Golf R32, 147 GTA, Impreza WRX, you can buy these fierce street racers for €15,000

It remains special: a six-cylinder in a family hatchback. Alfa Romeo and Volkswagen did it and spooned such a wonderfully smooth power plant into the 147 and several Golf generations respectively. The third candidate may have a four-cylinder engine under the hood, but it doesn’t match the two in terms of heroism. Plenty of excitement for 15 grand!

Alfa Romeo 147 3.2 V6 24V GTA – 2004 – 183,753 kilometers – €12,945

As a successor to the 145/146, Alfa Romeo hit the bull’s-eye in 2000 with the 147. The following year the beautiful Italian – from scudetto grille to ruby-shaped taillights; this four-wheeler looked like a sculpture – Car of the Year before… the Toyota Prius! The sporting peak was reached in 2003 with the arrival of the GTA with the famous Busso V6 under the hood. It was only available as a three-door and only lasted two years: it was deleted during the facelift in 2005. So it’s not easy to get your hands on such a fast guy, but here we have one: despite its age and mileage, this Alfa Romeo 147 is just waiting for the next owner at the brand dealer in Leiden. The Bovag warranty costs extra and you should always do that with such an imported sports car. On the outside, the sportiness is not too bad: subtly made a bit thicker, two modest exhausts, but nice wheels.

There’s more to the interior: speedometer that goes up to 300 km/h, bucket seats, leather upholstery, a sequential automatic transmission and… signs of wear here and there. Gray exterior, black interior: that could have been better, first owner! Because you certainly hear this symphony of this sextet. It’s hum (below 4,000 rpm) and roar (above). Our experiences with the GTA are mainly positive: always plenty of power, the handling is excellent (direct response to steering input, aluminum rear subframe, slightly lowered, brakes from the 156 GTA), but you do feel that there is a heavy engine in the nose. sit. That and the front-wheel drive can make it nervous at the limit. That’s what you become too if you go beyond that and know that 3 stars in the EuroNCAP crash test was already poor 20 years ago. The luggage compartment is also meager: 280 litres, but its intake capacity is voracious. In the city just 1 in 5.5! The plus point is the comfort: no board, but a lightning-fast GT in a family package. And… a classic in the making.

Signaling

Brand Alfa Romeo
Type 147 3.2 V6 24V GTA
Construction year February 2004
Mileage 183,753
Asking price €12,945
Where to buy? Motorhuis Leiden, Leiden

Technical data

Engine V6, 3,179 cc
Max. assets 184 kW/250 hp at 6,200 rpm
Max. couple 300 Nm at 4,800 rpm
Luggage compartment 280 l/1,030 l
Max. trailer braked nb
Avg. consumption 1:8.3
0-100 km/h 6.3 sec
Top speed 246 km/h

All data according to factory specifications

Volkswagen Golf R32 – 2006 – 195,175 kilometers – €13,250

Would you prefer a five-door? Then the 147 is eliminated and you quickly end up at Volkswagen, because the R32 six-cylinder was installed in both the three- and five-door Golf bodywork. Such an über-Wolfsburger is also slightly more foolproof than the Italian, thanks to its four-wheel drive. Particularly on winding roads, you seem to have endless grip, and understeer tendencies are almost foreign to it. It is nicely balanced and if things start to slide, it will go over all the wheels. Generating a bit of oversteer is also possible, but the rear always remains neatly in line. Actually, the GTA is more emotion, the R32 more reason, but where do we find one? Well, for example in Nieuw-Vennep where this Volkswagen Golf is located: younger than the Alfa, but with more experience. About the same price, also import (and here too Bovag warranty at extra cost – also a must) and despite the red paint, the Golf does not scream that it is special, except for the central exhaust pipes that produce a full and dark brown sound when accelerating hard. to perform.

Also inside, more reason than emotion predominates. Well, Volkswagen has installed excellent sports seats, but the interior feels less special than the 147. However, the build quality is solid, and speaking of solid: both clutch and timing chain have been replaced at 166,000 kilometers, so these expensive operations are not an option for the time being. to come. Fortunately, because like the GTA, the R32 is expensive to own: fuel consumption (average 1 in 9.3 with peaks of 1 in 6.7 in built-up areas), insurance and vehicle tax (it weighs almost 1.5 tons). ) make a big contribution. On the other hand, with good conservation you will rather have a credit than a debit, because something like that will – unfortunately – never come back. Rear passengers have slightly more space than in the 147, the luggage compartment is even smaller at 275 liters as standard.

Signaling

Brand Volkswagen
Type Golf R32
Construction year April 2006
Mileage 195,175
Asking price €13,250
Where to buy? Van der Maarl Autotechniek, Nieuw-Vennep

Technical data

Engine V6, 3,189 cc
Max. assets 184 kW/250 hp at 6,300 rpm
Max. couple 320 Nm at 2,800 rpm
Luggage compartment 275 l/1,230 l
Max. trailer braked nb
Avg. consumption 1:9.3
0-100 km/h 6.5 sec
Top speed 250 km/h

All data according to factory specifications

Subaru Impreza 2.5 WRX AWD Edition – 2007 – 229,171 kilometers – €14,950

For our budget you will find particularly desirable alternatives such as the five-cylinder Ford Focus ST or the BMW 130i (six-cylinder in combination with rear-wheel drive). No more aphrodisiac stuff, but will these two become as legendary as the above duo? The BMW perhaps, but because a 1-series has previously shone in these columns, we broaden our view and come across something else legendary. No, not a six-cylinder, but only four engines under the hood, and neither a hatchback, but a sedan. Of course: the Subaru Impreza WRX! No dark brown six-cylinder roar here, but pops, rumbles, hisses and stomps. You know: it’s Japanese, so it won’t break down easily, and as a safety net there is four-wheel drive to keep not only the technology, but the entire car plus its occupants intact. Because things can go very fast in this, apart from the large air scoop, quite inconspicuous four-door sedan. The used car shown is at the brand dealer in Gouda and is stated to come from the only Dutch owner. The price is slightly higher than the other two, but the Bovag warranty is included. Despite the somewhat dull appearance with koala snout grille, you feel like a real rally driver. This is partly because engine and driving sounds are transmitted rather unfiltered. To achieve the relatively low new price at the time, some skimping on insulation was done. Is that bad? No!

It’s a shame that the interior also looks a bit ordinary. Nice: the Impreza WRX is a full-fledged family car: more space in the back and for luggage. But note: the rear seat is not foldable, so it remains at 401 liters. However, it can tow 1,200 kilos under braking. Of course, this used car is not the cheapest to have, but that is not why you buy these three. You buy them to experience again what was possible in the past, without much influence from accountants and environmental officials. Don’t let this trio die out!

Signaling
Brand Subaru
Type Impreza 2.5 WRX AWD Edition
Construction year January 2007
Mileage 229,171
Asking price €14,950
Where to buy? Subaru dealer/AutoFirst Van Dam BV, Gouda

Technical data
Engine 4 cyl. boxer, 2,457 cc, turbo
Max. assets 169 kW/230 hp at 5,600 rpm
Max. couple 320 Nm at 3,600 rpm
Luggage compartment 401 l
Max. trailer braked 1,200 kilos
Avg. consumption 1:9.7
0-100 km/h 5.9 sec
Top speed 230 km/h

All data according to factory specifications

Which would-be classic appeals to you most?

You don’t buy this kind of dying breed on rational grounds (although the potential increase in value may well be a reason), but to go back to that time. When happiness was common. Well, ‘very normal’? The 147 GTA and Golf R32 are not just ordinary hatchbacks. And the Impreza WRX is not an ordinary Japanese sedan. What would your choice be? Or does a 130i, Focus ST or something else more powerful arouse your desire? Let us know!