Cars that are too good to change

Cars that are too good to change

Author
Discussion

Frimley111R

Original Poster:

15,531 posts

233 months

Monday 20th May 2019
quotequote all
I like to swap and change our cars but we have a 2016 BMW 120d M-Sport Auto 5dr. It is economical, comfy, refined, practical, has plenty of kit, looks nice, costs next to nothing to run, is reliable, has a premium badge and easy to park. If I replace it I'll want something else that does all those things and nothing else fits the job so well. I'm bloody stuck with it! (First world problems I know!).

I guess I am not the only one to have this issue as cars get better and better?

nunpuncher

3,363 posts

124 months

Monday 20th May 2019
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Yes, but for different reasons.

I have a couple of older cars (youngest is 16 years old, oldest is 30). Being economic, reliable, refined, plenty of kit, premium badge etc are low on my list of priorities. The driving experience is priority 1 and I can't find anything modern that is better than my current cars.

grudas

1,304 posts

167 months

Monday 20th May 2019
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my lexus is250.

115k miles, starts, stops, comfy, epic sounds system, good lights, parking sensors, reverse camera, sat nav, heated/cooled seats, super reliable etc etc

for a 2008 £4000 motor it is absolutely epic.

literally have 0 reason to sell it! I usually change cars yearly but this is hard to let go, I am planning to go up to ls430 which is is250 + much more.

I do have a fun car in a shape of honda s2000 to trash around and get it out my system.


Nexus Icon

534 posts

60 months

Monday 20th May 2019
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For the first year in a while I haven't changed my car, a Focus RS. I usually get itchy to try something else but this time there didn't seem to be anything worth the effort to replace it with so it went in for a Mountune kit a couple of weeks ago instead. The most expensive sticker I've ever bought, that.

Trevor555

4,404 posts

83 months

Monday 20th May 2019
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My wifes Fabia 1.2 Monte Carlo estate is staying.

£25 road tax, nice and smooth 4 cylinder engine.

The new one is now 3 cylinder and £145 road tax.

I normally get her a new motor every 18 months or so, not this time.

ilikejam

1,089 posts

115 months

Monday 20th May 2019
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nunpuncher said:
Yes, but for different reasons.

I have a couple of older cars (youngest is 16 years old, oldest is 30). Being economic, reliable, refined, plenty of kit, premium badge etc are low on my list of priorities. The driving experience is priority 1 and I can't find anything modern that is better than my current cars.
Care to share what they are?!

davek_964

8,795 posts

174 months

Monday 20th May 2019
quotequote all
grudas said:
my lexus is250.

115k miles, starts, stops, comfy, epic sounds system, good lights, parking sensors, reverse camera, sat nav, heated/cooled seats, super reliable etc etc

for a 2008 £4000 motor it is absolutely epic.

literally have 0 reason to sell it! I usually change cars yearly but this is hard to let go, I am planning to go up to ls430 which is is250 + much more.

I do have a fun car in a shape of honda s2000 to trash around and get it out my system.
Over recent months, I've started noticing Lexus cars more and more. Next time I want something sensible (which might be quite soon) I will give them a serious look.

Fastdruid

8,623 posts

151 months

Monday 20th May 2019
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My Mondeo 2.5T Estate. Bought it intending to only keep it two years....I've had it now for 6 years.

Everything newer that is comparable is objectively and subjectively worse. The newer Mondeo is auto only, not as good to drive and while more powerful its slower.

Everything newer and better would cost a massive amount more to both buy and run. I mean I'm sure say something like a 540i touring would be glorious, better in just about every way other than running costs and reliability but it's a fkton more expensive. That would even be if I could find one because only about 5% were tourers, of those about 98% were diesel and of the few remaining petrol cars about 0.001% were manual 540i's.

Then when I consider new. Everything is auto and downsized. frown

So now the plan is to keep the Mondeo until it dies at which point I'll panic and probably buy a 2010 one.

RSTurboPaul

10,217 posts

257 months

Monday 20th May 2019
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I have zero desire to buy anything full of unnecessary technology (traction control, stability control, reversing cameras and/or sensors, tyre pressure monitoring systems, lane keeping assist, automatic emergency braking, satnav, GPS-tracking, etc...) so like the poster above, I'll keep on running the two cars we have - both of which are a quarter of a century old.

I do wonder if more people will hang onto their cars longer if/when 'intelligent' rolleyes speed limiters and electronic vehicle identification and GPS tracking become mandatory - apart from the few Kings of the Road who claim to never break the speed limit or any law, I would hope that the vast majority of the population can see this intrusive Big Brother technology for what it is. (Although I won't hold my breath...)

Johnnytheboy

24,498 posts

185 months

Monday 20th May 2019
quotequote all
Nexus Icon said:
For the first year in a while I haven't changed my car, a Focus RS. I usually get itchy to try something else but this time there didn't seem to be anything worth the effort to replace it with so it went in for a Mountune kit a couple of weeks ago instead. The most expensive sticker I've ever bought, that.
Hmmm funny that. I came to post about my Focus RS mk2 (also Mountune). Bought brand new 9.5 years ago with every intention to keep for at least three years.

PH hivemind will hate it as it's neither RWD nor NA, but it cheers me up every time I drive it.

Nexus Icon

534 posts

60 months

Monday 20th May 2019
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Johnnytheboy said:
Nexus Icon said:
For the first year in a while I haven't changed my car, a Focus RS. I usually get itchy to try something else but this time there didn't seem to be anything worth the effort to replace it with so it went in for a Mountune kit a couple of weeks ago instead. The most expensive sticker I've ever bought, that.
Hmmm funny that. I came to post about my Focus RS mk2 (also Mountune). Bought brand new 9.5 years ago with every intention to keep for at least three years.

PH hivemind will hate it as it's neither RWD nor NA, but it cheers me up every time I drive it.
I really love the looks of the Mk2. It's so much more outrageous than my Mk3, which I wish every day was a 3 door, not 5, but I do still get a kick from seeing another nitrous blue Mk3. It's a beautiful colour - especially in sunlight - and I don't care that it was the most commonly specced paint. There was a good reason for that.

As for being FWD in the Mk2... it doesn't seem to slow the bloody things down biggrin

CABC

5,526 posts

100 months

Monday 20th May 2019
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RSTurboPaul said:
I do wonder if more people will hang onto their cars longer
i suspect this is already happening.
although actual sales of EVs are low there is a clear trend in place with dieselgate, ULEZ and electric.
people will chop & change dailies easily, but for many that 6 pot 981 ain't going anywhere...
i have an Elise that's light and nasp, can't see the replacement addressing the same brief. so it's a keeper from a lost age. happy to be fully modern for chore driving though.

pfnsht

2,131 posts

174 months

Monday 20th May 2019
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Yes got a couple of cars I'd struggle to replace

Corrado VR6 - drives nice, big naturally aspirated, rare/interesting to poeple who like them, no driver aids (except abs), pop up spoiler, sounds nice, weighs the same as a modern fiesta but not a generic modern eco box. Costs very little buy. Gets 36mpg on a gentle run and averages 29mpg most of the time. Can fit the kids in the back. Ticks quite a few boxes for me.

Seat Exeo estate - 2013 Sport Tech model, fully loaded with useful kit, albeit a bit old tech these days. Based on a B7 Audi A4. Owned since it was almost new/3k on the odo now on almost 70k and it drives just a solid as when I bought it. Now worth buttons. To replace it with an almost new version of itself, assume an Audi A4 would suffice, I'd need about £30k. The Exeo, like the Corrado is also quite rare/interesting to me. Such a shame I couldn't find a 2.0 TFSI version of it, but the CR170 diesel has been as good as gold so far.

Funnily enough there are less Exeo's in my trim on the road vs Corrado VR6's too.

Both unfortunately have high priced parts/non existent obsolete parts to overcome though.

Edited by pfnsht on Monday 20th May 15:36

Frimley111R

Original Poster:

15,531 posts

233 months

Monday 20th May 2019
quotequote all
To add to my original post I also have a Megane R26. With a stage 1 remap to 280bhp, semi track tyres, lowered suspension and upgraded brakes it fits normal roads, is worth nothing with 120k on the clock, had no MoT advisories the last 3 years and it brilliant fun to drive. I'd love a FRS or CTR but they'll not be more fun even if they are better in every way. I'm stuck with this then too!

Only the Z4 35i Mrs 111R has is likely to go (big, heavy tank and as sporting as a petrol lawnmower).

Pica-Pica

13,617 posts

83 months

Monday 20th May 2019
quotequote all
Trevor555 said:
My wifes Fabia 1.2 Monte Carlo estate is staying.

£25 road tax, nice and smooth 4 cylinder engine.

The new one is now 3 cylinder and £145 road tax.

I normally get her a new motor every 18 months or so, not this time.
Agree, we have the Fabia 1.2 Tsi 4 cylinder. Do not want to change it for a 3-cylinder.

Bomma220

14,452 posts

124 months

Monday 20th May 2019
quotequote all
Fastdruid said:
My Mondeo 2.5T Estate. Bought it intending to only keep it two years....I've had it now for 6 years.

Everything newer that is comparable is objectively and subjectively worse. The newer Mondeo is auto only, not as good to drive and while more powerful its slower.

Everything newer and better would cost a massive amount more to both buy and run. I mean I'm sure say something like a 540i touring would be glorious, better in just about every way other than running costs and reliability but it's a fkton more expensive. That would even be if I could find one because only about 5% were tourers, of those about 98% were diesel and of the few remaining petrol cars about 0.001% were manual 540i's.

Then when I consider new. Everything is auto and downsized. frown

So now the plan is to keep the Mondeo until it dies at which point I'll panic and probably buy a 2010 one.
That is, pretty much word for word, the post I'd have written. Only real difference is I've only had mine for 1 year.

ilikejam

1,089 posts

115 months

Monday 20th May 2019
quotequote all
Bomma220 said:
Fastdruid said:
My Mondeo 2.5T Estate. Bought it intending to only keep it two years....I've had it now for 6 years.

Everything newer that is comparable is objectively and subjectively worse. The newer Mondeo is auto only, not as good to drive and while more powerful its slower.

Everything newer and better would cost a massive amount more to both buy and run. I mean I'm sure say something like a 540i touring would be glorious, better in just about every way other than running costs and reliability but it's a fkton more expensive. That would even be if I could find one because only about 5% were tourers, of those about 98% were diesel and of the few remaining petrol cars about 0.001% were manual 540i's.

Then when I consider new. Everything is auto and downsized. frown

So now the plan is to keep the Mondeo until it dies at which point I'll panic and probably buy a 2010 one.
That is, pretty much word for word, the post I'd have written. Only real difference is I've only had mine for 1 year.
Glad to hear it as I'm looking at the 2.5T Mondeo for the next daily thumbup (albeit at the sheddier end of sub £2.5k)

NoAdverseDevelopments

300 posts

62 months

Monday 20th May 2019
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Another one here who's holding onto a Fabia, but mine's the 59PS 3 cylinder one. I bought it new as they were flogging them off dirt cheap as the old model ended so it has cost me very little in depreciation. It hasn't given me a single problem in 5 1/2 years, not even a blown bulb!! It's heading towards 90k now and usually I'd be looking to change it but it's dirt cheap to run, can cruise at 70 easily (has done a few trips through France with ease), has A/C, is comfy and easily copes with lugging my MTB's on a towbar rack plus camping kit without any fuss. While it would be nice to have something more powerful and a bit more special I genuinely can't justify changing it. I only have space for 1 car in my life right now so the fact it's boringly reliable and dependable is a big plus. I do have a grin every time I check the fluids, popping the bonnet and seeing a tiny engine in there is just funny to me. Even if I bought a much more accomplished car to use for fun I'd keep this little Skoda, it's wormed it's way into my heart. I did look at changing it 2 years ago but all the current stuff with infotainment screens and loads of other tech just didn't appeal.

RDMcG

19,093 posts

206 months

Monday 20th May 2019
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I have quite a few old cars I will hang onto:

-Smart Fortwo which I bought new in Dec 2004. I live in a dense city centre and it is ideal for downtown- parks better than anything else.
-
-Mercedes SL500 bought new in 2003. There are much faster and better SLs but is is good enough and a nice evening cruiser.

-Cayenne S from Dec 2007. 260,000km on it, unburstable V8,scratches and dents all over but mechanically perfect. Will drive it until some catastrophically expensive repair shows up . OTOH it might run to 500,000Km

-997.1RS bought Nov 2007. My only manual car now; no stability control, primitive electronics, manual seats and steering adjustment - has been trouble free since the day I picked it up from Porsche.


Not one of these cars holds a candle to current models but they do the job for me and I have no reason to change any of them

kieranblenk

865 posts

133 months

Monday 20th May 2019
quotequote all
Trevor555 said:
My wifes Fabia 1.2 Monte Carlo estate is staying.

£25 road tax, nice and smooth 4 cylinder engine.

The new one is now 3 cylinder and £145 road tax.

I normally get her a new motor every 18 months or so, not this time.
This is me down to a tee, although I have the hatch. I normally change after 18 months too, but 2 years 2 months in, I've been looking at a change but begrudge the huge jump in cost, tax and the fact that the 3 pot just doesn't feel as nice as my 4 for something similar. I was fancying a new Polo but my mam has just got one and it's good but nowhere near worth £6k more than what I paid brand new for my Fabia. Plus I'm not a fan of the 1.0 TSI.

I've looked at all sorts, both new and used but nothing so far has provided me with the value I want to justify a change.