I know this question has been asked countless times i'm sure, but I'm 18, i've got 1 year ncb and am probably not going to get into uni next year, so, i'm going to spend whatever money i have on a car, i'm bored of my 6n and want something a bit faster and a bit better handling, but i've got not much of an idea as i want something fun and decent to drive but as i've driven a very limited number of cars i've got a very limited knowledge of what many cars are like to drive and live with.

lets say i've got 2500-3000 to spend on a car and insurance before modding etc, i want 30+ mpg, something i could work on a bit, not so that it becomes a project, it would be a daily, id like to enjoy driving it, its doesn't have to be blisteringly fast, something that's good in the corners?, not too old its a pain to keep going but age isn't too much of an issue, and be proud of it.

now i know i wont have a vast amount to choose from but there must be something out there,

i was maybe thinking polo mk3 gt or a mk 5 gti (probably couldn't get insured but thought about it non the less) or an audi a3 1.8

This may make me sound lazy i understand but i just haven't driven enough cars to come to great decision so thats where you guys come in

what is fun and cheap?

cheers, Adam

Non of the cars you mention could really be called a drivers car

My suggestion would be a mk2 golf 16v. They are good out of the box and are a good rewarding drive. Despite the fact they are getting on a bit now they are very reliable and easy to use as a daily, they are also easy to work on a parts are readily available

Make sure it only has 3 doors and is a good example and you will never loose out on it as they are fast becoming recognised as classics good ones will only increase in value. also make sure it has 16v's, despite what some may claim the 8v hasn't got shit on it, if people claim they drove an 8v and it was quicker then they are obviously delusional or just don't know how to drive for toffee

Edited 17 July, 201214 yr by Mclovin

You could get a mini, 998 or 1275, incredible fun to drive, cheap to run and insure, but can be a pain to keep up with corrosion

- "something a bit faster and a bit better handling"

- "30+ mpg"

- "something i could work on a bit"

- " its doesn't have to be blisteringly fast"

- "something that's good in the corners?"

- "not too old its a pain to keep going but age isn't too much of an issue"

- "fun and cheap"

If you don't need something practical and if you look anywhere other than a Mazda MX5 (insurance permitting) then there is something wrong with you in the head.

Have you ever driven an mx5 Matt? Or are you just regurgitating shit you have read on the net? I've driven a mx5 and it really wasn't all that, my mate who owned it felt exactly the same way and had it up for sale within a couple of weeks because it was pitifully slow. He said it was fun on wet car parks tho

Tbh I thought the mg midget he had before was a hell of a lot more fun

^ They're cool when done right, but when we went on a jaunt up North the other week my mate had one.

He came out a junction after being told to be encouraging with his right foot and well, not much happened. It needed a lot of beans to break traction, and he then regained it very quickly.

Probably does go round corners well though. For a 1.6, it's shite.

1.8, maybe.

mk2 golf 16v guy?

hes 18 with 1 years ncb. if he can get insured, then his dad must own admiral lol

Theres not alot out there for an 18 year old that'd you'd be able to insure for a decent amount.

Anything with any remote sound of power will bang up the insurance straight away. Id look for something small, agile and nippy that will keep the premiums down, maybe something like a Polo GT could be insurable for you. But not really a "drivers" car.

You wont have a chance on insurance with Golf GTI's and the likes.

I'm 20 with 3 years no claims and i cant get insured for less that £1600 on a 2.0 16v Corrado!

Edited 17 July, 201214 yr by Mattnaz

what about if my dad owns nfu? haha

yeah i am really not expecting much, if i remove the term 'drivers car' and replace it with, more fun than 1 litre 6n i assume ill get replies along the lines of 'anything'?

okay so ignore drivers car and replace it with something that is fun to drive, or the next step if you will?

i understand how drivers car is too far fetched at my age it was just the only short term i could think of haha

I had a MK2 Ibiza GTi when I was 18. That was good fun to drive, 2.0 8v meant it was quick enough at 18, certainly quick enough. Fuel wise it would do about 28 to the gallon average. Handled quite well once it was on coilovers and stiffened up with some strut braces etc.

106 GTi would be a good choice for a fun car to drive, or as much as it pains me to say it, a saxo vtr/vts. My mate had a VTR and it was a right laugh.

My Cupra is for sale, 200bhp and shit loads of torque mean its a fun drivers car, although probably not insurable at 18 haha.

Edited 17 July, 201214 yr by patchb

Mk2/3 polo and spend the change on a good suspension kit, brakes and a bit of bracing.

well i was looking at an ibiza gti but i know literally nothing about them, what was the insurance like on it?

also yeti that is my main school of thought, and this is an idea i know nothing about, what a car is like after its been tweaked, what is ultimately better then a mk2 or a mk3, i know models of mk3 but very little about mk2's

which of the two would be the better then? or is purely a matter of opinion?

I prefer the mk2, shorter front over hang and better braced front end as standard, others will disagree.

There's two sorts of car, modern ones that pamper you and keep you away from what's actually going off when you're driving. Yeah, they're quick, but I don't find them particularly interestting, and there's old tin (mk1-3 polos, old minis, mk1 golfs) that tell you exactly what's going off on the road, and doesn't mind letting you know if you get something wrong.

In my view, this makes basic cars a far more involving drive, keeps you on your toes, and ups your skills, so they're a better drivers car.

lupo 1.4 16v?

Forget anything properly modern, especially german. Forget power steering.

Consider this for a rule of thumb - the smaller the dashboard, the more fun it's likely to be at any given speeds. Not that the dash has any direct explainable reasoning, just that the trend does seem to work that way.

106 rallye, 205 1.6 gti, saxo vtr, golf gti 8v, only a few i can think of at the minute, tbh if your lookin for a hot hatch id steer away from polos because no matter how hard you try they still handle like shit lmao.

I think an mx5s a good choice, cheap insurance and rwd

Certianly faster than your polo, lets not forget welding something will make it awsome!

106 rallye, 205 1.6 gti, saxo vtr, golf gti 8v, only a few i can think of at the minute, tbh if your lookin for a hot hatch id steer away from polos because no matter how hard you try they still handle like shit lmao.

Nah, if a mk1-3 handles like shit after you've had a pay, it just means you've wasted your money on the wrong stuff.

Decent tyres (I use Avons, £130 a set)

H'n'R suspension (£350)

Front chassis brace (£20)

Set of VW2's if you're a heavy braker

Set the tracking right and you're there.

Mk2> golfs go quick for a car their age and don't handle badly, but there's no entertainment value.

I think an mx5s a good choice, cheap insurance and rwd

People say that like its a good thing, but there's little in life more frustrating than having a rwd car that can't break traction, for all the good it is you might as well have a fwd car. It's a frustration I'm living atm, I love the sierra but for all the good it is I might as well be driving a mondeo. Cool wheel drive cars that can't even go sideways out of a junction are a bit pointless, yes there is a lot more to driving a car than that, but what's the point in rwd if you can't show boat a little when your feeling a bit hooligan?

I have an MX5 with a welded diff and I still don't see the appeal with RWD.

Had a million times more fun in my VWs!

A thread about drivers car and people are saying the MX5 shouldn't be included..?? madness!

Welding the diff imo will make it a terrible 'drivers car' just bit easier to get it sideways which can be done as standard/LSD it just takes a bit more skill than if you had zillion bhp.

However an mx5 was never designed as a drift car, if you want to go sideways get a s14a 200sx. The 5 was designed as a modern day MG which it is, but with much better handling. Yes the lack of power can be frustrating sometimes when you are chasing cars with 200+bhp down the straights but I have the same problem in my Polo but its the corners that the thing excels in whether its on the track or on a B road they are just wonderfully balanced, involving and fun to drive.

Imo to get the most out of a MX5 it should be left standard. People stick crap cheap suspension on them and wonder why it feels skittish or the ride quality is rubbish or stick wide wheels/tyres on them and wonder why they can'y get it sideways/it feels unbalanced/it understeers.

There is the reason why they have the reputation of one of the best drivers car out there it's because they are!

anyway.... how about an BMW E30 325i or E36 325i/328i

Insurance will bum rape him at 18 on a bmw, I had a e36 318IS that was good fun. Still i wouldnt it was a drivers car standard, little to floppy ect.

I may be getting an mx5 today, i dont feel so bad as theres a local drift event every month

After going a few times in the g40 I say they can drift well, it all depends on the driver and how hard he will throw it in and clutch kick

Edited 18 July, 201214 yr by Matt G40

I have an MX5 with a welded diff and I still don't see the appeal with RWD.

Had a million times more fun in my VWs!

drifting is gay.

as are purple silvias/200sx's what ever the hell it was

I think the p.w is at school, but when he gets out, he's gonna be straight on the phone getting quotes for 200SX's, 328i'S and welded diffs..

There's a genuinely mint black 1990 MG Metro on the bay, i had one many years ago and it was great fun to drive and tinker with. You can insure it, fuel it, it's interesting, rare now, nostalgic, fun and nippy. And practical.

Might get insured on an Mk2 GTi 8v, even if it hasn't got 16v its still a very fun car to drive, especially at the age of 18! I loved being 5's up and still absolutely shitting all over my mates cars on the straight and through corners

I got insured for £650 fully comp (somehow lol)

They are quick enough to put a smile on your face and handle well considering their age.

I'm 22 with 5 yrs ncb and I cant get insured on a 16v GTi for less than £2200! Although for some reson I can get insurance on a BMW 335d bi-turbo with nearly 300bhp for £1300 fully comp