Cerbera not worth it????
Discussion
Drove past the new TVR dealership in Kirckaldy last week. They've got a speed six Cerbera in there with the Tuscan alloys on it. Looks the business. Went to test drive it and thought it was superb. Have told the dealer to look out for one around the 25K mark for me and since then I've been reading up on all the stories in this forum including the cost per miles pages.
Example:
The average running cost of a Cerbera is 80pence per mile. If we say the average punter did 8000 miles per year that equates to 6400 pounds per year running costs. If the Cerbera cost 25K for say a T reg the running cost to me over three years would be 44K. Oops not to forget of course I'll need another car and how ever many hours off work to take it back and forward to the garage. So add another couple of grand on for a cheap run around. OK so we're talking 46K over 3 years. I'm not saying for one moment it's not worth the cash, just trying to make a relative comparison.
A 2 year old M3 will cost about 33K. The running costs are approximately 15p per mile(if that). After three years(8000 miles/year) we're looking at 3600 pounds. Add that to the 33K and we get 37K.
I'd really love to buy the Cerbera becasue it's so different and isn't a common car, oh and not to forget it's a total rocket machine.
Someone please persuade me that a 2001 M3 and 9K in my pocket is not the best option! Please!!!!!!!
Happy to report I've ventured into TVR land and bought a Cerbie Speed Six 2001!!!!
My M3 is up for sale. Pick up the new Cerbie on Saturday and have to drive it all the way from Windsor to Edinburgh!
Cheers for all the input men!!! Anyone want to buy a minted M3 or are those words not allowed on the cerbie forum!!
Oh before I go the RAC TVR specialist chap who inspected my car mentioned there was a knocking noise (only sometimes) when the aircon was switched on. He reckoned the exhaust system or something was banging agaist the air con system. ANything to be concerned with???? Cheers!
>>> Edited by jamie mackay on Wednesday 3rd September 12:45
Example:
The average running cost of a Cerbera is 80pence per mile. If we say the average punter did 8000 miles per year that equates to 6400 pounds per year running costs. If the Cerbera cost 25K for say a T reg the running cost to me over three years would be 44K. Oops not to forget of course I'll need another car and how ever many hours off work to take it back and forward to the garage. So add another couple of grand on for a cheap run around. OK so we're talking 46K over 3 years. I'm not saying for one moment it's not worth the cash, just trying to make a relative comparison.
A 2 year old M3 will cost about 33K. The running costs are approximately 15p per mile(if that). After three years(8000 miles/year) we're looking at 3600 pounds. Add that to the 33K and we get 37K.
I'd really love to buy the Cerbera becasue it's so different and isn't a common car, oh and not to forget it's a total rocket machine.
Someone please persuade me that a 2001 M3 and 9K in my pocket is not the best option! Please!!!!!!!
Happy to report I've ventured into TVR land and bought a Cerbie Speed Six 2001!!!!
My M3 is up for sale. Pick up the new Cerbie on Saturday and have to drive it all the way from Windsor to Edinburgh!
Cheers for all the input men!!! Anyone want to buy a minted M3 or are those words not allowed on the cerbie forum!!
Oh before I go the RAC TVR specialist chap who inspected my car mentioned there was a knocking noise (only sometimes) when the aircon was switched on. He reckoned the exhaust system or something was banging agaist the air con system. ANything to be concerned with???? Cheers!
>>> Edited by jamie mackay on Wednesday 3rd September 12:45
Don't need to, you're already halfway there yourself. I've had both, and there's no comparison. If you drive both you'll understand. The M3 is a fast car and to be honest youre not really going to test the difference this side of a racetrack. But the M3 is totally souless, and the cerbera is the total opposite.
If you want practicality. I'm a GP, I travel to work with the Cerbera and it does my day to day house calls and visits. It han't let me down yet. It also leaves a big smile on my face while doing it.
Last service was the 18000 mile at a main dealers and it cost £2300. The rest is all fuel at about 19mpg.
So buy the BMW if you want practicality. I also have an 8 series incidently and can't remeber the last time I used it. But buy the cerb if you want a car to love.
If you want practicality. I'm a GP, I travel to work with the Cerbera and it does my day to day house calls and visits. It han't let me down yet. It also leaves a big smile on my face while doing it.
Last service was the 18000 mile at a main dealers and it cost £2300. The rest is all fuel at about 19mpg.
So buy the BMW if you want practicality. I also have an 8 series incidently and can't remeber the last time I used it. But buy the cerb if you want a car to love.
Jamie, why not come along to the next central meet - 12:30pm 6th Sep at the Dunnikier House Hotel in Kircaldy.
Bound to be the odd Cerbie or 2 there & I'm sure you can persuade someone to take you out for a run - after which the costs tend to diminish in importance (although I think you've pegged them a tad high for the Cerbie & a tad low for the BMW)
I also think your maths are a little at fault - you seem to be writing off the cost of the Cerbie over 3 years, which is a little harsh (it's not a computer after all)
If you give it a value of, say £18k after 3 years, then the sums work out to be £28k over 3 years including depreciation & spare car (Experience of mates of mine suggests that a spare car is also needed if you purchase an M3, as these have their own sets of problems)
At the end of the day though, if you want to buy a sensible car with performance, then get a Skoda Octavia RS or similar - if you want something that is blisteringly quick & outrageous, then a TVR may be for you.
Bound to be the odd Cerbie or 2 there & I'm sure you can persuade someone to take you out for a run - after which the costs tend to diminish in importance (although I think you've pegged them a tad high for the Cerbie & a tad low for the BMW)
I also think your maths are a little at fault - you seem to be writing off the cost of the Cerbie over 3 years, which is a little harsh (it's not a computer after all)
If you give it a value of, say £18k after 3 years, then the sums work out to be £28k over 3 years including depreciation & spare car (Experience of mates of mine suggests that a spare car is also needed if you purchase an M3, as these have their own sets of problems)
At the end of the day though, if you want to buy a sensible car with performance, then get a Skoda Octavia RS or similar - if you want something that is blisteringly quick & outrageous, then a TVR may be for you.
A cerbera is worth it no matter the cost.....after a while (as with me ) it gets a little bit of a drag when things (albeit only small niggles) start to go wrong at regular intervals......but it was worth it.....12 months of extreme pleasure and carnage......but i have to say despite the higher initial cost of the new car...it is far cheaper to run so far and i have done more miles in it than the cerbie...
Oh and in case you are wondering i had a 1999 T reg 4.5....
Oh and in case you are wondering i had a 1999 T reg 4.5....
Thanks for all the info everyone. Much appreciated. Been reading up on these special 5 star gold warrantys that you can get. Think they were 700 pounds per year (from WH) but were only applicable if the car was under three years old. Anyone had any experience with these any whether they cover the main things that go wrong with the Cerberas? Could be a way of lowering the risk to potential large repair bills and pegging the running costs down to something comparable with an M3. Anyone reccomend the best warranty to go for on a T reg Cerb??? Cheers boys.
Jamie Mackay said:
Thanks for all the info everyone. Much appreciated. Been reading up on these special 5 star gold warrantys that you can get. Think they were 700 pounds per year (from WH) but were only applicable if the car was under three years old. Anyone had any experience with these any whether they cover the main things that go wrong with the Cerberas? Could be a way of lowering the risk to potential large repair bills and pegging the running costs down to something comparable with an M3. Anyone reccomend the best warranty to go for on a T reg Cerb??? Cheers boys.
The value of the warranty really depends on who supplies it, and how much your corner is fought with WH, etc. If you've got little support from whoever's sorting your car out, bought the warranty from elsewhere, etc. then they're regularly not worth the paper they're written on. Some people manage to get through most things on the warranty (up to their claim limit). One other thing to check is the hourly rate - a lot of warranties only go up to £25ph for labour, whereas you're talking more like £50ph from an approved dealer.
Personally, when I bought my '99 V Cerbera, I went halves on the cost of the warranty. I'm not expecting to see a penny out of it, but if it ever covers just one thing, it's probably paid for itself. Other people will tell you to stick the £700 in the bank, as that'll cover a major fault on the car (of which there shouldn't be many), which is just as valid an approach.
By the way, I agree with everyone else that your figures for running an M3 vs. a Cerbera aren't necessarily that accurate. Also, a good Cerbera won't cost *that* much to run, but a bad one might. There are plenty of both types out there (depending on how they've been driven, maintained, etc) - finding a good one's the key.
Buying from a dealer doesn't necessarily mean getting a good one either, despite the extra cost.
ocean1 said:
Sigh!, why do you need another car? I have not got another car and my S6 Cerbie does the job without complaint. For the record I earn around 23,000K per year and I can run my car no problem. If you dont want one dont buy one what more can I say, buy a Ford Escort.
I'm bemused - how on earth did you afford a Cerbera?
apologies for the personal comment but I find it difficult to make the Cerbie numbers add up on a far larger salary.....
I've owned my Cerbera Speed 6 for just under a year, before that I had a lotus elise, which was a great cost effective, fun car....but you just ain't lived until you've driven a Cerbera!!
I say don't worry about saving the money, you can't take it with you & you only live once...Enjoy yourself NOW buy the TVR.
I say don't worry about saving the money, you can't take it with you & you only live once...Enjoy yourself NOW buy the TVR.
NDT said:
ocean1 said:
Sigh!, why do you need another car? I have not got another car and my S6 Cerbie does the job without complaint. For the record I earn around 23,000K per year and I can run my car no problem. If you dont want one dont buy one what more can I say, buy a Ford Escort.
I'm bemused - how on earth did you afford a Cerbera?
apologies for the personal comment but I find it difficult to make the Cerbie numbers add up on a far larger salary.....
Well
: 1) No Wife
2) No kids
3) A WH Total warranty came with the car
4) I make some sacrifices in other areas
5) I use a specialist for servicing, not a main dealer
6) A special car purchase loan with a deferred final payment.
Theres always a way if you really want something.
>> Edited by ocean1 on Wednesday 27th August 08:12
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