Too Young For A Bargain Barge?

[mark_mcd]

Hello,

I'm 23 and really fancy a quick bargain barge instead of sticking almost £10k into a decent hot hatch or small sports saloon. For instance I could get an XJR for newer X-Type Sport money, or a nice M5 for the same as a good 325/330i... Seems like I could run an XJR for a year and it wouldn't cost much more. Even if it did I might be able to argue that depreciation would offset insurance costs etc.

Anyone young bought a bargain barge?

[Chas88]

I did consider it myself (I'm 22). I looked at all sorts ranging from Audi A4 up to Jaguar XJ, cheapest insurance quote I could get (even using third party) was 4 times as expensive as my MX-5 so that idea is on hold till I'm 25.

Although if you do find one that's cheap to insure feel free to tell me.

[adycav]

Never too young for a bargain barge!

You will stand out as a man of taste and good breeding, and young ladies' clothes will fall off better as a result.

[dylan0451]

adycav said:

Never too young for a bargain barge!

You will stand out as a man of taste and good breeding, and young ladies' clothes will fall off better as a result.

does mx5 scream 'trying too hard' then?!

[Black Sport 160]

I had a Mercedes E300 when I was 20.

If you want it, go for it!

[rastamanblues]

Not quite barges, but I've had a 3 litre MV6 Omega, the E39 530D. If I wasnt doing so many miles for work, there would be an E39 M5 sat on the drive right now.

[yazza54]

Do it

[SVX]

You are never too young for barge... If you can get decent insurance, and afford the fuel and servicing for an "expensive mistress" then go for it.

[wessexrfc]

Now this would be the muts nuts:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1761731.htm

Just look at it, yes I win, now just go and buy it

[DJC]

Why would you want to spend £10k on a hot hatch or 325 anyway?

How dull are you?

[johnnymaestro]

Go for it.

At the moment I tool around in my old trusty A8, (24). Nothing beats waftyness and a little something under your right foot when you feel inclined.

[jbi]

all i've ever owned from 18 years of age have been barges (mostly RWD), aside from one dreadful hiccup where I was forced into a fiat cincuecento for a year...

never again

my car history goes like this

2.0 omega RWD
5.7 LTD RWD
3.8 Couger RWD
3.5 Intrepid FWD
1.0 Cinquecento FWD
2.5 Volvo FWD

Currently

4.0 LS400/Celsior RWD
2.5 Discovery 4WD
4.0 Discovery 4WD

I'm 25 as of may

Edited by jbi on Tuesday 6th July 00:12

Edited by jbi on Tuesday 6th July 00:13

[The Riddler]

10k? Bargin?

I was expecting this to be about early 90's uber barges, maybe 4k tops.

[jonnydm]

Currently in the same boat, although i've already had a Volvo. Just waiting for the right car to come along. A 528i manual that isnt too scummy at a decent price would be great.

[Ben Hughes]

Nope! I'm off to uni in September and will hopefully be grabbing myself a sub-£1k barge for motorway munching from Aberystwyth to home in Surrey, as well as having a bit of fun on the Evo Triangle...in a bargey kind of way.

Only issue is finding something slightly insurable, as everything remotely interesting or bigger than a Focus is coming up at over £2000. Sciroccos are quite good on the old premiums though, so that's another route I could take...

Only issue is I'm worried that I will:

a) Be singled out as a posh tt for having a 'nice, expensive, big car' (I already get this from owning my £950 MGB)

b) Not be able to afford petrol. Servicing I could probably do myself.

Should I, or shouldn't I?

[Hell27]

mark_mcd said:

Hello,

I'm 23 and really fancy a quick bargain barge instead of sticking almost £10k into a decent hot hatch or small sports saloon. For instance I could get an XJR for newer X-Type Sport money, or a nice M5 for the same as a good 325/330i... Seems like I could run an XJR for a year and it wouldn't cost much more. Even if it did I might be able to argue that depreciation would offset insurance costs etc.

Anyone young bought a bargain barge?

XJR would be a fantastic car at 23 and for that money you could get a post nikasil model (Y reg or newer).

Save the MX5 or hot hatch for when you are older and having your mid life crisis, as I intend to do!

[goffahsez]

I'm 23 and to date have only really owned hot hatches,.
Have been tempted several times to opt for a barge but never took the plunge!
Can you ever really trust a high mileage old car?
But for a couple of k extra you could pick up a fairly decent e46 m3!

[Dominicc01]

Bought my XJ at 20, and it's been fantastic.

My reasoning was that it was the most powerful car I could afford to buy and insure - I bought a 95 3.2 5 years ago, and the insurance was £1,700 (TPFT) in the first year. That compared with quotes of ~ £5k for similarly engined Mercs, Audis and BMs.
Running costs have, overall, been no more punitive than if I drove a hot hatch - and the Jag was cheaper to buy than any hatch I'd want to own.

I couldn't get a reasonable quote for almost any other car until this year, but if you can afford the premiums for an XJR, go for it!

[louismchuge]

Bought my XJ40 at 25 - go for it!

[Marty Funkhouser]

For £10K you can go for a SuperBarge like an E60 BMW 545...ridiculously fast and capable of extreme waftage...

Thus:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2010...

Edited by Marty Funkhouser on Tuesday 6th July 15:19