Recommend me - a car. A small car. Ish.

[fingerpuk]

Ok. I need a new car.

“Need” is quite a strong word. Possibly want is more accurate. I had a Porsche, sold it because local roads are now so bad I had to plan routes to avoid bits where the roads has been replaced by rubble. I got a BMW X3 which is nice in that I don’t care about it, but it’s huge. Far too big. I use its size once a year when we go on the UK road trip holiday. Otherwise it does 150 miles a month maybe, and only I’m in it.

I need a car just in case I have to collect kids and my wife is at work. And also because I like driving.

I want something:

- smaller,
- not a 4 cylinder engine,
- not electric,
- is fun,
- is not an SUV unless it’s a heavily modified Jimny or resto modded old truck.
- costs less than £40k.
- has 4 seats. Two doors are fine.
- isn’t touch screen based.
- has to look good.
- doesn’t need car play etc, I use my phone. As long as I can get sound from my phone into the speakers we’re good.

What did I miss?

[Count Steer]

Not 4 cylinders.

More or less?

[Buckaroo]

Forfour

[KungFooBob]

With those criteria, I'd buy an M4. Probably a convertible.

I think you'll have trouble with the no four pot requirement, everything is four pot these days, even the council spec Boxster/Cayman.

[fingerpuk]

Not 4 cylinders.

More or less?

More. 6 would be lovely. I just think little 4 cylinder engines are a bit shit. Maybe that’s just the massively underpowered things VW use. Our Tiguan is dangerously slow.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Not 4 cylinders.

More or less?

2CV it is!

[fingerpuk]

With those criteria, I'd buy an M4. Probably a convertible.

I think you'll have trouble with the no four pot requirement, everything is four pot these days, even the council spec Boxster/Cayman.

I was thinking smaller. Also, again, shit roads so no point with an M4. 2 series maybe. My average speed is under 40mph. Maybe I can accept 4 cylinders, but big ones. 2 litre minimum. And maybe I could accept electric and get the Renault 5. But I like an engine.

[KungFooBob]

I've just bought a leccy BMW i4 M50. Its flippin aces, face meltingly fast.

The R5 is cheap as chips, but if you want something teeny bit more special then look at the Alpine A290. It's an R5 that's been breathed on by Alpine.

[MrLongbeard]

Maybe I can accept 4 cylinders, but big ones. 2 litre minimum

In that case a 2.2 diesel civic

[MyLittleStudPony]

Lexus LC500.

Just about in budget. But I imagine they have a touchscreen.

M3 and 840i very in budget. Neither meet all your criteria but both nice cars and the convertible 8 Series is a good looking car.

If it were me I'd consider an i8.

[ZRX61]

More. 6 would be lovely. I just think little 4 cylinder engines are a bit shit. Maybe that’s just the massively underpowered things VW use. Our Tiguan is dangerously slow.

Had a V6 VW Atlas* loaner for a few days. Absolute fucking turd in the HP dept, I can't begin to imagine how bloody dire a 4 pot VW would be.

*They should rename that crap heap the VW Alas.

[Mr. Dazzle]

And maybe I could accept electric and get the Renault 5. But I like an engine.

Judging from peoples reactions in the EV thread I'd say do a test drive, you might be surprised.

It doesn't meet your touch screen criteria though.

[Mussels]

Ok. I need a new car.

“Need” is quite a strong word. Possibly want is more accurate. I had a Porsche, sold it because local roads are now so bad I had to plan routes to avoid bits where the roads has been replaced by rubble. I got a BMW X3 which is nice in that I don’t care about it, but it’s huge. Far too big. I use its size once a year when we go on the UK road trip holiday. Otherwise it does 150 miles a month maybe, and only I’m in it.

I need a car just in case I have to collect kids and my wife is at work. And also because I like driving.

I want something:

- smaller,
- not a 4 cylinder engine,
- not electric,
- is fun,
- is not an SUV unless it’s a heavily modified Jimny or resto modded old truck.
- costs less than £40k.
- has 4 seats. Two doors are fine.
- isn’t touch screen based.
- has to look good.
- doesn’t need car play etc, I use my phone. As long as I can get sound from my phone into the speakers we’re good.

What did I miss?

That's a good list, I'd add normal aspiration and manual gearbox as well, that's more important to me than having more than 4 cylinders. I'll be watching the suggestions with interest.
I'm drawn to pre-turbo C63s but they may be as big as an X3.

[Mr. Dazzle]

That's a good list, I'd add normal aspiration and manual gearbox as well, that's more important to me than having more than 4 cylinders. I'll be watching the suggestions with interest.
I'm drawn to pre-turbo C63s but they may be as big as an X3.

Bag yourself a classic. Seats are a strong look though.

https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-spo ... tted/50174

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

V8 Mustang

[Rockburner]

Ok. I need a new car.

“Need” is quite a strong word. Possibly want is more accurate. I had a Porsche, sold it because local roads are now so bad I had to plan routes to avoid bits where the roads has been replaced by rubble. I got a BMW X3 which is nice in that I don’t care about it, but it’s huge. Far too big. I use its size once a year when we go on the UK road trip holiday. Otherwise it does 150 miles a month maybe, and only I’m in it.

I need a car just in case I have to collect kids and my wife is at work. And also because I like driving.

I want something:

- smaller,
- not a 4 cylinder engine,
- not electric,
- is fun,
- is not an SUV unless it’s a heavily modified Jimny or resto modded old truck.
- costs less than £40k.
- has 4 seats. Two doors are fine.
- isn’t touch screen based.
- has to look good.
- doesn’t need car play etc, I use my phone. As long as I can get sound from my phone into the speakers we’re good.

What did I miss?

Fiat 500. IIRC they come with twin or triple engines (and a 4-pot).

[Taipan]

Audi RSQ3 it’s got 5 cylinders!

[KungFooBob]

Shame about the four seat thing, or an SLK55 might have fit the bill.

[MyLittleStudPony]

Aston Martin DB9. Possibly not much smaller than an X3 though. And not cheap to run.

I think a Nissan GTR is in budget too. But again, not that small.

[Mr. Dazzle]

GTRs are bloody massive! They look fairly 2 door sports car small in photos, but when you see 'em in real life they're huge.

I'd bet an M4 also isn't significantly smaller than an X3, if any smaller at all. The X3 might be chunkier/higher but in terms of overall footprint on the road there's probably not much in it.