The Biggest Mistake of My Life - Not Test Driving a Car
Discussion
So as I write this folks, I feel pretty gutted. What follows is the result of my own stupidity and hopefully it will be a warning to those who are tempted to act on impulse!
Over the years I've had a nice selection of cars, trading up as funds have allowed and about a year ago I treated myself to an M135i - great car but I just didn't really enjoy driving it that much - it was almost too competent. Fast forward to this summer and I got a new job (2 year secondment) in Glasgow city centre which means that commuting by train is by far the fastest, cheapest and most convenient option.
After talking things over with my wife, we decided that with the bmw sitting in the local train station's car park each day, it would make sense to trade in the car for something cheaper (but still sporty enough for me to actually enjoy driving) for a couple of years. As much as I'm a petrolhead I just couldn't justify spending £400 per month on a car that won't do more than 20 miles per week.
In terms of a cheaper but sporty replacement, I really liked the look of the Abarth 595 - a chap further up my street has one and I always thought they looked and sounded great. Nothing else has really caught my eye so I set my heart on a 595 comeptizione. I sat in one at my local Arnold Clark and thought that it felt pretty good but unfortunately, I didn't take it for a test drive, assuming that it would feel as good on the move as it did at a standstill.
I negotiated a really good deal with an Abarth dealer in Portsmouth and set off in the bmw last week to do the deal. 7 hours later I was in the Abarth and to my horror, I realised that my 6 foot 3 frame was far from comfortable. Unable to adjust the steering wheel for reach and with the seat too high, I'd go as far as to say that I hate the car. It sounds great and looks the part but I'm just so uncomfortable in it that it's just no fun to drive at all.
And to rub salt in the wound, I've just found my BMW for sale. The grass isn't always greener as they say!
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/b...
Over the years I've had a nice selection of cars, trading up as funds have allowed and about a year ago I treated myself to an M135i - great car but I just didn't really enjoy driving it that much - it was almost too competent. Fast forward to this summer and I got a new job (2 year secondment) in Glasgow city centre which means that commuting by train is by far the fastest, cheapest and most convenient option.
After talking things over with my wife, we decided that with the bmw sitting in the local train station's car park each day, it would make sense to trade in the car for something cheaper (but still sporty enough for me to actually enjoy driving) for a couple of years. As much as I'm a petrolhead I just couldn't justify spending £400 per month on a car that won't do more than 20 miles per week.
In terms of a cheaper but sporty replacement, I really liked the look of the Abarth 595 - a chap further up my street has one and I always thought they looked and sounded great. Nothing else has really caught my eye so I set my heart on a 595 comeptizione. I sat in one at my local Arnold Clark and thought that it felt pretty good but unfortunately, I didn't take it for a test drive, assuming that it would feel as good on the move as it did at a standstill.
I negotiated a really good deal with an Abarth dealer in Portsmouth and set off in the bmw last week to do the deal. 7 hours later I was in the Abarth and to my horror, I realised that my 6 foot 3 frame was far from comfortable. Unable to adjust the steering wheel for reach and with the seat too high, I'd go as far as to say that I hate the car. It sounds great and looks the part but I'm just so uncomfortable in it that it's just no fun to drive at all.
And to rub salt in the wound, I've just found my BMW for sale. The grass isn't always greener as they say!
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/b...
Unfortunately, I would be thousands of pounds in the red if I was to try and sell it just now. I may have been feeling rather negative last night - I'm sure I'll be able to live with it for a year or so given the low mileage I'm now doing.
To whoever mentioned my previous car, there's no doubt the M135i was a great car - very fast and refined but just too refined for my liking, I didn't like the rear wheel drive in anything but completely dry conditions and it felt so heavy when pushing on around twisty roads. As great as the automatic gearbox was, I soon realised that I prefer having the extra control of a manual car. Don't think I'd go down the BMW route again. Quite interested in the forthcoming civic type R so may go and have a nosey this time next year.
To whoever mentioned my previous car, there's no doubt the M135i was a great car - very fast and refined but just too refined for my liking, I didn't like the rear wheel drive in anything but completely dry conditions and it felt so heavy when pushing on around twisty roads. As great as the automatic gearbox was, I soon realised that I prefer having the extra control of a manual car. Don't think I'd go down the BMW route again. Quite interested in the forthcoming civic type R so may go and have a nosey this time next year.
ashway said:
Martin_M said:
So as I write this folks, I feel pretty gutted. What follows is the result of my own stupidity and hopefully it will be a warning to those who are tempted to act on impulse!
Over the years I've had a nice selection of cars, trading up as funds have allowed and about a year ago I treated myself to an M135i - great car but I just didn't really enjoy driving it that much - it was almost too competent. Fast forward to this summer and I got a new job (2 year secondment) in Glasgow city centre which means that commuting by train is by far the fastest, cheapest and most convenient option.
After talking things over with my wife, we decided that with the bmw sitting in the local train station's car park each day, it would make sense to trade in the car for something cheaper (but still sporty enough for me to actually enjoy driving) for a couple of years. As much as I'm a petrolhead I just couldn't justify spending £400 per month on a car that won't do more than 20 miles per week.
In terms of a cheaper but sporty replacement, I really liked the look of the Abarth 595 - a chap further up my street has one and I always thought they looked and sounded great. Nothing else has really caught my eye so I set my heart on a 595 comeptizione. I sat in one at my local Arnold Clark and thought that it felt pretty good but unfortunately, I didn't take it for a test drive, assuming that it would feel as good on the move as it did at a standstill.
I negotiated a really good deal with an Abarth dealer in Portsmouth and set off in the bmw last week to do the deal. 7 hours later I was in the Abarth and to my horror, I realised that my 6 foot 3 frame was far from comfortable. Unable to adjust the steering wheel for reach and with the seat too high, I'd go as far as to say that I hate the car. It sounds great and looks the part but I'm just so uncomfortable in it that it's just no fun to drive at all.
And to rub salt in the wound, I've just found my BMW for sale. The grass isn't always greener as they say!
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/b...
marry in haste repent at leisure, once is careless twice.....................Over the years I've had a nice selection of cars, trading up as funds have allowed and about a year ago I treated myself to an M135i - great car but I just didn't really enjoy driving it that much - it was almost too competent. Fast forward to this summer and I got a new job (2 year secondment) in Glasgow city centre which means that commuting by train is by far the fastest, cheapest and most convenient option.
After talking things over with my wife, we decided that with the bmw sitting in the local train station's car park each day, it would make sense to trade in the car for something cheaper (but still sporty enough for me to actually enjoy driving) for a couple of years. As much as I'm a petrolhead I just couldn't justify spending £400 per month on a car that won't do more than 20 miles per week.
In terms of a cheaper but sporty replacement, I really liked the look of the Abarth 595 - a chap further up my street has one and I always thought they looked and sounded great. Nothing else has really caught my eye so I set my heart on a 595 comeptizione. I sat in one at my local Arnold Clark and thought that it felt pretty good but unfortunately, I didn't take it for a test drive, assuming that it would feel as good on the move as it did at a standstill.
I negotiated a really good deal with an Abarth dealer in Portsmouth and set off in the bmw last week to do the deal. 7 hours later I was in the Abarth and to my horror, I realised that my 6 foot 3 frame was far from comfortable. Unable to adjust the steering wheel for reach and with the seat too high, I'd go as far as to say that I hate the car. It sounds great and looks the part but I'm just so uncomfortable in it that it's just no fun to drive at all.
And to rub salt in the wound, I've just found my BMW for sale. The grass isn't always greener as they say!
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/b...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Need to go back to Porsche me thinks...I liked that car.
hy comment in there chap.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff