£7k - Porsche Boxster or Ford Focus or other

[Matt UK]

... I know, I know, weird thread title, but stay with me - thanks for reading my 'what car' thread

Due to a change in circumstances my daily commute of 135 miles of M-way is changing to 45 miles of A/B roads. I reckon on about 10k miles/pa. So, time to switch the fleet around and £7k purchase is about where I am looking for my daily - can flex up/down if the reason is good enough.

So, before you all rush in with "Porsche Boxster obviously you fool!" here is some more detail.

The wife will keep the kiddie/dog mover - holidays and practical weekend stuff if covered.
I am also keeping the Caterham - so a couple of tracks days and an Easter break with the lads hooning.

I have an annual budget I use to run the fleet - if I take extra in one area, I need to pull back in another, its all give and take.

So - my thinking on the Focus:
Petrol 1.8, manual, quite a young car with few miles, should be reliable, cheap to insure/tax/service, quite a good chassis to make progress on the lanes, or plug in the ipod and just travel. Also I won't be massively precious about it.

But the lure of poverty pork:
An older car, lovely manual gearchange, howling flat-6, beautiful balance chassis to make progress, every journey to work will be an event especially dry mornings/evenings with the roof down. More expensive running costs, reliablility not great according to the internet and getting to an age where stuff will need doing. Plus I'll get precious about - I'll say I won't, but I know I will. I always do with nicer cars.

So, by my fag packet maths the Pork will cost me an extra grand or two a year in costs - and that is some pretty useful 'Caterham money'. And these figures are based on the Porsche not borking on me.

Reliability is important to me in a daily - I want it off the road once a year for planned servicing. Anything unplanned will piss me (and my employer) off - and I don't want to create an issue that leads down the route of having to take a euro-box diesel company car.

What do you reckon?

[billzeebub]

Pork

[Dave G fsi]

Compromise......Mk1 Focus RS

[danp]

3-4k of facelift mk3 mr2. (as a cheaper and more sensible alternative to Boxster)

40mpg, fun, reliable, perhaps too unrefined tho?

Edited by danp on Friday 22 November 23:48

[blade7]

968 Sport.

[VinceFox]

M3

[Greengecko]

Focus ST?

Pretty reliable with it's Volvo engine and family friendly too.

[iloveboost]

If you want the Porsche buy it because dammit man you've earned it commuting 135 miles a day! Blimey I used to get a bit stressed sometimes commuting 50 miles a day I kid you not!

[danp]

3-4k of facelift mk3 mr2. (as a cheaper and more sensible alternative to Boxster)

40mpg, fun, reliable, perhaps too unrefined tho?

[Tonto]

how about, sell the Caterham and got a newer more reliable boxter or 911?

[Dapster]

Tonto said:

how about, sell the Caterham and got a newer more reliable boxter or 911?

Years ago I had a 3 series company car and a Caterham, then moved jobs where I had no company car but more money to spend on my own choice. So after a bit of research I got what was then a new 987 Boxster S. It was, and still is a magnificent drivers car.

However, whilst the Caterham did offer a quantifiable added dimension in raw thrills, it often wasn't enough to warrant all the compromises involved and I found myself driving it less and less and eventually got rid of it. The Boxster really is good enough to do it's job, and the Focus's job too.

In my view, get shot of the Caterham and get yourself a newer Boxster (not a 911 as at the low end of the market, a 911 could be trouble). Boxster's offer quite manageable running costs - the internet stories of blown engines and leaking seals have to be put in context.

[DrDeAtH]

Mx5


Sorry had to get in with that....... I'll get me coat....

[Matt UK]

Thanks for your replies. Decided over the weekend to go with the 3rd way - a hot/warm hatch!

I don't want to sell the Caterham for various reasons so need a daily. Poverty Pork sounds fun but borkage will annoy me not only due to money but time and faffing around with specialists. And buying a sensible 1.8 Focus will bore me - it will end up a false economy when I chop it in within a matter of months...

Mini Cooper S seems available and well under budget as well. Never driven one but I hear good things - to be investigated further I think.

[Motorrad]

Matt UK said:

Thanks for your replies. Decided over the weekend to go with the 3rd way - a hot/warm hatch!

I don't want to sell the Caterham for various reasons so need a daily. Poverty Pork sounds fun but borkage will annoy me not only due to money but time and faffing around with specialists. And buying a sensible 1.8 Focus will bore me - it will end up a false economy when I chop it in within a matter of months...

Mini Cooper S seems available and well under budget as well. Never driven one but I hear good things - to be investigated further I think.

Clio Sport well under budget and better to drive than the Bini. You could probably get a trophy and enjoy one of the iconic cars of the early naughties.

edit to add: If you could get a Focus RS in budget that's where my my money would go.

[Matt UK]

Motorrad said:

Matt UK said:

Thanks for your replies. Decided over the weekend to go with the 3rd way - a hot/warm hatch!

I don't want to sell the Caterham for various reasons so need a daily. Poverty Pork sounds fun but borkage will annoy me not only due to money but time and faffing around with specialists. And buying a sensible 1.8 Focus will bore me - it will end up a false economy when I chop it in within a matter of months...

Mini Cooper S seems available and well under budget as well. Never driven one but I hear good things - to be investigated further I think.

Clio Sport well under budget and better to drive than the Bini. You could probably get a trophy and enjoy one of the iconic cars of the early naughties.

Good call. I've just started some research - looking at Clio 197 and Fiesta ST as the other two contenders.
As a plus point, £4.5k seems plenty of budget - which leaves more for the toy fund!

[Johnny 89]

If I was in your position I would be considering a 205 GTI/Mk II Golf GTI instead of the more modern hot hatches. They're not as fast but more rewarding I feel. They're simple enough to be reliable and they will be cheaper to buy and maintain.
That's just me though, i'm a little odd.

I would also consider a TVR over a boxster but that's a different story altogether

[CHN]

Johnny 89 said:

If I was in your position I would be considering a 205 GTI/Mk II Golf GTI instead of the more modern hot hatches. They're not as fast but more rewarding I feel. They're simple enough to be reliable and they will be cheaper to buy and maintain.
That's just me though, i'm a little odd.

I would also consider a TVR over a boxster but that's a different story altogether

I'd never consider a TVR at that price range over a Boxster, but I agree on the 205 GTi. For that trip and those roads, it would be great fun, practical and just 4k you could get a really well sorted one. Old school tanking back and fourth to work would be great fun.

[nammynake]

Have a look at the Clio 182 Trophy.

[greggy50]

I would consider a R26 Meganne myself can get a nice one for sub 6k now

[Craikeybaby]

MR2 would be a good bet (but I would say that) or possibly an MX-5, you could get a decent mk3 well within budget. With a sportscar already tucked away, some sort of hot hatch would be my suggestion.