Golfer's Car?

[Canary_Yellow]

BMW 330 or preferably a 335 touring if you can find one.

If you don’t need an estate a 435 is a good option.

I've got a 3 series. In saloon form, it's not great for golf kit. The boot is big enough, but access to the boot space is relatively small, it would need to be the touring edition if taking an electric trolley as well as clubs. As you say BiMGuy, the 4 series is the one if you don't need the touring.

I'd say the 3/4 series would be a decent step up from the octavia in terms of performance (or similar even if you went for a 3/420i, see below), and you'd only have to go to £23k to start seeing 3/440i's coming into budget. As someone that likes cars, I'd do what it took to increase my budget so I could get a 3/440i! But, I appreciate not everyone feels the same, in which case the 3/430i is still very decent indeed, albeit a bit rarer in touring form (people who really like driving bought the 340i, people that are less concerned about driving bought the 320i or more likely a 320d, the 330i is in no mans land!) and the 3/420i is no slouch with 185bhp.

I'm biased, but something like this would catch my eye:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202205205904115?sort=price-desc&price-to=22500&radius=1500&body-type=Coupe&body-type=Estate&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=Used&make=BMW&price-from=16000&fuel-type=Petrol&postcode=tn104ns&model=4 Series&advertising-location=at_cars&include-delivery-option=on&page=1&percentVehiclePriceDeposit=true

If it's no good due to boot size / access, the gran coupe version of the 4 series has better boot access because it's a hatch back.

 

[jim8flog]

Personally if I was changing with that sort of budget and wanting to ditch the diesel and still get the economy I would be thinking self charging hybrid.

having nearly gone down that route myself recently I was looking at a Toyota Corolla Sport

 

[greenone]

Only problem is the S-O-A-S requirement. There was a VRS version, but I think that stopped when the MK3 was introduced back in 2014. Do you REALLY need to be able to drive like a hooligan?

You driven around NE Scotland? You need to be able to get past artics on short stretches of straight road or your driving everywhere at 45 mph.

 

[need_my_wedge]

My "little" motor is an A Class 220d. Pop one back seat down, everything fits fine golf wise, can get 3 bags a trolley and 3 people in. It's pretty quick, don't know about off the shovel, bit past that these days but if I stamp it at 60 plus it gets to 90 in a second or so, quick enough to make my heart flutter.

 

[Oddsocks]

Got an a4 estate at present, it fits a hybrid carry/trolly bag fine but with a m3 eleccy trolley I have to drop the 40% seat if I want to leave the woods in the bag. The a4 saloon was the same. The previous 330e saloon was exactly the same. I did have a hire golf hatch for a while and a carry bag goes in fine if you take the driver and 3w out but defo a no no with any form of trolley.

Re the other bmw options, the 3 series GT has a huge boot, and the 4 series can be got at good money at the moment as they launched a new model this year. I’m currently considering a new job and if that pans out I’ve found a brand new 21 “ old shape “ 420D that’s 31k with 10miles on the clock, a change of shape always crashes pre reg new cars

 

[sjw]

Mk7 Golf GTI. Remap if you want it quicker. Job done. Honestly, it should be on everyone's shortlist for pretty much every task.

 

[casuk]

I can fit 3 cart bags and 3 trolleys (m1, fx7, ct6) and 3 body's in my astra k it's a bit of a squeeze but all fits, also the car is quick a helava lot quicker than I expected press the sport button and it's flying,

 

[Banchory Buddha]

Just always always ALWAYS make sure all your golf equipment fits inside the boot BEFORE you buy a new car.

Speaking for a friend.

Yeah this is the main thing. I'm now walking distance to my main club, so when I do travel for golf it's usually solo anyway, so a boot that fits one set + trolly is the criteria, not the wardrobe capacity of an Octavia I have now.

 

[Banchory Buddha]

Still needs -off-a-shovel, needs to be reasonably economical

With fuel costs what they are, these two no longer go together. Plus, the faster it goes, the higher the insurance.

Not really tbh, plenty speedy little things get 50mpg+ out of a petrol, really thread is just looking for some left field ideas I haven;t thought about. Never had a french motor for instance, may dabble there.

 

[Banchory Buddha]

BB currently has an Octavia, so presumably not averse to Skoda.
The Fabia Estate is a small car with a decent boot - easily fits clubs and trolley without needing to remove wheels or driver. Will fit two trolleys and clubs with a bit of thought.

Only problem is the S-O-A-S requirement. There was a VRS version, but I think that stopped when the MK3 was introduced back in 2014. Do you REALLY need to be able to drive like a hooligan?

probably not tbh

 

[Springveldt]

So currently driving an Octavia VRS, which I've had for more than 7 years now, but it's getting to time for a change.

Last time around it came from nowhere to be the "perfect golfers car" - diesel for economy, VRS model for -off-a-shovel, mahoosive boot (did a lot of lugging over and above golf), and taxi-driver reliability.

But I no longer need the big lugger, I rarely have a passenger or second set of clubs, and I'm struggling with a switch.

Still needs -off-a-shovel, needs to be reasonably economical but diesel is gone, obviously has to take a trolley and bag in boot.

What's my next move? *(not buying new, but as new as possible with a 20k budget)

I went from a diesel Octavia vRS Estate to a BMW 335d GT. The boot on the BMW is massive as well, can lie the bag with the driver still in the bag across the boot. Get about 50mpg on the motorway and 37mpg around town while having 309bhp. Can remap if you are mental as it really doesn't need it.

Think BMW stopped making the GT model as it wasn't a great seller (BMW purists hated the hatchback design for some reason) but for me it was like the perfect car. Massive inside, the leg room in the back for the kids is ridiculous and a massive, long boot for lugging stuff around while being ridiculously quick. The vRS felt so slow compared to this thing.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

What is required is a 08 Polo 1.0 with 109000 miles on the clock as that is perfect as a mobile locker - provides a commodious boot for a full set plus brolly in my pencil bag - and my shoes. What else does the discriminating golfer need...

Well it got me to Bearwood Lakes on Saturday and Brockenhurst in the New Forest on Monday...

 

[jim8flog]

I went from a diesel Octavia vRS Estate to a BMW 335d GT. The boot on the BMW is massive as well, can lie the bag with the driver still in the bag across the boot. Get about 50mpg on the motorway and 37mpg around town while having 309bhp. Can remap if you are mental as it really doesn't need it.

Think BMW stopped making the GT model as it wasn't a great seller (BMW purists hated the hatchback design for some reason) but for me it was like the perfect car. Massive inside, the leg room in the back for the kids is ridiculous and a massive, long boot for lugging stuff around while being ridiculously quick. The vRS felt so slow compared to this thing.

I hope the driver is seating in the drivers seat

 

[Springveldt]

I hope the driver is seating in the drivers seat

Sometimes. Sometimes she's in the passenger seat telling me how to drive as well.

 

[sunshine]

But I no longer need the big lugger, I rarely have a passenger or second set of clubs, and I'm struggling with a switch.

Still needs -off-a-shovel, needs to be reasonably economical but diesel is gone, obviously has to take a trolley and bag in boot.

Surprised nobody has mentioned a Golf. Fits your spec and has the added benefit of having the word golf in it's name.

 

[BiMGuy]

Surprised nobody has mentioned a Golf. Fits your spec and has the added benefit of having the word golf in it's name.

See post 26

 

[sunshine]

See post 26

Yeah I got a bit bored scrolling through the replies

 

[adasko]

I was in similar situation. Got bmw 7 series atm, doing around 2k miles a month become really expensive.
Ordered tesla model 3. Boot is prefect for trolley and clubs plenty of driving fun and it will be so much cheaper than current car.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

I run a Mazda 3, Sport Nav. 2l petrol naturally aspirated with slush box. Smooth as silk when taking it easy, shifts when you want it to. Cart bag with all clubs still in it and the trolley all go in the boot under the parcel shelf without anything being removed or pushing the parcel shelf up.
The previous Civic was the same (tried in the showroom). The Type R was quite nice

 

[Oddsocks]

I've currently got a BMW 220 sport
It's got enough poke to be fun, and like most BMW's you can get golf clubs in the boot without taking the driver out. I just have to take at least 1 wheel off the trolley.

Out of interest is this the newer grand coupe or the older saloon version. New job may offer potential opt out and quite like the look of the 220d m sport Gc.