simonb Posted October 15, 2006 Report Share Posted October 15, 2006 So, my job changing nightmare continues. I'm just too good! 2 offers from 2 interviews and now seriously considering a move and un-sure what to do. That's not for these parts though! Company cars anyway, currently got a Peugeot 307 110 HDI with my current company. New jobs: Job 1 = Ford Mondeo TDCi LX (may be able to get a new-shaper if they give me an old battered one for 6 months or so at first Job 2 = No car! Just a big allowance! I personally think i'm swinging towards Job 2 at the moment and don't know what i'll do about the whole car thing. Mileage could be high - i.e. a lot of big trips per week - say 600 miles per week, or low - 5 x 2 x 20 miles per week to HQ, or middle-ish, 2 x 150 mile trips and then a few overnight stays with very little mileage Tuesday to Thursday. Just been looking and i reckon i'd be looking to spend around the £12k mark. I've considered a Clio 182, a SEAT Ibiza Cupra 160 TDI and a few others but i'm just looking at an X reg Elise with 45k on the clock. What would your initial thought be to this as a daily driver?? Am i mad?? A Lotus on 45k with a possibility of being on around 75k in 1 years time - is that madness?? Will it give up the ghost before that? Or will i need the jump leads every day to get it going?? Comfort doesnt worry me too much. I'm only 23 and havent started to suffer with bad backs etc just yet so could cope with an uncomfortable seat. I just want to get into something fast/fast-ish after coming from a Peugeot diesel. Looking at similar age VX220s. Elise - daily-driver? yay or nay? Any other suggestions?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorburn Posted October 15, 2006 Report Share Posted October 15, 2006 X-reg will be a Mk1 won't it? I'd think it would be a bad idea. For 30k a year it would be far too much, they are very raw indeed and it would drive you mad. A Mk2 with a couple of the comfort packs could be just about do-able but would be outside the budget. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonb Posted October 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2006 Yep, a late Mk1 Thorburn. Bad? Thought so. The Mark 2 isnt overly comfy. My brother in law has one and i could cope with the seat but the revvy engine would do my nut in on tbe motorway!! I was thinking of a Y reg BMW Z3 1.8 too. Can get a decent 51 plater for around £9500. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonb Posted October 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2006 Also been looking at 53 plate A3 2.0 TDi sports and even a VW Golf 150 TDI 25th anniversary but just don't know what to do!! On the other hand, my sensible side is telling me to opt for a Peugeot 307 or Focus or similar of my own and to make a bit of money on my expenses and allowance that i'd get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonb Posted October 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2006 Thing is too, my staying away may mean overnight stays in city centre hotels with the car parked on the street. A convertible may therefore be a bad choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorburn Posted October 15, 2006 Report Share Posted October 15, 2006 [ QUOTE ] I was thinking of a Y reg BMW Z3 1.8 too. Can get a decent 51 plater for around £9500. [/ QUOTE ] Urgh god no. My MX-5 is quicker than one of those, would ride better, be more fun, cheaper to insure, cheaper to service and for £12k you could get a late Mk2.5 1.8i Sport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazza_g Posted October 15, 2006 Report Share Posted October 15, 2006 I survived, if thats the right word, with a VX220 Turbo as my daily driver for 13 months covering about 10k miles - we had our ups and downs but overall I wouldn't have changed anything. Sure, during the winter it was a pain to have to wear a hat, gloves, coat and scarf in the car but it worth it for the driving experience Am pretty sure the Elise will be a similar story - but I'd always reccomend the VX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorburn Posted October 15, 2006 Report Share Posted October 15, 2006 [ QUOTE ] Am pretty sure the Elise will be a similar story - but I'd always reccomend the VX [/ QUOTE ] The VX is supposed to be set up a big softer and the engine has more torque so I expect it would be a better choice than an Elise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonb Posted October 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2006 I looked at an 02 plate S3 last weekend but Tesco insurance said 'Please call us on 0870..... ' etc so i knocked that on the head straight away. I quite fancy a TT though. I've seen a nice couple (180s) and a nice 150 TTR on PH that may fit by bill. Sure a TT is a fine car for daily use. Insurance isn't crippling either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorburn Posted October 15, 2006 Report Share Posted October 15, 2006 As a side note I've driven my MX-5 from Swindon to Glasgow and back twice now and didn't find it a chore, they really are very good even on a long cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonb Posted October 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2006 Hmmm, might have to have a look at them too then now! Other one is a Chavic Type R. I've got a lot of searching to do!! Might have to get me a Scumball type cheapie until i find the perfect car! Cant rush these things can you!!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
v15ben Posted October 15, 2006 Report Share Posted October 15, 2006 An Elise would be a good daily driver for relatively short trips, a little bit of motorway and say 10-12k a year. I wouldn't recommend it for 30k a year though. Saying that I know a bloke who has one alongside a company car (1 series!) and he drives the Elise instead of the BMW most of the time! I have heard of a guy who had a Caterham 7 as a daily driver and did plenty of miles in it. I do feel he was slightly mad though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sayerbloke Posted October 15, 2006 Report Share Posted October 15, 2006 [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] Am pretty sure the Elise will be a similar story - but I'd always reccomend the VX [/ QUOTE ] The VX is supposed to be set up a big softer and the engine has more torque so I expect it would be a better choice than an Elise [/ QUOTE ] The Vx is also rarer, better looking and almost certainly better built Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorburn Posted October 15, 2006 Report Share Posted October 15, 2006 [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] Am pretty sure the Elise will be a similar story - but I'd always reccomend the VX [/ QUOTE ] The VX is supposed to be set up a big softer and the engine has more torque so I expect it would be a better choice than an Elise [/ QUOTE ] The Vx is also rarer, better looking and almost certainly better built [/ QUOTE ] It's built by the same people in the same factory out of a lot of the same bits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sayerbloke Posted October 15, 2006 Report Share Posted October 15, 2006 [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] Am pretty sure the Elise will be a similar story - but I'd always reccomend the VX [/ QUOTE ] The VX is supposed to be set up a big softer and the engine has more torque so I expect it would be a better choice than an Elise [/ QUOTE ] The Vx is also rarer, better looking and almost certainly better built [/ QUOTE ] It's built by the same people in the same factory out of a lot of the same bits [/ QUOTE ] Oh, I didn't know it was the same *factory*. Anyway, the same thing has happened with other manufacturers... people carriers, small cars, etc, in the past and there was still a difference found in build quality. Biggest difference here would be the engine slotted into the different cars, I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonb Posted October 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2006 I've just been thinking and i don't think i could buy a car that would be prone to keying/theft/vandalism etc as a daily driver. May be that i cut my budget to around £8k and buy a $4k runabout or old Focus or something for work use and spend the £8k on a toy. £8k could get a decent 04 plate Clio 182, which is a car i could use for work should the £4k car not be feeling too good on a winter morning, but yet the Clio wouldn't be parked on a city street gettting eyed up by some theiving or vandal scumbag all year round!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldavo69 Posted October 15, 2006 Report Share Posted October 15, 2006 I can vouch that the Clio 182 is a quick car as I got my a$$ handed to me on a plate by one today. Got a 2.0TDI A3 S-Line, the Snooper GPS-calibrated speed was over Audi's stated max speed and he was still slowly pulling away from me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonb Posted October 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2006 Im thinking a Clio 182 or 172 and a Pug 306 Rallye - thus ensuring that i continue my eternal run of Pugs!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonb Posted October 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2006 But that'd be as bad as the Clio for theft etc i suppose!! It's gonna have to be a £8k/4k split between something sporty and something boring and quite economical - i.e. old focus 1.6 and a Clio 182 or Pug 306 Rallye and newer focus diesel or something like that!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atomic Posted October 16, 2006 Report Share Posted October 16, 2006 [ QUOTE ] But that'd be as bad as the Clio for theft etc i suppose!! It's gonna have to be a £8k/4k split between something sporty and something boring and quite economical - i.e. old focus 1.6 and a Clio 182 or Pug 306 Rallye and newer focus diesel or something like that!! [/ QUOTE ] Dont really recommend splitting into two. Twice the maintenance, twice the insurance(ish), twice the road tax etc. etc. etc. Surely you can get something which meets both requirements? keep looking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonb Posted October 16, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2006 I was just thinking that too - been trying to do the maths this morning. With insurance, im gonna be looking at around £1k extra per year in costs if i run two cars. I'm just looking at Integra Type R DC2 models - i like the DC2 but they all seem to be on 100k ish. Plenty of DC5's knocking about under £12k though too but a DC2 would suffice really. Think they'd be cheaper to run too as they're a non-turbo, and i'm told (although im not 100% sure if he's right) that the DC5 is a turbo. It's about 30-40 bhp more powerful than the DC2 though! And it looks a lot better!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
v15ben Posted October 16, 2006 Report Share Posted October 16, 2006 The 182 Clio is a stunning daily driver. A good mate of mine has had one since last summer and he loves it. The car really is as good to drive as all the magazine hacks seem to think and the speed and acceleration for a small hatch is phenomenal. A big slap round the head with a 750 euro speeding fine en route to Le Mans proved that - the speed on the ticket was 131mph but he was slowing down at that point. If you just want one car then the Clio is quick, practical and not too drastic on fuel. If you are doing 30k miles a year then it fits the bill perfectly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonb Posted October 16, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2006 I'm just looking at the allowance and i could probably stretch to a new 197. Probably don't want to spend on a new car at the moment though - if i want a 197, will probably wait and pick up an ex-demo sometime in about 12 months. They're £15995 new and i've seen new ones for £14300 online. Used ones with about 4k on the clock are going for just under the £14k mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alastair_A3 Posted October 16, 2006 Report Share Posted October 16, 2006 I would go for the Sportscar option. Your only 23 with im guessing not much finacial pressure and you only live once!! I wouldnt worry about something like a BMW Z3 getting keyed, there is alot more exotic machinery on our roads today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonb Posted October 16, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2006 Hmm, i've got financial commitments alright!! Big fecking mortgage for starters!! Gonna need some serious thought now. I've kind of gone of the Z3 idea already though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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