[shrimpvende]

Cheers for all the suggestions guys. I had a go in a cayman and wasn't massively impressed and don't really like the styling too much either. I think I'm in a bit of a unique position with a V8V - they aren't depreciating and working there means I have access to all the technical stuff and loads of guys that know exactly how to fix them! From what I've read so far people have come from 911's and loved the vantage, saying its got more soul and is more fun. Others have come from 911 turbos and gone back as they are too slow in comparison.

I hadn't considered one at all before but I can't see them going down much further. I'd hope to get most of my investment (£35k) back within a year or two when its time to grow up and buy a house. I reckon I could run one properly on £1.5-2k (maintenance) per year if I buy well and it's already had the clutch done. I'd only put 10-12k on it within 2 years as it would be a weekend/special car. Genuine parts not a problem and would be able to price up facelift bodyparts.

the only real nagging doubts I have are:

• XKR 5.0 is much faster and around £10k cheaper for a newer car, although nowhere near as cool/special
• £500 a year tax and 15mpg (This is a realistic figure from experience) and its not particularly quick with 0-60 in 5s. I'm selling the 330i earlier than I meant to because it's not fast enough
• Borrowing money to buy it. I've done a deal with a family member to borrow the extra I need then pay it back in full when I sell the car in a year or two. neither of us has a problem with this deal but it's still taking on a bigger financial risk than a £25k car

Decisions decisions!

[-Keith-]

Where are you finding nice optioned, decent miles LCI DCT M3s for £23k?!

Since selling mine for an estate, I've kept an eye on the market (may well go back), and decent LCI M3s are still very strong money, more than £23k private.

[shrimpvende]

Originally Posted by -Keith-

Where are you finding nice optioned, decent miles LCI DCT M3s for £23k?!

Since selling mine for an estate, I've kept an eye on the market (may well go back), and decent LCI M3s are still very strong money, more than £23k private.

A couple of the ones I was looking at have sold, however there's still a couple at that price, certainly a few under £25k. I was counting anything 2009 onwards as LCI as long as it has CIC nav. Lights I could change afterwards.

[misterS3]

I guess you're buying with your head as much as your heart re:depreciation. So that does make a lot of sense. But if you're doing that............

I had this discussion on here a few years back. It was a guy living a home driving a £25k 3 series i think (honestly can't remember), and i'd always buy a property before buying a car. It doesn't say where you live on your profile, so not sure what sort of money you need, but would it make sense to get on the property ladder, and i'm assuming your salary will increase at your age, then get the car of your dreams? Boring i know, but that's what i'm did and continuing to do, and i currently have 1200bhp of cars sitting in my drive all paid off!

[richk84]

Originally Posted by misterS3

I guess you're buying with your head as much as your heart re:depreciation. So that does make a lot of sense. But if you're doing that............

I had this discussion on here a few years back. It was a guy living a home driving a £25k 3 series i think (honestly can't remember), and i'd always buy a property before buying a car. It doesn't say where you live on your profile, so not sure what sort of money you need, but would it make sense to get on the property ladder, and i'm assuming your salary will increase at your age, then get the car of your dreams? Boring i know, but that's what i'm did and continuing to do, and i currently have 1200bhp of cars sitting in my drive all paid off!

Some good advice, which i have to agree with.

[djgandy]

Fine if you live up north. To buy a house down here I need around 50k just to cover all the costs. Even on big money that is a lot to save up just to have a 90% LTV on a crap rate.

I always intended on buying a house, but the Bank of England & Govt. has crushed my chances at least in this area. You're looking at 10 grand in stamp duty alone!

I decided recently don't want to waste away my youth saving £5-6k a year to try and catch some moving goal posts. Saving is a strong word, when the BoE can just counterfeit more money rendering all that saving useless.

So I bought the M3.

[shrimpvende]

I've sort of planned for buying a house but in a year or two. I live in a shared house in leamington spa which is a hugely expensive area. Don't want to move from here to somewhere like Coventry for the sake of buying a place. We have a great deal on the house which is a large 4 bed detached with garage and garden. A 2 bed flat here is £200k+ so I can't afford/doesn't suit me to buy right now. I fill a help to buy ISA every month to increase my deposit, however I've already saved almost the price of the vantage for said deposit. I'm getting naff all interest on it so in my logic I'm just continuing to stall on the house purchase and putting my deposit on the drive rather than the bank for a year or two. If I was still living at home and had little savings/house buying options there's no way I'd have been thinking about doing this! Anyway, houses and responsibilities aside - I need to decide how I'm going to get the most fun out of not buying a house - jag, Aston, M3 or porker. Also need to get the ad for my car up - anyone after a 330i?!

[misterS3]

Originally Posted by djgandy

Fine if you live up north. To buy a house down here I need around 50k just to cover all the costs. Even on big money that is a lot to save up just to have a 90% LTV on a crap rate.

I always intended on buying a house, but the Bank of England & Govt. has crushed my chances at least in this area. You're looking at 10 grand in stamp duty alone!

I decided recently don't want to waste away my youth saving £5-6k a year to try and catch some moving goal posts. Saving is a strong word, when the BoE can just counterfeit more money rendering all that saving useless.

So I bought the M3.

Totally agree. I got lucky. I moved to London 97 and bought an ex council house in 98. Saying that had i borrowed money from my parents i'd be retired by now (not that i'm complaining - i definitely got lucky).

So i don't criticise your choices - you don't really have many in terms of property ownership. And that's really down to who stands to make most money by pricing our people like yourself. But that can go in the rant thread

Originally Posted by shrimpvende

I've sort of planned for buying a house but in a year or two. I live in a shared house in leamington spa which is a hugely expensive area. Don't want to move from here to somewhere like Coventry for the sake of buying a place. We have a great deal on the house which is a large 4 bed detached with garage and garden. A 2 bed flat here is £200k+ so I can't afford/doesn't suit me to buy right now. I fill a help to buy ISA every month to increase my deposit, however I've already saved almost the price of the vantage for said deposit. I'm getting naff all interest on it so in my logic I'm just continuing to stall on the house purchase and putting my deposit on the drive rather than the bank for a year or two. If I was still living at home and had little savings/house buying options there's no way I'd have been thinking about doing this! Anyway, houses and responsibilities aside - I need to decide how I'm going to get the most fun out of not buying a house - jag, Aston, M3 or porker. Also need to get the ad for my car up - anyone after a 330i?!

I see what you're saying, and with the way things are, it's no certainty that house prices won't reset in the next couple of years (not likely with the lack of building of new houses but that might change with the govt being pushed to build affordable housing). So you might get lucky. Even though i own a bunch of property i kinda hope they do - i don't think it's right that people like yourself have been priced out of the housing market down south. There's a lot to be said for owning your own place if affordable.

I'll be boring and say get the Aston as it fits best with my fiscal responsibilities

[djgandy]

I invented my own "metric" to make my decision. It's called the M3 to average house price ratio. Currently it indicates that a brand new M3 is cheap compared to a house!

[misterS3]

Originally Posted by djgandy

I invented my own "metric" to make my decision. It's called the M3 to average house price ratio. Currently it indicates that a brand new M3 is cheap compared to a house!

Don't go on AVForums. That's the home of Manconomics. A place where once you get sucked in you can seriously sp**k cash!!

Would love an M3.

In fact i'd love an old M3 CSL - the closest car to a GTR i've driven. Great cars and don't depreciate.