Owning 2 cars or 1 all-rounder?
Discussion
I'm currently struggling to decide what car I want. Really I want a 350z (basically I miss my old MX5 but want something a bit bigger and faster), but neither my girlfriend or dog drive so I need to get them around and Zs only have 2 seats. Meaning I'd need to get another car too. I'm trying to decide if this is worth it (taxing, MOTing, insuring etc... 2 cars could be expensive and time consuming), so to make it as close to worth it as possible, what cheap and reliable cars would you suggest as an every day run around?
Option 2 is a car with 4 doors which also sooths my itch for a reliable and fun sports car, so would there be any of them you'd suggest? The only thing I can think of is an Audi TT, but wouldn't mind something a little more exciting.
Also, anything Japanese is a bonus.
Currently have a 2012 Mini Cooper S which was hopefully going to fund most of whatever I get, but I have a few more thousand to put towards it too. I don't want to buy a project, I still need to travel 50ish miles a day for work.
Any suggestions welcome.
Option 2 is a car with 4 doors which also sooths my itch for a reliable and fun sports car, so would there be any of them you'd suggest? The only thing I can think of is an Audi TT, but wouldn't mind something a little more exciting.
Also, anything Japanese is a bonus.
Currently have a 2012 Mini Cooper S which was hopefully going to fund most of whatever I get, but I have a few more thousand to put towards it too. I don't want to buy a project, I still need to travel 50ish miles a day for work.
Any suggestions welcome.
Turnippp said:
I'm currently struggling to decide what car I want. Really I want a 350z (basically I miss my old MX5 but want something a bit bigger and faster), but neither my girlfriend or dog drive so I need to get them around and Zs only have 2 seats. Meaning I'd need to get another car too. I'm trying to decide if this is worth it (taxing, MOTing, insuring etc... 2 cars could be expensive and time consuming), so to make it as close to worth it as possible, what cheap and reliable cars would you suggest as an every day run around?
Option 2 is a car with 4 doors which also sooths my itch for a reliable and fun sports car, so would there be any of them you'd suggest? The only thing I can think of is an Audi TT, but wouldn't mind something a little more exciting.
Also, anything Japanese is a bonus.
Currently have a 2012 Mini Cooper S which was hopefully going to fund most of whatever I get, but I have a few more thousand to put towards it too. I don't want to buy a project, I still need to travel 50ish miles a day for work.
Any suggestions welcome.
135i Coupe ?Option 2 is a car with 4 doors which also sooths my itch for a reliable and fun sports car, so would there be any of them you'd suggest? The only thing I can think of is an Audi TT, but wouldn't mind something a little more exciting.
Also, anything Japanese is a bonus.
Currently have a 2012 Mini Cooper S which was hopefully going to fund most of whatever I get, but I have a few more thousand to put towards it too. I don't want to buy a project, I still need to travel 50ish miles a day for work.
Any suggestions welcome.
Has to be two as I want something to cart rubbish to the tip, go to the shops and not care if I come back to damage, leave in airport car parks for a week, fill with bikes and camping kit then drive into a muddy field or batter about in the snow & road salt... while the other one lives in the garage and withiut a single scratch on it 
.
ETA I’m far from being rich & the total value of the two cars is less than 15k... both sub 6 0-60, one open top 2 seater, combined have over 500bhp, yearly insurance combined is around £600 total at 33, tax is steep at 250 odd each but not much worse than the 400+ some pay for a single car.
.ETA I’m far from being rich & the total value of the two cars is less than 15k... both sub 6 0-60, one open top 2 seater, combined have over 500bhp, yearly insurance combined is around £600 total at 33, tax is steep at 250 odd each but not much worse than the 400+ some pay for a single car.
Edited by Black_S3 on Thursday 2nd May 17:11
Christmassss said:
The above is the answer it's the same drivetrain as the 350Z but on a slightly bigger chassis, that way you get the car with the nice handling & no real compromise.https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NIssan-Skyline-350GT-3-...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2003-NISSAN-350GT-IMPOR...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nissan-350GT-SKYLINE-3-...
I've had the same problem for 5 years or so!
I'd always wanted a BMW Z4 Coupe, so treated myself to one in 2014 when I came into a bit of money. But I was still doing taxi duties for my Mum who was in her 90s, so I had to have something else that she could get in and out of!
I started with a cheap 1996 Mazda 323f 1500cc for the cheap road tax, etc. but got bored with that pretty quickly (as in less than 6 months).
So I swapped to a BMW E46 325ti Compact - much better! But it was a 52 plate and getting tired and crusty underneath so after 3 years it had to go.
Got an E91 325i Touring, but I just didn't gel with that - it felt a bit flat in performance terms, so after a year that went.
To be replaced by an E90 330i Saloon with the rare split/fold rear seats which works for walkers and wheelchairs and has some proper grunt.
So now I've got two cars with the same engine, a total of 12 cylinders, 6 litres and 523 PS and they both do 0-60 in under 6 seconds!
The only downside is 2 insurance premiums (but I'm old so that isn't too painful) and 2 times Band K road tax.
I suppose I could have just an E92 330i Coupe, but I just can't bring myself to part with my Z4 Coupe - it's the nearest thing to the E-Type I always promised myself as a child but will never afford (unless I sell my house and live in it).
I'd always wanted a BMW Z4 Coupe, so treated myself to one in 2014 when I came into a bit of money. But I was still doing taxi duties for my Mum who was in her 90s, so I had to have something else that she could get in and out of!
I started with a cheap 1996 Mazda 323f 1500cc for the cheap road tax, etc. but got bored with that pretty quickly (as in less than 6 months).
So I swapped to a BMW E46 325ti Compact - much better! But it was a 52 plate and getting tired and crusty underneath so after 3 years it had to go.
Got an E91 325i Touring, but I just didn't gel with that - it felt a bit flat in performance terms, so after a year that went.
To be replaced by an E90 330i Saloon with the rare split/fold rear seats which works for walkers and wheelchairs and has some proper grunt.
So now I've got two cars with the same engine, a total of 12 cylinders, 6 litres and 523 PS and they both do 0-60 in under 6 seconds!
The only downside is 2 insurance premiums (but I'm old so that isn't too painful) and 2 times Band K road tax.
I suppose I could have just an E92 330i Coupe, but I just can't bring myself to part with my Z4 Coupe - it's the nearest thing to the E-Type I always promised myself as a child but will never afford (unless I sell my house and live in it).
I've had 2 cars for years - back in 2007 I wrote off my Hyundai Coupe and promised myself I'd buy a runabout and "something nicer". At the time, the runabout was a 99 Honda Civic, which was sadly a bit shagged and lasted about 2 years and cost a packet with things going wrong on it; the "nice " was a 1999 5.7 litre Camaro Z28 which lasted me much longer. I eventually got a Honda Accord to run alongside it - lovely barge with all the toys and great for motorways when not out in the Camaro.
Fast forward a bit and I now have a 2007 MX5 for "fun" and a top spec 2011 Focus which is a superb runabout and barely misses a beat.
Now up in Scotland I'm pondering "what next?" - the back roads (and some of the main ones) are pretty bad up here so I'm still working out what to replace the Focus with - and whether to keep the MX5 or trade in/sell both.
My advice - if you can have both, have both. I'll definitely miss the MX5 if it goes (just like I still miss the Camaro).
Fast forward a bit and I now have a 2007 MX5 for "fun" and a top spec 2011 Focus which is a superb runabout and barely misses a beat.
Now up in Scotland I'm pondering "what next?" - the back roads (and some of the main ones) are pretty bad up here so I'm still working out what to replace the Focus with - and whether to keep the MX5 or trade in/sell both.
My advice - if you can have both, have both. I'll definitely miss the MX5 if it goes (just like I still miss the Camaro).
An interesting read at a pertinent time, having just sold my Merc C250 I was all set to replace it with all manner of cars.
Initially this change was triggered by my car friends, two of whom recently bought VX220’s and started talks of going to Europe next year to celebrate 40th birthdays with a road trip - I wanted a piece of that! Running two cars it was, VX220/370Z/S2000 for fundays and a daily for work and family duties.
My search morphed in budget and criteria and ended up looking at M3’s, E90 and more recently Golf R’s and FRS. I was clinging onto to some hope that by irradicating a ‘second’ car those costs saved could be put into running a fruitier daily.
As has been said above I have now realised it’s really not possible to buy an all rounder, there will have to be compromise somewhere. For me I could buy a Golf R estate, fast, comfortable, tunable but is it gong to be any fun out on a Sun morning with two VX220’s an Alfa 4C and a TT Black Edition - probably not no.
There was also the big hurdle for me that finding something that satisifes your ‘fun’ element won’t always be appreciated by SWMBO. A number of single car propositions were put to the better half only to be shot down in flames for one reason or another.
I think that’s often why you hear people talking about their ‘lottery garage’ numerous examples of different cars all for a different purpose. I am back hunting for a two seat option before I miss the sun as we speak......
Good luck!
Si
Initially this change was triggered by my car friends, two of whom recently bought VX220’s and started talks of going to Europe next year to celebrate 40th birthdays with a road trip - I wanted a piece of that! Running two cars it was, VX220/370Z/S2000 for fundays and a daily for work and family duties.
My search morphed in budget and criteria and ended up looking at M3’s, E90 and more recently Golf R’s and FRS. I was clinging onto to some hope that by irradicating a ‘second’ car those costs saved could be put into running a fruitier daily.
As has been said above I have now realised it’s really not possible to buy an all rounder, there will have to be compromise somewhere. For me I could buy a Golf R estate, fast, comfortable, tunable but is it gong to be any fun out on a Sun morning with two VX220’s an Alfa 4C and a TT Black Edition - probably not no.
There was also the big hurdle for me that finding something that satisifes your ‘fun’ element won’t always be appreciated by SWMBO. A number of single car propositions were put to the better half only to be shot down in flames for one reason or another.
I think that’s often why you hear people talking about their ‘lottery garage’ numerous examples of different cars all for a different purpose. I am back hunting for a two seat option before I miss the sun as we speak......
Good luck!
Si
cerb4.5lee said:
If funds permit then I always think that having two cars is much better than having one all rounder. The all rounder will quickly become the norm, and having more than one car keeps the one you don't use as much feeling special.
^ This. Every time I’ve tried this, I’ve got tempted to get something more fun and the compromise car has ended up as a second car anyway. Better to get a properly practical car and and a properly fun car. And the extra insurance and maintenance is even offset by reduced depreciation due to lower miles on both... # manmathsSpend the majority of the budget on the fun car, and enter bangernomics territory for the practical one. You can get a surprising amount of car for £1k.
There’s something quite liberating about owning a shed... being able to leave it In Sainsbury’s car park and not care about trolley dents, no urge to spend a Sunday washing it.
If you split the budget in half, spending equal amounts on each car, you’ll just end up disappointed with both cars.
There’s something quite liberating about owning a shed... being able to leave it In Sainsbury’s car park and not care about trolley dents, no urge to spend a Sunday washing it.
If you split the budget in half, spending equal amounts on each car, you’ll just end up disappointed with both cars.
wiliferus said:
Spend the majority of the budget on the fun car, and enter bangernomics territory for the practical one. You can get a surprising amount of car for £1k.
There’s something quite liberating about owning a shed... being able to leave it In Sainsbury’s car park and not care about trolley dents, no urge to spend a Sunday washing it.
If you split the budget in half, spending equal amounts on each car, you’ll just end up disappointed with both cars.
I did that when I bought a Camaro and a Honda Civic (see above). False economy ultimately - I ended up shelling out when the Civic kept breaking. Stepping up to a reliable lower mileage daily runner was the better option for me - got 6 years out of it; about 18 months from the Civic. 8 glorious (but fairly low mileage) years out of the Camaro.There’s something quite liberating about owning a shed... being able to leave it In Sainsbury’s car park and not care about trolley dents, no urge to spend a Sunday washing it.
If you split the budget in half, spending equal amounts on each car, you’ll just end up disappointed with both cars.
Flip Martian said:
wiliferus said:
Spend the majority of the budget on the fun car, and enter bangernomics territory for the practical one. You can get a surprising amount of car for £1k.
There’s something quite liberating about owning a shed... being able to leave it In Sainsbury’s car park and not care about trolley dents, no urge to spend a Sunday washing it.
If you split the budget in half, spending equal amounts on each car, you’ll just end up disappointed with both cars.
I did that when I bought a Camaro and a Honda Civic (see above). False economy ultimately - I ended up shelling out when the Civic kept breaking. Stepping up to a reliable lower mileage daily runner was the better option for me - got 6 years out of it; about 18 months from the Civic. 8 glorious (but fairly low mileage) years out of the Camaro.There’s something quite liberating about owning a shed... being able to leave it In Sainsbury’s car park and not care about trolley dents, no urge to spend a Sunday washing it.
If you split the budget in half, spending equal amounts on each car, you’ll just end up disappointed with both cars.
For me, there isnt a 1 car does it all.
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