One car fits all, or comfy cruiser and sunny day weapon?

[johnwilliams77]

RoverP6B said:

In the real world, I still think the E39 530i Touring remains the definitive answer to this. Amazingly chuckable for a 1700kg estate, big, roomy, fabulous engine, wonderful handling balance, firm but compliant ride quality, timelessly elegant looks, bombproof build quality... and that straight six that's happy to howl to redline will equally happily deliver mid-30s MPG in the cruise, even into low 40s if you're careful. There's been nothing like it since.

I have a 540 and its a great distance car / motorway cruiser but absolutely would not pick up the keys for a weekend blast. Elise for this.

[so called]

I use my MB CLS for the drives to my customer in Germany and my Tuscan at the weekend.
I also use the Tuscan for the annual summer drive down to Spain.
Now winter is coming in I'll be heading to Germany in my Wife's Disco.

[PanzerCommander]

Each to their own. I find my 2006 Mustang GT works perfectly well as a road car and as a race car (a minor suspension adjustment, wheels and tyres swapped over at the track, a trip to scruteneering and its good to go).

I honsetly think I'd get bored keeping it purely as a weekend car and driving some dull hatchback through the week.

[RoverP6B]

johnwilliams77 said:

I have a 540 and its a great distance car / motorway cruiser but absolutely would not pick up the keys for a weekend blast. Elise for this.

The sixes and V8s are very different in character, a straight six with a manual is a car that begs to be thrashed. I lost the ability to fit in an Elise about 25 years before the Elise went on sale - it's a hopelessly impractical car for the vast majority of people, certainly not a "one car fits all" by any stretch of the imagination. I suggest also that the "weekend blast" is a figment of the imagination of most petrolheads - I can't recall in which decade I last had time for that sort of aimless, destinationless motoring. GTs, sports saloons/estates and hot hatches (as much as I hate the latter) are of far more relevance to this discussion.

[johnwilliams77]

RoverP6B said:

The sixes and V8s are very different in character, a straight six with a manual is a car that begs to be thrashed. I lost the ability to fit in an Elise about 25 years before the Elise went on sale - it's a hopelessly impractical car for the vast majority of people, certainly not a "one car fits all" by any stretch of the imagination. I suggest also that the "weekend blast" is a figment of the imagination of most petrolheads - I can't recall in which decade I last had time for that sort of aimless, destinationless motoring. GTs, sports saloons/estates and hot hatches (as much as I hate the latter) are of far more relevance to this discussion.

Of course it isn't, hence why my comment to the discussion is that one car doesn't work.

Weekend runs happen very regularly here! Most weekends people meet for a drive. It is absolutely not in the imagination. Weekend run/trackday.

Hot hatches are relevant to the one car discussion but almost everyone agrees that one car is a pretty miserable place to be as there is always a compromise.

[RobM77]

RoverP6B said:

I lost the ability to fit in an Elise about 25 years before the Elise went on sale - it's a hopelessly impractical car for the vast majority of people, certainly not a "one car fits all" by any stretch of the imagination.

That seems like a strange thing to say. Surely an Elise is just like any other two seater sports car, in fact the boot is bigger than an MR2 for definite, and probably bigger or similar to that on an MX5 or S2000?!

I drove my Elise as my only car for three years, as did two friends of mine. The S2 is perfectly liveable - mine didn't leak and it was extremely warm and comfortable all year round. It even coped well in snow due to the engine being over the driven wheels. The only problems we all had with Elises as daily drivers were road noise on long motorway journeys and an inability to carry big things - there are plenty of people out there who do neither and so can manage just fine with an Elise. When I used mine everyday it just needed to swallow a guitar and amp once or twice a week and cope with a 15 mile B road commute - perfect. It was eventually relegated to a second car due to a motorway commute and me taking up the cello (which fitted, but was too delicate for the harsh ride), but it still got used regularly for the 8 years I owned it.

The answer to this thread is that everyone is different. Some of us drive on race tracks regularly, some green lane or off road regularly, some have to carry surfboards and bikes, some spent their lives on the motorway, others B roads and others towns. Some like FWD, some RWD and some 4WD. This is why there is such a variety of cars for sale, with well over 99% surely intended for everyday use?

[RoverP6B]

The reality for most of us is no off-street parking and limited time to devote to driving. I need basically one car that's going to cosset and entertain in equal measure in daily driving.

[theboss]

I'm also in the camp of not really doing 'weekend drives' yet my weekday travels can be extensive and involve hundreds of miles of A and B roads, which is why an 'all in one' highly capable daily appeals to me, with long haul comfort and ergonomics being high priorities. It also helps if it can cart a family of 5 around. In this respect the bigger super saloons / estates tick all the boxes for me, though I appreciate they aren't the sort of thing you'd buy for pure track and hooning.

[krallicious]

I can only have one car at a time due to space. I like doing trackdays, road trips, having space for 4 occasionally, long walks in the country etc. I had an E92 and it was a fantastic do it all car. I have since moved onto a 997 turbo and it does it all too, all be it faster and better apart from the space but as I drive, it doesn't bother me.

[RoverP6B]

Rob - even my shortarse elder son at a teenage 5ft 8ins couldn't fit comfortably in an Elise. Saying it's more practical than an MR2 really isn't saying much - whereas most people can fit in an MX-5, for example.

[RobM77]

RoverP6B said:

Rob - even my shortarse elder son at a teenage 5ft 8ins couldn't fit comfortably in an Elise. Saying it's more practical than an MR2 really isn't saying much - whereas most people can fit in an MX-5, for example.

That's really strange; what was the problem specifically? Height or err.. girth? I don't recall the MR2 or MX5 having any more room than the Elise. I'm 5'10" (with a 36" inside leg) and the two friends who also ran Elises as dailies at the time were 6'0" and 6'2". Two of us needed a steering wheel spacer to reach the wheel (a classic Lotus issue, but easily fixed), but there should be enough seat travel to fit pretty long legs in the car. We all took our Elises through Europe on multiple occasions. I'm pretty short for my age and most of my Lotus friends are around 6'0" and driving Elises and Exiges without an issue.

Edited by RobM77 on Wednesday 11th November 09:53

[anonymous-user]

5' 8" is an easy fit in an Elise. I can't see the problem, unless there is a medical condition.

[walm]

6ft reasonably portly Elise/Exige daily for 2 years here.
But I don't wear a suit to work and didn't mind getting a little wet or waiting 20 mins for it to demist or not being able to see out the back or out the side at junctions. YMMV.

[johnwilliams77]

RoverP6B said:

Rob - even my shortarse elder son at a teenage 5ft 8ins couldn't fit comfortably in an Elise. Saying it's more practical than an MR2 really isn't saying much - whereas most people can fit in an MX-5, for example.

Couldn't fit? What on earth are you talking about?!! I fit in mine at 5ft 9 and 90kg and my mate uses his fine as a daily at 6ft 2 and a guy at work commutes in his at 6ft 4!

[walm]

RoverP6B said:

Rob - even my shortarse elder son at a teenage 5ft 8ins couldn't fit comfortably in an Elise.

My wife is 5ft 8in and she fitted in fine.
Although in fairness I can't be 100% sure.
It's so noisy in the cabin I could never hear a word she said.
Bliss.

[cerb4.5lee]

The Surveyor said:

CorvetteConvert said:

An E92 M3 just a faster 320D. FFS, you do hear some crap.

It was a flippant comment and not meant to suggest that they are both the same, it's just that if you used one every single day, day in, day out, trudging through grey drizzly traffic, on the same old commute the 'specialness' of the M3 would soon wear off.

This hits the nail on the head and that's exactly why I prefer the two car set up(nice daily/exciting weekender).

I have really enjoyed this thread and there has been some cracking honest and worthwhile contributions and it does give you an idea of what different likes we all have.

[anonymous-user]

cerb4.5lee said:

This hits the nail on the head and that's exactly why I prefer the two car set up(nice daily/exciting weekender).

I have really enjoyed this thread and there has been some cracking honest and worthwhile contributions and it does give you an idea of what different likes we all have.

An M3 and Caterham is a good compromise

[cerb4.5lee]

yonex said:

cerb4.5lee said:

This hits the nail on the head and that's exactly why I prefer the two car set up(nice daily/exciting weekender).

I have really enjoyed this thread and there has been some cracking honest and worthwhile contributions and it does give you an idea of what different likes we all have.

An M3 and Caterham is a good compromise

Too right!

[300bhp/ton]

CorvetteConvert said:

The Surveyor said:

CorvetteConvert said:

Someone earlier made a good point. Many people cannot afford to run 3/4 cars to cover all their wishes, so make do with one car. It doesn't mean that the car they choose does everything they need, just that finances say that one car has to do!

Utter cobblers....

BS. The person who made the original comment made a very valid point, plus I know people with one car who are only able to run one car due to financial constraints. My son in law and my tennis buddy to name just two and there are many others who are in the same boat. One size fits all because money says so.
You may not know anyone who is restricted to one car but they are out there, especially in these days of cut backs and redundancies. I should perhaps have made the question IDEALLY would you have one car fits all or several cars to cover all bases.

I suppose the only caveat here would be, if their only car cost a fair bit. Now if they are only running one car that cost £1200-5000, then ok. But if they are rolling round in something that cost £15,000 - 24,000 and is fairly newish. Then they most certainly could afford to run more than one car.

[ORD]

cerb4.5lee said:

The E92 M3 is the perfect jack of all trades and master of none, its not special enough to be a weekender and too compromised to be a fun car so it leaves it in no mans land.

I used to run a 520d and a Cerbera as a weekend car and then the 520d and a Z4M as a weekend car but swapped the two for the E92 M3 as my do it all car...no such thing sadly, the reasonable daily and nice weekend car works far better as far as I am concerned.

This is the kind of thinking that I dont get. An E90 M3 is better at almost everything than a 520d (the main exception being mpg), and it is a better driver's car than a Z4M. It is also probably a better steer than a Cerbera (once you account for having to take the 520d when the TVR isnt working).