Not using your car because it's too nice
- Thread starter jaybee
- Start date
Soldato
If I'm going somewhere where I know in advance that the parking is particularly tight I'll take the Golf over the Range Rover just for the sake of my own personal convenience. Anywhere I want to go in the McLaren I'll just go pretty much regardless, including to plenty of places people have already said they wouldn't take their cars to in this thread (Cornwall, London, Lidl...). A car is a car, it is insured should something happen to it.
Commissario
Always do this.
Soldato
My 2017 CR-V got parked at a Suburban tube station most weeks for the 18 months we had it and never picked up a single mark there.
Possibly because it was parked next to Mercs, Audis and BWMs costing 2-3 times as much.
Given the choice between parking my mostly tidy 2017 Duster or the collection of dings, scratches and dents that is Herself’s 2008 Megane at airport carparks for a week; I’ll take the Megane every time.
Possibly because it was parked next to Mercs, Audis and BWMs costing 2-3 times as much.
Given the choice between parking my mostly tidy 2017 Duster or the collection of dings, scratches and dents that is Herself’s 2008 Megane at airport carparks for a week; I’ll take the Megane every time.
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I'd take whichever is the most comfortable, practical and most likely to start first time after you get back. Most other cars are there for a week or more as well so it's not like 20 different cars will have parked next to you over the week is it?
I always try to avoid parking under trees etc, park where there are empty spaces either side and next to other nice cars to avoid the risk of any damage to the car. It doesn't really take much effort and keeps my mind at ease a lot more so it's worth it!
One thing I am paranoid about now though is street parking, but only because someone crashed into my last car while parked on the street!
One thing I am paranoid about now though is street parking, but only because someone crashed into my last car while parked on the street!
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Soldato
What car are you driving?
We had a 2 year old Nissan X-Trail, then a 3 year old BMW X3, both did have 360 cameras and I've been down a lot of Devon/Cornwall/Lake District back roads (AKA 'farm tracks') and whilst it's tight, I wouldn't dream of not taking them.. I kept our cars immaculate as well and never had any real damage from narrow lanes..
Is damage from trees a serious concern? I don't regularly park my soft top convertibles under trees due to the pollen, but no issues doing that infrequently, and just wash the roof with the rest of the car, so it never builds up.
I am a tactical parker though, I will seek out a nice quiet spot, but that also is partly having 2 door convertibles, they tend to have very long doors, so ingress/egress is easier if you can open the door a normal amount! I've had to remotely lower the roof a couple of times to get in the car when someone has parked just a few inches away and my fat ass can't squeeze passed!
But, I have never thought "I won't take my car because it might be damaged/stolen", I have taken the Mrs car because it's way more comfy and relaxing to drive long distances, if anything I don't like owning a nice car and not using it.. I just spend too much time on cleaning and keeping it looking nice, but so what, that's my problem and doesn't affect how I use it, other than taking an emptier corner of a car park up, which also gets me more steps/exercise, which I need!
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A few cars ago i had a mint E46 BMW330CI in sapphire black, tasteful mods, nice. I stressed a bit about parking it in car parks where it might get damaged etc. Eventually, i crashed it. Not a big one, but it was written off due to age etc. At the time i was doing a long commute and the three litre petrol was pricey on petrol.
I wanted something cheap to buy and cheap to run, without being boring. It was only me in it 99% of the time so i bought a three year old Alfa Mito Diesel with 55,000 miles. this was early 2014 i think. it looked good overall, but was covered in stone chips and the odd little dent. it was nice just not worrying about it, and just parking it wherever. That little mito did me proud, we used it during the early child years too. Replaced with with an equally tatty Leon estate, which is the wifes car, and i do confess to using it if i'm going somewhere with rubbish parking, or a bit dodgy.
Then in 2018 i bought a brand new Alfa Giulia (my wife had the mito) proper paranoid about it getting damaged. within the first three months, some nob hit it with a shopping trolley or something and put a small but sharp dent in the back and i got a chip in the windscreen. got both sorted, and managed to keep it pretty mint from then. settled the finance after three years for £16K then sold it nearly two years later for £22K (shortages etc)
Now i have a BMW 128ti that i bought new. again, within three months, a deer ran into the side of the car putting a dent in the rear door and someone clipped the mirror. Proper paranoid about it again. people round here just drive in the middle of the road, and lunge over to there side when i come along, often, just in the nick of time. It does my head in. I still use the leon if im parking in the town or the retail park. I do the tactical parking thing too. Back of the car park for me.
i get a car allowance from work, and it needs to be less than five years old. tempted to not go new next time, but the finance deals on "nearly new" cars are usually dreadful, so it would need to be cheap... dunno, i'll worry about that in a few years.
need to replace the leon at some point too. tempted by the new kia Sportage, nice looking cars, and a decent amount of boot space. if i end up with two nice cars though.. what am i going to do??!??!?
I wanted something cheap to buy and cheap to run, without being boring. It was only me in it 99% of the time so i bought a three year old Alfa Mito Diesel with 55,000 miles. this was early 2014 i think. it looked good overall, but was covered in stone chips and the odd little dent. it was nice just not worrying about it, and just parking it wherever. That little mito did me proud, we used it during the early child years too. Replaced with with an equally tatty Leon estate, which is the wifes car, and i do confess to using it if i'm going somewhere with rubbish parking, or a bit dodgy.
Then in 2018 i bought a brand new Alfa Giulia (my wife had the mito) proper paranoid about it getting damaged. within the first three months, some nob hit it with a shopping trolley or something and put a small but sharp dent in the back and i got a chip in the windscreen. got both sorted, and managed to keep it pretty mint from then. settled the finance after three years for £16K then sold it nearly two years later for £22K (shortages etc)
Now i have a BMW 128ti that i bought new. again, within three months, a deer ran into the side of the car putting a dent in the rear door and someone clipped the mirror. Proper paranoid about it again. people round here just drive in the middle of the road, and lunge over to there side when i come along, often, just in the nick of time. It does my head in. I still use the leon if im parking in the town or the retail park. I do the tactical parking thing too. Back of the car park for me.
i get a car allowance from work, and it needs to be less than five years old. tempted to not go new next time, but the finance deals on "nearly new" cars are usually dreadful, so it would need to be cheap... dunno, i'll worry about that in a few years.
need to replace the leon at some point too. tempted by the new kia Sportage, nice looking cars, and a decent amount of boot space. if i end up with two nice cars though.. what am i going to do??!??!?
Soldato
- Joined
- 27 Aug 2005
- Posts
- 3,652
I take my Jazz if i know parking is gonna be difficult but i will the the CTR for all other places.
Permabanned
Having a beautiful car is like having a beautiful wife, nice to behold and look at, gets envious stares but ultimately a potential source of expensive heartache and grief 
As my mate used to say, if you yearn for something flash that's fast, flies, floats or *****, rent it.
As my mate used to say, if you yearn for something flash that's fast, flies, floats or *****, rent it.
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Permabanned
A
Still have my hard earned "GP" plates hung up in the workshop
Birel chassis, TM engine. Even built my own inertia engine dyno. Fun times!
Ah, kart racing! Wonderful sport, I still raced 125 Open whilst running in National F3, gearbox karts run competitively are frankly harder work to drive than an F3 car. I loved experimenting with different set ups, especially in the wet.With both kids competitively Karting, I have no choice, mine's a literal Kart Horse
Still have my hard earned "GP" plates hung up in the workshop
Birel chassis, TM engine. Even built my own inertia engine dyno. Fun times!A
Ah, kart racing! Wonderful sport, I still raced 125 Open whilst running in National F3, gearbox karts run competitively are frankly harder work to drive than an F3 car. I loved experimenting with different set ups, especially in the wet.
Still have my hard earned "GP" plates hung up in the workshop
I say thankfully, I think, that the kids aren't in gearbox karts, and are running either junior/seniors, the school only has one Rotax, the rest are GX160's, so whilst the costs are high, they aren't REALLY high!
It's a National Schools Comp (Natska).
Permabanned
Just hope they hate it soon, as costs soon start to rise exponentially, as I am sure you know I take it they're both young men? It's probably no better with girls, if they get into ponies and horses. As my pal who is a vet says, burning £20 notes every weekend is much cheaper than having a daughter going through the horsey stage!
But seriously, good luck to them, far worse things for them to be into....
I take it they're both young men? It's probably no better with girls, if they get into ponies and horses. As my pal who is a vet says, burning £20 notes every weekend is much cheaper than having a daughter going through the horsey stage! But seriously, good luck to them, far worse things for them to be into....
Just hope they hate it soon, as costs soon start to rise exponentially, as I am sure you know
But seriously, good luck to them, far worse things for them to be into....
My Son has already expressed an interest in taking it further, it's super expensive though as you know. Not two sons, my Daughter has just started Karting, and whilst she was off to a very, very (white flag) slow start, she's gaining in confidence. No horses to worry about here!
We're lucky in that the cost of running the Karts is mostly via the school, but these are 20/30 year old frames and many of the engines themselves are at least a decade old. So we have a couple of ways of dealing with that. Some parents opt out of the school team because they're fed up with the lack of investment from the school, and spend 5-7k minimum on buying their own better (Rotax/TKM) Kart etc and go privateer. Others, we'll buy/donate/obtain kit for the team to use, be it tires (like the above pic) or clutches, engines, other spares etc.
All good fun though, apart from the fact most of the tracks are in the middle of nowhere and at least 2 hours away, so early starts it is!
Suspended
It always baffles me when people all park together to be near a ticket machine then have to squeeze out of their cars or right next to the entrance of my local garden centre when there is literally acres of parking (and its not disabled parking) very lazy gits me thinks
Soldato
I avoid car parks where you have to wave your magic dongle / tracking device at the machine to obtain a parking space. Cash is king and I always have a few quid in the car somewhere.
Other than that yes we do park strategically away from the hordes and trees etc., our car? A kia picanto.
Other than that yes we do park strategically away from the hordes and trees etc., our car? A kia picanto.
This is a thing.
I mostly drive a VW Polo 1.0T that was meant to be my daughter's car.
There is also a car on the driveway that is a 3.3v6 twin turbo.
Why?
- Easier to park
- Town driving doesn't need a 3.3v6 twin turbo
- I don't care if the Polo gets dinged
- 40mpg
- Wringing out what pathetic performance there is from a 1.0T turns out to be fun
I mostly drive a VW Polo 1.0T that was meant to be my daughter's car.
There is also a car on the driveway that is a 3.3v6 twin turbo.
Why?
- Easier to park
- Town driving doesn't need a 3.3v6 twin turbo
- I don't care if the Polo gets dinged
- 40mpg
- Wringing out what pathetic performance there is from a 1.0T turns out to be fun