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Mercedes A Class. There's everything from a sensible engine up to a daft 4.5l AMG
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Peugeot 308 (t9 series).
Top of the JD power survey for reliability and less faults per 100 cars than most other manufacturers. Good to drive too.
Not sure what the situation is over there but down here in bogan land no one buys them even though they have full 5 year warranties. A great buy on the second hand market.
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Civic (Type-R)
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Mini Countryman Cooper S (JCW if you're feeling spicy).
They're extremely overlooked imho and having owned and driven a few new Minis I've always found them to have great handling and with the right spec they're quite plush.
Available as a hybrid now also and they do a pretty neat OEM rear mounted bike rack that you can fold into the boot when not in use.Certainly worth looking into though!
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I had an M135i.
Great fun, but 100% retarded. Novelty completely wore ff once I realised you can no where near use the car to its full potential on a public road without going to jail. Bought it at around a year old. I kept it for 18 months and sold it for £9k less than I paid for it (admittedly, I did part ex, but it was basically impossible to sell privately at a realistic price). It also makes most other road users think you are a total dick, and will annoy your neighbours when you start it up at 6:45 on cold winter mornings.I picked up 6 points on my license in those 18 months purely because you can so easily drift up to 90mph+ in it on a quiet stretch of motorway without even noticing you’ve gone over 75.
If you have just passed you test I would imagine insurance costs for you be eye watering. I have been driving 19 years, and have 4 years NCB, and my insurance was circa £1k a year on a Bristol postcode.
It was bay far the comfiest car I’ve ever owned by a long way though! All the toys you get at the M spec level are great.
If I was in the market for something like that again i’d deffo be looking at a 118i with a high spec interior over any of the higher end performance models.
Make of that what you will.
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Hard to say without knowing the budget. If i was in the market for a not performance car I'd prob buy an e-golf on pcp. Been using the zipcar e-golfs and they're wicked.
Don't know how far you'd plan to drive out of london and if you'd have access to charge points though.
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Golf GTD/GTE? Or seat version.
keep wanting to like a 1 series coupe/2dr job, but friends ones that I've driven (130 and a 135) whilst they move alright, just feel like a barge, and what I wanted was light ish weight, simple, moderate power and responsive. Found them comfy and barge'like, which is what I already have in a 20yr volvo estate lol. Do the 1 series have concrete blocks hiding inside them to dampen road noise or something? as thats what they feel like to drive.
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@dan
First time poster in this thread. Recently passed my test and looking to replace our 2005 Skoda Fabia with something that can drive over 60mph without being at a million revs, can actually go around a corner without feeling like it will topple over and has mod cons like central locking and electric windows.
Wife has no interest in 'big cars' (anything bigger than a golf) - but has been converted to life in a nice car after we rented an 118i m sport shadow in Scotland. Left to my own devices I'd buy something stupid and inappropriate like an impreza, older m3 or m135i. But the reality is that I'm not a good enough driver and would probably kill myself or get my license revoked in a year.
As a Cervelo owner, clearly I have no taste or sense of value so I was thinking about an 118 or 116 m sport. Can't stand the way the pre 2013 models look, so would be then onwards. Is this a dumb idea? How much mileage is too much on these? The Fabia was 24k when we bought it and has been pretty reliable.
What else should I consider? I know a golf is a sensible choice, but.. dull.
Whatever I buy, it needs to be 5 doors as kids will turn up at some point in the next few years. I'd also like it to be reliable and not cost an arm in upkeep.