The £25k Philosophy
Discussion
Hi, I'm struggling to figure out the best way to spend £25k (short of a wild and sticky weekend in Vegas) so I'm reaching out to the powers that be for guidance.
I've enjoyed reading all the other threads, £25k seems to be a popular spend point. Deciding on a car is one thing, but where I'm struggling is how many and therefore my approach....
I have no commute, but I do a few <5 mile journeys (school runs, parcel shops, town) per week, and that largely is my dilemma - I'm struggling to justify 2 cars with no commute (and 8k miles per annum), but I think I would slowly destroy a V6 and/or turbo engine doing that many short journeys. The school run is just the wrong side of 4 miles to walk it every day and I can't always walk to the parcel shops with all my boxes. I also do a couple of motorway runs. That's the regular pattern throughout the week.
Initially I wanted an F-Type but I could never take a Sunday family trip out in it. It would stay at home and we'd be driving through the New Forest in SWMBO's 1.6 Golf diesel. So then I went to a 911, New Forest here we come, but that would need a small engine runabout so I didn't threaten it's lifespan with all the short journeys. Then there's an M4 which ticks a few boxes (see below). And Evora's but their prices look to have spiked recently, nothing around £25k now.
And then I start thinking about depreciation of a 911/Evora v an M4....
Anyway, my ideal car would be a classy coupe with street presence and 4 seats (but not a 5 litre XKR, I couldn't stomach £600+ road tax)
- Street presence - something you notice on a cold start, look fast without going fast
- But also be fast - 0-60 <6 secs sort of thing
- 2+2 or more
- not £600 road tax
- justification for/against 2 cars
Thanks for helping my head hurt less
I've enjoyed reading all the other threads, £25k seems to be a popular spend point. Deciding on a car is one thing, but where I'm struggling is how many and therefore my approach....
I have no commute, but I do a few <5 mile journeys (school runs, parcel shops, town) per week, and that largely is my dilemma - I'm struggling to justify 2 cars with no commute (and 8k miles per annum), but I think I would slowly destroy a V6 and/or turbo engine doing that many short journeys. The school run is just the wrong side of 4 miles to walk it every day and I can't always walk to the parcel shops with all my boxes. I also do a couple of motorway runs. That's the regular pattern throughout the week.
Initially I wanted an F-Type but I could never take a Sunday family trip out in it. It would stay at home and we'd be driving through the New Forest in SWMBO's 1.6 Golf diesel. So then I went to a 911, New Forest here we come, but that would need a small engine runabout so I didn't threaten it's lifespan with all the short journeys. Then there's an M4 which ticks a few boxes (see below). And Evora's but their prices look to have spiked recently, nothing around £25k now.
And then I start thinking about depreciation of a 911/Evora v an M4....
Anyway, my ideal car would be a classy coupe with street presence and 4 seats (but not a 5 litre XKR, I couldn't stomach £600+ road tax)
- Street presence - something you notice on a cold start, look fast without going fast
- But also be fast - 0-60 <6 secs sort of thing
- 2+2 or more
- not £600 road tax
- justification for/against 2 cars
Thanks for helping my head hurt less
Edited by kp172 on Friday 8th July 10:11
Interesting post - could have been written by me as exactly sums up my dilemma/situation at the moment having just sold a Mini JCW and running around in a cheapie spare car at the moment.
Current thoughts are to wait until winter for price drops & then dive into either an M2 (might get too much attention from wrong 'uns though) or an M240i (might be just the right balance of good performance but less attention). F-Type is also on the list but somehow just a bit big in the narrow country lanes and I suspect I'd always feel shortchanged if I didn't go for the V8 which does like a drink.
Current thoughts are to wait until winter for price drops & then dive into either an M2 (might get too much attention from wrong 'uns though) or an M240i (might be just the right balance of good performance but less attention). F-Type is also on the list but somehow just a bit big in the narrow country lanes and I suspect I'd always feel shortchanged if I didn't go for the V8 which does like a drink.
Would politely suggest you are overthinking the possible engine damage - it’s a only a car after all.
£25k is a decent chunk to spend so get whatever car you would actually enjoy driving and still does the family stuff when needed - life is too short to worry about ‘what ifs’
The tax thing is a killer - you could probably get a Mustang 2.3 which is still a looker but might be a bit tight on space. 6 series coupe/cab, Maserati Gran Turismo, not sure if you can get a panemera at that price point yet?
Edit - yes you can - diesel reduces the tax to £265 too - https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202206287...
£25k is a decent chunk to spend so get whatever car you would actually enjoy driving and still does the family stuff when needed - life is too short to worry about ‘what ifs’
The tax thing is a killer - you could probably get a Mustang 2.3 which is still a looker but might be a bit tight on space. 6 series coupe/cab, Maserati Gran Turismo, not sure if you can get a panemera at that price point yet?
Edit - yes you can - diesel reduces the tax to £265 too - https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202206287...
Edited by mattman on Friday 8th July 12:41
Would politely suggest you are overthinking the possible engine damage - it’s a only a car after all.
£25k is a decent chunk to spend so get whatever car you would actually enjoy driving and still does the family stuff when needed - life is too short to worry about ‘what ifs’
The tax thing is a killer - you could probably get a Mustang 2.3 which is still a looker but might be a bit tight on space. 6 series coupe/cab, Maserati Gran Turismo, not sure if you can get a panemera at that price point yet?
Edit - yes you can - diesel reduces the tax to £265 too - https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202206287...
£25k is a decent chunk to spend so get whatever car you would actually enjoy driving and still does the family stuff when needed - life is too short to worry about ‘what ifs’
The tax thing is a killer - you could probably get a Mustang 2.3 which is still a looker but might be a bit tight on space. 6 series coupe/cab, Maserati Gran Turismo, not sure if you can get a panemera at that price point yet?
Edit - yes you can - diesel reduces the tax to £265 too - https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202206287...
Edited by mattman on Friday 8th July 13:05
kiethton said:
Not 100% on the road tax but I'd be looking at an E92/E93 M3, not the newer M4
I think that they'd be more of an event to drive, suffer less depreciation and would be just as practical.
The E9x M3 is in the £600 plus tax band like my 370Z is because I've had one. I think that they'd be more of an event to drive, suffer less depreciation and would be just as practical.
OP I can definitely recommend the F82 M4, and for me it is a fantastic all round performance car. I can get my missus and 2 kids in it, plus the boot isn't a bad size either and the rear seats fold down. The ride is a bit punishing though, and it can't compete with the induction noise that the E9x M3 makes either. Overall it is a much better car for me(as a daily) than the E92 M3 ever was though.
I had a similar issue with short journeys, it's not so much the engine damage - I believe this is more of a hangover from older generation cars, anything with the last 20 yrs should be fine with some exceptions e.g. 911 997.1 / 987.1 Caymans
For me it was more that performance engines generally need warming up before giving them welly so short journey's impact the fun that way.
For me it was more that performance engines generally need warming up before giving them welly so short journey's impact the fun that way.
It became clear to me about 12 months ago that our (mainly my wife & kids') local driving need was going up a lot - evening sports, school-related stuff etc. Not big miles, but 3-4 times per week of short journeys. We live on a terraced street where bumps and kerb kisses are almost inevitable, as are eating inside the car, wet kids' clothes... you get the picture.
At the time I had a 2013 VW Transporter campervan - not driven by wife! - and a 2018 Audi S3. Being concerned that the S3 would get trashed, I bought a 2017 automatic Skoda Fabia for £9k and rented a council lockup a few streets away. The intention was to store the van but I couldn't find a garage big enough locally.
So - how's the multi-car approach gone after a year?
The Fabia (2,500 miles p/a) has been a resounding hit - my wife loves it for easy driving, easy parking and no worries about those inevitable dings. It gets eaten in by the kids and I don't care at all. It's a slam dunk match to our current needs.
That local garage meant I could pamper the S3, enjoying a car that was "mine" for the first time since 2006. Its use justified by long business trips, the odd family outing and fortnightly 100+ mile visits to my ageing parents (c.5,000 miles p/a). However, I traded the S3 for a 2016 RS3 in February because I felt I could push a little more on the special-ness front. Ideally I'd have gone for a bigger class of car, but an RS3 is pretty much the biggest highest performance car that will go in a council lockup and still fit the family.
The van (c.3.000 miles p/a) is now an heirloom that should by all rights be merged with the RS3 into a sensible estate, but - as we all know - rational thinking plays no part in things when you have a baby blue and white VW camper.
We owned the van and S3 already, which makes reading across to your £25k budget a little difficult - but I would say that it goes to show that owning more, specialised vehicles can be a good thing. Not cheap - just like owning walking boots, trainers and work shoes, you get more tools for the job.
At the time I had a 2013 VW Transporter campervan - not driven by wife! - and a 2018 Audi S3. Being concerned that the S3 would get trashed, I bought a 2017 automatic Skoda Fabia for £9k and rented a council lockup a few streets away. The intention was to store the van but I couldn't find a garage big enough locally.
So - how's the multi-car approach gone after a year?
The Fabia (2,500 miles p/a) has been a resounding hit - my wife loves it for easy driving, easy parking and no worries about those inevitable dings. It gets eaten in by the kids and I don't care at all. It's a slam dunk match to our current needs.
That local garage meant I could pamper the S3, enjoying a car that was "mine" for the first time since 2006. Its use justified by long business trips, the odd family outing and fortnightly 100+ mile visits to my ageing parents (c.5,000 miles p/a). However, I traded the S3 for a 2016 RS3 in February because I felt I could push a little more on the special-ness front. Ideally I'd have gone for a bigger class of car, but an RS3 is pretty much the biggest highest performance car that will go in a council lockup and still fit the family.
The van (c.3.000 miles p/a) is now an heirloom that should by all rights be merged with the RS3 into a sensible estate, but - as we all know - rational thinking plays no part in things when you have a baby blue and white VW camper.
We owned the van and S3 already, which makes reading across to your £25k budget a little difficult - but I would say that it goes to show that owning more, specialised vehicles can be a good thing. Not cheap - just like owning walking boots, trainers and work shoes, you get more tools for the job.
volvos60s60 said:
Current thoughts are to wait until winter for price drops & then dive into either an M2 (might get too much attention from wrong 'uns though)
They may well get there price wise by the end of the year for a car with a few miles. Not sure who the wrong' uns are though? A lighter right foot on the motorway journeys spread over a year would be enough to recoup the tax.
I said this on another thread, people avoid the higher taxed car bracket as they can't stomach it. Fuel and depreciation will cost you far more than this.
The difference between the few higher brackets is about 2 or 3 tanks of fuel a year.
Don't discount some of the decent cars you have suggested because of the above.
I said this on another thread, people avoid the higher taxed car bracket as they can't stomach it. Fuel and depreciation will cost you far more than this.
The difference between the few higher brackets is about 2 or 3 tanks of fuel a year.
Don't discount some of the decent cars you have suggested because of the above.
The higher tax wouldn't be a factor for me but if it is for you then here are some smart options.
Maserati Ghibli S:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110228...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202205266...
XF S 375:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202201020...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202206136...
2.0T V60 Polestar:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202205215...
I know you said no £600 road tax but a last of the line Lexus IS-F really is worth making an exception for:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202204164...
Or a 5.0 Mustang:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202207057...
Maserati Ghibli S:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202110228...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202205266...
XF S 375:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202201020...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202206136...
2.0T V60 Polestar:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202205215...
I know you said no £600 road tax but a last of the line Lexus IS-F really is worth making an exception for:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202204164...
Or a 5.0 Mustang:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202207057...
I reckon you should split your £25k budget and get a nice family car for high days out etc, then a 2.5k cheapo car for your short distance errands, etc. Here are some options, arranged by brand. I think it'd be kind of cool to have a two car-same make garage.
VW Group
Nice car: Porsche Panamera 4 3.6 V6 PDK
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202205195...
Cheap car: VW Golf 1.4 S
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202206086...
Mercedes
Nice car: E400 Coupe
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202202222...
Cheap car: B150 SE
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202207037...
Fiat group
Nice car: Maserati Ghibli
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202206247...
Cheap car: Fiat Panda 100HP
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202202182...
Jaguar
Nice car: XF-S Portfolio
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202204265...
Cheap car: X-type 2.5 V6 Sport AWD
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202206247...
BMW
Nice car: E60 M5
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202205085...
Cheap car: Mini Cooper
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202206297...
Audi
Nice car: S6
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202206287...
Cheap car: A2 1.4 SE
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202205145...
Alfa Romeo
Nice car: Giulia Veloce
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202206247...
Cheap car: MiTo 1.4 16V
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202205306...
VW Group
Nice car: Porsche Panamera 4 3.6 V6 PDK
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202205195...
Cheap car: VW Golf 1.4 S
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202206086...
Mercedes
Nice car: E400 Coupe
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202202222...
Cheap car: B150 SE
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202207037...
Fiat group
Nice car: Maserati Ghibli
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202206247...
Cheap car: Fiat Panda 100HP
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202202182...
Jaguar
Nice car: XF-S Portfolio
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202204265...
Cheap car: X-type 2.5 V6 Sport AWD
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202206247...
BMW
Nice car: E60 M5
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202205085...
Cheap car: Mini Cooper
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202206297...
Audi
Nice car: S6
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202206287...
Cheap car: A2 1.4 SE
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202205145...
Alfa Romeo
Nice car: Giulia Veloce
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202206247...
Cheap car: MiTo 1.4 16V
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202205306...
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