Swap

Thinking of swapping my Mk4 2.0 gti for something a bit faster....... Any sugestions. Don't really want to spend over £2500.

Cheers

If you've got a broader mind, how about an E46 318Ci 16V. Bit quicker, sexier looking, and much more fun to drive.
Still a four-pot so fuel bills won't destroy your wallet. And pretty cheap to pick up nowadays too.

Also usually quite highly spec'd up. Multi-function, air-con, electrics, etc...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201227477808961/sort/default/usedcars/engine-size-cars/2l_to_2-5l/transmission/manual/body-type/coupe/model/3_series/make/bmw/onesearchad/used/onesearchad/nearlynew/radius/1501/page/2/keywords/16v/postcode/cb75fj?logcode=p

That ones a bit over your budget but there are plenty under £2,500. Well worth it.

imo e46 318s are shockingly bad, that engines bad enough in e36s let alone a heavier e46.

matty_mk1 wrote:

imo e46 318s are shockingly bad, that engines bad enough in e36s let alone a heavier e46.

The E46 318Ci 16V is a completely different engine to the ones found in the E36 318. To start with it's a 2.0.
Horses for courses really. I think the 318's are great cars and have bulletproof engines.

I never had a problem with the 318is I used to have and that was driven at least 50 miles a day for work and then some on top for when I was out and about in the evenings/weekends. A family friend has had an E46 318Ci 16V Convertible for the past 5 years without a single problem. Not one.

Oh yeah forgot about that, maybe itll will cope with the weight abit better then. Every 318is (e36s) ive driven has been gutless noisey things. im not doubting theyre reliability, but hes asking for something thats faster than what hes got, 0-60 of like 9secs might be disappointing.

matty_mk1 wrote:

Oh yeah forgot about that, maybe itll will cope with the weight abit better then. Every 318is (e36s) ive driven has been gutless noisey things. im not doubting theyre reliability, but hes asking for something thats faster than what hes got, 0-60 of like 9secs might be disappointing.

True. But with the 2.0 GTI being as slow and sluggish as it is, most things seem quick in comparison.
But yeah, all depends on how quick he wants to go really.

Yeah it is painfully slow. Was thinking about a 328 m sport e36. Anyone know much about them?

328 is the best e36 you can get for your money IMO.
it shares most parts with the smaller engined cars so is cheapish to maintain.
it comes with traction control which is good for rear wheel drive if you ain't no drifter.
it sounds a beast and goes well, the interior is a bit 90s but is still nice and can come quite well specced I like the 328 the top model isn't always the best

i used to have an m3 evolution, it was good but pricey.
19mpg round town is quite thirsty.
the m3 has nonstandard suspension parts that cost quite a bit more to replace
and most other model specific parts can command quite a markup
I once had a service that came out at over 2k
to replace the vanos (BMW variable valve timing) was £1500. with a discount as mates mum was the dealership accountant
main dealer prices
it was fast as fcuk though

get a 20v mk2 just about as fast and much cheaper but I'm biast

The 328 is great, but the engine is poor on MPG. Not ideal for the current financial climate.
Anyone that tells you they can get more than 29MPG per tanks is a liar.

I used to get around 380/390 miles in a tank and that's from long drives at a relatively slow pace.
Drive quicker and it becomes apparent that these cars were built in the non-eco era.

Fantastic car other than that. Most solid car I've owned.

For £2500 I would buy a Seat Leon Cupra all day long.

Well as unpopular as the idea may be on here. Think i'm just going to put my vectra back on the road for now. Have some fun in that for a while Cheers for the 328 info though. Might well be the next purchase......