Looking for my first car - found it!

[staffsMike]

You don't have to rag the TypeR, it is just more fun

I believe it's called Type R dementia that does require you to rag it all the time

Seriously it's so hard once it pulling to change anywhere other than 8000rpm, just because it's so fun. It's probably one of the easist cars to lose you licence in, because otherwise you would only get full use of the first two gears

If you did want a "hotter" hatch then perhaps something like the previous gen leon cupra R would suit. It has a lot of torque from lazy revs and is very comfortable for long trips etc.. but then you will only get 30-35mpg so probably.

However if you like the idea of the leon then sticking with the previous gen they did a diesel cupra which will be pretty economic and certainly no slouch.

A better looking car than most to


They would probably be slightly higher milage but you should get a very nice one and I believe there was a sat nav option (there was on the Cupra R anyway).

[Vimeous]

I've done many miles in current shape Civic's and really enjoy them.
However if you're really taken with the idea of diesel then you'll be looking at an early (55-plate) high miler.
It's a decent car, and certainly quick enough, but price will be an issue.

Would I buy one?
Yes

Does it have flaws?
Definitely.

The secondary ride should be quite a bit better and some of the plastics nicer.
Also because the fuel tank is under the front seats (a safety feature) there isn't as much room for big feet in the back as some.

However I love the dash, seating position, flexiblility of the interior and size of the boot.
The handling is sharp, steering very direct (a little too much for some), gearbox slick and engines willing.
I really like the 1.8 petrol (even the 1.4 has its merits) and prefer it too the diesel because it's a sweet motor and revs beautifully. The diesel is much more relaxing especially if you're not in a hurry (yes I do mean that).
Even so I reckon a well driven petrol will be faster in the twisties

Oh and is the best car you've suggested?
No

That's probably the Focus. But then the Kia isn't the best but has some features the Focus can't touch!

One last thing.
The Civic will have the best residuals, the Astra the worst - probably.
Zak how do you think the Kia will do?

[TiG]

Can i suggest you go drive all 3?.

Why do people decide what car they want without going and driving all the final few to see what you think for yourself.

I drove 6 cars before deciding on my Octavia and its what suits me. I still think that getting in a car and driving it and experiencing for yourself what it feels like is very cool.

TiG

[Tumble]

Personally it'd be the Focus.. I've driven the new Astra, and I couldn't put my finger on it, but something was "wrong" about the way it was laid out... it's a highly personal thing, a car, if it doesn't feel right, it aint. Likewise, if you feel there's something you might not like about a car, and you've got a choice... don't buy it, look at something else.

A good barometer of what the market's like (or should be like) can be found in the "bog roll" pages at the back of the Top Gear mag - loads of info on prices, specs etc for a lot of motors.

[Parm]

Thanks for all the suggestions all, keep 'em coming.

TiG, I'll definately take them for a test drive once I get around to it - wouldn't buy them without driving them for a while.

I did mention in the first post that I'd prefer a 3 door car, I'll expand on that a little. 90% of the time, it'll be just me in the car. 99.9% of the time, it'll just be my girlfriend and me. So, I really don't mind there being no room in the back.

What I do want though is plenty of room in the front, I'm 6'3" tall so leg room sure does come in handy.

Quite a few suggestions for speedier alternatives such as Type-R's, but I'm not too fussed on those. I'd prefer something more luxorious than sporty as I prefer a quiet, soothing and comfortable drive as opposed to a rip-roaring rear-ache of one.

[staffsMike]

What I do want though is plenty of room in the front, I'm 6'3" tall so leg room sure does come in handy.

Quite a few suggestions for speedier alternatives such as Type-R's, but I'm not too fussed on those. I'd prefer something more luxorious than sporty as I prefer a quiet, soothing and comfortable drive as opposed to a rip-roaring rear-ache of one.

cupra TDi still apllies imo

We're all different though, I personally couldnt stand the focus and civic and the astra..not sure I like that either. Don't be disheartened though, most people hate my car

ooo look what you could have
Alfa Romeo : Alfa Romeo 147 GTA 3.2 V6 - Rosso Red - Xenons, probably be a nightmare but it looks fantastic.

[dave87]

If you are looking at the Alfa, it'll only break down and cost a fortune to fix, especially if its a seleselect one.

BMW 320Ci/330Ci seems to be fitting your driving patterns, desires and requirements down to a T....

EDIT - S2000 - 4U : BMW 330 CI M SPORTS WITH SAT NAV/TV Tiptronic 330Ci with Widescreen SatNav (no mention of mileage)
ALEXANDERS PRESTIGE : BMW 325i SPORT WITH FULL LEATHER + MORE - 325Ci with 48k but no SatNav.
Norman Motors : BMW 325 Ci Coupe - 325Ci with 37k but again, no SatNav.
BMW : BMW 325 Ci 2.5 - 325Ci with 35k ditto.

They are available, some nice cars with reasonable miles for the budget you are looking at. Unfortunate thing with BMW is that the Navigation is often bundled with the Comms/Multimedia pack and is around a £1500 optional extra. Rarer on smaller engined cars unfortunately.

[Barakka]

It's generally the Alfa 1.6 TS with Selespeed that has the issues, but in the Alfa stakes I think a 156 would be better suited to the requirements.

How about a Mercedes C-Class....

C230K on a 51 Plate

Gives you a damn efficient 1.8 Supercharged Engine putting out 197bhp, the style of a sports coupe, with the comfort of a Merc, Sat-NAV, Leather etc etc

[Howard]

All the reliability of a Merc too I do like those though

[MoogleViper]

What about a ford capri laser? You could get a 1.6 for less than 2k and they are gorgeous.

[Parm]

Thread revival! I am still hunting for a car, I've been travelling for the past few weeks so I haven't been able to do much. Now that it's bank holiday weekend though, I've done a bit of searching.

Went out today to motorhouse in Cannock and a few car garages too. The car I like most is the Honda Civic, it looks like something right out of Back to the Future - it's ace!

So, I went over to the Brindley Honda garage in Codsal, Wolverhampton. Firstly, let me get this off my chest: their customer service stinks! You'd think they actually want to sell cars but you wouldn't know it from talking to them.

Anyhow, the Civic that I 'think' I like the most is the Civic Type-S, it's a 3 door version of the Civic that looks slightly sportier without the over-the-stop sportiness of the Type-R. Unfortunately, the Honda garage didn't have one on show so I haven't actually sat in one yet!

Here it is, Honda Civic Type-S:



It comes in a few variations, there's a 1.8 petrol engine or a 2.2 diesel. The diesel manages a combined 54mpg which sounds very good, the petrol manages a decent 43mpg. I'm tempted by the diesel due to that, but it'll cost about two thou extra from the off so I may stick to the 1.8 petrol.

There's also a GT option which adds some nice features such as panoramic roof, cruise control, rain sensing wipers, automatic lights etc etc.

So, taking the models into account, I think I'd prefer the 1.8 i-VTEC Type S GT Manual.

The on the road price for the said model is £16,480, way over my budget. Now I'm on the hunt for a used one.

[Parm]

*Little update*

I took a 1.8 Civic for a test drive today and really liked it. It's not really "wow, this is amazing", not by any means, but it's very nice.

Nich smooth drive, quite nippy with very short gear changes. Comfortable seats, but slightly noisier than I expected. Though, I may notice the noise more cause I'm used to driving a Lexus at the moment.

I do like the dashboard, it looks very smart. Though, for a car that looks like a spaceship, I was hoping for a few extra gadgets.

Still, I do like it most in this range of cars. Hopefully I'll be the owner of one soon.

[Guy]

One of my friends dad's works for Honda in Swindon so they go through a fleet of them quite often and they had a 1.8 Civic Type S with the GT pack, it was really good, although on critisism I had being a passenger in it, was that it has quite a harsh/hard ride, and you can see bugger all out the rear window.

What sort of milleage are you going to be doing?

And have you taken the diesel out for a drive, cause if I remember correctly the diesel is slightly quicker?

[Parm]

I'm pretty sure I'll be doing less than 10k a year, at the most. So my mileage will be pretty low, due to that, I'm leaning toward the 1.8 petrol than the 2.2 diesel.

The diesel is a bit quicker, and it also gives more miles per galon. But, it's more expensive and it's in a higher insurance group too.

[Guy]

I'm pretty sure I'll be doing less than 10k a year, at the most. So my mileage will be pretty low, due to that, I'm leaning toward the 1.8 petrol than the 2.2 diesel.

The diesel is a bit quicker, and it also gives more miles per galon. But, it's more expensive and it's in a higher insurance group too.

Ah fair enough, by the sounds of it, you'l be better with the petrol then, and ul have a nice VTEC soundtrack

[Parm]

Oh dear: Honda Civic owners warned of handbrake problem - Auto Trader UK - News and Reviews Hub