Running costs, shed vs newer small car
Discussion
I'm trying to put my driving enjoyment on hold for a couple of years while I get my finances in order. My girlfriends car is fairly entertaining to rag around, even though its not quick, so if I really need to I can borrow that occasionally so I don't die of boredom. That being said, Id rather not go for an older small car that was cheap when new as not only do these lack refinement a bit like the newer ones, they also lack most creature comforts that make a car easy to live with!
Current shed is ready for the bin as the bills to make roadworthy going forward exceed 1500 quid currently, so I need to think about getting something else sorted.
I know I'm not comparing apples with apples, but this is just about total cost of ownership really.
You can get a small car, Aygo, Hyundai i10, VW Up, corsa etc for as low as £85 pcm on pcp from a website like Cazoo. Around 2018, some warranty left, very reliable and extra cheap consumables. I shouldn't imagine any would cause issue apart from servicing, tyres and basic consumables which would also be very cheap, as would fuel and insurance costs. Less likely to let you down resulting in missed work and therefore wages. Easy fixed cost good with planning money.
You can also buy a half decent Ford Focus Mk2 for under £1500. May go wrong, probably not catastrophically but a few hundred quid repair bill could easily pop up a few times a year, plus may need brakes and suspension overhaul from the get go.
If you were trying to run a car on a budget while you concentrate your financial attention elsewhere, which of these options would you recommend?
Current shed is ready for the bin as the bills to make roadworthy going forward exceed 1500 quid currently, so I need to think about getting something else sorted.
I know I'm not comparing apples with apples, but this is just about total cost of ownership really.
You can get a small car, Aygo, Hyundai i10, VW Up, corsa etc for as low as £85 pcm on pcp from a website like Cazoo. Around 2018, some warranty left, very reliable and extra cheap consumables. I shouldn't imagine any would cause issue apart from servicing, tyres and basic consumables which would also be very cheap, as would fuel and insurance costs. Less likely to let you down resulting in missed work and therefore wages. Easy fixed cost good with planning money.
You can also buy a half decent Ford Focus Mk2 for under £1500. May go wrong, probably not catastrophically but a few hundred quid repair bill could easily pop up a few times a year, plus may need brakes and suspension overhaul from the get go.
If you were trying to run a car on a budget while you concentrate your financial attention elsewhere, which of these options would you recommend?
Those small cars you mention aren't the nicest places to spend time in I'd rather buy one of these:
1.5 Mazda2 Sport enjoyable to drive too.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202012237...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202007131...
Mazda3 Sport these share the same chassis as a Focus but you tend to get a nicer Mazda for your money:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202011116...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202011065...
1.8 Astra SRI
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202009264...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202011105...
Suzuki Swift Sport
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202012227...
All the above are reliable cars that will see you right for years, in the same way the Aygo/C1 will whilst being more rounded & in some cases fun.
1.5 Mazda2 Sport enjoyable to drive too.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202012237...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202007131...
Mazda3 Sport these share the same chassis as a Focus but you tend to get a nicer Mazda for your money:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202011116...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202011065...
1.8 Astra SRI
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202009264...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202011105...
Suzuki Swift Sport
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202012227...
All the above are reliable cars that will see you right for years, in the same way the Aygo/C1 will whilst being more rounded & in some cases fun.
We have been having this exact thoughts, we don’t drive much anymore, maybe 5k a year
Decided to lease a new Leon, £179 down and £179 a month for a Se dynamic over 3 years
Now yes it may cost a bit more than a shed, but you can guarantee it will need no work, start every time even if it’s been stood for a month, no MOTS to go though etc
People always forget to factor in their time when repairing a shed, plus the Hastle of not having a car while it’s fixed.
Plus brand new car, all the features that come with that, no scuffs or dents etc.
No brainier to me personally.
Decided to lease a new Leon, £179 down and £179 a month for a Se dynamic over 3 years
Now yes it may cost a bit more than a shed, but you can guarantee it will need no work, start every time even if it’s been stood for a month, no MOTS to go though etc
People always forget to factor in their time when repairing a shed, plus the Hastle of not having a car while it’s fixed.
Plus brand new car, all the features that come with that, no scuffs or dents etc.
No brainier to me personally.
I've had 3 small cars in the past few years, as well as a larger/faster car at the same time.
Panda diesel. Very economical, but possibly the least refined car that I've owned since an original Mini. It had done over 110k miles though.
Skoda Citigo. Surprisingly "grown up" for a tiny car, but I found it tiring to drive for more than 2 hours at a time. A bit on the slow side with only 60bhp.
Kia Picanto GT-Line S, the 1 litre 3-pot turbo version. Reasonably refined, fast enough, and more "toys" than I thought possible in a small car - heated seats and steering wheel, parking sensors and reversing camera, electric sunroof and 4 electric windows, nav/DAB/bluetooth/wireless charging, cruise control. It's tuned for flexibility, rather than revs, so it's happy to plod along in top gear.
7 year warranty is a bonus, and a 3 year servicing pack was less than £400 (got it for £200 when I bought the car, as a sweetener).
Panda diesel. Very economical, but possibly the least refined car that I've owned since an original Mini. It had done over 110k miles though.
Skoda Citigo. Surprisingly "grown up" for a tiny car, but I found it tiring to drive for more than 2 hours at a time. A bit on the slow side with only 60bhp.
Kia Picanto GT-Line S, the 1 litre 3-pot turbo version. Reasonably refined, fast enough, and more "toys" than I thought possible in a small car - heated seats and steering wheel, parking sensors and reversing camera, electric sunroof and 4 electric windows, nav/DAB/bluetooth/wireless charging, cruise control. It's tuned for flexibility, rather than revs, so it's happy to plod along in top gear.
7 year warranty is a bonus, and a 3 year servicing pack was less than £400 (got it for £200 when I bought the car, as a sweetener).
Your saying new cars don't breakdown which they do, will it be more likely on an older car? Of course it will but it's no less inconvenient whether it's new or older.
The likely hood of what I've listed to give any major issues is small & as you've already said you're paying more than shed money anyway.
Everything above has proven reliability & costs under 2k they'll last years without major work, whilst costing less than what you've paid in your first year.
Now I'm not saying you've gone the wrong way each persons circumstances are different but you can't tell me those cars listed will cost more to run than your car over three years.
Plus there's no balloon payment at the end to worry about either.
So for me an N/A car makes a lot of sense but OP you need to do the maths & see what works for you.
The likely hood of what I've listed to give any major issues is small & as you've already said you're paying more than shed money anyway.
Everything above has proven reliability & costs under 2k they'll last years without major work, whilst costing less than what you've paid in your first year.
Now I'm not saying you've gone the wrong way each persons circumstances are different but you can't tell me those cars listed will cost more to run than your car over three years.
Plus there's no balloon payment at the end to worry about either.
So for me an N/A car makes a lot of sense but OP you need to do the maths & see what works for you.
If cost is your main factor, then the newer car every time.
Any car over ten years could throw you a large bill, which you either have to swallow or cut your losses. I drive an older Passat and don't mind fixing things as they come up and getting it serviced properly (cambelt change last year, new rear caliper the year before etc.), as I know it has generally been well looked after and is worth the investment. However, if you buy one of those linked above you have no idea what you're getting into and there is a strong chance you're buying a money pit.
Any car over ten years could throw you a large bill, which you either have to swallow or cut your losses. I drive an older Passat and don't mind fixing things as they come up and getting it serviced properly (cambelt change last year, new rear caliper the year before etc.), as I know it has generally been well looked after and is worth the investment. However, if you buy one of those linked above you have no idea what you're getting into and there is a strong chance you're buying a money pit.
Costs on my shed-ish car vs an £80 a month Aygo or i10 are actually quite a lot. Not good with a spanner really and nowhere to work anyway, even if I had the time. I've got a 9 year old Astra so comparable to the focus's you're looking at, although I paid a bit more 18 months ago than 1500.
In 18 months of ownership I've spent quite a bit to keep my older car on the road, coming in at Roughly 56 a month in maintaining the shed, not including tyres because any car needs those. Notwithstanding the 1100 bill if I choose to get the clutch and DMF done, but I'm aware focus clutch would be cheaper than mine.
Nearly new, quality checked Aygo or i10 from Cazoo will probably need a service in the same time frame, which I can't imagine would be more than £150 from Toyota. At a push maybe something small like brake pads. Let's say £100 for those. So that's finance plus service and some brake pads, coming in at £93 pcm. You'd save on fuel too, id imagine. And insurance. And likely road tax. In my case I'd save around £50pcm in fuel and insurance, so this is coming in at £13pcm cheaper than my shed already.
So if your shed focus ended up costing the same as my car there or there abouts, there's your £1500 purchase price, plus £56 a month. That's not bad at all and you don't have the debt of finance. You may end up losing a days wages if it breaks down, which is definitely more likely on an older car.
It's all about your appetite for risk, debt, and what you're happy with. I'd say the new car is a no brainer, the only reason I haven't done it is because the refinement of the cheaper small newer cars isn't good enough for my commute. The newer option does offer a more fixed cost even if it doesn't actually work out cheaper overall, which can make finances easier to manage.
In 18 months of ownership I've spent quite a bit to keep my older car on the road, coming in at Roughly 56 a month in maintaining the shed, not including tyres because any car needs those. Notwithstanding the 1100 bill if I choose to get the clutch and DMF done, but I'm aware focus clutch would be cheaper than mine.
Nearly new, quality checked Aygo or i10 from Cazoo will probably need a service in the same time frame, which I can't imagine would be more than £150 from Toyota. At a push maybe something small like brake pads. Let's say £100 for those. So that's finance plus service and some brake pads, coming in at £93 pcm. You'd save on fuel too, id imagine. And insurance. And likely road tax. In my case I'd save around £50pcm in fuel and insurance, so this is coming in at £13pcm cheaper than my shed already.
So if your shed focus ended up costing the same as my car there or there abouts, there's your £1500 purchase price, plus £56 a month. That's not bad at all and you don't have the debt of finance. You may end up losing a days wages if it breaks down, which is definitely more likely on an older car.
It's all about your appetite for risk, debt, and what you're happy with. I'd say the new car is a no brainer, the only reason I haven't done it is because the refinement of the cheaper small newer cars isn't good enough for my commute. The newer option does offer a more fixed cost even if it doesn't actually work out cheaper overall, which can make finances easier to manage.
Edited by Raymond Reddington on Sunday 3rd January 15:14
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