Jun 233 Report post Posted January 23, 2019 You may still find an R34 4 door for about $5k, it used to hover from $5-10k a few years ago. Now it's on $15-20k now. Definitely fun, although different from the M5 but if I had to choose only 1... I will still choose the R34. Manuals are more rare, a few years ago I know a lot of the auto got converted so maybe you can see them now. It is reliable, so far with more than a dozen year of ownership it has only let me down once... because it was my fault. I raced a HSV up the Rimutakas and decided I had enough fun and pulled over to take a photo of the hills... amateur hour... turn off the engine..... no turbo timer... boom! I am glad the RB engine are so tough, only cost me coolant and new radiator everything held on with no damage. For me it is safe, has dual airbags, ABS and TCS... yup the TCS lights up a lot especially on rain. Cheaper to run than BMW M car, but still it cost more than a Camry. You want to buy good tires for these cars... factory alignment eats the tires like an M car, has still big 4 pot brakes, drinks fuel if you spool the turbo up but economical enough if you just cruise along. Not cheap to run, but it is one of the cheapest fun car to run. Coil packs and spark plugs cost a bit, but so far only done mine once. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olaf 3317 Report post Posted January 23, 2019 of course, I'm not biased, but I think you should buy for your sister a beautiful 1997 Volvo 855-T5 Wagon. With a stunning black leather interior. a mere 198k kms, a fresh VTNZ WoF, a new AA premium battery, and a full tank of gas. She can woody it up a-la family truckster, but she'll have the last laugh when she can travel with her mates and camp in the back of it, shift flats and do it all in one load, not be concerned about safety or traction alongside an e36, and never be concerned about theft. Comfort, great stereo, great braking, acceleration to surprise any XR8 or SS commode owner, and the cred of the only wagon entered in the BTCC, and it won races to boot! it's the anti-cool, and you know she wants it. Under $5k to boot. 5 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jun 233 Report post Posted January 23, 2019 5 minutes ago, Olaf said: of course, I'm not biased, but I think you should buy for your sister a beautiful 1997 Volvo 855-T5 Wagon. With a stunning black leather interior. a mere 198k kms, a fresh VTNZ WoF, a new AA premium battery, and a full tank of gas. She can woody it up a-la family truckster, but she'll have the last laugh when she can travel with her mates and camp in the back of it, shift flats and do it all in one load, not be concerned about safety or traction alongside an e36, and never be concerned about theft. Comfort, great stereo, great braking, acceleration to surprise any XR8 or SS commode owner, and the cred of the only wagon entered in the BTCC, and it won races to boot! it's the anti-cool, and you know she wants it. Under $5k to boot. Agree with you on this one. I should unsubscribe to this thread ? 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M3AN 4016 Report post Posted January 23, 2019 (edited) If she's a "very competent" driver and the primary consideration is "fun under 5k" then hands-down it's the MX-5, you're unlikely to have as much fun unless you have an Evo. They really are that good, and at such low speeds. Edited January 23, 2019 by M3AN 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aja540i 1906 Report post Posted January 23, 2019 7 hours ago, Olaf said: of course, I'm not biased, but I think you should buy for your sister a beautiful 1997 Volvo 855-T5 Wagon. With a stunning black leather interior. a mere 198k kms, a fresh VTNZ WoF, a new AA premium battery, and a full tank of gas. She can woody it up a-la family truckster, but she'll have the last laugh when she can travel with her mates and camp in the back of it, shift flats and do it all in one load, not be concerned about safety or traction alongside an e36, and never be concerned about theft. Comfort, great stereo, great braking, acceleration to surprise any XR8 or SS commode owner, and the cred of the only wagon entered in the BTCC, and it won races to boot! it's the anti-cool, and you know she wants it. Under $5k to boot. Can i change my vote? Definitely get this!! 2 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olaf 3317 Report post Posted January 23, 2019 (edited) Is this where I mention it's had - in my ownership of some 11 or 12 years & just 54,000kms it's had plenty of care lavished on it: cam belt/waterpump/tensioner/rollers, total & complete cooling system replacement including heater core and turbo cooling hoses & genuine volvo radiator, shocks & all associated bushes, H&R sport springs, lower control arms, endlinks, drilled & slotted rotors, braided lines, IACV, cam position sensor, crank position sensor, fuel pump relay, front factory rebuilt brake callipers, coil, leads, plugs, cap, rotor, trans flush, mounts, fuel filter, air flow meter, PCV system, CV boots... and a fuel injection relay is on its way from the US of eh. It's not perfect as any 21 year old will remind you; it's well-dressed and well-behaved until you activate the party switch and then it likes to dance. It does like a drink. Show it a trip and you can nudge it under 9.9l/100, though blatting around the urban village teasing XR8/SS/STi and it'll chug 15-16/100. In serious leather, yesterday. (yes, it's a Frank Zappa reference). PS: and for trumps, it has FIVE cylinders. Yes, FIVE. They sound so cool. Edited January 23, 2019 by Olaf unabashed leather image 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
str8_6 275 Report post Posted January 23, 2019 Seriously cool. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olaf 3317 Report post Posted January 23, 2019 and hey, it's your new Swedish boyfriend/girlfriend. You know, the Swedes are known for their permissive views, sense of humour, and generally well-adjusted place in the world. No parent is going to be concerned about you showing up in a Volvo wagon to take their offspring out. Strange isn't it, Rover had the viking symbol on their cars, though they were someone staid and rather pipe-and-slippers. Volvo has quite the opposite, beneath the surface: https://jalopnik.com/volvos-850-wagon-racer-was-all-sorts-of-two-wheeling-aw-1567506405 Image from Amazon.com image from Pistonheads 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olaf 3317 Report post Posted January 23, 2019 Moving away from my bias, what about a BMW Mini? they're available for less than $5k, much stronger than an MX5, are popular and reasonably reliable? 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
str8_6 275 Report post Posted January 23, 2019 I quite like the BMW Mini’s but have heard they are more unreliable the VW’s... which would make them pretty bad! ? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
qube 3570 Report post Posted January 23, 2019 nothing wrong with minis! I would have another one in a heartbeat if I had the space Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olaf 3317 Report post Posted January 24, 2019 7 hours ago, str8_6 said: I quite like the BMW Mini’s but have heard they are more unreliable the VW’s... which would make them pretty bad! ? I will confess to being comparatively uninformed on Mini! Are they that bad? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dirtydoogle 383 Report post Posted January 24, 2019 Corolla RUNX Followed by a cheapish NB MX5 The Runx will leave most above cars behind happily 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
qube 3570 Report post Posted January 24, 2019 2 hours ago, Olaf said: I will confess to being comparatively uninformed on Mini! Are they that bad? they are not any worse than BMWs the biggest problem is underservicing, same as any other car owned by the majority of NZ. oil starvation leading to premature engine damage, water pump failure leading to overheating, typical things like that that we (bmw owners) are well used to are considered "high maintenance" because its no toyota that happily will run without oil and water for 200,000 kms. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KwS 2425 Report post Posted January 24, 2019 If she pushes the budget to 6k you can get a Swift Sport for that, and they are a hell of a lot of fun to drive, easy to drive, and brutally reliable. So many of these other cars recommended are terrible options unless you're a sucket for punishment. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BozzaFC 300 Report post Posted January 24, 2019 A couple years ago I took a manual Swift Sport for a spin; surprisingly good fun! Had a nice notchy gear shift from memory. I guess after seeing so many poorly maintained Swifts on the road I forgot that they are actually good cars Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M3AN 4016 Report post Posted January 24, 2019 They are very good cars, I didn't think you could get one in the price range. Never seen a manual myself let alone driven one! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OP6 27 Report post Posted January 24, 2019 If you can find one - Renault Clio RS. 2 litre NA, 172bhp Bought one for $4500 3 years ago, it is brilliant. 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BozzaFC 300 Report post Posted January 24, 2019 They’re quite cool! When I was on the hunt for my current Bimmer I kept my eyes and ears open on the Clio market. Tell me more about your one @OP6, pictures? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M3AN 4016 Report post Posted January 25, 2019 10 hours ago, OP6 said: If you can find one - Renault Clio RS. 2 litre NA, 172bhp Bought one for $4500 3 years ago, it is brilliant. Now that is an interesting suggestion, they're a really fun car around town and on the open road, had one for a Paris to Brussels trip. I had no idea you could get on for less than $5k. My concern would be the maintenance and upkeep, I'm not sure what the costs would be but I imagine they're not insignificant. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
str8_6 275 Report post Posted January 25, 2019 21 hours ago, BozzaFC said: A couple years ago I took a manual Swift Sport for a spin; surprisingly good fun! Had a nice notchy gear shift from memory. I guess after seeing so many poorly maintained Swifts on the road I forgot that they are actually good cars Wash your mouth out Bozza. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nick496 268 Report post Posted January 25, 2019 I'd suggest a Mazda 323 like this https://www.trademe.co.nz/1906062000 Nice and zippy in a 2l manual. Plenty enough fun to drive around, and still practical. Doesn't quite meet the cool criteria. But that one I've linked is yellow, which adds some points for being different. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Navin 180 Report post Posted January 26, 2019 DC2 Honda Integra would be top of my list. the b18c is lots of fun. Loads of potential to handle really well for a FWD. Have owned about 7 or 8 of them in the past. Just lacks the modern safety stuff Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
qube 3570 Report post Posted January 26, 2019 ^ good luck trying to find a decent one these days.. prices skyrocketting for nice ones and the cheap ones are.. well cheap for a reason. thrashed to death vtec all day 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olaf 3317 Report post Posted January 26, 2019 1 hour ago, Navin said: DC2 Honda Integra would be top of my list. the b18c is lots of fun. Loads of potential to handle really well for a FWD. Have owned about 7 or 8 of them in the past. Just lacks the modern safety stuff I had a thrash in a Type R back in 1997, it was pretty shiny and new. I'd just come out of 3 years in a GTI 16v Golf. The "VTEC-YEO" was somewhat impressive, certainly making more power than the GTi, and it had me working the calculator for about ten minutes until I remembered borrowing for cars is folly. Looking back I wonder what I was thinking. I'm sure these days a DC2 type R would be like driving with a "please, please pull me over, officer" bumper sticker! (sung to the tune of "please, please please let me get what I want" by The Smiths). 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
