Help with a dilemma please!
Discussion
Hi folks,
Thought I'd drop a little dilemma I'm having and see what you reckon I should do.
So, I'm in the forces and currently based in Germany. Whilst here we get loads of perks such as tax free cars, no road tax and subsidised fuel (about 80p/ltr) As such, I am the proud owner of a Jaguar XFS. My commute to work is via a 10 mile stretch of de-restricted Autobahn and have hit the 155mph limiter on many an occasion, I've been down to the Nurburgring half a dozen times and thoroughly enjoyed the car.
So here's the dilemma, next Feb 2011 I'm due back to the UK and reality, so have been getting pangs of economy and road tax fears. The XF will achieve about 32mpg if driven sensibly and on emissions will be in the £200 tax band next year. I have enough time left out here to change the car one more time tax free.
Should I say horlicks to it and just bring the Jag back or what with the way fuel is getting more and more pricey would the better answer be to go to a smaller engine, say perhaps something like an Audi A5 2.0 TDI?
As far as dilemmas go it's not a bad one, I think I just need a bit of a reality kick.
p.s. I'm not loaded, I've just done plenty of tours over the past few years and am at the stage in my life where insurance is no longer prohibitive.
Thought I'd drop a little dilemma I'm having and see what you reckon I should do.
So, I'm in the forces and currently based in Germany. Whilst here we get loads of perks such as tax free cars, no road tax and subsidised fuel (about 80p/ltr) As such, I am the proud owner of a Jaguar XFS. My commute to work is via a 10 mile stretch of de-restricted Autobahn and have hit the 155mph limiter on many an occasion, I've been down to the Nurburgring half a dozen times and thoroughly enjoyed the car.
So here's the dilemma, next Feb 2011 I'm due back to the UK and reality, so have been getting pangs of economy and road tax fears. The XF will achieve about 32mpg if driven sensibly and on emissions will be in the £200 tax band next year. I have enough time left out here to change the car one more time tax free.
Should I say horlicks to it and just bring the Jag back or what with the way fuel is getting more and more pricey would the better answer be to go to a smaller engine, say perhaps something like an Audi A5 2.0 TDI?
As far as dilemmas go it's not a bad one, I think I just need a bit of a reality kick.
p.s. I'm not loaded, I've just done plenty of tours over the past few years and am at the stage in my life where insurance is no longer prohibitive.
+1
Also - do a calculation of your "real life" cost-per-mile (including maintainance, depreciation, insurance blah blah). Then work out the same for the Audi you mention - don't forget to factor in the loss when you change cars. Now look at the difference that the fuel cost makes to your pence-per-mile between the two cars. I bet it isn't much.
Also - do a calculation of your "real life" cost-per-mile (including maintainance, depreciation, insurance blah blah). Then work out the same for the Audi you mention - don't forget to factor in the loss when you change cars. Now look at the difference that the fuel cost makes to your pence-per-mile between the two cars. I bet it isn't much.
I see where you're coming from Orb but the XF is paid off and I could move straight over into an A5 Cab S Line fully specced up and get £500 back in my pocket. The XF is the 3Ltr Diesel, hence the moderate mpg. I just have this niggling doubt that in the next few years everything is going to be low CO2 high mpg and I don't want to be stuck with a 3Ltr V6 that nobody would want.
Its all very cut and dry when I sit here typing. Go for the Audi, have the fun of a nice convertible for the 3 sunny days a year we get in Blighty and go for the smaller diesel engine because you don't need to scream around with a rag top. Yet, I will drive into work tomorrow morning in the XF and think, what the bloody hell am I on? This car is awesome, I want to be buried in it!
Funny, I've never owned a car that's had me so torn between head and heart before. I know at the end of the day, its going to come down to preference. I suppose what I should have asked is taking into account the costs of running, would you have the Jag sports saloon capable of a 5.9sec 0-60 or an Audi convertible that would take longer, but would be fun in the summer?
Oh and yes the XF is full UK spec RHD from a UK dealer.
Its all very cut and dry when I sit here typing. Go for the Audi, have the fun of a nice convertible for the 3 sunny days a year we get in Blighty and go for the smaller diesel engine because you don't need to scream around with a rag top. Yet, I will drive into work tomorrow morning in the XF and think, what the bloody hell am I on? This car is awesome, I want to be buried in it!
Funny, I've never owned a car that's had me so torn between head and heart before. I know at the end of the day, its going to come down to preference. I suppose what I should have asked is taking into account the costs of running, would you have the Jag sports saloon capable of a 5.9sec 0-60 or an Audi convertible that would take longer, but would be fun in the summer?
Oh and yes the XF is full UK spec RHD from a UK dealer.
Edited by zx10ben on Tuesday 27th April 23:11
Update!
Just to throw this whole thread up in the air, we have just p/x'd the other halves car and got a nice sensible family friendly S Max.
So...I am now left with a new quandary/dilemma.
Do I:
a)Keep the XF end of.
b)Sell the Jag (been offered £30k) pay off the remainder of the S Max (£10K) Then look for something fun for the remaining 20?
c)Sell the Jag and spunk the entire £30k on something for me!
If the answer was b or c then I would be after "something for the weekend" sod the emissions and mpg, it needs to be at least a 2+2 in case we want to take the kiddiewinkies with us. I would like something a bit special, also with a bit of umph. I've been toying with the idea of the Maserati Gransport, absolute stunner and that sound! But that would be at the upper end of my budget and the thought of something going belly up and costing a mortgage to put right terrifies me, also rumour has it, yearly maint is close to £3K which is insane. So another thought was an XK, but as my XF does 0-60 in 5.9, it would have to be the supercharged. Mainstream models don't really get my tinglies going, so Scoobys, M3's and RS's etc are out. Not really a Porker fan either but have been known to change my mind in an instant, I like the idea of an Elise or Exige, but to appease the better half, I need at least make believe back seats!
Any thoughts?!
Oh and I'm 34 with full no claims and IAM, so insurance doesn't bother me that much.
Just to throw this whole thread up in the air, we have just p/x'd the other halves car and got a nice sensible family friendly S Max.
So...I am now left with a new quandary/dilemma.
Do I:
a)Keep the XF end of.
b)Sell the Jag (been offered £30k) pay off the remainder of the S Max (£10K) Then look for something fun for the remaining 20?
c)Sell the Jag and spunk the entire £30k on something for me!
If the answer was b or c then I would be after "something for the weekend" sod the emissions and mpg, it needs to be at least a 2+2 in case we want to take the kiddiewinkies with us. I would like something a bit special, also with a bit of umph. I've been toying with the idea of the Maserati Gransport, absolute stunner and that sound! But that would be at the upper end of my budget and the thought of something going belly up and costing a mortgage to put right terrifies me, also rumour has it, yearly maint is close to £3K which is insane. So another thought was an XK, but as my XF does 0-60 in 5.9, it would have to be the supercharged. Mainstream models don't really get my tinglies going, so Scoobys, M3's and RS's etc are out. Not really a Porker fan either but have been known to change my mind in an instant, I like the idea of an Elise or Exige, but to appease the better half, I need at least make believe back seats!
Any thoughts?!
Oh and I'm 34 with full no claims and IAM, so insurance doesn't bother me that much.
I know you didn't want mainstream but what about an e92 335i and taking option b.
It's one of the very few cars, in manual form that manages to be rapid, practical, nice looking in e92 form (imo) and the right side of £230/tax and usually 20+mpg fuel, seating 2+2. Servicing, reliability and parts are also reasonable.
I thought i'd mention it as it's a good option for the family man who wants something fun but can also take the kids along too.
Good luck searching
It's one of the very few cars, in manual form that manages to be rapid, practical, nice looking in e92 form (imo) and the right side of £230/tax and usually 20+mpg fuel, seating 2+2. Servicing, reliability and parts are also reasonable.
I thought i'd mention it as it's a good option for the family man who wants something fun but can also take the kids along too.
Good luck searching
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