I would avoid a Volvo C30 : nice looking car, comfortable and good to drive. However, I expect you will need reasonable boot space. It is the most impractical boot in the history of motoring. Also in my 2007 electrics are slightly dodgy.

Even the 'standard' 1.4TSi Golf has had its fair share of major problems (including general ones across the Golf range) as shown on the 'Good & Bad' section of the Golf VI review. 60k miles isn't that low for a 6-7yo car (especially a petrol engined one) if it has been well looked after. The problem is that you won't really know (unless the seller is known to you) whether it was used as a shopping car (lots of short journeys - not great) or a range of journey lengths/longer journeys.

What may look a nice car may not turn out to be one due unseen problems with the engine and oily/electrical bits. German makes are, in my view, too much about projecting an image of solidity and reliability as well as style and performance, and have, to me, taken their eye off the ball over the last decade or two, and are now paying the price.

Buying a car mainly for looks is, in my view, not the best strategy, especially when you're on a budget and appear to want to keep it for a long time - you'll likely end up spending far more on repairs than anything else if you can't determine which car you look at buying is in a good state of repair and has had known inherent problems fixed (assuming they can be) already. Bring someone with decent knowledge of the engineering side of cars with you when you've narrowed your choices down to a couple of (actual, not models in general) cars - it will go some way to avoiding buying a bad car.

Unfortunately, the Japanese makes, perhaps with the exception of Mazda (on the looks/driving front, more on newer models [handling has always been good though]) are safe and reliable, but a bit staid compared to more European rivals, but that's because they tend to spend more money on the engineering/ergonomics/useability side of their cars and less on the styling.

Whilst I am personally biased towards Mazda (generally the best looking Japanese cars as a range), you may want to look at the Mazda2 mk2 (2007-15), in particular if you wanted a bit of poke (similar in performance to the standard VAG 1.4TSi) look at the 1.5 Sport (petrol), or the last of the Mazda3 mk1 2ltr petrol saloons (TS2 or Sport, both come with climate control BTW and a bit quicker than the VAG engined cars) or early mk2 equivalents (to be honest, both are a bit rare; the hatch of the mk2 in 'Sport' trim actually doesn't look that bad and all handle well).

Personally I'd go for the Mazda2 1.5p Sport (3dr or 5dr) as it is cheaper to buy/run (for the same performance) and you'd get a far newer car, probably even one as new as 3 years old. Yes, the interior isn't as plush as the German equivalents (or the latest model for that matter), but its not too bad.

Whatever you go for, also have a look on HJ's 'Cars for sale' section as well. I saw some quite nice examples (on the face of it) of the cars I've spoken about above, though the Mazda3 saloon is, as I said, harder to find. Avoid Mazda diesels as they have had quite a lot of problems up until recently. Also make sure any car that has the Tevez ABS/stability/traction control type systems of that era (including those on German makes) have had proper repairs done on them if they've suffered a failure as they are quite expensive to put right.

Its the reason why many of us were suggesting you go for a 'less fashionable' newer Japanese car than a 'stylish' German one - far less potential problems that could put a severe dent in your wallet.

Completely agree with your points.

You should have something you want for that money. I would add into your mix a Renault Megane Coupe (09-) - solid, reliable and I think would meet all your needs. You could have a 1.6 or a 2.0 that's newer than the BMW. Looks the part in the right spec and colour (I had black, but secretly coveted an orange or white one).

Some people will tell you its dire but I can assure you as a previous owner mine was problem-free and Driver Power on Autoexpress consistently rated this versions reliability. Anyone who says otherwise is likely talking about the Megane 2.

You should also consider the Volvo C30. It's based on the Focus and I currently have a problem-free V40 D2 which was evolved from it. I'm sure you'd get a much better condition vehicle for your money than the BMW. It shares those premium tight-panel gaps and is far more interesting than the BMW.

I actually looked at the BMW 1-series for around £9k a few years ago and decided on the Megane Coupe (for £2k less) and we were very happy together until my miles went up. Again I looked at the BMW but rested on the Volvo.