Confused wtf to buy…… RR, Allroad, 500C, Twingo, Swift

[mattrosersv]

Thoroughly confused about future car strategy… help..

Thinking about getting some sort of city car for daily grind to save fuel money and wear and tear and ease the school run parking… man maths = could easily save £2k per annum

Current situation:
TVR’d up - occasional use fast car itch perpetually scratched whenever I feel inclined.

150k miles L332 TD6 as a daily - currently 20k miles per annum - most of this is sub 20 mile school /town runs and once a week 100 mile commute. Then yearly trip to Ireland and France to visit relatives. L322 is fine at the moment…

Need to haul a 2.3 ton boat a dozen times a year

L322 has always had (and at times has required) back up / 2 x p38 2.5D but both now suspected cylinder head.

Am done with spending all my spare time fixing broken st - would like at least a few years off before I take on yet another project.

Have always done my own maintenance. Concerned the L322 is getting leggy will go over the edge at some point.

A small car would pay for itself in fuel savings…. Looking at Twingo, 500C fiat, Suzuki thing.. Needs to be something fun tho!!!

But… push come to shove if a twingo and Range Rover were sat in my drive on the rush to get the kids to school as I walked out the door coffee in hand which would I take….

Or

I get either a A6 Allroad (closest thing to a car that is rated for over 2.2ton) or Q7 to haul boat and do daily duties relatively economically and get rid of the Range Rover.

So budget 5k to 15k . Would rather it was £5k

Any other suggestions…..? I guess a pick-up might make sense..

The collective 3 Rangey’s I have had for years so owe me nothing - could fix or sell the p38s or scrap them. Handy to have something in reserve tho…

[donkmeister]

Porsche Cayenne - same platform as the Q7, decent examples in budget.

[mattrosersv]

Not a bad shout that, hadn’t thought about the Porsche with 3.0 v6 d but.. if I went with that platform I’d prob go Q7 for the 7 seat option. Don’t think this is offered in Porsche or VW versions…?

[C70R]

mattrosersv said:

Not a bad shout that, hadn’t thought about the Porsche with 3.0 v6 d but.. if I went with that platform I’d prob go Q7 for the 7 seat option. Don’t think this is offered in Porsche or VW versions…?

Consider the 3.6 V6 petrol 06-09 if you can find one. Enough power to get it moving, rated to tow 3.5T, locking diffs and air suspension, and allegedly very reliable (basically an enlarged Golf R32 engine). Plus it's compliant with the various emissions zones that are popping up. You should get a decent one for £10-12k, leaving you a little pot for any unexpected maintenance.

[mike74]

You seem to devote an awful lot of time to towing a big boat around the roads of the UK, wouldn't it make more sense to just leave it parked in a bit of water somewhere instead?

[fflump]

Diesel Cayenne. A 2nd gen 92A for 15k may be leggy though and you’d get more VW Toerag for your money but nicely screwed together. Just got a hybrid for the 100 miles per week we do round town
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[mattrosersv]

mike74 said:

You seem to devote an awful lot of time to towing a big boat around the roads of the UK, wouldn't it make more sense to just leave it parked in a bit of water somewhere instead?

Funny- off topic but… I tried that for the past 20 yrs. Sailing up and down the same bits of water at 5knots. Either chucking vast number of £s at marina fees all the time I was not on it, or worrying about it sat on a swinging mooring.

Then winter comes and the maintenance starts. An hour travel each way to not have the tool you need and eating up weekend time I could be playing with other stuff.

Then I bought a 26ft sailing boat that lives in my garden until I want it, goes anywhere I can drag it, floats in a foot of water, does 16 knots if I so choose and will tow the kids around on Ringos.

On the petrol Porsche I had a 4.5 NA one year ago and liked it to be fair, but part of the point of this is not to chew through so much fuel….. 2gen D looks nice- I have been looking at VW.

Edited by mattrosersv on Sunday 20th February 08:36

[Walter Sobchak]

It sounds like you need something like the L322 for your needs but are just fed up with the potential unreliability and cost, I’ve had 3 L322s-a 4.4 V8 petrol, a TD6 and a TDV8 worryingly I’d probably have another honestly for what you need just buy a Landcruiser and sleep better!.
For short city trips maybe go for an older Leaf?, I know the range won’t be great by now but it would be adequate for short trips?.
Cayenne diesel or Toureag are other good choices.

[ZX10R NIN]

How about an Infiniti EX/FX you can get a good one for under 10k they're ULEZ/CAZ compliant they come loaded with kit are reliable & they tick most boxes apart from being a cheap city car.

The EX is the smaller of the two (no less well spec'd) think Q5 sized & cheaper to run:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202202022...

FX:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202201201...

[mattrosersv]

ZX10R NIN said:

How about an Infiniti EX/FX you can get a good one for under 10k

Interesting left field shout but tow limit is 2.2T and I need 2.4 min.

My RR is fine (lovely in fact) as tow car for now so the question really is do I get a fun run around to keep miles off it or replace it with a single do it all hence something large with the VAG 3.0D.

[ZX10R NIN]

mattrosersv said:

Interesting left field shout but tow limit is 2.2T and I need 2.4 min.

My RR is fine (lovely in fact) as tow car for now so the question really is do I get a fun run around to keep miles off it or replace it with a single do it all hence something large with the VAG 3.0D.

I see in that case you keep the RR & then go looking for something like these:

Twingo RS Cup

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202202122...

RS

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202202122...

208 GTI great cars that can be bought for very sensible money:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202112040...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202201030...

Mito Cloverleaf

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202202112...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202104161...

All three are great fillets to the RR which you choose in the morning will be down to your mood but both will be good, out of the three the 208 GTI would be the pick for me. It can do the city car stuff with ease & then is a great steer when you want to liven things up.