Thinking of buying a G-Wiz...

[wiffmaster]

Now before somebody declares *Burn Him*, hear me out...

For at least the next two years, I need to commute into London. This entails me driving to my local station a few miles away. It's that little bit too far to walk (especially in the rain) but is a short journey by car.

An annual parking permit for the station is £796. Except that all electric vehicles are 100% exempt - they pay nada.

Looking at eBay, you can pick up a five year old G-Wiz for under £2500. Pennies to run, no road tax and insurance group 1.

I bet I could drive a G-Wiz into the station for the next couple of years (thereby saving a horrible short journey for my 'decent' car and paying no parking fees) and then sell it for more or less what I paid for it. Put a big sign in the rear window when it's parked at the station proclaiming "This parks here for free and doesn't pay any road tax. £2500 o.n.o.". Somebody (with no sense of style or pride, yet totally confident with their sexuality) would buy it off me.

Of course, it would never be allowed to do any journey other than home ---> station and station ---> home and I'd have to make sure that people knew I wasn't driving it to make a some liberal-lefty-right-on 'statement' (thinking flame decals, couple of V12 badges and of course the obligatory giant PH smilie). But I reckon it could make a lot of financial sense...

...right, now you can declare *Burn Him*

[Riley Blue]

If it makes financial sense do it, I would but I'd check and eliminate all the alternatives first - several times.

[Graebob]

Buy an umbrella?

[wiffmaster]

I've just watched some videos of it on Youtube. It really is equally awful for all angles, inside and out. Progress is best described as 'glacial' and the owners on the videos seem to be 'that sort'.

I could probably park a moped for free (which is marginally less tragic and embarrassing) but I'd end up either very wet, very dead, or (most likely) both.

I think I'd have to drive it wearing a balaclava for anonymity. It really is a hateful looking thing with no redeeming feature other than saving a shed load of money...

[AT]

You could buy a reasonable hifi for that?

[John_S4x4]

This will convince you to NOT buy a G Wizz

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6NhuIS1RAE

It makes me wince and cross my legs, just watching that !

[Graebob]

wiffmaster said:

I could probably park a moped for free (which is marginally less tragic and embarrassing) but I'd end up either very wet, very dead, or (most likely) both.

Is this an option maybe? Pretty dumb looking but less so than a G-Shizz

[wiffmaster]

AT said:

You could buy a reasonable hifi for that?

I suspect a hifi would be considerably more powerful.

Graebob said:

Is this an option maybe? Pretty dumb looking but less so than a G-Shizz

That is properly special. People would see that and think "who let him out unsupervised?". The G-Wiz is bad, but that's catastrophic.

John_S4x4 said:

This will convince you to NOT buy a G Wizz

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6NhuIS1RAE

It makes me wince and cross my legs, just watching that !

It's pretty appalling. Though still slightly safer than a bike/moped I suppose.

Thinking about it more, I'm just not sure I could bring myself to drive one in public. They really are hateful little things.

Edited by wiffmaster on Thursday 14th July 06:01

[AnotherClarkey]

A milk float would be even cheaper, and cooler. You could also reenact a classic Father Ted episode.

Edited by AnotherClarkey on Thursday 14th July 06:07

[Graebob]

wiffmaster said:

Graebob said:

Is this an option maybe? Pretty dumb looking but less so than a G-Shizz

That is properly special. People would see that and think "who let him out unsupervised?". The G-Wiz is bad, but that's catastrophic.

They've even got a window to lick!

I really like them I'm checking them on eBay right now...

[off_again]

I hate the G-Wiz.

Not for what it stands for, but for what it is.... its compromised, its not worth the money, its poorly built and has a dubious safety record and its painfully slow. In short, its just not good.

If it makes financial sense then great, but I would be looking at numerous other electric cars instead. The G-Wiz is the poor one. Wasnt there a bunch of Pug 106's kicking around that were electric? Normal car, decent handling, practical - and electric?

OR - get a bike.

[wiffmaster]

off_again said:

I hate the G-Wiz.

Not for what it stands for, but for what it is.... its compromised, its not worth the money, its poorly built and has a dubious safety record and its painfully slow. In short, its just not good.

If it makes financial sense then great, but I would be looking at numerous other electric cars instead. The G-Wiz is the poor one. Wasnt there a bunch of Pug 106's kicking around that were electric? Normal car, decent handling, practical - and electric?

OR - get a bike.

It's the only electric car I can find on eBay for sensible money (£2.5k). If I used it for three years, then in saved parking charges alone it would have paid for itself (even with zero resale value). I also suspect I could sell it for a decent amount, as there must be plenty of people in my local station who don't realise that electric vehicles are free to park there (it's not well publicised).

Idea is to get it simply to use for this one journey for a couple of years. I don't need it to be any good, as there's five other 'good' cars on the drive for every other eventuality. I just need it to move, keep me dry and cost sod all. Disadvantage is that people would see me driving it and think "dick". They'd be right of course, but they'd be right for the wrong reason.

[AT]

Buy an old 205, save money and have more fun

[mgroadster]

Aren't Sinclair C5s around anymore?

[wiffmaster]

AT said:

Buy an old 205, save money and have more fun

I think you've missed the point of this little scheme of mine...

I've got a fun car. In fact, there's multiple fun cars - 34 cylinders and 16.7 litres on the drive. I don't need another fun car. However, all my fun cars cost £796 a year to park where I'd like to park. I'm not paying £796 to park.

A G-Wiz can be picked up for £1500 and will cost £0 to park. It will also cost £0 to tax. Thus, if I run it for two years and it has zero resale value, it will have still saved money. I reckon it will be worth something at the end of two years, and I bet I can sell it on to a fellow station goer for not much less than I paid for it.

Best not to think of it as "getting a G-Wiz" but more as "money saved so that I can spend more money on real cars".

[Bill]

Get a moped, or 125 bike. It might be worse (although I'm not convinced) in a crash but you'll be more likely to avoid the crash in the first place. And it'll be vastly more fun and less soul destroying than a GWizz.

Slow vehicles are an utter liability on roundabouts and at junctions, unless they win on "might" and can pull out regardless.

[Vytalis]

How far is the journey?

[Fidgits]

As much as I hate to say it, it makes a lot of sense, though have you taken into consideration where it will be parked to charge overnight? What about maintenance costs, and don't forget the batteries need replacing at the 10 year Mark.

So, if you can find one cheap enough, and without costing too much to keep running, it's a great idea.

[thinfourth2]

[standard anti electric car argument]

But what would happen if you suddenly have to drive 600 miles because your house has been teleported to northern scotland

[/standard anti electric car argument]

Buy one just remove debadge it and fit something more suitable

like hotpoint

[R500POP]

If you run into anything larger than a hedgehog in it wave goodbye to your legs.