In the near'ish future we're going to have to change at least one of our cars, and basically I'm stuck as to what to chose.

Currently we've got a Ford Focus 2009 and a 2004 BMW 530i Auto.

We've essentially been handed both cars from other family members, and both have been smoked in. I didn't think it'd be that bad, as I've had an ex smoker car before and tbh after a while the smell went, but these two cars just refuse to stop stinking, even after spending hours and hours cleaning them, airing them out etc etc for about a year now, so they have to go.

We both also hate the ford with a passion - it's a really lethargic, and fuel consumption does not seem to be as good as you'd expect from the lack of pace, so currently we both use the BMW for everything as it's a much nicer place to be.

In the future, my mrs will start working again, which means that we need two cars. She's set on a "new age" beetle, and I know better than trying to change her mind.

However, that leaves me with the BMW as the "family" car. Now, the BMW is great. It's comfy, the auto box is lazy, it's reasonably fast, it makes you feel like a drug dealer etc, however it's just a bit boring (and it smells of cigarettes - yuck). It's also _REALLY_ bad on fuel (80 quid gets me less than 200 miles in town), so I end up spending about 400 a month on fuel at the moment.


My project car is in bits in the garage, and it will take me a good while to sort it out, so I feel the urge for something reasonably "fun", however I'm struggling to think of what to get.

It'd be good to have an amount of boot space, and it absolutely _must_ be possible to fit a rear facing child seat either in the front or back (in which case it needs 4 doors) - tbh I prefer 4 doors anyway.


The hooligan in me says get a clio cup or an evo 7, but not sure how uncomfortable the 7 would be as a family car? The clio is realistically speaking too small - I need enough boot space for at least a pram and a suitcase.

The other choices I can think of are Volvo T4/T5 or maybe an Saab turbo barge, but both are not the most exciting thing in the twisties, although they both have great straight line performance when mapped.

I'd also consider a merc, but I've never had one.


Lastly, I keep coming back looking at the classifieds section on here, but it feels a bit "samey" to go for another impreza, having had two now (and one in the garage still). I'm also worried that if I get an impreza, the project car will not feel all that special when its done.

Having said that, the impreza ticks most boxes.

 

Try a Legacy twin turbo or 3.0 H6 Spec B.

All boxes ticked

 

Shaid is spot on, a Legacy GTB, will fit the Bill.

Twin turbos, 280hp, Bilstein suspension from factory, massive boot space, seats 5 in comfort, 4wd, can suprise many with its abilities!

 

I blagged the impreza as a family 4 door to the mrs, coming from a 3 door A3. I've had to put the rear facing seat on the passenger side, as it's too tight to fit behind me when I'm driving. So the space is restricted in the blob. I'm not too bothered though, as I can manage until she swaps to a front facing seat. The Beemer sounds very juicy, I get about 200 miles to about £60 in the impreza around town. That's mixed driving, so not all off boost.

 

Ooh, the legacy is a really, really good shout! Some people probably think they're hideously ugly, but I love the look of them!

Willowsdad, how are you finding the boot space? I can't remember what it was like on the saloons anymore. Can you comfortably fit a push chair in there without taking wheels etc off?

 

The boot is plenty big enough. Our pram stays in there pretty much all the time, and there's still room for a few shopping bags.

 

hawk impreza, use mine daily with no bother and great fun when wanted

 

Legacy GTB

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1999-Subar...item337b576d25

Legacy Spec B

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2005-Subar...item1c2b2c720a

Or how about a Legacy twin scroll

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Subaru-Leg...item4616b8f084

 

are 99 lego's still up at 5k or is that one just pricey?

 

It's a fresh import (well it's been on sale for a while) however i feel it is pricey.

I've got a 99 Legacy GTB and it cost considerably less than £5k.

£3k is a realistic price for a good BH.

When you get upto £5k then you are better off adding another couple of £k and going for a single turbo twinscroll (hopefully my next one)

 

I use my 06 Hawk STi everyday, parts are cheap and easy to come by(look how many get broken for parts on here) road tax is £280 for the year(about the same as most family saloons), insurance is around £550 a year(31 years old) boot large enough to fit everything we need in!! And best of all the car is 4wd and goes like stink!!
Only downside is petrol, not exactly the most fuel efficient car to use everyday, but compared to say maybe a expensive family saloon like a BMW 335i, bet there is not much in it!!

Cant think of a better family car, even a WRX wagon would make a great everyday car, probably a bit better then a STi for petrol!!

 

I would not recommend an Evo 7 as a family car. They are quite old now, which wouldn't be a problem if you found a really good one, but that may be difficult, and the AYC can be costly to repair even if it has been looked after. The Evo 8 MR and 9 had more comfortable Brillstein suspension, but they are noisy cars. For the driver, the performance even without tuning is good, and brakes and chassis are fantastic.

I have a 3.0R Legacy (245 PS but the auto box does soften it so it has enough power to be easy to drive, but isn't fast except in poor conditions when it covers ground safely like nothing else I can imagine), and its main use is on snow tires in the snow, or as a car you can park anywhere and not worry about. I only get 19mpg, but it seems I get that in almost anything with a six cylinder or turbocharged petrol engine except 1.8T or 2.0T VAG stuff. It is competent as a family car as it is comfortable, spacious, refined, but then so are the vast majority of cars.

 

Hi Henrick,
Good to see you still around.

About 12 years ago, some bloke called John said that the impreza sport was the best handling car about . But, lets he honest they are really old now. Certainly older than a E7.

My personal advice would be a Forester Xten, as they are mega practical for football runs with the leather and have the same toys as the Legacy (sat nav, moonroof and cruise control.


The Wife had a 182 and loved it, but it got too small (and was replaced by a Forester) but she was going to replace it with a Megane Renault Sport, which is just that bit bigger/more practical.

 

Yep, still around, and still have the same old impreza as before, however at the moment it's like this:



45k, one careful owner, mint condition However, it hasn't moved for more than a year, and even then it was being towed by the stink box Focus


John, good points about the AYC... Let's be honest, it's a pipe dream running something like that as a family car, sadly, and especially without an unlimited budget


scoobyboy1, the STI would be a good choice, but I'm put off by the 2.5 engine, and also the fact that I've had two already, and that my project is an impreza as well - I want the project to feel *different* to drive to my day to day transport, otherwise I might as wel scrap the project (which would be the sensible thing to do anyway, but that's the subject for another thread)

 

double post - removed

 

I bought a pajero once that was a smokers car, it was so disgusting it was almost making me vomit (not kidding). I left a bowl of vinegar (cheap stuff from the supermarket will do, no need for cider vinegar or expnsive balsamic stuff ) in the car for 2 days and the smell was completely gone. and no, it didn't smell of vinegar instead! (but I did: I forgot it was there and sat on it the second morning, oops).

 

Looking good Henrik.

Looked better with my old wheels though.


I am surprised JB has not been on to get back for the Sport comment though.

 

It was John Felstead who had the Impreza Sport. I did have my E46 M3 *** handed to me by a Sport in the rain though in my back yard. It looked like a Sport anyway, and I had acceleration to make up the corner losses on the straights but felt like a pillock.

 

I don't recall saying that. You probably heard that from a Turbo driver who couldn't keep up.

Very underrated car the Sport, funniest moment I recall in the unfair BHP disadvantage stakes was overtaking the stupid BHP Reyland Escort Cosworth at the nurburgring.