Two cars or one nicer one?
Discussion
Long story short. Changed jobs, company car gone, just got my "weekend roadster" 2007 MK3 MX5.
New job requires potentially doing a few miles, possibly occasionally ferrying customers from airport.
Love MX5 but no good for either of above, too small, too noisy on motorway, too cramped.
Decided would need to swap it for more practical 4 seater convertible.
Nearly bought 2007 Saab 93 Aero Convertible 1.9TiD automatic, got everything I want, leather, heated seats, centre armrest, cruise control etc, cost about £3.5K to change. Got put off by concerns about reliability and steep depreciation.
Really wanted an Audi A4 Cabrio anyway, although initially put off by high cost, similar age/mile car (07/40,000) to the spec I want (leather, heated seats, Bose, 2.0 TFSi) would be more like £7.5K to change. But went to have a look at one that was almost perfect spec and love the car.
Trouble is, it's not going to be as economical as a diesel, and with myself and my girlfriend aboard (both over 6ft tall) it's effectively a 2 seater, there's no room in the back (which isn't essential, but would be very useful for family duties).
Anyway, just as I'm convincing myself it's the way forward I suddenly think, hang on, £7K is going to buy a decent car in it's own right. Why not keep the MX5 and buy a similar aged Astra or Vectra diesel then I've still got my rag top sports car, but I've also got an economical (hopefully) reliable but above all roomy and comfortable family car/work car/cruiser. Something like this (taken at random from the classifieds).
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2165783.htm
In fact if I go with a top spec Vectra it'll even have cruise and centre armrest. Plus I'll lose about £3K on the Mazda if I sell it right now, and I've only had it a few months (no intention of changing jobs when I bought it).
The trouble is though, then I'll have circa £15K worth of cars but will only ever drive a car worth half that, whereas if I sink it all into the Audi I'll at least be driving a £15K car all the time.
Also, will the costs associated with running two cars (tax, insurance, servicing) outweigh the savings of having a nice economical diesel for long trips. In other words is buying the Audi going to give me both a nicer environment and cheaper overall running costs, albeit without the benefits of a roomy car on tap (which, although desirable, isn't essential).
Truth is I can see real merit (And real drawbacks) in both.
So has anyone done it, either chosen two cheaper cars instead of one dearer one in order to fulfil a wider brief with the budget or just to keep one as a fun car, or had two cars and swapped them for one much better car?
Really struggling to know which way to go with this one, so any input gratefully received.
New job requires potentially doing a few miles, possibly occasionally ferrying customers from airport.
Love MX5 but no good for either of above, too small, too noisy on motorway, too cramped.
Decided would need to swap it for more practical 4 seater convertible.
Nearly bought 2007 Saab 93 Aero Convertible 1.9TiD automatic, got everything I want, leather, heated seats, centre armrest, cruise control etc, cost about £3.5K to change. Got put off by concerns about reliability and steep depreciation.
Really wanted an Audi A4 Cabrio anyway, although initially put off by high cost, similar age/mile car (07/40,000) to the spec I want (leather, heated seats, Bose, 2.0 TFSi) would be more like £7.5K to change. But went to have a look at one that was almost perfect spec and love the car.
Trouble is, it's not going to be as economical as a diesel, and with myself and my girlfriend aboard (both over 6ft tall) it's effectively a 2 seater, there's no room in the back (which isn't essential, but would be very useful for family duties).
Anyway, just as I'm convincing myself it's the way forward I suddenly think, hang on, £7K is going to buy a decent car in it's own right. Why not keep the MX5 and buy a similar aged Astra or Vectra diesel then I've still got my rag top sports car, but I've also got an economical (hopefully) reliable but above all roomy and comfortable family car/work car/cruiser. Something like this (taken at random from the classifieds).
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2165783.htm
In fact if I go with a top spec Vectra it'll even have cruise and centre armrest. Plus I'll lose about £3K on the Mazda if I sell it right now, and I've only had it a few months (no intention of changing jobs when I bought it).
The trouble is though, then I'll have circa £15K worth of cars but will only ever drive a car worth half that, whereas if I sink it all into the Audi I'll at least be driving a £15K car all the time.
Also, will the costs associated with running two cars (tax, insurance, servicing) outweigh the savings of having a nice economical diesel for long trips. In other words is buying the Audi going to give me both a nicer environment and cheaper overall running costs, albeit without the benefits of a roomy car on tap (which, although desirable, isn't essential).
Truth is I can see real merit (And real drawbacks) in both.
So has anyone done it, either chosen two cheaper cars instead of one dearer one in order to fulfil a wider brief with the budget or just to keep one as a fun car, or had two cars and swapped them for one much better car?
Really struggling to know which way to go with this one, so any input gratefully received.
HellDiver said:
Buy an older Skoda Superb. Long wheelbase version of the old Passat, unburstable diesel engines, VERY good on the motorway even in 105hp form. Personally I'd go for the 115hp one, though, or if you can get one the 2.0TDI 140hp is the best of the bunch. The 2.5V6TDI is OK but not terribly economical, and very difficult to find.
Good suggestion! Octavias look good too.BlueMR2 said:
I'd imagine that one newer expensive car would depreciate more than two older cheaper ones.
Have you thought about a couple of £k on an LS400 or similar. Plenty of room and very refined/shouldn't squeak possibly giving a good impression to customers and keeping everyone relaxed when at their destination.
Then re evaluate the MX5 in summer when its value will have gone up somewhat.
I love that idea! Have you thought about a couple of £k on an LS400 or similar. Plenty of room and very refined/shouldn't squeak possibly giving a good impression to customers and keeping everyone relaxed when at their destination.
Then re evaluate the MX5 in summer when its value will have gone up somewhat.
But 100,000 mile decade old models seem to be twice that and I'd be living in fear of something expensive going wrong, not to mention fuel costs.
What attracts me to the Vauxhalls is cheap to buy/fix/run yet still look reasonably current and presentable.
But wouldn't be like driving an Audi, and can't decide whether the benefit of an MX5 on the drive for fun makes up for that.
Rotaree said:
I'm in a similar situation; I've had a Merc SLK AMG for a few years and also a 'run-around' and it occasionally occurs to me that I could do as you suggest and consolidate them both into something more expensive than either individually and be driving a more expensive car all of the time. However, for me I really enjoy keeping the Merc for high days and holidays and the other car (currently an 01 V8 Discovery on LPG) I enjoy being able to care less about if that makes sense - I can park it without worrying about it and chuck stuff in the back to take to the tip etc and yet I still have the nice car for 'best'. I think that, for me, just having the one car would mean I would actually end up enjoying it less as I tend to get a bit ‘precious’ about nice cars so at least now I only worry about where I’m taking or parking the car 50% of the time - it's also quite nice to travel in something a bit more anonymous some of the time.
Thanks for that input, that's pretty much my sort of thinking, although you've got a better split between the two (ie one very high end and one very low end, rather than two different but "middling" cars).
You've got to factor depreciation into that somewhere too I guess...
I think this is what I struggle with, it's got to cost more per annum to run two, and yet you're constantly driving a cheaper car than you would otherwise be.
But all the pro arguments above do make such good sense also.
I can see this coming down to a coin toss!
I think this is what I struggle with, it's got to cost more per annum to run two, and yet you're constantly driving a cheaper car than you would otherwise be.
But all the pro arguments above do make such good sense also.
I can see this coming down to a coin toss!
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