S2000 for a year or E46 Convertible to keep? Or Other?
Discussion
Hi All,
Have done a lot of reading and would like some views on my situation.
Current car - MK4 Golf TDI 115 - Irish model called 'Comfort-line' Cloth seats 108,000 miles.
Drive to work - 10 mins countryside (mud on roads, twisty, sheep!) 10 mins dual carriage way. Option of all B-Roads (nice drive but tractors HGV slow it down).
I have wanted an S2000 for a long time and now I can afford the insurance I was ready to go for it. Problem is, we are looking to start a family and I would probably have to sell it next year. Enter the E46 330d Convertible, a different beast but respectable 0-60, top down fun and 4 seats - 40 mpg - bonus!
I have argued that I could keep the Golf and have the S2000 for fun but we would have 3 cars ... I just don't know what to do.
Budget is £5,500 for an S2K or £7,000 for a car I would have as my daily drive.
I have looked at A4 Cab Quattro, any other suggestions?
Looking for a car that is fun to drive on the twisties.
Cheers
Have done a lot of reading and would like some views on my situation.
Current car - MK4 Golf TDI 115 - Irish model called 'Comfort-line' Cloth seats 108,000 miles.
Drive to work - 10 mins countryside (mud on roads, twisty, sheep!) 10 mins dual carriage way. Option of all B-Roads (nice drive but tractors HGV slow it down).
I have wanted an S2000 for a long time and now I can afford the insurance I was ready to go for it. Problem is, we are looking to start a family and I would probably have to sell it next year. Enter the E46 330d Convertible, a different beast but respectable 0-60, top down fun and 4 seats - 40 mpg - bonus!
I have argued that I could keep the Golf and have the S2000 for fun but we would have 3 cars ... I just don't know what to do.
Budget is £5,500 for an S2K or £7,000 for a car I would have as my daily drive.
I have looked at A4 Cab Quattro, any other suggestions?
Looking for a car that is fun to drive on the twisties.
Cheers
Keep the Golf as the runaround and go for an S2000. £5k is a fair whack to pay for one these days (older models anyhow), especially if you are only going to have the car for a year or so. Go for a cheaper one (check out S2KI for cars for sale there), make sure it's not rusty and the oil has been kept topped up/changed regularly and the bushes have been done.
The S2K is a cracking car and you will have lots of fun....watch out for the muddy country roads though, no traction control on the early ones (where you will be looking price wise).
Hold a bit of money back and when the pitter pattering of little feet come, sell the S2K and the golf and get something sensible....like a Subaru Impreza!
PS the S2K will easily return 30mpg+
The S2K is a cracking car and you will have lots of fun....watch out for the muddy country roads though, no traction control on the early ones (where you will be looking price wise).
Hold a bit of money back and when the pitter pattering of little feet come, sell the S2K and the golf and get something sensible....like a Subaru Impreza!
PS the S2K will easily return 30mpg+
crispyshark said:
Keep the Golf as the runaround and go for an S2000. £5k is a fair whack to pay for one these days (older models anyhow), especially if you are only going to have the car for a year or so. Go for a cheaper one (check out S2KI for cars for sale there), make sure it's not rusty and the oil has been kept topped up/changed regularly and the bushes have been done.
The S2K is a cracking car and you will have lots of fun....watch out for the muddy country roads though, no traction control on the early ones (where you will be looking price wise).
Hold a bit of money back and when the pitter pattering of little feet come, sell the S2K and the golf and get something sensible....like a Subaru Impreza!
PS the S2K will easily return 30mpg+
That's kind of where I am heading but I am struggling to find a decent S2000 anywhere near me!there are silly modded sheds for £3500 then the next ones are £5999!The S2K is a cracking car and you will have lots of fun....watch out for the muddy country roads though, no traction control on the early ones (where you will be looking price wise).
Hold a bit of money back and when the pitter pattering of little feet come, sell the S2K and the golf and get something sensible....like a Subaru Impreza!
PS the S2K will easily return 30mpg+
I will keep saving and looking.
Does the convertible E46 330i not drink fuel then? Thought it would being so heavy?!
Pryors said:
crispyshark said:
Keep the Golf as the runaround and go for an S2000. £5k is a fair whack to pay for one these days (older models anyhow), especially if you are only going to have the car for a year or so. Go for a cheaper one (check out S2KI for cars for sale there), make sure it's not rusty and the oil has been kept topped up/changed regularly and the bushes have been done.
The S2K is a cracking car and you will have lots of fun....watch out for the muddy country roads though, no traction control on the early ones (where you will be looking price wise).
Hold a bit of money back and when the pitter pattering of little feet come, sell the S2K and the golf and get something sensible....like a Subaru Impreza!
PS the S2K will easily return 30mpg+
That's kind of where I am heading but I am struggling to find a decent S2000 anywhere near me!there are silly modded sheds for £3500 then the next ones are £5999!The S2K is a cracking car and you will have lots of fun....watch out for the muddy country roads though, no traction control on the early ones (where you will be looking price wise).
Hold a bit of money back and when the pitter pattering of little feet come, sell the S2K and the golf and get something sensible....like a Subaru Impreza!
PS the S2K will easily return 30mpg+
I will keep saving and looking.
Does the convertible E46 330i not drink fuel then? Thought it would being so heavy?!
Pryors said:
That's kind of where I am heading but I am struggling to find a decent S2000 anywhere near me!there are silly modded sheds for £3500 then the next ones are £5999!
I will keep saving and looking.
Does the convertible E46 330i not drink fuel then? Thought it would being so heavy?!
It's a waiting game....one thing I would say is, don't be afraid of high mileage. If the car has been looked after as I said before, the engines will go on for a good while.I will keep saving and looking.
Does the convertible E46 330i not drink fuel then? Thought it would being so heavy?!
It seems the market has bottomed out with them.
Thank you all for you advice, I think I will always be looking for an S2K!
I nearly bought one from a S2Ki member for £7,500 but the loan got offered at 21% so I didn't go for it.
As soon as my credit file updates to show I have paid off my credit card I will be looking at them again... still to drive one!
Any other car suggestions for that kind of drive?
I nearly bought one from a S2Ki member for £7,500 but the loan got offered at 21% so I didn't go for it.
As soon as my credit file updates to show I have paid off my credit card I will be looking at them again... still to drive one!
Any other car suggestions for that kind of drive?
Pryors said:
Thank you all for you advice, I think I will always be looking for an S2K!
I nearly bought one from a S2Ki member for £7,500 but the loan got offered at 21% so I didn't go for it.
As soon as my credit file updates to show I have paid off my credit card I will be looking at them again... still to drive one!
Any other car suggestions for that kind of drive?
If you’re willing to take the risk on something going wrong, a 986 Boxster S could be found for that money. Or, if you can stretch up to £12k then the Z4M is always worth a look.I nearly bought one from a S2Ki member for £7,500 but the loan got offered at 21% so I didn't go for it.
As soon as my credit file updates to show I have paid off my credit card I will be looking at them again... still to drive one!
Any other car suggestions for that kind of drive?
Have you considered an Elise?
As a package, in terms of practicality/reliability/cost if something goes wrong and criteria of a 2 seater sports car, the S2K will be hard to beat.
I went done the looking at a Porsche route when I noticed you can get a Cayman S for £12k!! I know its not a convertible but I love the looks and would consider giving up the fold down for one of them!! But then I read of random misfires and things going wrong with mainly '06 cars and around 60-70k miles...which is the description of nearly all the £12-£14 Caymans!
Think I will get the money together and bite the bullet with the S2000!
Think I will get the money together and bite the bullet with the S2000!
Pryors said:
I went done the looking at a Porsche route when I noticed you can get a Cayman S for £12k!! I know its not a convertible but I love the looks and would consider giving up the fold down for one of them!! But then I read of random misfires and things going wrong with mainly '06 cars and around 60-70k miles...which is the description of nearly all the £12-£14 Caymans!
Think I will get the money together and bite the bullet with the S2000!
The Porsche is a whole other level of running costs compared to an S2000. One thing to think about with an S2000, in the (many) miserable months of bad weather, you will only be extracting about 50% of the potential fun, and they really are not great on bumpy, uneven, or muddy roads.Think I will get the money together and bite the bullet with the S2000!
I know it would be more boring, but Id go for an Integra Type-R (the newer version) as a compromise between daily driving and having a bit of fun. Actually, my money would go towards a Golf GTi, but you've done the Golf thing so probably not a big enough change.
Iklwa said:
The Porsche is a whole other level of running costs compared to an S2000. One thing to think about with an S2000, in the (many) miserable months of bad weather, you will only be extracting about 50% of the potential fun, and they really are not great on bumpy, uneven, or muddy roads.
I know it would be more boring, but Id go for an Integra Type-R (the newer version) as a compromise between daily driving and having a bit of fun. Actually, my money would go towards a Golf GTi, but you've done the Golf thing so probably not a big enough change.
I've been looking at the Integra but the price is comparable to the S2000 and it looks like a younger persons car.I know it would be more boring, but Id go for an Integra Type-R (the newer version) as a compromise between daily driving and having a bit of fun. Actually, my money would go towards a Golf GTi, but you've done the Golf thing so probably not a big enough change.
What year GTI would you be recommending? I had the MK2 8v GTI and it was my favorite car. The Golf I have now corners like a bag of bricks ha!
The Crack Fox said:
ross-co said:
I found my 330ci Msport disappointing and averages around 18mpg over the 15 thousand miles and 11 months i had it.
Perhaps it was kaputt? Mine averaged 29.6MPG over the 5 years I owned it, including a trackday, and I never hung about. The Crack Fox said:
Perhaps it was kaputt? Mine averaged 29.6MPG over the 5 years I owned it, including a trackday, and I never hung about. It was boring, though.
OP, can I suggest keeping the Golf for sensible family duties, not borrowing money for an S2000 which is still depreciating and likely to lob you in a ditch if you're not careful, and get a cheapo MX-5 which is the perfect cheapo b-road blaster.
Good luck.
I was wondering how long it would be before an MX5 was mentioned! OP, can I suggest keeping the Golf for sensible family duties, not borrowing money for an S2000 which is still depreciating and likely to lob you in a ditch if you're not careful, and get a cheapo MX-5 which is the perfect cheapo b-road blaster.
Good luck.
Pryors said:
Thought about MX-5 - they still have a bit of a stigma though not that I'm arsed! Mk1?
I you get an MX5 you will always wonder about the S2000....that's why I moved from one to tother. Mk1 is a great car though. No where near the performance of the Honda unless a snail or a blower strapped on.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff