Three car garage: a hot hatch, a roadster and an estate all for the price of a new VW Golf GTI
If you’re a driving enthusiast and had £40,000 to spend, these would be the perfect three cars to fill your driveway, all pulled from the Auto Express classifieds
The Volkswagen Golf GTI has been the quintessential hot hatchback for nearly 50 years, and for very good reason, however, as exciting to drive as it might be, prices now start from more than £40,000. Rather than spending all that money in one place, by digging around in the Auto Express user-car classifieds, I found three very fun cars that all together cost less money than the most basic Golf GTI.
Mk7 Volkswagen Golf GTI Performance - £18,905
As great as the latest Mk8 Volkswagen Golf GTI might be, the previous Mk7 is even better yet costs half as much. The design is less complicated and more sophisticated, while the superior cabin build and material quality frankly embarrasses the new model’s interior. Plus there are proper physical buttons everywhere you look, yet there’s still plenty of technology on this particular example, including a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto plus adaptive cruise control. This is the uprated Performance model, too, which means it features a 245bhp turbocharged 2.0-litre engine, limited-slip differential, larger brakes and sportier suspension. Better still, it has a six-speed manual gearbox – not available on the new model – with the Golf GTI’s signature golfball shifter.
If someone’s already snapped up this particular Volkswagen Golf GTI, click below to find plenty more available right now through Auto Express.
BMW Z4 - £11,900
The VW Golf GTI can do pretty much anything, however, for those times when the sun occasionally decides to show its face around here, you’re going to want a convertible such as the BMW Z4. This particular model also has a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine that produces 184bhp and 270Nm of torque. That is less than the VW above, but the Z4 sends all the power to the rear wheels, like a sports car should. The 0-62mph sprint takes 7.9 seconds, it’s exciting to drive and looks fabulous, inside and out, despite this example being a decade old now. It’s an M Sport model, too, which means you also get a sportier bodykit, sports seats and stiffer suspension.
Not totally smitten by this BMW Z4? Click the button below to check out the other convertibles currently available on the Auto Express classifieds.
BMW 3 Series Touring - £8,795
Similarly, while the Mk7 Golf GTI offers a rather generous 380 litres of boot space, if occasionally you need something with even more luggage capacity to lug around mountain bikes or camping gear, then the BMW 3 Series Touring is ideal. It has a 495-litre boot, which expands to 1,500 litres with the rear seats folded down. And for when the road opens up, this 328i SE version we found also has a 245bhp turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, a six-speed manual gearbox and is rear-wheel drive. Plus the interior looks to be in great condition, and there’s fewer than 60,000 miles on the clock.
If you’d prefer an SUV to an estate car such as the BMW 3 Series Touring, click below to see more than 150 BMW X3s for sale right now through Auto Express.
Head to the Auto Express used car search page and let us know which cars you’d park in your £40k three-car garage in the comments section below…
