I need a 3rd car for about 6 months a year for 3 or 4 years
I need a 3rd car for about 6 months a year for 3 or 4 years
Author
Discussion

Talay

Original Poster:

69 posts

147 months

Sunday 29th December 2024
quotequote all
My ex wife is coming back to the UK for around 6 months a year for the next 3 or 4 years to do some work in one of my companies.

However, whilst she is in the UK, she will need the use of a car 5 or 6 days a week including late evenings a couple of times a week. This means that sharing a car is not really practical. The 2nd car I have is going to disappear with our daughter to university in the summer.

My current car is a 2015 BMW X3 35d with every option including remote heater and I just spent a few grand on gearbox, front and rear differential servicing, thrust bearings etc. as I wanted to keep it a good few more years (owned it since new with 80k on the clock).

The current 2nd car is a new 2024 Hyundai i10 1.2. Auto Premium and whilst not huge on power, it is fine for local, in town and even moderate distance motorway driving.

I'm struggling as to what to buy for this part time 6 months a year car ?

My head says to buy something like another Hyundai i10 for around £18k, run it for the 3 or 4 years and then sell it. It will cost say £18k now and then be worth maybe £12k so at a cost of maybe 1 set of tyres, some servicing and almost zero maintenance which equals about £8k.

My ex would rather have something with more power like the X3 but buying a similar car to the current X3 would cost around £15k and over 4 years might cost less in depreciation but certainly more in tyres and servicing but the real killer is the potential maintenance bills.

We don't have a place to charge an electric car and outside charging is not a consideration.

Leasing the same i10 would be £228 a month plus around £600 up front so £8800 and no 4th year option so leasing seems significantly more expensive.

What would you buy ?

A500leroy

8,112 posts

145 months

Sunday 29th December 2024
quotequote all
Your ex?

2k worth of Aygo then in 2 years time sell for it 2k.

Funky Squirrel

490 posts

99 months

Sunday 29th December 2024
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10+ year old golf. Otherwise fleet car from one of your companies?

Davie

6,085 posts

242 months

Sunday 29th December 2024
quotequote all
Strange post, so many questions!

Why is it your issue? And why do the other cars matter? And how is she insuring whatever she gets for 6 months? And if she expects X, Y or Z then why not leave it to her to arrange or is a car part of the employment arrangements?

If I had to provide a car as part of the role, first what are the expectations / agreement? Is a certain make / model / age required and is this fully maintained etc? Is it insured through a business or is that her responsibility? Who fuels it, taxes it? Is this being bought as a company asset or is it "her" car?

I think this is unanswerable as it could be anything from directing her towards Enterprise for a long term hire this no maintenance concerns or maybe buy a £800 C1 and scrap it 6 months later, then rinse and repeat or perhaps a fully supported new BMW M2 or a Boxster or literally any car anybody could think of.

Sounds a bit messy.

I think this is between you and the ex missus...

Countdown

48,586 posts

223 months

Sunday 29th December 2024
quotequote all
Talay said:
We don't have a place to charge an electric car and outside charging is not a consideration.

?
So she’s staying with you as well?

Tbh this seems more like a personal relationship than a business one so the fact that she’s working for you seems somewhat irrelevant. In which case you both need to sit down and agree what is best between you.


ecsrobin

18,603 posts

192 months

Sunday 29th December 2024
quotequote all
If she’s not a UK resident will it be straight forward to get insurance for 6 months?

hidetheelephants

34,812 posts

220 months

Sunday 29th December 2024
quotequote all
Your daughter doesn't need a car at university. Use that one.

Lo-Fi

1,288 posts

97 months

Sunday 29th December 2024
quotequote all
Talay said:
My ex wife is coming back to the UK for around 6 months a year for the next 3 or 4 years to do some work in one of my companies.

However, whilst she is in the UK, she will need the use of a car 5 or 6 days a week including late evenings a couple of times a week. This means that sharing a car is not really practical. The 2nd car I have is going to disappear with our daughter to university in the summer.

My current car is a 2015 BMW X3 35d with every option including remote heater and I just spent a few grand on gearbox, front and rear differential servicing, thrust bearings etc. as I wanted to keep it a good few more years (owned it since new with 80k on the clock).

The current 2nd car is a new 2024 Hyundai i10 1.2. Auto Premium and whilst not huge on power, it is fine for local, in town and even moderate distance motorway driving.

I'm struggling as to what to buy for this part time 6 months a year car ?

My head says to buy something like another Hyundai i10 for around £18k, run it for the 3 or 4 years and then sell it. It will cost say £18k now and then be worth maybe £12k so at a cost of maybe 1 set of tyres, some servicing and almost zero maintenance which equals about £8k.

My ex would rather have something with more power like the X3 but buying a similar car to the current X3 would cost around £15k and over 4 years might cost less in depreciation but certainly more in tyres and servicing but the real killer is the potential maintenance bills.

We don't have a place to charge an electric car and outside charging is not a consideration.

Leasing the same i10 would be £228 a month plus around £600 up front so £8800 and no 4th year option so leasing seems significantly more expensive.

What would you buy ?
Another of your "one of my companies" threads.

Interesting.


Monkeylegend

28,845 posts

258 months

Sunday 29th December 2024
quotequote all
Talay said:
My ex wife is coming back to the UK for around 6 months a year for the next 3 or 4 years to do some work in one of my companies.

However, whilst she is in the UK, she will need the use of a car 5 or 6 days a week including late evenings a couple of times a week. This means that sharing a car is not really practical. The 2nd car I have is going to disappear with our daughter to university in the summer.

My current car is a 2015 BMW X3 35d with every option including remote heater and I just spent a few grand on gearbox, front and rear differential servicing, thrust bearings etc. as I wanted to keep it a good few more years (owned it since new with 80k on the clock).

The current 2nd car is a new 2024 Hyundai i10 1.2. Auto Premium and whilst not huge on power, it is fine for local, in town and even moderate distance motorway driving.

I'm struggling as to what to buy for this part time 6 months a year car ?

My head says to buy something like another Hyundai i10 for around £18k, run it for the 3 or 4 years and then sell it. It will cost say £18k now and then be worth maybe £12k so at a cost of maybe 1 set of tyres, some servicing and almost zero maintenance which equals about £8k.

My ex would rather have something with more power like the X3 but buying a similar car to the current X3 would cost around £15k and over 4 years might cost less in depreciation but certainly more in tyres and servicing but the real killer is the potential maintenance bills.

We don't have a place to charge an electric car and outside charging is not a consideration.

Leasing the same i10 would be £228 a month plus around £600 up front so £8800 and no 4th year option so leasing seems significantly more expensive.

What would you buy ?
Maybe she could share the XK you are going to buy your friend.

CG2020UK

2,926 posts

67 months

Sunday 29th December 2024
quotequote all
A500leroy said:
2k worth of Aygo then in 2 years time sell for it 2k.
This 100%

ZX10R NIN

30,350 posts

152 months

Sunday 29th December 2024
quotequote all
Talay said:
My ex wife is coming back to the UK for around 6 months a year for the next 3 or 4 years to do some work in one of my companies.

However, whilst she is in the UK, she will need the use of a car 5 or 6 days a week including late evenings a couple of times a week. This means that sharing a car is not really practical. The 2nd car I have is going to disappear with our daughter to university in the summer.

My current car is a 2015 BMW X3 35d with every option including remote heater and I just spent a few grand on gearbox, front and rear differential servicing, thrust bearings etc. as I wanted to keep it a good few more years (owned it since new with 80k on the clock).

The current 2nd car is a new 2024 Hyundai i10 1.2. Auto Premium and whilst not huge on power, it is fine for local, in town and even moderate distance motorway driving.

I'm struggling as to what to buy for this part time 6 months a year car ?

My head says to buy something like another Hyundai i10 for around £18k, run it for the 3 or 4 years and then sell it. It will cost say £18k now and then be worth maybe £12k so at a cost of maybe 1 set of tyres, some servicing and almost zero maintenance which equals about £8k.

My ex would rather have something with more power like the X3 but buying a similar car to the current X3 would cost around £15k and over 4 years might cost less in depreciation but certainly more in tyres and servicing but the real killer is the potential maintenance bills.

We don't have a place to charge an electric car and outside charging is not a consideration.

Leasing the same i10 would be £228 a month plus around £600 up front so £8800 and no 4th year option so leasing seems significantly more expensive.

What would you buy ?
Simple get her one of these:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202412227...

Add android auto/carplay for around another £600 & your sorted, they're also ULEZ compliant too.

Running costs are sensible & they've done the worst of their depreciation.

Harry you Potter

187 posts

25 months

Sunday 29th December 2024
quotequote all
Volvo V70 or perhaps a BNW 3 series E90. She is your ex so don’t go all out giving her something she wants.

Edible Roadkill

2,226 posts

204 months

Sunday 29th December 2024
quotequote all
Bus pass / phone number for local taxi companies

soad

34,477 posts

203 months

Sunday 29th December 2024
quotequote all
Edible Roadkill said:
Bus pass / phone number for local taxi companies
laugh

Talay

Original Poster:

69 posts

147 months

Sunday 29th December 2024
quotequote all
I thought by adding context that it might sharpen the responses but ...

My ex is my daughter's mother and we have a great relationship as parents. Not everyone married bhzilla.

Daughter going to university with car is not negotiable (after first term) and sorry if not being on the breadline means that multiple companies is beyond at least one guy's comprehension.

Decent call for an Infiniti - sadly I got rid of a 2009 Murano 2 years ago that I'd owned for 10 years when not needing 2 or 3 cars ! It was the best cared for Murano in the UK and the new owner is ploughing through France and loving it with zero reliability issues.

A 2k shed ? I apologise. I should have added that I need as much near 100% reliability as is possible so a 10 owner bald tyres 3 month LOT shed for a grand is not an option.

Jag_NE

3,324 posts

127 months

Sunday 29th December 2024
quotequote all
These companies must be rubbish.

daqinggregg

5,335 posts

156 months

Monday 30th December 2024
quotequote all
Let the ex use the BMW, buy something you like for yourself, with a budget your happy with.

Dog Biscuit

2,243 posts

24 months

Monday 30th December 2024
quotequote all
A 5 year old golf dsg

Easy buy and easy sell

Fair maintenance and running costs

Davie

6,085 posts

242 months

Monday 30th December 2024
quotequote all
Talay said:
A 2k shed ? I apologise. I should have added that I need as much near 100% reliability as is possible so a 10 owner bald tyres 3 month LOT shed for a grand is not an option.
£2k "shed" budget will buy a perfectly acceptable, good condition run about and you can always spend about £150 more putting four new tyres on it. May end up being 100% reliable, may not. But then that can be said about any car, even newer / dearer ones. However if a cheap runabout isn't acceptable, as has been said... this is between you and the ex. Ask her what she wants / expects, then go from there.

Harry you Potter

187 posts

25 months

Monday 30th December 2024
quotequote all
Talay said:
I thought by adding context that it might sharpen the responses but ...

My ex is my daughter's mother and we have a great relationship as parents. Not everyone married bhzilla.

Daughter going to university with car is not negotiable (after first term) and sorry if not being on the breadline means that multiple companies is beyond at least one guy's comprehension.

Decent call for an Infiniti - sadly I got rid of a 2009 Murano 2 years ago that I'd owned for 10 years when not needing 2 or 3 cars ! It was the best cared for Murano in the UK and the new owner is ploughing through France and loving it with zero reliability issues.

A 2k shed ? I apologise. I should have added that I need as much near 100% reliability as is possible so a 10 owner bald tyres 3 month LOT shed for a grand is not an option.
That’s fair I wasn’t sure if you were looking for a blowjob from her and your way of getting one was buying her a flash car.

You will find that a lot of sheds are reliable and it is the best option. Look at all the jaguars and land rovers with issues.

Volvo V70 is the perfect buy. Take time to think about it and you’ll see the logic.