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Any recommendations on a small, fun runabout? Two people, 3 at a push, plus the dogs, just for local errands and the school run. Requirements are 40mpg+ and must be fun to drive. Budget is circa £7500, but preferably less, but maybe more.
Also, mustn't embarrass my daughter. I can do that without a car.
Thinking Suzuki Swift, um, er... Anything else?
The Outback does the general Ass hauling.
mk5 golf gti
Zonda.
Agree. Which is weird as I'm not a VAG fanboi generally.
mk5 golf gti
Which years are they? VAG is a mystery to me...
Don't think you would manage 40mpg in a golf gti (or anything fun) on too many journeys. I would still get one though.
Edit...I'm not classing diesel as fun BTW.
in the spirit of recommending what you have, A3 Tdi Quattro.
130 bhp, mid 40's mpg on average, high 40's on a run, fast enough to be fun and goes round corners on rails.
Don't think you would manage 40mpg in a golf gti (or anything fun) on too many journeys. I would still get one though.Edit...I'm not classing diesel as fun BTW.
Good lad! I'd prefer petrol to stinky diesel. 35mpg would be OK.
Which is the engine to get?
You won't get 40 mph from a Suzuki Swift Sport.
Which is the engine to get?
Don't ask me, mines a diesel 😳
Petrol for me next time though.
Mk5 Gti is a 2 litre turbo. Close to 200bhp. Not sure about mpg but I'm sure a few on here will have them and can give a better insight than me.
Fiat 500 Abarth
You might just get 35mpg depending on how you drive, I get just short of 30mpg average in my VRS which shares the same lump not hanging about on a mix of country lanes and empty motorways.
Unfortunately town driving kills it down to mid 20s but if your other half is heavily pregnant (and sat in the passenger seat!) you can quite easily see the average go into the 40s!
/\ 500 Abarth would be a good shout dependant on dog and rear seat passenger sizes.
Don't think you would manage 40mpg in a golf gti
Bet you would.
The 500 is a good call- cheeky and small.
How about a Panda 100hp? Cheaper too now.
I spent years slagging off the BMW 1 Series as I thought they looked terrible.
Regardless of this my fiancee recently got a 2012 116i 5 door and I have to admit it's superb to drive and loads of fun. It's quick, sticks to the road like glue, is beautifully balanced and gets around 40 mpg with mainly town driving. The looks are growing on me too.
I've driven A3's, Golfs, Focus', Leon's etc and although some are slightly more practical none come close as a drivers car. I can only imagine the bigger engines just add to the fun!
The 1series aint a small and fun runabout though -its more a medium size IMO?
I'd say the same about a Golf
Fiesta Zetec S...
Ibiza FR
Suzuki Swift
Fiat 500/Panda with the 1.4 100 BHP engine or the 500 Abarth.
Volkswagen UP/Seat Mii/Skoda Citygo (same car different badge). 50plus to the gallon round town, 60 on a run. Not fast but the 3 cylinder engine has makes a nice noise. Nice cars for round town driving, get the 75HP version if it's going to get used out of town.
Don't think you would manage 40mpg in a golf gti (or anything fun) on too many journeys. I would still get one though.
Got 40+ in my old mk.1 Octavia vRS when sitting in motorway roadworks between 50 and 60 (pre-roof rack days too). Not identical lump admittedly, but similar car/BHP etc.
Have to admit, I like the idea of a 500 Abarth. Also really like the look of Fiesta Zetecs and STs from the past 10 years - I'd buy one on the back of the way my mk.1 Focus handled.
Fiesta - I dont think £7.5k will get you the 1.0 ecoboost, but fun cars are not about how fast you can accelerate, but how well they go round corners.
I dont like Focus's. The original was a nice car, but all the later models really do not handle that well. The Mondeo handles much better.
Older Lupo Gti fits the bill nicely
later models really do not handle that well.
Really? I've tried most modern hatchbacks and the current Focus handles better then most. The only one I've tried that's better is the 1 Series.
The model before was good also but the drivers seat was too high. I loved the original but it's a completely different car to the current one. You'd be better comparing that with the current Fiesta.
I dont like Focus's. The original was a nice car, but all the later models really do not handle that well. The Mondeo handles much better.
Certainly the mk.2 Focus was a letdown by comparison.
Is it Focuses, or Foci? 😉
Agree 1 series and Golf are the same size!
Fiat500 Arbath for the giggly win?
Is it Focuses, or Foci?
Focodes.
Skoda Octavia est.
Blimey Panda 100hp's are cheap (and rare). I'd love to have a spin in one as I loved the standard Panda for giggles. I love my Subaru but NOTHING beats the fun factor of a tiny car thats a good steer with a cheeky reachable gear stick.
Mini Cooper, Ok you will look like a hairdresser, but they are great fun to drive and you will prob get near to 40 mpg (we have the Sooper s and I struggle to get more than 33, but would I change ? hell no, far to much fun)
Bloody useless for carrying anything in and your friends will all laugh, but what the hell
EDIT -
Bugger, missed that bit - err, get smaller ones ?plus the dogs
Another option - couple of mentions for the 1 series... How about a 130I. Had the same engine in my old E91 M-Sport and it was flippin brilliant. Better than the same 2.0 TFSI engine that comes in the Golf GTI that I had in my previous Octavia vRS. 40mpg is do-able on a run and the 130 will be a lighter car so should be easier.
Top notch build quality, decent boot, looks nice (nicer than the newer versions) and THAT engine...
Panda 100hp is on the short list, or a twin air.
Minis are definitely too poncey and Abarths too bunga bunga.
The dogs are small terriers so anything French is out. They'll destroy it in no time. They did more damage to an old Merc E300 in a month than they did to a Forester in 8 years, but then they'll only be occasional passengers...
116i 5 door.....It's quick
It might be nice to drive and fun in the corners but quick it isn't.
As for Focai I have had a Mk2 1.6 TIvct that handled pretty well and was a fantastic car. It went round corners surprisingly fast, bit dull inside tho. It used to average 35mpg. I recently got rid of a Mk3 Focus ST estate, it was a great handling car and felt really rather quick around corners, loads faster around corners than the Mk2. Unfortunately this meant is was less fun as you had to push harder and drive at stupid speeds to have fun in the twisty stuff.
A Ka that I had as a courtesy car when my ST was being serviced was arguably more fun. It was stupidly slow so the accelerator was used as an on off switch. And the tyres were so narrow every corner was taken with a 4 wheel drift. Great fun if only I could have fit in it without a sore neck, I'm 6ft and looked down on the rear vew mirror.
Can a Mini Clubman be bought for £7500? That would be ace and good for biking.
Drive one before you judge, I thought exactly the same but the wife really wanted one - best fun car I have ever driven (even better than the MX5 she had before)Minis are definitely too poncey
It might be nice to drive and fun in the corners but quick it isn't.
I should qualify that. Compared to a GTI/S/ST/GT version of anything then no, it's not but compared to other lower down the range models it is. Easily quicker, especially at overtaking then either the Mini Cooper or Focus 1.0t we had before. Neither of those were gutless.