Can't quite decide what to go

DiscoDave

DiscoDave

DiscoDave

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What thought processes do you guys go through when buying a car?

I'm having difficulty deciding what to get next. I know I want something fun, fast and for it to put a smile on my face but can't quite decide what.

I work from home most days and when I'm needed in the office I'll drive ~8.5 miles to the train station to go to London. So I don't need a mile munching road warrior.

I'm looking at about £8500 to spend and I've short listed a rather unusual series of cars:

- Nissan 350z
- Honda Civic Type R
- BMW 1 series Coupe (120d - simply being a "sensible" option..)

I know there are a few 350z owners on here and therefore would like to ask

  • General "Gotcha's" or things to look out for
  • Real world MPG
  • Servicing/General ownership costs

Quite a large appeal of the Z is the fact it's contrary to the way performance cars are usually made now (smaller engines, supercharged and/or turbo charged) and it would be nice to have something in my driving history that resembles that.

Cheers
 
You'll need to decide what you're looking for in way of engine, driving and performance really.

You've got a 6 cylinder, large capacity 2 seater coupe, 4 cylinder high revving petrol and 4 cylinder dagdag coupe all listed out there.

Each has its own merits but thyre also all quite different cars.

Even if you'd stuck a 125i coupe in there, it'd make a bit more sense - unfortunately the budget doesn't cover it. It might get you a 130i though.

I really like the 350z, nice engine note, good amount of grunt all through the rev range (though not ultimately "that quick", enough for me though"). Interior is ok at best, but you aren't paying a lot for the rest of the car so there's got to be a bit of give somewhere.

I also really like the type R (having ehh...just bought one), but it's just not the same type of car. Hatch so it's practical, I quite like the interior design wise but it falls short on overall quality in terms of dash which will rattle at some point, seats don't have memory which is a pain in the ass and is a basic thing that Honda should have sorted. Honda paint work is also very poor so they'll all need sprayed at the front after a few years of normal life. Engine is just like any other random 2 litre na car outside of vtec other than sounding a bit better, so if you want to push on you need to be willing to strangle it everywhere. I'm quite happy to do so when I want a bit of fun, I can see why it frustrates people though (plus lack of torque). Gearing is also short, something to be aware of for motorways - gear change itself is very good and the controls are all nicely weighted for a modern car.

120d...ehhh the 1 coupe still looks nice?

To be fair it actually drives well enough, but it's a 4 cylinder diesel so it doesn't sound great and can't hold a candle to the engine of the other two (well it is totally different I guess). Interior is ok, but just ok and they aren't very reliable so you'd want the bmw warranty - which will limit the mileage you can buy at.

Sub it for a 125i coupe and you get a nice, simple bmw 6 cylinder petrol engine thats got a good bit of grunt throughout the rev range and sounds good too. Accept the hatch and a 130i and you get the 6 cylinder, but with enough of a power increase to make it thoroughly entertaining all the time. The 1 series also feels quite small in the front
 
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I think I couldn't help but be disappointed if I could justify a 350Z to myself, then bought a 1 Series diesel or a Type R, especially when you see and hear a 350Z on the road.

Might be worth considering a Z4 Coupe which might be doable for the budget - it has a better boot than the 350Z and a lovely straight six that's a little more economical (though doesn't sound as nice as the V6) so might be a bit more sensible if it's holding you back from the 350Z.
 
I have a 350z, my daily commute is a 20 mile round trip, average probably 30mph. Real world 23mpg, probably a little less, but I certainly don't drive it for economy and will put my foot down on the country roads. On a steady long motorway run you can get 29-31mpg at reasonable speeds, however if you're only doing 8 miles, you may expect anywhere between 23 and 30mpg.

They're great fun to drive, they wont win any big prizes for outright speed performance but the low end torque is great for in gear acceleration, and I love the noise even in standard form.

The 350Z isn't the most practical car in the world, but it is a very good cruiser. It's let down by the large strut brace in the boot that stops you getting anything decent in there.

Bit of a strange list, if you've got VTEC and 350Z on there, I'd be considering Honda S2000 too, that was my second choice if I went of the 350Z. Then try Z4. Then just buy a 350Z :D

Servicing wise, I still need to get mine done, but in general they're pretty reliable, but a few minor things to look for are the driveshafts clicking (mine do, need to get them fixed but doesn't stop you driving it).
 
120d /= fun in my books. Does the car need to be at all practical? Does it need more than two seats? Does it need a roof?

I'd make the usual list of the 350z, z4 and s2000. Add the MX5 into the mix if you want something slightly newer.
 
JonnyGeee said:
How about a vx220 or elise for that budget?
Click to expand...

A lad brought a vx220 to an OCUK meet a few years ago. Watching folks trying to get in and out was proper funny.

I'd go for the 350z from your list.
Have you thought about a 130d? Bit more poke than the 120 and still gets good mpg. Best of both worlds.
 
I actually had a similar choice when I bought my 350z (albeit a 130i rather than 120d!).

I went for the 350z and haven't looked back, running costs aren't as bad as you'd think, tyres are a little steep for proper brands. I recently changed mine all over to MPSS and that was the best part of £800! Also common fault lists are plentiful on the internet, but exhaust, notchy gearbox and dodgy diff are the general faults but easy to spot. In hindsight I'd have gone for one that had already had an aftermarket exhaust added - I normally never go near cars with any aftermarket bits on them, but the exhaust is an eventuality anyway, mine started blowing only a few months after I'd got it and once you've heard one with a decent exhaust on you will want the extra noise! Oh and the factory fit Bose head unit is horrific but that is a simple fix :)

If you need a practical car - I wouldn't bother, in no way shape or form is it practical! So go for a hot hatch. I do have a soft spot for hot hatches, I loved my old Focus ST and my next car would probably be a hot hatch again as ultimate performance isn't my goal, having a fun driving experience is.

With a choice that wide I would just test drive a few different cars and get a feel for what you really fancy :)
 
In the same boat looking at celicas, s2000, 350z etc

what annoys me us this; bad owners who can't keep up the service interval. Just seen a 350z on ST. First 3 stamps nissan every 9 k miles or less.then jumps from 09 @ 23000 to 2012 40,000 miles. Now for sale at 49k.

and I've seen Celica GTs serviced every 20k from day one as opposed to 10k. I mean who's spending over 15k on their car and doesn't see a regular service?
 
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