Need a new car! Opinions please budget £17k
 

Me and my Girlfriend are finally moving in together and decided that we both dont need two cars on the drive + my works van, so ill be getting rid of the Evo in the next few months and we will be sharing a car!:Whatever_

She will be driving the car mostly as I have my works van and she will be using the new car for work everyday, which is about 2mile away, so the car will not be used that much, so petrol is not a problem, and anything will have better mpg then the Evo!:D

Were both 23 years old so insurance will be a big factor, so a Evo, Scooby, Skyline, are off the list!:cry:

Basically she will driving the car the most, If it was upto me Id have a Evo 8 RS but she will be driving it the most and a Evo is not pratical, so we have decided on the following cars.

Lotus Elise
Audi TT convertible
Honda S2000
Renault Clio V6
Nissan 350Z
Porsche Boxster 2.5
Mazda RX8

350Z:)

Nice drive, predictable, quick (enough) and looks absolutely :notworthy

you know you want to:)

There's nothing quite like that 3.5 litre whirring away, lurvely:)http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...k/DSCF0018.jpg

2 miles away - poor engine :(

BTW Evo is not practical but then you list an Elise???

2 miles - you could walk that!!!

to be honest i don't think any of the car you list are practical but why not a bmw or audi with that kind of budget you would get really good one.

lol tell her to get on her bike and keep the evo.

Do the right thing, Keep the enviroment green :thumb:

From those the S2000, or the 350z, but you'll probablt have more choice of the S2000's...... Wouldn't touch the Audi with a bargepole and you'll struggle to find a decent Boxster for that money. The MAzda, IMO, has aged quickly...

As said, none of those cars are practical enough to be a main car, either with just 2 seats, or small +2seats in the back, what happens if you need to ferry visiting friends around, or travel a long distance with large items in the back where the van would be pretty horrible.

The early Porsche Boxster 2.5 apparantly had a major reliability problem that required a new engined when it went wrong, can't remember what it was but Porsche denie any problems, remember reading it in one of the monthly Porsche Mags. Plus it was far far too slow in a straight line for a Porsche.

S2000 is the best choice, might get one myself, but as a second car, also like the 350z.

You could look new at cars like the Golf Gti or Focus ST for that money.

As said above the only car you've dismissed (evo) is the most practical of the lot.

Out of the rest the rx8 would be most practical I guess, but probably drinks a similar amount to an evo and hasn't got the performance to justify it.

I can't imagine any of your list as an only car between me and the mrs.

I disagree about the Boxster comments - there are loads available now for 17-18k even teh 2.7 which is better than the 2.5, ghet an inspoection and make sure the RMS is ok!

I'd have a 350Z. Nearly bought one 2 years ago.

Another vote here for the 350Z but the RX8 runs a close second especially if you want 4 seats. :)

I'd have the S2000. In fact I have the s2000 and I love it :) Only thing I would say is the s2000 is probably worse than an Evo or Skyline on insurance so it's probably off your list now. That said I'm just over a grand with my 23yo girlfriend on the policy and I don't think that is too bad.

2 miles away.......Get a bike

Doing 2 miles each way to work mpg is irrelevant as the engine will not have wamed up. You'll still be running on 'choke' or whatever it's called with these new fangled engine jobbies .... :-) You'll ruin the engine in no time. My advice is buy a munter off ebay for a few hundred for work - save a *nice* car for the weekend.

Dave

PS: and I agree with the posts above - get a bike. I was doing 25 miles each way on my bike at one time ... and I was a lot older than you are now! (And still am probably :D)

Guys, in fairness, the OP does say he'll still have the works van - hence I can see the interest in a 2 seater.

2 miles though...:(

Car wont do just 2 miles a day, I was trying to say that the car will not be doing many motorway miles and really long journeys, it will be mostly used by my girlfriend who will use it to take to work in the day which is 2 mile away, and then when she is back ill use it when ever I get bored and fancy a quick blast!:)

Been looking at the Vauxhall VX220's on Piston Heads, look a good car, but she likes the look of the VX220 and I like the Lotus Elise!:wonder:

You sure your GF just doesnt find the Evo too ugly or brutal hence why your looking at the likes of elise' and vx220's :lol1:

She loves the Evo, but insurance for both of us is a bit on the high side, and with us buying our 1st house, I dont want to be paying £3k insurance for a bloody car as its money that could be spent elsewhere!


Just did a quote on a Elise and they want £1960:eek: Also did one on a VX220 and its £1020, looks like the VX220 is winning at the moment!

Buy my VX220 Turbo. Bloody Fantastic car, and a true drivers cars and experience that could only be rivalled by cars well over 50K IMHO.

Its up for sale on the board, and example don't come much better.

Soz for the semi High jack, but what I am trying to say it don't bother with the Elise, they are too slow. The VX is an Elise with Elise chassis, Elise body parts, and a Vaxhall turbo charged engine they chuck in everything these days so is a tried and tested motor. Servicing is dirt cheap. Every year or 10,000 miles which ever sooner. Next service in Feb next year on my car is £120. Pounds per smiles you can't beat them.

Right so that's her list, where's yours? :lol1:

PMSL :D

If you want something a bit different then what about a Focus RS? I know you can get quicker STs, but the RS is a bit exclusive...

iirc group 16 insurance??

You need to decide what exactly you want - soft top, 2/4 seats, something powerful/special??

What about an MX5? Supposed to punch way above its class...

Mate unless she's prepared to take the 'long' way around to work any decent engine will soon get fooked..!:(

I make the wife drive around 5 miles to get to her mum's that's around 1.5miles away..!:D (before anyone says that's with the kids in tow so no walking in the winter..!).

BTW I can't believe you're selling your car again..!..;)

Were going to test drive a Nissan 350z tomorrow! So hopefully ill like it, trouble is I always compare my cars to my old scoobys, Just hope that it has something good to offer!:)

If she's a girly girly she won't like the undignified manner of entry / exiting an Elise. Not that practical either.

What pumpkin is basically asking is, "does she like to wear her knees behind her ears"
:thumb::D

What about a Golf R32????????????????

worth a thought!

Well done, hopefully you'll be impressed:)

I found the 350Z to be completely different to the Scoob, in every way. It's quick, but doesn't feel that quick - the power delivery is so linear it's unreal. The downside of the is no 'kick in the back':( The upside is no flatspots, and it will pull all the way up the leccy limiter:notworthy

I also found the car to be a bit more grown up. I still get stacks of 'nice car mate' comments, but I've yet to have a scowl, like I used to in the chav-chariot - sorry, Scooby:D :)

After a year of Zedding, I'm yet to be bored by the car. It's realiability and useability are staggering, it's not meant for driving in the city, but it makes a fine job of it. But it loves the B roads and soaks up the m'way like no other.

I still LOVE the sound of a flat four burble, and will probably end up getting another Scoob at some point, but that Nissan V6 is automotive porn, honestly, it's awesome:notworthy

Hope you like it:)