Fast fun family car
06 December 2004, 10:36 AM
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Fast fun family car
I need to look at a new family car for next year now that I have found out I have a little nipper on the way. I have a Fiat Coupe 20v Turbo at the moment and will be useless with a baby and our 1 year old Boxer dog if we need to go anywhere.
I owned a MY99 turbo 2 years ago and was considering a wagon, but petrol and servicing costs worry me. Ideally I want something fairly fast (doesn't have to be a turbo) but is also a fun handling car which I could enjoy chucking about when I haven't got the rest of the family with me...
Although the Coupe is very fast, I have never been impressed or confident about it's handling.
Budget would be £7500ish..
Any suggestions please guys????
Cheers,
Ant
I owned a MY99 turbo 2 years ago and was considering a wagon, but petrol and servicing costs worry me. Ideally I want something fairly fast (doesn't have to be a turbo) but is also a fun handling car which I could enjoy chucking about when I haven't got the rest of the family with me...
Although the Coupe is very fast, I have never been impressed or confident about it's handling.Budget would be £7500ish..
Any suggestions please guys????
Cheers,
Ant
06 December 2004, 01:13 PM
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Seat Leon Cupra, cheap to buy, cheap insurance, good build and reliability quality and 180bhp, and if thats not enough, for £500 you could re-map it and take it to about 220bhp.
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06 December 2004, 01:53 PM
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I had a list of cars to consider, as I'm looking for a fast family car.
Volvo V40 - Cheap, fast, good mpg - ultimately ruled out as I don't want to turn into my dad... yet!!
Ford Focus - Good drive, big boot, cheap to buy, good mpg, cheap to insure - depreciation and crap local Ford garage sorted out this choice for me.
Seat Leon - Good range of engines, cheap-ish insurance, but boot opening limited and a bit narrow, also the ridged rear seat won't suit a lie flat baby seat.
Subaru Impreza Wagon - Draws too much attention, running costs, fuel costs, insurance! The usual!!
Skoda Octavia - Big boot, limited rear legroom (on the older cars), good range of engines, although I've yet to drive one.
I also ruled out 4x4s, saloons and MPVs but that was a personal choice.
The car that seem to fit the bill for us was a Subaru Forester S-Turbo.
It costs about £400-450 for me to insure it (8 years NCB)
It will only do about 5-8k a year, so fuel bills will not be a major issue
Servicing is like the Impreza, so call it £500 per year (or there abouts)
Plenty of rear leg room (I can have the drivers seat back, and still fit comfortably behind it)
Being higher up gives you good visability all round, without it being a like a 4x4 looking down your nose at everyone!!
Lots of headroom and the big sunroof makes it feel very airy.
Air con as standard.
Three 3-point seat belts in the rear.
Only downside was the boot is not very deep with the luggage cover in place, but certainly wide enough and big enough for pushcair and shopping, or even a long weekend break.
The handling was a little 'boaty' but not being scared of a little modification, some bigger wheels, decent tyres, Impreza ARB and may be minor brake upgrades will make it a lovely car!
Volvo V40 - Cheap, fast, good mpg - ultimately ruled out as I don't want to turn into my dad... yet!!
Ford Focus - Good drive, big boot, cheap to buy, good mpg, cheap to insure - depreciation and crap local Ford garage sorted out this choice for me.
Seat Leon - Good range of engines, cheap-ish insurance, but boot opening limited and a bit narrow, also the ridged rear seat won't suit a lie flat baby seat.
Subaru Impreza Wagon - Draws too much attention, running costs, fuel costs, insurance! The usual!!
Skoda Octavia - Big boot, limited rear legroom (on the older cars), good range of engines, although I've yet to drive one.
I also ruled out 4x4s, saloons and MPVs but that was a personal choice.
The car that seem to fit the bill for us was a Subaru Forester S-Turbo.
It costs about £400-450 for me to insure it (8 years NCB)
It will only do about 5-8k a year, so fuel bills will not be a major issue
Servicing is like the Impreza, so call it £500 per year (or there abouts)
Plenty of rear leg room (I can have the drivers seat back, and still fit comfortably behind it)
Being higher up gives you good visability all round, without it being a like a 4x4 looking down your nose at everyone!!
Lots of headroom and the big sunroof makes it feel very airy.
Air con as standard.
Three 3-point seat belts in the rear.
Only downside was the boot is not very deep with the luggage cover in place, but certainly wide enough and big enough for pushcair and shopping, or even a long weekend break.
The handling was a little 'boaty' but not being scared of a little modification, some bigger wheels, decent tyres, Impreza ARB and may be minor brake upgrades will make it a lovely car!
Last edited by Andy Tang; 06 December 2004 at 01:56 PM.
06 December 2004, 08:07 PM
#10
I was in the same situation the same time last year, though it was twins instead! Went through similar choices as Andy Tang, but eventually settled with a B5 Audi A4 Avant 1.8T Quattro. Not as nippy as the car it replaced, Clio172, but it at all bad with good ride and handling and rock solid build. Now its chipped to about 210bhp.
06 December 2004, 09:32 PM
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I consider the Passat Estate and a friend has a TDI130 estate and his wife has a 1.8T estate, both great cars and I preferred the diesel.
The Passat estate (and I assume the A4 Avant) ultimately is a little too long as my wife would be worried about parking something that big.
The Forester was chosen for better all round visability (and I'll probably add aftermarket parking sensors to it as well)
The Passat estate (and I assume the A4 Avant) ultimately is a little too long as my wife would be worried about parking something that big.
The Forester was chosen for better all round visability (and I'll probably add aftermarket parking sensors to it as well)
06 December 2004, 11:06 PM
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Originally Posted by Andy Tang
The Forester was chosen for better all round visability (and I'll probably add aftermarket parking sensors to it as well)
07 December 2004, 09:16 AM
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As we are looking for an auto, I don't think I'd bother with a bigger turbo!! Not even a TD04!! Although I might be tempted with a hybrid TD04! (not that I'd thought I'd ever say that! )
Not even a TD04!! Although I might be tempted with a hybrid TD04! (not that I'd thought I'd ever say that! )
07 December 2004, 10:18 AM
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don't need to find a new gearbox as well, and need to keep the driveability.
.... I know a 2.0 auto that has runs 400++ bhp btw....
S
.... I know a 2.0 auto that has runs 400++ bhp btw....
S
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