Going down to a single car
Discussion
Hello,
I'm after a bit of advice really - situation is as follows (and this all probably sounds really mad):
I've got a 5 year old Jag XE 20t (petrol) - low mileage (23K), FSH etc. I'm the second owner and the car is immaculate (it still smells like a new car inside). Servicing costs have been very low (independent Jaguar Specialist) and it has sailed through its MOTs in my ownership. I love the car, but I am prone to car park anxiety, so I am careful where I leave it.
We also own a 10-year-old Fiesta Titanium X. Predominantly driven by my Mrs (she doesn't like driving larger / saloon cars), this is also our go-to vehicle for short runs or being left in airport car parks. It’s great, but probably not as an only car.
I WFH full time and my OH works within walking distance of where we live. We normally only have cause to use a car at weekends and no longer have justification for two cars. Moving to a single vehicle would reduce insurance and servicing liabilities.
This has led to us considering a single go-to / do anything vehicle that both of us drive.
We’ve found a 2nd hand 2021 1.5 l petrol Kia Ceed GT-Line at a Kia Dealer. The warranty (5 years left) is a big draw, and the car looks quite nice externally.
It includes some decent tech Android Auto / Apple Car Play and a reversing camera. It seems like a nice car for the money - plenty of cabin / boot space. We both liked the car, though I'm not sure how it'd be on longer journeys.
We own both cars outright, though of course at trade-in / motorway / WBAC values, we will make a significant capital loss on both vehicles compared to what we paid for them.
Logically, long-term, the most financially prudent approach is get the Kia. Cheaper parts and running costs - however my heart is telling me to keep my Jag (and the Fiesta as a runaround).
As fellow car enthusiasts, would you feel the same, or should I just pull myself together and get the Kia? Interested to hear any thoughts, and / or Kia ownership experiences.
Thanks in advance
I'm after a bit of advice really - situation is as follows (and this all probably sounds really mad):
I've got a 5 year old Jag XE 20t (petrol) - low mileage (23K), FSH etc. I'm the second owner and the car is immaculate (it still smells like a new car inside). Servicing costs have been very low (independent Jaguar Specialist) and it has sailed through its MOTs in my ownership. I love the car, but I am prone to car park anxiety, so I am careful where I leave it.
We also own a 10-year-old Fiesta Titanium X. Predominantly driven by my Mrs (she doesn't like driving larger / saloon cars), this is also our go-to vehicle for short runs or being left in airport car parks. It’s great, but probably not as an only car.
I WFH full time and my OH works within walking distance of where we live. We normally only have cause to use a car at weekends and no longer have justification for two cars. Moving to a single vehicle would reduce insurance and servicing liabilities.
This has led to us considering a single go-to / do anything vehicle that both of us drive.
We’ve found a 2nd hand 2021 1.5 l petrol Kia Ceed GT-Line at a Kia Dealer. The warranty (5 years left) is a big draw, and the car looks quite nice externally.
It includes some decent tech Android Auto / Apple Car Play and a reversing camera. It seems like a nice car for the money - plenty of cabin / boot space. We both liked the car, though I'm not sure how it'd be on longer journeys.
We own both cars outright, though of course at trade-in / motorway / WBAC values, we will make a significant capital loss on both vehicles compared to what we paid for them.
Logically, long-term, the most financially prudent approach is get the Kia. Cheaper parts and running costs - however my heart is telling me to keep my Jag (and the Fiesta as a runaround).
As fellow car enthusiasts, would you feel the same, or should I just pull myself together and get the Kia? Interested to hear any thoughts, and / or Kia ownership experiences.
Thanks in advance
Edited by 92203 on Sunday 21st January 20:22
We went down to 1 car about 2 years ago. Its been fine. My wife rarely drives, maybe once a month at the most.
She knows my schedule (I normally go out around 10am and back for 1pm) so if she needs the car she just takes it in the afternoon.
As for keep both or get the one.
I think you would need to post the numbers. But in reality you will probably save in the long run. 2 cars still need 2 MOTs, 2 services, 2 lots of wear items.
Double the chance of a fault. Double the insurance and tax.
I would probably trade the Jaguar in with KIA if they offer more than WBAC. The Fiesta you will easily sell on ebay for good money.
She knows my schedule (I normally go out around 10am and back for 1pm) so if she needs the car she just takes it in the afternoon.
As for keep both or get the one.
I think you would need to post the numbers. But in reality you will probably save in the long run. 2 cars still need 2 MOTs, 2 services, 2 lots of wear items.
Double the chance of a fault. Double the insurance and tax.
I would probably trade the Jaguar in with KIA if they offer more than WBAC. The Fiesta you will easily sell on ebay for good money.
We'e only had one car for a while - nominally my wife's as we got rid of my car during Covid as it was just sitting there unused.
I WFH but have to go to customers perhaps a couple of days per month. Wife is retired but picks grandkids up from schooll 3 miles away 3 evenings per week. If I have the car and she can't do it then our "kids" can work around it.
Biggest issue I have is that I feel "exposed" without a second car - we live in a village so basic facilities are here but we'd be pretty stuffed if the car was off the road for some reason.
It also made changing her car recently a bit restricted - really couldn't do anything other than px her old one, although the deal was OK ish.
I WFH but have to go to customers perhaps a couple of days per month. Wife is retired but picks grandkids up from schooll 3 miles away 3 evenings per week. If I have the car and she can't do it then our "kids" can work around it.
Biggest issue I have is that I feel "exposed" without a second car - we live in a village so basic facilities are here but we'd be pretty stuffed if the car was off the road for some reason.
It also made changing her car recently a bit restricted - really couldn't do anything other than px her old one, although the deal was OK ish.
92203 said:
Logically, long-term, the most financially prudent approach is get the Kia. Cheaper parts and running costs - however my heart is telling me to keep my Jag (and the Fiesta as a runaround).
I've never bought a car using a logically financially prudent approach. For me cars are never just transport. I would recommend you stick. Changing cars to save money seems tricky but going down to 1 should save you in the end. I like having more than 1 because if your 1 car breaks you're screwed, as in stranded. I see my friends getting into a panic when their 1 car breaks. 92203 said:
Hello,
As fellow car enthusiasts, would you feel the same, or should I just pull myself together and get the Kia? Interested to hear any thoughts, and / or Kia ownership experiences.
Depending on usage, a third option might be to keep the Fiesta as the runaround car and then hire a car similar to the Jag for the long journeys.As fellow car enthusiasts, would you feel the same, or should I just pull myself together and get the Kia? Interested to hear any thoughts, and / or Kia ownership experiences.
Chris
I gave up my co car when I retired about 3 years ago and intended to buy my own car. But whilst we were down to one car, I started using my bike (bicycle) more which I enjoyed. Was still thinking about getting my own car and then I hit 60 and got my o/60 Oyster card. Free travel. So we still only have one car. Wife uses it daily, I use it maybe once a fortnight.
But we are in the London area so if anything went wrong with it, we have buses and tubes galore on our doorstep.
But we are in the London area so if anything went wrong with it, we have buses and tubes galore on our doorstep.
Just keep the Jag and save the money on maintaining/insuring the fiesta?
If I was in your position and I wanted warranty/piece of mind I'd get a 5 year old Toyota (CHR or something) hybrid. No DPF, no Turbo, they'll happily sit for weeks and do small mileage/stop start, and if you service it with them the warranty will run for 10 years.
If I was in your position and I wanted warranty/piece of mind I'd get a 5 year old Toyota (CHR or something) hybrid. No DPF, no Turbo, they'll happily sit for weeks and do small mileage/stop start, and if you service it with them the warranty will run for 10 years.
I think it depends where you live, i.e. are there other options available if you need to travel anywhere, a viable bus / train / taxi options.
Where we live we currently have two cars and are in the process of selling my wife's car and buying a replacement, although for the period when we are down to one car although I work from home, once a fortnight I need to drive to the local station (5 miles) and then a train into the office. My wife needs a car to pick one of the kids up from school.
Our bus service doesn't start until after 07.00 (much too late) and taxis are at best unreliable, hence the need for 2 cars just for that once a fortnight trip....
Where we live we currently have two cars and are in the process of selling my wife's car and buying a replacement, although for the period when we are down to one car although I work from home, once a fortnight I need to drive to the local station (5 miles) and then a train into the office. My wife needs a car to pick one of the kids up from school.
Our bus service doesn't start until after 07.00 (much too late) and taxis are at best unreliable, hence the need for 2 cars just for that once a fortnight trip....
Even if my wife and I could get by with one car - which really isn't feasible at the moment - I wouldn't see the point in getting rid of our owned-outright runabout. The standing cost to keep it really isn't that much and well worth the extra convenience it affords. YMMV of course. My parents-in-law recently went down to one car and from about a week after they did they've been enquiring as to when I'll next be changing cars (as I've just given them my cast-offs a few times before). So I'd stick where you are.
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