The sum total of all the cars I have owned are not this expensive, and I have owned three cars. The year after I killed a car my insurance was only just over a third of this! If you are so young that your insurance is that big, get the shittest car you can buy, run it until you have run it into the ground, get £150 for having it towed for parts, and spend the extra cash you save on something awesome when you don't cost god amount of money to insure tbh.
MX5 is the best advice here, provided you fit in one - some of the older ones were not great for tall people. It's a sports convertible, though - not a hot hatch. Regarding hot hatches, I'll go against the grain and telly ou to avoid anything German. Yes, the fit and finish might be good, and they might be decent drives, but they are ALL uninspired. I have by now driven MANY hot hatches (Golf III, V and VI GTIs, Mk6 Golf R, Audi S3, Polo GTI, Fiat Bravo, Focus ST, various RenaultSports, etc). I can tell you that anything German in that list was OK... not great. Quick enough, but no fun. The ONE exception would be the Golf III, which has an engine transplant from a Golf IV GTI. 1.8 Turbo engine... that thing is fun, precise, and the seating is a bit awkward, if I am honest. The best ones out of those were the new RS Megane (which seems to be a bit out of your price bracket), and my own Fiat Bravo Sport (150bhp). The Megane is just great. It's lively, fun, goes like a hooligan and doesn't look bad to boot. The Bravo is a bit of an odd one: It's crashy around town, the brakes are a bit weird, the pedals too long and soft, the instrument cluster not all visible for all drivers (me, for example), but good lord that thing is fun. the 1.4T engine in that thing picks up revs happily, the turbo boost comes at 2200 RPM or so, all at once, and it just fizzes. A LOT. It makes you feel like you're pushing it early on, and even at lower, safer speeds, which is what hot hatching should be all about. It also punishes mid-corner lift and stupid moves like that. Smooth is fast in that car. The ride is comfortable enough (i got back aches in my Mk 5 GTI across 400km, and by comparison drove the Fiat 3600km in a week without problems), and it becomes less crashy at higher speeds. My money's on that. Solidly.
Have you considered a Honda Civic Type R? I saw one the other day and it just looked fabulous. I think £8k puts it in your price range.
For £8k I'd be looking for a mint 182 Trophy. Widely regarded as one of the finest ever made, made better with fancy dampers etc, and limited edition for traffic-queue braggery. Do you have room for a 2-car garage though? I honestly think that's the best setup - one waftmobile for the week, and an impractical car for the times when pleasure can be had from driving. My choice would be an E38 7-series (2k and actually cheap to run as long as you go for a 6-cyl) and either an MX-5 Mk.1 or a 172 with the Cup pack.
Well, I am lucky enough to have a job that pays well enough to be able to afford it. My car is very much a way to enjoy myself and let of steam. Should go down next year when I pass 4 years driving, 21 and hopefully commission. It may seem a strange thing to do, but it all works for me!
Right first off we do have two garages but we have about a dozen vehicles (family and work) so space is rather cramped as it is. Also I have access to my mums car during the week so most likley I will alternate between mine and hers when I'm at work so I can't really get two cars till I get my own place. Right run down of the cars and my thoughts: MX5 agreed great car but not for me Clio sport love the older model inside and out but fancy something newer unless I can find a full fat mint edition one in blue with stripes, New one good all over accept the interior is god awful my sisters twingo is alot nicer. Megane love the new shape car inside and out, most likly out of my price range unless I save for a while. Polo good car but I agree with Bentanat they are a little boring tbh What do people think of finance deals been looking at them on a Megane sport (new and 2nd hand) since I will put the main bulk of the car price as a deposit would I not get charged so much.
Around here, the 2nd hand market is f***ed. That means it's impossible to buy a car cash - bank loans all the way - so I can't realyl comment much on that. That said - those new Megane Sports are really nice. Also worth a look (though perhaps a bit girly) is the Alfa MiTo. Nice little car that, same 150bhp engine as in the Bravo, no good resale value (means you should be able to pick them up cheaply), and good solid fun to drive.
Abarth 500, doesn't have the power of some mentioned but has character, engine pops and bangs, feels fast due to size and turbo charged torque delivery.
Alfa's "little hot hatch" is really the Giulietta QV, though... the MiTo QV is hardly worth the premium over the normal 1.4T one. If you're willing to go Fiat, though, also have a look at an Abarth Grande Punto. Preferably one with an EsseEsse kit on it... they look like MASSIVE fun.
that's again not a hot hatch, though. I'd hazard that it's prohibitively expensive to run and insure, as well.
It's not a hot hatch, but i'm getting the distinct impression that the OP is after a fun car. I have a 370z and whilst it is not particularly light on fuel, I would certainly not call it prohibitively expensive to run.
I'd second the 350Z - love that car and V JEALOUS OF THE 370Z!!!!! but have to agree with BentAnat that fuel, tax and insurance, not to mention parts would put me off. I did consider one instead of my Celica TSport, certainly gets to 60 a second quicker but fuel, parts, tax and insurance were in a different league...
EP3 Civic Type R or Clio 197 R27. Either one of those and you're unlikely to be disappointed. Change to spare as well. As to which is better? The Civic is probably a slightly nicer place to be, the engines are awesome. The 197 has more usable grunt without stringing it, albeit not much, and the handling is sublime! Plus they look really nice. Don't be put off by the 'it's French' brigade. They're very reliable cars. Megane R26 is within your price range as well, just... Now you're talking
VRS is unquestionably the best hothatch of the moment for that budget. Civic Type R is also a very decent car, but im not a fan of the looks personally.
EP3 CTR's will be reliable almost regardless of how hard they've been used. Engines on these cars are put through unbelievable stress tests before going into production, and no owner, no matter how careless, will damage it enough to if it's been serviced. That said, if a CTR appeals (and perhaps if you're not too keen on the styling) an Integra TR would be a fine purchase. Your budget should see you into a reasonable DC5, or a totally mint DC2. Both are right up there with the best FWD cars ever built.
