Shed motoring or luxury conveyance?
Discussion
I need some help galvanising my thought process on a new car.
I have always bought older cars as they suit what we need them for and I always had a degree of satisfaction that what I was driving was excellent VFM.
For example, we had a 2005 Lexus GS300 for 20k miles per year motorway commuting. I had an E39 530i for similar duties. Had an ST220 estate and now an (excellent) 2012 E350 cdi estate for family lugging.
However, I feel we could / should go more upmarket for our next set of cars but I am not sure the logic is sound.
Assuming up to £25k, it must be capable of moving a family of 4 with the usual kit that goes with it including trips to the tip etc.
Cars that I think fit the bill could be a BMW 540i Touring, E43 estate, Audi S6. Not wedded on an estate if some form of SUV is workable.
EV also a viable option potentially.
Purchase plan – we could buy outright or is it better to pay a hefty deposit and get the rest on finance (does it offer some form of protection?).
Or do we spend around 10K and get something older but ‘more disposable’ – I know some of this is down to personal preference.
I guess what I am asking is what car options exist and has anyone gone from shedding to grown up cars and made the right choice / regretted it?
I have always bought older cars as they suit what we need them for and I always had a degree of satisfaction that what I was driving was excellent VFM.
For example, we had a 2005 Lexus GS300 for 20k miles per year motorway commuting. I had an E39 530i for similar duties. Had an ST220 estate and now an (excellent) 2012 E350 cdi estate for family lugging.
However, I feel we could / should go more upmarket for our next set of cars but I am not sure the logic is sound.
Assuming up to £25k, it must be capable of moving a family of 4 with the usual kit that goes with it including trips to the tip etc.
Cars that I think fit the bill could be a BMW 540i Touring, E43 estate, Audi S6. Not wedded on an estate if some form of SUV is workable.
EV also a viable option potentially.
Purchase plan – we could buy outright or is it better to pay a hefty deposit and get the rest on finance (does it offer some form of protection?).
Or do we spend around 10K and get something older but ‘more disposable’ – I know some of this is down to personal preference.
I guess what I am asking is what car options exist and has anyone gone from shedding to grown up cars and made the right choice / regretted it?
If youre doing 20k a year commuting, then petrol at an optimistic 30mpg in an old luxo barge is £4000 a year in fuel. Over 5 years that's £20000 just in fuel.
An EV would be nearer £400 a year, but you'd save on brakes, oil and other consumables. So effectively, if you keep a car for 5 years, man maths says that £20000 EV has cost you nothing.
Lots of options at that price, but I'd be heading straight to auto trader and finding an M3 long range, 2022 plate or newer.
Alternative for nearer £25k is model Y Awd. Boot is bigger than many estates too, and has limo like leg room for those in the back.
I think the only people who have ever regretted going to EV were ones who can't charge at home and haven't done their homework on winter range and charging speeds when it's minus 2 (another advantage of a tesla, warms the batteries up automatically when heading to a supercharger)
An EV would be nearer £400 a year, but you'd save on brakes, oil and other consumables. So effectively, if you keep a car for 5 years, man maths says that £20000 EV has cost you nothing.
Lots of options at that price, but I'd be heading straight to auto trader and finding an M3 long range, 2022 plate or newer.
Alternative for nearer £25k is model Y Awd. Boot is bigger than many estates too, and has limo like leg room for those in the back.
I think the only people who have ever regretted going to EV were ones who can't charge at home and haven't done their homework on winter range and charging speeds when it's minus 2 (another advantage of a tesla, warms the batteries up automatically when heading to a supercharger)
Edited by Pickle_Rick on Tuesday 24th February 10:02
There's a huge area in the middle where cars have no warranty and can throw very big bills or even write themselves off through mechanical failure.
It can be very hard to be sure about the future value of a car, you could pay £20k for something only to find it's worth £5k in 2 or 3 years. Meantime it could cost you a few £k in repairs.
When you've made the decision to spend a decent sum of money on a car, you've then got the problem of finding a good one.
There are a great many cars for sale from £5k to £20k which are not great. It's about the individual car you buy, not the average of the model.
It's a game with risks, but some of the more expensive cars I've had worked out cheaper per year in the long run.
Knowing when to change is also difficult.
It can be very hard to be sure about the future value of a car, you could pay £20k for something only to find it's worth £5k in 2 or 3 years. Meantime it could cost you a few £k in repairs.
When you've made the decision to spend a decent sum of money on a car, you've then got the problem of finding a good one.
There are a great many cars for sale from £5k to £20k which are not great. It's about the individual car you buy, not the average of the model.
It's a game with risks, but some of the more expensive cars I've had worked out cheaper per year in the long run.
Knowing when to change is also difficult.
I'm in a similar boat to OP.
Have had a 2014 Yeti + 2018 Nissan Leaf combination in our house for a while. It works, does the job, happens to also be somewhat frugal, we could spend a lot more but struggling to actually do it as we seem to be at around the point of diminishing returns i.e. we might spend more and not get that much more.
I have never cared about badge and I don't change cars just because I'm bored (have had the Yeti for 9 years) but I am increasingly bothered about tech. Specifically I want my main family long-distance car to have adaptive cruise control and a 360 camera these days. We have those on the Leaf runabout and I find them worth having.
So OP FWIW I think for me the reason I will switch out of my existing comfortable and more frugal pattern will likely be advances in car tech.
Have had a 2014 Yeti + 2018 Nissan Leaf combination in our house for a while. It works, does the job, happens to also be somewhat frugal, we could spend a lot more but struggling to actually do it as we seem to be at around the point of diminishing returns i.e. we might spend more and not get that much more.
I have never cared about badge and I don't change cars just because I'm bored (have had the Yeti for 9 years) but I am increasingly bothered about tech. Specifically I want my main family long-distance car to have adaptive cruise control and a 360 camera these days. We have those on the Leaf runabout and I find them worth having.
So OP FWIW I think for me the reason I will switch out of my existing comfortable and more frugal pattern will likely be advances in car tech.
I need to have a go in both the 540i and E43 to see what they are both like.
540i Touring gets great reviews.
I’m just not sure if I would be worried about having that much tied up in a car.
I essentially write of a car financially as soon as it is bought - I always know I will get something back on it at the end of the day but I can live with it if not.
I feel we owe it to ourselves to get a more modern car though!
540i Touring gets great reviews.
I’m just not sure if I would be worried about having that much tied up in a car.
I essentially write of a car financially as soon as it is bought - I always know I will get something back on it at the end of the day but I can live with it if not.
I feel we owe it to ourselves to get a more modern car though!
The E43 in premium plus spec would be the pick out of this & the 540i:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202602230...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202602230...
but try both & then drive the S6 I think that this is actually the pick at this price point:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202601239...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202602230...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202602230...
but try both & then drive the S6 I think that this is actually the pick at this price point:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202601239...
I'd be inclined the keep what you have - that's nearly always the cheapest option!
Unless you'd prefer petrol power for 8-10K miles a year.
I've had my 2005 BMW 330i nearly 7 years now and it's plenty luxurious enough for me as a daily driver.
When I ran nearly new cars they cost less in maintenance but worked out far more expensive when I factored in depreciation.
Unless you'd prefer petrol power for 8-10K miles a year.
I've had my 2005 BMW 330i nearly 7 years now and it's plenty luxurious enough for me as a daily driver.
When I ran nearly new cars they cost less in maintenance but worked out far more expensive when I factored in depreciation.
CSR Performance said:
I know someone with an E43. Proper Jekyll and Hyde car. Smooth and comfortable cruiser and very rapid when you want it to be. Massive boot and surprisingly good on fuel too.
That’s a good summery of them. I took one for a test drive. Biggest go-kart you’ll ever drive. Amazing piece of kit. Edited by CSR Performance on Tuesday 24th February 15:18
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