I bought a 2005 Saab 9-3 2.0T Vector spec convertible with upgraded audio for the summer, as the XKR was having upgrades. 96K mileage. Fitted new disks, pads, front shocks, 4 new tyres, and serviced it. Total including purchase £1350ish. New Mot 10 days ago with no advisories. Toured Scotland for 2 weeks, plus coastal runs, and still using it now. Was going to sell it, but I like it so probably going to work on it over the winter. Refurb alloys etc,
I had a Saab 93 Aero and the 0-60 mph was deceptive because it was tuned for overtaking once going. Check out the 40-70 and 50-80 times, they are ridiculously fast.
i have a 59 plate saab 93 tid 150, its a cracking car with lots of style and comfort , cost me 2.5k with full mot no advisories and fsh full leather in near mint condition with 113k on clock
I loved the Saab , had a 93 aero nice guy came and remapped it and wow it was such a sleeper miss it ! Had its problems like the key sticking but was great other then that
I had a Saab 9-5 Aero HOT in the past, a bit of a sleeper like the 9-3 version but the 9-5 was a 2.3 turbo with 250 bhp and 6.5s to 60 and it was apparently limited to 155 but I never got it there to confirm it. It's a shame Saab died, they had some fun cars.
I picked up a PD130 VW Bora for 750 last month. Mapped to 180, eibach coilovers and a straight through exhaust. Proper chav car, but a lot of car for the money and good mpg too.
Great video. My money is on the Lexus LS 430, they go forever and then some. The LS 460 is even better. I have had a few SAABs in my time - 9000 series - they are great cars, well they were until GM started screwing around with them and that was the end of a great car manufacturer. RIP SAAB.
I absolutely love the Saab 9-3 estate and would really love a Turbo X V6 model but as I have just passed my driving test they are out of my reach. But any 9-3 estate would make me happy
I definitely agree with the mk1 Audi TT it is a absolutely fantastic car the way Audi mixed curves with simplicity and design this car that still looks new even in the present day. It will become a future classic and thats why I bought one.
C2 vts is definitely underrated. Being a die hard saxo fan, I believed the internet and thought the C2 would be a bit rubbish but I absolutely loved my Loeb edition I only paid £900 for. Even made my money back 2 years later when I sold it
Astra 2.0 turbo SRI I bought for £1250 on 73k miles.. can be cheaply modded standard is 200bhp, can throw a few VXR bit on it as the engine is extremely similar, easy to get 250 bhp extremely cheap car/ money ratio.
Cracking video budd....totally agree with many on here.....there are bargains out there for some fun cars.....like the C2, fiesta and Audi tt.....loads of car for the price....One that could possibly make your list is the toyota mr2 mk3.....very underated cars and love the high revs....get a tidy example for £2000 too but prices definitely on the rise
I dunno how interesting it'll be but you could do a video about private plates. I saw one which spelled a relatively popular surname out but it was £5k and i thought pffft I won't pay that. Looked a few months after and someone has already took it and put it on an Audi TT. Made me realise I could've bought it as an investment!
Nah the main problem isn't the stereotypes.... its the deep regret and loss of sanity when you change every single boost pipe and sensor that's gone and the stupid thing still somehow breaks every day you drive it. Also if you have to replace a turbo like I have you will immediately become Fluent in every single curse word known to mankind when you realise you need tweezers instead of hands to access some of the bolts. It's a car for masochists with more money than sense. Kind regards, A masochist with more money than sense
@@razvanstefansdrobis6222 BRILLIANT description of the money pit it can be 👍 And as you say to get at some of the bolts is an absolute nightmare, but then again hairdressers wouldn’t stoop that low as to get their hands dirty 🤔😆😆😆
Are you able to do a video about great family cars from 10-15k, dont have to be crazy fast though like 140hp or something. Like a Peugeot 308. Great video btw.
Under £1k? That's got dodgy Facebook marketplace cars written all over it ☺ I can vouch for the C2 VTS making a good rally car, had a lot of fun in one of those! Never seen the appeal of an SLK on the other hand. If the values do go up then it's a good shout for the list but I suspect that the cost of driving an ICE car will balance that out before it happens, so only the AMG versions will achieve much in that regard.
Wish you hadn't mentioned Saab I've had 2 first generation was far better quality as it was Saab as GM had only just taken over around 95 96ish my first was a rag top I had it from 5 years oldish and my mum r.i.p.had.had it from a year old in all the time I had it it never cost a penny to go through the mot, admittedly it was only used 6 months of the year as.just before my mum passed away I'd bought a 5 month old gt TDI 150 golf ,I now have an 08 93 sportwagon which always costs to go through,as usual good work jb
Great vid as usual, always been a bit weary about Saabs, even though they are great looking, as they are no longer in production. I would have really loved to have seen the Alfa 159 and the Laguna Coupe. I think those cars are massively under-rated
You missed the Ford Focus CC3. A completely underrated car with only 3,300 odd left in the country then it is a rare car. Has to be the CC3 as it has the 2.0 turbo Diesel engine that offers the best performance. If you can get a low mileage example with some service history and the optional extras then you’ve got yourself a great car with performance upgrade potential. It handles well. Plenty of power and is one of the best looking CCs out there for very little money.
Another good video JB. The Panda 100HP is a fun little box on wheels. The GTV is awesome, but you will be very lucky to find one under 2k now, maybe an absolute nail. My friend bought a cheap Fiesta, and it has been the biggest money-pit ever, and it still has issues which are not worth the price of the car to repair (like the aircon compressor). The Octavia VRS is a great car for the money ! I bought a 2004 9-3 as a cheap daily, what a heap of shit. Everything rattled, it kept going wrong, and was no better than the shitty Vauxhall it was based around. The Lexus is the best car on the list.
I owned the 100hp Panda and it was great fun but became tiresome due to constant stiff ride. Also build quality wasn't good. As a current owner of a 2nd gen Saab 93, I cannot warn people off these hard enough. It's the most unreliable car I've ever owned.
Sounds like you've had an interesting car history! I'd love to drive the Panda just to see how stiff they actually are, since I've test driven a few Type Rs which are notorious for that and never found it an issue, but reviewers all seem to say a 981 Cayman is "refined" - which it probably is compared to the luge, but an FK8 Type R is comfier than that. Long way of saying I wonder how much of the stiffness thing is relative to expectations and reference point.
@@ApothecaryTerry the rise was actually really fun and enjoyable for the first few weeks but it's always there and the seats aren't that supportive. You'd find find yourself moving around all over the seat lol
@@andrewmccullough9334 Ah yeah that's definitely an issue, got to have grippy seats in a car like that! My GS450h had that issue, the bolsters were adjustable which helped a bit but the base was slippy and Lexus leather is very firm which means they last forever, but there's no imprint to settle into ☺
Yo jb I was going to get the Toyota Yaris t sport because it was cheap and so is the insurance but the only thing that puts me off it is that there’s no 5 door option, could anyone make a suggestion on what car to get? It’s going to be my first car btw, any suggestions will help thanks in advance :)
Hi! I’m 17 (not started driving quite yet) and I’m looking into cars I would be able to buy after I pass my test. I found a 1997 mercedes c class for £1295 with just over £600 yearly insurance on a provisional license. What do you think about these cars?
Toyota Celica, can pick a good one up for 1500, look amazing, aren’t too hard to insure, and engines are pretty bulletproof apart from some oil burning
@DonaldD. You can’t buy anything cheap in Scotland D.D. 😆 And the Highlanders with the prices they charge should ALL be wearing black balaclavas as they rob you blind 🤔 😆
the tt is good for a fun daily. But if you want to start playing around with the engine etc.... its not worth it... the Labour hours you send on it will buy you a e92 m3, haha.
I think the crashes thing is per car, so if 1/100 of a car is crashed it'll bump the premiums up. That's my assumption for why an E92 M3 is about the most expensive thing there is to insure (for me anyway) - they're cheap enough that people aren't so careful and they get crashed a *lot*. I couldn't find any other car which was over about 90% of the premium of an E92, regardless of price, rarity, performance or whatever.
Hi JB, I hope you won't mind my saying that I find your 'delivery' just too overpowering with too many words in too little space! Having said that, your comments and evaluations seem worthwhile and helpful... 🙂
I had a Saab 9-3 (2003+ model). I liked the interior and the design of the exterior. However, this is the worst car I have ever owned. A maintenance horror show. Every possible oil and fluid leaks from everywhere. A new electrical issue on a weekly basis. Please, for the love of god, do not inflict yourself with a Saab!
The SLK is definitely not on the same trajectory as the older SLs. Its a totally different era of mercedes which hasn't gained a following because they are shit
10. Fiat panda awful and unreliable not overlooked just shit 9. Toyota Yaris good shout but very close gear ratios so revs high on motorway driving 8. Alfa Romeo…..come on man we all no they are garbage. Looks great which is good as you will be looking at it a lot as you wait for recovery 7. Citroen c2 is built like a paper aeroplane awful plastic crap 6. Fiesta st good shout but feels slow for 150bhp 5. Octavia vrs great car 💪🏻 4. Saab aren’t made anymore spares are becoming hard to come by. Also it’s a Vauxhall vectra in a track suit and you wouldn’t buy a vectra would you? 3. Merc is ugly and for hairdressers plus interior ugly 2. Why always that Lexus looks boring as f it’s reliable but ugly 1. God sake 🤦🏻♂️
I bought a 2005 Saab 9-3 2.0T Vector spec convertible with upgraded audio for the summer, as the XKR was having upgrades.
96K mileage. Fitted new disks, pads, front shocks, 4 new tyres, and serviced it. Total including purchase £1350ish. New Mot 10 days ago with no advisories.
Toured Scotland for 2 weeks, plus coastal runs, and still using it now.
Was going to sell it, but I like it so probably going to work on it over the winter. Refurb alloys etc,
I had a Saab 93 Aero and the 0-60 mph was deceptive because it was tuned for overtaking once going. Check out the 40-70 and 50-80 times, they are ridiculously fast.
I had a Lexus LS430 for three years, bought with 200K miles on clock. Great car, no problems. GS with V6 equally good.
That’s Lexus for you
i have a 59 plate saab 93 tid 150, its a cracking car with lots of style and comfort , cost me 2.5k with full mot no advisories and fsh
full leather in near mint condition with 113k on clock
I loved the Saab , had a 93 aero nice guy came and remapped it and wow it was such a sleeper miss it ! Had its problems like the key sticking but was great other then that
I had a Saab 9-5 Aero HOT in the past, a bit of a sleeper like the 9-3 version but the 9-5 was a 2.3 turbo with 250 bhp and 6.5s to 60 and it was apparently limited to 155 but I never got it there to confirm it. It's a shame Saab died, they had some fun cars.
I picked up a PD130 VW Bora for 750 last month. Mapped to 180, eibach coilovers and a straight through exhaust. Proper chav car, but a lot of car for the money and good mpg too.
Great video.
My money is on the Lexus LS 430, they go forever and then some. The LS 460 is even better.
I have had a few SAABs in my time - 9000 series - they are great cars, well they were until GM started screwing around with them and that was the end of a great car manufacturer. RIP SAAB.
THANK YOU! For making a video without stating a BMW.
I absolutely love the Saab 9-3 estate and would really love a Turbo X V6 model but as I have just passed my driving test they are out of my reach. But any 9-3 estate would make me happy
Interesting as always mate. Loved the SLK factoid!!
Great video as always! Could you do one about convertibles under £5k or £3k?
Thanks JB, nice choices. I'm surprised you did not include something called a Mazda MX5. All the best....
An ignis sport would also be a v good shout for this budget… they’re slowly going up in value tho
I definitely agree with the mk1 Audi TT it is a absolutely fantastic car the way Audi mixed curves with simplicity and design this car that still looks new even in the present day. It will become a future classic and thats why I bought one.
Looks ugly, newer ones much better IMO
Looking for a second car: choices are Volvo V40 or Audi A3
Your content is always excellent! Just wish we had access to all the same cars here in South Africa 🇿🇦
C2 vts is definitely underrated. Being a die hard saxo fan, I believed the internet and thought the C2 would be a bit rubbish but I absolutely loved my Loeb edition I only paid £900 for. Even made my money back 2 years later when I sold it
Love your vids dude. Keep it up.
Astra 2.0 turbo SRI I bought for £1250 on 73k miles.. can be cheaply modded standard is 200bhp, can throw a few VXR bit on it as the engine is extremely similar, easy to get 250 bhp extremely cheap car/ money ratio.
Cracking video budd....totally agree with many on here.....there are bargains out there for some fun cars.....like the C2, fiesta and Audi tt.....loads of car for the price....One that could possibly make your list is the toyota mr2 mk3.....very underated cars and love the high revs....get a tidy example for £2000 too but prices definitely on the rise
Ford not letting Skoda use the 'RS' moniker in the UK doesn't make sense since Skoda's big brother Audi uses 'RS' in the UK
I dunno how interesting it'll be but you could do a video about private plates. I saw one which spelled a relatively popular surname out but it was £5k and i thought pffft I won't pay that. Looked a few months after and someone has already took it and put it on an Audi TT. Made me realise I could've bought it as an investment!
i just watched the 5k video today.. good timing
Your a Legend bro,Thank you!!!👌
Nice video as always but I think from Saab onwards you forgot to add that yelow box with basic spec of a car but the sound effect is there hehe
Main problem with a TT is getting your feet tangled in the hair dryer, curling tongues and hair straightener's wires in the foot wells.
Nah the main problem isn't the stereotypes.... its the deep regret and loss of sanity when you change every single boost pipe and sensor that's gone and the stupid thing still somehow breaks every day you drive it.
Also if you have to replace a turbo like I have you will immediately become Fluent in every single curse word known to mankind when you realise you need tweezers instead of hands to access some of the bolts.
It's a car for masochists with more money than sense.
Kind regards,
A masochist with more money than sense
Same as with the z3/4 owners
@@razvanstefansdrobis6222 Getting a bit grumpy there!
@@razvanstefansdrobis6222 BRILLIANT description of the money pit it can be 👍 And as you say to get at some of the bolts is an absolute nightmare, but then again hairdressers wouldn’t stoop that low as to get their hands dirty 🤔😆😆😆
@@fasthracing No bro he’s just reminiscing at allllllll the ££££££’s he’s spent!
Are you able to do a video about great family cars from 10-15k, dont have to be crazy fast though like 140hp or something. Like a Peugeot 308. Great video btw.
Bought my aunts 2005 Yaris as she’s upgrading. 30k miles 1.3. That thing buzzes and “can” keep up with faster cars on third gear back roads. Epic fun
Under £1k? That's got dodgy Facebook marketplace cars written all over it ☺
I can vouch for the C2 VTS making a good rally car, had a lot of fun in one of those! Never seen the appeal of an SLK on the other hand. If the values do go up then it's a good shout for the list but I suspect that the cost of driving an ICE car will balance that out before it happens, so only the AMG versions will achieve much in that regard.
I own a yaris t-sport as my first car! Picked it up for a grand! Just waiting for my log book to come back and then im gonna have alot of fun :)
Please explain how you keep a “watchful eye” on a timing belt
Wish you hadn't mentioned Saab I've had 2 first generation was far better quality as it was Saab as GM had only just taken over around 95 96ish my first was a rag top I had it from 5 years oldish and my mum r.i.p.had.had it from a year old in all the time I had it it never cost a penny to go through the mot, admittedly it was only used 6 months of the year as.just before my mum passed away I'd bought a 5 month old gt TDI 150 golf ,I now have an 08 93 sportwagon which always costs to go through,as usual good work jb
Great vid as usual, always been a bit weary about Saabs, even though they are great looking, as they are no longer in production. I would have really loved to have seen the Alfa 159 and the Laguna Coupe. I think those cars are massively under-rated
Its a good list but i would save up another 2k and get a s3 or a skyline(g35 for the states)
Very good content
You missed the Ford Focus CC3. A completely underrated car with only 3,300 odd left in the country then it is a rare car. Has to be the CC3 as it has the 2.0 turbo Diesel engine that offers the best performance. If you can get a low mileage example with some service history and the optional extras then you’ve got yourself a great car with performance upgrade potential. It handles well. Plenty of power and is one of the best looking CCs out there for very little money.
Nice list but those were only fwd cars, except for the lexus, but that is automatic only, would be nice to see more dirt cheap rwd cars
Tht fiesta st 😩 I'd love one
Another good video JB.
The Panda 100HP is a fun little box on wheels. The GTV is awesome, but you will be very lucky to find one under 2k now, maybe an absolute nail.
My friend bought a cheap Fiesta, and it has been the biggest money-pit ever, and it still has issues which are not worth the price of the car to repair (like the aircon compressor).
The Octavia VRS is a great car for the money !
I bought a 2004 9-3 as a cheap daily, what a heap of shit. Everything rattled, it kept going wrong, and was no better than the shitty Vauxhall it was based around.
The Lexus is the best car on the list.
Fairly new to the channel but if you haven’t done it already, I would like to see your assessment of purely automatic transmission cars - say £5- £10K
I'd love to see a top 10 automatic cars under say 5-10k
I owned the 100hp Panda and it was great fun but became tiresome due to constant stiff ride. Also build quality wasn't good. As a current owner of a 2nd gen Saab 93, I cannot warn people off these hard enough. It's the most unreliable car I've ever owned.
Sounds like you've had an interesting car history! I'd love to drive the Panda just to see how stiff they actually are, since I've test driven a few Type Rs which are notorious for that and never found it an issue, but reviewers all seem to say a 981 Cayman is "refined" - which it probably is compared to the luge, but an FK8 Type R is comfier than that. Long way of saying I wonder how much of the stiffness thing is relative to expectations and reference point.
@@ApothecaryTerry the rise was actually really fun and enjoyable for the first few weeks but it's always there and the seats aren't that supportive. You'd find find yourself moving around all over the seat lol
@@andrewmccullough9334 Ah yeah that's definitely an issue, got to have grippy seats in a car like that! My GS450h had that issue, the bolsters were adjustable which helped a bit but the base was slippy and Lexus leather is very firm which means they last forever, but there's no imprint to settle into ☺
Sold my panda 100hp 2 months ago for £1000. Roughly the same as I bought it so can't complain
Bless you Sir...😁😉😁 SAAB for life!
Yo jb I was going to get the Toyota Yaris t sport because it was cheap and so is the insurance but the only thing that puts me off it is that there’s no 5 door option, could anyone make a suggestion on what car to get? It’s going to be my first car btw, any suggestions will help thanks in advance :)
There is a 5 door option, they’re just much rarer than the 3 doors
@@tagapiouplayz3737 ahhh I can’t find them and if I do I doubt they’ll be around the same price range
Big up Sondico
Hi! I’m 17 (not started driving quite yet) and I’m looking into cars I would be able to buy after I pass my test. I found a 1997 mercedes c class for £1295 with just over £600 yearly insurance on a provisional license. What do you think about these cars?
DON’T get sucked in with low prices on a premium brand K.M. as it will cost u an arm n a leg when it goes wrong 🤔 Or u may be rich n not give a toss 🤔
Go through some special editions
Just to let you know early on that the yellow pop up with all the stats of the car didn't pop on the cars mate
Colt CZT should of got a mention
Toyota Celica, can pick a good one up for 1500, look amazing, aren’t too hard to insure, and engines are pretty bulletproof apart from some oil burning
Volvo S40 T5, needs a shout
Best saab ever
Love the channel
Would be the original Turbo
@@fasthracing probably
Seat leon fr 2.0 tfsi, same engine as a golf gti
I wished the toyota celica was in vis video. Still think its really underrated...
Think your 0-60 pop ups didn't work on this video, I keep hearing the bubbles pop but nothing coming up :( Still a great vid!
You won't get those cars for that price in Scotland
@DonaldD. You can’t buy anything cheap in Scotland D.D. 😆 And the Highlanders with the prices they charge should ALL be wearing black balaclavas as they rob you blind 🤔 😆
@@EtonieE25 I know I live just outside Edinburgh and cannot afford to go there for a drink
@@donalddevlin9811 Oh 4get Edinburgh D.D. it’s the best place in Scotland to see peeps up their own oneness 😆😆
the tt is good for a fun daily. But if you want to start playing around with the engine etc.... its not worth it... the Labour hours you send on it will buy you a e92 m3, haha.
I’m 17 and my budget is 2k max. Looking for either 1.2 or 1.4 petrol
LS 430 and under 2000 pounds...
In Canada a good facelift model is at least equivalent to 5000 pounds. Damn.
I’m gonna guess: Suzuki Swift Sport :D
Truth is most cars at this bracket are worth loads more maybe 2 or 3 times more in parts so they disappear
Nice one.. real world cars and prices.. And surprise surprise no BMW, yay, praise the lord.. Lol
Love you
The TT is waiting in the wings to become the next big classic. Get yours for peanuts now, or regret it in7 or 8 years.
Every saab is cheap and underrated
Underrated, less common, fewer crashes, perhaps this results in cheaper insurance?
I think the crashes thing is per car, so if 1/100 of a car is crashed it'll bump the premiums up. That's my assumption for why an E92 M3 is about the most expensive thing there is to insure (for me anyway) - they're cheap enough that people aren't so careful and they get crashed a *lot*. I couldn't find any other car which was over about 90% of the premium of an E92, regardless of price, rarity, performance or whatever.
Lets goooooooo
Hi JB, I hope you won't mind my saying that I find your 'delivery' just too overpowering with too many words in too little space! Having said that, your comments and evaluations seem worthwhile and helpful... 🙂
ST220
Nice convertible Opel/Vauxhall Vectra on the thumbnail 🤣🤣
Renault Laguna Coupe.
If you know, you know.
I had a Saab 9-3 (2003+ model). I liked the interior and the design of the exterior. However, this is the worst car I have ever owned. A maintenance horror show. Every possible oil and fluid leaks from everywhere. A new electrical issue on a weekly basis. Please, for the love of god, do not inflict yourself with a Saab!
The SLK is definitely not on the same trajectory as the older SLs. Its a totally different era of mercedes which hasn't gained a following because they are shit
idiot ! ive got a 320 and its awesome!
320 v6 loads better
i understand you get views but i think this just adds to the car price inflation, DISLIKED
You’ve got to be joking 😆
10. Fiat panda awful and unreliable not overlooked just shit
9. Toyota Yaris good shout but very close gear ratios so revs high on motorway driving
8. Alfa Romeo…..come on man we all no they are garbage. Looks great which is good as you will be looking at it a lot as you wait for recovery
7. Citroen c2 is built like a paper aeroplane awful plastic crap
6. Fiesta st good shout but feels slow for 150bhp
5. Octavia vrs great car 💪🏻
4. Saab aren’t made anymore spares are becoming hard to come by. Also it’s a Vauxhall vectra in a track suit and you wouldn’t buy a vectra would you?
3. Merc is ugly and for hairdressers plus interior ugly
2. Why always that Lexus looks boring as f it’s reliable but ugly
1. God sake 🤦🏻♂️
What's wrong with the TT? X