Car choice: Best fast coupe – Vauxhall or BMW?

Matthew Harris doesn’t have a family but he does have £5,000 to spend on a car. So throw caution to the wind and get sporty, says James Ruppert

Coupe a load of this... the Vauxhall Astra GTC provides pleasure and practicality (Vauxhall)

A car for the head

I think that Matthew Harris should at least go for a sporty looking car. He doesn’t have a family to tug around and doesn’t need a big boot for anything apart from shopping. In that case a coupe is the best option, and a sensible but also stylish choice might be a Vauxhall Astra GTC. These are great value buys and are well equipped too. A 2012 example at a dealer – with 53,000 miles and powered by a 1.4 turbo engine, and had just been serviced with a full year’s MOT –was only £5,000.

A car for the heart

If Matthew fancies a more prestigious badge, BMW always has plenty to choose from in the 3 Series coupe range. The £5,000 budget means the cars will be from the middle of the last decade. The obvious choice would be a 320iSE, but if Matthew wanted something much more powerful, which would be almost as exciting as a legendary M3 but cheaper to tax and insure, then the exciting option would be a 335iSE. We came across a 2006 example with 97,000 miles and an automatic gearbox for £5,000. A private sale, but well maintained.

If you would like James Ruppert to help with your car choice, email james@freecarmag.com. For more motoring views visit freecarmag.com