New car suggestions?

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New car suggestions?

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I'm planning on getting something new this winter with a £2.5k max budget.
I started off all immature looking at Smart Roadsters but I think I've ruled them out due to reliability issues.
I'm toying with the idea of a Smart Forfour Brabus, we had a non Brabus in the family for many years and it was always cheap to run and very little went wrong over the years. They're hard to find though and I think it might be a little too 'harsh' for a daily commute.
My sensible choice is a Bravo Sport 150 t-jet. I think everything about the car makes sense although it's probably a bit bigger than I need. For some reason I'm just not won over by it...

Any suggestions?
Must be petrol, preferably manual.
Cheap to run(ish)
Reliable.
Not too slow, or at least an exciting slow car (hence Smart Roadster)
 
Mito just a Grande Punto with nicer engines and firmer suspension? My sister wanted one and I steered her away after reading bad reviews but its definitely the newest/lowest mileage car I've looked at.

High mileage Swift Sports are in budget, anyone on here driven/owned one?
 
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I had a Suzuki Swift 1.5 GLX VVTS 3 dr so a detuned version of the iggy sport motor rather than a proper sport. Good little car served me very well and had A/C as well.

Bit squishy if you want to go fast but with 100bhp in a shoe box it certainly wasn't slow for the class and a giggle to the point I destroyed most of the suspension and wheel bearings back road hooning it in the 6 years I had it (oops). I can definetly attest to it's ability to keep a Focus ST170 very honest on a windy road and Saxo Vtrs and Yaris T sports very honest in a straight line.


The sport is a bit of a future classic possibly, but they are pretty juicy on fuel (early ones only take 98 later ones can take 95 but you'll be lucky to get 38 mpg from either). Also you may have a job finding one at that age and money that's not had 6 careful test pilots.

Good cars though.
 
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Didn't know about the earlier Swifts needing 98 and the iffy MPG but its still a contender for me, my Saab manages about 21mpg in town so most cars are an improvement!

Had thought of Yaris T-sports but getting a bit old now, most have pretty high mileage although from what I've been told they're exceptionally reliable.
 
Didn't know about the earlier Swifts needing 98 and the iffy MPG but its still a contender for me, my Saab manages about 21mpg in town so most cars are an improvement!

Had thought of Yaris T-sports but getting a bit old now, most have pretty high mileage although from what I've been told they're exceptionally reliable.

The normal swifts are a laugh never mind the sport, I went out to buy either a 1.4 mk2b Punto or a Grande Punto drove both, thought neither was a patch on my old mk1 and the fun had disappeared. Drove the 1.5 swift and immediately felt at home, except you could redline it all day without it blowing up (rip mk1 :(). Very short for the class at same length as a panda but much wider so very pointy iirc, although mine on the standard GLX springs did like to lift an inside wheel.

Might be worth having a go in one, as Tbf I got mine 10 years ago now so the memories probably not as fresh is at could be.

members motors thread for it https://www.fiatforum.com/members-m...er-bullets-replacement-caution-pic-heavy.html
 
The normal swifts are a laugh never mind the sport, I went out to buy either a 1.4 mk2b Punto or a Grande Punto drove both, thought neither was a patch on my old mk1 and the fun had disappeared. Drove the 1.5 swift and immediately felt at home, except you could redline it all day without it blowing up (rip mk1 :(). Very short for the class at same length as a panda but much wider so very pointy iirc, although mine on the standard GLX springs did like to lift an inside wheel.

Might be worth having a go in one, as Tbf I got mine 10 years ago now so the memories probably not as fresh is at could be.

members motors thread for it https://www.fiatforum.com/members-m...er-bullets-replacement-caution-pic-heavy.html
Thanks for that, will have a read.
My first car was a Grande Punto, I did like the 1.4 8v engine but that was about it... I've driven a 1.2 16v mk2a Punto speedgear for a fair bit and totally agree, neither a patch on the mk1. My convertible whilst a heavier, bendier version was still a hoot to drive and rather controversially I loved the 1.6 8v!
 
I picked up my 2011 1.6mjtd Punto Evo a couple of months back for £1500, there are some bargains about, the Punto Evo got the 1.4multiair turbo and the 1.6mjtd of the Mito and the same levels of kit, there are a lot more nicer mitos about, because people didn’t buy so many of the fancy puntos, later fiat ditched all the nicer engines on post 2012 puntos and went back to the standard 1.2 and 1.4 options and the 1.3mjtd.

Lots of punto bargains about, but if you wanted something that you were planning to keep I’d go with the Mito, more likely to hold its value and a bit of a step up the quality ladder.

I only bought the punto for my YouTube channel and it was very cheap.
 
Bravo t-jet 150 from £695 to £2,000 can be driven economically or quickly. Spacious enough for the average family and best of all if you get a cheap enough one you can drop the engine into a Panda when the MOT runs out. ;)
 
You might wish to read post 1.

I did. The thing is though for the £2,500 budget it would be a Bravo t-jet plus change.

There are plenty of tuners out there who can and will unlock the 150 restriction. Using a 695/124 Abarth base map for example with the right modifications to compliment it would give an equally as reliable 180+hp.

Styling is a bit of a let down with that generation Bravo. Too generic for my tastes but that does give a little Q-car potential rarely seen these days.

I'm petty sure with the right wheels and maybe a spoiler or some personal touches the blandness of the Bravo could be addressed.
 
I agree the Bravo is definitely the most practical and obvious choice aside from being a bit larger than I'd like. But as you said the styling is a bit of a let down and I'm struggling with it. I really like that feeling you get when you walk out of a petrol station toward your car and it just puts a grin on your face. My old Panda guaranteed to do that but I just don't think a Bravo would...

Honestly I'm not keen on the Mito but I'd have to look into them a bit more. I did love the Punto Evo when it came out, at the time I had a Grande Punto which I was quite fond of but it was quite a dull drive... I assume an Evo is much the same driving experience although with a t-jet a little more exciting?
 
I agree the Bravo is definitely the most practical and obvious choice aside from being a bit larger than I'd like. But as you said the styling is a bit of a let down and I'm struggling with it. I really like that feeling you get when you walk out of a petrol station toward your car and it just puts a grin on your face. My old Panda guaranteed to do that but I just don't think a Bravo would...

Honestly I'm not keen on the Mito but I'd have to look into them a bit more. I did love the Punto Evo when it came out, at the time I had a Grande Punto which I was quite fond of but it was quite a dull drive... I assume an Evo is much the same driving experience although with a t-jet a little more exciting?

I dunno what model of grande you had, I had a 1.4 8V active and that thing was as dull as dish water and handled like a barge on bed springs.

The Punto Evo I have now is a sporting model so much firmer suspension bigger tyres with more grip, stronger anti roll bars and it goes round corners pretty much flat.

It’s the 120multijet diesel so carries a bit of extra fat and torquey but not revvy. I imagine the 130bhp 1.4 multiair verson would go like te clappers and handle even better. It’s basically a budget abarth, I wonder if, with a remap you could get near abarth power.

I did some research and found out with a £300 remap my diesel could be boosted to 150bhp with no other mods needed.
 
E46 318ti ? Anyone got experience of one or know someone? Randomly popped up in a search. I know a lot of people aren't keen on the styling but I quite like it. The saloon E46's are a bit bigger than I'd like so I'm only considering the ti's.
Probably not as cheap to run as I'd like but seems to tick most other boxes.
 
A friend of mine had an E46 320 coupe (same engine different tune I believe) for 2 years. Despite multiple trips to the garage and him being handy with the spanners it didn't work 100% at any point in that time. Inlet coking and electrical gremlins mainly..When it moved it was slow and did low 30s mpg..

He replaced it with a scrap yard refugee Citroen C3 which has so far proved far less of a headache despite being 200 quid, 15 years old, knackered and french.
 
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