Ok, bit of a Top Gear challenge for you. You're on a budget. You do 15,000 miles and year and can't spend any time waiting for the AA on the hard shoulder. You need one car with 4 seats that returns good fuel economy. You have £1,000 to spend. What ya gonna buy?

 

Fiesta

 

205 GTI for me

 

Nissan Primera

My 2.0 Si Mundano actually handles nice and tidy as well.

 

Rover 200 VVC (145bhp) providing the head gasket has been done.

 

205 gti or if you want something bigger Primera gt.

 

volvo 440 lol (ps yes i did have 1 of those too)

 

I bought a Volvo 850 T5 [well I have had 4 actually] and they are cheap as chips, good spec, fast by modern standards, GSF stacks all parts and they never miss a beat. If you buy well serviced 2 or 3 owner cars they will last well. The 7-10 owner dodgy examples are less reliable.

2nd hand remaped ECU's are cheap enough at a couple of hundred quid up and can take the humble T5 to beyond 300hp which turns it into a proper tool for the motorway or fast A roads.

 

maybe a E30 325i also

 

Here: Volvo : T-5 GLT ESTATE

 

just for Andy...

 

you seem to have forgot this bit.

i would go with mondeo or primera or mk3 golf tdi for 55mpg goodness

 

Ex police t5, always looked after and come with a trick lsd if theyre a chase car!

 

Some interesting choices. Would a 205 GTI stay in one piece and would a T5 not be a bit heavy on the juice? Having said that I quite fancy a T5.

 

306 s16 or gti6 (granted, a NAIL!!)

or a 205 gti

gotta be French though

Dan

 

You could get a Xsara Vts for a grand (virtually the same car as the 306) and it would be in much better condition.

 

civic vti, go forever and loadsa vtec fun!!

 

Renault 5 GT Turbo but the prices seem a bit silly at the moment, just for the fond memories

Sorry did not read Reliable

 

Ex police Omega MV6.
Lairy 3 litre engine, RWD handling, LSD as standard and best of all halogen headlights so everyone gets out your way!
astraboy.

 

Daihatsu Charade GTti or a Legacy Turbo



AllanB

 

Maybe a little over budget and not 'good' on fuel but its not far from LS400 money - they are supposed to be indestructable motorway cruisers.

Lexus : LS400 full service history! Price reduced!!

Or to solve the fuel economy an LPG converted one will make it about 40p per litre (probably equivalent to 40-50mpg on unleaded with petrol prices:
at their current level)
Lexus : LS 400 **LPG GAS CONVERTED** K REG ****BARGAIN****

 

106 rallye

 

for under a grand? think they go for more than that....

saxo vts are good fun
omega, 2.5 or 3.0 v6
civic vti
rs turbo, they are about for that price

 

Recently bought a mk3 golf gti 16v for the g/f for £1250. Leather heated seats, aircon, leccy sunroof loads of gadgets. Can see 40mpg on a run.

 

4 door e36 325

Cheap and 192 bhp

 

But is it really fun to drive

 

ford escort

 

Well, that killed an hour or so.

Honda : 1991 Civic 16i - 16v Rare!!
Peugeot : Peugeot 106 1.6 XS 1998 Low Mileage!
Volkswagen : Golf GTI 8v
Citroen : Citroen Saxo VTS
Sporty Hatches : AUDI COUPE 2.2 E
Peugeot : White Peugeot 205 1.9 GTI
Rover : rover 220 gti (mint)

 

I used to have one but, despite my best efforts, couldn't spot any for a bag of sand.

 

You want a cheap, reliable, economical fun car for £1k.

Yeah, well, good luck with that.....

As a general rule
A.Fast
B.Cheap
C.Reliable

You can ONLY ever have 2 out of A, B and C.