Car - Bangeromics

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

jazzkat

Fixed wheel fanatic.
In the past I've found buying bigger cars to be quite a bit better VFM.

A few years ago I was looking for a diesel Corsa, I couldn't find a decent one at a sensible price, so I bought a top of the range Mazda 626 for about a grand (like you do!). It had 70K miles on the clock and ran like a dream. I put a further 50K miles on it and it only cost me in tyres (one set). It was a 2.0 petrol so wasn't massively fuel efficient, but if I was light on the loud pedal it would do 40's MPG. I thought it was good and cheap on the insurance too. I only got shut because the government wanted to give me £2K for it:biggrin:. So we bought the mrs a new Aygo and now I run her beetle till it dies.

Everyone wants Clios/corsa's/fiesta's for their kids, so buying a big car can be a bargain.
 
OP
OP
Downward

Downward

Guru
Location
West Midlands
Piemaster said:
Corsa/clio/hyundai/whatever, worthy runabouts but, sorry, I know there is a financial thing going on but I just couldn't change an Alfa for any of them.
How old / how much is the Alfa worth? Oldest ones seem to be going for around £2k ish. If its of that age its already had the biggest hit on depreciation and you already know its history - its yours.
As for Mrs.D not wanting to drive it, this I really don't get. Our 156 is the only car we have ever owned where I'm not expected to drive every time we go out.

Coming upto 9 years 100k.
Getting the old Alfa electrics issues (Battery drains after 2 days of not using it)

Paintwork damaged on the door thanks to works car park.
 
OP
OP
Downward

Downward

Guru
Location
West Midlands
Piemaster said:
Corsa/clio/hyundai/whatever, worthy runabouts but, sorry, I know there is a financial thing going on but I just couldn't change an Alfa for any of them.
How old / how much is the Alfa worth? Oldest ones seem to be going for around £2k ish. If its of that age its already had the biggest hit on depreciation and you already know its history - its yours.
As for Mrs.D not wanting to drive it, this I really don't get. Our 156 is the only car we have ever owned where I'm not expected to drive every time we go out.

It's the wife it's a woman thing !
Same story with my 306 gti wouldn't touch it - Doesn't like the close ratio gears.
 
OP
OP
Downward

Downward

Guru
Location
West Midlands
BrumJim said:
Hired the Chevrolet Matiz once, when I was car-less. The only car I have ever hired that I was disappointed to bring back to the hire place in one piece. It was so narrow that my wife and I couldn't sit alongside each other without rubbing shoulders.

Although the Chevrolet was the cheaper upgrade of the Daewoo. The speedo is in the centre rather than having to make two different dashboards for LH and RH drive.

I was nearly crushed in ours when I stopped to let a lorry past and it brushed a tree bringing down a huge branch on top of me.
 
OP
OP
Downward

Downward

Guru
Location
West Midlands
Rhythm Thief said:
this is the problem I have. the cheapest way to run a car is to buy something for around £300 with an MOT and run it until it will no longer get an MOT, spending as little as possible on it along the way. Then scrap it and start again. My problem is that I like to drive something with character, and this usually means that I get attached to it and start spending lots of money on it.:wacko:


Yeah I am growing old and have had my fill of cars for a while anyway. Decided this a few years ago when a sprint in the country means fighting numerous bikers racing everywhere. You just can't drive anyway fast anymore.
Always had hot hatches and modified them but it's a money pit.
 
OP
OP
Downward

Downward

Guru
Location
West Midlands
Downward said:
Coming upto 9 years 100k.
Getting the old Alfa electrics issues (Battery drains after 2 days of not using it)

Paintwork damaged on the door thanks to works car park.

Hmm ;)
Battery drain has turned out to be knackered body computer which is more expensive to buy never mind fit and reprogram the keys to buy than my Trek 1.5 !!

So the Alfa is sold and now have even less cash spare so it's looking like a budget of £1200 or maybe £800 with the rest put towards running costs
 

BrumJim

Forum Stalwart (won't take the hint and leave...)
You can get a reconditioned one from specialists. Try Google, or I can try do dig out the name of the company that did my FIAT one, but receipts etc went when I sold the car.
 

Brains

Legendary Member
Location
Greenwich
A old white van

cheap to buy,
reasonibly cheap to run, but with your milage who cares
cheap to insure
as soon as the MOT bills get to several hundred quid you flog it and buy another
 

cubby

Über Member
I used to have the same problem, hand a subaru impreza turbo £600 to insure and threats of road tax going up to £400 a year, and as yourself was only doing a small amount of miles a week (mostly weekends) ... so i sold that and bought a Peugeot Diesel, nice car £200 insurance and £125 a year road tax .... and a hell of a lot less fuel ....

Result ... :smile:
 
OP
OP
Downward

Downward

Guru
Location
West Midlands
cubby said:
I used to have the same problem, hand a subaru impreza turbo £600 to insure and threats of road tax going up to £400 a year, and as yourself was only doing a small amount of miles a week (mostly weekends) ... so i sold that and bought a Peugeot Diesel, nice car £200 insurance and £125 a year road tax .... and a hell of a lot less fuel ....

Result ... :smile:

What diesel ?
The newer 2.0 HDI ?
 

Crankarm

Guru
Location
Nr Cambridge
I've always fancied a small Peugeot/Citroen diesel van, enough to carry 4 or 5 bikes in comfort in the back or even an old Renault Master van as they are bullit proof and so easy to get things, such as bikes in and out of the back, plus one can sleep in the back as well :biggrin:.
 

Space Alien

New Member
Location
Outer space
If you're only doing 20 miles a week why don't you ditch the £150 car park pass?

I saw a nice little 01 reg Punto for a grand yesterday, economical to run and very tempting but too small for my needs. You should easily find something similar, 106, Saxo, Fiesta etc.


Why do you have a picture of my 'mother' as your avatar. How rude.
 

Scoosh

Velocouchiste
Moderator
Location
Edinburgh
upsidedown said:
If i ever need to buy a car it will be for low mileage infrequent journeys, and i reckon you can't do much better than an old tax-exempt landrover. Not great fuel consumption but doesn't need to be, cheap insurance and pretty reliable.

Not the most comfortable car in the world but it's what i'd get.


You could get classic (mileage limited) insurance on an old car like that as well another saving.

... and depreciation is ... err ... what's depreciation on an old landie ? More likely to be Appreciation, more so if they stop making the Defender soon.

You'll also get people smiling at you when you drive past ;)
 
Top Bottom