Daily driver; how do you do it?
Discussion
I've tried it all.
New city car. Old city car. New hatch. Old hatch. Big shed. Very big shed. New generic middle of the road VW with warranty...
If they're comfy, they're not cheap. If they're cheap, they're too much trouble. If they're new and reliable they depreciate.
I can honestly understand the "lease something new every year" crowd, but just can't get my head around spending hundreds of pounds a month on transport. Cars are great fun at weekends, but having to use one every day is horrible.
New city car. Old city car. New hatch. Old hatch. Big shed. Very big shed. New generic middle of the road VW with warranty...
If they're comfy, they're not cheap. If they're cheap, they're too much trouble. If they're new and reliable they depreciate.
I can honestly understand the "lease something new every year" crowd, but just can't get my head around spending hundreds of pounds a month on transport. Cars are great fun at weekends, but having to use one every day is horrible.
acme said:
Over the years I’ve varied my approach to the daily driver, I’m intrigued to know how others have done it and what has/hasn’t worked.
I’ve varied from a sensible Golf to company cars and having returned my company car earlier in the year I’ve now got two; a relatively sensible hot hatch and a what feels a very indulgent V8 on the commute. I’m wondering if wrapping them up into one isn’t a better option, an inline six.
So what do you do and what works?
Cheers
Literally in exactly the same boat as you (hot hatch and V8).I’ve varied from a sensible Golf to company cars and having returned my company car earlier in the year I’ve now got two; a relatively sensible hot hatch and a what feels a very indulgent V8 on the commute. I’m wondering if wrapping them up into one isn’t a better option, an inline six.
So what do you do and what works?
Cheers
Every year around this time I start thinking I don't need the V8 and I should save some money but as soon as we get that first sunny day in March it reminds me that the extra cost is absolutely worth it.
I don't use a car day to day as commute by train into London but I do have a criteria for would be considered a daily car. It has to be comfy, easy to drive and well spec'd, ideally good on fuel too!
Currently I have a 2003 Mercedes E320 CDI (lots of motorway driving) which despite it's age has been perfect for what I use it for. Comfy for 2+ hour stints on the motorway. Cost me £4k with 100k on the clock nearly 4 years ago, now has 140k on it and is worth half that. Sturdy engine with lots of torque, smooth 5 speed gearbox and hits 45mpg+ as well.
Currently I have a 2003 Mercedes E320 CDI (lots of motorway driving) which despite it's age has been perfect for what I use it for. Comfy for 2+ hour stints on the motorway. Cost me £4k with 100k on the clock nearly 4 years ago, now has 140k on it and is worth half that. Sturdy engine with lots of torque, smooth 5 speed gearbox and hits 45mpg+ as well.
Daily driver was an XFR (V8) with an Elise for the weekends.
Sold both to buy an Alpine A110.
The Jaguar was great but the Alpine is a lot more fun, love driving to work now.
PS except I didn’t sell both , couldn’t bear to let the Elise go.
Now it’s Alpine as a DD and rotating weekends for Elise and Alpine 😁
Sold both to buy an Alpine A110.
The Jaguar was great but the Alpine is a lot more fun, love driving to work now.
PS except I didn’t sell both , couldn’t bear to let the Elise go.
Now it’s Alpine as a DD and rotating weekends for Elise and Alpine 😁
I've used a Clio for a few years, walked for about 8 years, then went to a Volvo V70 once the commute got long again.
Commute then halved to 18 miles each way and about 14 miles of motorway, so I thought I'd have something nice to daily, got a Brera V6 S. This was very pretty but it just wasn't enough fun for the 23mpg it returned.
So I now have a JPS liveried Holden Ute. 5.7 V8, nearly 400bhp, rear wheel drive and 21mpg is a far more acceptable balance. The volvo could comfortably halve the cost but meh...
Reader's cars thread here
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Commute then halved to 18 miles each way and about 14 miles of motorway, so I thought I'd have something nice to daily, got a Brera V6 S. This was very pretty but it just wasn't enough fun for the 23mpg it returned.
So I now have a JPS liveried Holden Ute. 5.7 V8, nearly 400bhp, rear wheel drive and 21mpg is a far more acceptable balance. The volvo could comfortably halve the cost but meh...
Reader's cars thread here
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Currently share daily duties between a 2009 Civic Type R and a Clio 182. The 'non-daily' is an S2 Exige.
The Clio is generally the car we doing 'shedding' in, it's a bit tatty on the outside - but mechanically seems fine.
Civic is the "comfy" car (though not really) as it has toys, doesn't leak and has ISOfix for baby.
Previously we've had new/leased cars for the daily duties when I've had to do a lot of work miles which worked perfectly - nice predictable 'white goods' costs, but currently we only need cars for fun or going to the shops. The Clio will soon be going so we can get something with 5 doors, and will likely surpass the Civic as the 'comfy' car.
That will leave the Civic in no-mans land, not fun enough to call the fun car and not old enough to be a shedder... so moving the Clio on will probably have a knock-on effect on the Civic eventually, might try an exec barge for the first time.
The Clio is generally the car we doing 'shedding' in, it's a bit tatty on the outside - but mechanically seems fine.
Civic is the "comfy" car (though not really) as it has toys, doesn't leak and has ISOfix for baby.
Previously we've had new/leased cars for the daily duties when I've had to do a lot of work miles which worked perfectly - nice predictable 'white goods' costs, but currently we only need cars for fun or going to the shops. The Clio will soon be going so we can get something with 5 doors, and will likely surpass the Civic as the 'comfy' car.
That will leave the Civic in no-mans land, not fun enough to call the fun car and not old enough to be a shedder... so moving the Clio on will probably have a knock-on effect on the Civic eventually, might try an exec barge for the first time.
SturdyHSV said:
I've used a Clio for a few years, walked for about 8 years, then went to a Volvo V70 once the commute got long again.
Commute then halved to 18 miles each way and about 14 miles of motorway, so I thought I'd have something nice to daily, got a Brera V6 S. This was very pretty but it just wasn't enough fun for the 23mpg it returned.
So I now have a JPS liveried Holden Ute. 5.7 V8, nearly 400bhp, rear wheel drive and 21mpg is a far more acceptable balance. The volvo could comfortably halve the cost but meh...
Reader's cars thread here
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
This makes me want to sell my sensible Aygo Commute then halved to 18 miles each way and about 14 miles of motorway, so I thought I'd have something nice to daily, got a Brera V6 S. This was very pretty but it just wasn't enough fun for the 23mpg it returned.
So I now have a JPS liveried Holden Ute. 5.7 V8, nearly 400bhp, rear wheel drive and 21mpg is a far more acceptable balance. The volvo could comfortably halve the cost but meh...
Reader's cars thread here
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Tickle said:
This makes me want to sell my sensible Aygo
I briefly commuted in a C1 for about 3 months and it was great fun, the 3 cylinder thrum was awesome, and being so small and light you could just bounce along narrow b-roads with abandon.That said... go oooonn, get a silly V8 daily
I now travel by train and pay the best part of £7,000 a year for that privilege.
My drive is approx.15mins in the morning and 20mins in the evening and my 'station-car-park' cars have ranged from £500 to £50,000 and currently £5,000 ish (Megane R26)..
Basically, I buy cars specifically for the enjoyment of driving them/the smile that puts on my face when I do. Value is secondary.
I have a GT86 for most work, fun and daily driving and a Mazda 6 estate for taking the dogs, fishing gear and trips with 4 adults in the car. At least I did until earlier this week when it failed its MOT on rust to the structural parts and is beyond economic repair.
Now on the lookout for a reasonably fast, reasonably fast estate car, so far considering 2 litre Audi A4's. Open to alternatives though, budget is within reason, up to £8K max don't want to spend more on something that gets abused and mistreated!
Now on the lookout for a reasonably fast, reasonably fast estate car, so far considering 2 litre Audi A4's. Open to alternatives though, budget is within reason, up to £8K max don't want to spend more on something that gets abused and mistreated!
I had a 2012 Octavia vRS diesel DSG & my wife a 2010 Clio 1.2TCE. My car was recently changed for a Leon FR 1.4TSi DSG. We almost always take my car if travelling together - except to one friend's house where the front of my car scrapes on the steep entrance to his drive.
In 50 years we have never had more than one car each. When I have had a company car then that has been 'my' only car.
In 50 years we have never had more than one car each. When I have had a company car then that has been 'my' only car.
I just buy whatever ticks the boxes for my routine at that point in time.
Had a diesel Insignia for a few years. Boring, but excellent at just soaking up the motorway mileage I was doing at that time.
Then changed jobs and now have a fairly tedious 20 mile each way commute on a mixture of dual carriageway and then windy A road where exceeding 50 MPH can be a challenge most days.
Insignia got written off and decided to just buy the cheapest car I could find which would do the job but offer some enjoyment. Settled on a Mk1 Focus 1.6 and its doing just fine. I feel quite satisfied now that I am not putting needless monotonous miles on something that is worth anything and enjoy keeping up with the newer reg cars in my 19 year old shed on the twists and turns of the A338.
Had a diesel Insignia for a few years. Boring, but excellent at just soaking up the motorway mileage I was doing at that time.
Then changed jobs and now have a fairly tedious 20 mile each way commute on a mixture of dual carriageway and then windy A road where exceeding 50 MPH can be a challenge most days.
Insignia got written off and decided to just buy the cheapest car I could find which would do the job but offer some enjoyment. Settled on a Mk1 Focus 1.6 and its doing just fine. I feel quite satisfied now that I am not putting needless monotonous miles on something that is worth anything and enjoy keeping up with the newer reg cars in my 19 year old shed on the twists and turns of the A338.
In the past 14 years I have had 5 Ford Mondeo Titanium 2.2 TDCi Estates, the current one with a Sports Pack. The first three were company cars which were changed at circa 70k miles. The next two were bought nearly new.
The 2004 Mondeo did 154k before I wrote it off in the snow in early 2010 otherwise I would probably still have it. My 2009 model which replaced it has now done 110k and still drives like new.
I think about changing the current Mondeo from time to time but recently upgraded my 2010 DB9 Volante for a 2016 DB9 GT Volante instead.
The 2004 Mondeo did 154k before I wrote it off in the snow in early 2010 otherwise I would probably still have it. My 2009 model which replaced it has now done 110k and still drives like new.
I think about changing the current Mondeo from time to time but recently upgraded my 2010 DB9 Volante for a 2016 DB9 GT Volante instead.
I have a Porsche 911 - 2 wheel drive - and just bought a BMW 120d X-drive as my DD which replaced a BMW 330d X-drive. 4WD is essential here at least in the winter months and with all the crap on the roads the Porsche just sits wired to a trickle charge from around now to whenever the salt etc its off the road, probably around early May. the BMW gets me top and from Barcelona Airport and up to the ski stations, and will be doing the drive back to the UK for Xmas.
Edited by AndorranPhil on Friday 29th November 16:34
p4cks said:
It's horses for courses I've found; I've got a £500 shed as my daily, and it does its job. I've thought about spending a little more on a better car but I can't bring myself to do it, as I've got a couple of nicer cars for weekends and nice weather days so my money is better spent on those
In addition to this I'm considering chopping in my two weekend cars (Evora and Clio V6) for something ridiculous (Gallardo) and keeping the £500 shed as the daily 
Viva does the journeys with mostly muddy country lanes or busy, cramped, city centre car parks. It's usually filthy and I don't care if someone puts a dent in it. It's so filthy I don't think anyone would want to park next to it because they'd get covered in mud if they brushed against it as they got out of their car.
Insignia does the journeys with mostly A roads or M roads. I try to keep it in decent condition and clean - it's a bit nicer to arrive at the houses of friends and family in a car that's clean and well-maintained (as compared to my filthy but still well-maintained Viva).
Insignia does the journeys with mostly A roads or M roads. I try to keep it in decent condition and clean - it's a bit nicer to arrive at the houses of friends and family in a car that's clean and well-maintained (as compared to my filthy but still well-maintained Viva).
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