Coupe daily driver advice
Discussion
Hi all,
First post as there is only so long I can keep mulling this over alone.
In a few months I'll be moving into a house where I will finally have a garage/driveway and be able to have a car that I care about without worrying about it being parked on the road. It'll be my first reasonably quick car and I'll be using it every day for my commute (only 12 miles each way) so I want okay(ish) fuel economy and reliable enough that I'm not left stranded all the time. My budget is around 16K and I've pretty much narrowed it down to three (quite different) options at different price points.
- 987 Cayman (can probably stretch to a gen 2 with around 60k miles on the clock)
- Z4 Coupe 3.0 si (a good one for around 10K)
- Mk3 TT 2.0 tfsi (the sensible option)
My heart is with the Cayman as I've always wanted a Porsche, but am I living in a dream world thinking that I can use it as a daily driver without going bankrupt? The TT seems like the sensible option to me - newest by a mile, quick enough and I'm assuming will be most reliable and cheapest to run. The Z4 came up recently as an option to save a good chunk of cash but still keeping it interesting as my first coupe. Alternatively I could ignore all of that and get a mk3.5 MX5 but I don't think It will have enough grunt to keep me interested for long (the Mrs' mini is quicker). Advice please? Any other options that I've not thought of? Cheers!
First post as there is only so long I can keep mulling this over alone.
In a few months I'll be moving into a house where I will finally have a garage/driveway and be able to have a car that I care about without worrying about it being parked on the road. It'll be my first reasonably quick car and I'll be using it every day for my commute (only 12 miles each way) so I want okay(ish) fuel economy and reliable enough that I'm not left stranded all the time. My budget is around 16K and I've pretty much narrowed it down to three (quite different) options at different price points.
- 987 Cayman (can probably stretch to a gen 2 with around 60k miles on the clock)
- Z4 Coupe 3.0 si (a good one for around 10K)
- Mk3 TT 2.0 tfsi (the sensible option)
My heart is with the Cayman as I've always wanted a Porsche, but am I living in a dream world thinking that I can use it as a daily driver without going bankrupt? The TT seems like the sensible option to me - newest by a mile, quick enough and I'm assuming will be most reliable and cheapest to run. The Z4 came up recently as an option to save a good chunk of cash but still keeping it interesting as my first coupe. Alternatively I could ignore all of that and get a mk3.5 MX5 but I don't think It will have enough grunt to keep me interested for long (the Mrs' mini is quicker). Advice please? Any other options that I've not thought of? Cheers!
I was after a TT, test drove a couple then stopped off and tried a Gen 1 987 - it was night and day a better drivers car. Daily driver for a couple of years before moving onto a 987.2 Spyder, which I then put 10000 miles on in a year.
Definitely stretch to a Gen 2 for peace of mind (gen 1 problems, be they real or perceived, do sit at the back of your mind). Daily driving is no problem, BUT things can get expensive quite quickly - I had springs fail (common around the 60-70k mark I believe), and the gen 1 also needed a water pump which was best part of a grand. I imagine the other options could throw up similar expense, I can’t comment on the likelihood or magnitude though.
Get a 987.2, try to budget a bit every month into a maintenance pot, and then enjoy - they are great cars.
Definitely stretch to a Gen 2 for peace of mind (gen 1 problems, be they real or perceived, do sit at the back of your mind). Daily driving is no problem, BUT things can get expensive quite quickly - I had springs fail (common around the 60-70k mark I believe), and the gen 1 also needed a water pump which was best part of a grand. I imagine the other options could throw up similar expense, I can’t comment on the likelihood or magnitude though.
Get a 987.2, try to budget a bit every month into a maintenance pot, and then enjoy - they are great cars.
jmcc500 said:
I was after a TT, test drove a couple then stopped off and tried a Gen 1 987 - it was night and day a better drivers car. Daily driver for a couple of years before moving onto a 987.2 Spyder, which I then put 10000 miles on in a year.
Definitely stretch to a Gen 2 for peace of mind (gen 1 problems, be they real or perceived, do sit at the back of your mind). Daily driving is no problem, BUT things can get expensive quite quickly - I had springs fail (common around the 60-70k mark I believe), and the gen 1 also needed a water pump which was best part of a grand. I imagine the other options could throw up similar expense, I can’t comment on the likelihood or magnitude though.
Get a 987.2, try to budget a bit every month into a maintenance pot, and then enjoy - they are great cars.
Thanks for the input. When you say budget a bit every month, how much in your experience is reasonable? I've seen several sources saying to budget about £200 a month for maintenance - that sound about right? Definitely stretch to a Gen 2 for peace of mind (gen 1 problems, be they real or perceived, do sit at the back of your mind). Daily driving is no problem, BUT things can get expensive quite quickly - I had springs fail (common around the 60-70k mark I believe), and the gen 1 also needed a water pump which was best part of a grand. I imagine the other options could throw up similar expense, I can’t comment on the likelihood or magnitude though.
Get a 987.2, try to budget a bit every month into a maintenance pot, and then enjoy - they are great cars.
Had a 987.2 S for close to 2 years. Mine is a PDK.
Can it be a daily driver? YES!
Pros:
- I'm averaging (a displayed) 24mpg
- Pretty comfy for a sports car
- Makes a great noise
- Decent cabin
- Class leading storage for the type of vehicle it is
- Sports Plus + PASM on a decent B road is awesome!
- Dat ass
Cons:
- Does catch a few speed bumps
- Maintenance? £200 a month sounds about right. Have had to replace my high pressure fuel pump which was around £1800 so can throw a big bill.
- Infotainment is quite basic
- Had an Alfa 4C before and in comparison the Cayster is less of an "event" to drive. I sometimes feel it is too good a car.
Can it be a daily driver? YES!
Pros:
- I'm averaging (a displayed) 24mpg
- Pretty comfy for a sports car
- Makes a great noise
- Decent cabin
- Class leading storage for the type of vehicle it is
- Sports Plus + PASM on a decent B road is awesome!
- Dat ass
Cons:
- Does catch a few speed bumps
- Maintenance? £200 a month sounds about right. Have had to replace my high pressure fuel pump which was around £1800 so can throw a big bill.
- Infotainment is quite basic
- Had an Alfa 4C before and in comparison the Cayster is less of an "event" to drive. I sometimes feel it is too good a car.
I just sold the Z4 3.0Si Sport Coupe I bought in May 2016 and excluding petrol it cost me £3,800 for everything including insurance, road tax, servicing, etc so around £100 a month plus petrol.
That didn't seem expensive to me, and based on my selling experience they don't seem dear just now.
But mine had to go because I bought a Z4MC in December, and the OP's budget would easily get him one of those - but running costs might be a bit higher, as I'm discovering!
That didn't seem expensive to me, and based on my selling experience they don't seem dear just now.
But mine had to go because I bought a Z4MC in December, and the OP's budget would easily get him one of those - but running costs might be a bit higher, as I'm discovering!
Edited by Mr Tidy on Friday 21st February 00:22
From that 3 car list I would go with the Z4 coupe. And I'm no BMW fan.
But to me at least, in a car like this RWD is a must. It's a car about fun driving. So the Golf in a frock would be a non starter.
The Porsche is a fine car. But as a daily I would just go with the Z4 Coupe.
For me personally though, it would probably be none of them and I would look for something else.
But to me at least, in a car like this RWD is a must. It's a car about fun driving. So the Golf in a frock would be a non starter.
The Porsche is a fine car. But as a daily I would just go with the Z4 Coupe.
For me personally though, it would probably be none of them and I would look for something else.
I think the TT would just edge it for me. They are a very nice place to sit and live with(had a mk2 TTS) and I personally really like the way they look.
I really love the way the Z4 Coupe looks but the interior feels/looks a little cheap and they aren't that well put together(had a Z4MR).
I've no experience with the Porsche but at the low end of the market it just screams money pit to me.
I really love the way the Z4 Coupe looks but the interior feels/looks a little cheap and they aren't that well put together(had a Z4MR).
I've no experience with the Porsche but at the low end of the market it just screams money pit to me.
I would go for the Cayman although not sure if these are the bore score and IMS editions. Great handling, flat 6 engine. Plenty of indies to look after it
TT would be bottom of the list, with old VAG cars I have always had no end of annoying issues with things like EGR, power steering failures, spring failures, water ingress (none of these were TT's but many parts are shared across the group)
TT would be bottom of the list, with old VAG cars I have always had no end of annoying issues with things like EGR, power steering failures, spring failures, water ingress (none of these were TT's but many parts are shared across the group)
cerb4.5lee said:
While they aren't that fast...does a Toyota GT86 appeal to you? RWD/LSD and really good fun to drive from what I read and they aren't terrible on fuel either.
I have considered the GT86 but I assumed it would lack a bit of refinement compared to the others. Although I've not actually driven any of them yet (just planning ahead and narrowing down the options). blueg33 said:
I would go for the Cayman although not sure if these are the bore score and IMS editions. Great handling, flat 6 engine. Plenty of indies to look after it
TT would be bottom of the list, with old VAG cars I have always had no end of annoying issues with things like EGR, power steering failures, spring failures, water ingress (none of these were TT's but many parts are shared across the group)
987.1 Caymans got the larger IMS, it's not an issue. Bore score affects the 3.4 (ditto the 987.1 3.4 boxster) but not the 2.7 base models. TT would be bottom of the list, with old VAG cars I have always had no end of annoying issues with things like EGR, power steering failures, spring failures, water ingress (none of these were TT's but many parts are shared across the group)
I have a 987.1 2.7 Cayman and it's brilliant . Not particularly quick though.
Blanchimont said:
£16k will get you a tidy M3. Even a facelift competition pack DCT.
£13k will get you into as tidy one, with a £3k slush fund incase anything goes wrong.
They can be pretty juicy though and mine was only doing 17/18 mpg when I had it as a daily. Mine was a manual though but the DCT will be better on fuel for sure. £13k will get you into as tidy one, with a £3k slush fund incase anything goes wrong.
I'll throw in a curve ball. Don't dismiss the Alfa Brera Prodrive S, the V6 will give you the performance and with the Prodrive upgrades it actually handles like a sports car. It does sounds like you will need to get the Porsche, you won't be happy to compromise with a TT, you will always be searching for that perfect Porsche.
MonkeyMatt said:
A lot of people on here will not recommend the TT, I know a several people who have owned all generations of TT and they have been very good cars! maybe not the ultimate drivers machine but later generations do drive well (think Gof GTi). As a daily you could do a lot worse
Also agree. Had a M3 and TTS at the same for a while...and I thought that the TTS was the much better daily out of the two. 
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