Next car help please

[stokiekris]

I'm in the UK and I'm considering an upgrade, I want a quick 4 door with a decent boot for £5k or under currently have a 180bhp seat Leon 1.8t.

 

 

Would like some suggestions please

[sivispacem]

Four or five door (so, saloon or hatch)? Any age requirements? It's a bit of a vague question. Anything in particular you do or don't want?

 

If you fancy a hatch

Focus ST

Mazda 3 MPS

Mk5 Golf GTI

Mk2 Leon FR/Cupra

BMW 130i

 

If you fancy a saloon or estate

Skoda Octavia vRS

You might get an early E90 325i or 330i

Mazda 6 MPS

Saab 9-3 2.0T

Subaru Forester 2.5 Sport

Subaru Impreza

[stokiekris]

Preferably 2005 or newer was looking at a 535d and the wife wants a orange focus St lol,

not a massive Impreza fan 99% of Impreza have be molested and thrashed and they all sound the same

[sivispacem]

Not sure why you'd want a diesel unless you're doing huge miles. If you don't mind something big and can stomach the pretty atrocious fuel consumption, how about a V8 powered A6 or A8 or a 745i or similar? The E500 is also probably doable in budget.

[stokiekris]

Not sure why you'd want a diesel unless you're doing huge miles. If you don't mind something big and can stomach the pretty atrocious fuel consumption, how about a V8 powered A6 or A8 or a 745i or similar? The E500 is also probably doable in budget.

not really on the mileage front only do about 4k miles a year, just want a fast comfy cruiser, sick of uncomfortable little chavy hatchbacks lol

[sivispacem]

Couple of 4.2 V8 Audi A6s on eBay at the moment in the ballpark of your budget. Can't think of anything that embodies "fast comfy cruiser" much more than a 340bhp V8 powered German saloon. Most seem to be 2004 cars though. Few later (2005-7) 3.2 FSIs in budget.

 

This looks fairly tidy, though it's also a 2004.

[stokiekris]

Couple of 4.2 V8 Audi A6s on eBay at the moment in the ballpark of your budget. Can't think of anything that embodies "fast comfy cruiser" much more than a 340bhp V8 powered German saloon. Most seem to be 2004 cars though. Few later (2005-7) 3.2 FSIs in budget.

 

This looks fairly tidy, though it's also a 2004.

Starting to form a list of possible replacements for my Leon.

 

2005 Impreza blob eye

2006 focus St

2005-7 bmw 530d

Ford Sierra sapphire cosworth

2007 seat Leon Cupra

 

 

Any one had any of these and know of any common problems or how reliable/running costs?

 

Cheers

Edited January 31, 2016 by stokiekris

[sivispacem]

I've got a 2006 Leon TFSI, so same engine and (pre-facelift) era but a bit less power (200bhp versus 240). I wouldn't buy another I don't think. The ride is bone-shattering and they're just not very much fun to push on in. Mine has also been quite unreliable.

 

530d's have an appetite for turbochargers from what I've heard. Also, occasional electrical gremlins.

 

The biggest issues with STs is the blocks cracking around the water channels but that's primarily an issue on modified cars. They're a great engine and a pretty decent all round package but I wouldn't class them as "comfortable"; mind you, nothing you've picked here is really.

[stokiekris]

Just wondering if anyone thinks now is the right time to by a 06/07 focus st or do you think they will drop or start going up in price any time soon,

I've decided that's what I'm having as my next car, joining the family tradition of owning a ford so why not an ST

 

Not only that but it will piss the lad I work with off lol

Edited February 7, 2016 by stokiekris

[sivispacem]

They're going to keep depreciating. Word if warning, they don't wear their miles very well. That said, you should be able to get a good one in budget.

 

To be honest if I was buying a hot hatch now I'd buy an FN2 Civic Type R.