Hi looking for a small enjoyable to drive car for a 48 yr family member, age is important as they do not want to look like a middle life crisis but want something nippy and is good to drive previously owned in the day XR2, Golf GTIs and so on

Balance of power, drive, economy and A road motorway compatibility.

One car she owned was lowered so much it was awful on the motorway…..

so any collective thoughts on the plus and minus of

Renualt Twingo 133

Fiat Panda 100bhp

Toyota Yaris T sport

Fiesta St (not a fav to be honest)

VW Lupo

Skoda VRS diesel

All reviews real life experiences and other options welcome, looking for second hand low miles and cheaper the better as austerity cuts loom!

Odd choices to say you like ‘drivers’ cars.

The Fiesta drives the bed out of those and you don’t like it…

I’m not a fan on the (old) Fiesta ST either. I’m guessing you mean newer?

I looked at the Panda100hp a few times but it just looks like it really is trying too hard due to its looks etc.

Why not a Panda 4×4. Not fast but quirky, fun, nimble and always sellable on. A 48yr old in a 100hp? Hmm.

My Aunt in her 70’s owns a Fiesta ST 😯

:Dthat’s why I was asking for opinions to challenge my negative stereotype as it is not for me but for a family member hence the

drive car for a 48 yr family member

have you owned a ST?

Hora cheers

100bhp in a small car is pretty quick and pandas always seem to handle well

and exactly she does not want a car that is trying to hard

something understated and yet shifts……….

Good on your aunt 😆

If you fancy a skoda a mate has the 105bhp Fabia Monte Carlo, not as quick as the VRs but still a bit of go in it. Cheaper to run too.
Mini Cooper?
Civic Type S?

Thanks Mini Cooper S seems to have poor economy and eats tyres? Civic R bit big.

Skoda is a good call and can be remapped?

Suzuki Swift?

I really liked the way the Swift drove but found the looks insipid.

I guess the skoda could be remapped. He was getting 45+mpg, build quality was spot on and the interior was really nice. His is white with a red and black interior, black alloy wheels.

Mrs has had mini’s for years. She currently has the Countryman, but before she had the Cooper. Nice car, again good build and MPG, but I hated the sports seats. She was ok, but I could never find a comfy spot.

The GF has a Micra CC 1600, have a look at those. Huge boot, 2+2, great fun with the roof down and the electric mechanism works well and is quiet/dry with roof up. Economical with a bit of fizz if you want to put your foot down. Japanese reliability.

We had very good experience with our Yaris (1300 Blue model old old shape), very reliable and nippy around town, sensible choice but not too inspiring. Feels a bit light on the motorway though. Small Seat or Polo ?

Twingo and Lupo are real city cars, have been in both and I’d have one over a Smart car but not for longer trips (although friends drive their Twingo 4-6 hours regularly for holidays)

Cheers Folks, see I own a Lupo 1,4 TDI remapped for my minimum 70 mile daily round trip and have to say I love it really wonderful, 65k on clock in 2,5 years and would recommend in a jiffy but rare as hens teeth

Are you looking at new or second hand?

What do you mean by a drivers car? If you want something with great handling and feedback, rather than something with outright grunt you should rule out the Fabia vRS diesel (I assumed you mean the original vRS, as they don’t do a diesel in the new one).
I’ve got the Ibiza 130 Sport which is the same car basically. It is quick enough and good for general driving. It’s pretty good at cross country A/B road drives from the point of view that the engine has plenty of torque so you don’t need to stir the gearbox all the time and can maintain a decent pace. But, there is no getting away from the fact that the engine is quite heavy which means it doens’t feel terribly nimble. The steering feel isn’t fantastic either.
I test drove the Zetec-S diesel at the same time and while it was quite a bit slower, it handled loads better. If I’d been doing more twisty A roads, rather than sat on the A1 all the time, I’d have probably gone for the Fiesta.

But, having said that – if you are looking at older cars and want a small point to point barnstormer then consider the previouis shape Ibiza Curpa – the TDi is a more powerful version (160bhp) of the Fabia vRS set-up and the petrol is a 1.8T with 180 bhp.

If you are looking at newer cars, then there is always the new Ibiza FR TDi which my wife has and it drives loads better than mine. Handling is better and it has pretty good steering feel. They also do a Cupra with the 1.4TSi engine with the DSG gearbox.

You don’t mention any sporty Clio’s in your list, which I’d be considering.
We looked at the Yaris T Sport a while back. Nice enough car, but 130bhp (I think it is) from a 1.8 is distinctly average compared to a lot of cars today and I think the tax will be quite high. Dunno – seems a bit middle ground to me.
A bit like the previous shape Fiesta ST – a 2 litre that develops ‘only’ 150bhp. Not that quick, but quite a lot to tax.
Not sure what engine is in the current ST; probably a turbo’d 1.6 or something. Looks great.

Panda 100hp is awesome. But, the ride is stupendously harsh – harder than my abarth 500. There’s fixes for this, but perhaps not quite what you’re looking for.

hi stumpyjohn

that is great cheers as I said looking for second hand low miles and cheaper the better as austerity cuts loom! so older models are on the list

clios always thought that the electrics are rubbish

the Ibiza should have been on the list with a Polo gti or Gt tdi

lots to reflect on

You don’t mention any sporty Clio’s in your list, which I’d be considering.

Indeed, but if you go for a 197 or 200 (197s in particular are dropping loads in price now) you’d better be prepared for a scary fuel bill!

You don’t mention any sporty Clio’s in your list, which I’d be considering.

Twingo 133. It shares the same chassis as the previous Clio and all the thinking that Renaulsport do so well. Get the Cup chassis for even more fun backache. Should be able to fit a bike in it too 😉

Not quite sure why you are happy to put the Ibiza and Polo GTi on the list but not the Fabia VRS? All three are largely the same and all three use the same 1.4Tsi engine producing 180bhp. I had the VRS and it was absolutely fab. It even happily returned more than 40mpg…

Rachel

Micra CC review, I would enorse this (didn’t realise they where designed and built in the UK)

autocar

TBH you wouldn’t go far wrong with the Twingo 133. I bet its a scream to drive, basic and quite cute.

You lot are clearly a bunch of patent trolls!

Huh… I didn’t post that in this thread. Weird.

I have pondered on the meaning of that post……………

have a look at the vw polo GT blue motion – 140bhp, 1.4T petrol engine, £0 road tax, and genuine ability to do 48 – 50mpg without even trying.

lovely car and very quick!

How about a Volvo c30.? Not too big, and cheap too. A quick look on autotrader puts prices from £3500.

My ladyfriend has a Mini Cooper. Nice to drive, superb handling, good economy, well made and built in Britain. The ride can be a bit harsh on runflats and make sure you get a post ’07 model to avoid the previous Chrysler engine.

I have pondered on the meaning of that post……………

You are smarter than me, I scrolled back a re-read it all wondering what he was talking about 😳

Civic 2.2 Diesel, has a 6spd box, main weakness is the clutch.

gofasterstripes – Member
You lot are clearly a bunch of patent trolls!

gfs, that is weird. I’m sure when I first saw that post it was under a different name. Can’t remember who now…

thanks all intresting ideas and keep them coming

I have a standard panda no idea of the engine size or hp but I guess it is 1.1. I really love it . it handles comfortably on motorways at 70 and on a roads , it obviously takes a while to accelerate and is not ideal for “making progress through traffic”. I think that as a small car it s handling and comfort would be less fun with a bigger engine . I imagine this could be mitigated by wider low profile tyres .

Round cities and in traffic the car is a joy to drive and park.

space wise it is excellent for the size and feels very much not like a small car to sit in. There is an issue with the drivers left leg resting against the central dash column but that comes to feel natural after a few days.

My head hurts…

How about a Citroen DS3 ? 120, 155 & a mental 207bhp petrol engine range. Worth considering IMHO.

twingo seems to be leading the way

clios always thought that the electrics are rubbish

The Renault Sport cars are built on a different production line and tend to suffer with electrical issues.

The Twingo RS is supposed to be a right hoot to drive and close to old school hot hatches. I think it looks pretty good too.

I really like the Panda 100hp but the ride is a bit dodgy…hard and bouncy. But they’re cheap and look pretty good.

The original VRS is good; I came pretty close to buying one. The old PD engines are a bit uncouth but feel faster than they are. White seat inserts not a great idea though. The new one is hideous and the seven speed DSG has been problematic.

The old Fiesta ST is grim inside and really not very quick. Handles ok though.

The original Cooper S is a great little car. I loved mine. Fuel wasn’t too bad nor were its appetite for tyres. Easily the best to drive out of the cars mentioned.

The Renault Sport cars are built on a different production line and tend to suffer with electrical issues.

pfft, nonsense! Right now my 182 only has cruise control and climate control problems!

😉

They are built in a different factory….Dieppe.

All cars can suffer electrical issues…zee Germans are often not much better (see BMW and their dodgey pixels, Audi are just as bad).

Actually, I do have have something to a add to this thread-we have a Twingo Freeway. Handles great, and the electronics are dodgy.

Legend how old is your 182?

An 8yr old car with niggles? All similar aged cars are problem free then? 😉

Saw a Twingo today. Would love one. Bet its bloody good fun and basic/good looking too. I.e ITS NOT TRYING HARD!

she is off to look at a twingo tomorrow 😀

what she wants is a lupo gti………………….. 🙄

We had a mk1 Cooper S, amazing little car to drive but thirsty as hell if driven properly, high on tax.

Got a Ibiza FR 130tdi at mo and it’s a nice place to be inside, frugal and cheap to tax/insure etc.

We really fancied a GTi Lupo too but they are rare and expensive for what you get, also quite pricey to run.