£20k - 1 car or 2 cars?
Discussion
I seem to be back having this recurring debate over whether my needs are best served by 1 or 2 cars.
Last time around, I opted for 1 car to serve my needs and chose a BMW 130i. It’s been a good car – balancing reasonably my need for a comfortable, reliable, economical mile muncher with the ability to have a hoon as and when required. But I have often felt that it’s always a compromise – a bit too firm for the station run or M4 slog but not exactly trouser wetting in the excitement stakes either.
Therefore, I’m increasingly thinking I’d be better with 2 cars. A big part of my driver here is (like most of us) I like buying cars and scratching itches and having 2 cars means I’m getting twice the fix:
• Car 1 – daily driver (15k miles a year, station car parks, kids muddy football boots, 40mpg)
• Car 2 - a bit more special for when I’m in the mood. For me, this means something that's (at least) as fast as my 130i, sounds great, looks specialish. It doesnt mean the last word in track day handling dynamics as I dont have the time for weekend trips to the Ring (or even Bedford).
I don’t want to drive a s
tter all day only to never get around to driving the nice car. I actually quite like wafting along in something appropriate. Equally, I don’t want the special car to be that temperamental that I can’t just get in and drive when I choose. Therefore, my plan would be to split the budget reasonably equally.
Current thoughts run to an E60 530d SE and a Boxster S. Obviously, both really obvious choices, but pretty much the best in their respective classes.
So, two questions:
1. Would you go for 2 £10k cars rather than, say a £20k Cayman or 335i?
2. What am I overlooking?
I should add:
1. I’m rubbish with the spanners
2. The cars will both be parked on the drive
3. My budget will be about £20k for both cars
4. I live in the sticks but have a very good independent BMW/Merc/VAG specialist on my doorstep
5. We also have a Discovery 3 for the really big, dirty, family type stuff
Views, comments, suggestions all welcome.
Last time around, I opted for 1 car to serve my needs and chose a BMW 130i. It’s been a good car – balancing reasonably my need for a comfortable, reliable, economical mile muncher with the ability to have a hoon as and when required. But I have often felt that it’s always a compromise – a bit too firm for the station run or M4 slog but not exactly trouser wetting in the excitement stakes either.
Therefore, I’m increasingly thinking I’d be better with 2 cars. A big part of my driver here is (like most of us) I like buying cars and scratching itches and having 2 cars means I’m getting twice the fix:
• Car 1 – daily driver (15k miles a year, station car parks, kids muddy football boots, 40mpg)
• Car 2 - a bit more special for when I’m in the mood. For me, this means something that's (at least) as fast as my 130i, sounds great, looks specialish. It doesnt mean the last word in track day handling dynamics as I dont have the time for weekend trips to the Ring (or even Bedford).
I don’t want to drive a s
tter all day only to never get around to driving the nice car. I actually quite like wafting along in something appropriate. Equally, I don’t want the special car to be that temperamental that I can’t just get in and drive when I choose. Therefore, my plan would be to split the budget reasonably equally.Current thoughts run to an E60 530d SE and a Boxster S. Obviously, both really obvious choices, but pretty much the best in their respective classes.
So, two questions:
1. Would you go for 2 £10k cars rather than, say a £20k Cayman or 335i?
2. What am I overlooking?
I should add:
1. I’m rubbish with the spanners
2. The cars will both be parked on the drive
3. My budget will be about £20k for both cars
4. I live in the sticks but have a very good independent BMW/Merc/VAG specialist on my doorstep
5. We also have a Discovery 3 for the really big, dirty, family type stuff
Views, comments, suggestions all welcome.
alfaspiderman2 said:
Certainly a diversion from a 5 Series and a Boxster. However, not sure £3k geta you nice Discovery (or at least one I'd want to do 12k/year of motorway miles and an E Type would (surely) need a garage and someone who could spanner.
I've just bought a lovely Disco V8 for under £3K, you need to shop about and be prepared to get (very) dirty looking at the things though and be prepared to look round LOTS of them. Perhaps an E is not a great starter classic but something like a GT6 / MGB GT V8 / MGC would be good 
They are nice and simple to work on and I run my cars all year round (don't have a garage, see my profile). Old cars are NOT inherently unreliable at all either, I do quite a few miles in mine (about 6k in the GT6 and the V8 so thats a combined of 12k over the two cars) with very little drama.
for £21,000
i have a
tvr chimaera 500 (£9000)
XJR 62,000 ( £4,000)
XJR 72,000 (£3,000)
Vivaro van (£3,500)
Grand Cherokee ltd 82,000 (£1300)
(and a smart car for work)
so i have all bases covered. as long as i keep the vehicles a few years, it shouldnt cost me that much more to maintain them, except for tax and insurance, the tax adds another £800 a year. they are all insured on limited classic policies except 1 to keep the no claims going. so i reckon i pay a premium of £40 per week in real costs and maybe more in depreciation later on. the mileages wont go up much so maybe depreciation wont be a killer.
so my opinion is go for 2 cars and maybe even 3 or 4, maybe have one good car and use the smaller balance as a fund to try out others. in the last year i have had, a cerbera, nissan 350z, bmw 850, subaru impreza, boxster 3.2S, range rover vogue 4.6, mitsubishi delica, and its been a lot of fun
i have a
tvr chimaera 500 (£9000)
XJR 62,000 ( £4,000)
XJR 72,000 (£3,000)
Vivaro van (£3,500)
Grand Cherokee ltd 82,000 (£1300)
(and a smart car for work)
so i have all bases covered. as long as i keep the vehicles a few years, it shouldnt cost me that much more to maintain them, except for tax and insurance, the tax adds another £800 a year. they are all insured on limited classic policies except 1 to keep the no claims going. so i reckon i pay a premium of £40 per week in real costs and maybe more in depreciation later on. the mileages wont go up much so maybe depreciation wont be a killer.
so my opinion is go for 2 cars and maybe even 3 or 4, maybe have one good car and use the smaller balance as a fund to try out others. in the last year i have had, a cerbera, nissan 350z, bmw 850, subaru impreza, boxster 3.2S, range rover vogue 4.6, mitsubishi delica, and its been a lot of fun
6k on a really nice E46 330D to fulfil the daily criteria.
Leaving 14k, and well, there's a whole range there - the world is your SH oyster
A few suggestions that I'd consider were I to be in the same position
Caterfields
Monaro
240z
Elise
Top spec big power RX7 with lots of change to spare.
V8 RX7
Mint near standard R32 GTR
Cerbera
Or just buy a ropey old E36 for £700 and get the best ropey Tuscan you can find
And for the sake of PH balance, A 996C2 or an MX5.
Leaving 14k, and well, there's a whole range there - the world is your SH oyster
A few suggestions that I'd consider were I to be in the same position
Caterfields
Monaro
240z
Elise
Top spec big power RX7 with lots of change to spare.
V8 RX7
Mint near standard R32 GTR
Cerbera
Or just buy a ropey old E36 for £700 and get the best ropey Tuscan you can find
And for the sake of PH balance, A 996C2 or an MX5.
EV11NED said:
Daily driver = Audi A8 3.0TDI 2004 55k miles - just under £10k
Fun car = Nissan 350Z convertible 2006 21k miles - just under £10k
Both are within budget, reliable, fulfill your criteria and will give you the difference in driving experience that you suggest is important.
Liking those suggestions. You're on my wave-length.Fun car = Nissan 350Z convertible 2006 21k miles - just under £10k
Both are within budget, reliable, fulfill your criteria and will give you the difference in driving experience that you suggest is important.
I also have 2 cars, one classic and one fun... mk 1 Escort and BMW M3 CSL... you should get E46 330D then buy my gorgeous Porsche 911 (996) 3.4 year 2000 on V reg. It is just a one prev owner car from new, silver, black leather and has been maintained to a very high level and is utterly reliable.
If you're going with two cars then why not get a bit of waft for your trouble;
http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...
Ugly yes and it has a silly iDrive but a lovely place to be.
http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...
Ugly yes and it has a silly iDrive but a lovely place to be.
V8Triumph said:
Could you spend £3k on a really nice LR Discovery 1 and then the rest on something else?
Did you read the bit where the OP said he already had a Disco 3?Re: the original question, I think E60 + Boxster sounds like a great 2 car garage. Sometimes obvious and popular choices are obvious and popular for a reason.
alfaspiderman2 said:
Thanks for replies. not hearing much love for the 1 car option - which I suspected.
E46 is a good shout. Always like the 330d Sport.
I wouldn't discount it. You don't wAnt to be driving something dull and not involving 85% of the time. Then again a decent diesel BMW isn't going to disappoint if you want an Elise or something more fun for weekends. E46 is a good shout. Always like the 330d Sport.
I'd be torn between this or one great all rounder like a 335 or similar.
Go for 2.
You already have a Disco 3 for the big stuff. I'm a Merc man so I'd go for a CLK but you'd never get 40mpg, in any of them.
330d Sport estate with 67k. for £8k
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
VX220 £8.5k
http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...
£3.5k bork fund.
Both cars should be reasonably cheap to run.
When you have two cars you have the option to go car shopping twice as much
You already have a Disco 3 for the big stuff. I'm a Merc man so I'd go for a CLK but you'd never get 40mpg, in any of them.
330d Sport estate with 67k. for £8k
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
VX220 £8.5k
http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...
£3.5k bork fund.
Both cars should be reasonably cheap to run.
When you have two cars you have the option to go car shopping twice as much
alfaspiderman2 said:
Not really my thing I'm afraid.
The daily needs to do at least 40mpg and be consumately reliable. Somehow a Disco V8 doesn't fit the bill.
Also, a classic V8 isnt really what I had in mind. The closest I'd get would be a Chimera I'd guess.
Thanks for the suggestins though.
Fair enough The daily needs to do at least 40mpg and be consumately reliable. Somehow a Disco V8 doesn't fit the bill.
Also, a classic V8 isnt really what I had in mind. The closest I'd get would be a Chimera I'd guess.
Thanks for the suggestins though.
Don't really have any more suggestions as I don't really like / do modern cars. excel monkey said:
V8Triumph said:
Could you spend £3k on a really nice LR Discovery 1 and then the rest on something else?
Did you read the bit where the OP said he already had a Disco 3?Re: the original question, I think E60 + Boxster sounds like a great 2 car garage. Sometimes obvious and popular choices are obvious and popular for a reason.
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