£30k - ideally V8, 8-10k miles a year
Discussion
Currently spending most of my time driving my 2004 Honda Accord estate with 160k miles on the clock. It's a great car but not exactly the last word in fun. My wife as a 2020 Mini JCW, and we also have a TVR Tuscan and a Chimaera as 'weekend' cars.
As we only ever use one of the TVRs at a time, and the Tuscan is a bit of a dream car, I've decided to sell the Chimaera and put the money towards something fun that I can drive a lot more regularly. I'll still be keeping the Accord, but want to swap the bulk of my driving (say 8k miles a year) to something more interesting.
I also want it to be V8 powered ideally, as that is absolutely what I'll miss most about selling the Chimaera- I just love the V8 sound.
Budget £30k tops, but the cheaper the better.
The obvious choice to me is a 2016+ Mustang. V8, sounds good, looks good, new enough to use daily, shouldn't be 'overly' expensive to run, small back seats (not a necessity but a bonus), plenty of comfort (heated/cooled seats etc), could probably even get an approved used one via Ford with a plausible warranty too?
The problem is I've never spent that kind of money on a car before, and in the back of my head is the thought that £30k would buy a half-decent early Aston Martin Vantage 4.3- to my mind the best looking coupe ever built, sounds glorious, and another dream car of mine. Could one of these realistically do 8k miles a year and mostly live outside / under a carport without bankrupting me? Compared to a 4 year old Mustang the idea sounds daft, but compared to the impracticalities of the 25 year old Chimaera the Aston sounds positively sensible
I'm no stranger to big bills having spent close to £9k on the Chimaera over 5 years and the most recent service on the Tuscan was £2k, but I've got a nagging feeling that trying to run a Tuscan and a Vantage is being a tad ambitious.
Other things I've considered include;
-Jag XFR (perfect daily, loads of performance, but will it be fun enough and I prefer the looks of the estate which doesn't make sense given I'm keeping the Accord)
-Jag XKR (2+2 coupe, very comfy, but would probably just leave me wishing I'd got a Vantage)
-Jag XJR (always loved these, never had a proper luxo car before, but will the novelty wear off?)
-Monaro (very nearly bought one before the Chimaera, but the newer Mustang just ticks all the same boxes and more now)
-Corvette (absolutely love them, but more of a weekend car and I couldn't cope with LHD for 8k miles a year)
Completely different type of car but I also really like the FK8 Civic Type R (someone has to), but not sure I could justify spending Mustang money on one. We might consider swapping the Mini for one in a few years as my wife loves them too.
I would prefer something newer over something older, but given the newest car I've ever owned is still my 2004 Accord, I'm happy to compromise for the right car. I guess I'm torn between whether I want to focus on something that looks good, drives good, is very comfy, or more sporty. Probably the reason the Mustang is the favourite currently is because it seems to tick the most boxes.
Anything else I ought to look at? The equivalent BMW/Mercedes V8 coupes do nothing for me whatsoever, V8 F-Type Jag is still too expensive. Any non-V8 alternatives that are interesting enough to make up for the lack of the V8 sound?
I won't be looking to buy until later this year / early next year as we'll be moving first- ideally to a house with a garage- but I want to use the summer to go and look at some options get a feel for what I actually want...
As we only ever use one of the TVRs at a time, and the Tuscan is a bit of a dream car, I've decided to sell the Chimaera and put the money towards something fun that I can drive a lot more regularly. I'll still be keeping the Accord, but want to swap the bulk of my driving (say 8k miles a year) to something more interesting.
I also want it to be V8 powered ideally, as that is absolutely what I'll miss most about selling the Chimaera- I just love the V8 sound.
Budget £30k tops, but the cheaper the better.
The obvious choice to me is a 2016+ Mustang. V8, sounds good, looks good, new enough to use daily, shouldn't be 'overly' expensive to run, small back seats (not a necessity but a bonus), plenty of comfort (heated/cooled seats etc), could probably even get an approved used one via Ford with a plausible warranty too?
The problem is I've never spent that kind of money on a car before, and in the back of my head is the thought that £30k would buy a half-decent early Aston Martin Vantage 4.3- to my mind the best looking coupe ever built, sounds glorious, and another dream car of mine. Could one of these realistically do 8k miles a year and mostly live outside / under a carport without bankrupting me? Compared to a 4 year old Mustang the idea sounds daft, but compared to the impracticalities of the 25 year old Chimaera the Aston sounds positively sensible
I'm no stranger to big bills having spent close to £9k on the Chimaera over 5 years and the most recent service on the Tuscan was £2k, but I've got a nagging feeling that trying to run a Tuscan and a Vantage is being a tad ambitious.
Other things I've considered include;
-Jag XFR (perfect daily, loads of performance, but will it be fun enough and I prefer the looks of the estate which doesn't make sense given I'm keeping the Accord)
-Jag XKR (2+2 coupe, very comfy, but would probably just leave me wishing I'd got a Vantage)
-Jag XJR (always loved these, never had a proper luxo car before, but will the novelty wear off?)
-Monaro (very nearly bought one before the Chimaera, but the newer Mustang just ticks all the same boxes and more now)
-Corvette (absolutely love them, but more of a weekend car and I couldn't cope with LHD for 8k miles a year)
Completely different type of car but I also really like the FK8 Civic Type R (someone has to), but not sure I could justify spending Mustang money on one. We might consider swapping the Mini for one in a few years as my wife loves them too.
I would prefer something newer over something older, but given the newest car I've ever owned is still my 2004 Accord, I'm happy to compromise for the right car. I guess I'm torn between whether I want to focus on something that looks good, drives good, is very comfy, or more sporty. Probably the reason the Mustang is the favourite currently is because it seems to tick the most boxes.
Anything else I ought to look at? The equivalent BMW/Mercedes V8 coupes do nothing for me whatsoever, V8 F-Type Jag is still too expensive. Any non-V8 alternatives that are interesting enough to make up for the lack of the V8 sound?
I won't be looking to buy until later this year / early next year as we'll be moving first- ideally to a house with a garage- but I want to use the summer to go and look at some options get a feel for what I actually want...
fflump said:
I agree the XKR is a great car but the rear seats are useless and like you say you'd wish you'd got the V8V.
Consider the GranTurismo-looks and sound to rival the V8V IMO.
I do love the look of the Gran Turismo, a stunning car- I've always assumed they were a bit fragile/expensive to run most days, i.e. like the TVR? But I'll admit to knowing very little about them so happy to be educated. Consider the GranTurismo-looks and sound to rival the V8V IMO.
Squirrelofwoe said:
Anything else I ought to look at? The equivalent BMW/Mercedes V8 coupes do nothing for me whatsoever, V8 F-Type Jag is still too expensive. Any non-V8 alternatives that are interesting enough to make up for the lack of the V8 sound?
The V12 in the DB9 would make up for a lack of V8 sound ;-)
Summit_Detailing said:
XKR & Monaro were the first to come to mind.
Lexus ISF?
E63 or CLS63 AMG?...my preference over the equivalent M & RS in the BMW and Audi ranges.
Cheers,
Chris
The Lexus ISF doesn't do anything for me whatsoever looks-wise, which is a shame because I like pretty much everything else about it. I do really like the LC500 but it's out of my price range at the moment.Lexus ISF?
E63 or CLS63 AMG?...my preference over the equivalent M & RS in the BMW and Audi ranges.
Cheers,
Chris
Most of the German stuff I had kind of disregarded as the modern stuff just isn't that 'interesting' to me (I love 80's/early 90's BMW/Merc stuff) but I do actually quite like the saloon/estate versions of the C63 AMG with the 6.2 n/a V8. Definitely worth a further look!
fflump said:
The V12 in the DB9 would make up for a lack of V8 sound ;-)
Call me a heathen but I'm not such a fan of the DB9 proportions!
The V12 Vantage would be the perfect combo but I've got a fair bit of overtime to work before there is any danger of that becoming a reality.
I've also heard that the DB9 costs a fair bit more to run than the V8V - and I'm here considering if I have the stomach for the latter...
TheAlastair34 said:
Lexus RC F?
That's a very good shout- I do really like those, and I'd imagine should be pretty bullet-proof and reasonable costs to run (vs Aston / Maserati etc). I didn't think these had reached sub-£30k yet though?TheAlastair34 said:
Didnt read if you needed rear seats or anything but if you could drop to a V6 i can recommend a Lotus Evora
Rear seats aren't a deal breaker, just preferred. Lotus Evora not really my cup of tea unfortunately, although I've not had a good look over one up close. I love the newer V6 Exige, but a bit too hardcore for what I want to use it for.Squirrelofwoe said:
fflump said:
I agree the XKR is a great car but the rear seats are useless and like you say you'd wish you'd got the V8V.
Consider the GranTurismo-looks and sound to rival the V8V IMO.
I do love the look of the Gran Turismo, a stunning car- I've always assumed they were a bit fragile/expensive to run most days, i.e. like the TVR? But I'll admit to knowing very little about them so happy to be educated. Consider the GranTurismo-looks and sound to rival the V8V IMO.
In terms of expected running costs I would place them above the XKR, but below the V8V.
I had an RC F for 2 1/2 years, completely reliable and cheap to run. Annual service averages £500 / year, I got 27 MPG with mixed driving, good portion of m'way use.
The one to pick if you value reliability, good dealer service etc.
Also rare, I only saw 2 others on the road during my ownership. Only sold it as I wanted to get into a 4WD estate.
Private sales and occasionally dealer sales for sub-£30K, you just need to be patient as there aren't that many around.
The one to pick if you value reliability, good dealer service etc.
Also rare, I only saw 2 others on the road during my ownership. Only sold it as I wanted to get into a 4WD estate.
Private sales and occasionally dealer sales for sub-£30K, you just need to be patient as there aren't that many around.
Squirrelofwoe said:
TheAlastair34 said:
Lexus RC F?
That's a very good shout- I do really like those, and I'd imagine should be pretty bullet-proof and reasonable costs to run (vs Aston / Maserati etc). I didn't think these had reached sub-£30k yet though?TheAlastair34 said:
Didnt read if you needed rear seats or anything but if you could drop to a V6 i can recommend a Lotus Evora
Rear seats aren't a deal breaker, just preferred. Lotus Evora not really my cup of tea unfortunately, although I've not had a good look over one up close. I love the newer V6 Exige, but a bit too hardcore for what I want to use it for.Was a white one in January with around 40K on that sold for 25K at a dealer, i would have gone for that but you couldnt test drive at the time etc.... so bought an Evora in the end
As a daily no doubt the RCF will be better than my Evora but i am happy with my choice
BlueJ said:
I had an RC F for 2 1/2 years, completely reliable and cheap to run. Annual service averages £500 / year, I got 27 MPG with mixed driving, good portion of m'way use.
The one to pick if you value reliability, good dealer service etc.
Also rare, I only saw 2 others on the road during my ownership. Only sold it as I wanted to get into a 4WD estate.
Private sales and occasionally dealer sales for sub-£30K, you just need to be patient as there aren't that many around.
That's good to hear! Got any pictures of yours? The one to pick if you value reliability, good dealer service etc.
Also rare, I only saw 2 others on the road during my ownership. Only sold it as I wanted to get into a 4WD estate.
Private sales and occasionally dealer sales for sub-£30K, you just need to be patient as there aren't that many around.
I'm definitely going to see if I can go and take a closer look at one. It does tick a lot of boxes- 5.0 n/a V8, looks good, decent spec well equipped interior, still pretty new, and I like the fact there aren't that many of them about.
It's auto only whereas if I went for the Mustang it would definitely be manual- so will be interesting to see which setup I prefer. Very much on the fence in that regard- I've always had manuals and do prefer them in a fun car, but I've driven a few modern autos and i would happily have one for daily use.
take a big bottle of brave bills and purchase a Bentley Continental GT
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/324617252105?hash=item4...
What could possibly go wrong?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/324617252105?hash=item4...
What could possibly go wrong?
Squirrelofwoe said:
That's good to hear! Got any pictures of yours?
I'm definitely going to see if I can go and take a closer look at one. It does tick a lot of boxes- 5.0 n/a V8, looks good, decent spec well equipped interior, still pretty new, and I like the fact there aren't that many of them about.
It's auto only whereas if I went for the Mustang it would definitely be manual- so will be interesting to see which setup I prefer. Very much on the fence in that regard- I've always had manuals and do prefer them in a fun car, but I've driven a few modern autos and i would happily have one for daily use.
Should have added, I also test drove a couple of Mustangs. There's a real distinction between the engines - the Lexus needs revs to really pull, but when you get above 4,000 rpm it's rampant and just charges up to naughty speeds.I'm definitely going to see if I can go and take a closer look at one. It does tick a lot of boxes- 5.0 n/a V8, looks good, decent spec well equipped interior, still pretty new, and I like the fact there aren't that many of them about.
It's auto only whereas if I went for the Mustang it would definitely be manual- so will be interesting to see which setup I prefer. Very much on the fence in that regard- I've always had manuals and do prefer them in a fun car, but I've driven a few modern autos and i would happily have one for daily use.
I found the Mustang much more tractable - it would pull high gears from very low revs which was very impressive, but it didn't have that charge to the red line once stretched - the acceleration was more linear as revs increased. Both are great engines.
Manual definitely more involving, I prefer auto with paddles now - must have become lazy!
mattman said:
take a big bottle of brave bills and purchase a Bentley Continental GT
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/324617252105?hash=item4...
What could possibly go wrong?
Is that a rhetorical question? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/324617252105?hash=item4...
What could possibly go wrong?
My in-laws, who are retired and in an infinitely better financial position than us, were all set on getting one just like that. Test drove several, even put in an offer on one but couldn't reach an agreement with the dealer so walked away. Over the course of their research etc, they've now decided they don't have the financial stomach to run one... That says enough for me.
If our numbers come up however, I'll be straight down to the nearest dealer (Bentley that is- I know these have certain connotations!)- I love the latest model and the interior is just on another level.
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