Ford Puma is a great drive, really nicely balanced and fun car. Good call 🙂

I just got a 2003 MX5.
1.8 Sport, as high spec as they got:
Heated leather seats
Electric windows and mirrors
Remote locking
16″ alloys
Limited slip diff
Uprated brakes
Bilstein shocks

30,000 miles and full Mazda dealer history. Just north of £2k
Great car and feels like driving a new one.

Was cruising around last night. T-shirt on, roof down, heated seats – watching the mega-moon.

Digging it.

2000’ish Fiesta Zetec S

Mk4 Golf? Could get a reasonable 1.8T for £1500 but you’d still need to factor in the engine and chassis work needed to make it fun.

Love my micra 160sr feels like I’m a blue bottle when I drive it.
Nothing fancy but it has 1.6 engine with slightly stiffer springs that won’t shatter your back and is cheap to run. Think the sport+ is the same car just different badge. Should get a 2005 ish one for near your budget.

nissan pulsar gtr

mate had one and it was one scary car, it was heavily modified mind, think it was nearly popping out 300bhp

they’re prob all dead now though

There’s a supercharged MX5 on pistonheads at the moment 😀

Loved my Puma. You’d probably struggle to find one without the rear arches a rusty mess now though. Particular weakness for them.

My 2000 mk4

You had me until the mk4 bit – what!?

excitement is relative – OP’s requirement is for something to commute across London in and I promise you I could get you quite excited driving you around town in mine…

Commute across London? By car?

i dunno….

captain slow – Member

Can’t believe nobody has suggested an old golf gti. My 2000 mk4

Pff, there’s no such thing as a Mk4 gti 😉

I think you were onto a winner to begin with; BMW. You’d get a decent E36 for that money- silky smooth straight 6 and rear wheel drive. The earlier ones are reckoned to be more reliable (so one badged a 325i, rather than a 328i).

Keep an eye on Retro Rides for some inspiration. There’s usually some ‘interesting’ motors for sale.

Can’t believe nobody has suggested an old golf gti. My 2000 mk4 has 136k on the clock and fits the everyday fun requirement completely. I’m not selling though…

Don’t worry, I’m not buying. There’s a very specific reason why no one suggested a Golf GTi of that era.

Saxo vts 16v. Handling. Performance. Cheap as. Same car as the 106 gti but less desirable. Spend 1k on a good in and £500 on a holiday or bike bits.

Currently loving the mk3 Mondeo tdci. Cheap. Frugal. Comfy. Nippy.

Don’t worry, I’m not buying. There’s a very specific reason why no one suggested a Golf GTi of that era

The VAG car of that era to go for is the Leon Cupra.

Sure its not an MX-5 but they were a hell of a lot better handling and more fun to drive than the Golfs of the same vintage

For that money:

BMW 728i (E38). Surprisingly cheap to run and feels like a luxury tank. I’ve had 3 of them. If you get a good one, you can sell it after a year for about what you paid for it. Just MOT, Tax and petrol. E38s were the pinnacle of quality and luxury that wasn’t ruined by electronics. Avoid large diameter fancy non-OEM alloys.
(EDIT: You can get a 29er with wheels off in the boot)

Nissan 300ZX. A bit more exciting. Get a good JDM 2+2 Auto non-turbo with low miles. Nissan reliability.

That’s what I’d get but then I’m not exactly ‘normal’!

no point.

What do you mean by ‘fun / exciting’?

2-seat convertibles are universally ‘fun’ when the roof is down (imho) but definatively not when the roof is up / hardtop fitted.

At the budget you should buy on condition of the specific car not by the brand.

Shameless plug. This has been a lot of fun, reliable, reasonably economic and practical;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121427799777?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649