In your position I think I’d be inclined to go for something a bit different, an old German wip, a merc or a bmw, I have my reservations about the e46ti, I worked with a guy who bought a two year old one years back and that too also seemed to be perpetually broken.

Having a quick look on auto trader for something in the 2 - 2.5k price range, petrol with decent acceleration and bearing reliability in mind 3 cars popped out at me.

Hyundai Coupe
Toyota Celica
Honda Civic 1.8

If you want a roadster you are also in the territory for a Mazda mx5, Audi TT, Toyota MR2 or a Mercedes SLK, I’ve even spotted a BMW Z4 for under 2.5k

Depending on your level of bravery...

Honda Civic Ep3 type R.. though at this money good ones would be few and far between.

I've looked at a few 1.8 Civic's and have added it to the contender list. I'm not keen on the Coupe and really dislike Celica's just because they're always driven by a teenager with a cherry bomb or something...
I don't really want a convertible so that puts the newer MR2's out and the older ones are just too old really. Also considered a TT but in budget the mileage is very high.
Shame about the E46 because I'd figuratively put that in my 'top three'

Still confused about what I want
This is more for my own personal reference so I know where I'm at.

I've ruled out,
Smart Roadster - Just not reliable enough.

Fiat Bravo - It is an extremely sensible choice but I just don't want one.

Suzuki Swift Sport - High mileage in my budget, not too keen.

Mito + Punto Evo - Can't get the level of spec I'd want in budget.

Still considering,
Honda Civic 1.8 - The most sensible choice and I can get one with all the toys in budget, not very excited by it though, its neither fast or frugal...

BMW 316/318ti - Every single thing I've read online says steer clear of the 4 cylinder petrol BMW's but I just love the E46 ti's and every BMW I've driven are lovely to drive, my Dad has an E90 320i and it leaks oil like a sieve and the EML comes on every 500 miles but I love driving it. Certainly a risk!

Daihatsu Copen 660cc - Bit of a curve ball here, I quite like the look of them and they've got a hard folding roof which is a must if I'm having another convertible (my cloth top Punto was perpetually wet ). The 660 turbo is wimpy but should get much better fuel economy in the heavy traffic daily commute and although not fast I did drive a 34hp Panda around for over 2 years without wanting more power (slow car fast is better than fast car slow...). Biggest concern is motorway journeys. Most of my drive is in town and the odd bit of A road but about twice a month I will do a 30-50mile motorway journey and then every 2-3 months I visit home which is a 140 mile journey.... Not sure if I would tire of this in a Copen...

Thoughts welcome on any of the above

RE: Daihatsu Copen, though this applies to any Kei car really - you'd be surprised at just how much bigger that 660cc feels! ycming has a Suzuki Cappuccino, I've got a Pajero Mini, both have 660cc turbo units and both surprisingly quick. Admittedly, the Pajero weighs a lot and is crap on MPG because of that but I never really had any issues keeping up with traffic.

Eklipze3k said:

RE: Daihatsu Copen, though this applies to any Kei car really - you'd be surprised at just how much bigger that 660cc feels! ycming has a Suzuki Cappuccino, I've got a Pajero Mini, both have 660cc turbo units and both surprisingly quick. Admittedly, the Pajero weighs a lot and is crap on MPG because of that but I never really had any issues keeping up with traffic.

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This is nice to hear from somebody who has experience with these engines! Wasn't expecting to find out much on this forum :worship:
It does produce exactly double the power of my old 750 Panda, at a whopping 68hp! Although it weighs around 100kg more, so long as it keeps up with m/way traffic and will maintain 70 up an incline I needn't worry about power.

Ah yeah great engine the 660cc! Will easily do 80 no problem.

But do try and sit in one making sure is comfortable.

I also had a smart forfour brabus. Lovely car I much prefer over the colt czt but essentially the same car but the brabus is much more comfortable.

Why not consider a cinq or a sei ?

ycming said:

Ah yeah great engine the 660cc! Will easily do 80 no problem.

But do try and sit in one making sure is comfortable.

I also had a smart forfour brabus. Lovely car I much prefer over the colt czt but essentially the same car but the brabus is much more comfortable.

Why not consider a cinq or a sei ?

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Good to know. Forfour Brabus are hard to find and probably a no go, am considering a regular 1.5 Forfour if I can find a good one with the manual box as my Mums was so reliable and I did quite like it.

Always had a soft spot for a Cinq but the simple answer is I want air-con. I think it did come with some Sei's but hard to find one and if I got a Sei I'd probably just wish it were a Cinq.

Fiat Panda 100hp , several on autotrader under £2500, like the one in red

Officina red said:

Fiat Panda 100hp , several on autotrader under £2500, like the one in red

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I have toyed with the idea but I'm not sure if I'd actually want one, maybe I should drive one and see how I feel.

Didge3 said:

I have toyed with the idea but I'm not sure if I'd actually want one, maybe I should drive one and see how I feel.

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I've never driven one myself, do like the look of them , i've read on the forum's that there heavy on fuel.

I did drive one, unfortunately due to an extremely poor choice by the salesman I got to drive it in stop start traffic and over speed bumps. In this context it felt like a mk3 panda (of which I have driven many and am actually a fan of) but with iron blocks for springs. This is pretty much the least complimentary situation to encounter an HP in from what I've read but I did form the opinion it was very hard for something so (relatively) slow.

Of the cars fitted with that engine I'd probably get a 2b sporting which I quite enjoyed other than an electric throttle pedal similar to the panda that seems to use a 56k modem to transfer your inputs to the engine bay.

StevenRB45 said:

Of the cars fitted with that engine I'd probably get a 2b sporting which I quite enjoyed other than an electric throttle pedal similar to the panda that seems to use a 56k modem to transfer your inputs to the engine bay.

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I agree with the Mk2B probably being the best vessel for the 1.4 16v, though in the 30k/18 months I drove mine I didn't find the throttle response anywhere near as bad as you describe
It did have A/C though, not that it ever worked but it did have it. The Idea is another option - same platform as the Mk2 Punto, same 1.4 engine, quirky design, very cheap.

Eklipze3k said:

I agree with the Mk2B probably being the best vessel for the 1.4 16v, though in the 30k/18 months I drove mine I didn't find the throttle response anywhere near as bad as you describe

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To be fair to them I'd hopped out of 1.2 mk1 16v with short gearing and a throttle cable, it just lost the snappy response I was used to. But I didn't notice the same issue in the Suzuki which I also drove (and bought) around the same time.

Probably a familiarity thing as much as anything, every time I go back to mine after a few hundred miles in the turbo Citroen I accidentally launch down the road because my right foot is compensating for lag that isn't there. Once muscle memory is there it's fine and you don't notice it anymore, until you swap cars.

That's a good point, I was coming from the 660cc turbo lardy Pajero into the Punto...

I'm sure the HP would be fun on the correct road, on the correct day, in the correct mood. But it's definetly a drive one and see if you can put up with it level of ride quality.

I actually did drive the sporting on the correct road, A171 Whitby to Guisborough with a trip through Dalby forest and that was fun and nowhere near as stiffly sprung. However an Auto trader scout suggests they are mostly high miles and pre barried these days.

I never liked the look of the mk2b, I think they should've kept it mk2a which I don't think the 1.4 was available on. Either way finding one is getting difficult now especially with a/c.
As for the Idea... :yuck:
I'll have to drive a 100hp, I like the look of them but I've never liked the interior in the mk3 which is what you're looking at most of the time.

I don't know if I mentioned but also have considered a Cooper S, not sure what servicing/running costs are on these but I can get a fairly high mileage one in budget. Or a Alfa 147, these actually seem to be a good shout and not as unreliable as one would think but I'm still torn...

I owned a cooper s in 2003, very quick car, but if it has the 17inch wheels, you will feel a leaf on the road, and the very small seats will have you in agony over a longer drive,
On wheeler dealers they did a cooper s and the 100,000 mile service is very expensive.

Don't think it has been mentioned... but how about an Alfa MiTO? Or a really nice, late facelift 147?

Both are good suggestions but both have already been mentioned.

I think its becoming more of a personal thing rather than a practical thing, I want something that I'm excited to drive but a lot cheaper to run than my Saab!