£20k to spend ...

SeatIbiza · 22 Nov 2011 at 15:52

NathWraith said:
Nice but I'd have to be wearing my manbag to pull off driving that bad boy.

What a 5.4 V8 - don't be silly. It's a great car

Basher · 22 Nov 2011 at 15:55

BigT said:
How much road noise and comfort are you willing to sacrifice for a thrilling drive? I did 4,000 miles around Europe in my Z4M no problem, but the convertibles with a soft top are all a bit comrpomised at your price range for many on a long distance.

The newer Z4 is better comfort wise as is the SLK mentioned, but both less focussed as sports cars. I'd also be tempted to look at a previous generation SL, but I fear that would be too far towards a GT for you and not enough sports car.

I'm thinking the new shape Z4 could be a good compromise, but for £20k I think I'll struggle to get a 30 or 35.

Davefran · 22 Nov 2011 at 15:56

2009 HONDA S2000 2.0I GT EDITION 100 (ONLY 100 EVER MANUFACTURED )

shoes · 22 Nov 2011 at 16:00

Honda on the verge of a nice interior there :O

Gibbo · 22 Nov 2011 at 16:05

Hi there

370Z or Cayman S, go drive both and then decide. Same money gets a far newer 370Z and in warranty. Porsche would be older and extended warranty is a requirement, but if you really like a car to feel alive in your hands with incredible feedback/steering then the Cayman is a winner.

Jonny69 · 22 Nov 2011 at 16:30

Mint Mk1 Cortina, spend £5K building the ultimate 2-litre Vauxhaul for it, some 6J Superlights, coilovers and A frame rear. Riding low 90's South London look, oh yeeeaaahhh...

Big Chris · 22 Nov 2011 at 17:13

I appreciate the cost of ownership is pretty terrifying, but this is a lot of car for £18k! (and yes it's nothing like what you're after, but still...)

Treats

[TW]Fox · 22 Nov 2011 at 17:16

Big Chris said:
I appreciate the cost of ownership is pretty terrifying, but this is a lot of car for £18k! (and yes it's nothing like what you're after, but still...)

Treats

It's not 'a lot of car' at all, it's a 5.5 year old M5 and it's that price BECAUSE of how much it costs to run.

County · 22 Nov 2011 at 17:22

[TW]Fox;20624371 said:
It's not 'a lot of car' at all, it's a 5.5 year old M5 and it's that price BECAUSE of how much it costs to run.

Fox, i have to disagree on one point

It is a HELL OF A LOT OF CAR FOR THE MONEY but i do agree that it costs more to run than your "standard" £20k car.

In comparison i reckon the 456 would be cheaper....

I've experience the 456 (gf's dad had one a few years back) and it wasn't pleasant!

How was it not pleasant? The ride is good, the interior is top notch, good performance and its a prancing horse

shoes · 22 Nov 2011 at 17:52

[TW]Fox;20624371 said:
It's not 'a lot of car' at all, it's a 5.5 year old M5 and it's that price BECAUSE of how much it costs to run.

How is it not a lot of car? Irrespective of age/price you must concede it's a bit of a beast?

[TW]Fox · 22 Nov 2011 at 17:59

shoes said:
How is it not a lot of car? Irrespective of age/price you must concede it's a bit of a beast?

You can't say 'irrespective of price' when the statement is a 'lot of car FOR THE MONEY' though.

It's a lot of car, but it's cheap for a reason

shoes · 22 Nov 2011 at 19:16

[TW]Fox;20624686 said:
You can't say 'irrespective of price' when the statement is a 'lot of car FOR THE MONEY' though.

It's a lot of car, but it's cheap for a reason

I can when you say it's 'Not a lot of car' and then qualify it's price is due to running costs

/pedant

I agree with you though, it is a lot of car, and it's cheap due to biblical running costs.

Ryan-3 · 22 Nov 2011 at 19:20

I liked the SLK55 posted before. Which is not a man bag car.

Dr House · 23 Nov 2011 at 06:53

breadturbo said:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2006-56-Mercedes-Benz-SLK-Slk55-Amg-PETROL-AUTOMATIC-/250930514121?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item3a6c9fc8c9

thats amazing for 20k, If you can afford to run it I don't think you will find a better car for the money.

tlrBeta · 23 Nov 2011 at 09:29

350z ...plenty of money left over to feed it as well.

Slightly cheaper then the 370z but sound just as fantastic

dangermouse425 · 23 Nov 2011 at 10:18

+1 for the Z4.

If you're willing to go for the older shape you can get one significantly under your budget too, if you were keen on saving a bit. But you can easily get a tidy example for £20k. People say the ride is quite hard, but I've not found it to be a problem. You can alleviate this slightly by using non-runflat tyres though.

If you're worried about MPG, avoid the 3.0, but if fuel economy isn't a major drama, go for it - it's great fun!

gord · 23 Nov 2011 at 10:24

With a 20K budget don't go for the standard or new Z4, get the older shape M model. Easy to get a nice example for well under 20K too. Sounds like it might tick all your boxes aside from the commute, which is completely subjective.

HEADRAT · 23 Nov 2011 at 10:25

I would be shopping around hard for a new shape Z4 35i

I love the old Z4 but they are getting a big "long in the tooth" now so I'm not sure I recommend.

Scania · 23 Nov 2011 at 10:35

Dr House said:
thats amazing for 20k, If you can afford to run it I don't think you will find a better car for the money.

Whilst for £20k you'd struggle to better 507BHP & the performance that goes with it, the running costs and mid teens MPG would rule it out as "the best car for the money" for the majority of buyers with a £20k budget.

Its also not much use if you have some large dogs to cart about with you for example.

Best performance for the money, possibly, the best car? Hell no! - and thats coming from a BMW fan who'd sell his kidney for an e60 M5!!!

koolpc · 23 Nov 2011 at 10:40

Basher said:
Long story short, I'm young and want something more exciting that a diesel 3 series. So I'm thinking something sporty, preferably no roof and a real hoot to drive.

Must be fun, must look good and must be at least bearable on a twice weekly 160mile commute (that's the challenging bit).

I've been thinking new shape Z4's, Boxsters, Caymans ...

Thoughts?

What if it rains? lol

£20k to spend ...

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