I thought about an MX5 but have come to learn that they are "fun" cars, not cars you should belt through cliff edge roads every day, as they don't hold the road well. I understand Mazda even went as far as making sure the mk3 MX5 didn't have better road holding than the mk2.

I drove a mk1 MX5 and wasn't impressed, was like driving a go cart, I thought it had no better connection to the road than an Ibiza FR. Only with the "fun" of nearly dying on every other bend.

So think more GT3 or Touring car, than go kart or drift car. What cars have impressed you?

With respect, the first paragraph, and particularly the last sentence is a load of old bks. The MX5s are great fun for belting around country roads. One of the best drives I've ever had in my NC (Mk3 MX5) was on buttertubs pass in Yorkshire, literally a 1000 ft drop on one side. So fun, I did it twice in both directions

That said, I get where you're coming from. MX5s are more "flighty" than many cars.

My previous car was a Boxster S, apart from the fact it was an unmitigated disaster (these cars are expensive to run and prone to very expensive faults, up to and including engine failure), it sounds like the car you want. It was a lot more planted and grippy than the MX5, and was capable of very high speeds and still feeling very stable.

What about a Megane RS 250 ? I would imagine that would stick to the road like st to a blanket.

Agree with the other posts about the likes of the Clio 200 worth a look, and it'd be rude not to look into an Audi TT especially one with the Quattro AWD system.

[ChrisH79]

You could always consider investing in a little training, IAM etc or even a track based handling/skid type day that would improve your skills and confidence in dealing with situations that you may face on more rural roads.

It’s perfectly possible to buy a car that will stick like glue until speeds get utterly crazy, I drove a Cupra Formetera a few weeks back that was incredibly fast but I’d never enjoy it on a B road.

Something like a Swift sport would be a good starting point, plenty of grip if you buy quality tyres, enough budget left for suspension upgrades if you want them and a fine handling car once you find the limits.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202211041...

[lifeofbrian2022]

ChrisH79 said:

You could always consider investing in a little training, IAM etc or even a track based handling/skid type day that would improve your skills and confidence in dealing with situations that you may face on more rural roads.

It’s perfectly possible to buy a car that will stick like glue until speeds get utterly crazy, I drove a Cupra Formetera a few weeks back that was incredibly fast but I’d never enjoy it on a B road.

Something like a Swift sport would be a good starting point, plenty of grip if you buy quality tyres, enough budget left for suspension upgrades if you want them and a fine handling car once you find the limits.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202211041...

It's not that I'm scared or don't have experience of driving fast(I'm 50). One of my great joys is leaving whatever flash so and so is up my rear in their BMW's and hot hatches in the dust on roundabouts in my 190000 mile 1.5D Renault Kangoo then watching them have to catch up again on the straight.. My problem is a lot of "fun" cars are just cars that don't handle as well as others.

I want a car I can power out of a corner, hit the apex of the next corner at high speed, and feel the G, rather than slowly drag a lethargic engine out of a corner then feel like I'm doing 80mph screeching the tyres round a bend and fighting for grip and to keep the thing on the road, when I 'm actually going 30mph. That's why I say I want something good that has it all rather than a "fun" car.

Cheers.

[Don Roque]

lifeofbrian2022 said:

Exactly, I want something with great grip, but that's not much use if it can't get the tail back in if it loses it. Thanks for the tip.

It sounds like some driver training would be useful because if car control is an issue, it makes sense to address that.

Don't listen to the post above saying to get something tall with big tyres on it, you're near to some of the best B roads in the country up North but it's not the Paris Dakar, you don't need a bloody SUV.

I really like hot hatches and small sports cars. If you want something grippy and predictable and yet fun, you could do worse than a Golf GTi.

[biggbn]

Might I suggest an older rwd BMW with a petrol six pot. Predictable, practical and not to scary to keep and maintain. Six pot is not an essential, it's just they usually give more potential for the 'tight but loose' handling you seem to be describing. Your budget gets you a really tidy z3, a decent z4 or any amount of different gen 3 series saloons and coupes...

[lifeofbrian2022]

Don Roque said:

It sounds like some driver training would be useful because if car control is an issue, it makes sense to address that.

Don't listen to the post above saying to get something tall with big tyres on it, you're near to some of the best B roads in the country up North but it's not the Paris Dakar, you don't need a bloody SUV.

I really like hot hatches and small sports cars. If you want something grippy and predictable and yet fun, you could do worse than a Golf GTi.

Car control is not an issue. I used to drift/power slide my old Carlton GSI off a roundabout round two corners and up my old driveway many times. That was 25 years ago mind you.

Speaking of Golfs, I've been looking at the Golf R32, I didn't know they were 4WD. Not sure I can live with that MPG these days though, but still.

[williamp]

Was going to suggest a z3 with the 6 cylinder engine. Rwd, manual, rag top. Cheap enough to park anywhere, but highly regarded in its day for handling