Next car?

Had a shufti at sorting the sills on the Ovlov this afternoon, and discovered that the right hand side one has reverted to Iron Oxide. Anyone got any ideas for what car I should get next, on the following criteria: Should manage 30mpg or so in the real world (what my Ka and this Volvo seem to average). 20mpg with me piloting it and in a very big hurry. Needs to do 0-60 in a reasonable time, handle either well, or in an amusingly sideways fashion. Something that won't rust. Ever. Like how Audi 80s never rust. Less than < £500 or so to buy. It'd be very nice if I could fit a mountain bike in the back with the front wheel on. I also want to be able to get 4 people in it without them a) having to be midgets and b) the car becoming enormously slow. Needs to be pretty reliable too. As in, dies due to me thrashing the life out of it less than once every 10 thousand miles. And comfy. Even the Volvo has comfy seats.

Current thoughts are along the lines of Audi 80 / 90, SAAB 900i (possibly a bit rusty for my liking, but they do look great), VW Golf MK2 (insurance was

*very* fierce when I got quotes for a GTi a while back), and perhaps something along the lines of a Mondeo (rust? bits falling off (they did in my Ka)?), 405 or Xantia (hydropneumatic stuff? bits falling off? both french, both might have decent diseasels?). Any comments on these or ideas for other cars? Nothing Fester / Micra sized, hideously overpriced and I don't much like the amount of noise on the motorway.
Reply to
Doki
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Get yourself a Proton and you'll get a car with 4/5 doors and 12 months MOT, still saving £300 on the above price!

Wifey loves hers!

Reply to
Ex Alfa Adam

Another car for my possibles list: SAAB 9000.

Reply to
Doki

405 won't rust. It will rattle, and knock, but if you learn to ignore that, it'll be fine :)
Reply to
DanTXD

No. Never. Not Ever. Did you see the bit about handling? And not being made out of cheese?

Reply to
Doki

BMW E34 520/525? Certainly you can pick them up for

Reply to
JB

And Scirrocos / Audi Coupes if they last well.

Reply to
Doki

309/405 SRi BMW 320i (an older one) ZX Volcane (petrol or diesel) Rover 216/220 GTi Vauxhall Carlton Sierra XR4/XR4x4
Reply to
Carl Gibbs

Certainly a possibility. I like the sound of an SRi, assuming a) they're not hideously expensive b) the inside's better than the inside of my mate's 405, and c) the insurance people don't murder me.

Had thought about that. Smells a bit council estate though.

Uglier than my Volvo FFS :D.

I've heard stories about Rovers in crashes.

Both possibilities, but I reckon they're too likely to be afflicted with the tinworm.

Reply to
Doki

They've got EFi too haven't they? And lovely lovely RWD. Right. I need one in black, with leather. I can manage without chrome wheels and window tints though,

Reply to
Doki

Defo not expensive although the 309 variety may be harder to find (XSi is the same model with 3 doors btw). Nice interior, probably velour bucket seats, lecy windows, but lots more stuff in 405.

So. 325i would be better though, could probably get a slghtly tatty one within budget. A mate has one and they're fecking good fun. he's just fitted an LSD to his, and were both out doing the same event tonight, so will be interesting to see who stacks it first ;)

Thats why they're cheap. Handles better than its 306 brother, which handles bloody well anyway! Thinking about one for my next car after Chritsmas.

My old one didnt seem too bad (and i crashed it, although very slightly). nice engine as well.

Maybe, but you never know, could find a solid one for easily under #500. Well worth a looksie!

Reply to
Carl Gibbs

This guy has a couple you might be interested in.

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Mike.

Reply to
Mike G
.
9000 I had used to average 33mpg, and i was no light foot. Nice handling, fairly good ride and plenty of toys! 900's are good but I only got around 27mpg..... If you find a rusty 900 it's either an early car or been dipped in the sea..Most should be rust free being built from the finest heavy gauge swedish steel :-)

Some early 85-89 9000's can look tatty (doors etc) - but you'll never find structural rot...built like tanks.

Reply to
Chris

*cough*Alfa 155*cough*

Seriously, you'd get one for under £500 if you're not looking for a minter, or alternatively, I know someone who has a fairly tidy 75 that may well go for around that price.

Reply to
SteveH

Problem with older VAG stuff is that it rots in hidden, expensive places.

Reply to
SteveH

Surely you mean 306? - 309 was the fairly ugly stretched 205, and, ISTR the hotter ones were only badged as a GTi regardless of the number of doors they had.

Reply to
SteveH

Also how about (don't baulk..) a sierra 2.0 twinky EFI? German built ones seem pretty solid - picked a late 92 car for peanuts as a stop gap, goes really well. Handles OK too - nice arse out action in the wet :-)

Reply to
Chris

I've been tempted before, but read the twinks are a bit fragile.

Reply to
Doki

In news: snipped-for-privacy@uni-berlin.de, Doki decided to enlighten our sheltered souls with a rant as follows

Ok, ignore the rust and buy my XR4x4. It's solid enough to last another couple of years, reliable, handles well, cheap to fix, MOT til April, decent tyres etc...

to you, £300...

Reply to
Pete M

Mmm. Straight 6 lovelyness. Terrible shame about Merc interiors though. There are three ways to do luxury, IMO, and that's Jag / Rolls / Bentley style walnut and leather, Audi style black black and black or Swedish half car half B&O hifi style. Grey leather and great expanses of plastic don't do much for me. That said, that Merc goes stark staring mental when you flick it into Sports mode. Probably not half as brutal as my uncle's Caterham, but you're too tightly strapped in to tell in one of those :P.

Reply to
Doki

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