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[aaronjb]

However, as he thread descended (as is right proper and inevitable on here) into a new vs old thread, I thought I would post my reasoning.  .

I did exactly the same maths (extensively, for about 12 different cars! ) when I moved to Northampton .. and that's also precisely why I'm now driving the brand new (well, not anymore!) Skoda Superb as opposed to another Omega (one of the 12 I did the maths for) or just driving the 645ci into the ground (which, even counting it as a 0 purchase cost would still have cost more!)

Plus .. shiny! new! toys! new car smell! etc

[tunnie]

The 2017 Volvo V90 T8 looks a decent car with a reasonable amount of power 

Big price tag though...

I like the direction Volvo are going, new XC90 and V90's are super comfy and great interiors. Think V90 in around 3-5 years will be a great second hand buy.

[Lincs Robert]

How about the XC60?

You can get a well specced one with about 10,000 on the clock for £25k .....

[Viral_Jim]

I really like them, again amazingly comfortable. But the shape and the permanent awd mean that performance and mpg both take a bit of a battering.

[Lincs Robert]

I really like them, again amazingly comfortable. But the shape and the permanent awd mean that performance and mpg both take a bit of a battering.

There is a FWD only XC60 available .......

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

I think that its all down to personal circumstances, I don't think anyone is knocking  the choice to run an old car. It would be immenseley hypocritical in my case to do so, given I have for over 15yrs, up until last year, never run a car under about 10yrs old. However, the balance of needs and wants changes over time. For me, the next step up in career means I'll:

a) have very little headspace for anything else,
b) be doing a lot of miles
c) be taking a substantial car allowance (doesn't look good receiving £5-10k/yr to run a £500 car)
d) be meeting with a number of board-level types on a regular basis

Now, none of these things preclude running an old car per se. However they do shift the balance away from it towards something new or new-ish.

The cost of running a new V60 over 100k & 4yrs is about £5000 + 48*350 = 21,800 + 12,150 in diesel = £33,950, a "nearly new" s80 on a bank loan would be £16,700 + 11,350 + 1800 (servicing) + 880 (volvo warranty) = £30,730 (assuming a conservative residual of £3k). Running my omega would mean £19,450 in fuel, plus servicing and unexpected repairs at £150 p.a. (likely to be more in reality) = £20,050. So it will cost me about £10-14k over 3yrs, or £210-280 per month to run a new (or nearly new) car. That also assumes the most expensive of everything, full volvo warranty, main dealer servicing etc etc. And assuming nothing goes wrong with the Omega in that time (80-180k, probably a slightly optimistic assumption). In my judgement, this is a worthwhile cost.

Yes, I could LPG the omega, but am I realistically going to finish a 9-10hr day, drive 1.5hrs home and then go looking for LPG? Unlikely in my case. And the limited range would mean that every 1.5-2 days I'd be filling up. The diesel will go a full week in the summer, 4 days in the winter.

The starting premise is not, what is cheapest to run, as I suspect the answer would be a 406 diesel running on Farm Foods veg oil.  . The starting premise (for me) is that I want to run a newer car, for a lot of miles, thats auto, has acceptable performance (8s ish or less to 60, with decent mid-range shove). Within those boundaries, the V60/s60/S80 seems the best option. 

For the record, my desmond auto has settled on 28mpg over the average tank. I can average 31-32 over a tank, but I'm left wanting to shoot myself.

Board-level types?

Unfortunately I only know ne'er do wells most of which spend the day scratching their arse as they post on here.

I can't argue with your logic and pragmatism Jimmy. It looks like Aaron uses the same formula when deciding on which car to spend his money on.

I can also be practical but only when buying 'white goods'. I always make sure I get the best deal when buying the most capacious and energy friendly fridge.


However, cars should stir the emotions and make you feel good. The James May testicular 'fizz' comes to mind.

Being practical has it's place, but heart ruling the head is usually more fun.......(until it all goes tits up and costs you a fortune)

 

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

However, as he thread descended (as is right proper and inevitable on here) into a new vs old thread, I thought I would post my reasoning.  .

I did exactly the same maths (extensively, for about 12 different cars! ) when I moved to Northampton .. and that's also precisely why I'm now driving the brand new (well, not anymore!) Skoda Superb as opposed to another Omega (one of the 12 I did the maths for) or just driving the 645ci into the ground (which, even counting it as a 0 purchase cost would still have cost more!)

Plus .. shiny! new! toys! new car smell! etc

I assumed the '04 BMW 'was your M3.

[aaronjb]

I assumed the '04 BMW 'was your M3.

Nope - I got rid of that a while back (but not before I'd fixed the SMG-II pump at £300 and radiator fan at £400) and replaced it with something with a V8 soundtrack

Which has since become slightly incontinent with its coolant..

[Doctor Gollum]

They do that

[Viral_Jim]

Board-level types?

Unfortunately I only know ne'er do wells most of which spend the day scratching their arse as they post on here.

The new job is to head up the Internal Audit function of a uk retailer. Basically this means I will (with some regularity) be summoned to appear before various Board, Audit and God-knows-what Committees. Usually to explain someone else's balls-up (and hopefully not my own!).

Such shindigs always seem to involve an element of car sharing somewhere along the line - an excuse for a 1-2hr private meeting on the way to another meeting  . It's a responsibility I have consistently ducked in my current job as it involved either putting people in the Mig; cobwebs, cement dust and all or shoe-horning them into the back of a 1 series.

It's a role I didn't think I'd be able to land for another 3-5yrs and it's now tantalising close. Hence the shifting of my cash-time balance. It will also probably preclude me from spending most of the day scratching my ar$e and posting on the OOF

[tunnie]

However, as he thread descended (as is right proper and inevitable on here) into a new vs old thread, I thought I would post my reasoning.  .

I did exactly the same maths (extensively, for about 12 different cars! ) when I moved to Northampton .. and that's also precisely why I'm now driving the brand new (well, not anymore!) Skoda Superb as opposed to another Omega (one of the 12 I did the maths for) or just driving the 645ci into the ground (which, even counting it as a 0 purchase cost would still have cost more!)

Plus .. shiny! new! toys! new car smell! etc

I'm highlighting this because I appear to be the one getting "stick" for daring suggesting newer cars that need less work, "changing my tune" etc, not running old Omega's or running another petrol into the ground    

I like the Superb very much, I think the Estates are good looking as well. But the wife though says no, as soon as I mention Skoda 

So it's back to Zafira Tourers 

[aaronjb]

They do that

Indeed! I am hoping it's the expansion tank (common) rather than the transfer pipe through the middle of the vee under the inlet manifold (also common)

And tunnie - tell her you wear the trousers and she'll drive a Skoda and like it!

Oddly enough Facebook decided it was time to remind me of a memory from 5 years ago, this morning - the Omega (the 3.2) and my MR2 parked on my driveway. I do still miss both cars, the Omega was a great, comfortable cruiser (Elite so also a barge!) and I'd have another one if I did a lot less miles and wanted to spend my time repairing all the cars I own instead of just one while trying to build another

[TheBoy]

Can get mid 50's average with cruise set at 80, yet when I drive the 3.2 I can barley crack 22mpg average 

I know for a fact that my 3.2 has returned exactly 30mpg, 4 adults with luggauge, on a run back from Tenby to Oxford, M40 and A34. Clear roads meant the speed was rarely below 80mph, and there were some high speed stints as well.  So I do honestly disbelieve you're averaging 22mpg when on a 80mph cruise.

The 3.2 ain't economical, but it ain't nowhere near as bad as you're trying to make out...  ...again, I feel you are trying to justify some maths to yourself.

Never see more than 24 out of a commute, I might take it to work on Wednesday. No justification needed, it's always been appalling on fuel.

That's not what you said, you were saying the Passat managed xyzMPG on an 80mph cruise, and the 3.2 would only do 22mpg.  On an 80mph cruise, the 3.2 - as YZ250 confirms - will achieve 30+ mpg.

Given that both myself (on petrol) and YZ250 get around 23mpg day to day, I'm surprised you don't get more (given YZ250 and I "don't hang about"), but then every commute is different.

[tunnie]

Can get mid 50's average with cruise set at 80, yet when I drive the 3.2 I can barley crack 22mpg average 

I know for a fact that my 3.2 has returned exactly 30mpg, 4 adults with luggauge, on a run back from Tenby to Oxford, M40 and A34. Clear roads meant the speed was rarely below 80mph, and there were some high speed stints as well.  So I do honestly disbelieve you're averaging 22mpg when on a 80mph cruise.

The 3.2 ain't economical, but it ain't nowhere near as bad as you're trying to make out...  ...again, I feel you are trying to justify some maths to yourself.

Never see more than 24 out of a commute, I might take it to work on Wednesday. No justification needed, it's always been appalling on fuel.

That's not what you said, you were saying the Passat managed xyzMPG on an 80mph cruise, and the 3.2 would only do 22mpg.  On an 80mph cruise, the 3.2 - as YZ250 confirms - will achieve 30+ mpg.

Given that both myself (on petrol) and YZ250 get around 23mpg day to day, I'm surprised you don't get more (given YZ250 and I "don't hang about"), but then every commute is different.

Could this be the moment dawning, that I do drive like everyone else and the 3.2 is just terrible on fuel  

[Doctor Gollum]

525i does 22.9 mpg as an average on my commute... and will do 35 on a steady run.

Hoping it's replacement will crack at least 20 and 25 respectively.