1 Vs 2 Car Solution

[Shermanator]

Do you have 1 car, do you have 2, do you have 3? What is your solution to doing everything you want and need from a car? Why do you think it works for you?
One car which does everything relatively well with just one round of expenses
2, one for dreary and one for fun
3, are you rich and have the mega bucks for more

Not a car buying thread, just curious to see people's solutions and why they've chosen them.

[chucklebutty]

We have a reasonable family car (newish Polo), a city runabout (Alto) and a weekend car (Elise S1).

Family of 4, 2 grown teens and the Alto does most of the local running as we're in north London and it's the most efficient and already has a golf-ball patina. Polo for any long or family trip, Elise is an indulgence and owned from new...

[Stick Legs]

Pretty much all bases covered, plus Mrs. Stick Legs has an Audi Q6 E-Tron for local driving & going to cities with clean air zones.

[Glosphil]

I have a 4-door hatchback & my wife has a smaller 4-door hatchback. Never felt in need to have more cars.

Mine used for longer journeys & tip runs & I sometimes drive the wife's locally.

She never drives mine. Apparantly an auto gesrbox, Autohold & Electronic Hand Brake make it too complicated!

[E63eeeeee...]

I bought one car, on the basis that it did everything you could reasonably want a car to do, it would carry lots of people or lots of stuff, it went pretty fast and it made a good noise. And all was good. And then I realised that what I actually wanted was a car where the roof came off, to use for fun weekendy stuff and general running around, so I slightly over-corrected and bought two of those. And all was good. But then it became winter, and I didn't want to use my nice well-preseved fun cars in the rain and salty roads, so I bought a car for that. And all was good. And then I got a job that involved lots of travelling so I bought a car that was very good at long motorway journeys without costing loads in fuel, on the basis this would save me money and it would be a bit of fun, all of which I was wrong about.

The moral of the story is, just buy one car and open the windows when it's sunny, or it's a slippery slope.

Edited by E63eeeeee... on Tuesday 1st April 18:08

[Stick Legs]

E63eeeeee... said:

I bought one car, on the basis that it did everything you could reasonably want a car to do, it would carry lots of people or lots of stuff, it went pretty fast and it made a good noise. And all was good. And then I realised that what I actually wanted was a car where the roof came off, to use for fun weekendy stuff and general running around, so I slightly over-corrected and bought two of those. And all was good. But then it became winter, and I didn't want to use my nice well-preseved fun cars in the rain and salty roads, so I bought a car for that. And all was good. And then I got a job that involved lots of travelling so I bought a car that was very good at long motorway journeys without costing loads in fuel, on the basis this would save me money and it would be a bit

The very hungry car collector…

[sherman]

We have one car.
A Ford Focus ST Estate
I use it to commute to work Mon-Fri

My wife gets the bus to work in town.
She has access to a work pool car if needed for work.

For the one week a year my wife goes to see her mum 5 hours away she hires the cheapest Fiesta/corsa sized car she can find.

[E63eeeeee...]

Stick Legs said:

E63eeeeee... said:

I bought one car, on the basis that it did everything you could reasonably want a car to do, it would carry lots of people or lots of stuff, it went pretty fast and it made a good noise. And all was good. And then I realised that what I actually wanted was a car where the roof came off, to use for fun weekendy stuff and general running around, so I slightly over-corrected and bought two of those. And all was good. But then it became winter, and I didn't want to use my nice well-preseved fun cars in the rain and salty roads, so I bought a car for that. And all was good. And then I got a job that involved lots of travelling so I bought a car that was very good at long motorway journeys without costing loads in fuel, on the basis this would save me money and it would be a bit

The very hungry car collector…

Yup. It's lucky I don't have a bigger drive.

[AC43]

Fiat 500 1.2 for short trips round London. Usually 1 or 2 up.

(I also use Lime Bikes a lot, the tube quite often, the train now and again and the odd bus)

Merc E500 estate for more people/longer trips/larger loads.

No point in having a third car as it would just sit there even more than the other two.

[AC43]

E63eeeeee... said:

I bought one car, on the basis that it did everything you could reasonably want a car to do, it would carry lots of people or lots of stuff, it went pretty fast and it made a good noise. And all was good. And then I realised that what I actually wanted was a car where the roof came off, to use for fun weekendy stuff and general running around, so I slightly over-corrected and bought two of those. And all was good. But then it became winter, and I didn't want to use my nice well-preseved fun cars in the rain and salty roads, so I bought a car for that. And all was good. And then I got a job that involved lots of travelling so I bought a car that was very good at long motorway journeys without costing loads in fuel, on the basis this would save me money and it would be a bit of fun, all of which I was wrong about.

The moral of the story is, just buy one car and open the windows when it's sunny, or it's a slippery slope.

[AC43]

If I HAD to have just one car it would be something like a Golf GTI.

Small enough for the city, large enough for longer trips.

But as it is, happy to have tiddler and a barge.

[a340driver]

This works for me, just me.

[FarmerJim]

A wafty, mile-eating, spacious, easy to drive Benz E350 estate as the daily hack / family bus. Perfect for holiday trips to Scottish Highlands or Dordogne etc.

Nice as it is, I do like to get back to something a bit more raw and hands-on occasionally, hence the vintage Alvis 12/50. The antidote to modern motoring, but would be hopeless as a daily.

Herself has a Mini Cooper Clubman for her commute and generally dotting about. Actually, the Mini is really good to drive and, being a manual, can be driven rather than just steered; so, of the whole fleet, that would probably be the best all-rounder if we didn't need the space of the Benz.

[ShortBeardy]

One car is always a massive compromise. Whether that is acceptable goes to the nub of your tolerance of compromise.
I have yet to find a soft top/pickup/minivan/EV motorway cruiser(?!!)

The other issue is maintenance... If you don't want to be reliant on paying other people to fix stuff, then at some point a car is going to be off the road for extended repair/service. So more cars gives some redundancy.
Two is the absolute minimum... Or maybe 3 (or 4).
An EV dirt cheap to run runabout
A soft top for grand touring
Maybe a hoon thing

[John D.]

Two car for me (albeit there is a third car in the household for family duties).

[Uncle boshy]

3 series touring for the mrs and family stuff

Honda eny1 for me local stuff and work

Elderly tt roadster for sunny days and spare car for when the kids are back from uni

[fatboy b]

I drive the Jag slightly more but both are fun.

[MrMoonyMan]

I run a small fleet of eight cars and try to kid myself that they each have a reason for being there.

I can appreciate selling them and simplifying things would be a good idea. But I can’t get round the idea of letting any go.

[miniman]

We’ve just become a 4 car family again. In the past, all 4 were mine.

Now I have an A6 Allroad for family / motorway / tip duties and a Chimaera for fun.

Mrs Miniman has an e-Up! for commuting, soon to be replaced by an ID-3 (despite my concerns about touch sensitive switches)

Minimiss starts driving next month and I found a minty Mini One for her.

Next weekend, I shall be mostly reconfiguring the parking arrangements.

[Harry Flashman]

For a while, before a family, this was my two car solution, and it was excellent, except for when they both weren't working. Which was more than I would have liked.