Are two cars always better than one?
Discussion
Simple question; are two cars always better than one?
Mrs Orbin is due to be droping a sproglet towards the end of the year which means I am looking at new cars (don't need to but it's a great excuse). In going through all the different options, I am coming to the conclusion that having two cars that both do very different things would be better than just one. I'm struggling to see one car I'd buy over two for the same combined cost (F40/300SL/supercars excluded)
Thoughts?
Mrs Orbin is due to be droping a sproglet towards the end of the year which means I am looking at new cars (don't need to but it's a great excuse). In going through all the different options, I am coming to the conclusion that having two cars that both do very different things would be better than just one. I'm struggling to see one car I'd buy over two for the same combined cost (F40/300SL/supercars excluded)
Thoughts?
Fartgalen said:
And 3 is better than 2. 4 is better than 3. And so on.
ah, i'm not so sure.if you are talking the same amount of money, i can see 2 being better than 1 and possibly 3 being better than 2. any more than that and the amount of money per car is getting a little low, plus, you still have insurance/running costs.
We've often had two cars in our household. One each, which meant we could have what we each wanted.
Then we moved into the town centre so everything is within walking distance, and i always use the bike or train for work meaning that two cars are pointless. Plus with a sprog on the way the missus' C1 wasn't big enough. So my scoob went as trade-in and we sold her C1 privately. We now have a compromise - SEAT Leon TDI, and not even a sporty one, but it has lots of toys. Neither of us love it, but it's not too big for her and not too small for me. It's averagely economical and handles nicely for a road car.
Having said all of that, a while ago i was desperate for a monaro, which she hated the idea of. That's the problem. Once you share a car it has to be what you both want and our needs are different.
Saying that, i've got my caterham (which is strictly a race car) tucked away in storage, and the bike for work, so i'm actually doing quite well out of the deal!
Then we moved into the town centre so everything is within walking distance, and i always use the bike or train for work meaning that two cars are pointless. Plus with a sprog on the way the missus' C1 wasn't big enough. So my scoob went as trade-in and we sold her C1 privately. We now have a compromise - SEAT Leon TDI, and not even a sporty one, but it has lots of toys. Neither of us love it, but it's not too big for her and not too small for me. It's averagely economical and handles nicely for a road car.
Having said all of that, a while ago i was desperate for a monaro, which she hated the idea of. That's the problem. Once you share a car it has to be what you both want and our needs are different.
Saying that, i've got my caterham (which is strictly a race car) tucked away in storage, and the bike for work, so i'm actually doing quite well out of the deal!
i ran 2 cars for a while, hated it
a barge for the london commute and a track setup GT4
i hated it, in reality it meant i never had the car i needed, and the barge made me loose the will to live
id rather have a car that's 90% of what you need all the time (golf r, RS4 etc) than 100% occasionally
of course ideally an RS4 and an atom 300
but funds don't allow it
a barge for the london commute and a track setup GT4
i hated it, in reality it meant i never had the car i needed, and the barge made me loose the will to live
id rather have a car that's 90% of what you need all the time (golf r, RS4 etc) than 100% occasionally
of course ideally an RS4 and an atom 300
but funds don't allow it Edited by Dave Hedgehog on Wednesday 29th February 12:13
Yes.
A little sporty soft top for you to escape away in - MX5 is always a good answer.
Reliable, easy to put kid in and out of i.e. 4 door something spacious which you don't mind having puke, s
te, baby food, piss, milk etc spilled in for more everyday use. If it's comfortable and has a relatively quick turn of speed to entertain you, then fantastic. But it will still be her choice!
Don't get a fking POS picasso / scenic just because you've got one child! Which seems to be what most of my idiot neighbours do.
A little sporty soft top for you to escape away in - MX5 is always a good answer.
Reliable, easy to put kid in and out of i.e. 4 door something spacious which you don't mind having puke, s
te, baby food, piss, milk etc spilled in for more everyday use. If it's comfortable and has a relatively quick turn of speed to entertain you, then fantastic. But it will still be her choice!Don't get a f
king POS picasso / scenic just because you've got one child! Which seems to be what most of my idiot neighbours do. alfa pint said:
Don't get a fking POS picasso / scenic just because you've got one child! Which seems to be what most of my idiot neighbours do.
^^^king POS picasso / scenic just because you've got one child! Which seems to be what most of my idiot neighbours do. This.
To do so is like you've given up on life, and have resigned yourself to the fact that your life is now your childs life.
There are plenty of interesting practical cars out there.
I was in a similar position OP. Had a 2006 Impreza STi then the wee one came along. He was a week old and we decided it had to go (the car, that is). I posted a WHAT CAR thread on here, obviously, and ended up buying a new Volvo V50 T5 (after not really listening to a word people were saying on here 
). Wanted something fairly quick, but with more room/comfort than the scooby.
A couple of months down the line I was struggling to get out on my own and do things, so started to look around at a second car. Stupidly bought a minted C2 VTS after going to test drive a Fiat 500 (which was pretty rough for it's age). Didn't keep the C2 for long, and traded for an Abarth 500. It's not an Impreza by any means, but great fun
Two cars will give you "some" freedom, at least to go to the shop for nappies while your wife is out lunching with the ladies...
). Wanted something fairly quick, but with more room/comfort than the scooby. A couple of months down the line I was struggling to get out on my own and do things, so started to look around at a second car. Stupidly bought a minted C2 VTS after going to test drive a Fiat 500 (which was pretty rough for it's age). Didn't keep the C2 for long, and traded for an Abarth 500. It's not an Impreza by any means, but great fun
Two cars will give you "some" freedom, at least to go to the shop for nappies while your wife is out lunching with the ladies...
dapearson said:
Having said all of that, a while ago i was desperate for a monaro, which she hated the idea of. That's the problem. Once you share a car it has to be what you both want and our needs are different.
There's a few people whose wives have grown to love what was originally 'his' Monaro... 
NotDave said:
Orbin said:
there is zero chance of any form of picasso/s-max mobile happening.
all this started because i was thinking a range rover/cayenne and then thought "hmmm, or an elise and a 5 series touring".
Nice plush car for the sensible stuff, and something daft for sir?all this started because i was thinking a range rover/cayenne and then thought "hmmm, or an elise and a 5 series touring".
The only problem is, after a series of wet trackdays, and failing Castle Combe's noise test last Saturday I've started wondering about changing the XF for Lotus Elise + cheap tow car, and keeping the seven.
One boring, one for day-to-day fun and wet trackdays, and one for serious fun!
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