What would you get? ~£20k & low mileage

AiiR · 18 Sep 2019 at 22:20

jpaul said:
Neighbours just got a black fiat 124 spyder convertible .. now thats a pretty car, same dna as the original.... an investment ?
eg https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201908101000642

Somebody in our office has one of these and it looks gorgeous.

Psycho Sonny · 19 Sep 2019 at 22:30

it's a fiat though - hardly reliable. will cost you a fortune in repairs

tamzzy · 19 Sep 2019 at 22:37

is it not basically an mx-5 with a lousier engine?

sideways14a · 19 Sep 2019 at 22:51

Seeing as you dont need the space, size or bulk then why get something massive with daft power you cant use properly unless you go on track?

This has lightweight rwd sports car written all over it, so mx5, 124 spyder, gt86 ect.. All of these are cars that prioritise fun over.. er everything else.

I thought about the s2000 when i got my mk4 5 but its far too old now and i did want some modern comforts even in a small car like the 5 - still like it but its a shame Honda didnt keep on making them.
The gt86 is good if you might need to ferry something in the back around. The 124 spyder is... er not made any more. Never rated it to be honest but i dont like Italian cars (even if its 80% jap lol)
Then there is the 350z or 370 which is still made (oldest thing on 4 wheels), both are good - as is a S/H Boxter or Caymen.

Take a 2019 mk4 mx5 out for a test drive, down some proper roads not some guff city roads packed with idiots in 4 wheeled german cathedrals, buses or ***** on push bikes.. no try it properly - same with the others.

Delta3D · 19 Sep 2019 at 23:01

TTS or an S3 if you wanted something a bit bigger.

I bought an S3 2 months ago and haven't looked back. They also keep their value really well.

tom_nieto · 21 Sep 2019 at 12:06

Delta3D said:
TTS or an S3 if you wanted something a bit bigger.

I bought an S3 2 months ago and haven't looked back. They also keep their value really well.

I would not buy an S3 in Birmingham because it would be stolen within minutes of leaving the car parked at home. I know we shouldn't be thinking of the worst case scenario every time we buy a car, but they're very popular with thieves.

alx · 21 Sep 2019 at 12:26

AlphaMale1 said:
Current owner of a Z4 35is here, abit of info below:

Firstly the Z4 35is is more of a GT cruiser with fantastic straight line speed, rather than a "sports car" per say like a Porsche Boxster for example. It has the N54 engine out of the 1M, and the DCT out of the E92 M3, they can make circa 440bhp with a couple of basic bolt-ons and a tune (Downpipes, Intercooler, Tune) and the aftermarket community for the N54 is huge. The car can be tuned for as little as £300 with an android application that has some fantastic OTS maps done by wedge performance in germany. Oh and the exhaust note is intoxicating, lovely burbles on over run. Once tuned the car rips pretty hard, and if down the line you want more than 440bhp there are lots of tuning options for the N54.

The folding hard top is really nice, and makes it a great car to drive with the roof up or down, with lots of power when you want it, and looks fantastic too. Fuel economy is pretty bad, depending on how you drive it, could probably get around 30mpg on the motorway driving carefully, regular driving expect circa 15 - 20mpg.

They are great cars but they do have a few niggles, some of which are common for the N54, I have listed the common ones below:

Injectors -> Old injector versions prone to failure, circa £700 for a set of 6 if you shop around. Parts only
High Pressure Fuel Pump -> Seems to be a common failure on the N54, circa £700 - £900. Parts only
Valve Cover -> Plastic POS that cracks and leaks oil, circa £400, parts only
Turbos / Wastegates -> Wastegate rattle is common, turbos are generally pretty solid. Not to sure on prices on these
Adaptive Shocks -> Prone to leaking / failure, circa £500 a corner, parts only
DCT Sump Leaks -> Another common fault, not sure on price once again

Other than that they are pretty much solid, a BMW warranty can be obtained if the above worries you. I believe it is circa £500 per annum fully comprehensive provided the car has less than 60k miles and has full service history from VAT registered garages with official BMW parts used (with invoices as evidence).

I would avoid buying from a dealer as the mark ups they seem to put on the 35is are huge, I have seen 2014 cars up for sale privately at £18k, to then appear at a dealer at £24k a few weeks later. There are not many around, so you may have to look around for a little while due to rarity, but my oh my are they a great car, beautiful interior too.

If you have any questions feel free to ask, happy to take you out for a spin / give you an in depth tour of the car if you are near by!

If considering a Z4, the Z4-forum for sale section is worth a look - typically well looked after if it's for sale from a regular forum member.

Nasher · 21 Sep 2019 at 13:28

tom_nieto said:
I would not buy an S3 in Birmingham because it would be stolen within minutes of leaving the car parked at home. I know we shouldn't be thinking of the worst case scenario every time we buy a car, but they're very popular with thieves.

Not just Birmingham. S3/RS3s, Golf Rs, Ford hot hatches, Land/Rangerovers to some extent are specifically targeted all over the country.

Someone at the end of my road has a gold Golf R and he has had a couple of incidents already of people breaking in to it or stealing things from it (and I'm not in a bad area). They will walk right past more expensive cars to target that.

Spleen Sauce · 21 Sep 2019 at 20:16

Buy a JCW Mini and use the spare cash for fuel, tyres, brakes and track days.

tamzzy · 21 Sep 2019 at 20:36

Nasher said:
Not just Birmingham. S3/RS3s, Golf Rs, Ford hot hatches, Land/Rangerovers to some extent are specifically targeted all over the country.

3 of my neighbours have a golf R each...lol
i guess i must be pretty safe then, as they'll get hit first

Drumroll · 21 Sep 2019 at 20:48

tamzzy said:
3 of my neighbours have a golf R each...lol
i guess i must be pretty safe then, as they'll get hit first

Unless you buy a Focus RS.

Serious, i wouldn't trust myself with anything over 300HP, as would be a vigilante chasing people down A428. Settled with a 150HP diesel now. Feels faster than the 8. something seconds 0-60.

tamzzy · 21 Sep 2019 at 21:42

Michael Marini said:
Unless you buy a Focus RS.

ewww

tbh, even 250hp is a bit much on city centre roads. according to the on-board computer i use 80-120hp max whilst driving

silvagti · 22 Sep 2019 at 09:58

Nasher said:
Not just Birmingham. S3/RS3s, Golf Rs, Ford hot hatches, Land/Rangerovers to some extent are specifically targeted all over the country.

Rangerovers I can understand as they cost near six figures new but it seems odd thieves would go out of their way to target £30k hatchbacks. Is there a specific reason for it?

tamzzy · 22 Sep 2019 at 09:59

silvagti said:
. Is there a specific reason for it?

Drug dealers car

silvagti · 22 Sep 2019 at 10:00

From what I've heard most car thieves are generally just opportunists who check for unlocked doors, open house doors with keys nearby or 'keyless' cars which they can open?

Nasher · 22 Sep 2019 at 10:00

silvagti said:
Rangerovers I can understand as they cost near six figures new but it seems odd thieves would go out of their way to target £30k hatchbacks. Is there a specific reason for it?

Stolen for parts seems to be the main reason. So chavs can stick the bodykit and ST badges on their 1.0. The police busted a gang not long ago who had stockpiled loads of stolen bumpers etc to sell on.

They should make the performance models a different fitting the curb the issue I think. It might cost a bit more to manufacture, but some people won't buy these cars due to the theft risk :/