Hi, looking at getting a new car for the summer. Looking for something fast, newish and not too bad to insure considering i'm only 20.

So far the options that have came up are:

Ford Focus RS

Ford Focus ST170

Honda Civic Type R

Seat Leon Cupra R

Renault Clio 182 Trophy


Open to opinions on the above cars.And I just thought i'd ask for some perspective on whats out there for around this money. I currently own a focus and i'm quite happy with handling so could you please bare that in mind.

Cheers Drunken Master

 

i would have a FRS out of that lot

 

ST170 until your 21?

How long have you had your licence and how many years no claims have you got?

 

Focus RS for 9k? Yes please!

 

cupra r for me.

 

I've had my licence since I was 17. And I have 3 years no claims.

RichardPON

The Focus RS is at the 12k end of the price range mate

 

I like all of them

Sounds daft but which one do you like the most?

 

would have thought more 15K for a FRS?

 

Insurance want be that cheap on any of them, i know its an older car, but the integra type r is a very good car dont think you`ll get a FRS for that `i`d go for the cupra myself

 

vx220

 

I still can't get insured for a Civic Type R,23,6 NCB, no convictions...and I live on an island

Have fun!

 

 

PMSL, not its not

Ł14k and your looking about right

ST170 would be the most sensible, all the others have a high insurance price on them.

 

whats your ST170 like Andy?

 

staffi

Seconded the integra is a proper drivers car, its new enough that there is no rot or rust issues and old enough to not be a padded out boring drive.

Go test drive 1 and be converted

 

Grey

 

Yea, me too.

Good car and nice solid residuals too

 

There a 56k FRS @ 12,995 on Autotrader at a dealers.

I reckon you could find one for 12 grand with a few miles and an owner needing to sell

 

are they that eventful then?

 

you can get get a FRS for 12k and maybe less on a good day
dunno what condition there in but you can

 

Have you considered an S3? Or you could get an early TT for 12k or less.

Otherwise out of your list i think the st170 is a reasonable price now for what you get.

 

Think I might spend out a bit more than i expected and get the focus RS. The only reason I ask you is because i've only driven the type r it was nice but I think a turbo car might be more enjoyable to drive. Plus the civic's aren't that tunable.

Although being 20 whenever I go to a garage I don't seem to get taken seriously. So actually getting a test drive in a focus RS doesn't seem likely .

And as for the integra type r it's a bit too old for my liking I still want something that has a clean interior and fresh unfaded paintwork. And again theres not much scope to increase the power.

As for the insurnace all the above i've listed I can get insured on quite reasonably.

Thanks for your views though

 

what is your insurance quote for the FRS?

 

Id go for the Clio. Cheaper to run in terms of Servicing.

Evo like them too.

 

Got quoted Ł1,100 for the FRS fully comp mate

 

buy phils escort

 

Naaaa they really good cars.

get a few niggles with them, but same with all cars really.

Very Very highly speced and coming down in price now, i mean what else could you buy on 03 plate, with heated front screen, xeon headlights, 6 cd, half leather, 6 sp box.

Easly the best 2.0l 16v engine in its class and will hold its own against simlar type of car (not the CTR tho , thats FRS class )

Trouble is they not an RS

 

Ive driven all, Focus and Clio many times.
Focus is the best all round car, but you'll pay for it.
Honda most reliable, but imo boring or frustrating, common too.
Clio, cheapest (you'll notice build tho) & most fun, not as planted as Focus but edgy fun.

Id go for the clio and save some money for a nicer car (M3 etc) when you hit 25+

 

what about other possabilitys??


for instance,

nissan 300zx
audi tt
subaru impretza
mitsi evo
mitsi fto
mitsi gto


there are alot of cars that are less on insurance and high power with good looks, think the zx is only about a group 15

and good for about 500bhp all food for thought
plus when spendin that kinda money you fall into a different insurance catagory,

how many 20 year olds rite off type R's, i no 3 who have, now how many rite off audi TT's??

 

I seen 2 FRS's now, one for Ł14.5K and one for Ł15K and they both been Dog's. I can only imagine what sort of abused, fucked FRS you will get for less than Ł12k. IMO you'll end up spending more in the long run on a cheaper FRS than you will buying one thats the right price for the owner to have looked after it

 

Might pop down to the auctions and try my luck once i've flogged my car on.

And as for the TT not taking the piss mate but i'm certainly not into the whole hairdressers thing.

 

Get an integra type R mate and save the remainder of the cash til next year then think about selling it and getting an Escos or if you have more cash the FRS.

Alternatively get a nice beemer. I did and I love it.

 

I'd love an escos the only problem being this car is going to be a daily driver so I need something reliable.

As for the FRS my dads mate who owns a garage said they normally go for about 12k at auctions and owning a garage he should know.

 

let us know how it goes then

 

I'd buy this from Duncan at Automotive Unlimited for Ł8500, Stage I it and pocket the rest of the cash

J plate, done 48,000 miles, totally standard bar a stainless.




Drive it for a year or two, keep it mint and get 90% of your money back when you sell it.


All the cars you have listed above will depreciate but a nice cossie will always keep its money and with a specialist insurer then insurance can be had for sensible money.

Oh and you get all the meets and show culture that comes with having a cossie...

 

Would really love to own a cosworth as immaculate as that, but how would it fair as a daily driver?

And what specialists would give me reasonable insurance?

Mate, I haven't looked myself and from what i've been told there a fairly rare car to find at a sports auction with around 2,500 being made for the UK.

It's not as if paying an extra Ł2,000 for a good example is going to be hard. I'd just rather spend it elsewhere if possible. I'm not going to buy an FRS with 40,000+ miles thats on it's last legs though.

 

Fine... I did 20,000 miles in 18 months in the 4x4 Saph I had and that had done 80,000 miles when I got it. Never missed a beat.

Like anything, its how you look after it.

If you bought a Slocus RS or something similar with 35k+ on it and did 20 or 30k miles in a short space of time then it would be worth considerably less than when you bought it.

You could put 15k-20k on that car and it would be worth between 7k-7.5k depending on how well you looked after it.


Thats where my money would be.


Either that or on some proper old school with free road tax and Classic Car insurance

 

I'm just worried if I bought something immaculate like the one above i'd change a few bits and pieces on it. Like adding some speedline wheels and possible have the engine tuned. Put some miles on it and make it worthless.

Like you said though the whole cosworth car culture would be a good experiance.

And as you mentioned before about stage one'ing the engine. What kind of money and power would be involved in that?

 

Got an st170 for sale m8 I'll send ya pm

 

Deff worth looking at a clio

Ur budget would easily buy you a low miles 182 with loads of warrenty remaining, they get a bad name for build, but mines spot on

And much more insurable for a younger driver, and cheaper to run