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What car should we buy for using four months of the year in the UK?

I spend eight months each year abroad, and four months in the UK. My wife and I want a vehicle that is comfortable enough to get us from the south of England to Paris (for at least 2 weeks) and around in the UK (a city car is a bit too small). However we need just two seats and a boot. We are both 66 years old, and have been driving for years, but want to keep total running costs as low as possible (tax, Insurance, etc). I'm not sure whether buying a vintage car (eg MGB), or a new or nearly new small car makes more economic sense. The vehicle will need to be able to be laid up for eight months a year, and up and moving quickly

Asked on 21 January 2017 by Mike San Agustin McCrea

Answered by Honest John
You'll be paying tax and insurance and garage rent (with a hooked up power supply for the battery), plus an annual service and eventual replacement of things like tyres, battery and brake pads, so this doesn't make a lot of sense. Better to short or long term hire what you need when you need it. If you insist on buying, then Citroen C1 models are going from around £6,000 and so is the Dacia Sandero. A 'classic' may make more sense as an investment with no annual VED and cheap classic insurance, but don't expect it to immediately wake up and run reliably when you want it to.
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Unbelievably cheap for this size of car, generous interior space and a big boot, reasonably comfortable to drive.
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