What are your car buying habits?
Discussion
My goal is to buy, own and get out with as minimum a$$ kicking as possible. My past three: -
E60 M5 – Bought for £22k, sold for £22k – Owned for 2.5 years
C63 6.3 PPP (estate) – Bought for £42k, sold for £33k – Owned for 3 years
E63s (estate) – Bought for £42k – Current car - Had it for a year and I can sell it for very close to what I paid. When the new one is in the £40k range I will upgrade.
E60 M5 – Bought for £22k, sold for £22k – Owned for 2.5 years
C63 6.3 PPP (estate) – Bought for £42k, sold for £33k – Owned for 3 years
E63s (estate) – Bought for £42k – Current car - Had it for a year and I can sell it for very close to what I paid. When the new one is in the £40k range I will upgrade.
Usually buy 18 to 24 months old, run for 4 years for maximum write down benefit. Usually means I put around 80k on in that time then repeat the exercise. Work dictates an Estate car & this system has worked just fine on 3 A6 Audi's, 2 Volvo V70's & 2 E Class Mercs. I may revert to a Volvo next time. Really like the look of the new V models.
Up until now it's been what is interesting to drive and what's a nice to place to be.
That's got me to an E92 M3 that is right on the verge of being unreasonable for the road. Do a second gear pull to red line? That's ~85mph Sir. I adore the car - the driving position, the steering, that engine, the handling, the looks but I just can't use it like I'd like in the South East. And my previous cars have progressed on the same ideals but at lower cost. Now money isn't the object, it's ability to use the car.
So I might go down the route of a company lease car and a track project.
That's got me to an E92 M3 that is right on the verge of being unreasonable for the road. Do a second gear pull to red line? That's ~85mph Sir. I adore the car - the driving position, the steering, that engine, the handling, the looks but I just can't use it like I'd like in the South East. And my previous cars have progressed on the same ideals but at lower cost. Now money isn't the object, it's ability to use the car.
So I might go down the route of a company lease car and a track project.
For many years now I've owned two or three cars:
1) My daily driver. I tend to buy at around 3 years old for between £5k and £15k and keep it until it starts to show its age and I worry it'll start costing me money, although this is heavily influenced by my budget and to some extent how I feel about the car. If I like a car I tend to keep it longer, and if I'm not keen I'll sell on quicker (my shortest daily driver was 3 months and the longest was about five years). My last car for example I paid £10k for at three years old and 49k miles and kept it for about five years until it had done 149k miles, which was pretty much to plan, and my latest car I bought for £6k at 70k miles and 5 years old and will keep until around 150k miles again.
For my daily driver I look at a variety of cars, although my requirements have backed me into a 3 series shaped corner of late (with alternatives looked at being the Lexus IS and Merc C Class). My requirements are that I need the car to be RWD, manual gearbox, reasonable handling, low CofG and also able to carry big things around and tow. I also like it to be quiet and comfortable. Not too fussed about the engine, provided that there's no drive by wire throttle lag then I'm not too bothered on the power output, sound etc.
To date for my daily I've owned 5 BMW 3 series, and in brief spells where I didn't need to tow I've also had an MR2 and an Elise. Early on I owned an AX GT (FWD) and a Celica Carlos Sainz (4WD).
2) Fun car. This is entirely down to how I feel at the time and what I can afford. Often bought on the spur of the moment and purey from the heart, not the head. This has normally been a rear drive lightweight. To date I've owned a 2-Eleven, a Caterham, and an Elise.
3) Racing car. Currently due to limited funds this is also my fun car, so I've combined the two, but historically I've owned a third car for racing. Again, this is totally down to how I feel at the time. I started racing a Metro (5 seasons), briefly raced a nackered Caterham (3 races!) and now I have a 2008 Formula Renault (1 season so far), although the running costs are starting to really piss me off and I can't really afford it to be honest.
1) My daily driver. I tend to buy at around 3 years old for between £5k and £15k and keep it until it starts to show its age and I worry it'll start costing me money, although this is heavily influenced by my budget and to some extent how I feel about the car. If I like a car I tend to keep it longer, and if I'm not keen I'll sell on quicker (my shortest daily driver was 3 months and the longest was about five years). My last car for example I paid £10k for at three years old and 49k miles and kept it for about five years until it had done 149k miles, which was pretty much to plan, and my latest car I bought for £6k at 70k miles and 5 years old and will keep until around 150k miles again.
For my daily driver I look at a variety of cars, although my requirements have backed me into a 3 series shaped corner of late (with alternatives looked at being the Lexus IS and Merc C Class). My requirements are that I need the car to be RWD, manual gearbox, reasonable handling, low CofG and also able to carry big things around and tow. I also like it to be quiet and comfortable. Not too fussed about the engine, provided that there's no drive by wire throttle lag then I'm not too bothered on the power output, sound etc.
To date for my daily I've owned 5 BMW 3 series, and in brief spells where I didn't need to tow I've also had an MR2 and an Elise. Early on I owned an AX GT (FWD) and a Celica Carlos Sainz (4WD).
2) Fun car. This is entirely down to how I feel at the time and what I can afford. Often bought on the spur of the moment and purey from the heart, not the head. This has normally been a rear drive lightweight. To date I've owned a 2-Eleven, a Caterham, and an Elise.
3) Racing car. Currently due to limited funds this is also my fun car, so I've combined the two, but historically I've owned a third car for racing. Again, this is totally down to how I feel at the time. I started racing a Metro (5 seasons), briefly raced a nackered Caterham (3 races!) and now I have a 2008 Formula Renault (1 season so far), although the running costs are starting to really piss me off and I can't really afford it to be honest.
My wife likes small economical cars (Ka,Aygo etc) and her 10 yr old Ka has made way for a 2017 Aygo which i also use for pottering around and should last 5-10 yrs..
For myself i buy at around 3 yrs old and keep for as long as possible (boring saloon/estate etc)
I usually have a weekend toy also (large engine motorcycle or 2 seat roadster) but i am now thinking of leasing something like a Alfa 4c,Mx5 rf,Bmw z4 or similar..
BB
For myself i buy at around 3 yrs old and keep for as long as possible (boring saloon/estate etc)
I usually have a weekend toy also (large engine motorcycle or 2 seat roadster) but i am now thinking of leasing something like a Alfa 4c,Mx5 rf,Bmw z4 or similar..
BB
Basically, decide that I'm bored with it. Figure out what I want, and then go out and get it. Run it until I'm bored, or until it costs me a shed load of money, then move onto the next one. I feel like I've crossed off many of the cars I can afford to buy and run now, so I can imagine me sticking with the current steed for a while yet.
ked.
BugLebowski said:
My car buying routine consists of three steps:
1.Buy an overpriced car,
2.Spend a lot of money, time or effort on said car,
3.Sell car for peanuts.
Rinse and repeat.
If I could only reverse the process I'd be quids in!
This is also me. Except the selling for peanuts bit is normally because the thing is f1.Buy an overpriced car,
2.Spend a lot of money, time or effort on said car,
3.Sell car for peanuts.
Rinse and repeat.
If I could only reverse the process I'd be quids in!
ked.For daily driver, I'm not afraid of getting my hands dirty and know my way around BMWs at this stage so generally I try and find a decent 1 owner bargain around 9-10 years old which has a few small issues and is therefore cheap. I fix the issue @ 10% of what BMW quoted and sell after 1-2 years for at least what I paid.
Previously I used to buy cars <5 years old but cars are so good these days that age/mileage seems to be irrelevant - it's mainly about the way a car has been kept.
Previously I used to buy cars <5 years old but cars are so good these days that age/mileage seems to be irrelevant - it's mainly about the way a car has been kept.
Depending on which way the wind is blowing, one (or a combination of) the following options, as laid out by the OP:
3, 5, 7.
Having said that, my current car has spoiled all other cars for me. I will almost certainly now only ever have newer versions of the same car, until I can no longer buy them, or I can no longer drive.
EDIT: I suppose that now puts me in category 8.
3, 5, 7.
Having said that, my current car has spoiled all other cars for me. I will almost certainly now only ever have newer versions of the same car, until I can no longer buy them, or I can no longer drive.
EDIT: I suppose that now puts me in category 8.
Edited by MorganP104 on Tuesday 28th November 13:47
I spend too long thinking about what next and only ever look at second hand.
What tends to happen is I always want something niche for example I'd want a red or blue car with alcantara... The market was told to buy silver with black leather.
It's silly really, one day I want another rwd v6 or v8 coupe, others a cabriolet, then another hot hatch etc etc then Il just see something that I think is good value or in the case of a few cars I've thought they were too good to be scrapped and needed to be saved.
A few years ago I was heading to a dealers to look at a nearly new Golf Gti and stopped on route an bought a 20year old VW Corrado when I already owned 2 at the time.
What tends to happen is I always want something niche for example I'd want a red or blue car with alcantara... The market was told to buy silver with black leather.
It's silly really, one day I want another rwd v6 or v8 coupe, others a cabriolet, then another hot hatch etc etc then Il just see something that I think is good value or in the case of a few cars I've thought they were too good to be scrapped and needed to be saved.
A few years ago I was heading to a dealers to look at a nearly new Golf Gti and stopped on route an bought a 20year old VW Corrado when I already owned 2 at the time.
Currently , I am looking for a motorway muncher, it's been two months, I've gone full circle , full squares, gone from 330d to 330i, from BMW to Honda, from Volvo to Subaru. I have not even viewed a car yet. I've been offered a good deal on a V60 from my wifes friend, I have asked the details of the car three times so far, as one day I want it, then I don't, then after a while I do again.
I am currently driving my classic Saab, but look online, every day without fail, I may even go to view a car this weekend.
I am currently driving my classic Saab, but look online, every day without fail, I may even go to view a car this weekend.
Pretty much buy whatever, sometimes based on certain requirements.
Bought a Range Rover when I needed to tow, just bought a 520d to get some mpg as have a lot of long trips lined up.
Other than them I just buy whatever I see/I feel like at that moment. Helps I like to stay below 2/3k and have a farm to store all my st on.
Bought a Range Rover when I needed to tow, just bought a 520d to get some mpg as have a lot of long trips lined up.
Other than them I just buy whatever I see/I feel like at that moment. Helps I like to stay below 2/3k and have a farm to store all my s
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