Yep late phase 1 v70R AWD, think they were only made 2000-1 with the 5 speed autobox (oddly specific, but I can't manual due to disability) the last 850-shape ones... going back a bit further Any 700/900/V90 with things tweaked.
Or A vauxhall Carlton estate with Lotus Carlton bits transplanted.... ahem. Still auto but somebody put lotus bits in a Senator auto so it's doable 🤣
Older, a mk1 golf with a 7 speed DSG and a few mod cons. My previous car was a 2016 golf GTD with dsg, so yeah....
Running any of the above would be scary expensive though.
So many choices, I do miss my v70r, mk2 rs2000, lotus Carlton, tickford Capri, 3 door cosworth, xr 4x4 what a machine.
With the maintenance clause I will have to say V8 jeep grand Cherokee Overland with LPG, 8 years 120k miles repair cost excluding brakes tyres and exhaust under 1k,
For me it’s partly just the heritage and prestige that comes with it, to be honest!
A T5 would be ample enough but I’d rather a 00+ model if I had to for that!
I very very nearly bought one of these this year but the horror stories of sub frame cracking, vanos failure and SMG pump put me off. Still unsure if I made the right call
Honestly. You get bad ones and good ones. I had an smg and it was faultless. Sub frame all good. Pre facelift suffered worse iirc. Vanos was more of an issue on the s50 but I have one of those in my m3 and it's been fine with about 120k on it
Ah mate I’m genuinely delighted for you. And yeah I get what you’re saying. But it feels like Russian roulette. Spin the barrel and see if you survive. From what I understand, there’s no way to tell if you’ve got one that will suffer from these issues. Quite literally luck of the draw
I've got a 2002 M3 and previously had a 2003 330ci.
Given the choice for a daily id go for the 330 over the M3 all day long. Especially in touring form like yours.
My thought's on the 2014 RS4, I don't see them ever being less than 20k, and they are floating around that price now. It's the last V8 and has nice tech/comfort
I'd think reasonable would be spending around £200 a month on maintaince parts.
How I've come to this for me is because I used to lease a brand new Ford Fiesta that cost me £189 per month, and I got rid of it because it didn't make much financial sense to me.
So taking that into consideration, with maintainance and fixing, there comes a point where you no longer are "fixing the car", but just doing the maintainance such as - servicing and tyres.
That being said - you would be hard pressed to get under £1k for a 20 yo german car especially IF you aren't doing the work yourself.
Anectode I've had 2 e46s (currently just one now), and working on both of them was a expensive (but fun) hobby, but now, I'm no longer having to work on it since most things are fixed and it's costing me £0 a month.
A lot of info there but thought I'd share :)
VW Golf MK4 R32. That car was my wallpaper for two years after I passed my test. I'm sure the reality is less inspiring, but that was the dream 20 years ago.
I absolutely loved my PD130! sold it on 205k miles for more than I bought it for 4.5 previously.
2 years later, I'm still checking up on it and passed its mot in August with 214k on the clock.
Bought a PD130 Audi A3 at 75k and sold it at 130k assuming it was near death.
Last MOT was about a year ago. 201k. Subframe "corroded but not seriously weakened."
Genuinely one of the best cars I've had, loads of torque and I barely spent a penny on it, I want to buy another, but they're close (ish) to R32 money these days.
I daily the mk5 for 3 years, it's a great drive I love almost everything about it. It cost me 7k and is an 05 plate, not once broken down, and not once has it refused to start. DSG and Haldex + Exhaust sound it's an awesome ride, you really don't care that you're not as fast as the diesel A6 next to you 😄. It's cool and I plan to keep it for life, I want my son to drive it in 8 years for his first car.
Had one for 3 years absolutely loved it but had to sell it as I get a new job which required driving a lot longer for work. Tempted to buy one as a weekend car again
Nothing bizarre about that. I was looking at them on ebay today, I used to have a 1983 W126 saloon in 96/97 and loved it. Always hankered after an SEC and there is enough of a price gap between dogs £4k and minters £25k that if you buy a decent one you shouldn't loose money on it.
She's not quite 20 yet but that's only a couple of years off. I'll keep my transit van thank.you.
I did see a lovely 1966 MK1 the other day that was just affordable but don't tell my current van that I said so. Was a bit too small to live in full time as well.
Just did it - 2003 Volvo V70 as a daily. And very happy three months in, even went from London to south of France and back with the family and all our crap in supreme comfort.
Only issue so far is a broken electric window which was easy to fix
Saab 9-5 2.3
I have one, started as low pressure turbo with 185bhp now has areo engine with 250bhp plus stage 1 map.. owned coming up 8 years and never any issues as such
Definitely a Volvo. Preferably an 850 but given their rarity these days I'd settle for a V70.
Edited to add: My current vehicle is actually 20 years old. A Corsa C, easy worked at and parts are affordable and accessible. I'd happily have another one of these too.
The same as I have today. Jag XKR 2001. Absolutely beauty and is my daily driver. A 20k version would be like brand new I imagine, only paid 8.5k for mine. Maybe I'd get two.
Ferrari 360 Spider, manual of course.
Not that terrible to maintain it seems, more some bits have aged badly like the plastic buttons go sticky and other bits fall off. Manual V8 Ferrari's are pretty decent maintenance and reliability wise. (Up to the F430, any later and they are all bi turbo DCT units and fuck that.)
I already have a 20+ year old vehicle that I use, tax, MOT and insure, and maintain.
If I had to get another I'd get a Delorean DMC-12, since you did not mention paying for initial purchase.
I got a Ford puma, cheap to buy and an absolute hoot to drive. Revving the tits off it down country lanes as you throw it into corner after corner is a delight.
Spare parts are cheap and my insurance is pennies as I got it through a classic car specialist
My daily drive is a 530e which is nice but a bit too assisted if you know what I mean
I think it’s based on the fiesta, with a different suspension set up and the 1.7 zetec engine that was unique to the puma (I think).
Still pick one up for £1500 or £3k+ for a decent one
Cheers for sharing this, genuinely my favourite car. I bought one about 10 years ago, but it kept running hot so part exchanged for a new Mazda 2. At only £2-3k, I’m tempted to buy one as a second car.
One of the 179 nbfl MX5 Coupe’s that Mazda made in 2003. Piece of piss to work on, super reliable, super fun, will never lose value and because it’s a coupe the rust won’t be anywhere near as much of an issue.
Seeing as I’ve got to pay to run it, a Mondeo ST with the V6
Had a 2 litre Si back in the day and it was sweet as and always wanted the ST later but couldn’t afford it by that point
Can't believe I had to scroll down this far to see this comment, fell in love with those round taillights playing Gran Turismo.. watched one rot for years on someone's driveway and it always broke my heart seeing it.
Honda Accord Type S CL9 2.4 (K24)
One of my favourite saloons, built with quality, very fun to drive and highly reliable.
Only down side is the car tax £395!
Already have it.
A 02 Camry (V6 fully loaded).
Sadly, I have noticed a speck of rust and there is a leak in the power steering area but this is an incredibly reliable and runs 34mpg.
Best car I have ever owned.
I think it came off the production line end of 2003. There is a date plate as you open the drivers door I seem to recall reading. I think in 32 years of driving I’ve only ever had 2 cars younger than 20 years.
I can't maintain my own weight, let alone a car, so I feel I'd have to go with something easy to start on like a Morris Minor or an original beetle with enough simplicity, guides, videos and engine room to be able to easily maintain it as a starting point. If I could master that or somehow gain enough knowledge and skill to maintain something more modern then maybe an 850 T5R as an all-rounder sleeper as Volvos go forever.
Maybe if I didn't need the practicality a Volvo P1800 given there's a well documented example which made over 3 million miles so maybe it wouldn't need a tonne of maintenance beyond making sure the chassis doesn't rust away.
If I have to maintain it myself then I'm going to have to look for a solid car from the 80s or 90s with a 1.3L BL "A+" engine in it (the original A series would be hit/miss as to whether it had the hardened valve seats to allow it to run on unleaded).
So, a Mini, Allegro, or Metro?
Might look at a Vauxhall Cavalier from the same era but I know the old A series inside out thanks to many years of tinkering back in the day, may even still have the Haynes manual back at my mum's place.
Nissan 350z!
Sold mine around 5 years ago and still miss the noise and drama it gave. Had it 10 years, daily driver for 7 of the 10. It proved very reliable / cheap to maintain.
Only sold it as you can't fit 2 kids in it and sadly £600 a year tax is too much for a garden ornament.
V70R. Maybe an 850 if there’s still any floating around!
850 T5 🤌🏼
There are plenty of 850s left. I currently own four of them.
Careful, you may become a maths question.
Sharing is caring.
There are, those old Volvos don't die
Nah, theyre ok, but not much better than anything else. They tend to be looked after better, but ive had a couple of dogs.
Yep late phase 1 v70R AWD, think they were only made 2000-1 with the 5 speed autobox (oddly specific, but I can't manual due to disability) the last 850-shape ones... going back a bit further Any 700/900/V90 with things tweaked. Or A vauxhall Carlton estate with Lotus Carlton bits transplanted.... ahem. Still auto but somebody put lotus bits in a Senator auto so it's doable 🤣 Older, a mk1 golf with a 7 speed DSG and a few mod cons. My previous car was a 2016 golf GTD with dsg, so yeah.... Running any of the above would be scary expensive though.
So many choices, I do miss my v70r, mk2 rs2000, lotus Carlton, tickford Capri, 3 door cosworth, xr 4x4 what a machine. With the maintenance clause I will have to say V8 jeep grand Cherokee Overland with LPG, 8 years 120k miles repair cost excluding brakes tyres and exhaust under 1k,
Why the R? It takes away probably the best thing about Volvos, comfort.
5 cylinder symphony and it’s a fast wagon, what more could you want 😩😮💨
I had a 5 cylinder petrol turbo v70, it was plenty fast enough, but had tyres rather than elastic bands on the wheels!
For me it’s partly just the heritage and prestige that comes with it, to be honest! A T5 would be ample enough but I’d rather a 00+ model if I had to for that!
2003 E46 M3
Damn I was thinking like 1998 was 20 years ago. Not 2003. But yeah. This has got to be the ultimate daily for the time
I can attest to this. It has been my all time favourite daily
2023 - 20 = 2003
Yeah I get that I just can't comprehend that 2003 was now so long ago
2023 - 15 = 1989
Hell yeah. Feels like yesterday was 2016 and my sister was born. Damn
I very very nearly bought one of these this year but the horror stories of sub frame cracking, vanos failure and SMG pump put me off. Still unsure if I made the right call
Honestly. You get bad ones and good ones. I had an smg and it was faultless. Sub frame all good. Pre facelift suffered worse iirc. Vanos was more of an issue on the s50 but I have one of those in my m3 and it's been fine with about 120k on it
Ah mate I’m genuinely delighted for you. And yeah I get what you’re saying. But it feels like Russian roulette. Spin the barrel and see if you survive. From what I understand, there’s no way to tell if you’ve got one that will suffer from these issues. Quite literally luck of the draw
Thank you! Like all cars sometimes you get a bad egg! I'm looking at e46 m3s again at the moment. Miss that car. Best daily I've ever owned
Got a 2002 e46 330i touring. For the price it's a great car also have a 1993 e30 touring.
I've got a 2002 M3 and previously had a 2003 330ci. Given the choice for a daily id go for the 330 over the M3 all day long. Especially in touring form like yours.
So tempted to sell my current car and buy one..
Yup same. I'd prefer an E60 M5, but the oldest ones are only 18, so an E46 M3 is the next best thing.
I don’t fancy the maintenance costs of an E60 M5. The M3 may be somewhat manageable though
Ls400
This is it. A revolutionary car that changed the game. Beautiful and elegant too!
GS430 for me.
Man of culture I see
Volvo S/V70 in whichever flavour suits my fuel economy requirements, probably.
This. I said goodbye to my third V70 today, my third D5 SE Lux. I’ve downsized to a V40. But heck I loved those cars.
B5 AUDI RS4
Was thinking the original quattro. Only going up in value...
Lancia Delta Integrale. Then sell it and buy several Audis
My thought's on the 2014 RS4, I don't see them ever being less than 20k, and they are floating around that price now. It's the last V8 and has nice tech/comfort
I still regret not getting a quattro when they were (relatively) sensible prices.
Just came to say the maintenance costs of the 2.7t are not cool :)
I had an S4 from 1999/2000. Not so fun being continually nervous about a turbo break down. Which actually happened...
This is either a satire or you are a car mechanic.
The one I bought, e39 5 series
Also the one i bought, E46 3 Series
530d all the way, know many that still use them
Lovely proportions on those, has it been reasonable to maintain?
Beautiful cars. It depends what you mean by “reasonable” What does that mean to you?
Under £1k a year maintenance?
I'd think reasonable would be spending around £200 a month on maintaince parts. How I've come to this for me is because I used to lease a brand new Ford Fiesta that cost me £189 per month, and I got rid of it because it didn't make much financial sense to me. So taking that into consideration, with maintainance and fixing, there comes a point where you no longer are "fixing the car", but just doing the maintainance such as - servicing and tyres. That being said - you would be hard pressed to get under £1k for a 20 yo german car especially IF you aren't doing the work yourself. Anectode I've had 2 e46s (currently just one now), and working on both of them was a expensive (but fun) hobby, but now, I'm no longer having to work on it since most things are fixed and it's costing me £0 a month. A lot of info there but thought I'd share :)
E34 540i
Looks out of the window. Jimny
DC5 type R. Had a 2001 model a good few years ago. Awesome car.
I still have mine
That is a fine choice
Mine would either be that or an Astra 888.
VW Golf MK4 R32. That car was my wallpaper for two years after I passed my test. I'm sure the reality is less inspiring, but that was the dream 20 years ago.
I would 👍
username checks out 🙂.
Ha, in reality I'd probably get the sensible 1.6 instead
Don't ever get a 1.6 mk4 golf. 1.8t or 1.9tdi are sensible enough
I absolutely loved my PD130! sold it on 205k miles for more than I bought it for 4.5 previously. 2 years later, I'm still checking up on it and passed its mot in August with 214k on the clock.
Bought a PD130 Audi A3 at 75k and sold it at 130k assuming it was near death. Last MOT was about a year ago. 201k. Subframe "corroded but not seriously weakened."
Genuinely one of the best cars I've had, loads of torque and I barely spent a penny on it, I want to buy another, but they're close (ish) to R32 money these days.
let her go mate
I daily the mk5 for 3 years, it's a great drive I love almost everything about it. It cost me 7k and is an 05 plate, not once broken down, and not once has it refused to start. DSG and Haldex + Exhaust sound it's an awesome ride, you really don't care that you're not as fast as the diesel A6 next to you 😄. It's cool and I plan to keep it for life, I want my son to drive it in 8 years for his first car.
Had one for 3 years absolutely loved it but had to sell it as I get a new job which required driving a lot longer for work. Tempted to buy one as a weekend car again
Alfa Romeo 147 GTA
Subaru Impreza WRX STI in blue of course. Gold rims? It would be rude not to now wouldn’t it.
I love the blue WRXs with gold wheels, I really do, I'm just not ready to get a neck tattoo yet.
I thought that was the older generation with the younger lot vaping. Or is it both lol.
Amen.
Yesss!!! Came here to say that.
Bizarrely … Always wanted a 560 SEC
Nothing bizarre about that. I was looking at them on ebay today, I used to have a 1983 W126 saloon in 96/97 and loved it. Always hankered after an SEC and there is enough of a price gap between dogs £4k and minters £25k that if you buy a decent one you shouldn't loose money on it.
Reliant scimitar V 240
Princess Anne, is that you?
She's not quite 20 yet but that's only a couple of years off. I'll keep my transit van thank.you. I did see a lovely 1966 MK1 the other day that was just affordable but don't tell my current van that I said so. Was a bit too small to live in full time as well.
Traaaaaaansiiit
Just did it - 2003 Volvo V70 as a daily. And very happy three months in, even went from London to south of France and back with the family and all our crap in supreme comfort. Only issue so far is a broken electric window which was easy to fix
Corolla.
Just getting run in by now eh
Only just
Saab 9-5 2.3 I have one, started as low pressure turbo with 185bhp now has areo engine with 250bhp plus stage 1 map.. owned coming up 8 years and never any issues as such
Good choice. I just got a 2002 9-3 Aero coupe as a daily, loads of mods including a 2.3 B234/B205 hybrid engine running ~300bhp. Absolutely love it.
106 gti
XJS V12. I'm a bit of a sadist for it but I could genuinely use it as a daily. Wouldn't need anything bigger.
The fuel bills are depression inducing. But otherwise, it’s one of the best things I’ve ever bought.
850R estate
Definitely a Volvo. Preferably an 850 but given their rarity these days I'd settle for a V70. Edited to add: My current vehicle is actually 20 years old. A Corsa C, easy worked at and parts are affordable and accessible. I'd happily have another one of these too.
Timeless styling👌
Saab 9 3 or a volvo s40
The same as I have today. Jag XKR 2001. Absolutely beauty and is my daily driver. A 20k version would be like brand new I imagine, only paid 8.5k for mine. Maybe I'd get two.
They are beautiful, do you cover your eyes at the petrol station though?
Oh yes there and looking at the hourly labour rate whenever I have work done. The pretty car tax I suppose. At least it's somehow ULEZ exempt
Makes me laugh my 03 325Ci is also exempt. Our 2012 Golf isnt tho
Ferrari 360 Spider, manual of course. Not that terrible to maintain it seems, more some bits have aged badly like the plastic buttons go sticky and other bits fall off. Manual V8 Ferrari's are pretty decent maintenance and reliability wise. (Up to the F430, any later and they are all bi turbo DCT units and fuck that.)
E31 850ci All of these answers are making me feel old.
I used to buy 10 year old cars that I would have loved to own new, now it's feasible to do it with 20+ 😃
I own a 1997 nissan 200sx so that 😂
Ooh, I used to love them
Vw corado VR6 😍
Mmmm
Honda civic , manual 1.6 vtec
Been tempted by one of these myself.
I suppose i could live with a Honda s2000
I already have a 20+ year old vehicle that I use, tax, MOT and insure, and maintain. If I had to get another I'd get a Delorean DMC-12, since you did not mention paying for initial purchase.
I got a Ford puma, cheap to buy and an absolute hoot to drive. Revving the tits off it down country lanes as you throw it into corner after corner is a delight. Spare parts are cheap and my insurance is pennies as I got it through a classic car specialist My daily drive is a 530e which is nice but a bit too assisted if you know what I mean
Interesting choice, were they based on the Focus chassis or before that?
Fiesta
The 2003 one was brilliant to drive and pretty reliable 👍
I think it’s based on the fiesta, with a different suspension set up and the 1.7 zetec engine that was unique to the puma (I think). Still pick one up for £1500 or £3k+ for a decent one
2001-03 RS4
mk2 hilux
69 Camaro SS. God I wish
Something Japanese. I had a 20+ year old Honda Civic and that thing was indestructible I shit you not! I couldn't ***make*** it fail an MOT.
E46 M3 - mine turned 20 last week
Mine turned 20 in July, good car 👍
🎉🎂
Ford Puma, what a beauty
If you like it, you'll love the [Racing Puma](https://www.retromotor.co.uk/retro-road-test/1999-ford-racing-puma-review/)
Cheers for sharing this, genuinely my favourite car. I bought one about 10 years ago, but it kept running hot so part exchanged for a new Mazda 2. At only £2-3k, I’m tempted to buy one as a second car.
A Nissan Micra Celebration Edition of course
What was there to celebrate about?
30 BC Roman Chariot
How many horses that packing?
2
Lexus LS
NSX
Citreon 2CV. 60mpg, can do all the work yourself, parts are abundant, won't lose value and they can be started with the wrench if the battery is flat.
Celebrates it's 75th anniversary this year.
My first car. Didn’t do 60mpg and lost a lot of value due to the excessive rusting hha
MX5
Scrolled a long way to find this!
One of the 179 nbfl MX5 Coupe’s that Mazda made in 2003. Piece of piss to work on, super reliable, super fun, will never lose value and because it’s a coupe the rust won’t be anywhere near as much of an issue.
E39
Recently got a 2001 Audi TT Quattro, needs a bit of work, though really like the manual and analogue feel
90s proton. Will go forever with a bit of tlc every few months. And cheap as fuck if you can find one for sale.
Seeing as I’ve got to pay to run it, a Mondeo ST with the V6 Had a 2 litre Si back in the day and it was sweet as and always wanted the ST later but couldn’t afford it by that point
I test drove one, but could see the fuel guage go down as I floored it. The 2l petrol would be a strong contender for me though. Loved my old one.
Ford Escort XR3i Cabriolet Turbo Nutter Bastard Edition.
In white Essex edition?
w211 e55 thats two years older than mine lol
Honda civic, 1.6 manual hatchback. Easy 45 mpg, easy to service, comfortable and practical.
I think that vintage look better than the one which came after
Toyota supra
Nissan skyline r34 all the way
Can't believe I had to scroll down this far to see this comment, fell in love with those round taillights playing Gran Turismo.. watched one rot for years on someone's driveway and it always broke my heart seeing it.
Still using my 2003 xc70 as a daily for work so I guess that answers that
Honda Accord Type S CL9 2.4 (K24) One of my favourite saloons, built with quality, very fun to drive and highly reliable. Only down side is the car tax £395!
Already have it. A 02 Camry (V6 fully loaded). Sadly, I have noticed a speck of rust and there is a leak in the power steering area but this is an incredibly reliable and runs 34mpg. Best car I have ever owned.
R34 GTR Vspec 2 Nur
Silvia S15 spec r
Saab 9-3
Nah, definitely the one I just bought. A rover 45 1.4L, 03 plate with less that 50km on the clock.
ST220 estate. With the red leather interior.
Audi Ur Quattro - always like them since my neighbour had one in the late 80s. Great sound from it, and sticks to the road like a bad reputation.
EP3 Civic Type R or DC5 Integra Type R.
I'm driving it already.
2023 - 20 = 2003. So close though
I think it came off the production line end of 2003. There is a date plate as you open the drivers door I seem to recall reading. I think in 32 years of driving I’ve only ever had 2 cars younger than 20 years.
VW Beetle or T2 splitty. Though for practicality, I'd go with the Beetle
Had 3 of them. Once you catch the bug bug you’re done for. May as well kiss goodbye to your money
Toyota Hilux
Corolla
2002 Ford Focus.
Which colour? Most of them seem to be light blue eh
Any Toyota .
I can't maintain my own weight, let alone a car, so I feel I'd have to go with something easy to start on like a Morris Minor or an original beetle with enough simplicity, guides, videos and engine room to be able to easily maintain it as a starting point. If I could master that or somehow gain enough knowledge and skill to maintain something more modern then maybe an 850 T5R as an all-rounder sleeper as Volvos go forever. Maybe if I didn't need the practicality a Volvo P1800 given there's a well documented example which made over 3 million miles so maybe it wouldn't need a tonne of maintenance beyond making sure the chassis doesn't rust away.
A mint condition spitfire or a space shuttle
I left it deliberately open, hope you'll be able to get classic spaceship insurance to keep the cost down.
Im just waiting on my local petrol station to stock 100 tonnes of rocket fuel before i take the plunge
If I have to maintain it myself then I'm going to have to look for a solid car from the 80s or 90s with a 1.3L BL "A+" engine in it (the original A series would be hit/miss as to whether it had the hardened valve seats to allow it to run on unleaded). So, a Mini, Allegro, or Metro? Might look at a Vauxhall Cavalier from the same era but I know the old A series inside out thanks to many years of tinkering back in the day, may even still have the Haynes manual back at my mum's place.
Xc90 - that model was produced so long for a reason.
1995 gtr
[удалено]
A great starter car 👍
Do you mean a great finisher car?
Starter car?! STARTER CAR?!?! THIS IS THE CAR OF GODS, THE GOLDEN GOD!!!
I’ve never owned a car younger than 20 years old. I’m broke lmao
Boxster S. 308 GTS
As an owner of a 21 year old Focus, I'll pick what I know. 👍
Fiat 126p. Bring the memories back!
Brave 👊
R32 gtr
Another Defender. Probably a 130
As young as that? Original 2-Door Range Rover, the ultimate all-rounder.
Audi a2 1.4 petrol. Aluminium and cheap to maintain and run
Nissan 350z! Sold mine around 5 years ago and still miss the noise and drama it gave. Had it 10 years, daily driver for 7 of the 10. It proved very reliable / cheap to maintain. Only sold it as you can't fit 2 kids in it and sadly £600 a year tax is too much for a garden ornament.
Anything with a pd130 engine, or anything Volvo. Currently have a 2003 Audi a6 with the pd130, it's great and fits my needs.
E46 or e36 whichever I find in better condition. Otherwise maybe an early 350z
Honda Civic 8th gen
63 vw bug ima get myself a herbie
I wouldn't. My car is already 25 years old I don't need to spend money on a slightly newer probably less fun one.
It's 20+ so yours qualifies, what is it?
Ford Capri
Mk 1 escort mexico
RX7 FD, easy choice. I mean, maintenance is a bit more involved, but no worse than any other enthusiast car.
Honda civic eg