Hi Chaps,
Hope you guys are happy to help out a damsel in distress?!
Ok, the current situation first...
Main Car is a 1987 3.2 Porsche 911 Convertible. Love it. Great drive, much fun, great with the top down. Downside - old, not great spec inside and not realistic to drive all year round. Especially when I do about 80 miles a day just to work and back.
For this reason, I purchased a 1995 Peugeot 306 Turbo Diesel. BIG mistake. Hate it. Boring as hell, rubbish rubbish rubbish.
SO... here's the dilemma. I don't have much extra money to spend (although obviously, with the help of finance, most budgets are atainable!). Need to get rid of the Peugeot because it's doing my head in and I hate driving it.
Had decided to push the boat out and try to get a 1999/2000 Golf TDI. More expensive than I thought though. Maximum budget including the part ex of the peugeot is really about £5k for a replacement for the peugeot. So I'm now looking at a Golf GTi 1.8 20v Turbo. Obviously, not so good at economy but I was thinking that it won't depreciate much? I may only want it for about 6-10 months max, so I want to be able to get as much back as possible - although I will have put between 10k-15k on it by then.
I am open to be persuaded into getting something else though. I read another thread that said that this GTi is awful and should be avoided! It has to be a similar size to the Golf really to be ultra-practical....
The reason that I say that this is not your usual dilemma, is because there is an alternative to this option. And that would be to get rid of both the Porsche and the Peugeot and get a much newer "proper" sports car with decent driving involvement, mod cons and that I can drive all year round. (I will still have a Porsche to drive because my other half has got one, and he also has a Passatt estate so we have a practical car too!)
In this instance I'd have around £20k to spend. I was thinking along the lines of a Nissan 350z, Chrysler Crossfire, 225bhp TT or maybe even Boxster. I really can't work out what the best idea is. I think the depreciation of these cars once I've put 20k miles on it in 1 year will be a real sting, whereas there is currently NO depreciation on the Porsche.
My poor little head is going round and round and I'm getting absolutely nowhere with my decision. In my position, with the amount of miles I do and the cars I currently have - what would you do???
Cheers
Ruth
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WELL....
I would drop the crossfire off your list, May look fabulous but its hideous to drive.
Given that you have access to a practical passat, another porsche, then i would
Keep my old porsche, dump the pug, and get a seat Ibiza 1.9Tdi Sport (thats the 130bhp one)
Never will you be bored again. More fun and 50mpg can not be had with yout clothes on!
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Thanks. Is that the same as the TDi S??
They don't seem to advertise the BHP on autotrader ads. The nearest one with "Sport" in the advert is 150 miles away!
But there are some 1.9 Tdi S nearer....
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If you love driving you will find a Focus great fun, practicle etc as well.
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If you love driving you will find a Focus great fun, practicle etc as well.
Sorry, of course I meant "practical".
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Might not be, there were some earlier lower power ones around if I remember (110bhp?)
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Keep the 911 and buy something fun with good residuals like a Mini Cooper.
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Keep the porker. Its lost all its depreciation now. Just keep it as a classic and you won't go wrong.
For a fun to drive and economical car try a Focus TDCi; far better chassis than anything with a VAG diesel engine in, especially for your budget.
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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dump the pug and the Porsche and but a Honda S2000 - As seen on Top Gear where it was voted most satisfying car to own.
A mate has one and while I find the Vtech thing a bit too thrashy for my liking I can't deny its an absolute hoot to drive!
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Thanks for all the suggestions!!
I have thought about the S2000, but forgot to mention it!
The Mini Cooper is above my current budget by far, but is definitely one for future consideration - obviously, I'll want the S though!
I think maybe the Focus TDCi maybe the way to go for now. Does anyone know how much I'm likely to lose if I buy a 2001 51 plate with 50k miles on it, for just under £6k? I'm thinking, say, 6 months from now with 60k miles on it?
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Why such a short time Ruth? If the car is good hang on till it drops.
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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Maybe. But in 6 months time I'm not planning on needing the second car. I hope to be travelling a much smaller distance to work, or not working at all by then! Obviously, if circumstances dictate, I'll keep it longer.
I was just wondering really. The car I've seen seems to be waaay cheaper than any other within 40 miles of my home, so I'm thinking it probably won't lose too much in that time.
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So, have it checked out and if its OK buy it.
I rented a Focus TDCi estate on holiday in Italy a couple of years ago. Four up with kids stuff. Cruised the autostradas at 95mph with ease and went up and down the switchback country roads like a racer and no complaints from the passengers. Got 44mpg with loads of very high speed driving and up and doen hills. Probably would have got 50mpg had I been sensible....but it was a hire car ;-)
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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Owning 2 cars is expensive so sell both and buy a good compromise car. I ran a 911 targa and a boring Fiat for a while and it didn't work for me.
The Nissan 350z is a proper sports car that you can use every day. Great build and reliability too. Or take a look at the Mazda RX8. Or look at the V6 Audi TTs - when it was launched a few Porsche dealers said that it was what they thought the Boxster should have been.
F R
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I think you've got a very valid point Flying Red! The Nissan is my fave at the moment as a replacement for the Porsche, from what I've read. Would love to test drive one!
Maybe I'll just get rid of the Peugeot, use my other half's Passatt a few days a week and when the weather's really bad (he only has a 2 minute drive to work so he can use a Porsche!) and then get a 350z in the new year when hopefully I've got enough money to put on top of the Porsche to pay for one.
I had heard that they guzzle fuel though, which means that I'll spend about £60 a week on petrol. But I think that's a small price to pay for a decent car when I spend so long in it!
Thanks for all the ideas - glad to see so many different points of view. I best go home and grovel to the boyfriend for a bit so that he'll let me put lots of miles on his Passatt!
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Have you looked into short term leasing? If your circumstances are going to change in 6 months you could sell the Peugeot, get as much as you can for it and maybe spend £200 a month for 6 months on leasing something boring for the days when you don't want to get the porsche dirty. I am sure i have seen a few short term deals where you can get some dull supermini for as little as £120 a month which would easily be what you could lose in depreciation on the focus you were considering.
teabelly
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Hi Ruth,
Posted up my boyfriends Alfa GTV Lusso, yesterday on the classifieds board. Its within your budget (£3995) and definately very, very fun to drive! We are selling it as he has just bought a freelander which is more practical for the windsurfer, and we are buying a new house so need the cash - good old Gordon Brown. Its a perfect example really looked after - (anally retentive about his cars he is!). Its a 2.0 does about 30 mpg - dont know if that is too exensive for you in terms of fuel? Its the cheapest one for the spec that we have seen in autotrader etc.
Anyways sales pitch over - drop me a line or give me a buzz if you wanna take it for a spin. (we are surrey / hants borders)
Aside from that I have also heard very good things about the Honda S2000.
Sophie
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Just watch for the rear subframe sort of, well, falling off really.
And that's from a confirmed Alfisti.
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And that's from a confirmed Alfisti.
A pedant writes:
There may be lots of confirmed Alfisti, but surely a lone Alfa-lover would be an Alfista (or an Alfisto, if male)
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