I Have Limited Money Is Bmw E46 Good For Me ?

Cheap fast cars 2022 – the advisable budget performance cars along the market

If you buy rectify and do your search, the cheap fast-breaking car is a wonderful thing. Here are our top picks betwixt £1000 and £10,000

Bang for your dollar. It's an American term, but IT's stony to think of a better formulate to describe the construct of getting a lot of operation for not a fortune of hard currency.

While it applies in the market for original cars, depreciation makes it even more than relevant in the used gondola market, and the choice of some of evo's past favourite performance cars now selling for pennies is vast. Cheap express cars are what we're interested in Hera and, crucially, we've gone in hunt of models that nates follow bought, maintained and enjoyed relatively cheaply.

Set yourself an upper limit of £10,000 – about the equal price as a new Dacia Sandero Stepway with a coat of bronze paint – and you'll find everything from V8 muscle cars to turbocharged rally legends, with upmost speeds in excess of 150mph and 0-60mph figures beginning with fives and sixes.

> Best cars to buy for £20,000 – evo garage

As such, we've broken-field that £10k limit down into quatern sections, pick three sleazy fast cars in each section that should cover a wide range of performance and practicality considerations. This isn't a buying guide (though we've dropped in a few nuggets of advice here and thither), but where appropriate you'll retrieve links to cars we've covered in more deepness elsewhere.

Consider information technology more of a shopping list – a selection to invite you when you want to park something a infinitesimal more galvanic alongside your financed Rudolf Diesel family wagon, or if you're prompt to return the plunge into ownership of your first specific evo car. And if you can hatch any more, drop us a ancestry along Twitter or Facebook.

Fast cars for £1000-3000

BMW 330i (E46)

The classiest option of our cheapest threesome, the 330i's biggest bonus is ubiquity. BMW 3-series sales really started to take off with the E46 and in front punitive CO2-based taxation there wasn't a huge penalization in opting for the 3-l in-line six with its 228bhp production. A 6.5sec 0-60mph sprint is the reward, along with a limited 155mph top zip.

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An agile chassis, rear-wheel drive and frequently, a manual gearbox, give information technology the right driver's elevator car credentials, as well A the performance benefits of that strident straight-sixer. Low prices mean finding combined with the right kind of past owner can beryllium tough, and E46s have a reputation for rust – just for price and performance, it's a compelling choice.

Prices for finer cars have seen a slight bump in recent multiplication, but higher fuel consumption rate examples can still be had for under the £3000 mark – should information technology have received suitable maintenance though, father't let a high odometer reading material put you remove.

Skoda Octavia vRS

Skoda's first proper performance car was a bargain at launch and is even out more of a performance bargain now. Powered by the Volkswagen Mathematical group's 1.8-litre turbocharged four-piston chamber (just corresponding its SEAT Leon Cupra and VW Golf GTI contemporaries, Eastern Samoa symptomless as the Audi TT and several others) it put option 180bhp to the front wheels and, like the current Octavia vRS, was something of a family friendly, pragmatic option in the hot hatch market.

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It remains a thoroughly sensible yet curiously appealing option. For similar money you could soundless commence the more stylish and similarly powered TT, but the Skoda gets you proper back seats and a large boot, as intimately Eastern Samoa the joy of farfetched speed in such an unassuming shape. Mechanicals are generally solid and interiors wear well, and with a good set of tyres there's shut up the potential of keeping modern equivalents in your sights.

Renault Clio 172

While not 'presto' in the way some another cars on this listing might be, a car A weensy as the Clio crowded with a 170bhp 2-litre railway locomotive isn't what you might call slow up, either. Early phase 1 172s are rare these days (easily identified by their softer styling and 15-inch OZ wheels), just phase 2 cars are plentiful and tuppeny – and probably the best basis for an affordable trackday car on the market.

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The 172 (and after 182) doesn't just excel on track though, as they're equally at menage on B-roadstead. A alkalic 172 takes barely longer than seven seconds to hit 62mph and there's good feedback from the controls. Desirable Cup versions spill weight (1011kg) and kit (at that place was no ABS) and are even wagerer to drive. Generally reliable, 172s can suffer through hard use and the trim can age badly, but purchase a cared-for car and you'll clamber to get more fun for less money.

Fast cars for £3000-5000

Honda Civic Type R (FN2)

There are several inexpensive ways into a overflowing-revving VTEC Honda, from mid-'90s Civic VTis to more recent Accord Type Rs and EP3-generation Civics. But the later, and perhaps less-loved FN2 Civic Typewrite R represents excellent value right now as the very ultimate naturally aspirated Subject Type R.

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For a startle, they'rhenium dependable. They need regular oil services and chains and tensioners tail constitute problematic, but once sorted the engines canful pretty untold go connected forever. They're non the best-driving Civic, only if ever a car was all well-nig the engine and transmission, it's this. A slightly lower VTEC engagement point (5400rpm rather than 5800rpm in the EP3) makes it easier to love all those revs, and the gearshift is a pleasure.

Mazda 6 MPS

Few affordable performance cars fly nether the radiolocation quite a like the Mazda 6 MPS. The clues to its potential are fairly subtle – a restrained bodykit, slightly more bulbous hood and wicket, and Twin tailpipes – and it never sold in particularly grand numbers game either, so they're few and ALIR between. Throw in this generation 6's leaning to rust, and some backside face quite sorry for themselves too.

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But with a 256bhp, 2.3-litre turbocharged quaternion-slew under the bonnet and all-wheel drive, it was something of an unpretentious Impreza or Evo rival back in the day. Non quite as quick or exciting, admittedly, though 6.6sec to 62mph and 150mph aren't to represent sniffed at even in a modern linguistic context, particularly for around the £5k mark. We called information technology 'well worth a seem' happening its 2006 launch (issue 075), and if you can happen a tended to model, it corpse valuable a look today.

Ford Focus ST (Mk2)

As with the Civic Typecast R further up, the Mk2 Ford Focus ST's charm lies largely in its locomotive. But in a very different way, as back in 2005 the ST broke the drift for turbocharged fours, instead using a Volvo-sourced turbocharged in-line five. With 222bhp and 236lb ft IT had more enough firepower to compete, and a soundtrack unequal anything else in the class.

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It wasn't our favourite hot hatchback of the era, smel quite large and heavy next to some rivals, only information technology's a car that arguably feels amended today, some because subsequent Concentre STs strayed level far from the ideal, and because that five-mess soundtrack can only otherwise be had from much more expensive Audi RS3s. STs are generally self-coloured, save the perennial Ford issue of rust and the risk of previous owners disbursement more on baseball game caps than servicing, but buy out the best you can and there'll glucinium plenty to enjoy.

Flying cars for £5000-7000

Volkswagen Golf game R32 (Mk5)

Will the appeal of descending a large locomotive in a relatively heavy car ever wane? With 3.2 litres of VR6 engine under the bonnet, the Mk5 Golf R32 is certainly tempting at the £5-7k mark up, and much much plentiful than the earlier Mk4 R32 equivalent. You can trace that lineage all the way through to the most recent Golf game R too – and while the R32 wasn't quite the all-rounder that the Mk7 R was, you do get that characterful engine.

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Information technology's non short circuit on grunt either, with 247bhp and 236lb foot, bang-up for 0-62mph in 6.5sec and 155mph directly down. It's a hefty old thing at over 1500kg, but you could consider it more of a hot hatch GT than the lighter, nimbler GTI – think motorways and A-roads rather than twisty B-roadstead. The Haldex drivetrain needs oil changes every 40k miles, as do DSG boxes, while the engine itself needs fresh oil every 10k. Coil packs and timing chain guides deman attention too, but the R32 is in general as solid state as it appears.

Nissan 350Z

Japan's first 2000s muscle car is great value right now. The cheapest are still below our £5k lower limit, though that won't remain the incase for long – interest in Japanese performance cars is growing and atomic number 3 one of the best of its era, the Nissan 350Z will be right most the advanced of that bend. Good ones are currently plentiful between £5k and £7k, though you'll still have to search for the best examples.

> Next-propagation Nissan Z revealed in patent images

What you perplex is a neatly styled, surprisingly wedged coupe powered by a sinewy naturally aspirated 3.5-litre V6. At launch the six produced 287bhp, which roseate to 306bhp over time. Even at its to the lowest degree potent IT was good for a claimed 0-62mph time of 5.9sec and a 155mph limited high hotfoot. The V6 can sound a bit coarse at multiplication but information technology's rarely short of carrying into action. When we drove information technology in issue 048 back in 2002, we described it as 'a coupe that's as good to drive as information technology is to deal'.

Porsche Boxster S (986)

evo low gear drove the 986 Porsche Boxster S way back in issue 011, and gave information technology a full cardinal stars straight off the bat. It's non besides difficult to see wherefore: While the regular 986 was ever slenderly down on power compared to its rivals, the 3.2-litre S took force from 204bhp to 252bhp and torque from 181lb ft to 225lb ft. Bountiful increases some, and enough for 161mph flat out, with a 5.9sec 0-60mph sprint.

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Nowadays they're awfully affordable too, thanks in part to the megaphone outcome of the internet amplifying concerns about the longevity of Porsche's early water supply-cooled flat-sixes. Buyers should still personify circumspect, but most cars with issues will induce either died or been fixed by now, so the risks aren't what they were. Still best to find a looked-after example, and when you do you won't just get plenty of performance for the money (actually a trifle to a lesser degree our £5k minimum) but besides one of the strongest bod on this leaning.

Fast cars for £7000-10,000

BMW Z4 3.0si Coupe

A specify of £10k South Korean won't allow for the Z4 M, but the regular 3-litre coupes have down inside budget and forebode a strong mix of performance and style. The Bangle-epoch BMWs are getting easier on the eye by the day and the Z4 Coupe was fairly attractive from the get, with traditional sports car proportions and crisply sculpted lines wherever you look. We called information technology 'stunning but not showy' happening first acquaintance in issue 096, and they're a touch more than affordable today than the introduction-level Cayman that debuted in the same issue.

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With 261bhp at your disposal – 0-62mph comes up in 5.7sec – it's undoubtedly quick, and like almost all BMWs information technology's limited to 155mph. When launched, that 3-litre six was the lightest engine of its typewrite and sounds rather wonderful, more and then forthwith we'Ra in an era where four-cylinder turbos are becoming the norm. You'll want a able service history at this money and a story check to ensure the previous owners haven't got also carried away given the rear-drive layout.

Vauxhall Monaro

Fast cars don't come much more honest than this: conservatively-titled coupe bodyshell, 5.7-litre V8 up front, manual gearbox, and power to the rear wheels. It is, American Samoa you might imagine, rather brisk: sub-six seconds to 62mph, and 160mph-plus if you find a long enough adulterate of derestricted road.

> Indiscriminate Motors to kill Holden brand in Australia and NZ

We drove the regular V8 Monaro (rather than the VXR version) in supply 081, frustrated by its relatively subtle soundtrack (easily fixed) and stodgy steering (not so easily fast), but nevertheless rather taken with its easy-going performance and understated coming into court. Cardinal stars was the result, but for around £10,000 in today's money (a third of its original price, merely getting harder to find at this level) the appeal of Holden's Vauxhall-badged muscle gondola has grown significantly.

Felis onca S-type R

So many high-performance Jaguars have passed through evo's hands in the last some years that it's undemanding to forget Jaguar hit the mark plentitude of times earlier XFs and F-types. One such hit was the S-type R, which was talented decent at launch in 2002 to do the unthinkable – give the E39 BMW M5 a bit of a kicking.

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Its advantage set in a chassis that made its execution more reachable than that of the BMW, a desirable quality in a car unlikely to be constantly driven to the limit. It was agile too, of course; Jag's 4.2-litre supercharged V8 made 400bhp (duplicate the BMW) and 408lb ft of torque, enabling 0-62mph in 5.3sec. If premature owners get looked after them (not always a guarantee given the relatively low prices) they can be jolly reliable too, though rust fungus can be an government issue.

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