Generic Spec-me-a-car thread

Temujin

Temujin

Temujin

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Hi all,

Currently drive a WRX, just ticked over 100k and felt it would be good to upgrade before being forced to via engine failure.

Have around 8-9k inc part ex, and possibility of additional 10k via loan. All budgeted in and affordable if needs be.

I do around 6-8k a year, around 16 miles a day round trip to work on B roads and a mile or so city roads at the end. This may reduce if/when we move closer to the city and i can cycle to work.

Looking for a decent hatch or similar sized wagon, petrol, manual or dsg, nice looker etc. I've been drooling over the Mk7 Golf R recently (14), haven't been any local enough to drive yet though, and this would be top end of budget. I haven't found an awful lot else i've been interested in so would like some other suggestion!

Thanks!
 
£9000 is a healthy budget so no need to take a loan out IMO :)
Petrol & manual is where I would be looking for your mileage. B road + manual = more fun :)

Leon Cupra - though this one might be a bit barried for your taste

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201802264099276?sort=price-desc&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=New&zero-to-60=TO_8&postcode=dt117en&price-to=9500&body-type=Estate&body-type=Hatchback&radius=1500&advertising-location=at_cars&transmission=Manual&fuel-type=Petrol&page=6

Mk6 GTI
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201712132025471?fuel-type=Petrol&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=New&advertising-location=at_cars&zero-to-60=TO_8&transmission=Manual&sort=price-desc&radius=1500&postcode=dt117en&body-type=Estate&body-type=Hatchback&price-to=9500&page=8

Octavia vRS
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201803154612926?sort=price-desc&make=SKODA&price-to=9000&fuel-type=Petrol&body-type=Estate&body-type=Hatchback&advertising-location=at_cars&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=New&zero-to-60=TO_8&radius=1500&aggregatedTrim=vRS&postcode=dt117en&transmission=Manual&page=1#

Save a bit with a 130i?

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classi...o-60=TO_8&make=BMW&aggregatedTrim=130i&page=1
 
Shivy011 said:
£9000 is a healthy budget so no need to take a loan out IMO :)
Petrol & manual is where I would be looking for your mileage. B road + manual = more fun :)

Leon Cupra - though this one might be a bit barried for your taste

Mk6 GTI

Save a bit with a 130i?
Click to expand...

Thanks for responding!

Seat is definitely a no, had an ibiza previously and didn't like the bargain basement interiors. Skoda I would presume to be fairly similar, don't really want to go diesel again and vrs are all diesel I thought?

Mk6 golf is a possibility, hadn't really considered any BMW either. I'd like to reduce the total road tax cost, but it would probably be worthwhile testing one of those 1 series out!

I'd prefer to get as low miles as budget allows, so getting near my 100k isn't really preferable, I'd like around half that at the most which is why I was looking at newer offerings.
 
Skoda interiors are very well screwed together indeed. VRSs are petrol too such as the one that Shivy01 linked.
Is there something wrong with your WRX that makes you think it's going to suffer engine failure soon?
 
Have you looked at an M135i?

Picked one up for my fiancé 6 months ago:

2.5 years old so facelift but just before the 140i engine upgrade
5 door
£9k of options (auto, pro nav, Harmon Kardon, auto LED's with assist, perf brakes, etc)
60k miles
£18k so should be within your budget if you can find similar.

It's a brilliant car, more than practical enough and with 325bhp it goes well for a hatchback (a lot more is available with light tinkering), with a few key options picked the interior is very nice too!

4SnK3iJ.jpg
 
Rilot said:
Is there something wrong with your WRX that makes you think it's going to suffer engine failure soon?
Click to expand...

Ah fair enough, i think the octavia is a bit too grown up for my liking! Not really no, it's just 13 years old now, and getting long in the tooth, this year has already been expensive with new brakes, i have to rebuild the suspension soon as i can be bothered to, and the cambelt will need doing in the not too distant future. The ej20 aren't exactly known for great longevity, and i think with the amount of miles it does, and the slightly higher than normal oil consumption is pointing toward a possible rebuild in the not too distant future, at least in my opinion. And i just fancy a change to be honest!

Kiethton said:
Have you looked at an M135i?
Click to expand...

I have not, no! Hadn't really considered BMW as, possibly wrongly, i understood them as being rather costly to maintain in terms of general part cost although i could be wrong!
 
akaFonzie said:
Hadn't really considered BMW as, possibly wrongly, i understood them as being rather costly to maintain in terms of general part cost although i could be wrong!
Click to expand...

My partner was under the view a BMW would be expensive to run, but after a bit of research has changed her mind, bought yesterday a 118d Sport from Stratstone BMW, she’s opted for an AUC (BMW approved used car) so it’s got a 12month warranty / breakdown cover and also the balance of a 5yr / 50k mile service pack, given the cars only done 6k and she’s not a high mileage driver, the majority of potential outlay (excluding tyres/brakes etc) should be covered, her plan is to extend the warranty once the used one expires.

I’d certainly look at a 1 Series, especially the current models, the 135/140 especially are epic fun to drive.
 
akaFonzie said:
I have not, no! Hadn't really considered BMW as, possibly wrongly, i understood them as being rather costly to maintain in terms of general part cost although i could be wrong!
Click to expand...

M135i pre facelift can be had for around £14k now, most models seem to have only done around 50k mileage. I think most people look for one with harmon kardon, pro nav etc.

Some of the parts can be expensive but in general they are very reliable. Also dealer servicing is over priced.

I have owned a 2006 130i since last August and the only thing that has gone wrong/failed is the started motor which was £140 to replace including labour (non dealer)
 
Beyond a new tyre (£125 Michelin super sport) after she hit a pothole we've had no costs from our M135i since we bought it in October beyond petrol and screen wash and have covered ~6k miles
 
Hmm, i suppose i should start expanding the search to include a BMW too then really! Did want to cut the road tax bill a bit, but i suppose having a 3l for a little while wouldn't be that bad of a thing, never had RWD either so that should be amusing, it would be silly to not even take one out for a test drive at least!
 
Price/performance... the M135i is a great car.

They're really well built too... my BMWs have been the lowest maintenance cost vehicles I've ever had and I've done a lot of miles in them.

Some parts will be more expensive than the likes of Ford/Skoda/etc I'm sure... but not much.
 
Okay so looking at the m135i, i really prefer the coupe over the hatch/wagon style version so would be looking at around a 2011 or so which has slightly less power and will inevitably come with more miles, but then i should be able to get it without any further damaging to my finances. Will need to see one in the flesh before actually considering though, and obviously take one for a spin. I'd imagine parts probably aren't much more heinous than Subaru, i guess it's part and parcel of the performance car scene!
 
That would be the 135i sir .. succeeded by the 2 series F22/F23 :)

I think engine of the 135i and pre LCI M135i is the same, with the former having slightly less power as you pointed out.
 
Ah yes, noticed that whilst looking for them on autotrader! I guess i could be swayed to the newer style, will have to try and see some in the flesh to know for sure though!
 
akaFonzie said:
Ah yes, noticed that whilst looking for them on autotrader! I guess i could be swayed to the newer style, will have to try and see some in the flesh to know for sure though!
Click to expand...

Checkout the M140i Motech Edition, to get an idea of some visual mods you can do :)
 
dacads said:
Checkout the M140i Motech Edition, to get an idea of some visual mods you can do :)
Click to expand...

Okay, well that is helping sway my opinion. I always had a bit of a thing for those tiny wagons but i wasn't that enamored by the M version, but it would appear it has nothing but potential to improve the looks..

Is there any good links to read about the improvements in the change from coupe to hatch?
 
akaFonzie said:
Okay, well that is helping sway my opinion. I always had a bit of a thing for those tiny wagons but i wasn't that enamored by the M version, but it would appear it has nothing but potential to improve the looks..

Is there any good links to read about the improvements in the change from coupe to hatch?
Click to expand...

Just do a Google mate, plenty of people have asked the same question :)
 
Uk, Norfolk. Closest available currently (according to autotrader) is around 100 miles away and not really one i'd be interested in!
 
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