A non-story fast and slow cars

Havana_UK said:
I'd like to see anyone average even 65 mph over such a length of journey. A more realistic average speed for a typcial 100 mile UK journey would be closer to 45mph!

I recently did a round-trip from Home to Frankfurt (1118 miles all told) and my average speed over that journey was almost 63 mph, and it was only that high because I was able to spend 2 hours on the German Autobahns at mostly 120mph (though you still have to slow down for towns/cities where the speed limit will typically be 120-130kph, rather than unrestricted, for noise reasons).
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I managed to average 60mph over 100 miles a week or so ago. It was 2am when I left and the second part of the journey was spent at 80-90 with an Audi A4.

I couldn't do it any faster than that unless I had a death wish.
 
I had a Nissan 350z that cost me £270 per year road tax and was getting ~24MPG. After my son was born it was time to change to something more practical. So I opted for a VW Tiguan 2.0 TDI AWD. Obviously not as fun to drive but the travel times were identical as I rarely speed.

Overall I was saving around £1500 per year on fuel costs alone at ~1100 miles per month mileage and an average of 44MPG. Two years later I switched from the Tiguan to a 1.5 DCi Qashqai 2014 which is saving me even more as the Tax is £0 compared to £240 and average MPG is now 59MPG. Overall a saving (calculated) of ~£650-£700 per year.

It's nice to think that fun = everything in a car, but consider that your fun car is costing you over £2 per mile extra to run. If money is no object and you have a fun car the comes out only rarely, then fine. But some people such as the OP only have the money to run one car. Just some food for thought.

Note: I assume the OP only has one car or he wouldn't be using a 190BHP low MPG car to commute to work. :)
 
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ICDP said:
I had a Nissan 350z that cost me £270 per year road tax and was getting ~24MPG. After my son was born it was time to change to something more practical. So I opted for a VW Tiguan 2.0 TDI AWD. Obviously not as fun to drive but the travel times were identical as I rarely speed.

Overall I was saving around £1500 per year on fuel costs alone at ~1100 miles per month mileage and an average of 44MPG. Two years later I switched from the Tiguan to a 1.5 DCi Qashqai 2014 which is saving me even more as the Tax is £0 compared to £240 and average MPG is now 59MPG. Overall a saving (calculated) of ~£650-£700 per year.

It's nice to think that fun = everything in a car, but consider that your fun car is costing you over £2 per mile extra to run. If money is no object and you have a fun car the comes out only rarely, then fine. But some people such as the OP only have the money to run one car. Just some food for thought.

Note: I assume the OP only has one car or he wouldn't be using a 190BHP low MPG car to commute to work. :)
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Epic man maths. Unfortunately you've missed depreciation - but it's all ok because the road fund license is free.....free!
 
ICDP said:
I had a Nissan 350z that cost me £270 per year road tax and was getting ~24MPG. After my son was born it was time to change to something more practical. So I opted for a VW Tiguan 2.0 TDI AWD. Obviously not as fun to drive but the travel times were identical as I rarely speed.

Overall I was saving around £1500 per year on fuel costs alone at ~1100 miles per month mileage and an average of 44MPG. Two years later I switched from the Tiguan to a 1.5 DCi Qashqai 2014 which is saving me even more as the Tax is £0 compared to £240 and average MPG is now 59MPG. Overall a saving (calculated) of ~£650-£700 per year.

It's nice to think that fun = everything in a car, but consider that your fun car is costing you over £2 per mile extra to run. If money is no object and you have a fun car the comes out only rarely, then fine. But some people such as the OP only have the money to run one car. Just some food for thought.

Note: I assume the OP only has one car or he wouldn't be using a 190BHP low MPG car to commute to work. :)
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Surely the huge loss in value of the car over rules any small saving in fuel?
 
But it's free tax guys. Free!!!!

Anyway you all lose. I ask to be paid less so that I pay less tax.
 
Why would anyone buy a quick car to try to get to work 5 minutes quicker during rush hour?

I'll drive mine like I stole it on an early Friday finish and or otherwise come close to the limiter a few times a week at least. Then I'll take it the odd random longer route on some country roads when its quiet - why? Because I enjoy it.

After the first 10 seconds of laughing at the noise it makes I certainly don't enjoy doing those things in the 107, yet it could (uncomfortably) get me to work every day of the week in much the same time.
 
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Yeah it's like the morons who seem to make a point after I overtake them then get stuck behind a tractor.

I don't care about time. Just how it feels :D I'm overtaking as I like it not because I'm in a rush.

Luckily my commute road is an awesome B road, only a few straights but I can time it right to carry ridiculous speed through a bend to not need to be on the wrong side of the road for long.
 
Minstadave said:
Epic man maths. Unfortunately you've missed depreciation - but it's all ok because the road fund license is free.....free!
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Lol, yeah because the 350Z never depreciated in value whatsover. :rolleyes:

  • I owned the 350Z for 2 years and it depreciated by £5500 when I sold it.
  • I owned the Tiguan for 2 years and it depreciated by £4300 when I sold it.

Both cars were purchased second hand.

What's that you say, how could a desirable, practical, family AWD diesel VW depreciate less than a niche sports car with zero practicality? I swear some people need to think before posting. The 350Z did make me smile when I drove it, but in all honesty saving thousands on running and depreciation costs and the increased comfort made me smile even more.
 
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ICDP said:
What's that you say, how could a desirable, practical, family AWD diesel VW depreciate less than a niche sports car with zero practicality? I swear some people need to think before posting.
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If only they did. The depreciation of the 350z over the entire period vs the sum total of the depreciation 350z and the two yawn mobiles is what actually matters.

It doesn't matter that you changed cars, but the financials don't work no matter how you try and sell it.
 
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Minstadave said:
If only they did. The depreciation of the 350z over the entire period vs the sum total of the depreciation 350z and the two yawn mobiles is what actually matters.
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I'm sorry what's you point?

Nice ninja edit there :)

Of course the financials work out. My 350Z was costing me substantially more money to run per year compared to a VW Tiguan or a Qashqai. Let me put it this way, each month my 350Z was costing me ~£280 in fuel and my Qashqai is costing me ~£120. Same mileage, same roads. Lets not forget the substantially higher insurance.

The OP is referring to the fact that his Celica is getting him to work no faster than his girlfriends Ibiza yet it costs more to run and insure. He is asking the very valid question of, "what's the point". Of course his Celica is far more fun to drive, on the other hand it costs far more to run. That's my only point here.
 
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[TW]Fox;26861940 said:
The OP seems to very much miss the point
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No I think you do, it clearly says in plain text non-story, I'm sharing an observation that I've made in the interest of reading the responses I think its pretty obvious that people buy quicker cars to sit in traffic as its still a car so it can be used to commute, some are willing to part with the extra money and some would rather save it as they aren't bothered about the driving experience

What interests me is at what point do you stop caring about the driving experience and the money becomes more important
 
Minstadave said:
It would seem to occur around the point when you need to justify the purchase of a car with free tax.
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Nice straw man argument there. At no point did I say I chose my latest car based purely on the fact it had free road tax. If you have to resort to logical fallacies to win a debate you are doing it wrong.
 
Relentless81 said:
No I think you do, it clearly says in plain text non-story, I'm sharing an observation that I've made in the interest of reading the responses I think its pretty obvious that people buy quicker cars to sit in traffic as its still a car so it can be used to commute, some are willing to part with the extra money and some would rather save it as they aren't bothered about the driving experience

What interests me is at what point do you stop caring about the driving experience and the money becomes more important
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For what it is worth both my Tiguan and my Qashqai are far more comfortable and relaxed places to be when stuck in traffic than my 350Z was. The fun from a 350Z and a Celica is not based on comfort, it's based on sports car handling and performance and being on the open road. Absolutely nothing wrong with that, if that's what floats yer boat. :)
 
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Relentless81 said:
No I think you do, it clearly says in plain text non-story, I'm sharing an observation that I've made in the interest of reading the responses I think its pretty obvious that people buy quicker cars to sit in traffic as its still a car so it can be used to commute, some are willing to part with the extra money and some would rather save it as they aren't bothered about the driving experience

What interests me is at what point do you stop caring about the driving experience and the money becomes more important
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For me it's quite simply when the money matters more. I love having a reasonably nippy car to kick around in, so long as I can afford to have one then I will regardless of the mpg, increased servicing or road tax compared with something else.

If one of us loses our job then the circa £11k worth of assets (i.e cars on the drive), one of which returning 28mpg becomes a complete luxury that would be the first thing to go if it meant living more comfortably until circumstances changed. I'd happily knock about in an old primera or mondeo if it came to it. After all it would perform the basic function of getting me/the boss to work every day in relative comfort
 
ICDP said:
Lol, yeah because the 350Z never depreciated in value whatsover. :rolleyes:

  • I owned the 350Z for 2 years and it depreciated by £5500 when I sold it.
  • I owned the Tiguan for 2 years and it depreciated by £4300 when I sold it.

Both cars were purchased second hand.

What's that you say, how could a desirable, practical, family AWD diesel VW depreciate less than a niche sports car with zero practicality? I swear some people need to think before posting. The 350Z did make me smile when I drove it, but in all honesty saving thousands on running and depreciation costs and the increased comfort made me smile even more.
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Why didn't you include that in your original post then? That 350z sepreciation seems high, was it sold in 2009-10 when all big engine cars took a hit ?

Anyway the cashdie is going to be the painful one on depreciation
 
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