The missus' dad is handing back his company 523i and buying his own car for up to £20k. He's looking for ideas. It needs to be "fun, fast, stylish, big enough for 4 adults and not boring". It'll probably need to be new unless there's a particularly tempting reason for going second-hand.
In the running at the moment is the Mini Cooper S. A possibility is the Mazda RX-8 (though some reports say the rear seating is too small). I'm going to suggest also the Saab 9-3 2.0 Aero HOT as I've just seen it for under £20k on this website. Also the Seat Leon Cupra R. He can't have a Civic Type-R as I've got one!
What do you reckon?
Mattster
Boycott shoddy build and reliability.
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How about an Alfa 147 GTA, I saw them advertised on here for about 18k. Bonkers car!
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I already brought that one to his attention. Unfortunately, my last car was an Alfa 156 and was an utter dog. So I doubt that anyone I know will ever buy an Alfa!
Mattster
Boycott shoddy build and reliability.
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<<< big enough for 4 adults >>>
That rules out the Cooper S you listed.
It might indeed have the same wheelbase as a Disco, but there is room for amputees only in the back.
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I already brought that one to his attention. Unfortunately, my last car was an Alfa 156 and was an utter dog. So I doubt that anyone I know will ever buy an Alfa!
You know, I'm really tempted to abuse my moderating buttons and edit your post to sing the praises of all things Alfa.... ;o)
No Dosh
mailto:Alan_moderator@honestjohn.co.uk
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Sing the praises of all things Alfa? What a marvellous idea! Why didn\'t I think of that?
Mattster
Boycott shoddy build and reliability.
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Honda Accord 2.4 Type S or Executive ??
Basically the same car, but the Exec is wearing sheep\'s clothing...
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What about an Imprexa WRX?
£20k buys a new one and it would definitely be "fun, fast, big enough for 4 adults and not boring". You can add bulletproof reliability to that list as well.
Not so sure about the "stylish" though!!
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Nah, sod the ugly WRX.
How about a lovely 01X Impreza P1 :)
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Go for second hand with warranty and he'll have lots more choice, little extra risk, and ultimately lots more fun.
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Now you're talking...
A true modern classic.
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If 'stylish' is a big priority, I think the Peugeot 406 Coupe is still a stunning looking car, should tick all the other boxes too. A near new one would be better to avoid some of the awful depreciation!
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MG ZT....
Fast, roomy, comfy, safe, well built, fun, quite cheap to service, reliable. Looks are personal.
We love our 75 (our 3rd) and cousin has a ZT which he is very happy with - and he generally buys German or Swedish.
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I'm having a lot of fast fun with my Passat W8, which comfortably takes 4 adults. Much of the fun comes from the reaction of other drivers who have to be ahead of me at all costs - well, it's only a Passat after all..."Blimey, where did that go?"
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Another alternative (and yes, I love them maybe slightly irrationally) is a Mondeo ST220. 3.0, 220 bhp, decent handling, loads of room, all the kit including leather (and with the discount from www.motorprovider.co.uk - nearly £6k off list - you should have enough for a nice holiday or even more toys).
It's probably not as pure, or as fast, as a Scooby, but it is prettier, more grown up and refined and maintenance costs will be sensible too.
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I'd have two definites for test drives. The Scooby and the Focus RS.
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"I think the Peugeot 406 Coupe is still a stunning looking car"
Agreed, but he's going to really notice the difference in quality compared to a 5 series. It'll also start to look subtly dated when the 407 saloon comes out.
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