I do like the honda civic 2012+ but the older version is not really for me

Are you sure you are thinking of the right Civic?. The 2012> Civic has very similar styling to the previous model (2006-2011) and is clearly related, but the one before that looked totally different.

As to the Mazda, the 1.6 only offers up around 100bhp, so while it is a very sweet engine, and very reliable, it is no ball of fire. You could consider the 2.0 version, which has 147bhp. Here is a nice looking one well under your budget,

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20190215497...1

Edited by badbusdriver on 29/04/2019 at 19:26

Thank you for your reply. Everyone seems to be suggesting me a honda civic. I do like the honda civic 2012+ but the older version is not really for me. Now that you have mentioned mazda 3, what is your opinion on 1.6 petrol engine as I have heard they are somewhat clunky. I could afford the newer model of the mazda 3 2009+ but I am not too sure whether its worthed an extra £1-1.5k compared to an older model.

Nothing 'clunky' about them (I own a 2006 reg example from new), just not a ball of fire - like the similar Ford Focus (related cars, though not that engine) of that era, both are great handling cars. As BBD says, a 2.0 petrol is available, though, like the 1.6, it's a port injected, naturally aspirated engine, so you'll only get about 36mpg (40 if you're gentle on the throttle) from the 1.6L and about 33mpg from the 2.0L petrol. Don't get a diesel as they've had numerous issues.

Both are better drivers' cars than the Civic, but the Civic 1.8 is quicker and, by all accounts, more frugal. The Civic also has a big boot. You may find that the condition of the cars on offer may be just as important as the driving experience if you're on a tight budget.