First car help - a hot(ish) hatch?

djan

I am looking to buy my first car and would greatly appreciate your help or other potential candidates.

• Budget is around 8,000 EUR.
• Smaller size such as a polo, mostly (95%) of time only 2 people in it so no need for full back seats.
• Year ideally 2012+
• Mileage about 12k km per year with a weekday daily commute of 30km through the city and longer countryside drives on the weekends so going petrol.
• Something a bit fun to drive with a bit of poke.

At the moment I am leaning towards a 2013 Citroen DS3 Dsport Plus 1.6 155bhp with the Alfa Mito 1.4TB close second. Probably will have to look north or to the UK as the selection in Ireland of these cars seems very low.

Any experiences with the above or suggestions?

cruizer101

Have you looked at insurance? If its your first car, I'm guessing you might be young and have limited experience so getting insurance on anything with a bit of poke could be tricky. Just something to consider first

djan

cruizer101 wrote: »

Have you looked at insurance? If its your first car, I'm guessing you might be young and have limited experience so getting insurance on anything with a bit of poke could be tricky. Just something to consider first

Was the first thing I did! Have had licence for 7 years and 3 years named ncb. On the Ds3 1.6 a fully comp comes to 1.4k which while not ideal is not the worst.

djan

Looking around mow maybe one of the VW group such as the polo or at a stretch Audi a1. With the polo's there seems to be so many trim and editions so hard to make sense of it.

U_Fig

djan wrote: »

Looking around mow maybe one of the VW group such as the polo or at a stretch Audi a1. With the polo's there seems to be so many trim and editions so hard to make sense of it.

Some other ideas, some are pushing the boat a little on what you would consider at "hotish" hatch but still

I have a polo blue gt , its a luke warm hatch in essence, it's a nippy enough little thing, a stripped down version of the polo gti , I has a 1.4tsi engine at 150ps .Although you would strugge to get one for 8K I would bet. It's a great engine mind you and decent efficiency.

This is 12k but it's DSG auto.
https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/volkswagen-polo-gt-automatic-dsg-price-drop/20478173

a suzuki swift sport night be an option , I've never driven one but they are supposed to be good fun to drive. Around 134bhp so not as much oomph

An example of one ,
https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/2011-suzuki-swift-1-6-petrol/20941725
Another
https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/suzuki-swift-2009/20862159

Maybe a fiesta zetec s Is another option be about 120ps but the fiesta is pretty good to drive
https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/ford-fiesta-zetec-s-1-6-120ps-sigma/20167266

Or even a 1.25 fiesta in the 80ps guise are nippy enough, and they are pretty good to drive.

Note I am not saying any of the cars there are ones to look at specifically, just giving you an idea of a few other options that might be cheaper to buy and insure, Some one might be able to give more insight on whether they are good to own / reliable ect..

djan

U_Fig wrote: »

Some other ideas, some are pushing the boat a little on what you would consider at "hotish" hatch but still

I have a polo blue gt , its a luke warm hatch in essence, it's a nippy enough little thing, a stripped down version of the polo gti , I has a 1.4tsi engine at 150ps .Although you would strugge to get one for 8K I would bet. It's a great engine mind you and decent efficiency.
.........

Wow, that's some amount of info, thanks!

The polo looks really nice but unfortunately, can't stretch the budget that much.

The swift does look very interesting and is not something that I've even considered. I wonder how the reliability would be, judging from some searching they seem OK. Would be handy not having to go to the UK. Interestingly enough the swift comes in at pretty much the exact same insurance even though its down on power a fair bit...

drunkmonkey

How's your insurance on this https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/2012-volkswagen-polo-1-4-gti-180-bhp-automatic-53k/19935726

kerten

Aren't those 1.4 180hp thsi engines fond of their oil a little bit too much ?

djan

drunkmonkey wrote: »

How's your insurance on this https://www.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/2012-volkswagen-polo-1-4-gti-180-bhp-automatic-53k/19935726

Looks quite nice but it does bring up the insurance up quite a bit and would prefer manual which doesn't seem to be made with this series.

drunkmonkey

This would probably be standing you 11k after VRT https://www.donnellygroup.co.uk/motorstore/used-cars/9427527-ford-fiesta-1.6-eco-boost-st-3dr/
Should hold it's value pretty well and a heap of fun.

Did you check out your insurance on a Mk5 GTi?

chicorytip

djan wrote:

I am looking to buy my first car and would greatly appreciate your help or other potential candidates. Budget is around 8,000 EUR. Smaller size such as a polo, mostly (95%) of time only 2 people in it so no need for full back seats. Year ideally 2012+ Mileage about 12k km per year with a weekday daily commute of 30km through the city and longer countryside drives on the weekends so going petrol. Something a bit fun to drive with a bit of poke. At the moment I am leaning towards a 2013 Citroen DS3 Dsport Plus 1.6 155bhp with the Alfa Mito 1.4TB close second. Probably will have to look north or to the UK as the selection in Ireland of these cars seems very low.

Mini Cooper S 1.6 petrol.

bohsfan

Check out the Ibiza FR or a Cupra, if you can find one. Had the Ibiza FR SC (3 door) for a while myself and loved it

djan

Had time to sit down and get some quotes. With the golf gti and Cooper S it brings it over 2k so that's a no go for now unfortunately.

The VW 1.4 TSI cars seem interesting but just have found so many reports of issues online such as oil consumption and going completely, which is a bit worrying.

Also wonder how all this brexit stuff will impact getting a car over from there...

bazz26

Suzuki Swift 1.6 Sport:



https://www.carsireland.ie/detail.php?ad_id=2202284&r=s.php%3Fm%5B%5D%3D85%26o%5B%5D%3D713%26f%3D1%26nx%3D10%26nn%3D6%26pp%3D50%26g%3D0

125bhp in a car of that size and weight would be fun.