Sporty petrol for under 5k

Glen_Quagmire

Hi lads,

On the look out for a new motor to keep me going for 2-3 years with a budget of around 5k.

I live about 10 kilometres from work and mileage per year is low so petrol would suit me best.

Would like something with a nice bit of power which is clean and well maintained. I prefer saloon cars but open to others too.

Was thinking along the lines of a 5 series or E Class or a nice Alfa if I could get a clean one for that money.

What else would be a good shout to look out for?

Links to suggested cars more than welcome.

Cheers

NIMAN

Sort by PRICE HIGH and work your way down the list ..... you'll find something you like.

https://www.carsireland.ie/search-results.php?min_price=500&max_price=5000&fuel_type_id=1&doors=2&per_page=50&orderby=-8

Heres Johnny

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/bmw-5-series-523i-m-sport-z5si-4dr-auto/17357316

I drive something like the one above and even though I wouldn't call it sporty it's the kind of thing you were asking about. It's as sporty as a big saloon gets I suppose. I really like the car.
There's better engines in the 525i and 530i but you'll pay more and won't really find them in Ireland.

I recently looked at brand new bmw and to be honest they're no better than what was out 10 years ago or even 20 years ago if you look at the e39. Bit more modern looking and fancy infotainment but no better to drive since you mentioned sporty. I drove home in my own after driving 2 brand new cars and thought why the hell would I sell my 3 or 4 grand car for a 40 grand one.

For a sportier drive look at 3 series saloons and coupes as there's more petrol models available but don't look at the 5 series if you also want to look at 3 series as you simply won't buy a 3 then.

5 series pretty hard to beat and shouldn't be any dearer than the 3 as they are all pretty much fully depreciated at that age.

Glen_Quagmire

Thanks for your post. Yes it does look like the 5 series is up there with the best.

I was looking at the 5 series you linked today on Done Deal. What turned me off was the NCT disk says the car has 191k kilometres in July 2017 and he is advertising it as having 117k miles now. That's 2k miles less on it now than it had 7 months ago

Heres Johnny

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/bmw-530i-272-bhp-m-sport/17883802

That's the one you really want but as you see it's a bit dearer and 400 euro higher tax. Same fuel consumption though.

If you feel a bit off about any particular car just move on to the next one.
There's a nice looking ad for one in westmeath I tried to buy over a year ago. There's something iffy about thst car it seems to be up for sale forever.
And make sure you buy msport don't buy an SE the msport just looks way better

Glen_Quagmire

That's a serious looking car but a bit more than I want to spend to be honest.

Glen_Quagmire

What's the main difference between a 5 series SE model and M-Sport apart from the better looks of the M-Sport?

If you were buying a 5 series from around 06/07 would the SE be a bad choice?

Heres Johnny

Glen_Quagmire wrote: »

What's the main difference between a 5 series SE model and M-Sport apart from the better looks of the M-Sport?

If you were buying a 5 series from around 06/07 would the SE be a bad choice?

Mainly looks. And a few other things like sports seats and a stiffer suspension. The SE is more comfortable and not a bad choice at all. Just m sport is waaaay better looking in my eyes. But maybe that wouldn't bother you. SE will be cheaper too.

Glen_Quagmire

Any thoughts on any of these? First link looks clean but looks a bit overpriced to me for the SE model

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/bmw-5-series-523i-only-75k-immaculate-07/17881845

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/bmw-523i-auto-fsh-nctd-mint-condition/18022382

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/2006-bmw-5-series-msport-low-miles/17290966

https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/bmw-5-series-msport/17783442

drunkmonkey

What would you think of a GTI https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/08-vw-golf-gti-new-nct/17963774

Like the 5 series used to have one but that center info dash feels really dated, golf would just feel newer inside and cheaper tax.

Glen_Quagmire

drunkmonkey wrote: »

What would you think of a GTI https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/08-vw-golf-gti-new-nct/17963774

Like the 5 series used to have one but that center info dash feels really dated, golf would just feel newer inside and cheaper tax.

Yeah was looking at the GTIs aswell. I just like the look of the 5 series and I would probably prefer a saloon car

bazz26

As posted in another thread here, what about a Mazda 6 MPS?


https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/mazda-6-mps-270bhp-four-wheel-drive/18050752

Would be a lot more nimble than a 523i and they are also fun to drive.

Glen_Quagmire

bazz26 wrote:

As posted in another thread here, what about a Mazda 6 MPS?

That's a nice looking motor!

commited

You should also consider an e92:
https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/2008-bmw-325-570-tax/17955071
Great to drive, reasonable to tax, look good (and a simple set of wheels really transform the cars), manual straight 6. They can also be remapped to about 270bhp.

if thinking of an e60, try and get a facelift model (mid-07 onwards).
https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/bmw-525i-se-grey-met-92k-miles-mint-cond/18034853
https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/bmw-523i/18010549
https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/bmw-5-series-2007-low-miles-full-history-like-new/17845153

Focus STs are just a ridiculous bargain
https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/2007-ford-focus-st-225/16401138
https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/2007-ford-focus-st-new-nct-tax-02-18/17955169
https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/ford-focus-st-3-turbo/17851296

A couple of fast Renaults:
https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/renault-megane-gt-sport-225-bhp/18047884
https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/2007-renault-clio-197bhp-sport-/16564280

Slight off the wall suggestion:
https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/saab-93-aero-2-8-v6-turbo-manual/18058538

Mazda 6 above too is a great shout. A Golf GTI is the obvious choice but down to personal opinion! E class is not sporty at all so discount them.

Glen_Quagmire

Thanks for the links, never really considered the E92, had a look there some nice ones available.

What are the STs like to drive?

commited

Haven't driven an ST myself but it's a 5 cylinder turbo which is incredibly tuneable and Ford rarely make a car that handles badly so I'd say it's a nice package. Definitely a future classic.

I had an e92 335i and it remains one of the most staggering cars I've had, not even that impractical for a coupe. If you can push yourself, up the budget and get one.

Henry Ford III

Glen_Quagmire wrote: »

Thanks for the links, never really considered the E92, had a look there some nice ones available.

What are the STs like to drive?

Pretty good. The sound is of the 5 pot is glorious.

Running costs are a bit high though, which is why they are relatively cheap presumably?

Glen_Quagmire

commited wrote:

I had an e92 335i and it remains one of the most staggering cars I've had, not even that impractical for a coupe. If you can push yourself, up the budget and get one.

There is a 335i there on Done Deal with 450bhp, didn't realise they were that powerful. Was also considering a 630i, there is one or two decent looking ones on Done Deal at the moment, could be in practicable with the little one getting in and out of the back though

Glen_Quagmire

Henry Ford III wrote:

Running costs are a bit high though, which is why they are relatively cheap presumably?

Was reading a but about them on Pistonheads forum, owners are saying about 20-25mpg in and around town

btkm8unsl0w5r4

For fun you cant beat a Mini Cooper S...little rockets they are. Should get one in budget and hold value better than non M petrol BMW's. The 335i is a super car, really super but they suffer from some expensive reliability (injector) issues being the first of the twin turbo engines. I bought one nearly new back in the madness of 2007 and it was over 60k, one of the best cars I ever owned and the first car I had with "propah power". Problem is 5k car with 1200 euro tax

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Glen_Quagmire wrote: »

Was reading a but about them on Pistonheads forum, owners are saying about 20-25mpg in and around town

That is a realistic figure for one, quite frugal for the power.

MetzgerMeister

With the 335i - be on the lookout for turbo failure, injector failure and high pressure fuel pump failure (not so common in Europe as opposed to the US but has been seen). That one with 450bhp probably has JB4 installed but I doubt the power is quite that high and if you're going down the route of telling the insurance company about it it may be uninsurable.

I had an E92 335i and had to replace both turbos.

tossy

Jasper Disgusting Cherry wrote: »

For fun you cant beat a Mini Cooper S...little rockets they are.

This ^

Really hard to beat a cooper S for cheap thrills, i'd have one in a heart beat if i was looking for a fun sporty car in that budget - there's nothnig 'sporty' about a 5 series.

The problem with proper cheap sporty cars like ST's GTI's etc is the running costs and the obligatory couple of hundred plus you are going to have to spend to put something or other right or at least replenish consumbles.

Henry Ford III

Glen_Quagmire wrote: »

Was reading a but about them on Pistonheads forum, owners are saying about 20-25mpg in and around town

Probably. The one I had probably did a bit better due to longer N road and motorway use, but if fuel consumption is your chief priority it might be better to look elsewhere.

You've got to pay for your fun.

Mickiemcfist

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

I had an E92 335i and had to replace both turbos.

Jesus. How much would twin turbo replacement set you back at an Indy?

MetzgerMeister

Mickiemcfist wrote: »

Jesus. How much would twin turbo replacement set you back at an Indy?

€500 + VAT per turbo and €500 labour per turbo. I hoped that replacing 1 of them was going to be enough but it turned out the second one needed to be replaced too so it cost double.

The way it works is BMW send you a remanufactured turbo, you pay a deposit, get the turbo replaced and send them back your old one and your deposit is refunded.

Doing the job correctly:

2 x turbos - €1,000 + VAT + Deposit

Labour - c. €600 - 700

It's always advisable to get an oil and coolant change as part of the job.

I got a local mechanic to do the first one and Daltons outside Abbeyleix did the second. I was much happier with Daltons.

Glen_Quagmire

Not too concerned with mpg as I don't do a lot of mileage.

My main concern is getting something clean and well looked after.

Budget could stretch a bit for the right car

MetzgerMeister

If you consider the 335i, the best one available is THIS one IMO.

Turbos have been replaced, low enough mileage for its age, 1 previous (Irish) owner and abviously at least 1 in the UK as it's a UK car and it looks to be in very good condition.

I had thought about selling my F30 330d recently in order to free up cash and if I did, this is the one I was going to buy.

Glen_Quagmire

That does look very well maintained.

How do these compare to the 630i

Mickiemcfist

Glen_Quagmire wrote: »

That does look very well maintained.

How do these compare to the 630i

Having had a 630i Ones a comfy but slow barge, not particularly fun but incredibly nice for long drives. It's a gt rather than a sports car.

The 335i I've just driven once, shocking speed &. Feels a tonne lighter

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Glen_Quagmire wrote: »

That does look very well maintained.

How do these compare to the 630i

Yes it looks nice an original. I had the same SE with those wheels, style 230...two of mine cracked, they are very prone to it, but IMHO the nicest wheels on it.

A 630i is a big cruser. I had a 645ci and the 335i was in a different league performance wise and handling wise. Turbo power is much more fun. The 630i is not that fast really. The 6 series is aimed at a more "mature" and leisurely sort of driver.

commited

That's very similar to my old 335i, I've had this in my saved ads since it was listed as I wish I could go back to one. Buy it.

The 335i is a staggering car, but obviously costs more than a normal BMW to run. That said, there are cheaper repair options for all of the typical issues:

HPFP: refurbished units available
Injectors: These can be bought for a very very reasonable price now and most have been fitted with the latest design anyway already
Turbos: Mine had the software update and I never had any problems with my turbos. You can get 2 reconditioned turbos for €500 now so not the shocking cost they used to be.
Others: Aftermarket and OEM parts support is amazing. I used a few sites to always get the cheapest parts but Carondo in Germany was nearly always the cheapest for the OEM parts supplier.

I had my car for 15 months and 25k kms. I spent quite a chunk keeping it maintained and I did all the work myself (with the exception of oil service to maintain BMWSH). I didn't buy the best minded car though to start with in all fairness (probably the cheapest 335i sold in Europe at the time though).

Problems when I bought it which I fixed
- Air con service & Oil service @ BMW
- Auto sump & fluid change
- Rocker cover gasket replaced
- Rear discs & pads
- Air filter replaced

Other major expenses during my ownership
- Battery
- 6 x injectors (only 1 let go but I replaced all as preventative maintenance)
- 6 x Spark plugs
- Oil filter housing gasket (€13 but horrible job)
- Tyres
- One wheel welded due to cracking
- Radiator top hose
- Trans cooler & more ATF (due to corrosion)
- Trans cooler lines (because I'm an idiot)
- Aux belt & all pulleys (failure but was planning to do anyway)
- Interim oil change
- Expansion tank (level indicator broke)
- Waterpump & thermostat

I'm a massive nerd so I tracked the costs of ownership. All of the above cost me about €3k (the trans lines @ €200 was purely down to my stupidity so excluded that). I did a few cosmetic things to the car too like changing the steering wheel for a nicer nappa leather one and getting the wheels refurbed. I also bought a spare key from BMW (wallet key which is much cheaper) but this was never used. On top of that I had fuel @ average of 28mpg, obviously tax, insurance and NCTs. In total, it cost me €7,500 for all my running costs incl. depreciation for the nearly 25k kms that I did in it which sounds like a lot but I had pretty much the kitchen sink thrown at me repairs wise! Since I sold it nearly 2 years ago, it has been pretty much 100% reliable :pac:

It was the best €7,500 I ever spent, it took us to Italy through the Swiss alps with zero issues at mega speeds:






If I only did 10k/year, it would still be on my driveway.

MetzgerMeister

Software update for turbos means moving the wastegate away from the seal so that it's not hitting against it. That means more lag and less power.

This was my one (with the nicest alloys they come with...don't mind fitzgeme :P )



And you can upgrade the yellow angel eyes:

btkm8unsl0w5r4

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

This was my one (with the nicest alloys they come with...don't mind fitzgeme :P B0916D7[/IMG]

Rubbish....:D In all fairness Msport is a nicer variant if you can get it, the chrome isnot the best. Here was mine. Performance BBK, Performance steering wheel (crocs optional), Tuned. We should start a 335i appreciation society.

MetzgerMeister

I fully agree that M-Sport is a better option but as we know, the e92 335i in Ireland was 95% SE! Mine had the front Aero lip that takes the SE look off it and makes it a bit more aggressive.

Sorry OP - we shall now stop taking over your thread

drunkmonkey

He has a 10km commute, these twin turbos would be hardly up to temp, they need to be driven, wasted on such a short commute and probably going to cause you turbo problems. Not to mention the tax gets very painful after a while.
Probably best keep it under 2.0L considering the milage.

C0N0R

Can't search done deal due to geographical location, but how much can one pick up a 335i for now? Have an awful liking for one

btkm8unsl0w5r4

drunkmonkey wrote: »

He has a 10km commute, these twin turbos would be hardly up to temp, they need to be driven, wasted on such a short commute and probably going to cause you turbo problems. Not to mention the tax gets very painful after a while.
Probably best keep it under 2.0L considering the milage.

The car has a active exhaust that is designed to bring the car to temperature in a few minutes, the oil is also low viscosity. Thats really an old wives tale. Why a car under 2ltr? Do the smaller explosions make it heat up quicker?

I would find driving something that couldn't pull the skin off custard far more painful. You can get a 335i for 6-8k euro these days which offsets any tax.

drunkmonkey

Just easier on the pocket, used to pay the big tax it's hard to stomach after a while. A 335 for a 10km commute is overkill.
The cooper s, GTi, Megane, all a lot easier on the pocket.
Saying that probably go for a d5 bi turbo myself next but I do up to 50k a year. If was only scooting around like op I'd go for something smaller.

Mickiemcfist

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Just easier on the pocket, used to pay the big tax it's hard to stomach after a while. A 335 for a 10km commute is overkill.
The cooper s, GTi, Megane, all a lot easier on the pocket.
Saying that probably go for a d5 bi turbo myself next but I do up to 50k a year. If was only scooting around like op I'd go for something smaller.

Yea I'm with you on this, I had a mk5 GTi for two years & literally cost me just servicing & a set of tyres, 700 road tax & 200 bhp on a 10km commute is plenty. Plus the op is looking to keep the budget under 5k so I wouldn't imagine the costs of running a TT 6 cylinder BMW would be easy to stomach. They're too good a car to run on a budget & it'd cause undue stress worrying about something going pop

Glen_Quagmire

Is there much in the difference between the 2.5 and 3 litre petrol SE 5 series?

commited

Glen_Quagmire wrote: »

Is there much in the difference between the 2.5 and 3 litre petrol SE 5 series?

Depends on what 2 you are comparing but generally yes, considerable power difference.

Glen_Quagmire

commited wrote:

Depends on what 2 you are comparing but generally yes, considerable power difference.

2007 SE models. Is the 3 litre worth the extra 500 quid a year on tax?

circadian

I'd be on that Saab 93 Aero posted earlier. Drove one years ago, it was a rocketship but looked pretty normal outside. That V6 lump was something else.

commited

Glen_Quagmire wrote: »

2007 SE models. Is the 3 litre worth the extra 500 quid a year on tax?

Depends on what you're used to! 523i is 190bhp, 525i and 530 are the same engine just with different induction systems. 525i is 216bhp standard (and remappable to 265bhp) and the 530i is 272bhp. The 523i isn't remotely sporty.
As my earlier post buy one that has evidence of HPFP replacement and latest revision of injectors (index 11) to be safest.

A 335i is still the right choice if that sounds too scary, I'd be looking at a 2008-on 325i or 330i and have it mapped to the 265bhp. Find a manual and you'll have some great fun.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201801072538536

Mickiemcfist

commited wrote: »

Depends on what you're used to! 523i is 190bhp, 525i and 530 are the same engine just with different induction systems. 525i is 216bhp standard (and remappable to 265bhp) and the 530i is 272bhp.

I was pretty sure the 525 & 530i in the E60 were 2.5 & 3l? the change happened in the f10 AFAIK

drunkmonkey

commited wrote: »

Depends on what you're used to!

This is important, coming from a front wheel drive focus to a 300bhp rear wheel drive could be a little too much too soon. One oily boi of a roundabout and off she goes.

billybonkers

PM me if you are in the market for a Mk5 GTi

kupus

dont laugh I know everybody is mentioning bmws lol , how about something like a 100HP Fiat Panda Cheap tax, cheap to run and loadsa smiles for miles.
Or
Abarth sourced from the UK.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-search?sort=price-asc&radius=1500&postcode=m154fn&onesearchad=Used&make=ABARTH
choice of puntos or 500

commited

Mickiemcfist wrote: »

I was pretty sure the 525 & 530i in the E60 were 2.5 & 3l? the change happened in the f10 AFAIK

Nope. 525i became 3.0 with the introduction of the n53 with the LCI facelift in mid 2007.

Mickiemcfist

commited wrote: »

Nope. 525i became 3.0 with the introduction of the n53 with the LCI facelift in mid 2007.

Ah, didn't know that. Well as the op was asking about 07 e60's it could be either LCI or non LCI