New and nice, or older and flash?

[DanL]

What car with a slight difference...

So, I've got an aging but nice BMW 650, that basically takes me to/from the station and on motorways. I'm thinking of replacing it with a new shape 650, but as the budget has crept up to ~£30k I can't help but notice 2006 Aston Martins and Porsche 997s are available.

I really like the idea of cruise control with a brake function for the boring motorway stuff, and (in my mind at least!) a newer car is likely to be more reliable... And yet, Astons look so nice, and a Porsche is almost the perfect cliche mid-life crisis car!

So, general opinion poll - mod cons with bells and whistles, or something the same age as what I have, possibly more basic, but with car park cred?

[DanL]

Possibly flash wasn't quite the right word, but hopefully you get the drift. The dilemma is whether the "next generation" of car is preferable to something older and more basic, possibly even lacking Bluetooth for the phone.

[DanL]

Impasse said:

As someone who has owned one as a daily driver for nearly four years with no issues, I'm quite happy not to have purchased a similarly priced diesel saloon.

Ha! I may have to create another thread to ask about early Vantage reliability and niggles... I've owned a hand built British car before (albeit further down the price spectrum!) in the form of a VX220. The issues I had with that car were just about acceptable for the price point, but it'd be too depressing to push the boat out, buy the dream car, and then find it has bits that fall off or otherwise fail!

[DanL]

Jasandjules said:

A station car and motorway mile muncher would be slightly older and boring for me..... Just like I have, a Passat Estate......

Then use the rest to buy a toy..

For me, the problem is that I know I'd never really use the toy. I don't really have the time or inclination to go out for a drive any more, as depressing as that sounds, so I'd need one car to do it all. I do have a garage, and had briefly considered keeping the current car and buying a Caterham, but I'm sure it would spend nearly all it's time parked up with the battery going flat...

[DanL]

sinbaddio said:

A quick search shows loads of Granturismo's for sale at your price point......

That's a good shout - I've not looked at them. An Alfa I owned years ago leaves me a little worried about their general reliability, but I assume that this isn't really a problem!

[DanL]

Dempsey1971 said:

How about a 25k Jag XKR, and a 5k station car. That's what I've done for the last few years (except my station car cost £250!!!!)

I'd rather spend 30k on the station car. Hadn't considered the Jag, but I imagine they'd have the mod cons, while looking rather smart. I'll check them out.

[DanL]

This is basically a variant on the usual question. I've only every bought one car new, and otherwise have preferred to buy something older that someone else has kindly depreciated for me so that I can afford it!

The only difference here is that it's 4 years old vs. spending a little more on something 8-10 years old. The "sensible" thing would be the new shape 650, which is still nicely rapid, has a V8, and (to my eyes) looks good. It's just not an icon...