What shall I buy ??

Post 41925 by V8guitar on 2005-09-07 14:22:32

OK, its getting to that annoying ( for me ) time where I feel I want a new car as the miles are building on my current car and I have some money in the bank. So suggestions ? I need a fast family saloon/estate to cover lots of motorway and 3 kids, so a 2 seat convertible is out of the question. I also want to take a car to the Nurburgring as well so must be reliable enough to get there and back!! Cannot get a diesel for the mileage/kids, as I'd get fed up and just wish I was driving my "real" car. I have £10k plus my car....Current options are: 1) Chop mine in and get an S60R - worried about further depreciation, but this is top of my list. Not driven one yet, so are they really much better than my V70 ? I hope someone says yes..... 2) Run mine and buy a "toy" - £10k buys an R32 Skyline GTR. I've always fancied a Skyline but insurance costs to run both cars are mad! Anyone run a second "high performance" car got any ideas on insurance/limited mileage etc ?? 3) Chop mine in and go non volvo!! Drastic I know, but perhaps a Monaro ? The V8 sounds a bit thirsty and is it really any quicker than my T5. Any other ideas ? 4) Get a lower mileage V70 T5 and bank the money, although this seems a bit boring and perhaps I should just run mine longer then ??? Oh I'm in a real dilemma.....I guess its a nice dilemma but I don't want to waste this opportunatey if possible as "the boss" has given the go ahead! What would you guys do...

Post 41928 by Mrsmopp on 2005-09-07 14:26:15

2. or 3. would be my dilema tbh!! Why not a V70R? When you say the miles are building up how many? That would be the deciding factor for me I think. I'd LOVE a monaro.......But I just dont think I could move away from what i know and love so I'd be inclined to buy a toy for the weekend or get a V70R x

Post 41931 by bradders on 2005-09-07 14:32:28

Dont go for the 32 GTR...get an R33 GTS t for half the price and mod it. They are bloody quick as standard anyway..

Post 41932 by steveT5 on 2005-09-07 14:32:41

SKYLINE Go on you know you want to ! :B_steerin

Post 41933 by Wobbly Dave on 2005-09-07 14:37:27

V70R phase 2 - defo!

Post 41934 by bradders on 2005-09-07 14:40:16

Now is the time to pick up a Skyline too....I had a real hard time selling mine. If you check out the Skyline owners forum there are loads on there for sale at really good prices. I imported my one myself...but the prices fell so quickly by the time it came to sell i lost out by about a grand :slap:

Post 41936 by lance on 2005-09-07 14:47:47

V70 r Manual

Post 41941 by Wobbly Dave on 2005-09-07 15:18:37

[QUOTE=lance]V70 r Manual[/QUOTE] Lance, I think he wanted the car and not just the book? :haha: (I'll get my coat)

Post 41943 by Goof on 2005-09-07 15:20:14

Something black & manual!

Post 41946 by siamblue on 2005-09-07 15:29:37

Get a Phase 2 V70r and tune it, Then you have the best of both worlds.

Post 41949 by steveT5 on 2005-09-07 15:32:40

Phase two V70 R's are still very expensive though aren't they ?

Post 41952 by siamblue on 2005-09-07 15:39:56

[QUOTE=steveT5]Phase two V70 R's are still very expensive though aren't they ?[/QUOTE] I am not having a very good day lol, I meant a V70 Phase one R or a V70 Phase 2 T5.

Post 41962 by V8guitar on 2005-09-07 16:04:43

[QUOTE=Mrsmopp]2. or 3. would be my dilema tbh!! Why not a V70R? When you say the miles are building up how many? That would be the deciding factor for me I think. I'd LOVE a monaro.......But I just dont think I could move away from what i know and love so I'd be inclined to buy a toy for the weekend or get a V70R x[/QUOTE] miles are at 79k - not big by Volvo standards, but I see the price tumbling. I paid £15k last year for it and now I'll struggle to get £10k/£11k, perhaps even less ( don't talk about that, gets me soo depressed !). V70R - Phase 1 , why bother i.e. are they any quicker than a T5 and I would have trouble finding a low mileage one I suspect. V70R Phase 2, too expensive, still around 25k at least. That would be my preference...

Post 41963 by V8guitar on 2005-09-07 16:07:00

[QUOTE=bradders]Dont go for the 32 GTR...get an R33 GTS t for half the price and mod it. They are bloody quick as standard anyway..[/QUOTE] Always fancied an R33 but GTR has to be the way to go. Yes, GTS's are quick but GTR's ( in my understanding ) are superior...4WD and Steer, plus 2.6 Twin turbo has massive modding capability as well. Most are running around 400BHP...

Post 41971 by bradders on 2005-09-07 16:23:28

[QUOTE=V8guitar]Always fancied an R33 but GTR has to be the way to go. Yes, GTS's are quick but GTR's ( in my understanding ) are superior...4WD and Steer, plus 2.6 Twin turbo has massive modding capability as well. Most are running around 400BHP...[/QUOTE] http://www.skylineowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28350 guy only wants £9000

Post 41972 by dubbs on 2005-09-07 16:26:30

This is a subject I know a fair bit about (coming from TVR/Lotus/EVO etc., land before being sensible and buying a house!!) The twin turbo has huge potential yes, it also has great roadholding, yes. HOWEVER, If it's a TOY that you want then the GTS is actually a better proposition. Cheaper to fix if it goes wrong due to being RWD and that single turbo/twin turbo issue? Well, have a nose around and you'll find any of the BIG modders out there actually ditch the twin turbo setup and go for one really big one. A GTR of that age can, and will, go wrong through the drivetrain at some point. You are better of getting a GTS. Running costs can make or break the fun you have with a "toy" IMHO - I'd say don't bother with a skyline. They handle well but the interior is absolutely awful (except R34) and some of the enjoyment has to be sitting in the thing and enjoying what you see (apart from the fast passing scenery!) they also look naff. For 10k or thereabouts I'd say the Nissan Silvia (200sx to us) is a better bet and extremely tuneable. Forget any 4wd car, it's purely an excuse for those that can't or won't learn how to drive properly (except in ice/snow I admit) The only other time I'd consider 4wd is if the only other option was FWD which is even worse (but my 850R didn't come in RWD so I suffer it ;) ) How much is the current car going to fetch? A pot of 20k would buy you an 850/V70 phase 1 T5 for family hauling and a reasonable 911.

Post 41973 by Mrsmopp on 2005-09-07 16:28:32

[QUOTE=V8guitar]miles are at 79k - not big by Volvo standards, but I see the price tumbling. I paid £15k last year for it and now I'll struggle to get £10k/£11k, perhaps even less ( don't talk about that, gets me soo depressed !). V70R - Phase 1 , why bother i.e. are they any quicker than a T5 and I would have trouble finding a low mileage one I suspect. V70R Phase 2, too expensive, still around 25k at least. That would be my preference...[/QUOTE] Dont sell it then. If you are happy with the car in general why take a loss on it when you can keep it as your daily workhorse? Buy a toy and get your kicks that way ;) x

Post 41976 by V8guitar on 2005-09-07 16:31:25

Hmmm, attractive, isn't it ? But no-one has answered my insurance question...last timne I looked at doing this, limited milage was only for classic's and second car insurance still seemed to be around £1k! I need to do some research...oh, and clear my garage!

Post 41978 by bradders on 2005-09-07 16:48:44

[QUOTE=V8guitar]Hmmm, attractive, isn't it ? But no-one has answered my insurance question...last timne I looked at doing this, limited milage was only for classic's and second car insurance still seemed to be around £1k! I need to do some research...oh, and clear my garage![/QUOTE] I am 33 and my last quote through Tesco's was £700 fully comp for the Skyline (i was originally quoted £1400 from Adrian Flux). According to some on the Skyline forum the insurance companies dont differentiate between a GTS and a GTR so it should be the same.

Post 41993 by Mrsmopp on 2005-09-07 17:08:14

Post 41998 by audimadmike on 2005-09-07 17:18:47

Audi S4 avant... 4 wheel drive, Twin turbo V6, Similar economy to T5, Faster..0-60 5.4 seconds, Corners much better, in fact fanbloodytastic. A drivers car compared with T5 although no BMW, From around £10k. Insurance grp 20. mine cost £680 per year as a second car ( I already had an S2 coupe) I've had one for 30,000 miles..best car I had, although not as comfy as my Volvo 2.5T estate that replaced it. Mike

Post 42005 by dave on 2005-09-07 17:43:00

silly question time!, lol, it has to be the s60r! you wont get a v70r in manual form, there's just none out there!, and there still too expensive! having 2 cars, double the insurance, just doesn't work really, unless you buy a kit car, caterham, etc, there dirt cheap to insure, and very fast. the s60r is on par with the above audi s4 mike's talking about. dave

Post 42007 by aeroresh on 2005-09-07 17:54:48

You can get new shape V70R s for around 20k now with haggling. Check out Volvos own approved used cars on their website. Or if you want a fast estate why not try an Audi S6 Avant. I ran one for 3 years. 340 BHP out of the box (mine was tweaked by RICA and was dynod at 380). 4.2 V8 engine, Quattro 4 wheel drive, it even had 7 seats. Sold it as a 4.5 year old car with 60 k miles on it for only £16k!...Considering it was nearly £60k new thats pretty good value. Oh and I forgot to mention, it NEVER went wrong in 3 years!

Post 42009 by dave on 2005-09-07 18:02:12

[QUOTE=aeroresh]You can get new shape V70R s for around 20k now with haggling. Check out Volvos own approved used cars on their website. Or if you want a fast estate why not try an Audi S6 Avant. I ran one for 3 years. 340 BHP out of the box (mine was tweaked by RICA and was dynod at 380). 4.2 V8 engine, Quattro 4 wheel drive, it even had 7 seats. Sold it as a 4.5 year old car with 60 k miles on it for only £16k!...Considering it was nearly £60k new thats pretty good value. Oh and I forgot to mention, it NEVER went wrong in 3 years![/QUOTE] only worry is that v8 going to suck fuel bigtime? dave

Post 42011 by MattV70 on 2005-09-07 18:07:12

For the second car if you want a bit of fun how about a classic mustang? I know they might go wrong, but they look superb (pre 1970) and you can have the pleasure of driving round in a 6.8l V8 with RWD. You can buy them from 5k upwards, and 8 - 9 k will get you a fairly mint one, and few hundred spent on a disc conversion and suspension upgrade and you'll have a whale of a time. I got a quote for limited 6k miles as a second car (i'm only 24) of about £400. You'll have to put up woith it being a left hooker, and the ecconomy is a bit :pants:!

Post 42047 by biggbn on 2005-09-07 20:15:28

...civic type r..plenty space, plenty of poke, super reliable and i reckon it would show a few on your list a clean pair of heels round the 'ring?.....buy a mint 850 t5/t5r for a toy just to experience the 'raw' fun and remember where it all started?...lotus omega..ie lhd lotus carlton..plenty of space, frighteningly fast..back to the 'ring sitting at 85 in sixth gear at about 2500 rpm no doubt..great continent crusher?...or, and i talk from second hand experience here..my mate has just bought an r plate audi s8, silver, full leather, 340hp, one doctor owner, fdsh, 90k miles for seven and a half grand..i dont know if this is cheap/dear whatever..(as ya know, i buy bangers!!), but its a big impressive car and f**k me, it SHIFTS!!....

Post 42069 by After_Shock on 2005-09-07 22:38:09

The dilema is between an S60 R or a Monaro to me, other options could be as mentioned Audi S4, Audi S6, Z3 M Coupe who knows! aeroresh how do you plan to get a V70 R for 20k, ive just looked at the used car website and the cheapest one is £26k, regardless how much haggling you do you aint going to get 6k off as they dont make that much money on them, well anywhere near that infact! Ultimately at the moment I would go Monaro, depreciation on that and an S60 R is going to be about the same, the Monaro is much less complicated a car, it will cost more in fuel but if anything goes wrong with the S60 that aint going to be cheap! Theirs advantages to both and also disadvantages just depends on what you want the car to do and what you want from it, drive both and have a go!

Post 42110 by dubbs on 2005-09-08 14:27:12

Why don't you get a 2000/2001 BMW M5? They're coming in at that sort of price. 400bhp, Legendary roadholding, room for the family. More dynamic than either the S60R or the Monaro I'd suggest.

Post 42119 by Mrsmopp on 2005-09-08 15:12:57

But every man and their dog owns a BMW - how many monaro's or R's do you see on the roads? x

Post 42127 by dubbs on 2005-09-08 15:24:22

I've seen just as many R's and Monaros on the road as I have M5s. It's not about how "common" you perceive them to be - in built numbers the M5 is a pretty rare machine and probably comparable to Monaro/R production numbers (guess). Besides, it's a fantastic car and owning something that's rare isn't always a good thing (there's a flat 6, 3l, air cooled, rear engine Trabant for sale on Pistonheads if you want rare!!) If you want rarer still then an Alpina B10 V8 should do the trick.

Post 42131 by Mrsmopp on 2005-09-08 15:29:25

Must just be where I live then because I have seen just 1 Monaro to date and a just one S60R and 2 V70R's - Loads of bimmers tho!! LOL It's my personal preference to go with something that not everyone else would buy x

Post 42134 by dubbs on 2005-09-08 15:40:04

But do a fair comparison M. (may I call you M.??) ;) How many BMWs have you seen equates to how many Volvos, How many Vauxhalls. How Many S60R/V70R/Monaros have you seen, equates to how many M5s have you seen.

Post 42135 by Mrsmopp on 2005-09-08 15:43:53

Monaro is a Holden with a vauxhall badge so I have still only seen one 1!!! :haha: There are 2 M5's in my village, and one I used to see every day on my way to work. I see your point tho but in MY opinion the M5 is too common. (and that is just my personal opinion so nobody shoot me down in flames for it!) x And you can call me what you like ;) lol

Post 42138 by dubbs on 2005-09-08 16:06:26

:haha: WILL shoot you down in flames if I want!!!! ;) Do see your point but just think it's not a good enough reason to dismiss such an internationally renowned, award winning, well respected car. On a side note if you buy an S4 or RS4 in V6 twintubo guise it can be tuned to well over 400bhp.

Post 42160 by dave on 2005-09-08 17:26:15

i see at least 1 bmw m5 every week, 1 m3 every week, ive seen about 3 s60r's and 1 v70r in the last 2 years! bm's are very common nowdays, they are great cars, but just too common, that puts me from buying one. get the s60r, you know its the right choice! dave

Post 42163 by The Flying Banana on 2005-09-08 17:33:45

[QUOTE=Mrsmopp]But every man and their dog owns a BMW - how many monaro's or R's do you see on the roads? x[/QUOTE] Its cos they are superior and their engineering is legendary....a family saloon with 400bhp, toys, 100% build quality and it is definately nice to look at!!!

Post 42164 by The Flying Banana on 2005-09-08 17:38:32

[QUOTE=dubbs]Why don't you get a 2000/2001 BMW M5? They're coming in at that sort of price. 400bhp, Legendary roadholding, room for the family. More dynamic than either the S60R or the Monaro I'd suggest.[/QUOTE] Or an deven better toy is a BMW B10 Bi-Turbo Alpina E34..depreciation proof, can be had for 12000 ( granted it is older but very rare ) and best thing is it was the quickest accelerating saloons on the road ( and probably will still hold its own today !) Power(DIN)@rpm 360@6000 Torque, lb-ft@rpm 384@4000 Curb Weight, lb 3737 0-62 mph, sec 5.2 0-1 km, sec 24.7 60-0 mph, ft - 600 ft slalom, Top Speed, mph 181

Post 42167 by biggbn on 2005-09-08 17:51:30

...m5 tourer from late eighties/early ninties..classic kudos, lhd only and only a handfull in britain..rarity value gauranteed!!?..ever seen one of them..thought not...f**k me, a rare bmw!!!

Post 42171 by dave on 2005-09-08 18:22:48

have seen one mate, sorry!

Post 42180 by biggbn on 2005-09-08 19:48:32

yeah...one..still makes it pretty rare no?...bu**er, i'v not seen one...now i feel cheated!!!..oh well, there's always one!!

Post 42188 by dave on 2005-09-08 20:54:20

[QUOTE=biggbn]yeah...one..still makes it pretty rare no?...bu**er, i'v not seen one...now i feel cheated!!!..oh well, there's always one!![/QUOTE] crap and rare! lol

Post 42193 by wellsy on 2005-09-08 21:44:30

here's one. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BMW-E34-M5-Touring-The-only-RHD-one-in-the-world_W0QQitemZ4573034570QQcategoryZ9837QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Post 42204 by The Flying Banana on 2005-09-08 23:05:04

[QUOTE=dave]crap and rare! lol[/QUOTE] They certainly cant be called crap ....i have had one and no way they can be described as crap even by a die hard Volvo fan!! I always wanted a yellow T5R got one and wasnt disappointed but at the end of the day they are inferior to a BMW..their build quality will never match their german counterpart..even today a new BMW outshines a Volvo

Post 42205 by BlackBeast on 2005-09-08 23:30:49

Keep the Volvo and get yourself a TVR, Griffith, Chimera or the stunning Cerbera (not sure if these are 10k yet though). Steve

Post 42209 by After_Shock on 2005-09-08 23:52:26

A new BMW outshines a Volvo, really! Was in the BM showroom the other day, they cost a ridiculous amount more than Volvo, I dare say it arent aswell built inside, certainly on the 1 and the X3, X5 aswell compared to an XC90 isnt aswell built or designed and doesnt handle aswell and has a much stiffer ride! O.k so theyve got the typical RWD layout, yes its a better drive in most cases but FWD does have its advantages, to me BM has gone down hill in the recent years especially when considering the costs and the fact that even Mazda now have better depreciation levels than a BM says something!

Post 42211 by dave on 2005-09-08 23:58:31

[QUOTE=The Flying Banana]They certainly cant be called crap ....i have had one and no way they can be described as crap even by a die hard Volvo fan!! I always wanted a yellow T5R got one and wasnt disappointed but at the end of the day they are inferior to a BMW..their build quality will never match their german counterpart..even today a new BMW outshines a Volvo[/QUOTE] no!, you sinner!, have sold the volvo? dave

Post 42213 by Wobbly Dave on 2005-09-09 00:00:32

Post 42223 by Engineer on 2005-09-09 00:34:14

[QUOTE=Wobbly Dave]Twaddle.[/QUOTE] [COLOR=Blue]Dave if you love Volvo,s as much as you say you do and as we all know nothing is really going up in value, why waste 10K on something that is going to depreciate rapidly. Buy something that has already lost its main value is comfortable will take you round the world a dozen times and back again and then spend the rest on mods and a holiday for the family. An S80 T6 with low mileage comes to mind. Only a suggestion so no biting my head off.[/COLOR]

Post 42257 by V8guitar on 2005-09-09 11:49:06

Phew, a few replies there! OK, just to respond: Skyline GTS vs GTR. I have followed Skylines for about 5 years always wanted one and it has to be the GTR. Otherwise its half hog really, but your point is well made and GTS's are really cheap! Spoke to Hamish yesterday and he hates them, and I see his point about the Chav thing. But I went in one and it was electric! So, thinking I might just do it... Beamers aren't crap....just driven by prats ( sorry, just thought I'd get things going!!!!). Seriously I would not consider any beamer EXCEPT an M5 'cos I think they are OK. VERY common and Nurburgring and hold their value so 20k gets an older car than mine....hmmm not sure about that. S60r - how much better than a T5 are they ? Is it worth losing my estate, spending another 10...I need to go and test drive! TVR - nice idea, but reliability ?? I hate it when cars go wrong so hmm.. Mustang - did look at this as my m8 has had a number of Yanks. Decent ones are expensive and cheap ones are tatty. My view is you need to be slightly able under the bonnet..which I'm not! Nice idea though... Monaro - I think I'll go and have a look at one... Audi RS4...too expensive for what you get. Always been advised to go for the 2.7 twin turbo...but these seem a bit long in the tooth now. S6 Avant, that's an idea I have been thinking of, don't know about prices and bet they are expensive, but a cheaper alternative to an RS6....hmmm. I do like Audi's but they are expensive ( then I guess they hold more residual ), but its the thought of spending so much more and getting an older car...same arguement on a Merc AMG E55... Other option get a D5 and tune it and get a toy as well! Who suggested a 911 ? you must be joking! Never! I'd rather run a 1.6d Fiesta.. On balance, T5's are pretty good really. Relitively cheap to buy and run, fast and luxurious... Keep coming with the ideas!