After a year without a car following the demise of our suprisingly lamented Kia Sedona (I don't count Max the Minibus - he was many things, but a car he was not), we might genuinely be looking for a vehicle with fewer than 17 seats in the next few months.
My dreams of wafting around the costa in a 6-cylinder convertible are alive and well, but it may be that the dream must remain on hold for a while longer.
The reason for needing a car, when everything here is within easy reach on foot or - at worst - a bicycle is that MrsC may have a job in the offing that would require her to commute up to about 50 miles a day.
We are still very much not in a financial position to be too frivolous and there are other considerations such as the crapness of the Spanish car "market" and restrictive importation rules.
However, I don't think we will be forced to buy purely on the criteria of MPG, servicing and insurance costs.
As this is Spain, I thought it might be fun to look at Seat, specifically an Ibiza or Leon and specificallier a Cupra of either petrol or diesel persuasion. However, I find the model ranges baffling, with most of the cars under "cupra" on Autotrader simply having "Cupra" wheels or lookalike bits of plastic badly stuck on.

As our budget is likely to be less than £5000, I'm not expecting anything too swanky or new, but there do seem to be one or 2 to be had and a remap might easily add a few smiles to the miles.

Then, there is the little voice inside me (and you, probably) that says "What about an Alfa?"

I would love a 159 (I prefer the wagon, MrsC the saloon) and again these seem to be available around our budget. Here I would lean towards the 2.4JTDm with 200 (or in some cases 210? horses). The 3.2 petrol would seem out of our range, even if I could persuade my better half of the essential nature of a proper V6. But maybe a 147 would be more sensible?

But then, once you are into 159's, it is only a small hop, skip and a jump into the leathery embrace of a 330ci.

Again, there seems little to search for that returns the desired spec for all these cars; the Autotrader search engine is just a bit rubbish. Where else is good to look? Pistonheads seems limited and Spain is just hopeless: overpriced and hundreds of kilometres between pretty ordinary motors.

Help me, please!

Budget: £5k or less
Brief: Excitement over pure austerity
Caveat: But let's not go mad.

Oh, and a Fiat Coupé is, naturally, among the possibilities, though not a leading contender... yet.

Is getting a UK, Polish car out of the question?

No problem with LHD, obviously. Importing a car to Spain is costly and in order for the insurance to be valid (as I'm sure you know), the car has to be legal in its country of origin. And I'm not terribly sure how to get a Polish MOT.
Also, I have a big problem trusting GumTree for something like a car!

Would a French RHD/LHD b any good Jim?

Could do, Joe. I'm a lot more familiar with the whole carte grise/CT thing. Must be a lot of cars registered between the two countries...

Does Spain require that cars are to the OEM specification, no modifications? Might be something to consider if you're importing...

I haven't looked into the matter in great depth, Neil, but loosely, yes, I believe vehicles must be OEM spec and must be a model sold in Spain by the manufacturer. Much the same as in France; you can import anything you like, but the level of technical inspection and taxes/charges levied will become increasingly high.
I am told, for example, that it is much harder these days to import a RHD vehicle as it would never have been sold here.
At this stage, I expect we'll end up with something like a local Mk I Leon 1.9TD, which I believe you have or had?

I've had and still have the 20vt cupra. It's been reliable, but these days it tends to misfire when it's first started, then gets better in a minute or two. I haven't bothered to look for the problem, but the spark coils are a known weak point.

Quick and competent, but boring. Never had the diesel, though.

Ah, I thought you had the diesel. You say the 20VT is boring, but all things are relative...!

How many miles has yours done? Any buyer's tips?

80k but from new, so I can't really offer any tips - except check the carpets by all the doors for damp; the door seals to the frame that holds the works in decays and is a stupid design; a good soaking can flood the interior.

My stepfather has always run Peugeot/ Citroens in Spain, never been a problem with spares or any such issue. He has always had the diesel versions because of the lower fuel costs.

Back in the mid 80's there was no problem registering the X1/9 over there despite it never having been sold in that market and being RHD.
That was a while ago and things may well have changed by now.

Peugeot and Citroen have a remarkably (and visibly) high market share here; quite surprisingly so. Possibly unfortunately, neither MrsC nor I are keen on either marque, though if there was a big petrol-engined C6 I might have had a look just for the sake of being odd.
Diesel is about the same price as the UK, if a little less.

Assuming that the more exotic options will be vetoed, I'd be quite happy for now with something like a Leon Cupra R in either petrol or diesel flavour. Hopefully I can squeeze a remap out of the exchequer...

Quite a few laws have changed in recent years, understandably if regrettably given the state of the economy. So many Brits were buying cheaper second hand cars and importing them that I think it made some form of legislation inevitable. I haven't researched it in depth, but it seems that, whilst still possible, it is complicated and expensive. Mind you, I imported a Land Rover into France; that was certainly not child's play. And it cost more than the useless, steaming heap of poo was worth, so it isn't just Spain!

If I wasn't still loving the car I'd offer you my 530D (at a reasonable price, of course)

Yeah. Thanks Tim...! Knowing what happened the last time I took a UK registered 530d to the continent, I'm not sure my nerves (or wallet) could stand another round...

Mine will be staying firmly in the UK.

Well, let's see after 18th September, shall we...?!

Depending on the fiscal horse power of a car,the cost of registering a right hand drive here in France is about 643 Euros. Thats based on my Merc 270 cdi 4x4. Certificate of Comformity 170 euros, LHD headlights 175 euros , log book 236 euros and an mot 62 euros.

Cost me a great deal more than that for the Landy. They'd never seen a 7-seater SWB before and it was made in the model year before the Defender name was first used, do it was a bastard child in every sense. Had to do the full weighing every corner nonsense at the DDE. Cost about €1500 in total. More than I sold it for and a great deal less than it cost me in repairs!
Anyway, enough said about that vehicle...