Thread: small fun car with manual gearbox

Originally Posted by Geedublya

Manual makes it hard.
A quick search on carsales for 10 years old and newer, manual gearbox, not a hatchback in Victoria brings up a bunch of WRXs, Mazda 3s, a couple of Skodas, a Commodore V6, an Audi S3, a VW of some sort and a bunch of Kias, Hyundais, Nissans and Hondas that I doubt you would be interested in.
If you want a largeish sedan or wagon there is bugger all in manual.

I just bought my daughter a Suzuki Swift Sport, it's a great little car, 1.6l 5 speed manual, great handling, but noisy and sits on 3500rpm at 110kmh but has a redline at 7000, drinks premium and isn't super economical 6.7l/100.

Yeah ... its frustrating. Any car that catches my eye, is far to old to get as a "modern daily driver"... I might have to go and try a chrysler 300 and see what it drives like. I'm expecting a big kinda floaty barge (hopefully). I'm thinking about 10year old as that is before all the crazy crap touch screens, auto braking, auto crap that tries to over-ride the driver. And lets face it, is there a car made in the last 10years you would want to own

I'm thinking big comfy passenger sedan. They don't seem to exist any longer though. We have Jags, Mercs and exotics, but imagine trying to get parts for them at a reasonable cost... hmmm.... A pretend 4wd (aka: any plastic jacked up junk to try and look like a 4wd... I don't understand this "every car needs to look like a 4wd so middle aged women will buy them" caper) holds absolutely no appeal. And that is what the market is full of.

Originally Posted by DoubleChevron

I'm thinking big comfy passenger sedan.

2 series Volvo. 4 speed + overdrive, most of the mod-cons. A bit past your "10 year" marker though. The problem is they are so highly sought after that the price can be a bit $$$.

2010_Caterham_7_Roadsport_175_1.6.jpg
Pick a year between the mid-70s and today. Simple, highly customizable, only available in manual, definitely fun and small

Have you looked at a Suzuki Kizashi 2.4 Petrol 6 speed? Stopped production 2016. It had around 140kw, from memory.

Originally Posted by Saitch

Have you looked at a Suzuki Kizashi 2.4 Petrol 6 speed? Stopped production 2016. It had around 140kw, from memory.

I'd never heard of that. The CVT gearbox is a huge "no" from me The car itself sounds quite good. I'm a bit (just a bit? yeah right) weird. I'd like to find something with manual gearbox I won't loose in a carpark. Gee's, we had my mothers car here for a bit.... I gave it the occasional run to keep the battery charged. Gee's ... I lost the thing every single time I parked it in a carpark. I could stand right infront of it and not see it How do people with white and silver plastic blobs ever keep track of which car is theres in a carpark

seeya
Shane L.

You guys seem to bent on causing your children and grandchildren financial suicide.
No European or British car over 10 years old should ever be considered. EVER!
My son convinced his daughter to buy a BMW 3 series. It is now dying. Minis need the whole front taken off to do anything and the original BMW ones are money pits. My son's Audi A5 2007 supercharged has done 2 water pumps in a couple of years and you have to take the whole front off to replace them.
My mate who has a D type replica, Restored MGA, and Morris Marina coupe 2.4 is looking for a Camry for his grand child and that is the only choice apart from say a Honda of some description that should even be considered. You cannot argue that he is not an enthusiast but he is also aware that kids have limited resources and not much sense unless you want to be their funder for years to come. My daughter once cooked a Laser just after I had paid for a head gasket because the red light came on from a burst hose but she continued driving home.

My Jazz has the most lively engine I have experienced for many years and belies its econobox image to drive. And absolutely reliable and fun at modest speeds . Not a penny after 6 years apart from services. Oops had warped discs so replaced them and Brembo pads.
Regards PhilipA

Originally Posted by DoubleChevron

I'd never heard of that. The CVT gearbox is a huge "no" from me The car itself sounds quite good. I'm a bit (just a bit? yeah right) weird. I'd like to find something with manual gearbox I won't loose in a carpark. Gee's, we had my mothers car here for a bit.... I gave it the occasional run to keep the battery charged. Gee's ... I lost the thing every single time I parked it in a carpark. I could stand right infront of it and not see it How do people with white and silver plastic blobs ever keep track of which car is theres in a carpark

seeya
Shane L.

It came with a 6 speed manual option.

Originally Posted by PhilipA

You guys seem to bent on causing your children and grandchildren financial suicide.
No European or British car over 10 years old should ever be considered. EVER!
My son convinced his daughter to buy a BMW 3 series. It is now dying. Minis need the whole front taken off to do anything and the original BMW ones are money pits. My son's Audi A5 2007 supercharged has done 2 water pumps in a couple of years and you have to take the whole front off to replace them.
My mate who has a D type replica, Restored MGA, and Morris Marina coupe 2.4 is looking for a Camry for his grand child and that is the only choice apart from say a Honda of some description that should even be considered. You cannot argue that he is not an enthusiast but he is also aware that kids have limited resources and not much sense unless you want to be their funder for years to come. My daughter once cooked a Laser just after I had paid for a head gasket because the red light came on from a burst hose but she continued driving home.

My Jazz has the most lively engine I have experienced for many years and belies its econobox image to drive. And absolutely reliable and fun at modest speeds . Not a penny after 6 years apart from services. Oops had warped discs so replaced them and Brembo pads.
Regards PhilipA

Um ... Ok.

My eldest daughter is driving a 2005 Citroen C2. (so 20 years old). Its only needed tyres and oil changes. Let me think. I did put the strut bushes in the front a couple of years back ($90aud and a couple of hours work).

The youngest daughter is driving a 2007 poogoe 407 6spd manual. We have owned this car for 13years and put over 250,000kms on it. The only non-service type item it has ever had is a flywheel at 80,000kms (all cars back then with dual mass flywheels seemed to fail). Its still running fine today. getting quite battered. I'd jump into it and drive it to perth tomorrow if I needed to without hesitation. This was my wifes car and was moved onto the youngest daugther last year.

My wife is driving a 2011 Poogoe RCZ (so 14 years old). I'll have too see when this thread has started, its been what ... 2 ... maybe 3 years. The car has needed a thrust bearing and normal servicing (The risks of buying a used car, a previous owner had cooked the grease out of the thrust bearing). I'd drive it to perth tomorrow without a seconds hesitation.

Now lets see, my cars. I've owned a range rover classic for over 10 years. Actually, I've done a bit of work to this car. It bent a conrod when the fuel pressure regulator died and filled No8 cylinder with fuel.... I killed the transfer case/gearbox output shaft by running really thick gearbox oil in the transfer case that didn't have a cross drilled input shaft. Its guzzled endless amounts of LPG and done everything I've ever asked of it.

I've owned a citroen cx for 20 ... no maybe 25 years. Not just a locally sold one, a personal import that was never sold in Australia. Other than numerous hours over the years chasing electrical gremlins (salted roads and wiring system don't live well together). the thing just goes. I've towed caravans all over Australia with it, towed car trailer ... travelled ... The poor thing has been run on the tightest shoe string budget imaginable. I could get up from this chair right now, walk over to the car, hook up the battery terminal and drive it without a seconds hesitation.

Now, not only is it a 40 year old car, it was a demonstrator when sold new (CNAN number plates in the UK). This means the high performance petrol turbocharged car was a dealer demonstrator when new. Every single test pilot would have beaten the thing mercilessly. At 40 years of age, its never had the engine touched, doesn't burn or use a drip of oil between oil changes, never had the gearbox touched, never had the turbo installation touched (bullet proof old garret.... could do with a new core now doubt as it will be down on boost). The suspension has normal service items. ie: ball joints, bushes and spheres as needed. I drove this as a daily car with 3 young children on a single very average wage. That is how little it has cost me.

Other cars ... I have two 1963 Citroen ID19s. They haven't done a lot of milage over the last few years, but they just go. Normal servicing work is about it. They are mechanicaly incredibly tough.

Um, a 1950 Citroen Traction Avant. Its done next to no milage, so I can't comment on running costs... But its fun to tinker with.


Cars are expensive because people pay tremendous amounts of money paying someone to service them, I don't do this.

So if I got something like a Jaguar X type or Chrysler 300 .... How much do you think I'd be spending .... Hmmmm... My only concern is the huge bills slugomatic gearboxes can send my way

My wife has her small fun car, so I'm thinking some modern luxo-barge type vehicle .... you know, similar to a Citroen Ds or Citroen CX ... but made this century that she would be confident to drive wihtout fear of breaking down.

If you want to talk expensive..... ludicrously, insanely expensive motoring. Lets look at the electric throw-aways. Man the money they will cost is just mind boggling. Guess how much I've lost on the cars I've owned (especially if you include servicing costs) versus a throw-away every few years.

seeya
Shane L.