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So I'm putting up the Impreza for sale very soon as I'm going to be a student next year. However, I will be buying a smaller car, max budget of £4000.
I want something reliable, relatively cheap to run but must be comfortable. However, it MUST have an element of fun to it! Diesel or petrol. At the mo, I'm considering something like a twingo sport, Zetec s tdci?
What have you all driven or own that you recommend that would fit into this bracket? I'm actually not too fussed on practicality anymore as I won't be humping mountains of kit around anymore.
Could get a nice EP3 with reasonable mileage for £4k. Might even be able to stretch to an FN2. Small, practical, reasonable running costs, fair bit of poke, fun to drive, very reliable. With the firm suspension, it's not the most comfortable car in the world, though.
We recently bought a C4 VTR 2L turbo diesel on a 57 plate with 50k on the clock. Mint save two curbed alloys, gives 50mpg, pulls well, comfortable and practical. The handling isn't 'fun', but for just shy of £3k we had ourselves a FSH runabout with 12 months tax and MOT. Recommended.
My missus has got a Astra 1.9 cdti 150 model 09 plate. Got it for 3k. Got all the xp kit and mapped to nearly 200bhp with the sport button on. On a run it gets 55+mpg can't fault it for the money
Suzuki Swift Sport is my suggestion. Don't really car if folk think they're 'gay' or 'hairdresser' cars. My little '56 plate 1.5vvt (one under the Sport) has been a fantastic little car after nothing but trouble from several diesels. Reliable, fun, cheap to run and cheap parts. As an example I paid £1,750 for mine with full history, 96k and 2 previous owners. £4K would get a lovely example, either a 1.5 model like mine or as above the 1.6 Sport.
I have a 52 plate focus which I use as an everyday- treat it like ****, smash it round everywhere, rarely service it, never had any problems since i bought it 10 years ago - except new tyres! still does 40mpg on the motorway and as a 1.6 isnt too slow you cant overtake grannies!
Last edited by Ash Webster; Oct 7, 2016 at 12:34 PM.
So, ive been looking around for a bit and today I went to a ford garage. After a good look around I found a nice fiesta that I really liked the look of. I had read about the new 1.0 ecoboost so decided to see what all the fuss was about. All I can say is WOW, what an engine. Things have come a long way since I drove a 1.0 106 about ten years ago. To cut a long story short, I was that impressed that I bought it. It's a 2013 titanium 1.0 ecoboost. I was seriously impressed by its composure on the motorway. At 70mph, it was sat at under 2.5k rpm......from a 5 speed 1.0 and you could barely here the engine, yet there was ample oomph to overtake. Amazing engine.
Ah the car that made me reconsider my opinions about modern cars, I had one on hire for a week last year, nice car but they do lack a little oomph when going through the gears as you will no doubt discover, still very impressive for the size of engine and seats 4 in comfort on a long motorway run and a nice enough place to be too, not quite as good on fuel as the figures suggest though, I'd have one if I lived in the Uk.
: yeah that kinda went out the window. I'm genuinely glad I changed direction on things though.
I have read some stories from folk complaining that the stated 67mpg is impossible to get even close to and that it's more realistically between 40-50 mpg. Clearly they have a heavy right foot. Im confident I can get above 60 aswell.....
A bit late to the party but my Mrs has a Swift Sport and its such a good car, not a motorway muncher but loads of fun to drive. I'm currently looking for a Panda 100 to support the Scoob and S2000; another great fun thing to drive
Your £4000 recommondation
They sound amazing too, complete with anti lag 
