Downsizing the fleet? Taking advantage of used market prices
Discussion
I wasn't quite sure which forum this belonged in (agony advice, finance? 
), so please bear with me!
I've bought two cars this year: a 2018 Audi S3 and a 2017 Skoda Fabia. These are currently run alongside a 2013 VW Transporter camper, which has become a family heirloom.
The Fabia has been a surprise hit and probably covers 90% of our needs. I love not caring whether its wheels get mashed on our local kerbs, left in dodgy places, taken to the tip etc. It's a decent spec with an auto box, cruise control and enough mod cons.
I bought the S3 as a bit of a belated 40th birthday present to myself. It's been absolutely great at covering longer distances and is obviously a lot nicer than the Fabia... but it does seem to be turning into a bit of a garage queen, mainly being used for work or family trips. My current arrangement is to keep it in a local lock-up due to terrible city centre parking outside our house and it's getting used once a week or so. Ideally I'd have kept the van in a garage, but finding a big enough one close to home has proven nigh-on impossible.
All three vehicles are owned outright. With today's amazing used market, I would be able to sell either of the cars for more than I bought them for... and selling the S3 is starting to pass through my thoughts daily. I don't really need the money, but downsizing to the Fabia and van would give me a considerable cash sum plus reduced outgoings from running just the two vehicles.
Being honest with myself, the Fabia is more than sufficient for our needs and I rarely drive for pleasure - it's either urban driving, longer trips to see / care for parents and leisure drives in the van. We do 8-10k miles per year and don't commute by car. There's a ULEZ-type zone affecting the van and it's getting on a bit, but I'll be facing these costs anyway because it'll never be sold.
Nonetheless, I have been a serial car-swapper and I'm worried that selling the S3 would result in me getting the jitters again...
I've ruled-out replacing the S3 with a cheaper modern classic type-of-thing because I'd be equally unlikely to use it.
I guess the question is whether I can downsize and then stick with that choice (life mainly driving a grey Fabia), confronting my ego and wasteful tastes for motoring luxury?!
), so please bear with me! I've bought two cars this year: a 2018 Audi S3 and a 2017 Skoda Fabia. These are currently run alongside a 2013 VW Transporter camper, which has become a family heirloom.
The Fabia has been a surprise hit and probably covers 90% of our needs. I love not caring whether its wheels get mashed on our local kerbs, left in dodgy places, taken to the tip etc. It's a decent spec with an auto box, cruise control and enough mod cons.
I bought the S3 as a bit of a belated 40th birthday present to myself. It's been absolutely great at covering longer distances and is obviously a lot nicer than the Fabia... but it does seem to be turning into a bit of a garage queen, mainly being used for work or family trips. My current arrangement is to keep it in a local lock-up due to terrible city centre parking outside our house and it's getting used once a week or so. Ideally I'd have kept the van in a garage, but finding a big enough one close to home has proven nigh-on impossible.
All three vehicles are owned outright. With today's amazing used market, I would be able to sell either of the cars for more than I bought them for... and selling the S3 is starting to pass through my thoughts daily. I don't really need the money, but downsizing to the Fabia and van would give me a considerable cash sum plus reduced outgoings from running just the two vehicles.
Being honest with myself, the Fabia is more than sufficient for our needs and I rarely drive for pleasure - it's either urban driving, longer trips to see / care for parents and leisure drives in the van. We do 8-10k miles per year and don't commute by car. There's a ULEZ-type zone affecting the van and it's getting on a bit, but I'll be facing these costs anyway because it'll never be sold.
Nonetheless, I have been a serial car-swapper and I'm worried that selling the S3 would result in me getting the jitters again...
I've ruled-out replacing the S3 with a cheaper modern classic type-of-thing because I'd be equally unlikely to use it.
I guess the question is whether I can downsize and then stick with that choice (life mainly driving a grey Fabia), confronting my ego and wasteful tastes for motoring luxury?!
I've done something very similar. I have bought a number of cars this year. Way more than I ever have before - mostly sequentially, but some have overlapped.
I have now sold everything, and will shortly only have an EV through the business. Daily is a Dacia Sandero which I share with my daughter.
The simplicity of this arrangement is not to be underestimated. I have a mortgage, standard 'domestic' bills and that's it. Really liberating.
How long it lasts is another matter.
I have now sold everything, and will shortly only have an EV through the business. Daily is a Dacia Sandero which I share with my daughter.
The simplicity of this arrangement is not to be underestimated. I have a mortgage, standard 'domestic' bills and that's it. Really liberating.
How long it lasts is another matter.
I have a few cars and was thinking of selling the rs4 b7 and sitting on the money until things get back to normal. But…. It’s so good, it’s lowish miles and mint, i know i’d never find another like this.
We were also going swap the missus’ evoque for something bigger, d5 or ffrr, but you know those prices are going to bomb like hell. The evoque we’ve had for 6 years and has been faultless, so instead we’ve decided change the wheels and give it some love.
To recap… nothing to see here !
We were also going swap the missus’ evoque for something bigger, d5 or ffrr, but you know those prices are going to bomb like hell. The evoque we’ve had for 6 years and has been faultless, so instead we’ve decided change the wheels and give it some love.
To recap… nothing to see here !
ZX10R NIN said:
Sell the S3 & the Fabia then get something that can cover both bases such as a 2.0T Octavia/Superb which puts you you in something swift/nice with a lower NVH for the longer journeys & you then don't need to store anything.
I was thinking that too, but then having to buy something might offset much of the benefit of selling at current prices. So I'd be tempted to sell the A3 and see how you get on. It's not like it couldn't be replaced if the OP really missed it.
Bah - I still can't decide! 
I drove the family down to the inlaws' for the weekend along flowing A/B-roads and the S3 was supremely under-stressed transport. Certainly doing it in the Fabia would have felt like a massive downgrade.
Then again, it would have been fine in the van due to all that added space and commanding views - it was our main vehicle for many years. I might have taken my bike, too.
To be clear, I'm being offered over £27k for the S3 (which is more than I paid). I've just put it back in the lock-up garage again and it won't be used until I visit my parents this coming weekend, when the van would probably suffice too. But I do like it.
I drove the family down to the inlaws' for the weekend along flowing A/B-roads and the S3 was supremely under-stressed transport. Certainly doing it in the Fabia would have felt like a massive downgrade.
Then again, it would have been fine in the van due to all that added space and commanding views - it was our main vehicle for many years. I might have taken my bike, too.
To be clear, I'm being offered over £27k for the S3 (which is more than I paid). I've just put it back in the lock-up garage again and it won't be used until I visit my parents this coming weekend, when the van would probably suffice too. But I do like it.
I get the reasoning behind having a daily car and fun car but when you have to factor in parking restrictions and extra storage surely it makes sense to go back to 1 car which does both better, plus the Van.
Or keep the fabia and van and spend £15k on a nice VR6 and have some change in the back pocket!
Or keep the fabia and van and spend £15k on a nice VR6 and have some change in the back pocket!
I'm now booked-in next week to sell the S3 at a very strong valuation. I'll miss the car, but my fondness for a bit of burbling luxury has been overcome by the pound signs in my eyes! Taking to the slow lane of motoring life in the van again will be no bad thing - not least because I'll get some better VFM from the repairs it's due.
Let's hope my new V5 turns up in good time. Usually it takes a few days for the automated V5 to arrive, but it's very hit and miss with local Royal Mail deliveries at the moment.
Let's hope my new V5 turns up in good time. Usually it takes a few days for the automated V5 to arrive, but it's very hit and miss with local Royal Mail deliveries at the moment.
The Cardinal said:
I'm now booked-in next week to sell the S3 at a very strong valuation. I'll miss the car, but my fondness for a bit of burbling luxury has been overcome by the pound signs in my eyes! Taking to the slow lane of motoring life in the van again will be no bad thing - not least because I'll get some better VFM from the repairs it's due.
Let's hope my new V5 turns up in good time. Usually it takes a few days for the automated V5 to arrive, but it's very hit and miss with local Royal Mail deliveries at the moment.
Seems like a no brainer, good choice.Let's hope my new V5 turns up in good time. Usually it takes a few days for the automated V5 to arrive, but it's very hit and miss with local Royal Mail deliveries at the moment.
I've just had two V5s come in about 3 working days.
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