What cars to meet a number of needs?

[RAClNG SNAKE]

Two vehicles required to meet as many of the following as possible with a £30k budget we have no kids or dogs, I am 6ft tall and my wife is 5ft tall and we both need to be able to drive either vehicle with ease:-

Four seater
Open top
Commuting
Long distance trips
Load carrying potential
MTB carrying potential
Weekends away
Great handling
Rear wheel drive
Low depreciation
V8
Reasonable economy
Small enough for country lanes (I live in the south west)

Obviously some of these factors are at odds with each other but remember that this is two vehicles. Current thinking is a T5 Camper and a Smart Roadster or a Mercedes SLK55 AMG (R171) and a ...?

[Crusoe]

A Nice second hand soft top 650i ticks almost all of those

[ewenm]

Fast estate and 2-seater soft-top. Various options available for each...

[kambites]

I'd go something like:

Chimarea:

Open top
Great handling
Rear wheel drive
Low depreciation
Small enough for country lanes (I live in the south west)
V8


Just about any diesel estate car:

Four seater
Load carrying potential
MTB carrying potential
Weekends away
Reasonable economy
Commuting
Long distance trips




Alternative, swap the Chim for an Elise or a Caterham and get a V8 estate.

[_Neal_]

kambites said:

I'd go something like:

Chimarea:

Open top
Great handling
Rear wheel drive
Low depreciation
Small enough for country lanes (I live in the south west)
V8


Just about any diesel estate car:

Four seater
Load carrying potential
MTB carrying potential
Weekends away
Reasonable economy
Commuting
Long distance trips




Alternative, swap the Chim for an Elise or a Caterham and get a V8 estate.

Good post. TVR + Diesel estate would get my vote - no V8 estate has reasonable economy (although it depends what you mean by "reasonable" I guess).

Although I wouldn't say Chimaeras are "great handling". Awesome in pretty much all other regards though.

[kambites]

_Neal_ said:

... no V8 estate has reasonable economy (although it depends what you mean by "reasonable" I guess).

No, but an Elise or a Caterham does.

[Matt UK]

BMW 550i touring and a Caterham.

[_Neal_]

kambites said:

No, but an Elise or a Caterham does.

Agreed, but I'd kind of put "reasonable economy" and "long journeys" together. Perhaps incorrectly.

[Snowboy]

Defender or Disco for the big trips.
You'll get a good D3 for £14k

Then 14k on whatever 2 seat sports car looks good on the day.

Then £2k on decent tyres, proper geo and a new pair of sunglasses.

[McSatan]

M3 and a Porsche Cayenne S. Works for me!

[kambites]

_Neal_ said:

kambites said:

No, but an Elise or a Caterham does.

Agreed, but I'd kind of put "reasonable economy" and "long journeys" together. Perhaps incorrectly.

Yeah, I had vaguely assumed that too which is why I suggested the Chim first.

[RAClNG SNAKE]

I would love another Chimaera but MrsRS struggles to drive one, hence the suggestion of a Merc SLK55 AMG which she would have no trouble with.

[chris7676]

Mustang.

[RAClNG SNAKE]

and a....?