Moving to SF from UK, need car help!
Discussion
Hi guys,
I am moving to San Francisco from the UK in the next couple of months and I am looking for advice on cars to look at when I get out there. In the UK I currently drive a Porsche Cayman S and I have been considering an Audi R8. I am determined to buy something different over there rather than the typical japanese/korean eco saloons.
However, the roads in San Francisco are pretty poor, european cars seem pretty expensive in comparison to the UK and given all the mountain biking, skiing etc to be done locally it might make sense to buy something bigger... Therefore I seem to be considering everything at the minute
- 911 Turbo (Porsche seem relatively on par with UK price wise)
- Audi R8 (very expensive and difficult to find)
- Corvette Z06 (most seem to have been fettled with, not interested in mods)
- Aston V8 Vantage (have their reliability problems, problem with lack of dealers in the US?)
- Audi RS4/RS5 (really difficult to find one)
- BMW M3/M5 (a bit boring)
- Porsche Cayenne (easily throw a bike/snowboard in the back of it)
- Range rover sport (as above)
Maybe I am being a bit boring with the list of european cars, but the american cars don't really do it for me apart from the Corvette.
What else should I consider with a budget of around $80k?
Cheers
I am moving to San Francisco from the UK in the next couple of months and I am looking for advice on cars to look at when I get out there. In the UK I currently drive a Porsche Cayman S and I have been considering an Audi R8. I am determined to buy something different over there rather than the typical japanese/korean eco saloons.
However, the roads in San Francisco are pretty poor, european cars seem pretty expensive in comparison to the UK and given all the mountain biking, skiing etc to be done locally it might make sense to buy something bigger... Therefore I seem to be considering everything at the minute
- 911 Turbo (Porsche seem relatively on par with UK price wise)
- Audi R8 (very expensive and difficult to find)
- Corvette Z06 (most seem to have been fettled with, not interested in mods)
- Aston V8 Vantage (have their reliability problems, problem with lack of dealers in the US?)
- Audi RS4/RS5 (really difficult to find one)
- BMW M3/M5 (a bit boring)
- Porsche Cayenne (easily throw a bike/snowboard in the back of it)
- Range rover sport (as above)
Maybe I am being a bit boring with the list of european cars, but the american cars don't really do it for me apart from the Corvette.
What else should I consider with a budget of around $80k?
Cheers
Remember in the US the distances travelled are vast and the driving style is pretty relaxed, so space is everything. If you are going upto the mountains you will want an SUV or 4x4. Don't laugh but a Subaru Legacy may well end up as one of he cars on the list. Otherwise Range Rover Sport, Lexus SUV etc.
Forget the sports car, you can't drive it anywhere, the road surfaces are not great and if you want to go anywhere you will want space, especially if it gets hot.
Cayenne maybe. Driving in the USA is totally different than in the UK.
Forget the sports car, you can't drive it anywhere, the road surfaces are not great and if you want to go anywhere you will want space, especially if it gets hot.
Cayenne maybe. Driving in the USA is totally different than in the UK.
belleair302 said:
Remember in the US the distances travelled are vast and the driving style is pretty relaxed, so space is everything. If you are going upto the mountains you will want an SUV or 4x4. Don't laugh but a Subaru Legacy may well end up as one of he cars on the list. Otherwise Range Rover Sport, Lexus SUV etc.
Forget the sports car, you can't drive it anywhere, the road surfaces are not great and if you want to go anywhere you will want space, especially if it gets hot.
Cayenne maybe. Driving in the USA is totally different than in the UK.
I will second the vote for needing a big SUV for all the reasons mentioned above. The RRS also gets my vote. Would never have considered one in the UK, the whole image thing with them isn't an issue over here though.Forget the sports car, you can't drive it anywhere, the road surfaces are not great and if you want to go anywhere you will want space, especially if it gets hot.
Cayenne maybe. Driving in the USA is totally different than in the UK.
Bear in mind that US insurance costs will be pretty high given the lack of US driving experience and non-existant credit score, so it might be worth getting a few quotes from Allstate, Geico, Progressive, State Farm et al before buying. Remember the US insurers quote for 6 months, not 12.
The important thing to remember about the US is the huge distances between major cities and the absence of manufacturer support in between. If you're thinking of driving to Lake Tahoe for a bit of skiing at Squaw Valley, also remember they need snow chains so you may need to think about wheels etc. And winter or all season tyres.
In terms of the cars to drive I would take a serious look at what the US manufacturers offer, put away your prejudice, drive them, look at the insurance costs and then make a decision.
The important thing to remember about the US is the huge distances between major cities and the absence of manufacturer support in between. If you're thinking of driving to Lake Tahoe for a bit of skiing at Squaw Valley, also remember they need snow chains so you may need to think about wheels etc. And winter or all season tyres.
In terms of the cars to drive I would take a serious look at what the US manufacturers offer, put away your prejudice, drive them, look at the insurance costs and then make a decision.
GavinPearson said:
The important thing to remember about the US is the huge distances between major cities and the absence of manufacturer support in between.
Assume you mean the European manufacturers, but anything US made will be heavily supported across the country. Heck, even O'Reillys were ordering a part for a 55 year old Corvair last week (friend's car) with an overnight delivery and cheaper than most online places! That was in the middle of Nowhere, Virginia.Doubt you'll have many problems getting service and repair work done in SF on a European marque though.
Sorry, was referring to the OP's list of European exotica but didn't actually make the reference.
Clearly, with SF being a big city it will be no issue getting support for the cars on the list.
That said, there are some very good domestic cars out there so why not test drive them and consider the one that suits the OP best?
Clearly, with SF being a big city it will be no issue getting support for the cars on the list.
That said, there are some very good domestic cars out there so why not test drive them and consider the one that suits the OP best?
GavinPearson said:
That said, there are some very good domestic cars out there so why not test drive them and consider the one that suits the OP best?
Problem with Euro cars here is that they are a bit pokey to be honest. Remember seeing a friends Cayenne next to our SUV, and the poor Porsche just a bit lame really. Next to the Toyota was an F250 that made the Toyota look a bit small as well. If you're gonna spend time in the US, why not buy something local and try something new that you wouldn't ordinarily buy in Europe?Gassing Station | USA & Canada | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff