Should I change car?
Discussion
I don't often ask questions online regarding car buying, but I'm really in a bit of a hole at the moment.
I currently drive a 2010 Abarth Punto Evo and have owned it for 1 year and a bit now- great car but I'm ready for more power and a different sound. I know these cars can be quite easily modified to go from the base 165bhp to around 200-230. Insurance is also great on them. 19 and paying ~£600 a year, plus cheap tax.
However, I have been debating a change for a while now, but literally have no idea what. I've test drove many different cars and liked most of them.
I like to be different than the usual young driver vehicles - I have enough friends that own fez ST's and golf R's to last a lifetime. Thats another reason I chose this car. A hatchback with a massive f*ck off red stripe down the side stands out from 1 million DSG farts.
I'd love an older car, 6 or 8 cylinder, but obviously the costs are way higher- maintenance, insurance, tax. I've looked at old jags, porsches, TVR's, but none of them strike me as a daily driver. I dont mind putting most of my money on a car at my age, I'm young and I'll probably regret not doing silly things in 20 years once we're all driving super conductor tesla's.
I guess I'm asking, what would you guys recommend? Hot hatch with more power? Funky old TVR? or stick with it and beef it up?
Thanks.
I currently drive a 2010 Abarth Punto Evo and have owned it for 1 year and a bit now- great car but I'm ready for more power and a different sound. I know these cars can be quite easily modified to go from the base 165bhp to around 200-230. Insurance is also great on them. 19 and paying ~£600 a year, plus cheap tax.
However, I have been debating a change for a while now, but literally have no idea what. I've test drove many different cars and liked most of them.
I like to be different than the usual young driver vehicles - I have enough friends that own fez ST's and golf R's to last a lifetime. Thats another reason I chose this car. A hatchback with a massive f*ck off red stripe down the side stands out from 1 million DSG farts.
I'd love an older car, 6 or 8 cylinder, but obviously the costs are way higher- maintenance, insurance, tax. I've looked at old jags, porsches, TVR's, but none of them strike me as a daily driver. I dont mind putting most of my money on a car at my age, I'm young and I'll probably regret not doing silly things in 20 years once we're all driving super conductor tesla's.
I guess I'm asking, what would you guys recommend? Hot hatch with more power? Funky old TVR? or stick with it and beef it up?
Thanks.
What constitutes 'most of my money'? Is that a £5k budget or a £30k budget? That's going to strongly restrict what is and isn't available for you.
At the end of the day, you do what works for you but at 19 I think one of the last cars I'd ever recommend is a TVR, absolutely beautiful cars with a soundtrack to die for - But I wouldn't consider them an easy drive, mistakes can be rather punishing and repairs aren't normally cheap.
Give us a budget and you may get some more recommendations.
At the end of the day, you do what works for you but at 19 I think one of the last cars I'd ever recommend is a TVR, absolutely beautiful cars with a soundtrack to die for - But I wouldn't consider them an easy drive, mistakes can be rather punishing and repairs aren't normally cheap.
Give us a budget and you may get some more recommendations.
J1990 said:
What constitutes 'most of my money'? Is that a £5k budget or a £30k budget? That's going to strongly restrict what is and isn't available for you.
At the end of the day, you do what works for you but at 19 I think one of the last cars I'd ever recommend is a TVR, absolutely beautiful cars with a soundtrack to die for - But I wouldn't consider them an easy drive, mistakes can be rather punishing and repairs aren't normally cheap.
Give us a budget and you may get some more recommendations.
Budget would probably be around the £8-9k mark. I'd sell off my Abarth then probably add an extra grand or two if I found something I really liked. Thanks.At the end of the day, you do what works for you but at 19 I think one of the last cars I'd ever recommend is a TVR, absolutely beautiful cars with a soundtrack to die for - But I wouldn't consider them an easy drive, mistakes can be rather punishing and repairs aren't normally cheap.
Give us a budget and you may get some more recommendations.
An £8k TVR is likely not going to be much fun as an ownership proposition.
If you are happy with the practicalities of something like that, then what about a more reasonable sports car - MX5 is the usual answer, or an MR2? Both very different from a FWD hatchback and great fun to drive.
If you are happy with the practicalities of something like that, then what about a more reasonable sports car - MX5 is the usual answer, or an MR2? Both very different from a FWD hatchback and great fun to drive.
I would definitely suggest a change of car, rather than tuning the current one. At 19 you want to 'play the field' to see what sort of car floats your boat.
If you're being sensible, it might be better to stick to modestly powered hatch backs until your insurance premiums drop a bit.
But if you're not worried about such things, how about 6 cylinder rear wheel drive?
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/15411474
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/15110159
If you're being sensible, it might be better to stick to modestly powered hatch backs until your insurance premiums drop a bit.
But if you're not worried about such things, how about 6 cylinder rear wheel drive?
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/15411474
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/15110159
MrBen986 said:
An £8k TVR is likely not going to be much fun as an ownership proposition.
If you are happy with the practicalities of something like that, then what about a more reasonable sports car - MX5 is the usual answer, or an MR2? Both very different from a FWD hatchback and great fun to drive.
I love how the MR2's 2nd gen look. Just difficult to find a nice example of one. Would my budget find a nice turbo example?If you are happy with the practicalities of something like that, then what about a more reasonable sports car - MX5 is the usual answer, or an MR2? Both very different from a FWD hatchback and great fun to drive.
SpudLink said:
I would definitely suggest a change of car, rather than tuning the current one. At 19 you want to 'play the field' to see what sort of car floats your boat.
If you're being sensible, it might be better to stick to modestly powered hatch backs until your insurance premiums drop a bit.
But if you're not worried about such things, how about 6 cylinder rear wheel drive?
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/15411474
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/15110159
I test drove a z4 coupe, really liked it. Lovely inside.If you're being sensible, it might be better to stick to modestly powered hatch backs until your insurance premiums drop a bit.
But if you're not worried about such things, how about 6 cylinder rear wheel drive?
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/15411474
https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/15110159
there is a lovely 350z for the same price as that down the road from me so I might have to test that for comparison.
thanks for bringing the 350 back into my mind!
Frankly, if you are asking other people what car to buy next, I don't think you have given it enough thought yourself yet.
That might sound a bit patronising (and it probably is) but buying something for any other reason than because YOU really really like it and want it is not going to last the first round of gremlins that older cars have are likely to throw at you.
So my boring advice is, hang on to your money, read all sorts of magazines and online stuff and come up with your own idea.
Then you can zero in on issues that particular car faces, the fixes owners do and all that.
Then you will be well set up to buy a good example.
That might sound a bit patronising (and it probably is) but buying something for any other reason than because YOU really really like it and want it is not going to last the first round of gremlins that older cars have are likely to throw at you.
So my boring advice is, hang on to your money, read all sorts of magazines and online stuff and come up with your own idea.
Then you can zero in on issues that particular car faces, the fixes owners do and all that.
Then you will be well set up to buy a good example.
swisstoni said:
Frankly, if you are asking other people what car to buy next, I don't think you have given it enough thought yourself yet.
That might sound a bit patronising (and it probably is) but buying something for any other reason than because YOU really really like it and want it is not going to last the first round of gremlins that older cars have are likely to throw at you.
So my boring advice is, hang on to your money, read all sorts of magazines and online stuff and come up with your own idea.
Then you can zero in on issues that particular car faces, the fixes owners do and all that.
Then you will be well set up to buy a good example.
I read car mags and online reviews weekly, spend countless hours on here, autotrader and ebay each week, and every time I speak to my dad a new car is all we talk about.That might sound a bit patronising (and it probably is) but buying something for any other reason than because YOU really really like it and want it is not going to last the first round of gremlins that older cars have are likely to throw at you.
So my boring advice is, hang on to your money, read all sorts of magazines and online stuff and come up with your own idea.
Then you can zero in on issues that particular car faces, the fixes owners do and all that.
Then you will be well set up to buy a good example.
But yes I agree for everyone else it sounds like I haven't thought about it properly, but I think the problem is there is so much choice on the surface, but when you start looking deeper into things you realise you're left with not that many choices, and at the moment, my criteria is quite vague so my choice of cars is still vague.
Plus the minefield of used car buying is always at the back of my mind.
Morgan0509 said:
I read car mags and online reviews weekly, spend countless hours on here, autotrader and ebay each week, and every time I speak to my dad a new car is all we talk about.
But yes I agree for everyone else it sounds like I haven't thought about it properly, but I think the problem is there is so much choice on the surface, but when you start looking deeper into things you realise you're left with not that many choices, and at the moment, my criteria is quite vague so my choice of cars is still vague.
Plus the minefield of used car buying is always at the back of my mind.
The thing is, your criteria probably isn't that vague, you just haven't yet pinned down exactly what it is.But yes I agree for everyone else it sounds like I haven't thought about it properly, but I think the problem is there is so much choice on the surface, but when you start looking deeper into things you realise you're left with not that many choices, and at the moment, my criteria is quite vague so my choice of cars is still vague.
Plus the minefield of used car buying is always at the back of my mind.
What's your annual mileage - If it's significant and you're not yet earning good money then fuel efficiency and reliability might need to be on the higher side.
Do you have a preference to FWD/RWD/AWD?
How about seats, do you need to be able to take multiple passengers or would a 2 seater be of interest?
Do you like working on your own cars or will a garage be used for everything?
Answering these tends to really break down the list of suitable cars.
Morgan0509 said:
I don't often ask questions online regarding car buying, but I'm really in a bit of a hole at the moment.
I currently drive a 2010 Abarth Punto Evo and have owned it for 1 year and a bit now- great car but I'm ready for more power and a different sound. I know these cars can be quite easily modified to go from the base 165bhp to around 200-230. Insurance is also great on them. 19 and paying ~£600 a year, plus cheap tax.
I'd have to say keep hold of your Abarth, loads of character, good fun cars.I currently drive a 2010 Abarth Punto Evo and have owned it for 1 year and a bit now- great car but I'm ready for more power and a different sound. I know these cars can be quite easily modified to go from the base 165bhp to around 200-230. Insurance is also great on them. 19 and paying ~£600 a year, plus cheap tax.
Your Abarth sounds like a load of fun so why not keep it?
But if you really want a change then changing is the only way to stay happy. If you do fancy a Z4 Coupe you might want to find a Sport model for the highly desirable M-Sport seats, although they were an option on the SEs - just not the one in the link!
But if you really want a change then changing is the only way to stay happy. If you do fancy a Z4 Coupe you might want to find a Sport model for the highly desirable M-Sport seats, although they were an option on the SEs - just not the one in the link!
Mr Tidy said:
Your Abarth sounds like a load of fun so why not keep it?
But if you really want a change then changing is the only way to stay happy. If you do fancy a Z4 Coupe you might want to find a Sport model for the highly desirable M-Sport seats, although they were an option on the SEs - just not the one in the link!
Agreed. The 3.0Si is the Z4 to go for. I linked that example as the only coupe I found in PH classifieds that was in the price range.But if you really want a change then changing is the only way to stay happy. If you do fancy a Z4 Coupe you might want to find a Sport model for the highly desirable M-Sport seats, although they were an option on the SEs - just not the one in the link!
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