What to do, what to do
Discussion
Hi folks,
well the time has come to actually buy a proper car rather than the stop gap Honda Prelude i have been rocking since i sold my 98 Integra R.
Basically the prelude was a £600 non runner (snapped timing belt, easy fix! luckily) and i have been running it for about a year, its a good car, but its making knocking noises from the back, and the 4WS system light keeps coming back on after sourcing a replacement ECU unit from a donor car i had.
TBH its not worth the cost to fix.
So i am buying something newer. The problem is i am conflicted by both head and heart decisions. As with most of us, the rising cost of fuel is getting silly, and it has basically killed my dream every-day car, a mk5 R32, as Road tax is an eye watering £500 a year and 20-25mpg is worse than my already kind of thirsty 2.2 Lude!! which sits at about 25-28mpg.
I dont do a huge commute, about 35 miles a day, and my GF is a 90 mile round trip twice a week, but we share that as she comes to mine sometimes etc.
My thoughts are either, go brand new on PCP (please no finance debates, i have read them all!) as my mum does this for her mini and it works well. or i taje out a personal loan and buy nearly new and have my own car but slightly older.
The cars i like are Mini Cooper\S\SD (this would be new), Ford Fiesta Mk7 Zetec S petrol or diesel (this would be new, but i have seen 2k mileage examples for £11k!! thats about £8k loan teritory with cash in hand.
Golf GTD, seen for about £13k, or a GTI\ED30, the only issue with the golf is my road tax increases by about £30 a year, but my fuel costs wouldn't change.
The plan is i am spending about £260 a month on fuel with the lude, if i bought a diesel say mini or feesty, it would about half doing rough calculations, so i would only be about £100 worse off a month, with a new car\warranty etc etc, but i am worried i will find the diesel boring after a year and would have preferred the golf.
I am test driving a coopers and SD back to back next week, to see how i feel about diesel option, but a 1.6 petrol would be a lot more frugal over my current 2.2. so its all a bit confusing.
Are there any cooper S, Fiesta zetc and mkV GTI owners on here who can give examples of mpg they have experienced, and which car i could best live with for 3 years.
I know its another "what car" thread, but as this will be my first proper car purchase, rather than bangernomics, i want to get something i like but doesn't break the fuel bank...much as i keep longingly looking at blue 3dr R32's...
well the time has come to actually buy a proper car rather than the stop gap Honda Prelude i have been rocking since i sold my 98 Integra R.
Basically the prelude was a £600 non runner (snapped timing belt, easy fix! luckily) and i have been running it for about a year, its a good car, but its making knocking noises from the back, and the 4WS system light keeps coming back on after sourcing a replacement ECU unit from a donor car i had.
TBH its not worth the cost to fix.
So i am buying something newer. The problem is i am conflicted by both head and heart decisions. As with most of us, the rising cost of fuel is getting silly, and it has basically killed my dream every-day car, a mk5 R32, as Road tax is an eye watering £500 a year and 20-25mpg is worse than my already kind of thirsty 2.2 Lude!! which sits at about 25-28mpg.
I dont do a huge commute, about 35 miles a day, and my GF is a 90 mile round trip twice a week, but we share that as she comes to mine sometimes etc.
My thoughts are either, go brand new on PCP (please no finance debates, i have read them all!) as my mum does this for her mini and it works well. or i taje out a personal loan and buy nearly new and have my own car but slightly older.
The cars i like are Mini Cooper\S\SD (this would be new), Ford Fiesta Mk7 Zetec S petrol or diesel (this would be new, but i have seen 2k mileage examples for £11k!! thats about £8k loan teritory with cash in hand.
Golf GTD, seen for about £13k, or a GTI\ED30, the only issue with the golf is my road tax increases by about £30 a year, but my fuel costs wouldn't change.
The plan is i am spending about £260 a month on fuel with the lude, if i bought a diesel say mini or feesty, it would about half doing rough calculations, so i would only be about £100 worse off a month, with a new car\warranty etc etc, but i am worried i will find the diesel boring after a year and would have preferred the golf.
I am test driving a coopers and SD back to back next week, to see how i feel about diesel option, but a 1.6 petrol would be a lot more frugal over my current 2.2. so its all a bit confusing.
Are there any cooper S, Fiesta zetc and mkV GTI owners on here who can give examples of mpg they have experienced, and which car i could best live with for 3 years.
I know its another "what car" thread, but as this will be my first proper car purchase, rather than bangernomics, i want to get something i like but doesn't break the fuel bank...much as i keep longingly looking at blue 3dr R32's...
If you're happy spending £13k, as you say, then the additional costs of road fund tax and fuel are not likely to break the bank - so why not buy the car you want? Use this logic to negotiate the purchase price right down, then drive it, love it, and live (sensibly) for today - it won't cost you vastly more, really.....
trickywoo said:
I am actaully Building a locost chassis, original L-Block 1558 Big Valve head engined 7 hehe, its just taking a lot longer than i thought :Pbut yeah, basically if i got the golf, it would be about £250 a month in finance over say 3 years, but i would still be paying about £200 a month in fuel, so thats doubling my monthly costs. However if i an r32 gave the same sort of MPG as my lude, circa 25mpg, i could live with it, its not like i am stretching into the limits of my budget etc, as thats what gets most on loans pcp etc into trouble.
I am just trying to be sensible, i had a mk3 golf VR6 and it wasn't actually that bad on fuel, but thats when petrol was about £1.05 PPL!
I just dont want to see reports of R32's getting 25mpg, when in reallity its more like 18 etc.
and i am worried if i do get the 170bhp golf GTD etc, i will be bored of it in a year.
Rick_1138 said:
Hi folks,
well the time has come to actually buy a proper car rather than the stop gap Honda Prelude i have been rocking since i sold my 98 Integra R.
What do you mean when you state that you have been 'rocking' a car? Following some sort of procedure for checking the dampers?well the time has come to actually buy a proper car rather than the stop gap Honda Prelude i have been rocking since i sold my 98 Integra R.
Buying a new car always seems like a good idea the first time you do it. It really isn't unless you have a lot of spare cash. I kept mine for a year, realised my payments had JUST covered the depreciation and sold it on.
Why not get something like a CTR, you obviously like the VTECs. The cash you save will buy stacks of fuel. Could even buy a good warranty for it and have the security of that.
If you're really worried about the fuel prices ditch the bird, find one local and get something with a massive turbo - problem solved ;-)
Why not get something like a CTR, you obviously like the VTECs. The cash you save will buy stacks of fuel. Could even buy a good warranty for it and have the security of that.
If you're really worried about the fuel prices ditch the bird, find one local and get something with a massive turbo - problem solved ;-)
Yeah, i am hesitant to buy new, mainly as i can get a nice car for the same monthly repayment on a personal loan, the big bonus is after 3 years i have something i can trade in or sell and use that cash to buy a better car but for less finance this time round etc.
The CTR is interesting, but again i was trying not to look at cars that were basically the same fuel costs as my current motor but adding repayments to the monthly outgoings.
However when you add it up, if i tried to repair the prelude to get it tip top, it would need, at least, new dampers and bearings all round, and the 4WS system fix could be chased for ever and a day. I can do all this work myself, but why spend a good Grand on parts for a car that wont add any more than about £300 to resale as its a bit of a shed.
The new FN2 civic is a car that appeals to me (it is a bit marmite in its styling, but i dont like the 4 door FD2 one in my personal taste but they are a superb drivers car i know)
I am a bit torn bewteen economy of diesel, with half fuel bill and almost £0 tax, but i know i might get bored, whew if i got the GTI\Type R or even the R32, i would be a lot happier, but worse off a month.
However there may be opportunity for new job and more cash a year, but this isn't being counted until i got a job offer haha!
Its just that i know i need a newer car, as chasing faults all the time is getting tiresome with all my older cars, i want something that is relaible, not too thirsty, i.e. 25mpg+ and makes me smile to sit in it.
The Mini would be good as i like using my mums one now and then when i get the chance, but the Ed30 golf, CTR and R32 would make me smile..its manly to cry at the petrol pump right....
and i have seen R32's for £13k...though when it comes to taxing it...i may cry again.hahaha
Hmm, it seems the PH masive are nursing me towards VAG and VTEC decisions.
Though getting a test drive of these could be hard, as VW are really pissy about second hand test drives in Aberdeen which is annoying as if i like it i would buy it grr.
The CTR is interesting, but again i was trying not to look at cars that were basically the same fuel costs as my current motor but adding repayments to the monthly outgoings.
However when you add it up, if i tried to repair the prelude to get it tip top, it would need, at least, new dampers and bearings all round, and the 4WS system fix could be chased for ever and a day. I can do all this work myself, but why spend a good Grand on parts for a car that wont add any more than about £300 to resale as its a bit of a shed.
The new FN2 civic is a car that appeals to me (it is a bit marmite in its styling, but i dont like the 4 door FD2 one in my personal taste but they are a superb drivers car i know)
I am a bit torn bewteen economy of diesel, with half fuel bill and almost £0 tax, but i know i might get bored, whew if i got the GTI\Type R or even the R32, i would be a lot happier, but worse off a month.
However there may be opportunity for new job and more cash a year, but this isn't being counted until i got a job offer haha!
Its just that i know i need a newer car, as chasing faults all the time is getting tiresome with all my older cars, i want something that is relaible, not too thirsty, i.e. 25mpg+ and makes me smile to sit in it.
The Mini would be good as i like using my mums one now and then when i get the chance, but the Ed30 golf, CTR and R32 would make me smile..its manly to cry at the petrol pump right....
and i have seen R32's for £13k...though when it comes to taxing it...i may cry again.hahaha
Hmm, it seems the PH masive are nursing me towards VAG and VTEC decisions.
Though getting a test drive of these could be hard, as VW are really pissy about second hand test drives in Aberdeen which is annoying as if i like it i would buy it grr.
Rick_1138 said:
Yeah, i am hesitant to buy new, mainly as i can get a nice car for the same monthly repayment on a personal loan, the big bonus is after 3 years i have something i can trade in or sell and use that cash to buy a better car but for less finance this time round etc.
If you're looking to step up to a nicer car in another 3 years, don't forget to factor in depreciation.I know, that sounds boring... but bear with me. In the real world, you're unlikely to find a zero depreciation car. But you might find a more desirable one that's done most of its depreciation already. For example, there's a bit of a following on on a Mk1 Focus RS or on an early R32. Minis aren't going to drop really low while there's still a market for them. Escort Cosworths perhaps? There's some cult following around some Japanese metal too...
You need a bit of luck too, mind. Who knows when Minis will suddenly be unfashionable, or rising insurance/tax costs make Escort Cossie values fall? But generally the more interesting the car, the less the depreciation will be. It could save you more than saving a few mpg at the pumps.
Thinking out of the box, i would save my cash and get the old 740i from the other thread....costs <£1500 which leaves an awful lot for fuel
if that sounds stupid how about something like a E39 5 series/E46 coupe (if you can't stick the image of the 7/5) It will cost less overall due to lower depreciation with vaguely similar fuel costs? (x30i's should see over 35mpg on a run, hell i got 37 in my 335i today)
ETA. link to other thread http://pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f...
if that sounds stupid how about something like a E39 5 series/E46 coupe (if you can't stick the image of the 7/5) It will cost less overall due to lower depreciation with vaguely similar fuel costs? (x30i's should see over 35mpg on a run, hell i got 37 in my 335i today)
ETA. link to other thread http://pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f...
Edited by kiethton on Saturday 28th May 00:27
I get 18mpg out of an M5 on an urban commute. A friend gets 17mpg out of his CSL driving it like a terrorist everywhere. If the R32 gets 18 then its basically...rubbish.
Spending £13k on a brand new Fiesta is madness. Spend £4-5k on a low mileage 3 series or get a Mini with a decent warranty (they break a lot so I'm told) but don't have some massive dept hanging over you when you are young.
Spending £13k on a brand new Fiesta is madness. Spend £4-5k on a low mileage 3 series or get a Mini with a decent warranty (they break a lot so I'm told) but don't have some massive dept hanging over you when you are young.
R32s are crap on fuel, mine averaged 18mpg in town and 27 when driving like miss daisy to Edinburgh, compared to my E46 M3 I had a year later the R32 was on average 3-4mpg WORSE than the BMW, this was a mk4 R32 and although the mk5 is better it still wouldn't better the M3 under normal driving.
I can't help you much with your car choices, but by the sounds of it you want something fun, relatively economical and petrol, how about the BMW 130i? Fantastic 3.0 engine, cracking RWD chassis (far better than the Golf) and alot more economical. Ticks all of your boxes, and if you like the styling of the FN2 CTR the 1 series shouldn't be too hard to like either
I can't help you much with your car choices, but by the sounds of it you want something fun, relatively economical and petrol, how about the BMW 130i? Fantastic 3.0 engine, cracking RWD chassis (far better than the Golf) and alot more economical. Ticks all of your boxes, and if you like the styling of the FN2 CTR the 1 series shouldn't be too hard to like either
Reliable, fairly new, not overly fast but quick enough too put a smile on your face:
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2811662.htm
I love mine and I get 37mpg driving everyday
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2811662.htm
I love mine and I get 37mpg driving everyday
Thanks folks, its nice to get some reasoned replies to this type of thread instead of the usual "BUY an E46 M3!!! do it!!!" as another forum tends to do with these threads lol.
The depreciation point is true and i understand how it works, i meant more that after my loan is completed i should have a car that would be worth about 4-8k ish maybe (this is just a general figure) cars always lose money (most of the time etc) and i appreciate it will be paying for something that wont return, but i am looking to get a car to keep for a while (say 3-5 years) so am happy taking out reasonable finance for it, and in 5 years my situation could be very diff, i.e. maybe married, maybe kids etc.
I am not a big fan of the mk4 R32, it is starting to look a bit dated, but they are a nice car, just not what i really want.
I have the mini test drives on Saturday, and i may slink across to the VW dealer next door to see if they will give me a wee run in a used mk5 GTI, and Honda for a CTR.
Was mulling things over at the weekend with myself and my old man (we were building my kitchen!) and he agrees that the best option would be a loan and a nearly new car, maybe a warranty still on the car etc, as we can fix most mechanical things oursleves.
Fuel wise i think if i went for a wee fiesta diesel (though after ford ignored my road test request, they basically lost my interests, mini got back to me same day!) i would be bored with it, i would miss the petroll fizz and go i am used to, and its not as if i am a pauper and can't afford fuel, it would just be nice not to increase it massively lol.
So it seems my saturday will consist of a couple of mini's and trying my hand for a shot of a GTI and a CTR
Keep looking at my old Integra type R pics, and then the CTR champ white model...it is calling me to it i know, and if i hit VTEC i may hand over money....i am weak.
Though pistonheads classifieds are bad, as i see TVR's and Lotus's for less than the GTI or CTR ....but they would just go on fire or spark out....(runs and hides :P)
The depreciation point is true and i understand how it works, i meant more that after my loan is completed i should have a car that would be worth about 4-8k ish maybe (this is just a general figure) cars always lose money (most of the time etc) and i appreciate it will be paying for something that wont return, but i am looking to get a car to keep for a while (say 3-5 years) so am happy taking out reasonable finance for it, and in 5 years my situation could be very diff, i.e. maybe married, maybe kids etc.
I am not a big fan of the mk4 R32, it is starting to look a bit dated, but they are a nice car, just not what i really want.
I have the mini test drives on Saturday, and i may slink across to the VW dealer next door to see if they will give me a wee run in a used mk5 GTI, and Honda for a CTR.
Was mulling things over at the weekend with myself and my old man (we were building my kitchen!) and he agrees that the best option would be a loan and a nearly new car, maybe a warranty still on the car etc, as we can fix most mechanical things oursleves.
Fuel wise i think if i went for a wee fiesta diesel (though after ford ignored my road test request, they basically lost my interests, mini got back to me same day!) i would be bored with it, i would miss the petroll fizz and go i am used to, and its not as if i am a pauper and can't afford fuel, it would just be nice not to increase it massively lol.
So it seems my saturday will consist of a couple of mini's and trying my hand for a shot of a GTI and a CTR
Keep looking at my old Integra type R pics, and then the CTR champ white model...it is calling me to it i know, and if i hit VTEC i may hand over money....i am weak.
Though pistonheads classifieds are bad, as i see TVR's and Lotus's for less than the GTI or CTR ....but they would just go on fire or spark out....(runs and hides :P)
Seat Leon Cupra? Or FrTdi? Both are quite stonking. We run a cupra as an unmarked and average about 24 mpg but that's with some progressive driving. It's not put a foot wrong at 90,000 miles and has taken some punishment. It sticks like glue. It also is cheaper to buy. Less than 200 co2's and good on depreciation. You could pick up a decent 2nd hand one. It's a monster when driven hard. You will have to watch your licence though!
I test drove a Leon when the new shape comae out, circa 07/08, it was the diesel FR and it was nice to drive, but interior was quite barren of any detail and felt quite cheapy plastic (but thats a complaint of most nw cars tbh ) but the styling at the front leaves me cold, i am the odd one that likes the FN2 Type R, as i like slightly different styling.
But i know the lean is a cracking car, but its not what i want.
) but the styling at the front leaves me cold, i am the odd one that likes the FN2 Type R, as i like slightly different styling.But i know the lean is a cracking car, but its not what i want.
Just to throw a bit of reality into this, i would also be interested in getting something not so new but in very good nick in the 4-8k area, but the problem there is, i start looking at fun things like early VX220's haha which are rather impreactical when you live in NE scotland and have a GF who lives by Fochabers where the snow is usually the worst.
Hence why a E46 325 was a no no as rear wheel drive would be useless for 2 months of the year if the last few winters keep up!
But i am also aware there are a lot of good cars available for circa £6k, but then the choice becomes madenning
Hence why a E46 325 was a no no as rear wheel drive would be useless for 2 months of the year if the last few winters keep up!
But i am also aware there are a lot of good cars available for circa £6k, but then the choice becomes madenning
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