Your £15k three car garage - there is a criteria
Discussion
So, you have £15k to spread across 3 cars.
You are choosing to spend less than you could, so insurance, tax, servicing and mpg are not massive concerns, but can't be too silly either. You'll hold on to them for a while, so standing the test of time is more important than residual values down the line.
Car 1 - used for 20,000 business miles a year and needs to look sort of 'professional' in the eyes of the masses and customers. Must be enjoyable to drive as lots of time spent in it.
Car 2 - used for carting kids around, domestic duties, dump runs and B&Q, holidays to Europe. Key prioities are tough enough to withstand abuse, safe, and ultra reliable so the important people are not calling you from a hard shoulder on a wet Thurday November evening. Must be big enough for camping type stuff, bit small enough for the good lady to man-handle around a multi-story carpark.
Car 3 - kept in the garage and used only occasionally. Must be fun, able to enjoy some track use, be different. Will get abused and then put away agin so needs to be mechanically tough - it's got to be ready for whenever you want to use it, not always waiting for you to ;attend to it's fragile needs'. Being easy to work on yourself is a plus.
I'm going through this now so will update one element of the fleet, you can have a guess at which one if you like!
What do you pick and why?
eta - you don't really like diesel much and have yet to find one that was better than the equivalent petrol.
You are choosing to spend less than you could, so insurance, tax, servicing and mpg are not massive concerns, but can't be too silly either. You'll hold on to them for a while, so standing the test of time is more important than residual values down the line.
Car 1 - used for 20,000 business miles a year and needs to look sort of 'professional' in the eyes of the masses and customers. Must be enjoyable to drive as lots of time spent in it.
Car 2 - used for carting kids around, domestic duties, dump runs and B&Q, holidays to Europe. Key prioities are tough enough to withstand abuse, safe, and ultra reliable so the important people are not calling you from a hard shoulder on a wet Thurday November evening. Must be big enough for camping type stuff, bit small enough for the good lady to man-handle around a multi-story carpark.
Car 3 - kept in the garage and used only occasionally. Must be fun, able to enjoy some track use, be different. Will get abused and then put away agin so needs to be mechanically tough - it's got to be ready for whenever you want to use it, not always waiting for you to ;attend to it's fragile needs'. Being easy to work on yourself is a plus.
I'm going through this now so will update one element of the fleet, you can have a guess at which one if you like!
What do you pick and why?
eta - you don't really like diesel much and have yet to find one that was better than the equivalent petrol.
Edited by Matt UK on Monday 13th September 15:43
TommyBuoy said:
Links and I will buy all three!
Do you own homework! Okay, the M5 is pretty variable but you can get one for £8k or thereabouts. Honda Accord Tourer - i like the 2.4 but easier to find a high-mileage 2.0 diesel for around £3k. Erm, admitedly it might be difficult to find that S2000 for £4k, but i'm sure you can find a CAT C/D import .. that's why i included the 944S2 as an alternative.Edited by fido on Monday 13th September 15:39
Matt UK said:
So, you have £15 to spread across 3 cars.
You are choosing to spend less than you could, so insurance, tax, servicing and mpg are not massive concerns, but can't be too silly either. You'll hold on to them for a while, so standing the test of time is more important than residual values down the line.
Car 1 - used for 20,000 business miles a year and needs to look sort of 'professional' in the eyes of the masses and customers. Must be enjoyable to drive as lots of time spent in it.
Car 2 - used for carting kids around, domestic duties, dump runs and B&Q, holidays to Europe. Key prioities are tough enough to withstand abuse, safe, and ultra reliable so the important people are not calling you from a hard shoulder on a wet Thurday November evening. Must be big enough for camping type stuff, bit small enough for the good lady to man-handle around a multi-story carpark.
Car 3 - kept in the garage and used only occasionally. Must be fun, able to enjoy some track use, be different. Will get abused and then put away agin so needs to be mechanically tough - it's got to be ready for whenever you want to use it, not always waiting for you to ;attend to it's fragile needs'. Being easy to work on yourself is a plus.
I'm going through this now so will update one element of the fleet, you can have a guess at which one if you like!
What do you pick and why?
eta - you don't really like diesel much and have yet to find one that was better than the equivalent petrol.
If its business miles do you get an expense claim of fuel allowance?You are choosing to spend less than you could, so insurance, tax, servicing and mpg are not massive concerns, but can't be too silly either. You'll hold on to them for a while, so standing the test of time is more important than residual values down the line.
Car 1 - used for 20,000 business miles a year and needs to look sort of 'professional' in the eyes of the masses and customers. Must be enjoyable to drive as lots of time spent in it.
Car 2 - used for carting kids around, domestic duties, dump runs and B&Q, holidays to Europe. Key prioities are tough enough to withstand abuse, safe, and ultra reliable so the important people are not calling you from a hard shoulder on a wet Thurday November evening. Must be big enough for camping type stuff, bit small enough for the good lady to man-handle around a multi-story carpark.
Car 3 - kept in the garage and used only occasionally. Must be fun, able to enjoy some track use, be different. Will get abused and then put away agin so needs to be mechanically tough - it's got to be ready for whenever you want to use it, not always waiting for you to ;attend to it's fragile needs'. Being easy to work on yourself is a plus.
I'm going through this now so will update one element of the fleet, you can have a guess at which one if you like!
What do you pick and why?
eta - you don't really like diesel much and have yet to find one that was better than the equivalent petrol.
Edited by Matt UK on Monday 13th September 15:21
Also I personal believe it's total bull all this "image" for customers sake. It's total b
ks. Drive what you like, it's hardly likely to truly affect any business outcome. If it's oddball or different it's more likely to be a talking point than a negative. A generic Audi/BMW will only pigeon hole you as a or tit and evidently making enough money to spend it on a perceived flashy car, even if it's a base model.Still thinking on the cars though.
Kentish said:
BMW e39 535i (with non-age related plate) £3k.
BMW e39 525i Touring £2.5k, or an old LR series 3 £2.5k.
Porsche 911 Turbo (circa 1985) £9.5k.
Pretty much with you on the first two, though you have absolutely no chance of getting into a 911 Turbo which won't immediately die on track for that sort of cashBMW e39 525i Touring £2.5k, or an old LR series 3 £2.5k.
Porsche 911 Turbo (circa 1985) £9.5k.
TommyBuoy said:
fido said:
1. M5 E39
2. Accord Estate
3. Porsche 944S2/968, S2000, or one of those kit-car things ..
Links and I will buy all three!2. Accord Estate
3. Porsche 944S2/968, S2000, or one of those kit-car things ..
Edited by fido on Monday 13th September 15:31
M5 - £8500 (though 20k miles per year is going to cost!)
Accord - £2000 for something usable
944 - £4500 Not going to be mint but should get something that could be TLC'd back to it's former glory. 968 would be out of the question though.
15k as a deposit on a 996GT2 for 45k - this is 1 and 3.
Rent the garage out to someone (250 a month) to help make the monthly payments on the 996.
The mrs and kids will be happy to take the bus safe in the knowledge that they are saving the planet. We will now be poor, so holidaying in the UK is the only option anyway.
Or if I'm being serious
1. Old XJ JAg - 1000 quid.
2. Old Volvo V70 T5 - 4500 quid
3. 205 GTi with a cage - 1000 quid
8500 quid for repairs and spares over the next 3 years, well it's an old jag isn't it...
Rent the garage out to someone (250 a month) to help make the monthly payments on the 996.
The mrs and kids will be happy to take the bus safe in the knowledge that they are saving the planet. We will now be poor, so holidaying in the UK is the only option anyway.
Or if I'm being serious
1. Old XJ JAg - 1000 quid.
2. Old Volvo V70 T5 - 4500 quid
3. 205 GTi with a cage - 1000 quid
8500 quid for repairs and spares over the next 3 years, well it's an old jag isn't it...
Edited by mr_tony on Monday 13th September 15:56
CampDavid said:
Kentish said:
BMW e39 535i (with non-age related plate) £3k.
BMW e39 525i Touring £2.5k, or an old LR series 3 £2.5k.
Porsche 911 Turbo (circa 1985) £9.5k.
Pretty much with you on the first two, though you have absolutely no chance of getting into a 911 Turbo which won't immediately die on track for that sort of cashBMW e39 525i Touring £2.5k, or an old LR series 3 £2.5k.
Porsche 911 Turbo (circa 1985) £9.5k.
I'd have two E39s as car 1 and 2: A 530i Sport saloon, and a 530d Sport touring.
Then probably a stripped out E36 M3.
Edit - I kinda put them all at the same value (5k each). If they're variable I'd have a £9-10k M5, an E34 touring (1500 quid-ish), and again the E36 M3.
Then probably a stripped out E36 M3.
Edit - I kinda put them all at the same value (5k each). If they're variable I'd have a £9-10k M5, an E34 touring (1500 quid-ish), and again the E36 M3.
Edited by SC7 on Monday 13th September 16:02
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