Something oldish and jap. I have an old Primera which I've thrashed for 40k miles since I got it (It'd done 80k when I got it), and it loves it. Only thing that's gone wrong is the starter motor. Looks like shit though, but something of that ilk that looks better would be it. Maybe an old Lexus is200.
If you're going to buy a VW you might as well get a Seat. I bought a 2005 Ibiza after I trawled the owners forums for its most common faults, and that leaking rear washer pipe is the only thing that's gone wrong.
There's a few Mazdas that fit that bill, or almost. The MX5 is definitely all of those things, provided you're careful about picking a one that hasn't rusted (very easy to spot). They're not incredibly fast, but they handle so well they don't need to be. Also, only two seater, so may not suit your needs.
The Mazda6 is a turbo diesel that you can pick up for six hundred quid these days.
The RX8 is genuinely the most fun car I've ever driven, and kick out 180 to 220 BHP depending on the model, from a 1.3 rotary engine. But although you can get a great example for under a grand, you'll be paying £500 a year in tax, and if it goes wrong, you're probably better off just buying another one. They run great and don't often actually break down, but engine trouble will usually call for a rebuild or a swap.
Other things to consider are the sportier Volvos. You can get a TD5 that will absolutely shit you up, they're powerful as hell. An S40 is more serene, but still fairly responsive. Any Volvo will outlive all of us.
Something like a Peugeot 206 GTi might work as well, but they're French. But they're basically a street rally car for 800 quid.
One of the older generation Audi TT's might be worth a look, though personally I think appearance wise they're fuckugly.
>One of the older generation Audi TT's might be worth a look, though personally I think appearance wise they're fuckugly.
Their design hasn't held up well since they were first introduced 18 years ago. In their own way, they were revolutionary back in the day, but that was nearly two decades ago and they haven't proved as timeless as one would have hoped.
On the other hand, most models which Audi and VW released circa around the year 2000 up until 2005-2007, give or take, were positively boring and uninspired looking. Many of them were good solid cars that were decently engineered, but the design was just too tame. It looked like something which was agreed upon between engineers and accountants in boardroom meetings while crunching the numbers, and not like something where designers were able to run free with their ideas and produce cars that could have won buyers over emotionally.
Audi is doing much better these days. I have to say I quite like their current A3 saloon. Not the worst choice if you can afford to spend that kind of money.