£30k to spend on a used car - advice on V8 Vantage and M3 ?
Discussion
Hi all,
I have £30k (max) to spend on a used car. I have a TVR Chimaera and a Caterham and also use of my girlfriend’s BMW M135i. I want something really nice and special that can sit alongside these cars. I get a lift into work, so I don’t need it for commuting, the TVR or Caterham is for fun blasts into the countryside when it’s sunny, so this will be for weekends away and a bit of touring and generally polishing and admiring.
I don’t want a saloon or estate car, ideally coupe or convertible.
Current list:
Aston Martin Vantage (but I’m struggling to find a good car in budget, even though a lot of cars don’t seem to be selling)
BMW M3 (E92) Competition Pack with low miles
Porsche Cayman S PDK and Sport Chrono (987.2)
I’m in no rush to buy, so willing to wait for a bargain to come up. I want to buy a car that will hold its value (or appreciate if possible!). It won’t do many miles and will be garaged, so I plan to keep it in top condition. I think the Aston and M3 will appreciate, or at least hold their value, but no doubt the running costs of the Aston will be substantially more. The Aston is of course older, slower, much more dated and will cost loads more to run than the BMW, but it has the prestige and presence that I’m looking for.
What are your thoughts? What would you do?
And anyone know of any good V8 Vantages for £30k or under?!
Cheers,
Dan
I have £30k (max) to spend on a used car. I have a TVR Chimaera and a Caterham and also use of my girlfriend’s BMW M135i. I want something really nice and special that can sit alongside these cars. I get a lift into work, so I don’t need it for commuting, the TVR or Caterham is for fun blasts into the countryside when it’s sunny, so this will be for weekends away and a bit of touring and generally polishing and admiring.
I don’t want a saloon or estate car, ideally coupe or convertible.
Current list:
Aston Martin Vantage (but I’m struggling to find a good car in budget, even though a lot of cars don’t seem to be selling)
BMW M3 (E92) Competition Pack with low miles
Porsche Cayman S PDK and Sport Chrono (987.2)
I’m in no rush to buy, so willing to wait for a bargain to come up. I want to buy a car that will hold its value (or appreciate if possible!). It won’t do many miles and will be garaged, so I plan to keep it in top condition. I think the Aston and M3 will appreciate, or at least hold their value, but no doubt the running costs of the Aston will be substantially more. The Aston is of course older, slower, much more dated and will cost loads more to run than the BMW, but it has the prestige and presence that I’m looking for.
What are your thoughts? What would you do?
And anyone know of any good V8 Vantages for £30k or under?!
Cheers,
Dan
Lefty said:
I went through this last year and bought an e92 m3 with the comp pack...and regretted it very quickly. It's a very competent car but didn't feel special in any way to me.
That's what I'm worried about. But what does feel special for £30k? It doesn't seem to buy very much these days! Forgive me for going a little left-field, but it strikes me that you've already got a decent roster of fast/sports cars, in the shape of your current fleet (supplemented by your girlfriend's BMW).
What stood out for me in your post was that you are looking for something that will make you feel special. In over 20 years of driving, I've owned more than 50 cars (I'm a bit of a petrolhead), and the one that made me feel the most special, each and every time I drove it, was my L322 Range Rover.
It was the 4.4 BMW V8 model, so it was quick enough, the handling was secure (if not very chuckable), but the feeling of being inside my very own 50-storey gin palace every time I hit the road never, ever got old.
Sadly, my work situation changed, and I make the reluctant decision to sell it - luckily to a petrolhead friend, who is loving and caring for the Rangie in the manner to which she had become accustomed.
So, throw the Caterham around the track, destroy some B-roads with the TVR, and make a mad dash to the airport in the BMW.
For everything else, there's the Range Rover.
What stood out for me in your post was that you are looking for something that will make you feel special. In over 20 years of driving, I've owned more than 50 cars (I'm a bit of a petrolhead), and the one that made me feel the most special, each and every time I drove it, was my L322 Range Rover.
It was the 4.4 BMW V8 model, so it was quick enough, the handling was secure (if not very chuckable), but the feeling of being inside my very own 50-storey gin palace every time I hit the road never, ever got old.
Sadly, my work situation changed, and I make the reluctant decision to sell it - luckily to a petrolhead friend, who is loving and caring for the Rangie in the manner to which she had become accustomed.
So, throw the Caterham around the track, destroy some B-roads with the TVR, and make a mad dash to the airport in the BMW.
For everything else, there's the Range Rover.
I went through this very process, and have a 2007 black/black AMV8 4.3 manual. And it is a fantastic car. In every way more special than the BMW, if not as accomplished. It truly is one of the great shapes, too. And feels great at low speeds around town, where the BMW feels less so.
Running costs (the major service excluded at around £1200!) are really not that bad. Reliability has been fine.
Drawbacks. The manual box is a bot notchy, and the auto is awful.
It has heavy controls - really surprisingly so. I don't mind this, but my wife does.
It's less practical than the 4 seater/decent boot M3.
It's not all that fast, really. But I just don't care as the performance is perfectly adequate for our roads, and the noise it makes is simply outstanding - far superior to the M3's.
That's all, really.
You want the post 2007 year car rather than the launch version - the early cars had a few niggles and a bit less kit on them.
I am will be selling mine in the early part of next year (sadly not in your budget), as with a baby due it will do even less than the 2000 or so miles I do in it per year. If you have a Bentley Arnage Mulliner T/Aston Rapide to swap though...?. To give you some price guidance, dealers have been offering me around £32-33k for my 40,000 mile car. Which is actually more than I was getting offered when I contemplated selling it a year ago for lack of use - £30-32k seemed standard. Make of that what you will!
Running costs (the major service excluded at around £1200!) are really not that bad. Reliability has been fine.
Drawbacks. The manual box is a bot notchy, and the auto is awful.
It has heavy controls - really surprisingly so. I don't mind this, but my wife does.
It's less practical than the 4 seater/decent boot M3.
It's not all that fast, really. But I just don't care as the performance is perfectly adequate for our roads, and the noise it makes is simply outstanding - far superior to the M3's.
That's all, really.
You want the post 2007 year car rather than the launch version - the early cars had a few niggles and a bit less kit on them.
I am will be selling mine in the early part of next year (sadly not in your budget), as with a baby due it will do even less than the 2000 or so miles I do in it per year. If you have a Bentley Arnage Mulliner T/Aston Rapide to swap though...?
. To give you some price guidance, dealers have been offering me around £32-33k for my 40,000 mile car. Which is actually more than I was getting offered when I contemplated selling it a year ago for lack of use - £30-32k seemed standard. Make of that what you will!bigee said:
Been and viewed. It's not as tidy as described in all honesty, needs all the brakes changing and the engine has a nasty tappet noise. Had it checked by a garage and they advise taking the engine apart to rectify. He's negotiable, but it's not worth the risk IMO. And the last service was a minor service, not the major one. Otherwise, this would be on my drive right now!
Hungrymc said:
From your description in the OP, I think it's the Aston. If you were after a really exciting drivers car I think you'd find the V8V quite disappointing (and the M3) but if you want something 'lovely', the Aston is certainly special and beautiful.
Yeah me too. Shame I'm struggling to find a nice car in budget though. Might wait until summer next year when I'll have more cash, but no doubt the prices will be higher!zed4 said:
bigee said:
Been and viewed. It's not as tidy as described in all honesty, needs all the brakes changing and the engine has a nasty tappet noise. Had it checked by a garage and they advise taking the engine apart to rectify. He's negotiable, but it's not worth the risk IMO. And the last service was a minor service, not the major one. Otherwise, this would be on my drive right now!
), you would be more than welcome. Will help the comparison when looking at others.And to the chap who thinks the Aston isn't an exciting driver's car, that's not accurate. I have had a variety of performance cars, and this is right up there.
Analogue steering, full of feel, wonderful cornering balance and attitude, and definitely oversteerable if you fancy it. The M3 has more finesse - but the Aston feels like an old school British sports car - which is what it is, really. It can be surprisingly unrefined, actually! Whilst the engine of the 4.3 may not be the last word in power, it is sweet, free revving and makes a properly great noise. Great suspension and good ride. The only letdowns are a) it isn't really all that fast in today's context, and b) the notchy Graziano box.
My Morgan Aero 8 is more of an event than the Aston, but the Aston is a better car, and far less trouble...
Also, if you can afford it, buy the convertible. It is beautiful, and dropping the roof really suits the car. If I go down the sports car + barge option, rather than 1 x super-estate/Bentley route, I will be trading my coupe in for a droptop.
Edited by Harry Flashman on Thursday 24th November 13:12
bigee said:
That is lovely. I would have bought one instead of my C63 if the performance gap wasn't quite as huge. I so wish they had more grunt.With that said, that wouldn't look out of place at any event you could think of. Truly timeless.
zed4 said:
bigee said:
Been and viewed. It's not as tidy as described in all honesty, needs all the brakes changing and the engine has a nasty tappet noise. Had it checked by a garage and they advise taking the engine apart to rectify. He's negotiable, but it's not worth the risk IMO. And the last service was a minor service, not the major one. Otherwise, this would be on my drive right now!
Keep looking mate....although it does not feel like it when your are looking, i personally love the thrill of the chase !
Edited by bigee on Thursday 24th November 13:10
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