Owning a car in central London
Discussion
I live zone 3 SW London - I own my car because
1. Its a passion and a hobby
2. I love driving it, its pretty quick and very rare and I love going to car meets in a car which isn't a run of the mill BMW or Audi
3. I can also do other stuff like shopping etc. as a bonus!
What do you want to use yours for OP is what I would be asking. From what I read you are not using it for commuting, nor menial short trips so you are looking for a car for fun. I think absolutely go for it if that's so, why should you not have a fun car just because you live in a city with loads of public transport, I don't generally find sitting on public transport an adequate substitution for a fun drive out
You also miss out on a lot of stuff in and around London if you do not have a car.
This can be done sensibly too as you are showing, a few grand on a fun car, insure it and then swallow the normal associated costs. Personally if a parking permit is £100 a year (mine is £90) that's no worse than paying for a couple meals out and some beers, just spend a few extra nights a year in instead and then spend that money on your permit.
FYI 350z are at the bottom of the depreciation curve right now, you could pick up a decent bargain V6 engined care there.
1. Its a passion and a hobby
2. I love driving it, its pretty quick and very rare and I love going to car meets in a car which isn't a run of the mill BMW or Audi
3. I can also do other stuff like shopping etc. as a bonus!
What do you want to use yours for OP is what I would be asking. From what I read you are not using it for commuting, nor menial short trips so you are looking for a car for fun. I think absolutely go for it if that's so, why should you not have a fun car just because you live in a city with loads of public transport, I don't generally find sitting on public transport an adequate substitution for a fun drive out
You also miss out on a lot of stuff in and around London if you do not have a car.This can be done sensibly too as you are showing, a few grand on a fun car, insure it and then swallow the normal associated costs. Personally if a parking permit is £100 a year (mine is £90) that's no worse than paying for a couple meals out and some beers, just spend a few extra nights a year in instead and then spend that money on your permit.
FYI 350z are at the bottom of the depreciation curve right now, you could pick up a decent bargain V6 engined care there.
coldel said:
I live zone 3 SW London - I own my car because
1. Its a passion and a hobby
2. I love driving it, its pretty quick and very rare and I love going to car meets in a car which isn't a run of the mill BMW or Audi
3. I can also do other stuff like shopping etc. as a bonus!
What do you want to use yours for OP is what I would be asking. From what I read you are not using it for commuting, nor menial short trips so you are looking for a car for fun. I think absolutely go for it if that's so, why should you not have a fun car just because you live in a city with loads of public transport, I don't generally find sitting on public transport an adequate substitution for a fun drive out You also miss out on a lot of stuff in and around London if you do not have a car.
This can be done sensibly too as you are showing, a few grand on a fun car, insure it and then swallow the normal associated costs. Personally if a parking permit is £100 a year (mine is £90) that's no worse than paying for a couple meals out and some beers, just spend a few extra nights a year in instead and then spend that money on your permit.
FYI 350z are at the bottom of the depreciation curve right now, you could pick up a decent bargain V6 engined care there.
I would use it for a) trips to the supermarket and b) weekend expeditions to the countryside, Stonehenge, the beach, etc. etc. I pay £220 a year atm for a parking permit so £100 is cheap! I will also have plenty disposable income in London so I think it probably sounds like I should just do it. 1. Its a passion and a hobby
2. I love driving it, its pretty quick and very rare and I love going to car meets in a car which isn't a run of the mill BMW or Audi
3. I can also do other stuff like shopping etc. as a bonus!
What do you want to use yours for OP is what I would be asking. From what I read you are not using it for commuting, nor menial short trips so you are looking for a car for fun. I think absolutely go for it if that's so, why should you not have a fun car just because you live in a city with loads of public transport, I don't generally find sitting on public transport an adequate substitution for a fun drive out
You also miss out on a lot of stuff in and around London if you do not have a car.This can be done sensibly too as you are showing, a few grand on a fun car, insure it and then swallow the normal associated costs. Personally if a parking permit is £100 a year (mine is £90) that's no worse than paying for a couple meals out and some beers, just spend a few extra nights a year in instead and then spend that money on your permit.
FYI 350z are at the bottom of the depreciation curve right now, you could pick up a decent bargain V6 engined care there.
2006 350z is ULEZ compliant so might be a shout!
C70R said:
That's just the thing. A point of *need* has been established in this thread - although it doesn't apply to everyone.
As for owning a classic in London, it's perfectly doable and I know many who do. They just accept that to keep it in the standard they wish, they need to have off-road parking.
Not for long it isn't, there's this scheme that's looking to tax you £12.50 for simply starting the engine, if you hadn't heard about it.As for owning a classic in London, it's perfectly doable and I know many who do. They just accept that to keep it in the standard they wish, they need to have off-road parking.
Edited by gavsdavs on Monday 14th January 14:33
gavsdavs said:
Not for long it isn't, there's this scheme that's looking to tax you £12.50 for simply starting the engine, if you hadn't heard about it.
My morning's research suggests that ULEZ does not apply to classics (cut off being 1 January 1980). Edited by gavsdavs on Monday 14th January 14:33
Make sure the place you're going to buy or rent is allowed to get a parking permit (or has an allocated off-street parking space) - some of the London boroughs actively deny residents parking permits to residents of certain recent developments as part of their planning permission, supposedly to reduce car ownership. Southwark is one that does this, the development may be allowed to have a handful of parking spaces on site (but only 1 per 3 flats or whatever the guidelines say now) and then they will not give permits to anyone living in those developments that wasn't lucky enough to buy a place that came with a parking space.
Integroo said:
gavsdavs said:
Not for long it isn't, there's this scheme that's looking to tax you £12.50 for simply starting the engine, if you hadn't heard about it.
My morning's research suggests that ULEZ does not apply to classics (cut off being 1 January 1980). Edited by gavsdavs on Monday 14th January 14:33
Integroo said:
Is it worth it?
Or is it easier just to get the train and hire a car on the rare occasion I need one.
I think it won't be long before you regret not having a car if you are anything like me. It's not hard finding somewhere to park in Greenwich. The majority of people I know do have their own motors. Or is it easier just to get the train and hire a car on the rare occasion I need one.
DanL said:
parabolica said:
I'm in central London and wouldn't be without my car. I don't need it for commuting to work, but for everything else...
FWIW I've had 2x 6 series and my current Z4 parked on the streets of London; never been damaged. Parking Permit in my neck of the woods is £35 for 12 months. The thought of having to drag home several bags of groceries from the nearest supermarket 2 miles away in the wet and cold is enough for me, especially as there is no bus service that runs in that direction.
This is why I had a car when I lived in London... However, why not get that stuff delivered by Ocado or whoever?FWIW I've had 2x 6 series and my current Z4 parked on the streets of London; never been damaged. Parking Permit in my neck of the woods is £35 for 12 months. The thought of having to drag home several bags of groceries from the nearest supermarket 2 miles away in the wet and cold is enough for me, especially as there is no bus service that runs in that direction.
Integroo said:
gavsdavs said:
Not for long it isn't, there's this scheme that's looking to tax you £12.50 for simply starting the engine, if you hadn't heard about it.
My morning's research suggests that ULEZ does not apply to classics (cut off being 1 January 1980). Edited by gavsdavs on Monday 14th January 14:33
DanL said:
parabolica said:
I'm in central London and wouldn't be without my car. I don't need it for commuting to work, but for everything else...
FWIW I've had 2x 6 series and my current Z4 parked on the streets of London; never been damaged. Parking Permit in my neck of the woods is £35 for 12 months. The thought of having to drag home several bags of groceries from the nearest supermarket 2 miles away in the wet and cold is enough for me, especially as there is no bus service that runs in that direction.
This is why I had a car when I lived in London... However, why not get that stuff delivered by Ocado or whoever?FWIW I've had 2x 6 series and my current Z4 parked on the streets of London; never been damaged. Parking Permit in my neck of the woods is £35 for 12 months. The thought of having to drag home several bags of groceries from the nearest supermarket 2 miles away in the wet and cold is enough for me, especially as there is no bus service that runs in that direction.
kev1974 said:
Make sure the place you're going to buy or rent is allowed to get a parking permit (or has an allocated off-street parking space) - some of the London boroughs actively deny residents parking permits to residents of certain recent developments as part of their planning permission, supposedly to reduce car ownership. Southwark is one that does this, the development may be allowed to have a handful of parking spaces on site (but only 1 per 3 flats or whatever the guidelines say now) and then they will not give permits to anyone living in those developments that wasn't lucky enough to buy a place that came with a parking space.
That limit comes from the fact that, on average, only 1-in-3 households in London have a car.C70R said:
DanL said:
parabolica said:
I'm in central London and wouldn't be without my car. I don't need it for commuting to work, but for everything else...
FWIW I've had 2x 6 series and my current Z4 parked on the streets of London; never been damaged. Parking Permit in my neck of the woods is £35 for 12 months. The thought of having to drag home several bags of groceries from the nearest supermarket 2 miles away in the wet and cold is enough for me, especially as there is no bus service that runs in that direction.
This is why I had a car when I lived in London... However, why not get that stuff delivered by Ocado or whoever?FWIW I've had 2x 6 series and my current Z4 parked on the streets of London; never been damaged. Parking Permit in my neck of the woods is £35 for 12 months. The thought of having to drag home several bags of groceries from the nearest supermarket 2 miles away in the wet and cold is enough for me, especially as there is no bus service that runs in that direction.
Integroo said:
I would use it for a) trips to the supermarket and b) weekend expeditions to the countryside, Stonehenge, the beach, etc. etc. I pay £220 a year atm for a parking permit so £100 is cheap! I will also have plenty disposable income in London so I think it probably sounds like I should just do it.
Sounds like you have already made up your mind. I would find it hard to give up a car even if it was only used say 30 times a year - depending on the car you and cost of parking have the average cost could end up say £20-£40 per trip but the pleasure of motoring would justify that.RJG46 said:
C70R said:
DanL said:
parabolica said:
I'm in central London and wouldn't be without my car. I don't need it for commuting to work, but for everything else...
FWIW I've had 2x 6 series and my current Z4 parked on the streets of London; never been damaged. Parking Permit in my neck of the woods is £35 for 12 months. The thought of having to drag home several bags of groceries from the nearest supermarket 2 miles away in the wet and cold is enough for me, especially as there is no bus service that runs in that direction.
This is why I had a car when I lived in London... However, why not get that stuff delivered by Ocado or whoever?FWIW I've had 2x 6 series and my current Z4 parked on the streets of London; never been damaged. Parking Permit in my neck of the woods is £35 for 12 months. The thought of having to drag home several bags of groceries from the nearest supermarket 2 miles away in the wet and cold is enough for me, especially as there is no bus service that runs in that direction.
Edited by C70R on Monday 14th January 16:17
fido said:
Integroo said:
I would use it for a) trips to the supermarket and b) weekend expeditions to the countryside, Stonehenge, the beach, etc. etc. I pay £220 a year atm for a parking permit so £100 is cheap! I will also have plenty disposable income in London so I think it probably sounds like I should just do it.
Sounds like you have already made up your mind. I would find it hard to give up a car even if it was only used say 30 times a year - depending on the car you and cost of parking have the average cost could end up say £20-£40 per trip but the pleasure of motoring would justify that.Integroo said:
Is it worth it?
I am moving to London in March (not sure where yet, somewhere near Canary Wharf, maybe Greenwich, so not quite central London I suppose). I currently have a Fiat 124 Spider on PCP, but I will probably sell it before I move, as I cba driving it to London, making sure I find a flat with parking, etc. etc. After a few months, if I think I need/want a car, I think I'll buy a toy - something relatively cheap in cash probably with two seats and a big engine.
Is there any point though? Or will it just sit outside my flat doing very little as nobody in London needs to drive anywhere? Can you get in and out of the city on a weekend to things worth seeing without too much hassle? Or is it easier just to get the train and hire a car on the rare occasion I need one.
Up two years ago I lived in Ladywell & enjoyed commuting on the bikes & enjoyed using the cars at the weekend, you can drive around London as long as you know the routes, plus there are some fun tunnel runs to be had too also remember if you're in Greenwich you're 20 minutes from some fun roads around Kent with Brands Hatch being less than 30 minutes away.I am moving to London in March (not sure where yet, somewhere near Canary Wharf, maybe Greenwich, so not quite central London I suppose). I currently have a Fiat 124 Spider on PCP, but I will probably sell it before I move, as I cba driving it to London, making sure I find a flat with parking, etc. etc. After a few months, if I think I need/want a car, I think I'll buy a toy - something relatively cheap in cash probably with two seats and a big engine.
Is there any point though? Or will it just sit outside my flat doing very little as nobody in London needs to drive anywhere? Can you get in and out of the city on a weekend to things worth seeing without too much hassle? Or is it easier just to get the train and hire a car on the rare occasion I need one.
For me despite Ladywell station being a 1 minute walk & Lewisham being a 5 minute walk away I never commuted as it was cheaper & quicker on the bike 20-35 minutes to Saint John St vs 45-60 minutes on the train.
So if you want a fun toy that you can commute on get yourself one of these:
I forgot to add Ladywell doesn't have any parking permits yet & it's less than 5 minutes from Greenwich (traffic permitting) I had 3 cars plus my bikes parked on the road/in the front garden & didn't have one damaged on the street.
Edited by ZX10R NIN on Monday 14th January 16:44
ZX10R NIN said:
Up two years ago I lived in Ladywell & enjoyed commuting on the bikes & enjoyed using the cars at the weekend, you can drive around London as long as you know the routes, also remember if you're in Greenwich you're 20 minutes from some fun roads around Kent with Brands Hatch being less than 30 minutes away.
For me despite Lewisham being a 5 minute walk away I never commuted as it was cheaper & quicker on the bike 20-35 minutes to Saint John St vs 45-60 minutes on the train.
So if you want a fun toy that you can commute on get yourself one of these:
I think that would be swiftly veto'd by my better half, but it's certainly tempting. For me despite Lewisham being a 5 minute walk away I never commuted as it was cheaper & quicker on the bike 20-35 minutes to Saint John St vs 45-60 minutes on the train.
So if you want a fun toy that you can commute on get yourself one of these:
Also I should add that Greenwich is only an idea - open to suggestions - ideally would be walking distance to Canary Wharf as my hours will be long, but happy with a short commute by tube / DLR / bicycle in the summer / Vespa (can you even park one at CW? do you need a licence?)
Edited by Integroo on Monday 14th January 16:48
I lived in Canary Wharf and the E14 area for the last 7 years before moving out recently and had a sports car the entire time. Insurance is pricier than it is outside of London but owning it wasn't much of an issue for me as I lived in flat complexes with associated secured parking garages and parking spaces attached to the flat. Getting out of London when you are north of the river in the East is not a problem at all as you just head towards the A13 and changeover to the M11, even when you want to go West you just change to the M25 rather than fight the traffic crossing the centre.
The worst part about being a petrol head in London with a car is that it's really hard to work on your car in a secured parking garage with terrible lighting and having to store your tools, spare wheels/tyres, and car parts in your second bedroom or on your balcony of your flat because if you leave it in the garage stuff gets stolen. It doesn't make you very popular with the other half....
Having said that, I never used the car during the week and sometimes didn't even use it on the weekend as I was doing activities within London on several weekends and would just use public transport. As a result of this I got really into track days for a few years to make sure I made the most out of using my car when I had the chance, and thus I had a built up track/street car parked in a London garage that I would occasionally use for trips away with the wife to a nice hotel in the countryside, but it was more often used to drive to stay at a dingy Travelodge next to a race track all over the UK, Scotland and Wales the night before ragging it around a circuit and enjoying my time away from the city. Totally worth it for keeping the car parked most of the time.
The worst part about being a petrol head in London with a car is that it's really hard to work on your car in a secured parking garage with terrible lighting and having to store your tools, spare wheels/tyres, and car parts in your second bedroom or on your balcony of your flat because if you leave it in the garage stuff gets stolen. It doesn't make you very popular with the other half....
Having said that, I never used the car during the week and sometimes didn't even use it on the weekend as I was doing activities within London on several weekends and would just use public transport. As a result of this I got really into track days for a few years to make sure I made the most out of using my car when I had the chance, and thus I had a built up track/street car parked in a London garage that I would occasionally use for trips away with the wife to a nice hotel in the countryside, but it was more often used to drive to stay at a dingy Travelodge next to a race track all over the UK, Scotland and Wales the night before ragging it around a circuit and enjoying my time away from the city. Totally worth it for keeping the car parked most of the time.
Edited by cib24 on Monday 14th January 16:58
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