Proper car or appliance - Buy Car with Heart or Head - your experiences? | Motoring discussion | Back Room Forum

Mon 14 Nov 2011 19:46

Proper car or appliance - Buy Car with Heart or Head - your experiences? - Farm Hand

Evening everyone.

Its come to that time when I feel like a change of car. Nothing wrong with the current one, its not worn out - to be honest its probably only just been run in, but would like something a bit more - well exciting and involving.

And heres the issue - in the past I have been more satisfied with a car which I have bought with my heart than purely looking at the car tables and choosing a car on the more mundane elements such as mpg, insurance, servicing, practicality, resale etc.

So I was wondering what other peoples experiences have been. Heart or Head? Can you have / justify on both grounds? Or should it be an appliance from now on? Any serious regrets out there?

My first serious regret was buying a 1976 TR7 when I was a young lad. It was great right up until the first head warped, gearbox housing split, hydraulic clutch saw off 1st and reverse gears. It was quite a looker in white with really quite decent decals until the rust bubbled through. Ha Ha those were the days :-) Panic traded it for a Talbot Horizon!

Many cars down the road (new and second hand) and I have somhow lost that excitement a new car should bring. Is it that I am buying with my head these days - getting older and care more about costs, functionality, MPG, CO2 etc rather than going with the heart and buying the car (I think) I really want.

P.S. Mid life crisis already past (I think - but......).

Love to hear your experiences / advice guys and gals.

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Mon 14 Nov 2011 20:47

Proper car or appliance - Buy Car with Heart or Head - your experiences? - memyself-aye

I always buy the cheapest box on four wheels I can.....can? as in tin can. Who cares!

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Mon 14 Nov 2011 21:00

Proper car or appliance - Buy Car with Heart or Head - your experiences? - Bobbin Threadbare

I bought my car with my head. I needed a comfortable, reliable motorway cruiser, and the insurance was a big factor (I am in my late 20s - only 3.5 years since I passed my test) so I had to stick to a certain engine size or smaller.

Next year, when I go for another car, I am hoping I will be able to buy something utterly ridiculous. I've shortlisted a few, such as the Mazda MX5 and the Alfa Brera. You've got to have a convertible or an Alfa for at least some short mad period in your life! I've no children, pets or regular passengers to consider either :-D

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Mon 14 Nov 2011 21:07

Proper car or appliance - Buy Car with Heart or Head - your experiences? - SteveLee

Even interesting cars are reasonably reliable these days - buy with your heart! How about a Jag XK8 - the Mk1's are going for silly money now - great cars.

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Mon 14 Nov 2011 21:19

Proper car or appliance - Buy Car with Heart or Head - your experiences? - Farm Hand

Yes Steve - I do love jaguars - XF / XK - having reached middle age now more impressed with interior ambience and luxury than go kart handling. See comments below about XF. Until I drove this car I didnt really understand what effortless really meant - I could even justify it to myself as its not that thirsty in diesel guise.

Having done a fair few 2 seaters I have told myself it must have at least 4 seats!

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Mon 14 Nov 2011 22:27

Proper car or appliance - Buy Car with Heart or Head - your experiences? - SteveLee

4 seats? The Jag XJR was the best car I ever had, comfy, supercar fast and just felt great to be in.

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Mon 14 Nov 2011 21:15

Proper car or appliance - Buy Car with Heart or Head - your experiences? - Farm Hand

Bobbin. Yep I agree at some point you just gotta go out and do it. My first "special" car was a MKI MR2 in red - absolutely fabulous car when you consider what was around then in 1987. I kept that for about 3 years and still good when it went - needed a more practical car for my outdoor pursuits.

Interestingly back then insurance was not the issue it is today with sky-high prices. I was always told it'll get cheaper when I was 25 years old - it never did as the goal posts always move with you but it was never crippling to ones driving aspirations like it is today.

Well I have had 2 seater folding tin top merc - not powerful but great on a sunny day - its what they are all about!

Alfa Brera - one of the most beautiful designs I think - gorgeous. But there I go again thinking about Alfa ownership being problematical and unreliable. Its just gotta be reliable.

The recent test drive that has stuck in my mind is a jaguar XF 3.0D S - blew me away with the mix of power and comfort - sadly a bit too old for me just yet.

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Mon 14 Nov 2011 21:18

Proper car or appliance - Buy Car with Heart or Head - your experiences? - Bobbin Threadbare

I am on Autotrader now because of this thread.....wishing!!!!

I very much like Alfa's designs. They're very good looking, and unusual. I had heard that reliability was much improved post-2006, but I don't know anybody personally who owns one so I can quiz them!

Edited by Bobbin Threadbare on 14/11/2011 at 21:20

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Mon 14 Nov 2011 21:28

Proper car or appliance - Buy Car with Heart or Head - your experiences? - Farm Hand

Bobbin. Not for one minute did I ever regret the 2 seaters (excluding said TR7 of course) as they were all good fun at the time and felt sort of "special". The boxes I have had recently have been a bit more mundane work horses. My brother has told me I have got a fixation with boot sizes which has driven my decision for my cars. Sort of a bit sad eh?

Always promised myself a porsche 911 - and you know at my age I just couldnt do it!

Not too keen on all these Audi/BMW niche chasing oddities either.

Ha Ha back to Auto Trader and a bit of dreaming!

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Mon 14 Nov 2011 21:31

Proper car or appliance - Buy Car with Heart or Head - your experiences? - Bobbin Threadbare

One seat for me + one seat to put my handbag on = two seats. That's all I need; the maths says so!!

I would worry about a boot size fixation as well Mr Hand......

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Mon 14 Nov 2011 21:50

Proper car or appliance - Buy Car with Heart or Head - your experiences? - Farm Hand

Well there you go Bobbin a two seater it is.

But mathematically what about 4 = two plus two. - more of a nod to practicality.

If your handbag needs one whole seat what about all the other junk we drag around with us from time to time?

(You may drop the formal title if you wish and call me Farm)

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Tue 15 Nov 2011 08:07

Proper car or appliance - Buy Car with Heart or Head - your experiences? - Bobbin Threadbare

If your handbag needs one whole seat what about all the other junk we drag around with us from time to time?

(You may drop the formal title if you wish and call me Farm)

Thus returning to the boot size fixation, Farm. I only have a toolkit, battery charger and a bunch of CDs other than the handbag.

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Mon 14 Nov 2011 22:05

Proper car or appliance - Buy Car with Heart or Head - your experiences? - Avant

Forgive the boring question, Farm, but what car are you driving now and what's your budget for a new one?

Assuming that you're not looking at a banger, how far away from your ideal is a BMW convertible (3- or 6-series)?

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Mon 14 Nov 2011 23:49

Proper car or appliance - Buy Car with Heart or Head - your experiences? - jamie745

Im not sure a BMW 3 series meets the 'interesting' criteria. Popular probably means very good but they're as common as a slapper in Tesco.

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Tue 15 Nov 2011 08:22

Proper car or appliance - Buy Car with Heart or Head - your experiences? - madf

as common as a slapper in Tesco.

I clearly need to get out more......

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Tue 15 Nov 2011 15:36

Proper car or appliance - Buy Car with Heart or Head - your experiences? - Farm Hand

I bought a Santa Fe 18 months ago. Oops. Nothing really wrong with it but I just wish it was more exciting. Its got all the toys, leather, auto etc and it feels fairly powerful and is refined to drive - but somehow it just isnt floating my boat. I know - an expensive mistake?

Dont really want to go over £30K so the six series is out, but the 3 series folding tin top appeals. I may just go and have a drive then I will know what I am missing. 3 series are a bit common now as Jamie says - can all those owners really be wrong? - or is it a case of what the company accountant dictates? (Residuals etc.)

Me thinks I want something a bit more individual. Like the Top Gear guys keep saying at some point a true motoring enthusiast will probably go for something Italian like say, an Alfa Romea (Brera - gorgeous) but I would be afraid of its fragility. Having said that, I once had a VW Beetle 1.8T which was off the road for 6 weeks dut to failed coil pack! VW arranged for a Nissan Almera as a courtesy car - the insult of it all!

Decisions Decisions?

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Tue 15 Nov 2011 15:07

Proper car or appliance - Buy Car with Heart or Head - your experiences? - barney100

Three years ago I was looking at second hand Merc diesels thinking sensibly and then I espyed a 320 CLK Cabriolet. Foolishly I asked for a test and bought it without a thought for insurance ...fuel economy etc. When I got hone I rang the insurance co and the guy said 2430...strewth I thought swmbo would decorate me with the frying pan but turned out to be £240.30p. I've really enjoyed the car and economy hasn't been too bad. This was a heart buy as if I'd let my head rule I would never have bought it. I'm now thinking this car could with a bit of tlc last years. 135k on the clock now.

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Tue 15 Nov 2011 15:51

Proper car or appliance - Buy Car with Heart or Head - your experiences? - Farm Hand

Well Barney, sounds like you have enjoyed open air motoring in some style. Sometime impulse buys are the best. £240 for insurance must have come as a bit of a relief and the frying pan is serviceable? The 320 must certainly had some proper shove when you put your foot down.

How did you find merc servicing costs by the way? Has it been reliable? Any insight to merc ownership. I dont mind paying to keep a nice car on the road but me thinks some workshop rates and parts are just downright insulting to us motorists.

Now a car I do like the look of is the new E Class Coupe, but it can look a bit too flash, if you know what I mean, what with the shouty look at me DRL's. Nice though. Bit cramped in the back - but it wont be me sitting there!

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Tue 15 Nov 2011 16:44

Proper car or appliance - Buy Car with Heart or Head - your experiences? - barney100

Main dealers do much lower rates for older cars than new ones. however I have found a very good indie who I trust and servicing is reasonable. On the downside I had a pse pump go and that cost £600 but touch wood in three years thats the only nasty. Pads and discs are not too bad but of course I need 6 plugs when due, roof mechanism went last summer ....£mega at the dealers but the indie said its only a sensor...hard to get to but fixed for £100. Economy with care can be early 30s ...foot down and thats a different story. Merc owners is invaluable....10% off parts at dealers and the section captain is a mine of info. the reported rust problems have not materialised.

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Tue 15 Nov 2011 22:05

Proper car or appliance - Buy Car with Heart or Head - your experiences? - Trilogy

My Mercedes indi charges £37.50/hour which is the same as the general indi I used for my Skoda.

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