'Sup geezers, I need your help. The time is coming for when I'll be getting my (first) ride.
I'm very indecisive but have shortlisted these:
Honda Civic 3 dr 96-00 model 1.5LS 90ish bhp
Honda Civic Coupe 96-00 model 1.6LS 105 bhp non VTEC
Honda Civic Coupe 96-00 model 1.6SR 125 bhp w/ VTEC
BMW 318i (4 door)
or
Subaru Impreza 2.0 Sport 4dr Saloon awd (non turbo)

I'm 19 and I'll be keeping it 'til I'm around 24. I've got around 6 large to spend now, but as I'm at university, money will be tight. I need one as fuel economical as possible but I may sacrifice that for good looks/perfomance.

I was orignally hoping to get a Civic Vti but that'd cost me 3 and a half grand on insurance. Its looking increasingly likely that I won't be able to get the Civic SR model either because that cost me £2500 on insurance (fully comp). So I guess the only choice of Civic is the 3dr 1.5LS or the 1.6LS Coupe.

I was under the impression that Civics can be up there with the best of them and well see for yourself. Heres a tech spec list from ukcar.com:

Ok the first, Civic 3dr 1.5 LS
Service Interval - 9000
Insurance Group - 12, Quote ~£1000
Engine - 4 cyl, 16 valve
BHP - 90
CC - 1493
Top Speed - 112mph
0-60mph - 9.6 secs
MPG @ Urban - 32.1mpg
MPG @ Cruise - 51.4mpg
MPG @ Speed - 39.2mpg

What I think: FF chassis - this setup isn't that good for racing, cornering etc. but being a small car it should handle well (correct me if I'm wrong). Fuel economy - Good, petrol costs a bomb nowadays.

Next is the Civic Coupe 1.6 LS
Service Interval - 9000
Insurance Group - 11, Quote ~£1100
Engine - 4 cyl, 16 valve
BHP - 104
CC - 1590
Top Speed - 118mph
0-60mph - 10.1 secs
MPG @ Urban - 32.1mpg
MPG @ Cruise - 47.1mpg
MPG @ Speed - 40.4mpg

My Verdict: Coupe - stylish? maybe. 0-60 times leaves something to be desired. same FF chassis as the other Civics. Fuel economy - Excellent. Better than the 3dr but it's slower. Oh well, guess you can't have both. Or can you?

Third is the Civic coupe 1.6 SR
Service Interval - 9000
Insurance Group - 13, Quote ~ £2500
Engine - 4 cyl, 16 valve
BHP - 124
CC - 1590
Top Speed - 119mph
0-60mph - 9.2 secs
MPG @ Urban - 29.1mpg
MPG @ Cruise - 44.8mpg
MPG @ Speed - 37.7mpg

My Verdict: As above but with a much better engine. 10.1 versus 9.2 seconds? Sounds good to me, but that difference of 0.9 secs costs me another £1500 in insurance,making it around £2700 to insure. Think, if insure this car for 3 yrs, I would've have been able to buy it again! FF chassis -as the other coupe. Fuel economy - getting worse. Damn insurance. Maybe if I buy the SR and say it was a LS. That might work right?

Right, moving swiftly away from the Civics, heres the BMW 318i SE
Service Interval - 10000
Insurance Group - 11, Quote ~ £1100
Engine - 4 cyl, 8 valve
BHP - 113
CC - 1796
Top Speed - 122mph
0-60mph - 10 secs
MPG @ Urban - 26.6mpg
MPG @ Cruise - 44.1mpg
MPG @ Speed - 36.2mpg

My Verdict: Not too shabby. OK top end and average acceleration. I'll only bother with it if it has an M-Tech kit on it. FR setup - good for making donuts. Near 50-50 wieght distribution makes it a good racing contender. Fuel economy - poor. 26.6mpg@urban? Well I live in London and I'll probably have to sell a kidney to pay for the petrol for 1 year.

Last but certainly not least, the Scooby. (Subaru Impreza 4x4 2.0 sport)
Service Interval - 15000
Insurance Group - 13, Quote ~ £1200
Engine - Flat 4 cyl, 16 valve
BHP - 115
CC - 1994
Top Speed - 118mph
0-60mph - 9.7 secs
MPG @ Urban - 23.2mpg
MPG @ Cruise - 37.2mpg
MPG @ Speed - 30.4mpg

My Verdict: What can I say? Its an Impreza. Note I cannae afford the turbo version (insurance wise) so no dice. Right then, a 19 year old with a Subaru? Sounds good to me. 0-60mph is uhh shall we say... rubbish, even the 1.5 Civic would beat it. Top speed - only as good as a Civic Coupe LS. 4x4 setup kick ass, it'd probably be glued to the road. Not sure if donut ability is comprimised though. Fuel economy - Very poor. Even the BMW looks rosy the 3.4mpg difference could probably see me home from clubbing.

So wot u reckon guys? Remember, I can't afford to keep repairing car every so often.

First off, I thought the sport was a little quicker than that 0-60... or is that just the new MY'00 models!? I thought is was more like 8.5secs...

Anyway, expense wise the only thing I can think of that would put you off the scoob, is servicing is every 6 months or 7.5K miles (well at least on the turbo), I believe this is the same for the sport. Worth checking with your local dealer on how much and when.. Althought "Ed The Dead" might be able to answer that, hes got a sport.

Other than that, I think you'll find the sport more fun to drive than the other cars..

I just can't get away from the impreza, on my third now http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif

Alex

The service interval is the same as the turbo, 7.5k or 6 months, IMHO you would be best going for the civic, its the most ecenomical and the cheapest to run.
They have lots of goodies out for em if you wanted to mod it a bit and they are very reliable (esp to the BMW!)

Tony

Why do you also say that you will be "glued to the road" in the impreza??
This is over confidence in your abilities and that of the car, it goes off the road as quickly as any other car, just because its AWD does not mean its going to grip the road better than any of the other cars mentioned, and you will find the civic actually easier to drive to start with as the AWD setup takes time to get use to, especially in the wet when you may think your gods gift to rally driving and end up squashed http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/frown.gif
All the cars you have chosen are good cars with good and bad points but never and i mean NEVER think that because the car has great handling that you will be able to handle it!! http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/mad.gif

Tony

Yep, servicing every 7,500 miles or six months at the same cost as a turbo (I beleive).... I have been suprised about how expensive this has been... then again I do drive 20,000 miles a year...

Overall though very happy with the car http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif

Get the beemer....you'll be the only one in London with one......!

Is it possible to get a nice hood scoop and vents for the sport? What do you guys think of an EVO 6 bonnet on a sport? Good Idea/Bad Idea?

Yeah right.

Jay, not being funny or anything so don't take offense, but if I've got your s/n right, then most of your cousins and their bhai's (is that how you spell it) have Bimmas in London. http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/wink.gif

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>What do you guys think of an EVO 6 bonnet on a sport<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif OoErrr!!

Seriously though.. I'm currently looking for a Sport, but finding a decent one for that sort of price is damn difficult http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/frown.gif.

If only i could insure a turbo.. There's loads of choice http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif

Andy

[This message has been edited by Avi (edited 24 August 2001).]