|
Author |
Message |
stinkwheel |
This post is not being displayed .
|
stinkwheel Bovine Proctologist
Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :
|
Posted: 18:46 - 15 Jun 2018 Post subject: Does anyonemake "fun" small cars any more? |
|
|
In this instance, "fun" does not necessarily mean "Blistering performance" but fun to own.
The Mrs has a Daihatsu Copen. She really enjoys it and it's a hoot to drive.
It's also 12 years old with 120k miles on the clock and is used every day to go to work.
I'm looking round for a new-ish, fairly low-end of the market small car that looks a little out of the ordinary. Ideally small and light. In fairness performance would be playing second fiddle to economy as it's used for commuting.
There used to be loads of slightly oddball little cars about the place but I don't see many now? Maybe the Abarth 595?
Not a Mini. That is not fun. It's not anything. ____________________ “Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles. |
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
Itchy |
This post is not being displayed .
|
Itchy Super Spammer
Joined: 07 Apr 2005 Karma :
|
Posted: 18:57 - 15 Jun 2018 Post subject: |
|
|
You could always import (or get somebody to drive it back across Russia for you and I'm not doing anything in July ) a Honda s660 cheapest one is £15K and it probably needs an SVA test on arrival. ____________________ Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching. |
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
stinkwheel |
This post is not being displayed .
|
stinkwheel Bovine Proctologist
Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :
|
Posted: 19:10 - 15 Jun 2018 Post subject: |
|
|
Those do look a hoot and it would indeed tick the boxes.
However, one other thing I forgot to mention. It needs to be big enough to get a 3/4 size cello in it somewhere (fits in the passenger seat of the copen). ____________________ “Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles. |
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
Fisty |
This post is not being displayed .
|
Fisty Super Spammer
Joined: 11 Apr 2007 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
stinkwheel |
This post is not being displayed .
|
stinkwheel Bovine Proctologist
Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
Polarbear |
This post is not being displayed .
|
Polarbear Super Spammer
Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
arry |
This post is not being displayed .
|
arry Super Spammer
Joined: 03 Jan 2009 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
MarJay |
This post is not being displayed .
|
MarJay But it's British!
Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
Tracey Suntan-King |
This post is not being displayed .
|
Tracey Suntan-King World Chat Champion
Joined: 10 Nov 2012 Karma :
|
Posted: 21:38 - 15 Jun 2018 Post subject: |
|
|
Yesss. I've got one of these (I may have mentioned it before a few times ) but mine's a coupe, so you can get more in it.
Utterly, utterly brilliant.
Trouble is they're getting old now and get leaks and electronic problems, but if you find a goodun, they're simply marvellous.
Here's mine
https://i.imgur.com/qURMXGs.jpg ____________________ Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you're probably right |
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
G |
This post is not being displayed .
|
G The Voice of Reason
Joined: 02 Feb 2002 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
kgm |
This post is not being displayed .
|
kgm World Chat Champion
Joined: 04 Jun 2015 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
Chuffin Nora |
This post is not being displayed .
|
Chuffin Nora World Chat Champion
Joined: 02 Sep 2013 Karma :
|
Posted: 01:40 - 16 Jun 2018 Post subject: |
|
|
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
UncleFester |
This post is not being displayed .
|
UncleFester World Chat Champion
Joined: 30 Jun 2013 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
stinkwheel |
This post is not being displayed .
|
stinkwheel Bovine Proctologist
Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
stevo as b4 |
This post is not being displayed .
|
stevo as b4 World Chat Champion
Joined: 17 Jul 2003 Karma :
|
Posted: 12:40 - 16 Jun 2018 Post subject: |
|
|
What stupid suggestions made in above post.
Stinkwheel's Mrs car is 12 and on 120k he's not going to older and crustier is he? Very lazy suggestions IMO. A CRX del sol?? Really? They will all be rotten to hell, and or badly or extensively modified now. They are a J-tin car that attracts this kind of thing. Find a very rare mint std one and the elderly owner will want alot of money for a 20year old+ car, so not meeting OP's requirements.
Forget old Jap tin unless you want a weekend/trackway/resto project and are a die hard car enthusiast who wants to restore 20year old cars.
If you'd said a used Honda CRZ you'd have made a bit more sense IMO as a modern day cheap to run CRX.
Stinkwheel, what does your Mrs want: A small city hatchback, a coupe or a roadster? Or would she consider any of the above if it was small, fun, and interesting to drive?
Generally your right that most new/modern cars arnt good fun, and are sterile and boring. Those that don't agree show me some fun modern cars, (and GTFO if you say 4wd Quattro S3/4 bollocks).
For small fun hatchbacks the recently discontinued Suzuki Swift Sport as Arry said is a great little car. The also discontinued Renault Twingo GT/Cup is supposed to be equally fun too. Then there's a new Twingo city car with a 0.9L turbo variant that's rear engined and rwd. Might be a fun little machine maybe? Even the Toyota Agyo is a fun little car to drive IMO too. Forget the old VW lupo Gti they are too old/hard to find and have scene tax common to rare fun to drive VAG cars. There's a new Lupo Gti out for about 17k though. Way cheaper than a new bigger small hatch like the excellent Fiesta ST though. I personally think 17k is too much for such a small car and it's also too understated for me.
For roadsters there's Tracy's Smart, but they are oldish now, cultish/ (read expensive and sought after by enthusiasts). I'd not suggest Fiat Spiders or MX5's etc as if you've got to spend 30k to bag a fun and interesting little car these days then your doing it all wrong and it's also so not worth the money.
Fiat 500's are expensive for what is a tiny car with fat tyres and contrived with all that popping exhaust crap IMO. The twin air version sounds more interesting on paper, but no idea what it's like. I can't see past the cutesy girly styling with silly light EPAS and overassisted light brakes and a generic to modern cars fly by wire throttle.
The new Smarts look ugly IMO, but less so is the new Suzuki Ignis. Its like a slightly overgrown G-whizz and if it's basic and light like small Suzukis of old it should be more fun than it looks to drive. I've always liked older Suzuki cars for this reason and I've had two, both which in day to day use were much more fun than my old comparatively heavy weight Rover, with its huge lump of iron block under the front, slowing down steering and encouraging even more under steer, combined with a very high gearing set up and laggy engine.
Not as fun or old as your Copen, but Mitsubishi did their own less pretty colt based folding tin top that was quite nippy too. Not sure I'd get rid of the Copen for one though.
Have a look at the Honda CRZ maybe, as though small coupes are rarely made today, it does have some appeal if you like the Honda spaceship style look?
At least no-one has been stupid enough to suggest a used new shape Audi TT. Show me any modern 4wd coupe or roadster that's fun and genuinely characterful to drive and I'll eat my Arai!
Looking alternatively at your existing hard to replace Diahatsu, is there anything much wrong with it? How about going through it replacing bushes and shocks and getting it professionally undersealed? If you see where I'm going?
My old Rover is a relic, and never was a great handling fwd'er. But theres not much out there coupe wise that's quicker to 100mph, or massively better looking or newer at under £7-8k. If I got rid I'd be looking at equally old crusty curvy coupes like Calibra's, MX6's, old Mitsubishi and Toyota coupes etc, so I'd not really ever move forward, as I just don't see it in modern cars. Someone said I should drive a BMW M140 or Nissan 370Z as they both have an old school feeling about them and are a last of the breed drivers coupe. For that sort of money I'd be thinking of all the 20-30yr old machines I could own and restore instead. |
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
stinkwheel |
This post is not being displayed .
|
stinkwheel Bovine Proctologist
Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :
|
Posted: 12:52 - 16 Jun 2018 Post subject: |
|
|
Yes, she would be interested in anything a bit fun and out of the ordinary. In the same vein as the copen but it doesn't HAVE to be a coupe/sports car.
The current one is starting to rot away and parts are starting to seize/rust. That's the main problem. It needs to be reliable. Having the thing entirely detailed and reconditioned is a potential option though. Not sure if people still do that kind of work though and how much it's likely to cost. She took it to a couple of local body repair places and they were pretty much 100% not interested in the idea of getting it in and sorting out all the rust. ____________________ “Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles. |
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
Suntan Sid |
This post is not being displayed .
|
Suntan Sid World Chat Champion
Joined: 07 May 2009 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
kgm |
This post is not being displayed .
|
kgm World Chat Champion
Joined: 04 Jun 2015 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
Suntan Sid |
This post is not being displayed .
|
Suntan Sid World Chat Champion
Joined: 07 May 2009 Karma :
|
Posted: 15:21 - 16 Jun 2018 Post subject: |
|
|
The mistake people make when driving a Smart Roadster is they've failed to read the owners manual.
Had they read the owners manual they would know that when using semi-automatic mode you keep the accelerator pedal buried, on both up and down changes, this eliminates any "perceived" slowness of the gear change!
Having the opportunity to drive one on roads unencumbered by cameras, were, virtually, no one obeys speed limits, I can assure you, you can hustle one around the twisties very quickly indeed!
If you use the gears, rev range and throttle like you do on a bike it's great!
Would I like one, full time, in the UK, probably not.
They are a very low, small, car, there is too much traffic and too many artics who probably couldn't see you even if they were looking!
The UK weather will try its hardest to kill it, the electrics do not like the rain!
My only niggles with it are the dashboard constantly telling you to change up, (although it is rather satisfying ignoring it), and it's an absolute slug off the line! ____________________ "Everybody needs money, that's why they call it money!" |
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
Tracey Suntan-King |
This post is not being displayed .
|
Tracey Suntan-King World Chat Champion
Joined: 10 Nov 2012 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
thx1138 |
This post is not being displayed .
|
thx1138 World Chat Champion
Joined: 06 Oct 2005 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
Tracey Suntan-King |
This post is not being displayed .
|
Tracey Suntan-King World Chat Champion
Joined: 10 Nov 2012 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
stevo as b4 |
This post is not being displayed .
|
stevo as b4 World Chat Champion
Joined: 17 Jul 2003 Karma :
|
Posted: 16:42 - 16 Jun 2018 Post subject: |
|
|
I just checked out the site, and your right in one way as they do have an amazing range of different vehicles and some relatively interesting imports and small cars.
I typed in convertible, and found Lotus Elans (very nice) Peugeot 205 CTi's and Nissan Silvia S15 convertibles. (didn't know these existed as rag tops). There's 3 interesting small cars straight away and all fun too IMO.
Downside is paying dealers prices, but then some obscure Imports are hard to find and buy privately or source/import and do the paperwork for.
If Mrs Stinkwheel's Copen needs alot of bodywork then that's a possible down side to keeping it, but you could do as Tracy said and look for a newer cleaner one? Mention the Colt CZC if she likes folding hard top cars, as it's a small nippy car that is built along the same format but hasn't quite got the style of a Copen.
I used to have an MGF and found it fun most of the time, but I'd only buy one now as a cheap resto project as there's plenty of things to go wrong with them, and only one proper way to put them right/make them fairly reliable. |
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
UncleFester |
This post is not being displayed .
|
UncleFester World Chat Champion
Joined: 30 Jun 2013 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
stevo as b4 |
This post is not being displayed .
|
stevo as b4 World Chat Champion
Joined: 17 Jul 2003 Karma :
|
|
Back to top |
|
You must be logged in to rate posts |
|
|
Old Thread Alert!
The last post was made 5 years, 315 days ago. Instead of replying here, would creating a new thread be more useful? |
|
|
|