Coupe cars.

katana1

Hi and Happy new year to you all.
I always liked coupe cars and was wondering if anyone has any of these mentioned..If so what are pros and cons (road tax is a no brainer in this country).
I drive a 2002 Hyundai coupe with 32k on clock.(I've had all the slagging on owning this ..so no need to bother).
Pros.. I like the look of it.
Reliable as hell.
Good on corners.
Nippy taking off from the lights.
Easy customisable.
Good mpg.
Parts are cheap and easy to get .

Cons..bad image with some people(who are very entitled to have their opinion).
Could use a sixth gear.
Gets to 100 fairly ok..takes a bit to get near supposed 120.(i got max115).
On leather seat models ..leather is brutal and wears fast.
My list of coupes that I like .

BMW 318 with e46 engine.

Bmw z3&4.

Audi tt.

Celica.

Nissan 100nx.

Honda integra.

Civic coupe.

Merc c180 coupe.

Mazda mx5.

Mazda mx3 (yes u can still get them .even with nct).

Rx7&8.

Edit ..Nearly forgot VW sirocco(apologies for spelling errors)


They are my favourites but as we have 2 cars cant afford ins & tax on my fav ..the Bmw 318 2.0 e46.
If u own one of the above or one i havent on list ..Id love to see what u like n dislike about them.
Thanks for viewing..

Atlantic Dawn

Celica T-Sport if you can get a UK import one.

Alfa GTV nicer than any on that list.

Alanstrainor

If you want a fun car for cheap, which is still economical and cheap to run and maintain then its hard to avoid an mx5 IMO. The 318 looks great, but is not quick, and nor is it reliable to the same degree you'd be used to. It would also feel sluggish enough I reckon.

However you may struggle with insurance on the mx5 if you are with the e46...

Marcusm

Including the 100NX in a list of cars that you like causes me to disregard anything else you have to say. A 200SX would be fantastic, the 100NX was an abomination.

Titzon Toast

Get yourself a nice clean gen7 Celica 190.
Cheap to tax and run, reliable and fantastic to drive as well.
The second my Mrs starts driving I'm buying one for myself and she can have my current car!

coolisin

Alanstrainor wrote: »

If you want a fun car for cheap, which is still economical and cheap to run and maintain then its hard to avoid an mx5 IMO. The 318 looks great, but is not quick, and nor is it reliable to the same degree you'd be used to. It would also feel sluggish enough I reckon.

However you may struggle with insurance on the mx5 if you are with the e46...

^^
This.

You can take the rx8/7 off your list for cheap to run and drive cars. Very low mpg and maintenance can get high quick.

Foxhole Norman

Of those I'd have the MX5, the only 318's I'd consider are the post 2001 models with the updated engine with 140hp.

woody33

A mate of mine recently got an MX5 with the 1.8 engine, he'd like a bit more go out of it but he is coming from an Impreza turbo. Fab car though.

Neilw

woody33 wrote: »

A mate of mine recently got an MX5 with the 1.8 engine, he'd like a bit more go out of it but he is coming from an Impreza turbo. Fab car though.

Agree, they need more power as the chassis is so good.

I had a mk2.5 RS model with 158bhp and that felt slow enough.

katana1

Marcusm wrote: »

Including the 100NX in a list of cars that you like causes me to disregard anything else you have to say. A 200SX would be fantastic, the 100NX was an abomination.

I agree with u on that one.I only mentioned it as I spotted a very clean one on donedeal..The 200sx was awesome.

dudara

We have an Alfa GTV as a second car. It is so much fun to drive, lots of "personality". Used to have an E36 318 coupé, and wouldn't rule out a newer model BMW coupé when purchasing next.

katana1

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Alfa GTV nicer than any on that list.

Hi.I only mentioned cars that came to mind...Im glad you mentioned the GTV as they are a stunning looking car.
I dont know much about them except the good body design and being an alfa ..probably fast also.
Did u own one...if so how was it like .reliable ect?.
Thanks for posting..I left out a stunning car..

katana1

Alanstrainor wrote: »

If you want a fun car for cheap, which is still economical and cheap to run and maintain then its hard to avoid an mx5 IMO. The 318 looks great, but is not quick, and nor is it reliable to the same degree you'd be used to. It would also feel sluggish enough I reckon.

However you may struggle with insurance on the mx5 if you are with the e46...

I missed out on an mx5 just before I got the hyundai ..about two years ago...This one was really nice and my mechanic gave it thumbs up..even had a hard top..all for 3k..but when i rang back he had sold it to the next guy that viewed it.
I should hav brought cash on the day.
Insurence may not b too bad as im 47 with clean licence for over 20 years.
Thank you for the post.

katana1

A fella i know told me about the bmw..he said it was a rocket.I drove a couple but as they were not mine ..i didnt drive fast.
I love the celica ..it is a timeless shape.
Even the older ones with twin headlamps are nice.
We have a 2010 octavia as my wifes car...and shes dead cool with letting me buy whatever car i want..I really like the hyundai but id say once i get a drive in a celica..it will be goodbye hyundai.
From what most said ..i think ill avoid the bmw318coupe.
One of my brothers has a bmw called an m5..but i think its well over 2l..nobody drove it since he got it new in 2011except him..he said ins is crazy ..he is 59...
Im 6 years laid up with my back..doctors wont let me bk to work..so thats ehy i am lookin at cars that are a bit older.

td2008

I know sfa about them but came across this gto the other day - looks sweet

http://www.lowesoflarne.co.uk/vehicle/1998/MITSUBISHI/GTO/149

Alanstrainor

katana1 wrote: »

A fella i know told me about the bmw..he said it was a rocket.I drove a couple but as they were not mine ..i didnt drive fast.
I love the celica ..it is a timeless shape.
Even the older ones with twin headlamps are nice.
We have a 2010 octavia as my wifes car...and shes dead cool with letting me buy whatever car i want..I really like the hyundai but id say once i get a drive in a celica..it will be goodbye hyundai.
From what most said ..i think ill avoid the bmw318coupe.
One of my brothers has a bmw called an m5..but i think its well over 2l..nobody drove it since he got it new in 2011except him..he said ins is crazy ..he is 59...
Im 6 years laid up with my back..doctors wont let me bk to work..so thats ehy i am lookin at cars that are a bit older.

Pretty much all of these cars are reasonably sporty coupes, make sure you're comfortable with a stiff/rough ride and go for extended test drives of what ever you choose...

The chap who said the 318 was a rocket....might need to re-evaluate what a rocket actually is!

katana1

td2008 wrote: »

I know sfa about them but came across this gto the other day - looks sweet

http://www.lowesoflarne.co.uk/vehicle/1998/MITSUBISHI/GTO/149

Thats a real head turner..
3ltr..what tax? Id say over2k.
Twin turbo..my licence would be gone lol.
A lady i worked with a few yers ago had i think was this ones baby brother..think it was fto..maybe wrong with name.i was still mainly into motorbikes at the time but it looked fast standing still .
Thanks for the link..Im learning a lot from these posts..

MetzgerMeister

katana1 wrote: »

One of my brothers has a bmw called an m5..but i think its well over 2l..

A 2011 BMW M5 is a 2.2 litre as far as I know...

brianwalshcork

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

A 2011 BMW M5 is a 2.2 litre as far as I know...

!!

4.4 liter v8 twin turbo

ironclaw

What height are you katana1? You may have issues with your list if you are standing over 6ft. Definitely with the shallower roof relief like the TT and MX's.

Also, are you looking for sheer speed or is looks important?

alias no.9

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

A 2011 BMW M5 is a 2.2 litre as far as I know...

4 cylinder, 2.0 Diesel

MetzgerMeister

brianwalshcork wrote: »

!!

4.4 liter v8 twin turbo

Looks like we were both wrong.....

alias no.9 wrote: »

4 cylinder, 2.0 Diesel

Cheers man

Markcheese

"Im 6 years laid up with my back..doctors wont let me bk to work..so thats ehy i am lookin at cars that are a bit older."


Really bad back .....and you're buying a coupe ??
How are you going to get in and out??
I suppose if you changed to a soft top you could get winched in !

Sligo1

Had a new 320i coupe a few years ago. Was great. Fun to drive. Made me feel all tingly inside whenever I got in. Cons. The amount of times I got stranded in bad ice with the rear wheel drive one bad Xmas was quite ridiculous.... That could be down to my driving tho! . The coils were always going in the engine. Easily repaired. I believe this was a fault with the model of that year.

Had to trade in my pride and joy for a 520 when the kids came along .

Can't wait till kids are older as I love the look of the new 4 series coupe! 6 series gran coupe tho... I can always dream.... Sigh...

quadrifoglio verde

katana1 wrote: »

Hi.I only mentioned cars that came to mind...Im glad you mentioned the GTV as they are a stunning looking car.
I dont know much about them except the good body design and being an alfa ..probably fast also.
Did u own one...if so how was it like .reliable ect?.
Thanks for posting..I left out a stunning car..

Ive owned one for the last year but Ive only been driving it since May as I had to replace the gearbox. However Ive put up 11k miles without any major issues and its now on 154k miles.
As a car to drive its fantastic, when the head of Fiat test drove the first prototype back in the early 90s he sent the engineers back to the drawing board as it wasn't fun enough. What they came up with was an interesting suspension setup for the rear, making the twisty roads extremely fun. theres very few cars out there that can keep up on a bendy road.

As mentioned, reliability for me has been fine.
Things that cause issues are the rear suspension and timing belts.
The bushes on the rear suspension, being rubber perish with age and if not replaced soon enough, the part of the spring pan connecting to the rear sub frame can break. Replacement spring pans are about 225 pounds a corner new with sub frames 500 pounds second hand. You can't replace the bushes either with an oem bush, however power flex do make polyurethane bushes that solves this issue. Most gtv's have been polybushed at this stage, however there are still a few out there (my own included as I haven't gotten around to doing it yet). A polybush kit will set you back about 200 pounds but you don't need to worry about the bushes on the rear again.

Timing belts are every 36000 miles or three years on the 2.0 engine and every 60000 miles or 4 years on the v6 models. If you change them on time, they're no issue, if you play timing belt roulette then issues can emerge.

Rust isn't really an issue on these cars, although some that have been imported from the UK can be affected. However the same can be said for most old cars imported from the UK.


Which one to go for? Well the 2.0 ts handles better, however the v6 is faster and has the legendary busso in her which for me whoops the ts. However finding one for sale in ireland is difficult, I don't know of any for sale. There are a few 2 L's for sale however, expect to pay around the 1500 mark for a good one with test and recent enough belt. Don't be put off by high milage, service history is a lot more important on these than low miles.

Some of the combinations available include red with tan, proteo red with tan, silver with red, midnight blue with tan. Paint quality is decent on them all, except rosso red, which has a lovely habit of fading really badly.:mad:

There were three different types as well, phase 1 from 1996 to 1998, phase 2 from 1998 until 2003 and phase 3 from 2003 to 2004.
the phase 2 differs mainly from the phase 1 in that it has a chrome trim around the grill, colour coded side skirts, three spoke steering wheel, round knob and silver centre console. The phase 3 has a different front nose that is more like the face lifted 156 and early 147's which I don't like as it doesn't fit with the styling of the rest of the car.
By the way I've three of these, my daily, one to fix and a donor:rolleyes:

JC01

Kinda random list of cars to be considering. What's your budget?

I'd rule out the BMW anyways unless you opted for a better (bigger) engine.

The maxda rx7/8 is getting close to proper performance car territory so be aware of the bills that come with them.

The Merc c180 wouldn't pull you out of bed and would be thirsty to boot.

The Integra type R and Celica 190 are fantastic cars; nippy, fun, reliable, light on fuel. You'll pay for a good DC2 though. And if you're concerned about the image the Hyundai has these might not suit. The Celica is a tad "hairdresser" and most people look at Honda drivers like knackers ( Iv had a couple)

Joeface

Also note the older Integra and Celica's can be stolen with pretty much a nail file.
Had a few of them and not worth the hassle anymore despite that both are pretty much Bullet proof when it comes to reliability , and have a best of both about them , Fun to drive when you want and Practical and economical when you want that

Notch000

Just get an MX5 already, there not the fastest but are fantastic to drive, super smooth engine, go cart like handling and the RWD is great craic

katana1

ironclaw wrote: »

What height are you katana1? You may have issues with your list if you are standing over 6ft. Definitely with the shallower roof relief like the TT and MX's.

Also, are you looking for sheer speed or is looks important?

Im 5'10"..Ill fit in most cars.
Car is only used for ..getting to hospital for back injections..i want something i enjoy driving..oddly enough i like just goin for a spin on my own in the h.coupe i own.i usually drive out for an hour on sunday mornings ..same as i did on the bikes.
I thing i need to get off my ass and get test driving .
A guy i worked with and we are still buddies has a 2.5ltr bmw coupe.badges were removed .so im not sure of model 2004 car..its costing him his wages to keep it on road..it was ragged by previous owner..but he bought with no nct..no history..kinda his own fault.

ironclaw

katana1 wrote: »

Im 5'10"..Ill fit in most cars. Car is only used for ..getting to hospital for back injections

Ah you'll be fine so. But I'd urge caution with your back, you'll climb down into most coupes. The TT and the S3 are similar and I'd be fairly limber, and they are a pain to get in and out of.

katana1

JC01 wrote: »

Kinda random list of cars to be considering. What's your budget?

I'd rule out the BMW anyways unless you opted for a better (bigger) engine.

The maxda rx7/8 is getting close to proper performance car territory so be aware of the bills that come with them

The Merc c180 wouldn't pull you out of bed and would be thirsty to boot.

The Integra type R and Celica 190 are fantastic cars; nippy, fun, reliable, light on fuel. You'll pay for a good DC2 though. And if you're concerned about the image the Hyundai has these might not suit. The Celica is a tad "hairdresser" and most people look at Honda drivers like knackers ( Iv had a couple)

Thanks for good honest reply..real funny comment on the merc:)
Im goin to do a bit of test driving to see what i think..
May even keep the one i have ...tax is a bitch but ins is 200 full comp ..with everything possible on policy.
But if i drive something and love it..may buy.

katana1

quadrifoglio verde wrote: »

Ive owned one for the last year but Ive only been driving it since May as I had to replace the gearbox. However Ive put up 11k miles without any major issues and its now on 154k miles.
As a car to drive its fantastic, when the head of Fiat test drove the first prototype back in the early 90s he sent the engineers back to the drawing board as it wasn't fun enough. What they came up with was an interesting suspension setup for the rear, making the twisty roads extremely fun. theres very few cars out there that can keep up on a bendy road.

As mentioned, reliability for me has been fine.
Things that cause issues are the rear suspension and timing belts.
The bushes on the rear suspension, being rubber perish with age and if not replaced soon enough, the part of the spring pan connecting to the rear sub frame can break. Replacement spring pans are about 225 pounds a corner new with sub frames 500 pounds second hand. You can't replace the bushes either with an oem bush, however power flex do make polyurethane bushes that solves this issue. Most gtv's have been polybushed at this stage, however there are still a few out there (my own included as I haven't gotten around to doing it yet). A polybush kit will set you back about 200 pounds but you don't need to worry about the bushes on the rear again.

Timing belts are every 36000 miles or three years on the 2.0 engine and every 60000 miles or 4 years on the v6 models. If you change them on time, they're no issue, if you play timing belt roulette then issues can emerge.

Rust isn't really an issue on these cars, although some that have been imported from the UK can be affected. However the same can be said for most old cars imported from the UK.


Which one to go for? Well the 2.0 ts handles better, however the v6 is faster and has the legendary busso in her which for me whoops the ts. However finding one for sale in ireland is difficult, I don't know of any for sale. There are a few 2 L's for sale however, expect to pay around the 1500 mark for a good one with test and recent enough belt. Don't be put off by high milage, service history is a lot more important on these than low miles.

Some of the combinations available include red with tan, proteo red with tan, silver with red, midnight blue with tan. Paint quality is decent on them all, except rosso red, which has a lovely habit of fading really badly.:mad:

There were three different types as well, phase 1 from 1996 to 1998, phase 2 from 1998 until 2003 and phase 3 from 2003 to 2004.
the phase 2 differs mainly from the phase 1 in that it has a chrome trim around the grill, colour coded side skirts, three spoke steering wheel, round knob and silver centre console. The phase 3 has a different front nose that is more like the face lifted 156 and early 147's which I don't like as it doesn't fit with the styling of the rest of the car.
By the way I've three of these, my daily, one to fix and a donor:rolleyes:

Thanks a million for the info..You really know a lot about these cars.
I haave loads of space 1acre garden..but no garage(it was part of planning conditions 10 years ago when i built..im in a "green belt"area).
Again thanks for the great post.

katana1

Sligo1 wrote: »

Had a new 320i coupe a few years ago. Was great. Fun to drive. Made me feel all tingly inside whenever I got in. Cons. The amount of times I got stranded in bad ice with the rear wheel drive one bad Xmas was quite ridiculous.... That could be down to my driving tho! . The coils were always going in the engine. Easily repaired. I believe this was a fault with the model of that year.

Had to trade in my pride and joy for a 520 when the kids came along .

Can't wait till kids are older as I love the look of the new 4 series coupe! 6 series gran coupe tho... I can always dream.... Sigh...

My family are college age ..so no little ones..but..my wife minds kids for friends..thats why i want a coupe as my wife doesnt like driving them:).
But i wouldnt complain if it was a 520 i had when my own were young..:)

coolkidirish

I have a Civic Coupe, love it!

katana1

ironclaw wrote: »

Ah you'll be fine so. But I'd urge caution with your back, you'll climb down into most coupes. The TT and the S3 are similar and I'd be fairly limber, and they are a pain to get in and out of.

I agree with how low these are..even my own is low..i exercise any way i can to keep off the weight ..
After suffering this nearly 20 years(gradually gettin worse..like arthritis).. i have ways of getting around things ..But still hurts like a firey hell if i get it wrong.
Thanks for post.

Sligo1

katana1 wrote: »

My family are college age ..so no little ones..but..my wife minds kids for friends..thats why i want a coupe as my wife doesnt like driving them:).
But i wouldnt complain if it was a 520 i had when my own were young..:)

I wouldn't complain if it was a 520i either.... It's a 520d.... Lol.

EazyD

katana1 wrote: »

I agree with how low these are..even my own is low..i exercise any way i can to keep off the weight ..
After suffering this nearly 20 years(gradually gettin worse..like arthritis).. i have ways of getting around things ..But still hurts like a firey hell if i get it wrong.
Thanks for post.

I daily drive my MX5. As far as reliability goes they are literally bulletproof. Consumables are cheap, expect 30-35 mpg, working on the car is also a doddle. I'd only be concerned that your back might cause you problems getting in and out, even at standard ride height.

katana1

Markcheese wrote: »

"Im 6 years laid up with my back..doctors wont let me bk to work..so thats ehy i am lookin at cars that are a bit older."


Really bad back .....and you're buying a coupe ??
How are you going to get in and out??
I suppose if you changed to a soft top you could get winched in !

Nice one with the winch:)
I just love coupes ..sufferin this two decades so can ease my cranky broken body in n out.
Although once i went to a car wash in coupe ..had to get the wash guy to pull me out..but im gettin better injections now..so can manage..funny one with the soft top

katana1

Hello..I want to end the post by thanking everyone who posted..For the very useful info..for taking the time to post and also for the whitty comments(i take no malice..i love a good slagging)..
Now its time to get out and testdrive.
Happy new year to you all and hope you all have a good and safe one.

Alanstrainor

katana1 wrote: »

Hello..I want to end the post by thanking everyone who posted..For the very useful info..for taking the time to post and also for the whitty comments(i take no malice..i love a good slagging)..
Now its time to get out and testdrive.
Happy new year to you all and hope you all have a good and safe one.

Report back with your thoughts on them! Would be interesting to hear!

Best of luck.

katana1

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Report back with your thoughts on them! Would be interesting to hear!

Best of luck.

Just gettin over flu..I have a few picked out in cork city region..My other brother is coming along .. We used do this at least once a month a few years ago..Got to drive a lot of cars..he just bought an audi a6 s-line..2010.powerful wagon.
But anyway I will post on everything I drive.
Thanks again.