Swapping one car for two......

[kprm77]

Thinking of swapping my diesel Saab estate for 2 cars. I'm hoping that £8000 is a pessimistic figure for my 2008 9-5 TiD Auto Estate (Linear SE with 50,000 miles).

So assuming I get that, I'd want two cars for £8k.

One car has to be very good on fuel (50mpg+ combined) and vaguely comfortable for a long motorway commute, so something like a Peugeot 106 diesel would be out.

Second car is just for fun (or interesting). MPG is less relevant (20mpg+ I suppose). I'd like a car with 200BHP at least (consider less if power to weight ratio is good).

It doesn't matter which one, but one car will have to be big enough for 4 adults and a dog (Springer), so that would mean for example, either a diesel Octavia estate and something fun, or a BMW 540 Touring and something economical.

Any suggestions for what two cars for £8k ish to fit this criteria?

[Benbay001]

Im not sure how you define something "fun".. if the 540 touring is "fun" in your sense, why not spend the other 4k on fuel costs and running costs?? Then you can have your fun car everyday of the week.

[chrisispringles]

Daily hack - Vauxhall Vectra.

Toy - TVR S3.

[renrut]

Just to avoid suggesting something daft what's the thinking behind the change? for e.g. a BMW 330D touring (remapped) would probably cover all those bases in a single car.

However assuming it should be 2 cars:

Octavia TDI 110 estate for the boring slag duties - roomy enough for 4 plus dog, dead cheap (£2K should get a decent one), robust and should easily get 50mpg on a run.

That leaves about £5-6K for something fun with few practical requirements that will feel special when you get out of the diesel:

Can you get a TVR Chimaera for £6K?

S2000? 240bhp and should give plenty of thrills.

[kprm77]

Benbay001 said:

Im not sure how you define something "fun".. if the 540 touring is "fun" in your sense, why not spend the other 4k on fuel costs and running costs?? Then you can have your fun car everyday of the week.

The 540 would be too much on running costs and fuel as I do around 35,000 miles per year. Just worked it out, and using a 540 for all my miles as opposed to 540 + a diesel hack, would cost over £350 per month extra on fuel alone (plus extra running costs).

chrisispringles said:

Daily hack - Vauxhall Vectra.

Toy - TVR S3.

Vectra is a good cheap hack, though not sure if I'd be daring enough to go for an S3!

renrut said:

Just to avoid suggesting something daft what's the thinking behind the change? for e.g. a BMW 330D touring (remapped) would probably cover all those bases in a single car.

However assuming it should be 2 cars:

Octavia TDI 110 estate for the boring slag duties - roomy enough for 4 plus dog, dead cheap (£2K should get a decent one), robust and should easily get 50mpg on a run.

That leaves about £5-6K for something fun with few practical requirements that will feel special when you get out of the diesel:

Can you get a TVR Chimaera for £6K?

S2000? 240bhp and should give plenty of thrills.

Wouldn't like a 3 series as my only car. Was thinking of a 530d estate, though I do like the thought of two cars. It'd be refreshing to have a car I didn't care about and could take to the dump, park close to the supermarket entrance and not care about dings and scrapes!

The S2000 is an excellent idea. Really like the look of those, and they're quicker than I presumed.

Doesn't have to be an estate by the way

[kprm77]

Having said that about a 330d - this one looks quite fruity:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2011...

[Hudson]

3 series diesels, while being very good cars in their own right, are not what i would consider "fun", or any other diesel for that matter.

GTI-6? can get them for sub 1k, save the rest for the enevitable pug electronic failure

[Maldini35]

Practical: £4K
Get something deeply unfashionable and therfore good value. e.g.
Peugeot 407 Diesel SW or Laguna Estate etc. for around £4k

Fun: £4K
Hot Hatch - Clio 172, Clio Williams, Pug 205gti
Convertible - MX5
Coupe - 944 S2, E30 325i Sport, E36 M3

[kprm77]

doogz said:

Ten grand for a 5 year old 3-series diesel?

If that's what floats your boat...

Not massively - falls under the sensible (ish) option, which isn't the point, so I suppose that's out!

Maldini35 said:

Practical: £4K
Get something deeply unfashionable and therfore good value. e.g.
Peugeot 407 Diesel SW or Laguna Estate etc. for around £4k

Fun: £4K
Hot Hatch - Clio 172, Clio Williams, Pug 205gti
Convertible - MX5
Coupe - 944 S2, E30 325i Sport, E36 M3

I'd have a Laguna Estate, but not sure if the mpg would be good enough. Don't like Clios at all. MX5's and the 944 are more like it

Second car can be fun or a barge - just not run of the mill.

[Boba Fret]

this.......

http://pistonheads.com/sales/2666463.htm

4 adults. check
dog. check
200+ hp. Check. (and some)
Fun. Check check check.
Different. check
Rare. check

AND you'll get let out of junctions unlike in a BM estate

Edited by Boba Fret on Tuesday 12th April 17:54

[kprm77]

Boba Fret said:

this.......

http://pistonheads.com/sales/2666463.htm

4 adults. check
dog. check
200+ hp. Check. (and some)
Fun. Check check check.
Different. check
Rare. check

AND you'll get let out of junctions unlike in a BM estate

That is lovely - not far from me either

[Chris71]

kprm77 said:

chrisispringles said:

Daily hack - Vauxhall Vectra.

Toy - TVR S3.

Vectra is a good cheap hack, though not sure if I'd be daring enough to go for an S3!

Do it!

I had an S3 and it was one of the most reliable cars I've owned.

Also one of the best - 90% of the Griff/Chim experience for barely 50% of the price. Full of cheap Ford bits if it does go wrong and very practical for a sports car if you fancy weekends away etc. Plus the noise is .

Personally I don't see the point in not being brave if it's a weekend car. By all means play it safe if you might have to drive it to work the following day, but if not then take the opportunity to try something a bit more intense. IMHO S2000s and Z4s are great if you want a sports car for a daily driver, but a tiny bit sterile for a 'weekends and evenings' toy.

Another option is a Lotus Seven type kit car. A Sylva Striker will keep up with Caterhams costing twice as much. Admittedly, I wouldn't want to drive either - the Sylva in particular - to Scotland and back, but for an hour long thrash it's in a different league to most sensible convertibles.

[thinfourth2]

kprm77 said:

Having said that about a 330d - this one looks quite fruity:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2011...

Don't forget one of the hidden pleasures of having a cheap hack.

You really don't give a fk.

Expensive car and you are going out for a meal with the other you will end up worrying about the expensive car and where you park it and should you take it home and who isn't going to drink.

Cheap car you go out for a meal abandon it somewhere without even locking it so the window doesn't get broken if someone does break in and you both have a few glasses of wine get a taxi home and a few days later come back and pick it up.

[Maldini35]

[/quote]

Don't forget one of the hidden pleasures of having a cheap hack.

You really don't give a fk.

Expensive car and you are going out for a meal with the other you will end up worrying about the expensive car and where you park it and should you take it home and who isn't going to drink.

Cheap car you go out for a meal abandon it somewhere without even locking it so the window doesn't get broken if someone does break in and you both have a few glasses of wine get a taxi home and a few days later come back and pick it up.
[/quote]

I have to agree that the cheap hacks can make real sense.

A 205 1.6 Gti bought for £500 on a Switch card lasted me 5 years before expiring. Body covered in dings and dents but drove sweetly. Parked it anywhere, never cleaned it, spent penauts on it. God I loved it though.