£35k for 1, 2 or 3 cars. How would you allocate the budget?

[AlexNJ89]

I currently have a 2011 Jaguar XJ worth about £5k for daily duties. It's comfortable and I use it for long boring motorway, pootling around town, commuting etc etc.

I also have an Aston Martin V8 Vantage S which is currently for sale for £29,995 and I've got a few viewings for it so hopefully it will sell soon.

I actually ADORE the Aston, apart from the suspension being a bit firm, it's unbelievable. The visceral experience, the handling, the presence, the sense of occasion when I use it. But unfortunately I can't take both my girlfriend and my dog away in it. It's just a little bit too tight for the dog so he can't go in it, which means the Aston is not getting used.

With my cars I do:
- Boring journeys and sometimes days getting stuck in London traffic so something comfy and automatic needs to be in my life

- Driving days where a group of us will take our cars to places like Scotland to stay in a hotel and explore some fun driving roads. The dog often comes.

- On summer evenings I really enjoy a convertible, so having one of those in my life would be really nice. Even if it's not to drive spiritedly, but to just cruise about. So it doesn't matter if the chassis is a bit floppy.

- I love a car which is a sense of occasion, what I like about the Aston is you start it up and the engine is so visceral and the way the Sportshift gearbox clunks through the gears is just so dramatic I think to myself "What on earth am I piloting here". The steering feel and feedback is just another level, I love it.

- I go to a lot of events like Bicester Scramble etc and I do like a feeling that I'm contributing to the car park with something interesting.

- Once in a blue moon I'll do a track day. Maybe 2 per year.

If the car does not have space for 2 people and a dog it won't get used.

So looking at the budget I can either try to check every box with one car, or have different cars that tick various boxes.

I'd really like a Porsche in my life. I've never owned one before and they do have some excellent community organised events which would be cool to be a part of. So a 911 would a high priority.

For example:

One daily car:
911 PDK Convertible for £35k

XJ plus one car:
Something like a 996 C4S (or 997) convertible. (Maybe the Porsche isn't very exciting though).


2 cars:
Something like a £15k 996 Cabriolet + an E90 M3 DCT Saloon for the other duties
This option has the visceral engine, the track capable car, the convertible, the automatic car.

4 cars:
The XJ
Porsche 996 Cab for £15k
E46 M3 Coupe Manual for £13k
Cheap £2k MX5 for track fun.


Keen to hear your thoughts....

Edited by AlexNJ89 on Saturday 18th October 13:46

[borcy]

Your 2 car option sounds the best balance of what you want and what you need.

[davek_964]

Alfa Quadrifoglio would do many of those things. It's very good at being ordinary for commuting etc, has enough space in the back for a dog, interesting at car events, could easily do a few track days etc.

One of those and a cheap MX5 / TT Roadster would be my choice

[AlexNJ89]

borcy said:

Your 2 car option sounds the best balance of what you want and what you need.

When I wrote it I proof read my post I realised myself that's probably the case. Expensive way for me to get around but I guess when you take tax, insurance and maintenance in to account for 3 cars it makes the most sense.

A coupe E92 M3 would be ok too.

Is there anything else to consider that is as engaging as an E92 but can do daily duties too?

Edited by AlexNJ89 on Saturday 18th October 13:21

[MattsCar]

You've lost me at the bit about "if the car doesn't have room for 3 people and a dog, it won't get used" and then go on to mention a Porsche 911 as your only car...

My opinion...keep the Aston (better the devil you know) and spend £7-8k on a nice E350 CDI estate or something like that.

[AlexNJ89]

MattsCar said:

You've lost me at the bit about "if the car doesn't have room for 3 people and a dog, it won't get used" and then go on to mention a Porsche 911 as your only car...

My opinion...keep the Aston (better the devil you know) and spend £7-8k on a nice E350 CDI estate or something like that.

Sorry I meant 2 people and a dog

[SFTWend]

Surely the answer is to keep what you've got and keep saving for the FF.

I don't see any BMW or non GT Porsche being an adequate replacement for the Aston.

[keo]

Sounds like you have a perfect two car garage from what you say. Keep them and leave the gf at home

[AlexNJ89]

SFTWend said:

Surely the answer is to keep what you've got and keep saving for the FF.

I don't see any BMW or non GT Porsche being an adequate replacement for the Aston.

I bought a house instead of the FF. Awful decision. I'd be a happier man sleeping in the boot of an FF.

[SFTWend]

AlexNJ89 said:

SFTWend said:

Surely the answer is to keep what you've got and keep saving for the FF.

I don't see any BMW or non GT Porsche being an adequate replacement for the Aston.

I bought a house instead of the FF. Awful decision. I'd be a happier man sleeping in the boot of an FF.

Ha ha. The house will be a great long term investment and the FF can remain something to look forward to.

[Pickle_Rick]

Keep the Aston and get a cheap EV, eg an i3.

[ZX10R NIN]

Keep the Jag & get a nice convertible.

M850i:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202505292...

M6:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202510076...

997 Turbo:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202510086...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202509015...

[AlexNJ89]

ZX10R NIN said:

Keep the Jag & get a nice convertible.

M850i:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202505292...

M6:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202510076...

997 Turbo:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202510086...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202509015...

I have deliberated over a 996 Turbo Cab manual + the Jag.

| think the M6 and 850i won't be engaging enough for me. I had an X351 XJR and found it to be too powerful and masked the speed too easily. I'm someone who would prefer a smaller car which gives a great sense of speed.

But I'm definitely open to having 2 cars where one car takes up 90% of the budget.

I had a debate with some mates about the 996 C4S vs the Turbo and I'm pretty sure the C4S would be more for me as you can really ring it out where as the Turbo is marvelled for it's speed.

[uktrailmonster]

If you decide to get a 996 or gen 1 997, beware of the potential engine issues. Search Hartech for advice. All the Carrera engines from that era were prone to various expensive failures. If I was buying one myself I would look for one with a Hartech or Autofarm rebuild. Otherwise they are really fun cars to drive. The Turbo doesn’t suffer from these engine issues as it uses a different block. But I prefer the Carrera to drive. I had a 2002 996 C2 manual with a Hartech built engine, Manthey exhaust and KW dampers. It was a real blast! More fun than my later 997.2 C4S PDK, although that was a better all-round car. The 996 interior feels pretty low rent, but extended leather option helps a bit. 997 is much better inside.

[ShortBeardy]

weird... I have a 2008 XKR 4.2 supercharged coupe and a 996 cab and tesla.

I use the 996 cab (101k) for scenic driving - coast, days out, road trips etc. It works well for touring as you can fill the back seats with hats, jackets, electric blanket(!), snacks & water, real camera etc. I did a 4k mile 10 day road trip this year and it was well suited with roof down all the time excepting the hottest time in the desert. However, a larger more torquey motor would be nice for long days.
I got the jag (78k) as a work car for schlepping up and down the freeways and as a replacement to the ubiquitous minivan when the kids left. It has a very desirable impact on the behaviour of people around you and is a true mile eater. As ICE cars go it's quiet and at 420hp, reasonably rapid.
Both cars have been totally reliable requiring no more than routine servicing, although I did rebuild the rear suspension bushes on the jag and the entire suspension on the 996. I am now faced with replacing some rattly cam chains on the 996. Both cars do about 25mpg (US), the jag being a lot faster. The 996 only really displays its finer aspects if empty with half a tank of gas on a winding road where you can get on it in lower gears and play with moving the weight around. It does have the most communicative steering I have ever experienced, but other than that it's just a well built but fairly basic car with huge aftermarket support.

Neither car would be any good for a full day on the road with a couple and a dog unless it's a very small dog.

I've had the Model Y AWD dual motor Tesla for a bit under two years and done 30k in it. Other than the road trip mentioned above the other two cars just don't get used. The EV is capacious and accelerates faster than either the jag or the porsche. The throttle response is so dramatically better there is no comparison. It's peanuts to run and it's very quiet. AWD anonymous performance.
If I were you (and assuming you're in the UK and don't have access to a current generation Model S), I would go out and buy a highland Model 3 Performance. Sorry of that upsets anyone, I can at least speak from experience... Having owned a TVR, several Miatas (including a 5.0 V8), 986, Elise, the only reason to keep the 996 is that it's a cab and there isn't yet a decent EV soft top available here....

[Lefty]

Keep the Jag and get a DB9 to replace the Vantage?

[Lefty]

Or…depending on the size of Dawg, how about a Rapide? Probably one of the nicest proportioned cars built in the last 25 years (to my eyes) and so very special. It could replace both your Aston and the Jag and if you wanted something humdrum to just tool about in AND want to scratch the convertible itch get a £5k drop top mini or a 3 series or something like that?

[AlexNJ89]

ShortBeardy said:

weird... I have a 2008 XKR 4.2 supercharged coupe and a 996 cab and tesla.

I use the 996 cab (101k) for scenic driving - coast, days out, road trips etc. It works well for touring as you can fill the back seats with hats, jackets, electric blanket(!), snacks & water, real camera etc. I did a 4k mile 10 day road trip this year and it was well suited with roof down all the time excepting the hottest time in the desert. However, a larger more torquey motor would be nice for long days.
I got the jag (78k) as a work car for schlepping up and down the freeways and as a replacement to the ubiquitous minivan when the kids left. It has a very desirable impact on the behaviour of people around you and is a true mile eater. As ICE cars go it's quiet and at 420hp, reasonably rapid.
Both cars have been totally reliable requiring no more than routine servicing, although I did rebuild the rear suspension bushes on the jag and the entire suspension on the 996. I am now faced with replacing some rattly cam chains on the 996. Both cars do about 25mpg (US), the jag being a lot faster. The 996 only really displays its finer aspects if empty with half a tank of gas on a winding road where you can get on it in lower gears and play with moving the weight around. It does have the most communicative steering I have ever experienced, but other than that it's just a well built but fairly basic car with huge aftermarket support.

Neither car would be any good for a full day on the road with a couple and a dog unless it's a very small dog.

I've had the Model Y AWD dual motor Tesla for a bit under two years and done 30k in it. Other than the road trip mentioned above the other two cars just don't get used. The EV is capacious and accelerates faster than either the jag or the porsche. The throttle response is so dramatically better there is no comparison. It's peanuts to run and it's very quiet. AWD anonymous performance.
If I were you (and assuming you're in the UK and don't have access to a current generation Model S), I would go out and buy a highland Model 3 Performance. Sorry of that upsets anyone, I can at least speak from experience... Having owned a TVR, several Miatas (including a 5.0 V8), 986, Elise, the only reason to keep the 996 is that it's a cab and there isn't yet a decent EV soft top available here....

Thats really interesting feedback on the 996, thanks.

I wouldn't go EV, but I do appreciate your opinion that the 996 potentially isn't that special feeling to drive.

I wonder if I should go for a cheap Boxster which isn't used for trips away then spend the rest on something else.

[AlexNJ89]

Lefty said:

Or depending on the size of Dawg, how about a Rapide? Probably one of the nicest proportioned cars built in the last 25 years (to my eyes) and so very special. It could replace both your Aston and the Jag and if you wanted something humdrum to just tool about in AND want to scratch the convertible itch get a £5k drop top mini or a 3 series or something like that?

I've never driven a DB9 but have driven a Rapide.

I didn't find it engaging enough. The longer wheel-base and slushbox just made it a bit muted for me unfortunately.

I'd LOVE a Rapide AMR but they are way way out of budget.

I'd also like an LC500 at some point too.

[uktrailmonster]

AlexNJ89 said:

Thats really interesting feedback on the 996, thanks.

I wouldn't go EV, but I do appreciate your opinion that the 996 potentially isn't that special feeling to drive.

I wonder if I should go for a cheap Boxster which isn't used for trips away then spend the rest on something else.

I would choose a Boxster over a 996 Cab every time.