What car, £6K, reliable, fun, depreciation proof (ish)

[TameRacingDriver]

As the title goes really. Fancy a newer car, something a little bit more special. However, I don't want to lose money on depreciation, given that my job is often temporary, so if the worst happens, I'll sell and get my money back, as I'll have to get finance (sorry PHers, I know you hate this, but you only live once, yes?)

Criteria:-

Must have very low depreciation

Must be reliable

Should be fairly OK to use every day (I'll be using it for work, 18 miles each way).

RWD preferred but not essential

Not too ruinous on petrol or insurance

Practicality is not a concern

6 cylinder might be nice

Ideas please

[nammynake]

Racing Puma? Should get a tidy example for 6k and they've pretty much stopped depreciating.

[roystinho]

Aren't you a Renault fan? A bit more would get you a Ph1 V6... I bet they will only go up in value

[TameRacingDriver]

roystinho said:

Aren't you a Renault fan? A bit more would get you a Ph1 V6... I bet they will only go up in value

Nah don't fancy one of those, I've got a 172 now and am not a fan of the driving position, worst thing about it. Comfy enough though, but I don't like it. I did like the driving position of my MR2 Turbo.

[SV8Predator]

TameRacingDriver said:

I don't want to lose money on depreciation,

Well as most cars in that price bracket are losing (at least) between £150 - £200 each and every month, I'm interested to see what the suggestions will be. And that's not taking into account the initial 'hit' of depreciation as soon as you buy it.

[TameRacingDriver]

SV8Predator said:

Well as most cars in that price bracket are losing (at least) between £150 - £200 each and every month, I'm interested to see what the suggestions will be.

Same here.

Initially my thoughts are:-

VX220

Focus RS

Racing Puma

E36 M3

Z3M Roadster

Any others?

[V8Triumph]

Triumph GT6

[GC8]

Porsche 944 Turbo.

[rallyeS2]

SV8Predator said:

Well as most cars in that price bracket are losing (at least) between £150 - £200 each and every month, I'm interested to see what the suggestions will be. And that's not taking into account the initial 'hit' of depreciation as soon as you buy it.

Surely something like an '07 FN2 civic type R at £6k is not going to lose £3600+ over the next 2 years considering 52 plate EP3's have bottomed out round the 2k mark...

I'm looking round the 6K mark too, and for similar low depreciation ideally. Sadly I need back seats!! The focus RS seem to have just dropped into the price range but for RWD how about a S2000?

[Jessicus]

Porsche Boxster S 3.2, Usable every day, reasonable economy, can't see dropping much value.

[Jessicus]

SV8Predator said:

Well as most cars in that price bracket are losing (at least) between £150 - £200 each and every month, I'm interested to see what the suggestions will be. And that's not taking into account the initial 'hit' of depreciation as soon as you buy it.

My Boxster S - bought 8 months ago with 33000 miles, now on 35000 miles. £6K purchase price and would probably get all of that back if sold now. Used cars if bought privately don't immediately take a depreciation hit.

[TameRacingDriver]

Jessicus said:

My Boxster S - bought 8 months ago with 33000 miles, now on 35000 miles. £6K purchase price and would probably get all of that back if sold now. Used cars if bought privately don't immediately take a depreciation hit.

Seems like a fair idea. I'd probably feel a bit of a poser in it though, but they are good cars. Reliability worries with those though?!

[edc]

Bought mine in March and done 6k miles. Major service inc brake fluid £390.

[Jessicus]

TameRacingDriver said:

Seems like a fair idea. I'd probably feel a bit of a poser in it though, but they are good cars. Reliability worries with those though?!

Just keep the roof up if you want! Personally I don't as I bought it as an open top (already got a 911 hard top)

I read a lot about the reliability stuff before purchase - doesn't worry me too much. Worst case scenario it's probably worth as much as I paid for it in parts!

[tercelgold]

E46 330i, they only seem to have gone up since I sold mine

[steviegunn]

Oddball option - Brabus Smart Roadster Coupe, they seem to hold their value pretty well, are rwd, turbo'd and are dirt cheap on fuel, tax and insurance, not the most practical though and there is that gearbox to live with.

[V88Dicky]

That budget should get you into a 2008 Suzuki Jimny.

Bags of fun

[TameRacingDriver]

steviegunn said:

Oddball option - Brabus Smart Roadster Coupe, they seem to hold their value pretty well, are rwd, turbo'd and are dirt cheap on fuel, tax and insurance, not the most practical though and there is that gearbox to live with.

I'd consider one of those, but I've heard too many tales of reliability issues with smarts.

But I do love the engine, and I bet the handling is good. The gearbox thing doesn't bother me (I've driven a regular smart).

[brightonpad]

E34 M5. Prices only heading one way for good ones...

[fridaypassion]

Up the budget and get a VX220. Prime for appreciation in the next couple of years IMO. 6k ones will be a bag of spanners but 7k and up gets pretty good ones these days. Elise residuals are on the up so the VX prices are artificially low presently. I'm biased as an owner but the disparity between the S2 Elise and VX is getting hard to ignore.