First (and last, for now) enthusiast's car

[CubanShirtEnthusiast]

Hi there guys, obligatory "I'm new here".

In a year's time, my partner and I are moving to a city centre for a couple of years and I sadly won't be able to own a car during that time. Since I'm currently living with my in-laws and I don't have many outgoings, I'd like to treat myself to a sportier and less practical car while I can still realistically do so. I currently drive a lovely Saab 9-3, but all of my previous cars have been boring econoboxes - so this will be my first (and, for now at least, last) proper enthusiast's car.

I have a maximum budget of £6,000 to purchase the car, but would ideally like to spend less than this. Both of my jobs are less than 20 minutes away so fuel economy isn't a huge issue. Insurance shouldn't be too troubling either (I'm 24 and living in a nice bit of Surrey), and neither should VED. I'm looking for a coupé, convertible or small hot hatch with:

- 0-60 in less than 9 seconds
- Decent enough reliability; I can work on the car myself but would prefer not to spend loads of money on major repairs
- Good crash protection
- Heated seats, if possible

I know the obvious answer is MX-5, but I don't get on with them - I find them too cramped and the controls are a little heavy for my liking. I've tested a MK2 TT and a Mini Roadster, and enjoyed them both; the TT seems to be fairly reliable, the Mini...less so.

I'd love to hear your thoughts, and I'm looking forward to getting more involved on PH.

Cheers guys.

[markirl]

If it was my money I'd be looking for a 986 Boxster (if you shop around an 3.2S is very much possible. They're still a staggering performance bargain and a really pure driving experience. My only concern is that you might find it a bit heavy if you found this of an mx-5 but try one!

[Mr Tidy]

For convertibles you could consider a BMW Z4 or a Porsche Boxster.

Maybe a BMW 330i, C Class Mercedes or Audi A5 for a Coupe.

[davek_964]

I don't share the Boxster love - worth the OP trying but I don't like them - plus they have known issues some of which are not cheap.
I have a MK2 TT (Roadster) and recently have thought maybe I should have bought a 350 / 370Z which is something I considered at the time. Do 350Zs fall in budget?

[LightningBlue]

CubanShirtEnthusiast said:

Hi there guys, obligatory "I'm new here".

In a year's time, my partner and I are moving to a city centre for a couple of years and I sadly won't be able to own a car during that time. Since I'm currently living with my in-laws and I don't have many outgoings, I'd like to treat myself to a sportier and less practical car while I can still realistically do so. I currently drive a lovely Saab 9-3, but all of my previous cars have been boring econoboxes - so this will be my first (and, for now at least, last) proper enthusiast's car.

I have a maximum budget of £6,000 to purchase the car, but would ideally like to spend less than this. Both of my jobs are less than 20 minutes away so fuel economy isn't a huge issue. Insurance shouldn't be too troubling either (I'm 24 and living in a nice bit of Surrey), and neither should VED. I'm looking for a coupé, convertible or small hot hatch with:

- 0-60 in less than 9 seconds
- Decent enough reliability; I can work on the car myself but would prefer not to spend loads of money on major repairs
- Good crash protection
- Heated seats, if possible

I know the obvious answer is MX-5, but I don't get on with them - I find them too cramped and the controls are a little heavy for my liking. I've tested a MK2 TT and a Mini Roadster, and enjoyed them both; the TT seems to be fairly reliable, the Mini...less so.

I'd love to hear your thoughts, and I'm looking forward to getting more involved on PH.

Cheers guys.

I had a 2015 Cooper S Coupe bought at 5 years old, had no reliability issues other than needing a new head unit under Mini approved used warranty and then needed a wheel bearing. Other than that it was the most fun car I’ve owned, amazing handling and would stick to the road like glue. The 184ps engine was really well suited to the car. I was told it would need a timing chain replacement and other associated bits for preventative maintenance around 60,000 miles though. That would’ve been about £800 but as the car was 8 years old by then I decided to trade it for something newer. Got a TT mk3 - you’d easily get a mk2 for your budget and they still look great especially in sportier trims

[ZX10R NIN]

CubanShirtEnthusiast said:

Hi there guys, obligatory "I'm new here".

In a year's time, my partner and I are moving to a city centre for a couple of years and I sadly won't be able to own a car during that time. Since I'm currently living with my in-laws and I don't have many outgoings, I'd like to treat myself to a sportier and less practical car while I can still realistically do so. I currently drive a lovely Saab 9-3, but all of my previous cars have been boring econoboxes - so this will be my first (and, for now at least, last) proper enthusiast's car.

I have a maximum budget of £6,000 to purchase the car, but would ideally like to spend less than this. Both of my jobs are less than 20 minutes away so fuel economy isn't a huge issue. Insurance shouldn't be too troubling either (I'm 24 and living in a nice bit of Surrey), and neither should VED. I'm looking for a coupé, convertible or small hot hatch with:

- 0-60 in less than 9 seconds
- Decent enough reliability; I can work on the car myself but would prefer not to spend loads of money on major repairs
- Good crash protection
- Heated seats, if possible

I know the obvious answer is MX-5, but I don't get on with them - I find them too cramped and the controls are a little heavy for my liking. I've tested a MK2 TT and a Mini Roadster, and enjoyed them both; the TT seems to be fairly reliable, the Mini...less so.

I'd love to hear your thoughts, and I'm looking forward to getting more involved on PH.

Cheers guys.

208 GTI Prestige, ticks all the boxes:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202405039...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202402156...

Giulietta Cloverleaf:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202403187...

E350 Coupe:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202405280...

335i:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202404118...

TTS:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202406030...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202406140...

G37:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202403137...

350Z:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202405179...

Z4 23i:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202403017...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202405149...

CLK55 AMG:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202403087...

S5:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202406040...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202406050...

[CubanShirtEnthusiast]

markirl said:

If it was my money I'd be looking for a 986 Boxster (if you shop around an 3.2S is very much possible. They're still a staggering performance bargain and a really pure driving experience. My only concern is that you might find it a bit heavy if you found this of an mx-5 but try one!

Sorry for my late reply, and thanks for yours. The 986 looks like a fantastic car and one which I've always admired from afar...but I think it's probably best if I continue to do that. I don't think it's quite modern enough for my tastes, particularly in terms of safety, and I seem to remember that they have expensive troubles with IMS bearing failure?

God they sound good though.

[CubanShirtEnthusiast]

Mr Tidy said:

For convertibles you could consider a BMW Z4 or a Porsche Boxster.

Maybe a BMW 330i, C Class Mercedes or Audi A5 for a Coupe.

The C-Class and A5 both look really smart and elegant, but having trawled through PH and AT it seems like it's hard to get a good, solid one for the money. The E85 Z4 looks like a good option though - do you have any experience with them?

[CubanShirtEnthusiast]

LightningBlue said:

I had a 2015 Cooper S Coupe bought at 5 years old, had no reliability issues other than needing a new head unit under Mini approved used warranty and then needed a wheel bearing. Other than that it was the most fun car I’ve owned, amazing handling and would stick to the road like glue. The 184ps engine was really well suited to the car. I was told it would need a timing chain replacement and other associated bits for preventative maintenance around 60,000 miles though. That would’ve been about £800 but as the car was 8 years old by then I decided to trade it for something newer. Got a TT mk3 - you’d easily get a mk2 for your budget and they still look great especially in sportier trims

Thanks for your insight! The muddied waters around the R56 are really frustrating - they look like such good cars for the money, and I really enjoyed driving the Roadster that I tried, but the internet is awash with horror stories about timing chain/head gasket/HPFP failure that it leaves a bad taste in your mouth. I suppose the fact that there are still so many R56s on the roads is proof that the problem is either exaggerated and the cars are more durable than people say, or that their owners have put a lot of money into keeping them running?

I don't suppose you're in any of the TT owners' groups, or have any insight into the reliability on the MK2s?

Cheers.

[davek_964]

I mentioned above that I have a TT MK2 (2010 Roadster) and I do belong to one of the FB groups.

As with most car groups, a lot of posts will be problems - but in general they're reliable cars. Common issues seem to be earth problems with rear lights and water getting into the boot and killing the Bose amp. Mine hasn't had either issue yet.

I've owned mine 3 years and it's been reliable - but admittedly I don't do high miles. It only had 40k when I bought it 3 years ago and it's only on about 45k now. It's a nice enough car to drive - the 2.0 litre petrol is nippy enough and the interior is a nice place to be.
Only issues I've had are :

Thermostat sticking - fairly common problem, was about £300 at an Indy because I was too lazy to do it myself.
Interior fans stopped working - new blower motor from Amazon was £50 and just 30 mins to swap over
A couple of window regulators - £50 each

I like mine but am thinking something RWD might be nicer. But the reason I ended up with it is because if you rule out the Boxster (which I did immediately) there are not very many rwd options.

[CubanShirtEnthusiast]

davek_964 said:

I mentioned above that I have a TT MK2 (2010 Roadster) and I do belong to one of the FB groups.

As with most car groups, a lot of posts will be problems - but in general they're reliable cars. Common issues seem to be earth problems with rear lights and water getting into the boot and killing the Bose amp. Mine hasn't had either issue yet.

I've owned mine 3 years and it's been reliable - but admittedly I don't do high miles. It only had 40k when I bought it 3 years ago and it's only on about 45k now. It's a nice enough car to drive - the 2.0 litre petrol is nippy enough and the interior is a nice place to be.
Only issues I've had are :

Thermostat sticking - fairly common problem, was about £300 at an Indy because I was too lazy to do it myself.
Interior fans stopped working - new blower motor from Amazon was £50 and just 30 mins to swap over
A couple of window regulators - £50 each

I like mine but am thinking something RWD might be nicer. But the reason I ended up with it is because if you rule out the Boxster (which I did immediately) there are not very many rwd options.

Morning Davek,

This is really encouraging to hear. Even those more expensive issues don't sound too bad and I could probably save some money by doing them myself - I'm lucky enough to have access to a workshop and more tools than you'd find in the House of Lords.

I'm in the same frame of mind as you I think. I like the Boxster but don't want one, so this is probably the best all rounder I can think of. Of course, it helps that I fell in love with the TT that I test drove...

I'll start shopping. Thanks again for your insight, it's much appreciated.

[Mr Tidy]

CubanShirtEnthusiast said:

The C-Class and A5 both look really smart and elegant, but having trawled through PH and AT it seems like it's hard to get a good, solid one for the money. The E85 Z4 looks like a good option though - do you have any experience with them?

I haven't had an E85 but I'm on my 3rd E86 in 10 years now.

But my current one is an M so would be way out of your budget, although it is fantastic!

My first two were 3.0Si models and I had an electric water pump fail on my first one. When it happens the engine overheats in less than a mile which is inconvenient, and new pumps cost £250 to £300 so some owners replace them as a preventative measure knowing they won't need to do it again for 60-100K miles. My second one need the rear brake pipes replaced due to corrosion when it was 12 years old, but otherwise all they needed was routine stuff like oil and filter changes, batteries, etc. But manual 3.0Si Roadsters are quite rare (less than 700 came to the UK).

So you'd probably have much more choice looking for a pre-facelift 3.0i which has the earlier M54 engine and a mechanical water pump, albeit a bit less power - 231PS instead of 265PS. BMW claimed 0-62 in 5.9 seconds for the earlier one and 5.7 seconds for the later model so both still quick enough to be fun despite having a 155mph limiter. Both engines are pretty bulletproof, it's ancillaries like alternators, starters, etc. that can fail given their current age. And they can leak oil once the gaskets on the cam cover and oil filter housing get brittle.

A manual RWD petrol straight 6 might be a fitting ending for now!

[Jamescrs]

If it was me i'd buy a Mini Cooper S but the R53 version (supercharged) ou would get a very nice one for £6k.

If you want a convertible a 3 litre Z4 would be my pick or a Nissan 350Z if you can get comfy with the seating position, I really wanted one but the seating position was awful for me.

I've owned a Porsche Boxster 986 and initially loved it but the novelty wore off fairly quickly and I sold it after about 14 months, it wasn't my daily either, it was a weekend toy, mine was relatively reliable but when things go wrong they are expensive, many parts only being available directly from Porsche.
I'm not really interested in convertibles anymore but if I was the Z4 would be the pick for me

[healeyneil]

I’ve owned a Z4 2.5 of 2006 vintage for 5 years now as a toy. Pretty well just had maintenance, and replacing the odd bits and pieces as required. Absolutely love it, and it’s plenty quick enough in real life.
I didn’t think I’d keep it this long. I would be sad to see it go

[A500leroy]

Abarth 595?

[ZX10R NIN]

None of the suggestions above working for you OP?

[CubanShirtEnthusiast]

Mr Tidy said:

I haven't had an E85 but I'm on my 3rd E86 in 10 years now.

But my current one is an M so would be way out of your budget, although it is fantastic!

My first two were 3.0Si models and I had an electric water pump fail on my first one. When it happens the engine overheats in less than a mile which is inconvenient, and new pumps cost £250 to £300 so some owners replace them as a preventative measure knowing they won't need to do it again for 60-100K miles. My second one need the rear brake pipes replaced due to corrosion when it was 12 years old, but otherwise all they needed was routine stuff like oil and filter changes, batteries, etc. But manual 3.0Si Roadsters are quite rare (less than 700 came to the UK).

So you'd probably have much more choice looking for a pre-facelift 3.0i which has the earlier M54 engine and a mechanical water pump, albeit a bit less power - 231PS instead of 265PS. BMW claimed 0-62 in 5.9 seconds for the earlier one and 5.7 seconds for the later model so both still quick enough to be fun despite having a 155mph limiter. Both engines are pretty bulletproof, it's ancillaries like alternators, starters, etc. that can fail given their current age. And they can leak oil once the gaskets on the cam cover and oil filter housing get brittle.

A manual RWD petrol straight 6 might be a fitting ending for now!

Rubbish, I can easily find a Z4 M within my budget! It might be a 1:32 scale model but that's not the point!

Must say that the 6-cyl E85s look tempting, I've seen a few in that weird metallic turquoise (from memory, I want to say it's Maldives Blue?) and those look phenomenal. Do you reckon it's worth considering the other 6-pots as well (2.2i/2.5i) or will those be a bit gutless compared to the 3.0i?

And yeah I'd expect a ~20 year old BM to be leaking at least a little bit of oil. Word on the street is that it's actually a really innovative rustproofing measure...

[CubanShirtEnthusiast]

Jamescrs said:

If it was me i'd buy a Mini Cooper S but the R53 version (supercharged) ou would get a very nice one for £6k.

If you want a convertible a 3 litre Z4 would be my pick or a Nissan 350Z if you can get comfy with the seating position, I really wanted one but the seating position was awful for me.

I've owned a Porsche Boxster 986 and initially loved it but the novelty wore off fairly quickly and I sold it after about 14 months, it wasn't my daily either, it was a weekend toy, mine was relatively reliable but when things go wrong they are expensive, many parts only being available directly from Porsche.
I'm not really interested in convertibles anymore but if I was the Z4 would be the pick for me

Another vote for the Z4 3.0i? I seriously need to test drive one...

What was it about the Boxster that turned you off in the end, if you don't mind me asking?

[CubanShirtEnthusiast]

ZX10R NIN said:

None of the suggestions above working for you OP?

Sorry for my late reply - I tried to reply to your earlier post but couldn't get it to work because of the links. Thanks for taking the time to find them.

The performance German stuff is probably a touch too risky for my liking. Those 208s, on the other hand, look brilliant - as far as hot hatches go, they're the only ones I think I'd really consider apart from the Cooper S. Beautiful, chic, classy little things they are.

Only thing that might put me off the 208 is the reliability - I know it's a later variant of the Prince engine but apparently they still have issues with stretched timing chains and HPFP failure. I don't know if any GTi owners can jump in and offer their insight on this?

[Jamescrs]

CubanShirtEnthusiast said:

Another vote for the Z4 3.0i? I seriously need to test drive one...

What was it about the Boxster that turned you off in the end, if you don't mind me asking?

I'm not sure I can quantify it with one thing but I always felt that I enjoyed looking at the car rather than actually driving it, I always felt a little bit conspicuous when I was in it, especially with the top down, I felt it drew unnecessary attention, mainly negative, either people saying poor mans Porsche or people saying I was showing off, I never felt either was particularly true but people seem to have an adverse reaction to them.

I have more valuable cars that don't attract the same attention at all.

I would drive it for 2-3 days at a time and then look forward to getting back into the BMW M240i I had at the time, I took it on a couple of road trips into Europe including driving at Spa and the Nurburgring and on both occasions I wished i's taken the M240i instead, the second road trip sealed it's fate and when I got back I sold it on.
I probably only lost about £1000 in 12 months which wasn't too bad really and I had the experience of owning the car