undecided - Out of the market for years

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Sun 26 Jun 2011 22:56
undecided - Out of the market for years - expatsFL

Used to read the DT and HJ when in the UK so will try and ask for a lil help from you folks. We have been out of the UK for 15 years in Floriduh and are coming back this Xmas. We will have the use of our parents ex Honda civic 1.4 basic which is ............very basic, which we will probably sell. We want to "treat" ourselves to summit nice. Have between 10 and 15k to spend. Most of our miles, 5k a yr, will be A & B roads in sunny Cornwall with the very occasional moptorway blast. We intend to buy a small sports conv for fun in the sun, maybe a MGB/Vitesse, (def NOT a mazda). Are undecided and a tad confused with the diesel/petrol issue. Looking at medium sized cars. Had a golf td yrs ago, a celica yrs ago and various crap escort company cars.

Appreciatte all and any answers. ps we aint old! (50).

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Mon 27 Jun 2011 00:11
undecided - Out of the market for years - bathtub tom

So what's your gripe with a Mazda? MX5 seems to fit your requirements.

Edited by bathtub tom on 27/06/2011 at 00:11

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Mon 27 Jun 2011 12:22
undecided - Out of the market for years - ohsoslow

MX-5, relatively cheap, very reliable, great fun, road holding as good as many much more expensive cars, certainly fast enough for Cornish roads................hairdressers' cars!!!

Edited by ohsoslow on 27/06/2011 at 12:28

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Mon 27 Jun 2011 01:22
undecided - Out of the market for years - Avant

I'm not sure but you seem to imply that you're looking for two cars - a medium-sized car and a fun car - is that right? And does your budget include what you can get for the Honda?

I'd keep the Honda as your mileage is going to be low - it's a good medium-sized car, particularly if it's the old shape. Then buy something fun, but small to suit Cornish lanes. My fun car is a BMW Z3 which was great in Cornwall as it's good at pottering as well as going fast. You can get a Z4 a few years old within budget.

If you're after a classic to tinker with, a Vitesse 2-litre convertible would be a lot of fun as well.

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Mon 27 Jun 2011 19:31
undecided - Out of the market for years - expatsFL

Have you seen the sort of person that drives a mazda 5.....exactly.

I had 2 gt6's many m,any years ago and a mgb gt too, thus thought about either roadster /vitesse for fun....maybe a TVR?

But its the main car that has me stumped. The Honda has to go, its very basic

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Mon 27 Jun 2011 20:20
undecided - Out of the market for years - Bobbin Threadbare

Have you seen the sort of person that drives a mazda 5.....exactly.


A Mazda 5 is a people carrier type car. A Mazda MX-5 is a sexy little sports car type thing. Quite different.

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Mon 27 Jun 2011 21:34
undecided - Out of the market for years - expatsFL

But you knew what I meant so??????????

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Mon 27 Jun 2011 21:56
undecided - Out of the market for years - unthrottled

No, it wasn't clear at all. Even the MX5 faces (quite unjustfied) criticism for being a hairdressers' car.

Be careful about typecasting cars as being 'old man's mobiles'. A lot of nice cars are predominantly owned older people because it is often only empty nesters that can finally afford the car of their dreams.

When you were in Florida did the notice the average age of a corvette driver? It's over 50. Is it an old man's car? Hardly.

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Mon 27 Jun 2011 22:55
undecided - Out of the market for years - ohsoslow

Have you seen the sort of person that drives a mazda 5.....exactly.


I'm a bloke who is on his second MX-5 and am planning on getting a new one next year, so this makes me.........................?

(P.S. you wouldn't want me anywhere near your hair with a pair of scissors!)

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Mon 27 Jun 2011 23:18
undecided - Out of the market for years - Bobbin Threadbare

And I'm a woman in my 20s who definitely can't be trusted with scissors near someone's hair and the MX-5 is hopefully going to be my next car!

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Mon 27 Jun 2011 23:22
undecided - Out of the market for years - unthrottled

Ah! Where have you been today? Don't say gainful employment is interfering with quality HJ time?

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Tue 28 Jun 2011 00:02
undecided - Out of the market for years - expatsFL

Aha, now a hairdresser's AND a girls car Oh dear!

Lets get back on track with the overall theme huh.

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Tue 28 Jun 2011 00:48
undecided - Out of the market for years - SteveLee

With the (lack of) mileage you do, forget diesels. BMW Z3/4 would seem like a sensible drop-top without looking (too) hairdressery, the Merc SLK would be on you list if they weren't so unreliable. How about a Honda S2000? A simply fantastic sports car. All the attributes that make the MX5 so good without the limp-wristed image. Late MGFs are good value, not as good as a S2000 but still great fun and British too - if that appeals to you. However if I was going to spend around £10K on a soft top I'd be tempted away from the traditional "sports car" type cars and stump for a Jaguar XK8 convertable, fast, reliable reasonable running costs, very comfortable and a treat to look at.

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Tue 28 Jun 2011 00:57
undecided - Out of the market for years - Avant

Welcome to the forum. We're trying to help even though your original post isn't very specific: most of us allow our sense of humour to come through, which at least makes my life more interesting (as a moderator on here in my spare time, I try to read all threads).

Assuming that you need two cars and that you have £10-15k plus what you can get for the Honda (neither of these is certain) you could go for:

Main car: VW Golf, Skoda Fabia or Octavia, Ford Focus or any of the Japanese makes; go for petrol given your low mileage.

Fun car: BMW Z3 or Z4 or Toyota MR2 - or a BMW 3-series or Audi A4 convertible if it doesn't need to be a sports car. A clasic for tinkering - Vitesse as I suggested above.

Edited by Avant on 28/06/2011 at 00:57

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Tue 28 Jun 2011 01:12
undecided - Out of the market for years - expatsFL

Thankyou very much for the last 2.

I am leaning towards buying a golf tdi blue motion at the mo as a "reliable" car. A dependable one. Then in 2013 we are going to buy a c'van and tour yurp for 6-8 months so will probably trade up to a dependable Mondeo ...I am turning away from the passat partly from JJ's comments and others.

Fun cars....wife wants a moggie convertable as her gran had one! Me I did like my MGB GT back in the late 70's, ( just dont go fast around a wet corner) and I also liked my gt6 mk 2 & 3. An XK8 might be big bucks for us BUT again might keep the honda civic, (inherited it), and buy the jag instead of the Golf AND MG.

My head wants to explode

ps Have just zipped sideways to Ebay to check out the prices of an XK. Had a large G & T and am back here to edit out any thoughts of buying one!

Edited by expatsFL on 28/06/2011 at 01:18

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Tue 28 Jun 2011 01:41
undecided - Out of the market for years - unthrottled

I'm sorry-I don't understand your criteria. You're turning your nose up at a free civic-then considering a blue motion Golf presumably on the grounds of saving a few pennies. This is irrational! Running a 'fun car' is always going to be an expensive luxury because of high fixed costs.If you've got a fun car then your runaround can be anything as long as it works-and a civic is as likely to do that as anything. If you fork out for a tdi bluemotion, you won't have enough left for a 'fun car'-and your mileage won't recoup the cost.

Don't get me wrong-the tdi bluemotion is a fine car-but not well matched to your needs.

Unless the pangs of nostalgia are very strong-leave the 70s stuff in the 70s! It looked good only in comparison to a Morris Marina.

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Tue 28 Jun 2011 01:48
undecided - Out of the market for years - ohsoslow

For real fun but in no way practical - Caterham. Would have loved one but was over-ruled.

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Tue 28 Jun 2011 02:51
undecided - Out of the market for years - expatsFL

I actually had a MM an orange coupe, boy was it s*** The gear change lever would come out of its ball socket , so to change gear had to hold the top in one hand, bottom in other and guide it into gear..then get home carpet up and swear a lot, whilst weilding a hammer.

yes the civic is a freebie, but its just soooooo basic, (I currently drive a RR here and the wife had a nice SLK), so we do have the money for a splurge. ie cash purchase. Didnt mention saving money anywhere just not paying more for what we want really. But do like the reports of the Mondeo Ghia/Titanium as it will hold over for when we get a caravan the following year, or trade in the Golf MB ..... But like the 320d/520d too....and the Merc 2.2 ......and the ....I know make a decision man!

OH and cant wait for insurance as we will have zero ncd of course!

Edited by expatsFL on 28/06/2011 at 02:54

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Tue 28 Jun 2011 01:56
undecided - Out of the market for years - unthrottled

As diplomatic as ever, Avant. You're talents are wasted here-if you can moderate car debates, the Israel-Palestine conflict should be a doddle.

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Tue 28 Jun 2011 02:00
undecided - Out of the market for years - jamie745

He'd still struggle to control me. hehehehehe.

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Tue 28 Jun 2011 09:07
undecided - Out of the market for years - Bobbin Threadbare

Morning - FLorida, putting your criteria into Autotrader (i.e up to £15k and I put in a coupe-type shape) gets a lot of BMWs, Merc CLKs and Audi TTs, some very new Volvos and this: www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20112439114...p which is certainly not a hairdresser's car. It's also rather unisex; I've seen men AND women driving them :-P

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Tue 28 Jun 2011 09:17
undecided - Out of the market for years - Bobbin Threadbare

Gainful...?! I've been outside 'working' on my tan! But it's sweet that you missed me ;-P

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Tue 28 Jun 2011 11:51
undecided - Out of the market for years - ForumNeedsModerating

Perhaps stick with an SLK as the fun part of the deal? From a very brief scan, I've seen several 07-08 200K compressors in your price range - even a few 280s for the more luxurious 6-cylinder experience - and all nicely specced up too.

Although you're not particularly enamoured with the Honda, for the tiny local mileage & *free* aspect why not keep it? You could always use the SLK for the infrequent motorway work (no disadvantage with that folding steel roof either for inclement weather).

This gives you advantage of just buying one car, the SLK (which should be easy to sell as & when) & an easier car to sell (the Honda) when you want to upgrade to the Mondeo.

Both Honda & Merc should hold their equity reasonably well, then take advantage with the early years fast depreciator, the Mondeo. I have a currently Mondeo 2l diesel btw - all round excellent car & a 'snip' when bought at 6/12 months old.

Nice dilemma to have by the way!

Edited by woodbines on 28/06/2011 at 12:02

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Tue 28 Jun 2011 19:34
undecided - Out of the market for years - expatsFL

Well the wife did have an SLK 320 not the smaller Kompressor and it was a ticket magnet, that or she's blonde and didnt see the b******s, sorry I mean Law officers, (which was the case 3 times in 1 yr!).

The SLK did creak and groan a bit going round corners and it even had a bit of a boot with the top down, might just give it a thought. But we have been out of the old country now for 14 yrs so will have zero NCB and that would hurt big time with the jag. But a "sensible" golf and old MGB ..........

Have bought well at auctions b4, (Blackbushe) and might give that a go and I see car giants prices are OK too. Always buy a car at least 2 yrs old, the depreciation would make me cry.

Nice dilemma, true, worked for it tho and at 54 and 50 thats it, were done

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Wed 29 Jun 2011 01:34
undecided - Out of the market for years - bathtub tom

>>didnt see the b******s, sorry I mean Law officers

Tell me, what do you do for an income?

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Wed 29 Jun 2011 01:42
undecided - Out of the market for years - jamie745

Tell me, what do you do for an income?

My guess is it involves parking on alot of yellow lines.

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Wed 29 Jun 2011 02:40
undecided - Out of the market for years - expatsFL

Nosey b*****s on here huh.

I served in the armed forces for 24 years, then got into property and have done quite well thankyou.

Yellow lines..wtf?

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