New Car This Summer - Ideas

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Mon 18 Jun 2007 12:53
New Car This Summer - Ideas - wjh
Currently drive 2004 Fiesta 1.25...it's a good little car but i have a few issues with it (particularly the ridiculous digital petrol gauge).

Situation is I will be off to Univeristy soon and wont be taking the car with me, so i'll be using the car much less. I would like to get something that is fun to drive for when I am home and has a bit of class to it. Also residuals are important as I would like to tie my money up in something that isnt going to sit at home for 3 years depreciating like a stone/fiesta. I dont mind something a bit older (but not too much) and with a few more miles (Fiesta has 32000) as I wont be putting that much on.

Budget Fiesta (£4500) + £2000ish.

Curreent thoughts would be 52/03 Mini One with some extra kit. Any further thoughts?
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Mon 18 Jun 2007 14:59
New Car This Summer - Ideas - tintin01
Minis seem to keep their value very well so probably a good choice. You could get something like a Puma - there was one on last week's Used Car Roadshow which had only depreciated £500 in the last 6 months according to Jason Dawe. (I am still watching this, though it continues to bug me). Insurance may be a bit much, and it is a souped up Fiesta, which you've already had. And you did say a bit of class.

A classic like my favourite car, Saab 900 turbo, say 1990, would probably lose little in the next 3 years. But if you are not there to drive and maintain it regularly it would be a bit of a waste. Again mpg and insurance could be a problem. You'd get a nice one for £1500 though and could get a low milage classic policy.

I'd probably get a chaep classic or keep the Fiesta and save the money for paying off my student loan or a nice car on graduation.
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Mon 18 Jun 2007 15:30
New Car This Summer - Ideas - OldHand
I'm with tintin on this one. A proper ie non-GM Saab 900 turbo convertible might be a good choice as long as you don't buy it now but when winter starts. Likewise the tin top version- personally I love those cars and they are actually appreciating in value if you get a good one.
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Mon 18 Jun 2007 16:01
New Car This Summer - Ideas - Collos25
mgb
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Mon 18 Jun 2007 16:53
New Car This Summer - Ideas - Gromit {P}
Suggestion: keep the Fiesta until the Autumn and sell it at Uni. Lots of demand for cheap-to-run motors from students just back from summer jobs. Then buy your convertible (as suggested earlier) once the rain starts to fall, interest in open-top motoring drops, and you can spot the leaky roofs easily.

Personally I'd spend as little as possible while getting a reliable car I liked, and pocket the rest for running costs and uni expenses...
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Mon 18 Jun 2007 17:22
New Car This Summer - Ideas - bell boy
im with gromit
keep the fezza till sept
then buy something with no street kred dirt cheap insurance for when you come home
this way you will have lots of money and not have a car parked up deteriorating which they do when parked up
and you are saving the planet ;-)
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