The missus is after a new car to replace an aged, but still in very nice nick, Cinqecento.
She wants a sporty car, preferably a Mazda MX 5. Budget is reasonably flexible but I think £8000 to £12000 is in the ball park.
So, is it worth getting the 1.8i 'S' over the base model? It's got an LSD, but she's more interested in the ABS brakes.
Apart from the headlights, is there any great reason to go for a newer one?
What about the MGF -- are they cheap for a good reason?
What else should we consider - I reckon on the Interga type-R, Nissan 200zx, New Mini (Cooper - suspect it will have better resale and gets more kit for not much more money), Ford Puma.
I want something that's pretty depreciation resistant - so 3 year old or more for starters (except New Mini), has plenty of go and is fun for her to drive (so she stops pestering me to let her drive my Caterham..).
Has anyone any views on something like a nice GT6 or MGB GT for occasional / motorway commuting use? If well maintained I think the lack of fuel injection, ABS, catalytic converters etc should be a bonus. No road tax would be nice as well.
Are Cinqecentos good sellers privately? It's a black, base model, L reg, 55k. I'd like to think we'd get £1500 for it, but think £1000 - £1200 is likely.
Piers
|
GT6.
Lovely cars.
Saw three together at Gloucester docs last year.
Never owned a MGF but two mates that have them swear by them.
I agree about the cat.
|
|
|
Go for an MGF, been around for long enough for the faults to have been ironed out.
Have you seen the new MG Saloons (ZR, ZS,ZT) due to launched at the end of the month?
They are a far cry from the MG's of the past (Metro! Maestro!! Montego!!!)
Go and try one as soon as they become available
You will be impressed
|
|
|
Tip for MGF buyers: the new bottom of the range 1.6 is actually a better drive than the 1.8, mainly because it will rev.
But the opposite is true of MX5s. Unless they are pre-cat, MX5 1.6s feel dangerously underpowered for a sports car. Essential to go for the 1.8.
You might find an Alfa Spider for your £12k, but be very, very careful. And make sure you run the hood up and down half a dozen times on your test drive.
Cinquecento 900s are throwaway cars, but can appeal to kids because of their low insurance group. I still don't think you'll get more than £1k for it.
HJ
|
honest john wrote:
>
> Tip for MGF buyers: the new bottom of the range 1.6 is
> actually a better drive than the 1.8, mainly because it will
> rev.
If the 1.8 is still the VVC K-Series engine I find it hard to believe that it won't rev.
A mate has one in his MGF and that's never happier than banging around the red line. Another mate has one in a 218 tomcat and that revs like a bike too.
Of course for a properly free revving engine you really need a bike. ;-)
|
|
|
|
Dave
The MGf was available with the 1.8 non VVC motor from the start. This unit although fairly powerful, is not as rev happy as the recently introduced 1.6 unit.
Most other MGf's have the 1.8 VVC motor which is a little stormer - the new 160 Trophy is a real driver's machine with 160 PS, great handling and huge stoppers (With red calipers!)
The 200 Coupe with the 1800 VVC unit is a real wolf in sheeps clothing - revs to 7500rpm and really flies without the torque steer of the overly powerful 220 turbo coupe - the original tomcat.
I fitted an 1800 VVC engine into an MOT failure Metro at work - a bit of a parts bin special - with fantastic results. All of the technicians said it couldn't be done - I proved them all wrong, so it shows that a pen-pusher can indeed turn his hand back to the more mundane but important spanner work! It was in its original Henley Blue paintwork and won the local traffic light Grand Prix on many occasions!
It is now fully prepared as a hill climb and sprint competition vehicle and can be seen competing in and around the South West hill climb and sprint championship.
Rgds
David
|
David Lacey wrote:
>
> Dave
> The MGf was available with the 1.8 non VVC motor from the
> start. This unit although fairly powerful, is not as rev
> happy as the recently introduced 1.6 unit.
Ah. HJ's already slapped my wrist for not doing my research!
> The 200 Coupe with the 1800 VVC unit is a real wolf in sheeps
> clothing - revs to 7500rpm and really flies without the
> torque steer of the overly powerful 220 turbo coupe - the
> original tomcat.
The guy that owns it is a switched on cookie. However it wasn't even on his list
'till he drove my 414i and was converted to the joys of cloth cap motoring. ;-)
> I fitted an 1800 VVC engine into an MOT failure Metro at work
> - a bit of a parts bin special - with fantastic results. All
> of the technicians said it couldn't be done - I proved them
> all wrong, so it shows that a pen-pusher can indeed turn his
> hand back to the more mundane but important spanner work! It
> was in its original Henley Blue paintwork and won the local
> traffic light Grand Prix on many occasions!
Hmmm. Can you make me one with a budget of 400 quid?
> It is now fully prepared as a hill climb and sprint
> competition vehicle and can be seen competing in and around
> the South West hill climb and sprint championship.
I'll watch out next time I'm at Prescott.
|
|
|
|
Mind you, if it was my money I would spend it on an MX5, not that I'd be seen dead in one.....but the sheer reliability and build quaility issue would make the choice for me. MGFs are ok if they are properly sorted out. The latest (post BMW) Rovers seem better made just like the Freelander. The best sorted Rover ever was the 200 series...
|
|
|
|
|
Shame Dave Lacey can't handle even the smallest engined MGF without facing in the opposite direction to intended travel at most road junctions in the wet.
|
|
|
Thanks, David Lacey. I liked the Trophy 160 too (see road test on this site). If Dave had read the road test he'd had seen what I'm on about. Please can you guys who just use the Backroom take a trawl through the rest of the site. It's great to have a flourishing chat room. But even if we get a sponsor for the Backroom, that sposorship alone won't pay to keep the site alive.
HJ
|
honest john wrote:
> If Dave had read the road test he'd had
> seen what I'm on about.
Sorry HJ. Didn't mean to doubt you!
|
|
|
|
![2021 Lexus NX 300h 2.5 5dr CVT [8" Nav]](http://images.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/url/crop/90x60/https/assets.heycar.co.uk/t_default-export/f_auto/application_assets/vehicles/pictures/d1b959cb70a916c3aa16b9b838187b3f/2e5a96ddfd598bf95166e4edcbb4e8cd.jpg)
