£30k - £40k Fun Daily Driver w/ Boring Commute

[AlexNJ89]

Hi guys,

The last time I posted a thread I thought I had my shortlist nailed, then you guys suggested the SLK55 and it was so on-point I went ahead and bought one 2 weeks later!

It was absolutely the right car for me at the time (and to be honest if I kept it another year I'd still get a ton of enjoyment), but I've been saving pretty hard while owning it and can afford to upgrade in a couple of months time.

Criteria:
- £30k - £40k (I could go to £45k but it would need to be a fuel efficient car).
- 2014 or newer.
- Is something special
- Isn't going to depreciate toooo badly.
- Will get 30mpg+ on a 60mph straight road commute (whilst getting stuck behind some 40mph drivers with no way to overtake)
- I do about 17,000 miles per year, most my commute is a boring road driving at 50mph in a line of traffic with some overtaking opportunities which you need to pounce on when they arise.
- 2 seats or 4, no need for practicality
- Is exciting, does 0-60mph in less than 5 seconds
- Not a license loser, a car you can have fun in without breaking the speed limits (So ruling our an M4 or C63 for example)
- I do London driving once every 2 weeks or so, so something that isn't a pain to drive around town.
- Some decent tech would be nice, I would love a birds-eye view camera and a good sound system.

Frontrunner:
BMW i8 - (if they come down in to the £30k's which I think they will soon. It has lots of low end power from the electric motor, if I get stuck behind a slow driver I can knock it in to electric and chill, then hit sport mode when the road is clear. Downsides are the doors look so so impractical for supermarket car parks and multi-story car parks, almost no cargo space, higher insurance, older interior style so could be hit by depreciation and who knows what kind of repair bills are on the horizon for these.

Others on the shortlist:
BMW 840d (these might drop pretty rapid as most BMW's do and hit my price range)
BMW 540i w/ M performance kit
718 Cayman S
981 Cayman S
Jaguar F-Type V6
Tesla Model S (scared of these as out-of-warranty repair bills look to be eye-watering)
BMW 140i (A cheaper option but I do like them)
Golf R

Any suggestions or insight in to my shortlist will be much appreciated!

Edited by AlexNJ89 on Sunday 19th January 12:09

[AlexNJ89]

ZX10R NIN said:

At this price point you really have to factor in depreciation into your costs because you could be a 540i M Performance the depreciation that this car will suffer compared to it's M5 cousin which you could buy for similar money means that you should reconsider your no performance model rule, remember you can lose your license with a 540i.

Yep true, I think to stay in the same price range I would need to go for the older M5 model, I looked at the new M5 and they are still at the £60k mark.

I do agree that depreciation is a bigger factor than monthly fuel costs. I literally have an excel spreadsheet for each car trying to calculate fuel costs and depreciation.

I think in my list the Cayman S and F-Type for around £30k will hold their money best.

[AlexNJ89]

ATM said:

I own a 981 Boxster S and I'm surprised how well they've held onto their value. So I'd be pushing you this way because I like Porsche cars - well Porsche Sports cars. The other Porsche cars are nice but drop like a stone.

covmutley said:

Cayman will be hard to beat I think. If practically doesn't matter, then I would go 2 seater!

I do like the f type as well though.same engine as in my XE s, which itself is worth a mention if you are considering a more practical golf or m140. You would get a nice one for about £20k, leaving enough for a fun car that would really hold its value!

Thanks!

I also saw in another thread the 981 actually gets much better mpg than the 718.

Do you guys find your Cayman comfortable enough to drive at 50mph for 30mins twice every day?

Sometimes in my SLK55 I feel a bit silly losing out on comfort at times when I can't even use the power.

[AlexNJ89]

ZX10R NIN said:

Yes you'll have an older model M5 but you'll hardly be missing out when it comes to features & the handling will still be a level above the 540i.

Damn you've thrown me with this suggestion, I see what you're saying that the less depreciation will offset the increased fuel.

This is the spec I'd go for I think, would probably aim to get one for about £23k - £24k if I can though.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[AlexNJ89]

ATM said:

I've done some motorway trips in mine and it's fine. It's a pretty civilised car. I don't have cruise but that would help if you're planning boring driving. I've seen 39 mpg on a sensible run as its got a very tall top gear. I have the sports seats which are a bit firmer than the standard seats. I have the sports exhaust too which I believe is noisier than the standard even with the switch set to quiet. Although in a Cayman it will be quieter. I have standard suspension which is fine but lots if people rave about PASM which is the active damper setup.

Thanks for the insight!

I would be chuffed with 39mpg on my commute!

[AlexNJ89]

Thanks for the advice guys!

Still looking through all the options.

Right now I'm also looking at a 2015 M6 after the M5 suggestion.

Again if I can get one cheaper it may work out a better place for my money than a more expensive economical car. It just depends if an M6 is going to have £8k repair bills at some point.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[AlexNJ89]

nickfrog said:

Have you ruled out a M2, on the same basis as a M4?

Maybe I ruled out an M2 too quickly, I assumed they had similar engines to the M3 and M4 but it seems it's not as powerful which is better for me. I didn't want an M3 or M4 because everyone I've known who've had one have said the backend coming out all the time annoyed them and among other reasons they shifted them on pretty quick.

If an M2 will get 35mpg on a runI'd defs consider it

[AlexNJ89]

blueg33 said:

I would say an Evora too. £40k should just get you into a well specced 2015 Evora S Sports Racer.

https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...




Very good in terms of depreciation, relatively cheap servicing (except for spark plugs), mine is typically £3-400 for each service but has been as low as £250, rare, sublime steering, copes fine with rush hour traffic.

I am on my second and both have been daily drivers. I put 20k miles a year on my first one

Love the look of these cars, think I would go for a grey one and black wheels.

The issue I have is they don't look very practical and comfortable on a day to day basis. I need something that has the ability to just cruise and eat up motorway miles.

[AlexNJ89]

Is there a general consensus on the automatic version of the Evora?

I think for my city driving I'd like an auto

[AlexNJ89]

Lord.Vader said:

Alfa 4C
Evora
Porsche Cayster xyz

Alfa would get my money, stunnning car, hardly moving in terms of depreciation, auto (for city driving), only a 1.8, really a special car.

Thanks for all the suggestions guys!

My only surprise is there isn't much love for the F-Type in this thread!

[AlexNJ89]

vtecyo said:

Kent Border Kenny said:

Low mileage V8 R8?

Was also going to suggest this. Very daily-able and still special.

I love R8's, but the cars in my price range as a daily I feel they look a bit too dated inside.