Two cars cheaper+better than one?
Discussion
Been Thinking..... (I know - I should stop)
My current car (A3 2.0T FSI Quattro) is alright at most things - reasonably quick, comfy, practical etc. but not particularly exciting and a bit pricey to run.
I reckon I could get maybe £7k for it private sale to fund a £2-3k snotter for general running about and another £2-3k on a weekend toy like an original mini or a something.
Obviously you have to factor in two lots of road tax, insurance (or one multicar policy), MOT, servicing, storage etc.
So, to those that already have this arrangement - what are the pit falls, pros/cons I should consider?
My current car (A3 2.0T FSI Quattro) is alright at most things - reasonably quick, comfy, practical etc. but not particularly exciting and a bit pricey to run.
I reckon I could get maybe £7k for it private sale to fund a £2-3k snotter for general running about and another £2-3k on a weekend toy like an original mini or a something.
Obviously you have to factor in two lots of road tax, insurance (or one multicar policy), MOT, servicing, storage etc.
So, to those that already have this arrangement - what are the pit falls, pros/cons I should consider?
I've had a second car for a long time now and I started off with a 9 year old 156 for shirt buttons but then over years you build your snotter back up to something you actually like.
I'd probably say spend more on your toy and spend £1500-£2000 on your snotter, you'll be shocked what you can get for that small budget.
I'd probably say spend more on your toy and spend £1500-£2000 on your snotter, you'll be shocked what you can get for that small budget.
doogz said:
I never quite understood this. I'm all for a weekend toy, but selling something reasonably nice, to buy something crappy and boring to drive every day?
I drive 50 miles a day in my car. I want it to be something interesting, something that's fun to drive.
You could easily buy something like an Alfa 156 or Mondeo for that kind of money which would be nice to drive and live withI drive 50 miles a day in my car. I want it to be something interesting, something that's fun to drive.
All comes down to compromise, and what you want. I currently run THREE cars for less than one previous cost me.
Previously had 1x NISSAN 200SX (tweeked) and the insurance was £2500 alone. £200 a year tax. And circa 15mpg around town.
Now I run SAAB 9-3TID, BMW 320i Tourer (E36) and 1971 Austin 1300.
Insurance for all 3 comes in at around 1600quid. For me and the OH on all three.
Tax, only two apply.
fuel, well SAAB is pulling 40mpg around town, 45mpg on normal duty, and 50 on a run.
BMW is 25-32 around town, 40 on a run.
Austin 40mpg as a minimum.
But this set-up is not for everyone.
Previously had 1x NISSAN 200SX (tweeked) and the insurance was £2500 alone. £200 a year tax. And circa 15mpg around town.
Now I run SAAB 9-3TID, BMW 320i Tourer (E36) and 1971 Austin 1300.
Insurance for all 3 comes in at around 1600quid. For me and the OH on all three.
Tax, only two apply.
fuel, well SAAB is pulling 40mpg around town, 45mpg on normal duty, and 50 on a run.
BMW is 25-32 around town, 40 on a run.
Austin 40mpg as a minimum.
But this set-up is not for everyone.
doogz said:
I never quite understood this. I'm all for a weekend toy, but selling something reasonably nice, to buy something crappy and boring to drive every day?
I drive 50 miles a day in my car. I want it to be something interesting, something that's fun to drive.
As long as your daily keeps you warm and doesn't break down then its fine!! I was doing 130 miles a day so bought a snotter rather than putting thousands of miles on my M3. I drive 50 miles a day in my car. I want it to be something interesting, something that's fun to drive.
Now I work 11 miles from home I have got myself an ML55 which is still my snotter but over the last 6 years haven't lost money on my daily car intact I made on the last 3. Don't think anyone thar has £10k in their daily can ever say that.
It makes good sense even taking into account extra insurance, servicing etc.
doogz said:
It's not that i disagree tbh, it's just not for me.
I just couldn't see myself in a diesel rep-mobile every day, i drove a 406 for a few days while my car was in The Garage. Soul destroying stuff, and my own car felt great when i got back into it. And tbh, it's nothing special.
Depends what you want.I just couldn't see myself in a diesel rep-mobile every day, i drove a 406 for a few days while my car was in The Garage. Soul destroying stuff, and my own car felt great when i got back into it. And tbh, it's nothing special.
I did 38k miles in 11months, in a £3,000 focus tdci........... Basically because that mileage in a 200SX at 15mpg would have crippled me and the car.
Didn't mean I was bored, as the focai have their own virtues.
Nowadays the SAAB 9-3 is my comfort bus, for weekends away and long journeys (such as next year, Scunny to Copenhagen with the OH, as well as Loch Lomond and back) but my daily is a £1k 320.
It ticks all my boxes currently as I commute 5miles each way. It's cheap, fun, abuse-friendly, easy to work on, and can fit a 9st alsatian in. PLUS I can take it on a steelworks each without crying over the fact that the crap roads, acid rain, and general axle deep s
te are ruining it.Don't get me wrong, 1day out of 20, I'll miss the full leather, moderness of the SAAB, but if the journey you daily is crap, i.e. work and back, why use a car that's fun?
My previous 2 commutes, were 140miles a day, and then 70+miles a day. The focus did them, and I never batted an eyelid, as the journey was motorway only, so as long as I had a seat, 40mpg base figure, and could do it without breaking down, even in January at 5am, who cares?
I wouldn't get around to driving a 'second car' (in fact, I don't!) as really all the time I have to drive is when I have to more or less.
If your passion is trackdays, perhaps it makes some sense, but mine isn't, so it's rare for me to drive someone just for the hell of it.
On the other hand, I like to enjoy driving, so I try and drive something fairly entertaining within the constraints that life applies.
M.
If your passion is trackdays, perhaps it makes some sense, but mine isn't, so it's rare for me to drive someone just for the hell of it.
On the other hand, I like to enjoy driving, so I try and drive something fairly entertaining within the constraints that life applies.
M.
I've ran two cars for a few years now and (for me) it works out cheaper than running one.
10k miles per year @45+mpg in a boring but comfortable Avensis
3k miles per year @22-26mpg in a warmed over Monaro
It keeps the miles down on my P+J which I intend to keep for a very long time, and it makes it all the more enjoyable when it comes to the weekends/holidays
10k miles per year @45+mpg in a boring but comfortable Avensis
3k miles per year @22-26mpg in a warmed over Monaro
It keeps the miles down on my P+J which I intend to keep for a very long time, and it makes it all the more enjoyable when it comes to the weekends/holidays
I've got an '89 Nissan 300ZX twin turbo and a '96 Mitsubishi Shogun 3.0 LWB. Yes, they're sheds but I use them both on a daily basis.
They both put grins on my face and they're both on specialist insurance policies which in total cost about as much as one regular policy for a regular car.
The only downside is that I've two sets of RFL to pay for, but considering both cars cost much less in total than my mate spends on a brand new lease car in a year and I have the redundancy aspect of having two cars of quite diametrically opposed capabilities, I'm very happy.
They both put grins on my face and they're both on specialist insurance policies which in total cost about as much as one regular policy for a regular car.
The only downside is that I've two sets of RFL to pay for, but considering both cars cost much less in total than my mate spends on a brand new lease car in a year and I have the redundancy aspect of having two cars of quite diametrically opposed capabilities, I'm very happy.
I have three cars at the minute and have done exacly as others have said.
i have my 'fun' car a 99 elise which to be honest costs nothing at all to run. [and anyway its something for the weekend sir]
it probally costs me a year approx £2k including insurance, tax, servicing, fuel etc...
i bought a £400 astra g with galatic miles on it as a run around and love it! couldnt bear to get rid so have kept it for the OH.
we have just bought another car more suited for the daily running around a BMW X5. only had it a few weeks so cant coment on costs but budget around £3k a year for it.
i have my 'fun' car a 99 elise which to be honest costs nothing at all to run. [and anyway its something for the weekend sir]
it probally costs me a year approx £2k including insurance, tax, servicing, fuel etc...
i bought a £400 astra g with galatic miles on it as a run around and love it! couldnt bear to get rid so have kept it for the OH.
we have just bought another car more suited for the daily running around a BMW X5. only had it a few weeks so cant coment on costs but budget around £3k a year for it.
Interesting view points - Thanks.
Its the depreciation which is kicking me in the nuts! That and large modern tyres at £145+ a corner and £265 tax disc and £450+ insurance - I know that whinging about the cost of motoring is rather pointless but I can't help but think that I could be spending less and getting more.
I'm not one for track days so it wouldn't have to be particularly fast, just fun and interesting - maybe a drop top for the summer like a mk1 MX5 or ...... (your suggestions please)
Its the depreciation which is kicking me in the nuts! That and large modern tyres at £145+ a corner and £265 tax disc and £450+ insurance - I know that whinging about the cost of motoring is rather pointless but I can't help but think that I could be spending less and getting more.
I'm not one for track days so it wouldn't have to be particularly fast, just fun and interesting - maybe a drop top for the summer like a mk1 MX5 or ...... (your suggestions please)
I went with a cheap early Mk1 MX5 for running around town, blats, track days etc and a Legacy GTB for times I needed the extra space, comfort etc on longer trips (while still being fun).
Then I sold the MX5 and bought a very modified turbo MX5 which relegated the Legacy to daily driver duties, after a year or so I'm not sure it was the right call though - its a great toy but I probably had just as much fun with the standard MX5 and used it a hell of a lot more.
Moral of the story, figure out what multiple-car combination works best for you and resist the urge to overlap too much.
Then I sold the MX5 and bought a very modified turbo MX5 which relegated the Legacy to daily driver duties, after a year or so I'm not sure it was the right call though - its a great toy but I probably had just as much fun with the standard MX5 and used it a hell of a lot more.
Moral of the story, figure out what multiple-car combination works best for you and resist the urge to overlap too much.
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