Running 2 cars (shed & toy)
Discussion
Depends on toy, i bought a Cayman R which was used daily but after 6 months and 9k miles i thought it better to put away for winter and bought a 53 reg Fiesta for my 40 mile daily commute.
Had a few expenses months as insurance was due on Cayman as well as the Fiesta with both cars requiring tax and the fiesta serviced and mot but i do know i will lose minimum on the fiesta as it has low miles and full history etc so i look at it that i have my cash in that car that i can get back pretty easily.
Had a few expenses months as insurance was due on Cayman as well as the Fiesta with both cars requiring tax and the fiesta serviced and mot but i do know i will lose minimum on the fiesta as it has low miles and full history etc so i look at it that i have my cash in that car that i can get back pretty easily.
I can understand it for an impractical toy (Caterham etc), but the best thing about an M3 is that it can be both a toy and an everyday practical car.
I don't know how many miles you do, but when you factor in extra tax, insurance, maintenance etc then I think I'd personally just have the M3.
I would never want to take the Nissan anywhere instead of the M3, and on the flip side I'm not sure the M3 is really 'special' enough to have as a 'toy' car.
I don't know how many miles you do, but when you factor in extra tax, insurance, maintenance etc then I think I'd personally just have the M3.
I would never want to take the Nissan anywhere instead of the M3, and on the flip side I'm not sure the M3 is really 'special' enough to have as a 'toy' car.
I just picked up a shed for £300, to use mainly this winter, so that I don't need to use my morgan all the time. Although I will be using the mog periodically as cars done really like not being used.
The only major extra expense is the insurance, and tax, but it it means that over the year I need to do less maintenance on the morgan, we will be cost neutral. If someone drives into me in poor winter conditions, I will have only lost a £300 shed.
I will likely sell the shed in the spring, and get another one next winter
The only major extra expense is the insurance, and tax, but it it means that over the year I need to do less maintenance on the morgan, we will be cost neutral. If someone drives into me in poor winter conditions, I will have only lost a £300 shed.
I will likely sell the shed in the spring, and get another one next winter
I ran two cars for a while, but in the end it wasn't for me. I saved a lot of money running an old car for commuting but it never felt right shelling out lots of £ a month for a nice car, but spending ten (or more) hours a week in a mid 90s Toyota.
The nice car has gone, the sensible/boring car will be gone soon and I'll get myself something enjoyable that I can use daily.
The nice car has gone, the sensible/boring car will be gone soon and I'll get myself something enjoyable that I can use daily.
A shed is a great car to have, irrespective of paying for tax, insurance etc.
We have one, it gets parked in town on a night out (we have no buses) and left until the next day, it goes to the tip, it gets parked at the railway station and airport. It transports the dog.
I have a toy in the garage and the wife has her own car - it saves the risk of her car getting dinged at the various car parks she leaves it at during the week.
If its affordable, do it.
We have one, it gets parked in town on a night out (we have no buses) and left until the next day, it goes to the tip, it gets parked at the railway station and airport. It transports the dog.
I have a toy in the garage and the wife has her own car - it saves the risk of her car getting dinged at the various car parks she leaves it at during the week.
If its affordable, do it.
It's possible.
We have a 2011 Astra Sri 2.0 cdti as our main car. We got to a point where we needed a second car but only had a £2k budget. Most things we looked at where fiestas and clios etc.
Eventually we set on an MG TF, within budget and was different. What's better is we got it insured for £230 on a classic car policy.
Since then, we have added a 3rd car, an MG ZS v6 which costs £169 a year to insure. Again on a classic car policy with limited mileage.
The TF and ZS are my projects, to potter about in and have fun. They're cheep to insure and parts are cheap too. They are not our main car, so don't stress if they break. So the answer is yes, choose wisely and you can have a 2nd fun car without spending a fortune.
We have a 2011 Astra Sri 2.0 cdti as our main car. We got to a point where we needed a second car but only had a £2k budget. Most things we looked at where fiestas and clios etc.
Eventually we set on an MG TF, within budget and was different. What's better is we got it insured for £230 on a classic car policy.
Since then, we have added a 3rd car, an MG ZS v6 which costs £169 a year to insure. Again on a classic car policy with limited mileage.
The TF and ZS are my projects, to potter about in and have fun. They're cheep to insure and parts are cheap too. They are not our main car, so don't stress if they break. So the answer is yes, choose wisely and you can have a 2nd fun car without spending a fortune.
I have a daily which is a 2011 Ford Fiesta- super cheap and economical.
I have several toys which include TVR's, Lotus and Porsches. If you can get a classic car insurance its cheap as chips and a decent car means aside from routine servicing and 'upgrades' I pay very little- they get driven about once a week where I can.
Rough prices for the last year
Porsche 911 -
Gear bushes - 200
full service - 300
Insurance - 75
MOT/tax- usual
TVR Chimaera
New radiator - 198
MOT/ TAX - usual
Insurance - 200
Service -100
Lotus esprit Turbo
MOT/ Tax usual
Insurance - 75
service - 80
upgrades - around 8k (this was choice and not necessary)
Porsche 924
Nothing as sitting in garage
insurance - 35 a year
Passat W8
nothing yet as only bought in July with new MOT and Tax
insurance - 280 a year
I have now shipped the 911 and Esprit to Australia but this is what they cost prior. I probably put about 5k miles on each car a year, the Passat W8 I expect to be more.
I have several toys which include TVR's, Lotus and Porsches. If you can get a classic car insurance its cheap as chips and a decent car means aside from routine servicing and 'upgrades' I pay very little- they get driven about once a week where I can.
Rough prices for the last year
Porsche 911 -
Gear bushes - 200
full service - 300
Insurance - 75
MOT/tax- usual
TVR Chimaera
New radiator - 198
MOT/ TAX - usual
Insurance - 200
Service -100
Lotus esprit Turbo
MOT/ Tax usual
Insurance - 75
service - 80
upgrades - around 8k (this was choice and not necessary)
Porsche 924
Nothing as sitting in garage
insurance - 35 a year
Passat W8
nothing yet as only bought in July with new MOT and Tax
insurance - 280 a year
I have now shipped the 911 and Esprit to Australia but this is what they cost prior. I probably put about 5k miles on each car a year, the Passat W8 I expect to be more.
Edited by james280779 on Wednesday 7th November 23:25
It rarely makes sense.
If you like cars (rather than just being able to say you own a nice one) why would you want to drive a POS if you can afford not to ?
A mate once owned a 355 (for sunny weekends) and a Solara - he was only interested in the image.
I'd rather have run an M3 all the time.
I do run cheap cars as well as my more expensive ones but I only use them when they are the most suitable - IE in the snow NOT as dailys
So a cruiser / car park car and a Caterham or a Lambo and a barge make sense - yours doesn't (to me)
If you like cars (rather than just being able to say you own a nice one) why would you want to drive a POS if you can afford not to ?
A mate once owned a 355 (for sunny weekends) and a Solara - he was only interested in the image.
I'd rather have run an M3 all the time.
I do run cheap cars as well as my more expensive ones but I only use them when they are the most suitable - IE in the snow NOT as dailys
So a cruiser / car park car and a Caterham or a Lambo and a barge make sense - yours doesn't (to me)
This is how I do it. I used to have one car to rule them all, but I drove it 20k miles within 6 months and raped its value.
After some careful consideration, I traded up to a better, more impractical toy and bought a diesel Golf for the commute/long trips.
TBH, I haven't worked out if it's saving me money overall, but what I do know is that it would be almost physically impossible to use the new toy as an only car, so I am forced to use the golf
Man Maths. It works.
After some careful consideration, I traded up to a better, more impractical toy and bought a diesel Golf for the commute/long trips.
TBH, I haven't worked out if it's saving me money overall, but what I do know is that it would be almost physically impossible to use the new toy as an only car, so I am forced to use the golf
Man Maths. It works.
Of course it doesn't make financial sense but then you're talking about running a toy and toys arn't meant to make financial sense.
I have a 51 plate diesel Passat Estate with 160,000 miles on it, I buy budget tyres for it (£45 each) keep it regularly serviced (£70 oil & filters) along with tax, insurance etc its relatively inexpensive to run.
I also have a 2.0 Westfield which is a toy. I've done all the upgrading I need to do on it so it just costs me Insurance (£129) Tax (£210) and fuel.
I reckon these two cars costs around the same as an M3, a car that I would never consider owning as its neither a properly mad toy or a practical workhorse. It's a jack of all trades which is fine if you only have room for one car but not for me.
I have a 51 plate diesel Passat Estate with 160,000 miles on it, I buy budget tyres for it (£45 each) keep it regularly serviced (£70 oil & filters) along with tax, insurance etc its relatively inexpensive to run.
I also have a 2.0 Westfield which is a toy. I've done all the upgrading I need to do on it so it just costs me Insurance (£129) Tax (£210) and fuel.
I reckon these two cars costs around the same as an M3, a car that I would never consider owning as its neither a properly mad toy or a practical workhorse. It's a jack of all trades which is fine if you only have room for one car but not for me.
Edited by Lordbenny on Thursday 8th November 09:26
I started running two cars this year, certainly isn't financially worth it in my case. My 'weekend car' is a Z4 coupe, I've had it nearly two years now and used it as my only car until July this year, before that I had a M3 convertible which I also used as my only car. I was given a shed when my grandad gave up driving so for me the cost was minimal. It hasn't saved me anything and my Z4 certainly isn't special enough to be called a toy. However it does give me more versitility, the golf has been fantastic for the muliple tip runs I've done recently due to moving house and will hopefully be unstoppable during the winter now it's fitted with all season tyres. Not sure how long I'll continue to run both cars, but for the time being they each have their uses.
I run two cars: 2001 DB7 Vantage and 2001 Ford Fiesta Encore
It definitely works out for me. I need to use my car for work fairly regularly and most of the time I couldn't use my nice car (nor would I want to!). People have a good laugh at me sometimes for tipping up in an Aston one day and a shed the next but it doesn't really bother me because it allows me to drive a car I love.
Cost wise it's definitely cheaper to have a shed to soak up the miles and take to less salubrious places. I'm also learning how to do my own servicing on the Fiesta.
It definitely works out for me. I need to use my car for work fairly regularly and most of the time I couldn't use my nice car (nor would I want to!). People have a good laugh at me sometimes for tipping up in an Aston one day and a shed the next but it doesn't really bother me because it allows me to drive a car I love.
Cost wise it's definitely cheaper to have a shed to soak up the miles and take to less salubrious places. I'm also learning how to do my own servicing on the Fiesta.
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