I always find it hard to believe the ppt people actually do anything useful.
Good choice.
Good choice.
Do we really need a third car?
- Thread starter Maniac
- Start date
I'm struggling to make the economics work for me - running 3 cars instead of 2 is always going to be a waste of money unless you're the sort of person that likes to choose a different car to drive each day - you've still got the fixed cost of all the other cars you aren't using on that day. Great if you can afford it but I cringe at 2 of us having to run 2 cars - but if we went down to one car it would be the Zed that would go for reasons of practicality.
When I take our whippet in the Zed she wears a harness rather than a collar. The harness is then clipped into the seatbelt mechanism which is safer for her and limits how much damage she can do. She also usually sits on an old blanket if she's not clean! Would something like this work for you instead of another car?
When I take our whippet in the Zed she wears a harness rather than a collar. The harness is then clipped into the seatbelt mechanism which is safer for her and limits how much damage she can do. She also usually sits on an old blanket if she's not clean! Would something like this work for you instead of another car?
James, its kind of what I do already, the dog is fixed in place by a short lead that allows some movement, enough for her to stand on the door arm or window edge as well as try to clamber over the centre tunnel (which as I mentioned earlier is dark gloss wood) so I usually have the seat cover on, the dog bed on the seat to keep her put as well as a towel over the centre console. Its all a bit of a faff and stresses me out when I could just have a banger that I could throw her in and not care. I think the banger approach may well be the most cost effective and suit my needs for the odd extra seats etc. ..and when I say banger I mean something 5-6 years old thats a bit fun but I don't really care about keeping immaculate like I do the Z etc. I don't want a car much older than that from the reliability perspective. The OH constantly mentions an old school mini but I did all that in my youth and they're so old and dropping to bits now.
Its not just about the dog though, there may be times when the OH's car is in for service and we all need to go somewhere making the Z a less than practical option etc. It would give us a car we didn't have to worry about knocking about too much, while looking after the Z and Toyota and adding to the flexibility, odd need to carry larger items etc. It makes some sense and the more I think about it the 2nd hand route would be best I think. The only reason I looked at the Focus was that they're 17K list and I could get one for less than 12K, they're just the right size, not too big not too small, practical etc
Its not just about the dog though, there may be times when the OH's car is in for service and we all need to go somewhere making the Z a less than practical option etc. It would give us a car we didn't have to worry about knocking about too much, while looking after the Z and Toyota and adding to the flexibility, odd need to carry larger items etc. It makes some sense and the more I think about it the 2nd hand route would be best I think. The only reason I looked at the Focus was that they're 17K list and I could get one for less than 12K, they're just the right size, not too big not too small, practical etc
Maniac said:
Personally, I go the banger route... big ol' Jeep
I don't care about it, don't wash it, don't care if someone hits it, I can park it anywhere... costs less than a grand to buy (with tax and MOT)...
I run it into the ground over winter, short runs etc... if/when it fails a MOT, it gets scrapped and I start again...
Keeps the good cars, well good, and feeling special when I do take them out... :wink:
Had the same issue, I have a 3 Series Touring, SWBMO has a 1 series coupe and we had the zed. The Z ended up as a nice weather weekend thing, which bearing in mind the past few summers (not including 2013) were shocking. I ended up doing less than 1,000 miles per year.
Move on 1 year, the zed has gone, the 3 series and 1 series are being traded against a new 5 series and if needed we will get a small run around.
Good luck with your search
Move on 1 year, the zed has gone, the 3 series and 1 series are being traded against a new 5 series and if needed we will get a small run around.
Good luck with your search
Buying a brand new car that is £17k list for £12k seems like a great idea but it's probably only a good idea if you are the only person getting it at that price. if they sell them all at that price then the bargain element is gone as residuals will reflect the massive discount on the new price.
The thing that is apparent to me from reading your comments is that the unnecessary car here is actually the Z. Is it special enough to be kept as a luxury or would a more practical car fulfil what the Z does with the addition of practicality for your other needs? I know I'm sating the obvious here.
The thing that is apparent to me from reading your comments is that the unnecessary car here is actually the Z. Is it special enough to be kept as a luxury or would a more practical car fulfil what the Z does with the addition of practicality for your other needs? I know I'm sating the obvious here.
No such thing as too many cars/bikes .....
Get it done ...
Get it done ...
Mowflow said:
The Z is completely unnecessary... however its special to me and I didn't buy it out of necessity, I bought it because I loved it. Its paid off, its nearly as good as new with just 24K on the clock at 4 years old, is used every day and given the money and time I've put into it, I know if I sold it, I'd regret it. So, I'm keeping it out of stubbornness
I did like the idea of a 520D touring but I just don't do the miles and the DPF would do my head in. I could get a petrol but that would drink like the Z without being anywhere near as much fun. Its a proper head and heart tug of war to get a practical solution. It would also likely cost me more to trade the Z and get another single 'premium' car to suit my needs than it would to add a second 'everyday' car into the equation.
I'm also looking at a third car as a general crapmobile for collecting materials for DIY work, trips to the tip etc. and I've come to the conclusion that an old (pre-1974 so £0 road tax) Land Rover will fit the bill nicely.
You can pick up a reasonable one for under £6k, they go on forever, the parts are cheap, they're easy to maintain yourself and if you do need a garage to do some work on them you can go virtually anywhere - and, if kept in reasonable condition, there'll be little or no depreciation . OK, so you wouldn't want to do any long-haul driving in them but for local journeys they're fine.
You can pick up a reasonable one for under £6k, they go on forever, the parts are cheap, they're easy to maintain yourself and if you do need a garage to do some work on them you can go virtually anywhere - and, if kept in reasonable condition, there'll be little or no depreciation . OK, so you wouldn't want to do any long-haul driving in them but for local journeys they're fine.
Mowflow said:
I was thinking the same thing.
If you're not going to use the extra car much then I'd say £12k is a waste of money, if you are going to use the new car a lot then perhaps think about what you could get for £12k + the zed - which might satisfy practicality with desire. Not to mention, personally if it was me spending that sort of money on a brand new Focus or whatever - I'd be just as concerned about keeping the car and interior in good condition - but I guess the dog would have the boot.
Currenty thinking about getting a diesel Golf or something as a second car as I'm racking up mileage at the moment driving to Sheffield every week... the fuel cost is adding up, but it doesn't justify running a second car (more about saving mileage on the zed than the financial benefit).
But we all know that we don't own Z's because they're necessary, we own them because we love them. There are things that irritate me about it, ride quality on poor roads, poor throttle control unless in sport (which is also rock hard suspension mode to make the first point even worse) but as a whole every time I look at the car or go WOT I think why do I even consider letting this go it looks fantastic and goes like stink. Hence the arrival at not letting it go for numerous additional reasons as I know I'll regret it and perhaps considering something in addition. I loved the look of the new E Class coupe when I went to see it before Xmas, stunning looking car inside and out with the facelift. Then I drove it and felt like crying as I thought I'd found, after such a long search, my next car. But the drive was depressing with a lazy gearbox, lazy engine, hard suspension and steering feedback akin to driving a bed. If I didn't go additional car, then I'd have to find the driving experience of a 5 series with the looks of the latest Mercs (which I like but don't let that get this thread onto a hijack!). Can't find it tho... not for sub 40K anyhow.
Why not buy a banger to take the dog in, do the tip run etc?
£500 gets you this, http://www4.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201401151051322/ MOT until December. Throw it away if it brakes or fails it's MOT and buy another. Cheaper than financing a new car.
Or buy a pet carrier and use a zip car (http://www.zipcar.co.uk/), if you have a parking sport nearby, again much cheaper.
£500 gets you this, http://www4.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201401151051322/ MOT until December. Throw it away if it brakes or fails it's MOT and buy another. Cheaper than financing a new car.
Or buy a pet carrier and use a zip car (http://www.zipcar.co.uk/), if you have a parking sport nearby, again much cheaper.
A
Anonymous
Guest
Maniac said:
I've got two privately owned cars and I live by myself, and it's useful to have a hatchback car for trips to the tip/taking 3 passengers etc so yes if you can afford it go for it.
I've been thinking of the two cars route for a while too, I can get a four seat runabout for winter and then two seater sports car for summer. I start to look around and see what I can get overall on an annual mileage of 10,000 miles per vehicle and then decide that I would rather have one nice car than two cars reasonable cars.
My answer maniac is sell the dog, problem solved
My answer maniac is sell the dog, problem solved
Like you say, there is potential with a new car that you will think that it's comfy and roomy and practical and therefore resign the Zed to a weekend treat...which becomes less and less and eventually (whilst you might not want to) you end up selling it....
I'd say if you want a car as a workhorse, something to take the dog out in and something which will make you REALLY appreciate the Z4 everytime you use it would be to get something a little older, 6, 7 years old, average miles, something cheap, so that if there is a problem, it isnt an absolute ass to get it fixed. Perhaps a slightly older focus would do the trick, then you wouldnt be so concerned if it did get knocked or a little untidy inside....
Just my 2p worth.... I'm sure you'll make the right decision...
I'd say if you want a car as a workhorse, something to take the dog out in and something which will make you REALLY appreciate the Z4 everytime you use it would be to get something a little older, 6, 7 years old, average miles, something cheap, so that if there is a problem, it isnt an absolute ass to get it fixed. Perhaps a slightly older focus would do the trick, then you wouldnt be so concerned if it did get knocked or a little untidy inside....
Just my 2p worth.... I'm sure you'll make the right decision...
So I know car insurance in Manchester is on the silly side of insane but I thought I'd get away with a couple hundred quid on top of my current insurance, alas no, insuring a new basic 12K focus on my policy, due to non sharing of NCB, DOUBLES the insurance to over a grand. Mental. No chance. Even a banger adds £300 a year based on a car around a grand in value. That makes the whole situation even more difficult to get my head around.
As for getting rid of the dog Sars... could you?
As for getting rid of the dog Sars... could you?
Very good!
North Yorkshire
