Trading down ?

Author
Discussion

michael_JCWS

Original Poster:

848 posts

263 months

Thursday 3rd February 2011
quotequote all
Hi All,

Please tell me If I'm mad.

I currently have a GTR R35, I've owned since new, but have only done 5500 miles. I'm thinking of trading down to an RS3, 1 series M or maybe a Mini am I mad ? Maybe I'm getting the two year itch ?

help...

MattOz

3,938 posts

271 months

Thursday 3rd February 2011
quotequote all
Not mad at all. You've had an amazingly good car for a couple of years and fancy a change. No matter what you get it's potentially going to feel a little tardy compared to the GTR, but a 1M or S3 is still a cracking car to own. I traded "down" from an M5 to 330cd and it's not been a problem at all. Sure, I miss the M5, but the diseasel is fine for what I use a car for.

andye30m3

3,472 posts

261 months

Thursday 3rd February 2011
quotequote all
just because it's smaller and slower doesn't mean you you'll enjoy driving it any less.

I went from an M3 to a clio 172 for a while and loved it.

briSk

14,291 posts

233 months

Thursday 3rd February 2011
quotequote all
i don't know because i have owned very few cars..but from what other people say i think what you need to do is buy something *entirely* different...
something like an elise or something really economical or soething really stylish or something... you get the idea.

getting say an S3 would just seem like the a poor gtr (which of course is ehat it is). wink

in terms of something worthy but apparently funish i vote 123d.

personally i am keeping an eye on lotus europas. but as we all know (if anyone reads my threads) i never have the knackers to just get on and buy something different! wink

briSk

14,291 posts

233 months

Thursday 3rd February 2011
quotequote all
relflecting on this...

...why 'trade down'
release some capital?
reduce running costs?
etc etc

because if the latter what about a Lotus Evora?

gubsta

121 posts

222 months

Thursday 3rd February 2011
quotequote all
I went from an E92 M3 to a 635d.
Turns out I still enjoy driving, and A - B pace is actually quicker because I don't have to stop every 5 miles for fuel.

Just go for it. That change-your-car-itch doesn't go away. You can always buy another one later if you really miss it.

cheadle hulme

2,472 posts

189 months

Thursday 3rd February 2011
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Just changed a 300+ Hp 335i for a Z4 with less than 200. Don't regret it a bit, especially as its sunny up here today! Realistically, you can only go so far in the speed/power stakes before you have to go backwards a bit. PHers can usually get enjoyment out most things though....

Ozzie Osmond

21,189 posts

253 months

Thursday 3rd February 2011
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I can think of nothing worse than selling a "good" car and then driving around in something new, expensive, but not as good!

FamilyDub

3,587 posts

172 months

Thursday 3rd February 2011
quotequote all
michael_JCWS said:
I currently have a GTR R35... I'm thinking of trading down to an RS3, 1 series M or maybe a Mini am I mad ?
Of those three options, I'd be going for the 1M.

volvoforlife

724 posts

170 months

Thursday 3rd February 2011
quotequote all
michael_JCWS said:
I currently have a GTR R35, I've owned since new, but have only done 5500 miles. I'm thinking of trading down to an RS3, 1 series M or maybe a Mini am I mad ? Maybe I'm getting the two year itch ?

help...
I knew there'd be one. Price-wise just how much of a trade down would it be.

michael_JCWS

Original Poster:

848 posts

263 months

Thursday 3rd February 2011
quotequote all
I'm leaning towards a Mini, I used to own one (hence the name), but traded it for a M3 csl

main reason is I've an E350D sport estate on order which ticks the family box.

The GTR is costing ~£2.5K a year to run (not including petrol)It just seems more sensible to get a small fun car for a while, probably 2 years given my history at being ficjle with cars

briSk

14,291 posts

233 months

Thursday 3rd February 2011
quotequote all
michael_JCWS said:
The GTR is costing ~£2.5K a year to run (not including petrol)It just seems more sensible to get a small fun car for a while, probably 2 years given my history at being ficjle with cars
I vote exige or elise then. or possibly a Europa.

I have an r53 mcs and i have to say that whilst it's a great compromise if you could get something like an elise or an exige (/you're happy to fork out the money) than something like that has to be a better option than getting an r56 mini....

michael_JCWS

Original Poster:

848 posts

263 months

Thursday 3rd February 2011
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at 6ft 4" I'm afraid Lotus and I don't agree very well

tony wright

1,009 posts

257 months

Thursday 3rd February 2011
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Get a Caterham, certainly small and fun and you wouldn't noticed the performance difference, other than motorways and where's the fun in that. The only thing you would want to change it with after 2yrs is another more powerful Caterham!!!

briSk

14,291 posts

233 months

Thursday 3rd February 2011
quotequote all
michael_JCWS said:
at 6ft 4" I'm afraid Lotus and I don't agree very well
really.. i am a tall 6'3 or a short 6'4! and quite, erm, 'robust' and whilst it might be a bit of a pain to use one as a station car or soemthing i find them quite roomy once in situ (from the couple of occasions i have been in them). the only annoying thing is looking to the right esp with a hardtop because you tend to be looking at roof rather than window! wink

have you been in a europa - they have longer deeper doors and are a bit taller (or at least feel like these three things are the case!)

have you thought about something completely different like spending a decent amount od a decent nick NSX or something like that.

I am far from being anti the MINI (as I have said) i just think that there's more to life than going back to something you've already 'done'. to a certain extent you might be constraining youself by age of car. most modern stuff is completely 'uninteresting'.

OR you could move horizontally price wise and go for something slower but more 'characterful' (??perhaps??) like a v8van or a v8r8 or something..? or an aero8...