Help me choose a car

DogsBody

DogsBody

DogsBody

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Joined
6 Aug 2010
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941
Location
Ashbourne, Derbyshire
I can’t decide whether to spend less and use potential savings for any up and coming bills.

I cant decide wether I should get a small hot hatch and forgo certain creature comforts.
I cant decide anything 

My shortlist currently includes the following

ST220 facelift (£4k budget)
Clio 172/182 (£2.5k budget)
Fiesta ST (3k budget)
Focus 2.0 ( £2k absolute tops budget)
Seat leon Cupra/Golf GTI/Skoda Octavia 1.8T ( £2.5k budget)


I am looking to save money for a house deposit, BUT I don’t mind paying an extra £50 a month in fuel if I like a car .
as an example the ST220 represents approx a £50 increase in fuel per month, the rest probably work out around the same sort of MPG (give or take a couple of mpg) as what I am driving now.

My current car is worth about 20p when the fuel tank is full, so I won’t be generating any cash to put towards buying price.

I travel ~12k per year mainly to work and back plus short trips locally. My work journey is 10 miles A road 10 miles dual carriageway, the home journey is 15 miles A road.

I had up until last night decided that I would be keeping my eye out for an ST220.
But then I started thinking if I bought a car £1 - 1.5k cheaper that money saved would pay for any potential repairs and effectively cost me no extra money to what I was originally intending to spend.

So talk me into something.


Right at this very moment in time the fiesta is looking favourite, but last night the clio was lead runner.
I considered the focus as I thought it will be cheaper than the rest but to be fair once insurance is taken out of the equasion the clio and fiesta will match it if not be better on fuel due to being lighter, despite them being in a higher state of tune. I currently drive a really slow car and it is depressing as hell, I want a bit of speed back in my life really.

If it helps any my previous cars have been in reverse order
Clio 172 2000 (phase1) really nippy little car easy to chuck about and great fun, spent no money on it in the 3 months I had it, unfortunately wrote it off.
Audi S3 2001 (facelift) – awesome awesome awesome car, I sorely miss this car but it really did cost an arm and a leg to run it to the standard it deserved, constantly niggly faults with it. Without doubt the best car I owned but it kept my free cash flow low at all times.
Mondeo V6 Ghia 1995 – bought from my uncle in a crap state if I am honest, the noise it produced was nothing short of awesome (had a few mods) it did not handle well at all it was like a boat, but by far the comfiest thing I have ever owned, didn’t have any major problems with it, but I did fix a few issues. Enjoyed the car whilst I had it but better job allowed me to look at the Audi so I got rid of it.
 
You've said you are happy to pay more in fuel for the right car but don't forget that most of the cars in your list will also be more expensive to insure than non performance cars. Also other consumables such as tyres will cost more.

Surely spending 4k is not a good idea if you won't have any money left aside for bills? Sounds like you feel more comfortable spending 2.5k and having some money aside for repairs, I would personally opt for that.

I have just spent the last year saving as much as possible for a house deposit and it took me less time to get it than I budgeted for. If you're serious about getting the money quick then just keep what you've got or get something as cheap as possible?
 
oh no I don't mean I have £4k and that is it, I will be able to cover running costs just that if I spend £2.5k and something goes wrong it won't have cost me any extra to the original £4k that I was planning on spending on an ST220
 
Well it depends on how much you want to risk spending your house deposit saving then I suppose. If you're happy with that fair enough.

Your car choices are pretty different, a hot clio is worlds apart from an ST220.
 
Crizzy said:
Well it depends on how much you want to risk spending your house deposit saving then I suppose. If you're happy with that fair enough.

Your car choices are pretty different, a hot clio is worlds apart from an ST220.
Click to expand...


I know, this thread pretty much makes no sense at all, except I can't decide what to do basicly.
 
DogsBody said:
I know, this thread pretty much makes no sense at all, except I can't decide what to do basicly.
Click to expand...

How much money do you actually have i.e. cash in bank now to pay for a Car in terms of:

A) Capital Outlay (purchase cost)
B) Ongoing running costs (fuel, insurance, tax, tyres, servicing, mot)
C) Ongoing Repair Costs (un-forecast repairs e.g. steering column)

Will you have to borrow any money to buy the car or maintain it if anything goes worng?
 
Scrutinize said:
How much money do you actually have i.e. cash in bank now to pay for a Car in terms of:

A) Capital Outlay (purchase cost)
B) Ongoing running costs (fuel, insurance, tax, tyres, servicing, mot)
C) Ongoing Repair Costs (un-forecast repairs e.g. steering column)

Will you have to borrow any money to buy the car or maintain it if anything goes worng?
Click to expand...

A) as much as I need but am setting myself a limit of £4k simply because I want to save for house deposit, will be paid cash up front no borrowing.
B ) I can cover the running costs of any of the above mentioned cars without sweat
C ) The money for unforecast repairs will come straight out of the "deposit savings" but that is only because I plan to put every spare penny I have into saving which leaves no money spare for anything but will be saving at a rate of about £700 a month (possibly more dependant on car choice)
 
DogsBody said:
A) as much as I need but am setting myself a limit of £4k simply because I want to save for house deposit, will be paid cash up front no borrowing.
B ) I can cover the running costs of any of the above mentioned cars without sweat
C ) The money for unforecast repairs will come straight out of the "deposit savings" but that is only because I plan to put every spare penny I have into saving which leaves no money spare for anything but will be saving at a rate of about £700 a month (possibly more dependant on car choice)
Click to expand...

In that case, buy whichever car you want. Just buy on condition and make sure you get a goodun.
 
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