£35k Two Car Garage

[milb001]

After having been stuck in a boring Tesla company car for a few years and going through a divorce, I’m now in a very exciting position to buy cars again!!

My budget is up to £35k, but I’ll happily spend a lot less (say £15-20k). So, budget sounds healthy, but I think I’ll need to buy two cars…

I’m very fortunate that I don’t need to worry much about practicality or running costs. Performance and driving pleasure are important to me. That said, I will be commuting in the car too, so something wafty, auto and comfortable is nice at times too.

I don’t like losing money on cars, so I’m ideally looking for something which won’t lose tons of value.

This is why I’m thinking that two cars might be the solution - keep the miles down on both cars and also tick both boxes of driving pleasure and waftyness.

My current preference is towards an e92 M3 AND an e31 840i. BUT, there are SO many options! So, please tell me; what suggestions do you have for a 2 car garage for £35k?

[Mr Tidy]

That sounds like a great combination to cover wafty commuting and weekend fun, but then I've had nothing but BMWs for 20+ years!

I've got a Z4M Coupe and a 330i that cost about half your budget.

[Patrick Bateman]

I look at these sort of things trying to mix it up and not get too similar.

How about a V8 F-type and a Clio 200?

I have an XKR and a Clio Trophy so similar in principle and it's great getting two totally different experiences.

[Somewhatfoolish]

milb001 said:

My current preference is towards an e92 M3 AND an e31 840i. BUT, there are SO many options!

These are both monsters and great choices but I definitely wouldn't buy them both if it's going to be your garage. They're kinda variations on a theme.

Thoughts on a Clio V6? holy st just seen how much those are now

Edited by Somewhatfoolish on Saturday 12th April 21:14

[keo]

Lotus Elise for fun, wafty Lexus/ Volvo for the boring stuff?

[John D.]

Personally I'd definitely go for two cars with more different characters.

[anonymous-user]

C63. The perfect antidote to driving a Tesla, silly big engine the likes of which we'll never see again.

Boxster. It's maybe a slightly obvious answer but there's one for every budget, they're fantastic to drive, unlikely to depreciate and IMO every garage with fun cars should contain a convertible.

[Jte3397]

If I had to narrow mine down to two, I'd go with the E46 M3 and Land Rover Discovery 3 which is comfortable and capable for my long commute. That's doable on half your budget, leaving the other half for maintenance.... and you'll need it!

[blueovercream]

My own experience of a similar scenario is that the cost of running 2 “interesting” cars, especially the 2 you’ve suggested, will far outweigh the depreciation incurred by putting more miles on one car.

This sort of maths only really makes sense if you buy something really economical to run alongside something interesting. So if it’s for cost reasons alone, I’d be looking at the M3 plus an i3 or something.

If it’s because you’ve got some money to spend and just want two nice cars, then my suggestion would be to make sure they serve very different functions. Eg big wafty auto and lightweight convertible like the Elise suggested above.

[thisnameistaken]

Pretty much exactly what I’ve recently done. Bought a factory built Westfield Zetec running about 190hp which cost £21k and bought a Kia E Niro with 3 years warranty remaining for £15k.

The Westfield is about the perfect car for me for fast road use and the odd track day and the Niro just works. Appreciate very different cars so absolutely not a recommendation but nice to see your take on my similar problem.

[ZX10R NIN]

370Z Nismo, great drivers car easy to maintain & a bloody good option:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202411306...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202503230...

Lexus IS-F for everything else good cars that really get under your skin:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202412197...

If you want some out & out performance that's near supercar levels & are modern classics, then these are the picks:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/286471252994?_skw=yamah...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/236043856128?_skw=gsxr+...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/226648400451?_skw=zx636...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/126470454360?_skw=gsxr+...

Edited by ZX10R NIN on Sunday 13th April 13:12

[lyricalgangster]

Is it just me, or does that 370z look really expensive for a 13yr old, 80k mile car?

Edited by lyricalgangster on Sunday 13th April 12:51

[milb001]

Thanks everyone!

The IS-F and C63 are great suggestions for alternatives to the e31. Elises and Westfields are a little too basic for me as a weekend car. I’d like to be able to do weekends away with my partner etc in the weekend car and they’re quite short on comfort and luggage space. A boxter or S2000 might be a cheaper alternative though.

[cerb4.5lee]

lyricalgangster said:

Is it just me, or does that 370z look really expensive for a 13yr old, 80k mile car?

Edited by lyricalgangster on Sunday 13th April 12:51

I know what you mean. I also didn't realise how wide the rear tyres are on the Nismo as well, and they're 305 wide on that(Gen 1), whereas they're only 275 wide on my 370Z in comparison.

[DodgyGeezer]

for me I'd likely be looking at a C5 Corvette or 2012/3 SS Camaro and then something for schlepping st about S/C RRS or FFRR. Now I'll accept that I'm an outlier so my choices wouldn't work for many. That being the case how about...

FIAT 124 Abath
Merc GLC

[jjdw33]

blueovercream said:

My own experience of a similar scenario is that the cost of running 2 “interesting” cars, especially the 2 you’ve suggested, will far outweigh the depreciation incurred by putting more miles on one car.

This sort of maths only really makes sense if you buy something really economical to run alongside something interesting. So if it’s for cost reasons alone, I’d be looking at the M3 plus an i3 or something.

If it’s because you’ve got some money to spend and just want two nice cars, then my suggestion would be to make sure they serve very different functions. Eg big wafty auto and lightweight convertible like the Elise suggested above.

I go for RS5(B8) Convertible and I3. The Audi has way more waftynes than the M3, but revs till 8.5, if you want.
The I3 is not loosing any more money, is super efficient and after the first years when I didnt like the looks at all,
now is already a classic. Only very slow charging is a minus, but as 95% charged at home for nearly free,
dont care.
The idea to go Elise and Lexus for the wafty part is cool as well. Loved the Elise(S1), but maybe now I m too old
and inflexible to go that extrem one more time...

[Lefty]

Agreed - for the fun car get something proper fun

Elise
Caterham
Chimaera
Something classic

Whatever floats your boat really but make it something special. It doesn’t need to be practical, it’s doesn’t need to be economical so why compromise on the good stuff? No disrespect to the BMW lovers but every m3 I’ve driven just feels like a fairly normal 3 series with a nice engine (E46 CSL aside). They are good all rounders, don’t get me wrong but not nearly focussed enough to be the “special” second car.

Say £20k on that.

Then £15k on something like a petrol Passat or e class estate that can do everything else. Or a 335 estate that does 95% of what an M3 does.

Thats a pretty useful two car garage.

[Deep Thought]

lyricalgangster said:

Is it just me, or does that 370z look really expensive for a 13yr old, 80k mile car?

Edited by lyricalgangster on Sunday 13th April 12:51

I would concur - the facelifted model in the first advert looks much better value.

[ZX10R NIN]

lyricalgangster said:

Is it just me, or does that 370z look really expensive for a 13yr old, 80k mile car?

Edited by lyricalgangster on Sunday 13th April 12:51

What would you expect it to cost?

These were about 20k a couple of years ago, so they haven't dropped much.

[cerb4.5lee]

Lefty said:

Agreed - for the fun car get something proper fun

Elise
Caterham
Chimaera
Something classic

Whatever floats your boat really but make it something special. It doesn’t need to be practical, it’s doesn’t need to be economical so why compromise on the good stuff? No disrespect to the BMW lovers but every m3 I’ve driven just feels like a fairly normal 3 series with a nice engine (E46 CSL aside). They are good all rounders, don’t get me wrong but not nearly focussed enough to be the “special” second car.

Say £20k on that.

Then £15k on something like a petrol Passat or e class estate that can do everything else. Or a 335 estate that does 95% of what an M3 does.

Thats a pretty useful two car garage.

I often regret not going for a V8 for my fun car in that regard too, because the economy just doesn't matter in a weekend car in my experience now as you say.