1 Special Daily vs 1 Runaround and a Special Car

[AlexNJ89]

I was wondering if anyone has ever done the maths on this?

So for example, if you're looking at buying a 2013 911 with 25,000 miles on the clock for £45k.

You do 14,000 miles per year, both commuting and leisure.

Would you daily the 911 or prefer to buy a £4k diesel commuter and keep the 911 for more special journeys?

Given the additional tax, insurance, repairs and servicing of the diesel, does the mileage saved on the 911 save you significant money?

And finally, if it is a significantly extra cost to run the 911 daily, is it worth it to be able to drive your 911 more often?

Has anyone ever had this decision and which route did you take?

[PH User]

I would buy a 2nd car and keep the 911 for special fun drives.

[LimaDelta]

It will feel more special if it is only used occasionally. Familiarity breeds contempt.

[keo]

How many commuting miles and how many fun miles do you do?

I have two cars a boring diesel for 20k a year and a toy in the garage. Makes the toy far more special and I don’t worry about leaving my daily car anywhere. Although I still keep it tidy and presentable (least from 10 foot away!) it’s not bad for 160k miles

[Welshbeef]

PH User said:

I would buy a 2nd car and keep the 911 for special fun drives.

Depends on how much free time you have to use it? If you’ve a family then your going off on your tod for a drive - I can see then going down like a lead balloon

[irocfan]

facing a similar dilemma. We currently have an SLC (Mrs I) a Camaro and a Clubman Cooper S. The idea was to replace the S with a newish Superb keeping the other 2, however, I'm looking into seeing if we can keep the SLC and replace both the S and Camaro with something silly. Justification being:

- saving on insurance each year
- saving on road-tax each year
- saving on maintenance/servicing each year
- (potentially) a few thousand to the good on overall purchase costs

still haven't fully decided

[PH User]

Welshbeef said:

PH User said:

I would buy a 2nd car and keep the 911 for special fun drives.

Depends on how much free time you have to use it? If you’ve a family then your going off on your tod for a drive - I can see then going down like a lead balloon

An hour or 2 a week should be easily doable for most

[Baldchap]

Just sorted a Evora GT410 as a daily for the wife. Collection Wednesday.

Life's too short to keep stuff for best IMO.

Unless you need mega practicality, get it used.

[E63eeeeee...]

One of the financial opportunities you do get on more special cars is the chance to have low depreciation, but that doesn't work well if you're putting that kind of mileage on them, so you'd want to factor that in as it's probably your biggest cost here. Especially if most of your mileage is rush hour commuting, a comfy barge to take the load off the Porsche might make sense just on that basis.

[AlexNJ89]

Baldchap said:

Just sorted a Evora GT410 as a daily for the wife. Collection Wednesday.

Life's too short to keep stuff for best IMO.

Unless you need mega practicality, get it used.

Wow, my dream car.

An Evora 400 is on my shortlist if I can find the spec I like.

[PH User]

Baldchap said:

Just sorted a Evora GT410 as a daily for the wife. Collection Wednesday.

Life's too short to keep stuff for best IMO.

Unless you need mega practicality, get it used.

Does she do 14,000 miles a year slogging down a dark rainy motorway?

[AlexNJ89]

Welshbeef said:

Depends on how much free time you have to use it? If you’ve a family then your going off on your tod for a drive - I can see then going down like a lead balloon

No family, single 32yo guy, motoring world is my oyster. I have an insanely boring commute though.

[AlexNJ89]

PH User said:

Does she do 14,000 miles a year slogging down a dark rainy motorway?

I've thought this a lot. Had a V8 Mercedes on my commute stuck behind a car doing 50mph for 30mins and thought it didn't matter which car I'm in this would be boring.

[AlexNJ89]

E63eeeeee... said:

One of the financial opportunities you do get on more special cars is the chance to have low depreciation, but that doesn't work well if you're putting that kind of mileage on them, so you'd want to factor that in as it's probably your biggest cost here. Especially if most of your mileage is rush hour commuting, a comfy barge to take the load off the Porsche might make sense just on that basis.

That's what I'm thinking too, plus when you do get in the Porsche it can feel more special.

Extra £10pm road tax, £40pm insurance, probably save all that on fuel anyway.

So really it's down to those big bills a high mileage diesel barge can throw and how much pleasure you get from your car on your daily duties.

[PH User]

AlexNJ89 said:

PH User said:

Does she do 14,000 miles a year slogging down a dark rainy motorway?

I've thought this a lot. Had a V8 Mercedes on my commute stuck behind a car doing 50mph for 30mins and thought it didn't matter which car I'm in this would be boring.

Do 10,000 in something else and 4,000 in the 911. If you use it during the dark cold wet winter you will spoil it's special feeling.

[SWoll]

You are unlikely to pick up a 2013 911 with that mileage for £45k according to AT. Think 50k miles and £50k for a base 2013 3.4.

I'd got the 2 car route but would want something more special for a weekend toy personally that had already done the majority of its depreciating and with limited miles added will offset the costs of the daily.

Audi R8 V10 Spyder?



https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202104211...

Edited by SWoll on Saturday 24th April 10:20

[Crippo]

I dont think a 2013 911 is enough of a toy to keep for weekends.
You could get something much more fun for much less money. You could have a Lotus type car for less money and a half decent daily for that money. Much more ying to the yang rather than Minge to the mange

[E63eeeeee...]

AlexNJ89 said:

E63eeeeee... said:

One of the financial opportunities you do get on more special cars is the chance to have low depreciation, but that doesn't work well if you're putting that kind of mileage on them, so you'd want to factor that in as it's probably your biggest cost here. Especially if most of your mileage is rush hour commuting, a comfy barge to take the load off the Porsche might make sense just on that basis.

That's what I'm thinking too, plus when you do get in the Porsche it can feel more special.

Extra £10pm road tax, £40pm insurance, probably save all that on fuel anyway.

So really it's down to those big bills a high mileage diesel barge can throw and how much pleasure you get from your car on your daily duties.

The trick is probably to work out how long you need the barge to survive for before it pays back the 4-5k (or whatever, a 6k one that lasts twice as long might be better etc.) If you buy well, most semi-prestige cars in this space will have a floor regardless of mileage, unless it genuinely blows up, but then you're only in it for a few grand anyway. Most of the time you'll get some warning before a modern car expires expensively.

[Welshbeef]

How about say a 1.2 TDI Polo/Golf plus a Lotus Esprit V8


Or a Ferrari 308/328/348

[Shnozz]

I had daily drivers when my fun car was elises/exiges/TVRs.

In the end I realised I was spending 95% of time driving something dull and rarely used the toy. Sold them and bought a Porsche. Was too dull in contrast to the former fun cars so sold to be replaced eventually by an Evora and then an Aston. Usable as a daily but also fun.

As has been said, life is too short.