How often do you change cars?

I get itchy after 18 months. I don't lease but damn I need a new toy every couple years.

I am the same but I dont change car very often. However I have now come to appreciate the benefits of having multiple cars. 

 

To the extent that I would rather have 3 cars from a £30k (cash not finance) budget than one. 

Generally happy to drive a car from new for ten years but on average my cars haven't lasted that long because I've either written them off or had to sell them to avoid being insolvent.

2 years I've just got it all nicely set up the way I like it and got to grips with how far I can push it before I scare myself.  On past performance around 5 years I get cocky and end up in a tree.

I wish I had all the money I've thrown at cars. 

Not bothered now. If I want to go fast, I'll take the motorbike out. Otherwise, I'm keeping the current car until it's done 250,000 miles. 

Modern cars are just much better (if they're a quality brand).

My first car was a Peugeot - it was held together with pritt stik and blutak from about 55,000mls.  I bought my most recent car with 64,000 on it, and it's done another 40,000 since then.  Solid as a rock.

I've had my car for 11 years, bought it when it was a year old.   It's a great motorway cruiser, is very comfortable to drive long distances, and I know where it's been.  

I also have a "fun" car, 2010 plate, which gives variety and I could sell if I needed some cash.  

I bought both outright - I like not having a monthly payout. 

My wife and I have had three cars between us.

A J Reg Astra that we kept until it was about 15 years old.

Renault Megane hard top convertible we had for 8 years.

Now an X3 which is 7 years old and will hang around until there is something electric we fancy.

Never more than a year.  I like to buy and flip, paying in cash.  I like spotting a bargain and selling for not much more than I paid or better still making cash (made £3k on a Cayman S which I didn't spend a penny of servicing on).  I get a wierd sense of loss when I have just bought a car because I am no longer searching for my next one.  I have solved this this time for searching for a durable banger to take to the tip, do shit jobs in etc... given my last purchase was a 2-seater and I have 2 nippers.  God I love cars me.

Let me give you my full list, with marks out of 10.

Renault Clio 1.2l (5/10)

Nissan Micra "Ally", 1.3l (8/10 for sheer durability)

VW Polo 1.2l (3/10.  Shitheap)

Ford Puma 1.8 "Thunder" (8/10 great fun apart from headlights dangerously weak)

Peugeot 308 1.4 (2/10 underpowered family car before we had a family)

Mark 1 Audi TT 3.2l (9/10 for the sound alone)

Audi A4 Avant (8/10 boring but does everything it said it would)

mark 2 Audi TTS 2.0l turbo (9.5/10.  Such a complete car.  DSG gearbox a marvel)

Porsche Cayman S (6/10.  Wanted a Porsche all my life but was disappointed. Felt fragile)

Mark 2 Audi TTS 2.0l turbo (went back, same score)

Merc ML 350 (9/10 absolutely bombroof family wagon after A4 got written off by a white van)

Merc SL400 (9/10 so far - never had so much fun in a car with the top down and looking forward to the summer)

 

Granada Estate!  *memories*

When I took my 3.2 TT back to Boro in 2009 my relative who was into his cars laughed at it and said his VR6 was a proper car and mine was gay

Ford Puma 1.8 "Thunder" (8/10 great fun apart from headlights dangerously weak)

The compact or later SUV version? I got rear ended by the former in 99. At the time I didn't believe the driver when she said she didnt see me.

I think you're mixing up the Puma and the Kuga.

The Puma was the compact sports car they used a dead Steve McQueen to advertise.

The Kuga is a 4x4 still on sale.

I think you refer to the former, and I can say having driven it through the Lake District non-lit roads at night thinking I might die maybe your rear-ender (oo-er) was probably telling the truth.

Don't have a car but if I lived somewhere where car ownership was desirable I'd probably change every 2yrs, not out of necessity but out of boredom. I never buy new cars.

There was defo a two door Ford Cougar, IIRC it replaced the Probe (as discussed a few weeks ago in a partridge* thread)
 

*the coogan character not the poster, although he was there

I've had one new car ever.

Could never justify it now, and it was a work car scheme then.

Only saving grace was when I picked it up on day 1 I drove past Derek Hatton who was driving a spanking white BMW 3 series and I abused him for driving a capitalist pigdog car.

I traded in the last one at around 150,000 miles. I was advised by a garage mate to get rid of it before the engine drops out. It was a fairly high performance petrol car.

Nothing obvious wrong with it but storing up very expensive problems which wouldn't have been worth fixing.

*How often do you change cars?”

If its on the gettaway from a bank job, (or the Supreme Court; same difference) I always try to have at least two in reserve. 

Otherwise, never. 

Bam, mine had a sunroof that was a piece of canvas sort of held in place by rusty press-studs.  The roof leaked onto my legs when driving.  It had no hazard lights (they weren't a legal requirement until after the car was registered) which was not good since I spent quite a lot of time stranded at the side of the road.  The boot (which housed the engine) kept flopping open and I'd be driving along with the car falling apart.  I got it to do 85 on the A1 once (slight decline). 

Happy days. 

95-98 or so, fiat uno (petrol) 1.1 - 2/10 - had a manual choke ffs

2003-2007 Corsa 1.2 (petrol) - the sporty one.  Once drove that up and down blue bank in whitby which was as surprising as it was scary. 8/10

2008 to 2011, Ford focus ghia 1.8 (petrol)  - fooking hate this car.  They'd basically used an elastic band instead of a fan belt, which pinged off at the far end of the M4 on the fast lane - all power went immediately and I had to steer the heavy cvnt across three lanes to the hard shoulder.  Then towed all the way back to earls field and having to drive back again in a ford postman pat shytheap to taunton for a wedding.  0/10 (for both).

2012 to 2015, Volvo v70 estate (diesel turbo 1.8 I think)  - love this car 8/10

2013-2018 Renault zafira (diesel) - shyt rattly mingebag 4/10

2015 to 2018 Volvo xc60 turbo diesel 1.8 - even better than the v70.  10/10

VW Caddy - nice motor with lots of gadgetry.  2018 to date Unfortunately automatic (not my choice).  6/10 (diesel)

2018 to date,A small blue hairdressers citroen c3 1.1 EcoBoost petrol.  Massive fun (with a presumably fake boy racer engine growl) - 10/10.

Bit surprised you'd describe the A4 Avant as 'boring'. Appreci8 it's a heavier model, but I had a 2006 A4 Quattro that went like shit off a shovel whenever it decided not to break down.

Alan Partridge

 

That is a really interesting mix

 

I wish I had the space to store cars as I would really love to just collect them, not fancy ones just interesting ones that I think will go up.

 

How was the mk1 3.2 TT? I was always interested in these. I know they werent quick but I have heard great things about the engine. and similarly get interested in 159 gtas, ideally a wagon, as a practical but fun addition.

 

Ms Archibald got a TTS (Mk2) toyed with the 3.2 but never went to drive it. The mk2 3.2 seems ridiculously low priced. The TTS is great and I enjoy driving it except that I think I have lost my love for turbos after having driven better NA cars recently. 

 

Ive always wanted a ford puma....ideally a FRP but at £12k+ I wouldnt be able to justify it as another toy!

 

 

What is next on your wishlist then???  

 

 

I wonder if we are talking about 126s of the same vintage. Mine was a mid 80s one IIRC. 
 

I once drove over the Pennines in mine in the dark with pissing rain with only the side lights working on the whole car. 
 

Mate at college had a Seat Malaga he bought for £50. The rear driver side wheel fell off when we were near junction 6 of the M3. That would have been an utterly shit way to end my life.

Alan Partridge

 

That is a really interesting mix

 

I wish I had the space to store cars as I would really love to just collect them, not fancy ones just interesting ones that I think will go up.

 

How was the mk1 3.2 TT? I was always interested in these. I know they werent quick but I have heard great things about the engine. and similarly get interested in 159 gtas, ideally a wagon, as a practical but fun addition.

I absolutely LOVED it.  It was the first car I was proper proud of and people used to admire in petrol stations etc...  The sound of the V6 is amazing.  They say it understeered badly, but with the quattro I didn't think it did.  Fuel economy was awful though.  Mine was quite new and I understand buying a high-miler might leave you with catastrophic engine failure if not well maintained.  

 

Ms Archibald got a TTS (Mk2) toyed with the 3.2 but never went to drive it. The mk2 3.2 seems ridiculously low priced. The TTS is great and I enjoy driving it except that I think I have lost my love for turbos after having driven better NA cars recently.  

The TTS is amazing.  The TTRS is mental quick but I think the TTS can be all things to all men.  As I say, the gearbox is amazing.  I got ordered to buy it as I was supposed to have a minimum of 4 seats, but when I could show they had been used twice in a year, I was allowed to replace with a 2 seater

 

Ive always wanted a ford puma....ideally a FRP but at £12k+ I wouldnt be able to justify it as another toy!

There are loads out there you could buy for wayyyyyyy less than that and have a race mechanic prep.  £4/5k doable

 

What is next on your wishlist then???  

Saving up for an R8.  Lower-end prices now £38k.

4.2 v8?

Manual?

I look at these every now and again but end up leaning towards an AMV8. 

 

I wish I was happy with the idea of an auto, slowly thinking about it, opens up so many options. 

 

If you are interested in autos have you considered this: 

 

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201910163385914?advertising-location=at_cars&modal=photos

 

Huge amount of car for the money - if you can live with an auto box

I used to get a new car every year when I could get them tax free as I was then trading them in for more than I paid for them, but now really can't be bothered. Last car was stolen and burnt out so that's not really a good indicator. Due to my working abroad it tends to have been buy a used car and have it for about 2 years then sell it when I move.

My cars:

1. T-reg Honda Accord 3-door petrol automatic.  Loved it.  Got written off by the milkman crashing into it early one morning.  Bastard.

2. Aforementioned V-reg fiat 126. 

3. A-reg (1984) Renault 4.  Held together with filigree rust strands.

4. N-reg (1996-ish) Vauxhall corsa 1.4.  The only new car I have ever had (worked for a GM company at the time so huge discount). 

5. S-reg Vauxhall vectra, petrol 1.6.   Bought cheap ex-fleet from employer to bomb up and down between Northumberland and Surrey when mum's H died suddenly. 

6. 08 plate Vextra estate, petrol 2.2.  Bought it when vectras were replaced by insignia.  This is my current car. 

7. 10-plate Mini cooper convertible.  For summer fun. 

So far as mix goes:

1.2 Seat Ibiza kept for 7 years

3.0 Jag XF 1 year

Landrover Freelander 1 year

Landrover Discovery 1 year

Landrover Discovery 1 year

Lexus RX something hybrid 2 years

Audi S4 just under 2 years when stolen

Merc E class estate current

Blindtom you've just reminded me I had a Merc E350 after the Porsche Cayman S!  Can't believe I forgot that.  Called it Harold.  Absolute beast of a car.  Everything was automatic - all you had to do was point and press.  Average age of driver is about 65 tho.  Still, great car

Alan - I only bought it last May.  We had a great summer, ofc, so I used it a lot.  I keep it in a garage but use it for a few days every couple of weeks or so.   Cream exterior with brown roof and brown leather seats with cream piping so a great retro look.  I love it.  

When I took my 3.2 TT back to Boro in 2009 my relative who was into his cars laughed at it and said his VR6 was a proper car and mine was gay

Well, at least he was right about one of those things.

I currently have a black 3 series.

My first and worst car was a B reg Fiesta which was built in the days when headrests and the left hand wing mirror were optional extras.  It used to shake so much at speed that the knob on the gearstick would unscrew itself and fall off.

Just like that, Alan.  Reminds me - I had a Honda pantheon 125 for a while for commuting into the City.  The route was too scary tho, so I sold it after a few months.  

Sailo my mother's car was a 900cc Fiesta (reg plate A191 JPY).  It was so underpowered it couldn't go up Birk's Brow with 4 people in it (a hill on the way from Middlesbrough to Whitby).  Utter deathbox

Yes when Fiesta claimed it was a 1.1 or similar but according to the MOT certificate it was something like 998cc.  My mum thought it was such a death trap that she persuaded my dad to get a me new clio after a year or so and that was a 1.4 and basically a go kart.

I currently have a 1.6 diesel Clio and even that's a bit sluggish.

"With a mere 90bhp available, progress is too leisurely to be called fast, but on the motorway in fifth gear, the 1.6 diesel Clio’s slow pace really becomes a pain. Uphill runs become power-sappingly mundane, while overtaking National Express coaches can become a long, drawn-out affair.

“Not my words, Fred. The words of Top Gear magazine.”

Re getting bored, I am not at all 'into' driving tbh. It's a thing you do to get from A to B for the most part.  Provided the car is not causing me hassles I am fine with it. I do like classic cars and one day I will probably buy one (if they haven't been banned on eco grounds by then) but owning one in the desert is just daft. 

I love clios

 

But only because ive recently picked up a 182 as a track project. Has a few bits done already including a remap for Shell V power buts its fair to say 190hp in a 1090kg clio is hilarious

overtaking National Express coaches can become a long, drawn-out affair

That moment when you see a National Express bus and wish you were on it bc your own car is so shit.

I've got a 2010 Audi A5 I got 5 years ago, petrol 4wd.  Only put about 3-4k miles on it a year.  It's perfect for me and I can't see the need to change it, can't really believe it's 10 years old next year.  We've also a 2014 Volvo V60 which is great for t'family.

its amazing what the power to weight ratio does

 

190/1.090 = 174hp/ton

 

Alans SL400 - is 333/2.110 (heavy car!) = 158hp/ton

 

You can imagine how much fun that sort of encounter is :) 

I do 2 year leases for the wife's school run car, then have something bigger for me and for when we are 4-up. For the owned car, buy at 3 years and sell it when it starts to throw persistent bills and is worth £2k on autotrader so easy to get shot. Currently it's a 2011 Audi A7 on 100k that has only needed consumables in the last 5 years.

I don't chop and change as I still have the mental scars from the BMW X5 that had done £50k in depreciation when I got it so couldn't lose much more right? Still dropped £10k in 15 months on it.

Wow all this car chat

i haven’t owned one for well over a decade. Don’t miss it at all tbh

occasionally look at an electric but the prices are still crazy - can’t bring myself to commit. 

I think you might have discounted the effect of the massive biturbos...

its amazing what the power to weight ratio does

 

190/1.090 = 174hp/ton

 

Alans SL400 - is 333/2.110 (heavy car!) = 158hp/ton

 

You can imagine how much fun that sort of encounter is :) 

There’s no doubt it’s an old man’s cruiser.

And when I am on track days I see full well what a stripped out MX5 can do versus heavier cars.

However Granpa ain’t losing no drag race against a 900cc Clio.  

Partridge, I wouldnt be so sure

 

yeah its a 2.0 16v standard its meant to be 182, mine is a little higher than that

If you head down the ITB route then 210 is pretty standard.

LPT gets you about 230 for 4-5k which will be insance in such a light car

Supercharger for 5k -> 260 and a HPT about 280

it doesnt really lose a huge amount of ground to  a tts from racing on the motorway with ms Archibald

I really pissed off a guy in a 3.0 tfsi a8 who couldnt keep up with it...

 

it is surprisingly fun

 

from a rolling start I really cant see how an sl400 would keep up?

 

 

Archibald the comparison above was to a 900cc Clio.

While I accept a 182 v SL400 would be a closer run thing, the Merc comes in at 4.9s at 0-60 (quicker than the Mk3 TTS) and way ahead of the 182 at 6.3s.  Also given the torque on tap which keeps revs constant the SL would pull away after that too.

On the track it might be a different thing in the corners, Id accept 

 

Lots of cars, some kept for a short time, others, more recently, kept on.

1969 Mini 1000 5 years

1972 Mini Clubman 1 year

1975 Mini 850 1 year

1977 Austin Maxi 1750 HL 2 years

1981 Triumph Spitfire 1500 5 years

1999 Fiat Cinquecento 2 years

1999 Mercedes SLK 230 4 years

2002 Mercedes A Class 1.6 LWB 14 years

1995 Mercedes E300D estate 12 years (current)

1995 Land Rover Defender 300tdi CSW 12 years (current)

2014 Mini One convertible 4 years (current)

2016 Golf 1.4 tsi 1 year (current)

All bought used except the cinquecento and the A class.  Not included is the 1958 Unimog (10 years) or other more agricultural vehicles.  Golf is a lovely car, a massive difference between cars like that and the older ones.  But the old mercedes estate is probably my favourite although I expect it will be taxed out of existence before long. I also really liked the Maxi.

My first three cars were "hand me downs" i.e. one of my family had driven them almost into the ground and then they gave me an "upgrade" rather than go through the hassle of selling it - not that I wasn't grateful.  I have bought or leased (depending on my job) my last three cars, having changed car after two years of indecision, in September. I now have a Mercedes A35, which I love (but wish I had made my mind up about a year prior and got the A45 before it was withdrawn from the UK market - the deals on it were amazing).

First was a C63 AMG, which I only kept for 18 months due to combination of disgusting fuel bills (<10mpg in town) and need for bigger boot for kiddies. 

Now have GLE63s AMG, which is already ridiculous. Something mild-hybrid next I suspect 

Currently on one Volvo and two runabouts.  The Volvo has 250,000+ on the clock.  Will retire it at 300,000 and sell to my Volvo repairer down here in Sussex who wants it for a courtesy car. 
 

Next car purchases will all be electric.