downgrading car lifestyle
Discussion
Wrote off my v8 disco recently. Thought I’d replace it with another one or an l322 range, but drive my mates mk7 dsg gti recently and one of those has gone right into contention.
Also selling my Elise even though I’m currently using it daily. The bikes are more fun and my old merc more of an eventful weekend drive.
Don’t look at it as downgrading, just trying a different flavour.
Also selling my Elise even though I’m currently using it daily. The bikes are more fun and my old merc more of an eventful weekend drive.
Don’t look at it as downgrading, just trying a different flavour.
shirt said:
Wrote off my v8 disco recently. Thought I’d replace it with another one or an l322 range, but drive my mates mk7 dsg gti recently and one of those has gone right into contention.
Also selling my Elise even though I’m currently using it daily. The bikes are more fun and my old merc more of an eventful weekend drive.
Don’t look at it as downgrading, just trying a different flavour.
That's a good way of looking at it; I've driven a few cars (base spec L200s/Hiluxs, a 45hp Clio, a 1.8 W203 C-Class, a 90s 110) that conventional wisdom would suggest run the gamut from "meh" to awful*, but none of them were actually bad things, just different experiences - things designed with different priorities. Also selling my Elise even though I’m currently using it daily. The bikes are more fun and my old merc more of an eventful weekend drive.
Don’t look at it as downgrading, just trying a different flavour.
There's probably the matter of the individual as well, some people have a baked-in notion of car hierarchy and can't let that go.
(*The L200s had a moulding that cut into my knee and I drove them with a towel draped over my leg as padding - maybe that is pretty cr&p...)
Planning to upsize to a bigger house with ideally a garage within a couple of years. Means I will likely downgrade the car to something comfortable and practical and hopefully get a motorbike for fun and quicker commuting.
I don’t get up early enough on the weekend to enjoy road free driving and most of the time I do drive it just ends up being frustrating.
I don’t get up early enough on the weekend to enjoy road free driving and most of the time I do drive it just ends up being frustrating.
SmithCorona said:
182s are brilliant. What are the tweaks? I hope it went some way to offsetting your horrible week!
Thanks Smith. I Love writing about cars & bikes, particularly Fast ones, so il try to keep this short, but…..long story short, i stupidly sold my last R5 GT Turbo in June 17 and soon after, prices went ££ crazy ! So, the next best thing ( and still £ cheap ) was an RS182.
i had a tidy 103,000 miles black gold 05 plate RS182 for a few months in late 19, but the gear box blew, leaving it jammed in 2 gear, so I moved it on for just £1,000 quid !
The sale of my ex Connery 3.0CSL, freed up some much needed £ so the hunt was on for another 182 as I knew that they would be a good £ investment And also an R5GT Turbo substitute.
I originally saw this low miles ( 82,000 ) both Cup pack car advertised for sale on FB in Sept 20, in Birmingham, but someone else beat me to it for £2,200 ! However, the seller very kindly passed the buyers number on to me & I finally convinced him to sell her in Jan 21 for £2,400 !
He hadn’t used it at all, it had just been parked @ his place of work.
I trailered her home, from the West Country, behind my then XC90, arriving home @ 3am.
The owner from 2015 - September 2020 spent ££ on some upgrades as follows - A Remap to 186hp, with a Dyno print out, cone air filter, a custom made exhaust ( it’s exhaust is s
te, so I will eventually change it ) K-tec front coil overs, uprated Evolve engine mounts, lowering springs, new discs with Ferodo DS2000 pads ( it stops really well ) FOX 15in Alloys, Michelin PS3s on 3 alloys and a new Kumho on the 4th alloy. It needs new rear shocks and I’m not convinced by the front coil overs, so Bilsteins all round are on the shopping list. It does feel very quick, but it’s been 2 years since I last drove a Griff 500.
sunnyb13 said:
having a performance car is getting expensive in this day and age, has anyone taken the plunge and downgraded their cars?
thinking of getting something simple like a golf or similar.
would be good to get thoughts.
Yes, got a Golf r. Tuned it.thinking of getting something simple like a golf or similar.
would be good to get thoughts.
Far happier, and believe it or not, more fun than the x2 M3 or x2 E63s AMG I owned. I think the fact the car is just as comfy and fast for 25% of the cost has something to do with it.
popeyewhite said:
Yes, got a Golf r. Tuned it.
Far happier, and believe it or not, more fun than the x2 M3 or x2 E63s AMG I owned. I think the fact the car is just as comfy and fast for 25% of the cost has something to do with it.
If your M3s, we’re E46 six speed cars, then I’m very suprised that you prefer a Golf R. I had a “ tear up “ with a dude in his 17 plate Golf R verses my old 170,000 mile 53 plate M3. I held him off from 30 - 80 and then drew away from him. Yes, I know the Golf’s Wick can be “ turned up “ but the E46 M3 is So much more of an “ Event “ to drive and own……Far happier, and believe it or not, more fun than the x2 M3 or x2 E63s AMG I owned. I think the fact the car is just as comfy and fast for 25% of the cost has something to do with it.
SS427 Camaro said:
If your M3s, we’re E46 six speed cars, then I’m very suprised that you prefer a Golf R. I had a “ tear up “ with a dude in his 17 plate Golf R verses my old 170,000 mile 53 plate M3. I held him off from 30 - 80 and then drew away from him. Yes, I know the Golf’s Wick can be “ turned up “ but the E46 M3 is So much more of an “ Event “ to drive and own……
So many variables about scenarios like this on the road especially imo. I drove my brothers old E46 M3 back in the day. I didn’t really get it until you really gave it some then it was better. It felt like a big old boat to me, cracking engine though.I kept up with him till about 60/70 in my 190bhp Elise then I was no where near him. Interestingly both cars had a very similar power to weight ratio of around 200 bhp/ton.
Granted it’s a few years apart but I drove my mates golf r and got the impression it would have been quicker than both the Elise and M3. I didn’t think I’d like it but it was quite good fun.
sunnyb13 said:
Having a performance car is getting expensive in this day and age, has anyone taken the plunge and downgraded their cars?
thinking of getting something simple like a golf or similar.
would be good to get thoughts.
After 18 years in BMWs, I upgraded to a Skoda Octavia about three years ago.thinking of getting something simple like a golf or similar.
would be good to get thoughts.
Very happy indeed. The BMWs were good, but the practical mass market engineering
that has gone into the Skoda is satisfying. Not fancy, completely anonymous and
cheap to run.
For me, speed cameras, potholes, congestion & dreadful driving standards
took the fun out of driving years ago so an upgrade to practical transport
makes a lot of sense.
SS427 Camaro said:
popeyewhite said:
Yes, got a Golf r. Tuned it.
Far happier, and believe it or not, more fun than the x2 M3 or x2 E63s AMG I owned. I think the fact the car is just as comfy and fast for 25% of the cost has something to do with it.
If your M3s, we’re E46 six speed cars, then I’m very suprised that you prefer a Golf R. I had a “ tear up “ with a dude in his 17 plate Golf R verses my old 170,000 mile 53 plate M3. I held him off from 30 - 80 and then drew away from him. Yes, I know the Golf’s Wick can be “ turned up “ but the E46 M3 is So much more of an “ Event “ to drive and own……Far happier, and believe it or not, more fun than the x2 M3 or x2 E63s AMG I owned. I think the fact the car is just as comfy and fast for 25% of the cost has something to do with it.
I can picture Dave Ramsey reading this thread and nodding his head vigorously....
I'm late 30s and done the whole downgrading thing last year to devote more of my funds to family/children. I've always had new/nearly new hot hatches and a few highly tuned old Jap cars since passing my test (the Subaru Impreza is the one that I've never fully recovered from selling), but currently rocking a 2018 Skoda Superb with 70k on the clock and a 2020 Nissan Leaf as a local runaround.
Not having monthly car payments has been liberating, and the money I am saving using an EV as local runaround for school runs etc. (20 mile round trip) has been a revelation, as much as I hate to say it. 90% of the time, with kids in the car or traffic on the roads, both cars are all I need and more. But the 10%, when the sun comes out, or when I see a couple of enthusiasts convoying to nearby Silverstone, it kills me.
Sometimes, it makes me feel quite down that I don't currently own anything that I could take to Caffeine & Machine or would lure me into taking a leisurely drive on a warm summer's Sunday evening, but I keep telling myself it's a temporary hiatus rather than a permanent move into motoring mediocrity. I am scared with the rise of EVs and nanny safety systems that by the time I'm in the market to buy a hot dad wagon / weekend toy, prices will have rocketed as less and less new enthusiast-aimed cars are being churned out.
So yes, I've downgraded, yes the money I'm not wasting on unnecessarily fast cars is nice, but deep down it's tinged with regret.
I'm late 30s and done the whole downgrading thing last year to devote more of my funds to family/children. I've always had new/nearly new hot hatches and a few highly tuned old Jap cars since passing my test (the Subaru Impreza is the one that I've never fully recovered from selling), but currently rocking a 2018 Skoda Superb with 70k on the clock and a 2020 Nissan Leaf as a local runaround.
Not having monthly car payments has been liberating, and the money I am saving using an EV as local runaround for school runs etc. (20 mile round trip) has been a revelation, as much as I hate to say it. 90% of the time, with kids in the car or traffic on the roads, both cars are all I need and more. But the 10%, when the sun comes out, or when I see a couple of enthusiasts convoying to nearby Silverstone, it kills me.
Sometimes, it makes me feel quite down that I don't currently own anything that I could take to Caffeine & Machine or would lure me into taking a leisurely drive on a warm summer's Sunday evening, but I keep telling myself it's a temporary hiatus rather than a permanent move into motoring mediocrity. I am scared with the rise of EVs and nanny safety systems that by the time I'm in the market to buy a hot dad wagon / weekend toy, prices will have rocketed as less and less new enthusiast-aimed cars are being churned out.
So yes, I've downgraded, yes the money I'm not wasting on unnecessarily fast cars is nice, but deep down it's tinged with regret.
keo said:
So many variables about scenarios like this on the road especially imo. I drove my brothers old E46 M3 back in the day. I didn’t really get it until you really gave it some then it was better. It felt like a big old boat to me, cracking engine though.
I kept up with him till about 60/70 in my 190bhp Elise then I was no where near him. Interestingly both cars had a very similar power to weight ratio of around 200 bhp/ton.
Granted it’s a few years apart but I drove my mates golf r and got the impression it would have been quicker than both the Elise and M3. I didn’t think I’d like it but it was quite good fun.
The E46 M3, doesn’t get “ really going “ until the change into 3rd gear, then it really piles on the speed. I removed the complete rear seats & door cards in my old one, the difference is night and day, they are so heavy. I also drove it for a few days without the front passengers seat, these are staggeringly heavy, I had planned to fit a lightweight pair of front seats, ie Recaro Pole Positions, but a cash shortage saw me sell it after 5 years as my regular car. I kept up with him till about 60/70 in my 190bhp Elise then I was no where near him. Interestingly both cars had a very similar power to weight ratio of around 200 bhp/ton.
Granted it’s a few years apart but I drove my mates golf r and got the impression it would have been quicker than both the Elise and M3. I didn’t think I’d like it but it was quite good fun.
SS427 Camaro said:
keo said:
So many variables about scenarios like this on the road especially imo. I drove my brothers old E46 M3 back in the day. I didn’t really get it until you really gave it some then it was better. It felt like a big old boat to me, cracking engine though.
I kept up with him till about 60/70 in my 190bhp Elise then I was no where near him. Interestingly both cars had a very similar power to weight ratio of around 200 bhp/ton.
Granted it’s a few years apart but I drove my mates golf r and got the impression it would have been quicker than both the Elise and M3. I didn’t think I’d like it but it was quite good fun.
The E46 M3, doesn’t get “ really going “ until the change into 3rd gear, then it really piles on the speed. I removed the complete rear seats & door cards in my old one, the difference is night and day, they are so heavy. I also drove it for a few days without the front passengers seat, these are staggeringly heavy, I had planned to fit a lightweight pair of front seats, ie Recaro Pole Positions, but a cash shortage saw me sell it after 5 years as my regular car. I kept up with him till about 60/70 in my 190bhp Elise then I was no where near him. Interestingly both cars had a very similar power to weight ratio of around 200 bhp/ton.
Granted it’s a few years apart but I drove my mates golf r and got the impression it would have been quicker than both the Elise and M3. I didn’t think I’d like it but it was quite good fun.
sunnyb13 said:
having a performance car is getting expensive in this day and age, has anyone taken the plunge and downgraded their cars?
thinking of getting something simple like a golf or similar.
would be good to get thoughts.
My answer was to get a motorbike! Funs back on again! No more queues, no more being stuck behind Ubers going everywhere at 20mph in 6th gear. And very cheap in comparison. thinking of getting something simple like a golf or similar.
would be good to get thoughts.
The answer, as always, is to have a normal car for normal duties and then have an MX5 as well for fun.
Last year my budget in this regard was £45,000 for the fun car. Tried loads of options. Ended up spending £27k on a one year old 300 mile MX5 Sport Tech. Stick a £350 exhaust back box on it and you're sorted.
Pistonheads are a bit too Spinal Tap. Just because the Amp goes up to 11 doesn't make it the better Amp...
Last year my budget in this regard was £45,000 for the fun car. Tried loads of options. Ended up spending £27k on a one year old 300 mile MX5 Sport Tech. Stick a £350 exhaust back box on it and you're sorted.
Pistonheads are a bit too Spinal Tap. Just because the Amp goes up to 11 doesn't make it the better Amp...
Honeywell said:
The answer, as always, is to have a normal car for normal duties and then have an MX5 as well for fun.
Last year my budget in this regard was £45,000 for the fun car. Tried loads of options. Ended up spending £27k on a one year old 300 mile MX5 Sport Tech. Stick a £350 exhaust back box on it and you're sorted.
Pistonheads are a bit too Spinal Tap. Just because the Amp goes up to 11 doesn't make it the better Amp...
The beauty of the MX5 is there is literally a car for every budget.Last year my budget in this regard was £45,000 for the fun car. Tried loads of options. Ended up spending £27k on a one year old 300 mile MX5 Sport Tech. Stick a £350 exhaust back box on it and you're sorted.
Pistonheads are a bit too Spinal Tap. Just because the Amp goes up to 11 doesn't make it the better Amp...
Its still possible to get something for under £2K thats presentable and MOTd and at that price depreciation is going to be negledgable.
Eg,
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202402136...
I've got an fairly wide dynamic between my two cars (950hp v10 RS6 & 68hp Citroen C1) and I enjoy vastly difference owning aspects with both cars so even when I sell the RS6, whatever comes next won't for me at least feel like a "downgrade", just something different, even if the reality is that it is a "downgrade" in power, or spec, or comfort, or ability etc etc etc.
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