best fun but frugal car under 10k?

richard plumb

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depending whether I make up with my car or not, I might sell it and look for something a little simpler for a while. Either something new on crazy low monthly payments (like £0 deposit £99 a month), or something used for around 8-10k.

I'd want something with decent mpg (getting 26mpg at the moment) and might even consider a diesel (shudder). Driving is mostly daily commute of 18 miles each way (mix of short motorway stint and A-roads), and 200 mile round trips on the M4 about once a week.

Also I change my mind all the time, and knowing me I'll be subconciously saving up for a porsche cayman in my head, so I doubt it'd last more than a year or two before I move on, so something that'll hold its value well for when I sell it on would be useful.

Don't particularly need to carry 4 people in it, but it would be good if I can on occasion (two adults two kids)
 
It's not a 'cool' car, but I love my wife's Toyota Aygo (same as Citroen C1 and Pug 107)

You get 60mpg, room for 4 adults, and it's quite nippy. They hold their value well too.
 
Had a Aygo before, and I agree, very nippy and frugal.

A new Pug 107 3d lite can be had for £5995 at Peugeot, New Used Peugeots, Peugeot Dealer or £5695 at Buy a Car, Deals on New Cars, drivethedeal.com, New Car Discount, Car Deal Online . With the massive discount, most of the depreciation is taken care off.

Or another good roomy nippy car is the Hyundai i10 (with 5 seatbelts I think even) at only £7000 for brand new one Hyundai | New Cars | Offers | Details

wasabi.

All will give you money to spare ;D
 
I've been thinking about a Fiat Panda 100hp. They are pretty economical, cheap to insure, suprisingly roomy and a lot of fun to drive- reasonable grip, good steering feedback and body control.

A good one can be had for £5k leaving plenty in the indecision budget.

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suzuki swift?

+1, I drove most of the superminis last year when my partner was choosing (she went with a polo). The Suzuki swift was by far the most fun per £. Brilliant engines compared to the rest, though not sure how economical they are vs the competition though.

*Edit, not sure what happened with the current range, as they all seem to have a 1.2 engine. When I drove them it was a 1.3 & 1.5 (I assume they have been phased out for a more 'green' engine, which probably* means they are just as crap as the other supermini engines)
 
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Looking at changing the A6 at the moment and am really taken with the VW EOS. Very frugal I.4 or 1.6 Is what I'm after. And that roof, amazing.

A good one can be picked up for between £8 to £10,000.

Seems like a good option if your OK with a drop top.
 
I don't know how frugal you want too go but take a look at a post 2007 Mini Cooper S. £10k will buy a 2007 car from a mini main dealer under their 'cherrished mini' program. I've just bought one & its a surprisingly quick, fun car.
Enthusiastic use of the sport button and testing the go-kart handling is showing 35mpg av rising to 40+ mpg on my run to work.

I really thought I would miss my 3 series but haven't so far.

A couple of things to watch though - pre 2007 cars are supercharged which are apparently worse on fuel but a more intense drive. Also go for a 'chilli pack' equiped car as re-sales are better with the air con & xenons.
 
I am curious about the mini, the handling sounds fun. 40mpg sounds like a nice bump from the 26 I'm getting in my Z4.

do they do automatics? As well as changing my mind all the time, I'm getting lazy in my old commuting age and don't get on with manuals unless absolutely necessary.

and how well behaved are they at motorway cruising?
 
I think they do an auto but i'm not sure what the mpg is like. Motorway is no probs, 6 speed box (std manual) cruise available on some models.

Downside is there's loads about and their hardly exclusive but there is a reason for that, they are very good drive.

Worth a test drive at least.

Of course mpg will go out of the window if you opt for some of the nuts remaps offered, google eclipse or p-torque :smashin:
 
Audi A4 Quattro Convertible 3.0V6 Tiptronic :) I'm getting 34Mpg out of mine on that mix of motorway/a-roads. Whipsnade to Farnborough/Coventry. Good lowish mileage examples (upto 50k?) with all the creature comforts are readily available, and when you get the snow next winter you can still keep going :)

S4 or RS4 would be more fun but fuel might be suffering a bit.
 
S1 Lotus Elise. I used to get about 36 mpg in normal driving in my 111S :)

no you didn't!? And don't suggest gorgeous cars :smashin: wonder if you'd get the same in an exige?

Wouldn't want it as a daily driver, but would be tempting as an occasional driver, and then organise with the wife to use her A3 for longer trips. Would double up as a fun track car too.
 
Audi A4 Quattro Convertible 3.0V6 Tiptronic :) I'm getting 34Mpg out of mine on that mix of motorway/a-roads. Whipsnade to Farnborough/Coventry. Good lowish mileage examples (upto 50k?) with all the creature comforts are readily available, and when you get the snow next winter you can still keep going :)

S4 or RS4 would be more fun but fuel might be suffering a bit.

My wife's A3 has put me off Audi's a bit. Gorgeous and a lovely place to spend a traffic jam, but not much fun when you're actually moving. 34mpg out of a 3 litre engines not bad. Wonder what I'd get from a late model 3.0 BMW 3 series?
 
I am curious about the mini, the handling sounds fun. 40mpg sounds like a nice bump from the 26 I'm getting in my Z4.

do they do automatics? As well as changing my mind all the time, I'm getting lazy in my old commuting age and don't get on with manuals unless absolutely necessary.

and how well behaved are they at motorway cruising?

If you want an automatic MINI you can have my Cooper D auto! It's a great motorway cruiser, gets 50mpg however I drive it, and is enormous fun.

I need a 5-door car though, hence my other thread.
 
Do you need to borrow money to pay for this car? If so, have you taken into consideration the extra monthly expenditure of doing so Vs how much you will save on fuel? As an example, if you have to spend £100 a month to save £50 a month on fuel, you're -£50 per month.

If this is a cash purchase and it wont be costing you money to save money, the Mini Cooper D will certainly do you proud!
 
cash purchase. would be selling my 07 Z4 coupe to fund and the wife would like some change :p
 
no you didn't!? And don't suggest gorgeous cars :smashin: wonder if you'd get the same in an exige?

Wouldn't want it as a daily driver, but would be tempting as an occasional driver, and then organise with the wife to use her A3 for longer trips. Would double up as a fun track car too.

:D

I used it as an everyday car for over a year too. It certainly wasn't a good car for everyday use but it was possible, unless it snowed.
 
If you want an automatic MINI you can have my Cooper D auto! It's a great motorway cruiser, gets 50mpg however I drive it, and is enormous fun.

I need a 5-door car though, hence my other thread.
Agreed, get a Dooper.
 
Alfa Mito?
Far more preferable to a Mini, in my book.
I have a problem with the Mini's image, and the fact they're as ubiquitous as Man U fans and rats.
 
any good new or approved used finance deals on these smaller cars?

Is a diesel cooper still a fun drive?
 
the automatics don't seem very good.. looking on the mini website, the cooper D shows 73mpg combined for manual, dropping to 55mpg for automatic - thats nearly 20mpg less! I'd have thought an automatic would be more efficient. Wondering if I can get away with a manual for a diesel.

prices seem quite firm for used too. Seen a cooper D auto 2009 for about £11.5 nearby though which seems pretty good.
 
Do the auto Doopers have stop/start? as this might explain some of the difference in mpg.
I dont do the miles to make a diesel worthwhile but 73mpg :eek:
 
the automatics don't seem very good.. looking on the mini website, the cooper D shows 73mpg combined for manual, dropping to 55mpg for automatic - thats nearly 20mpg less! I'd have thought an automatic would be more efficient.
The MINI automatics don't have stop/start. Unless you do the type of journeys that benefit from stop/start the consumption won't be as dramatically different.

My Cooper D is great fun to drive, and if it were only me and a small bag that needed to fit in it I would be more than happy to keep it for much longer!
 

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