Would you consider a hot hatch?

Something like an Audi S3 is still a nice place to be and returns decent MPG. If you wanted something more modern then an Astra VXR GTC might just squeeze into your budget. The MK3 Focus ST is suppose to be a very good car too but is only available in 5dr.

Nissan 370z is a nice car which also sounds good and goes well,but MPG maybe lower than you'd like. A neighbour has the black edition whigh has the dark alloys and red leather and it looks fantastic.

I did look at the Focus but a colleague, who had one, has warned of their fuel thirst. Also quite concerning how rust seems to be an issue on some of the post 2006 cars.

Also looked at a Nissan, looks don't work for me.

That's because you always look at the very top of your budget and then just a bit past! I'm terrible for doing it, try hunting about 10% down so you're not drawn into the stuff that's just out of reach.

Now that's not very petrolhead is it Muzzie!

Some ideas:

linky

Seen this month's C&SC, Bob? They're highlighting the 3.2 TT...

Biased of course, BMW Z4M Coupe

Likely to increase in value, I'm getting 27mpg from my 45 mile a day commute, impressive noise, performance and a nice place to be. Harsh ride but can be improved.

Get something interesting, life is too short. At a guess you'd be doing around 16,000 per annum, so whilst lower mpg will cost you, it's not the end of the world. Surely you can get a nice V6 that'll do enough to the gallon on a run...

Depreciation is a good point. My Golf R32 mpg was pretty poor at around 23mpg average, but it lost so little money over the 18 months I owned it, that a boring diesel rep machine would have cost more over the period.

Guys, thanks for all the tips and links

I've still not bought anything but I have viewed quite a varied selection at local dealers. Today I had a few spare hours and viewed a 2010 Focus ST3 2.5 for £10K and a New 2013 Focus 2.0 ST2 for £15K. The older car was fine but the newer car was much better. It still didn't feel like my kind of car though Also looked at another Scirocco, a VW CC and a Volvo S40.

Frustratingly I've still not decided what it is I want but I think the A5 Quattro with a 3.0Tdi looks to be leading the way. I have got some lined up to view on my days off, they are all a few miles away and with the spec / mileage I'm after they are all pushing the top end of the budget Today I have also spotted a TTS for sale which with over 300hp and sub 5 sec to 60 I might just have to go and view

With regard the 156. I've finally found the cause of the water leak. It is not the water pump it is the plastic water rail at the front of the engine. Pipe now ordered from Steve at AA.

WOW and nice in WHITE too.. Yes I know the BUDGET.... But I could push a bit more I'm sure

Those Z4M's look different..

Is that a good or bad thing for you Bob?

The seats in the White TTS are the Audi sports bucket seats, an expensive option, great for performance but have a good sit in them and decide if you think they are suitable for a daily driver.

Doubt one would tick your mid 30's mpg box!

Yeah, but the boxes it does tick means you really wouldn't notice...

The difference between 35mpg and say 27mpg on 16,000 miles is around £50 per month.

True. But old Bob may need that 50 quid......

If you are looking at the Audi 3.0 tdi Quattro auto do some extensive testing on pulling away when both cold and hot.

My parents have the A5 cabriolet and the car is currently away having the gearbox rebuilt. Audi wanted to charge just short of 14k to resolve the issue, but my dad being in the business has found an indy, but the costs are still likely to be near 4k to repair.

There is a well known issue that the gearbox does not kick in till the revs are high or been up for a while causing unpredictable driving that can be dangerous.

Problems aside, both my parents love the car and have no complaints about anything. My dad actually prefers enthusiastic driving in the A5 to his 911 turbo.

You have to be careful though, as you need to look at the full cost of motoring. Depreciation on a standard £14K car is around £200 per month. So you have to include this along with all other running costs.

Or take a diesel that needs a new set of injectors/dpf. That would wipe out a large chunk of any saving when comparing petrol with diesel. It's really not straightforward to calculate the real expected costs with the complexity of modern vehicles.

Out of my curiosity (as an accountant ) , I've calculated the cost per mile for just fuel and depreciation on my Golf R32 over 18 months and 9000 miles...

The cost was 34p per mile. For reference the mpg was 23...

If I took a diesel at the same price-point doing 40mpg and estimat it lost 25% of its value over the 18 months (probably more in reality), then the cost per mile would have been 46p...

See, fuel inefficient cars are cheaper to run Ok, so there are lots of variables, but the sentiment remains.

Jonny, if I ever need an accountant to persuade me (or more likely someone else...) of the reasoning behind a car purchase, you are top of the list!

On a more on-topic note, I'm sure someone must have mentioned the BMW 130i and/or 135i?
Decent rwd performance and 30mpg achievable. Sometimes.

Today was spent repairing the Alfa (Water Leak) I can now travel to see some of the vehicles I've been watching without having to constantly top up.

I've never been a fan of BMW's so have not really looked at them. The Z4 does look interesting though.

That's an interesting comparison.

Bob, are you calculating the pence per mile cost on the cars you've been looking at?

Man maths from an accountant

Yes, depreciation is frequently the biggest cost, so I'd decided long ago to choose a car that shouldn't depreciate too much (if at all) over fuel economy. I could never understand the customers that would buy cars from me when at Toyota just to save an extra few £ on rfl and mpg when they had just lost £6000 on depreciation

The Z4M is so far the best car I've owned, it's a shame we're not more local Bob would have been good to have given you a demonstration

As an aside I'm either buying an E46 325ti or 130i as a run around this weekend.

Is there somewhere I can see what the depreciation on new/used cars is?

I think Whatcar have a depreciation guide. Generally work on 50% over 3 years, but it can vary considerably. Also the greater the 'prestige' of the car, the lower the depreciation. Of course there are normal factors such as mileage, petrol vs diesel, option boxes ticked etc.

Depreciation is one reason I usually buy privately. Unless you need all the dealer trimmings buying privately usually bags a car much cheaper.

Having said all that I have just viewed a car at a trader that I might just complete on! I'm taking it out on an extended test drive on Saturday.

It's a 2010 Audi A5, 3.0 Tdi Auto, S-line with the special edition pack. It is in Black with black leather and has under 60K. I spent a good hour with the car today and found several items that need addressing. That said the guy has just collected the car (Audi dealer Trade in) and it hasn't even been prepared yet. Have to say I am rather impressed so far, just need to go for the test drive and see if he will do a deal, he has hinted he will.

Fingers crossed Bob..........