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Can you recommend a fun replacement for our Renault Megane convertible?

I am recently retired, and am looking to change our second car (a Renault Megane Convertible) in the spring. What I would like is the fun of an old Mini, with all mod cons. We don’t like the new BMW MINI, and don’t want a Grannywagon. Something small, ordinary but zippy. It will only do about 5,000 miles per year, in shortish journeys, so a secondhand car may well fit the bill. We have no particular budget in mind. What do you suggest?

Asked on 13 November 2010 by AP, Hemel Hempstead

Answered by Honest John
A Mazda2 1.3TS2 and a Suzuki Swift 1.2 are both more fun to drive than the current R56 MINI. But an R50 MINI Cooper (2001 - 2006) is more fun still. Currently, the best new car for pure fun is an Abarth 500, crucially on standard 16-inch wheels and tyres because 17-inch wheels ruin the steering feel.
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