After a sporty a car around £2k... what not to get? What to get :D

juno_first said:
I thought the TT 180 engine is the same as the engine in the Cupra etc. & no one said don't get a Cupra as its engine is expensive to maintain.
Is the engine different in the TT? I didn't know it had vvt.
Obviously I was going get one with service history & there are more TT's with service history the Cupra's.
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You can buy a Cupra that is a few years newer, under 100k for the same money so it reduces the chances of big bills. Shopping right at the arse end of the TT market is a dangerous game because it's the typical moron's car of choice so expect crappy mods (just like the one you posted) and cut corners when it comes to maintaining the thing.

I honestly think that if you can make do with 2 seats, want something sporty and want absolutely minimal running costs, an MX-5 is the way to go.
 
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Ahh I see what you mean. Same money gets same engine but newer/less miles with a Cupra.
Great advice, keep it coming. Even though it disappoints me.
I thought of an mx5 ages ago but my price would get an old one too + they're a bit girly, apart from black I think.
 
I think the running costs would help ease any concerns about the looks, the TT is hardly the pinnacle of aggressive styling anyway! £2500 on an MX-5 would put you in a 2000 - 2002 car in good condition, you'll never lose much when you come to sell it either as they hold their money well.

Alternatively you could buy a newer MG TF however they aren't as good to drive, K series always has the possibility of HGF (£400) and I think they're a bit naff.

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/4155486.htm
 
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Ooh deffo not an mg tf.
Its a shame as I like the radical look of the TT, if I take a chance at least it' sell-on value holds ok as you say.
A shame the mx5 is slow, although I bet great with the top down.
Still have not ruled out a 325ti, although again are the very expensive to maintain.
 
Maybe I've not been entirely honest with potential high running costs.
I have enough expendable income per month to get a new Audio TT but as my moma said: only a fool gets a car on tick they could not afford to save up for, or in my case unwilling to spend years saving lol.
 
Truth be told I could probably afford a new TT on tick, but I'm no fool to blow half my expendable income on a car. Its just I don't want to be dogged by expensive repair bills every month either.
 
You could afford a new/newish one on finance....for now

Buy something outright and if you need to get rid for whatever reason you can. When you're looking at cars that use a bit of fuel and need looking after (regardless of age) then it makes sense.

The mx-5 isn't going to be appreciably (if any) slower than a leon cupra btw, though the cupra will "feel" quicker. You need to consider the weight difference, I'd have an MR2 over the mx-5 though.
 
I saw an mr2 roadster at a garage over weekend when I was searching in vein for a Cupra. The roadster looked nice but it's a bit slow like the mx5, but that's not the appeal I suppose. I was worried about the oil burning issues with the engine on a mr2 roadster.

Yeah if I buy something that ends up burning a litre of oil every week then could get rid if bought outright. That sounds good but makes it harder find something half descent with my funds.
 
I saw an mr2 roadster at a garage over weekend when I was searching in vein for a Cupra. The roadster looked nice but it's a bit slow like the mx5, but that's not the appeal I suppose. I was worried about the oil burning issues with the engine on a mr2 roadster.

Yeah if I buy something that ends up burning a litre of oil every week then could get rid if bought outright. That sounds good but makes it harder find something half descent with my funds.

Stupid Google Nexus phone keeps messing up on forums. Please delete if posted twice. Ta
 
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juno_first said:
I saw an mr2 roadster at a garage over weekend when I was searching in vein for a Cupra. The roadster looked nice but it's a bit slow like the mx5, but that's not the appeal I suppose. I was worried about the oil burning issues with the engine on a mr2 roadster.

Yeah if I buy something that ends up burning a litre of oil every week then could get rid if bought outright. That sounds good but makes it harder find something half descent with my funds.
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Again, the MR2 isn't any slower than a cupra and is a significantly better handling car in the dry than pretty much anything else you'll find at your sort of budget. All you seem to be doing is looking at the headline bhp and nothing else. a 180bhp cupra at (guessed) 1.4t and128bhp/t is not a quicker car than a (for the sake of simple maths )140bhp mx5/mr2 at 1.1t and 127bhp/t . If anything i've over-egged the weight of the jap cars there, £2.8k would get you a facelift MR2 which helps reduce the chances of the engine problem.

Tbh though you've decided you want a leon cupra, go out and buy one - if you dont like it, sell and get something else.
 
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I've always had a thing for the Fiat Coupe.. Its getting on a bit now, but there are still some good low mileage examples to be had for about £2k.

It has classic looks, and the turbo version is nice and quick at ~6.5 seconds 0-60. The mpg lets it down a little bit though.

Fuel consumption (urban) 19.6 mpg
Fuel consumption (extra urban) 37.2 mpg
Fuel consumption (combined) 28 mpg

According to autotrader.
 
Fiat hmm no, well actually my current Ford has never had to be Fixed Or Repaired Daily :p
In fact, I hate the old Mondeo so much ive not spent a penny on it in 5years & the darn thing wont break down, it just keeps going with no oil change/service, just 2 tyres in 5 years. My previous Saxo VTS however got washed & repaired daily grr.

Okay the TT at smelly end of the market has encouraged a torrent of despair from people questioning my sanity.

How about the E46 ?
325ti compact (or does ti mean compact?), oh no the Insurance is £8 more than a Cupra. D'oh!
They seam disturbingly cheap around an 03 plate, whats wrong with them?
Mpg is similar to my dog slow Mondeo too.

This particular example is only 12 miles away (there is a god), although no mention of service history.
BMW 3 SERIES 325ti SE 3dr Compact 2.5 2001 £2295

This one has service history but is 37 miles away.
BMW 3 SERIES 325TI SE 3DR BLACK LEATHER 2.5 2002 £2490

Do these things have to be serviced to get rid of the warning lights?
I could afford to just replace all the tyres one month, but am I mad as a hatter to go for an old fast beamer?
 
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Yes - nearly every garage will be capable of resetting an e46 service indicator though. If you service it yourself you can reset it for next to nothing too.

There are numerous threads for you to read up on the 325ti and any number of e46 models. I like them, they're ugly but good to drive.
 
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