Which car is better to save up for?

Alanstrainor

And lets face it, modding and working on these cars is half the fun! You'd have no budget for that if you bought a 645 or the likes.

166man

Been reading this thread since it began but have yet to comment.

Sobanek, out of the list of cars you made I'd have the M5/645i just because they're awesome machines. I have been in both.

However, on a previous page a poster made a comment that, the mistake is counting the money before you have it. I was sort of in the same boat last summer, working after college 40 hours a week and making circa €400 a week. Money just drains away and even though I was always telling myself that I would like to have had €2k saved by the end of the summer, it didn't happen and I managed to get together about €800.

If I were in your situation with your potential income I'd look for a Alfa 166 V6 for €2k or the likes and drive it for a while before building up. Ensure that you can afford this and if you know you can, look to move on up.

We aren't here to pick apart your finances but they are a tad sketchy! I do admire your enthusiasm but even something like a cheap 530i would be a great car!

rocky

166man wrote: »

If I were in your situation with your potential income I'd look for a Alfa 166 V6 for €2k or the likes and drive it for a while before building up. Ensure that you can afford this and if you know you can, look to move on up.

Ha! he's Polish, german car or nothing !!

Sobanek

Why did people suddenly start making sense?

As much as I like the E39, the 540i is almost impossible to buy in this country! And if it was a 540i, I would love to have it in manual form

Alanstrainor

Sobanek wrote: »

Why did people suddenly start making sense?

As much as I like the E39, the 540i is almost impossible to buy in this country! And if it was a 540i, I would love to have it in manual form

Well you've got no shortage of time to find one:P

That's what I'd be doing anyway. You'd get the big BMW experience for a lot less cost. And you'd get your hands dirty at the same time:cool:

Supergurrier

Sobanek wrote: »

I'll have an additional 1.7k to spend anyways

I'd love to have the INDIVIDUAL AMARONE WOOD trim

It's not a necessity, but it looks gorgeous IMO: (E60 pic, couldn't find an E63 one)




No, wait, found one:


I'll be honest, doesn't look as good on the E63 as it does on the E60.

Imo if you are serious about this you will need to be siting on a couple grand for stuff that comes up.

I only drive a hatchback and just serviced it there last week.

Oil was 90 quid
Spark plugs 85 quid (cheapest that could be got from the UK even after 30e+ postage)
Filters 50 quid+
5.1 dot brake fluid 2l 45 quid

It all add's up and with 8 cylinders you will need more oil/plugs and thats w/o anything breaking + big bmw's love their brake pads.

The wood trim wouldn't be worth ****e to ya stuck on the side of the road

Allow 1.5/2k for the unknown

Sobanek

Supergurrier wrote: »

Oil was 90 quid
Spark plugs 85 quid (cheapest that could be got from the UK even after 30e+ postage)
Filters 50 quid+
5.1 dot brake fluid 2l 45 quid

Phew, that's a biggie! :P

Supergurrier

Sobanek wrote: »

Phew, that's a biggie! :P

All adds up when you paying 365 tax the week after and that's before you put a drop of petrol in

Foxhole Norman

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

Excellent idea

Its my plan when I get a job. A nice, clean M-sport, preferably a 525.

sebastianlieken

Supergurrier wrote: »

I only drive a hatchback and just serviced it there last week.

Oil was 90 quid
Spark plugs 85 quid (cheapest that could be got from the UK even after 30e+ postage)
Filters 50 quid+
5.1 dot brake fluid 2l 45 quid

Jaysus :eek:

Matt Simis

sebastianlieken wrote: »

Jaysus :eek:

His prices with careful shopping could be beat even when applied to a 645i etc. Also Spark Plugs are like 60k+ mile items, I never understand when people use them as "costs to run a car", they are no more a recurring cost than replacing a fuel pump is in the lifetime of car ownership (per owner) and not actually that expensive anyhow.

I have a bag of 64 spark plugs, take them out of everything I buy and replacement them as a matter of course. Sometimes I buy different types to test, which at x8 or x12 per car adds up.. but its pittance compared to say fuel costs.

Sobanek

I can't believe people think these are major costs. It's not like I'm going to replace them everyday. Even a banger will require a lot of care - does that mean people that earn 2k a month don't drive cars because they can't afford them?

Alanstrainor

Sobanek wrote: »

I can't believe people think these are major costs. It's not like I'm going to replace them everyday. Even a banger will require a lot of care - does that mean people that earn 2k a month don't drive cars because they can't afford them?

I'd say it's more of a case, if you run into a relatively serious problem, then it could see your car off the road for quite some time without the cash behind you just in case. Its not so much general service items, more the unexpected. That's all.

Sobanek

Alanstrainor wrote: »

I'd say it's more of a case, if you run into a relatively serious problem, then it could see your car off the road for quite some time without the cash behind you just in case. Its not so much general service items, more the unexpected. That's all.

I'll use my mammy's car then

Supergurrier

Service items/tyres(im guessing you don't want to run the expensive runflats) and possible mechanical failures just need to be budgeted in is all. But lets see how ya get on saving first hah

No point putting the chicken before the egg

Sobanek

Supergurrier wrote: »

No point putting the chicken before the egg

Exactly. Once I get my savings done, I'll report.

ShaunieVW

Who leaves plugs in for 60k? BMW "longlife" my hole, All of my petrol cars got new plugs every 15K miles, best safe than sorry.

T-Maxx

ShaunieVW wrote: »

Who leaves plugs in for 60k? BMW "longlife" my hole, All of my petrol cars got new plugs every 15K miles, best safe than sorry.

Fo shizzle ma nizzle!

Because we all know how disastrous it is when a plug fails.

Cheensbo

T-Maxx wrote: »

Fo shizzle ma nizzle!

Because we all know how disastrous it is when a plug fails.

It would be a long limp home on only 7 cylinders

Nonoperational

ShaunieVW wrote: »

Who leaves plugs in for 60k? BMW "longlife" my hole, All of my petrol cars got new plugs every 15K miles, best safe than sorry.

What exactly would be the disastrous consequences of a plug failing?

Long life plugs will last 60k no problem. It's just a waste of money changing them early.

Matt Simis

ShaunieVW wrote: »

Who leaves plugs in for 60k? BMW "longlife" my hole, All of my petrol cars got new plugs every 15K miles, best safe than sorry.

Well I dont (for other reasons) but that is the operational life of a Platinum plug.
Nothing at all to do with "BMW Longlife".. BMW dont make spark plugs.. I took a set of Platinums out of a Subaru Forrester S-Turbo and I estimate they were in there over 80k, the electrodes were worn down and... they came out fine (well for a Scoobie, the socket positioning is absurd) and the car was running just fine with them all worn down. And that was a turbo 4pot.



Thats the reason they are like 5x the price of basic Copper plugs, which is almost the service schedule you are applying. If you are doing this, you probably should just use Copper plugs and change every 10-12k.

H3llR4iser

166man wrote: »

Been reading this thread since it began but have yet to comment.

Sobanek, out of the list of cars you made I'd have the M5/645i just because they're awesome machines. I have been in both.

However, on a previous page a poster made a comment that, the mistake is counting the money before you have it. I was sort of in the same boat last summer, working after college 40 hours a week and making circa €400 a week. Money just drains away and even though I was always telling myself that I would like to have had €2k saved by the end of the summer, it didn't happen and I managed to get together about €800.

If I were in your situation with your potential income I'd look for a Alfa 166 V6 for €2k or the likes and drive it for a while before building up. Ensure that you can afford this and if you know you can, look to move on up.

We aren't here to pick apart your finances but they are a tad sketchy! I do admire your enthusiasm but even something like a cheap 530i would be a great car!

The poster in question was me. I just speak from experience - I was the same, "when I'll start working I'll get this, that and these".

Then the day came, and the money would never be enough for anything. I did manage to have a nice car when I was living with my parents, but it was a 2.0, not a 5 liters V8. Now, renting an apartment and paying for bills and food, a 1.4 sometimes makes me wonder "do I really need it?".

Even when you have very little expenses and try to save, there's always something happening and burning your money.

I actually second the idea - the OP should get something a bit more on the modest side (if an Alfa V6 or a BMW 530 can be called modest) and see hows he gets on that

ShaunieVW

Depends on which car it was, 80k miles in a scooby? Just laziness there, its not that hard. Especially given the fact that detenation is a massive issue with them.I dont mind paying the extra to keep it right but as I said it depends on the car, the Gti's, s3 and scooby got platnium plugs and the normal cars just got run of the mill plugs from my local motor factors. But thanks for the advice.

Is everything an arguement in here, I never said Bmw make the plugs, I cant see why you would bring that up how does that make a difference?? neither do they make your oil but they still like to drag it out on their service schedule like VW.

ShaunieVW

The OP needs to buy a mk2 golf amd lash a ko4'd 1.8t into it

Matt Simis

ShaunieVW wrote: »

Is everything an arguement in here, I never said Bmw make the plugs, I cant see why you would bring that up how does that make a difference?? neither do they make your oil but they still like to drag it out on their service schedule like VW.

Only brought up as the spark plugs were originally highlighted on a Focus ST and you responded

Who leaves plugs in for 60k? BMW "longlife" my hole

Some of the less savvy readers here will read that as BMW + spark plug problem.
The working life of a spark plug has nothing to do with BMW and a Platinum will last 60k no problem in normal usage.

sebastianlieken

ShaunieVW wrote: »

Who leaves plugs in for 60k? BMW "longlife" my hole, All of my petrol cars got new plugs every 15K miles, best safe than sorry.

Matt Simis wrote: »

The working life of a spark plug has nothing to do with BMW and a Platinum will last 60k no problem in normal usage.

my sparks have been in there from new. 67k miles later and they're no cause for concern. If they ain't broke - don't fix 'em! - besides, there's enough money being spent on the car latley on new bonnet (some knacker threw a rock onto it), cleaning and polishing gear, and I have a feeling my front left disc may be warped.

Spark plugs can wait! :rolleyes:

ShaunieVW

Im just anal and silly I suppose, sorry I never meant that Bmw made them!

Sorry to here about your bonnet, some jealous scum out there cant afford there own car because they are the rest of inbreeding, have 6 toes and play the banjo.

rocoso

m5 end of story......

Brian

Alanstrainor wrote: »

I know this is going against your current plan, but would you not buy the best e39 non M you could afford, which you're probably talking less than 4/5 grand for. Like a 540i or something along those lines, and use what ever money you can spare for mods and parts? You'll still have a car faster than 95% of the cars on the road, and with the cash left over you can do any number of things to it to make it the best e39 in the country. And you'd save a boat load of money.

M badges aren't too expensive on eBay either :pac:

Max Power1 wrote: »

Perhaps, but it is not the same car type at all. The RX8 is a small sports coupe whereas the M5 is a high spec performance saloon.

I can see an M5 as an aspirational car that would deter me from other spending to save for - can't see the mazda having the same appeal (maybe that's just me though)

Objection! Rotarymobiles have plenty of admirers.

ARGINITE

Brian wrote: »

Objection! Rotarymobiles have plenty of admirers.

+1