Perfect daily?

[Ozmondo]

Hello all,

I used to have a Mondeo 2006 TDCi which was great for a 60 mile daily trip to work and back, however I am going to be changing job soon to somewhere closer to home (5 minutes from my house actually!)

So now I can start my search on something a bit more nicer (petrol!) than the Mondeo as it's slowly dieing anyway, just wondered what you guys have as a daily or what you would have if you could? Potentially looking at a CTR FD2 as an example, just wanted to get some opinions on what you thought is best and why?

Thanks,

[exiges1]

Lots of assumptions made e.g. no work tools, just you in it.

Mk 1 Insight - you'd probably only have to fill it up once a year
Cube (proper insurance needed)
shank's pony (obviously with a body kit) - overrated
as you're still a yooof one of those planks with wheels on.....

[Pride]

Congrats on your new job Joe.

Depending on your budget, lets say 3-5k, R53 Mini Cooper S, Hartge engine upgrade, about a grand, 220bhp, proper loud and leery body kit including the rally stage style Minispoert bonnet upgrade package, blindin.😎
Sorted:

12861 12862

That's my everyday driver, in the process of fitting the bonnet next.
I bought it new 2003, now over 200,000 on the clock, origanol clutch even though I track day it at least twice a year.
Amazing little car.👍

[havoc]

If you've a short 20-min B-road commute then an FD2 is a great idea.
If you've an hour on trunk-roads, D-carriageways and badly-finished town roads, it's not so good...but it's very hard to sell! ;)


More seriously Joe, if it's a 5-minute commute, then:-
- couldn't you walk/cycle?!? (Sacrilege I know, but the poor engine won't really warm up in 5 mins...)
- unless it's through god's own B-roads, get a little cheap shopping trolley

Actually - Tony's right - what are the other criteria - will you be transporting lots of tools/wardrobes/hookers?

[Pride]

Forgot to mention putting a Clifford engine start remote alarm system on it to pre-warm the engine, no excessive cold engine wear.
Why would you want to ruin your day by walking to work. :)

[Ozmondo]

Lots of assumptions made e.g. no work tools, just you in it.

Mk 1 Insight - you'd probably only have to fill it up once a year
Cube (proper insurance needed)
shank's pony (obviously with a body kit) - overrated
as you're still a yooof one of those planks with wheels on.....

The only tool needed is me! :D

[Ozmondo]

If you've a short 20-min B-road commute then an FD2 is a great idea.
If you've an hour on trunk-roads, D-carriageways and badly-finished town roads, it's not so good...but it's very hard to sell! ;)


More seriously Joe, if it's a 5-minute commute, then:-
- couldn't you walk/cycle?!? (Sacrilege I know, but the poor engine won't really warm up in 5 mins...)
- unless it's through god's own B-roads, get a little cheap shopping trolley

Actually - Tony's right - what are the other criteria - will you be transporting lots of tools/wardrobes/hookers?


Good point, however it has several inclines among twisties and 5mins would be more like 30mins going to the destination, also I would be finishing at anytime between 5pm and 1am! so not ideal to be cycling on the return in dark down the roads!

The only other criteria I need it to be is safe for my boy who is almost 3, so rear seats and a decent safety rating is a must.

[havoc]

You're welcome to come have a look at / drive in my FD2 sometime, see what you think.

As a 'family car', the only downsides are:-
- rear seats don't fold (boot is still bit bigger than a 3-series)
- it's noisy at M-way speeds, so hard to hear anyone in the back
- ISOFIX bar is hidden behind the biteline, rather than having useful 'guides' like most mainstream stuff.

Depending on budget:-
- Mk5 Golf GTi is ubiquitous but actually pretty good for a modern-ish vanilla turbo-hatch
- 330i is equally ubiquitous but for equally good reasons. Older N52 engine sounds better and doesn't have DI, but the N53 makes more power...and the LCI E90's have a few more toys.
- Evo VIII/IX? There's a few wagons around which are plenty practical and it's not like you're going to be worrying about fuel economy
- ...so in the same vein, how about a VXR8?!? :D Or other V8 saloon?


In fact, in your circumstances don't mess around, just find a fun V8 and be done with it...or if you can't find a good V8, then maybe a 760i! :runsandhides:

[NoelWatson]

but the N53 makes more power

On paper it does, but not sure if carbon build up is an issue in real world. Certainly an engine that you wouldn't want to run without a BMW warranty to cover injector, HPFP, NOx sensor etc failures.

[goldtop]

Or other V8 saloon?


That's me, that is! :) In my case, a Lexus LS400 (mk4, 2000). Bought for peanuts just to do a European road trip, with the idea to sell straight after for the same £££s. But it did it so effortlessly, safely and reliably that after we got back I sold the DD (other end of the spectrum - a Toyota Aygo, 3cyl, 990cc) and decided to keep this for DD duties. Three years later and 25,000m later, I can't imagine being without it.

I also have a short 7 mile commute, and even with that and mixed driving during the week, I get 23mpg. So I don't feel bad about losing the Aygo's 55mpg economy.

One thing that is also true: like the NSX, the LS400 came from the era when Japanese car makers researched a segment (S class Mercedes) thoroughly, and then over-engineered a brilliant solution. Perfect pairing with the NSX.

http://i.imgur.com/uCXsuY6.jpg

[havoc]

Noel - fair point - BMW's engineering does seem to have taken a step down the cost-ladder recently...but then so does Honda's, to be fair. Not sure anything now will be as over-engineered as goldtop's fleet...

...which looks great, I have to say...if a little silver! ;)

[Pride]

Perfect pairing with the NSX.

http://i.imgur.com/uCXsuY6.jpg

Great to see you also don't drive with a front number plate just like me.:)

[Kaz-kzukNA1]

Is the rear seat a 'must'?
How many cars can you park?

For such short commuting, you may want something that you can drive casually and get another one for the family purpose.

I thought about Honda Beat (S660 is still expensive and long waiting time), classic MX-5 (new one looks nice but expensive), etc or classic Subaru Legacy before they went huge on the wheels.


I like goldtop's 'Celsior'. Used to be one of the best seller in Japan.
Very impressed with how narrow the gap is between each panels. Proof of precision engineering.
Fairly wide body so may struggle with small parking space.


Kaz

[jonathanolney]

If you want to pair with the NSX, how about any of The Tochigi Three for ultimate flexibility in DD?

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/vjISylAZi6FsFWy4AXASylgGgqZW7Vmqia84ZIY-JU_hGBMIm0MkrEhUYP6l6RLlO-N7WuN-JsjOo5u8TyhSjni_J3zzvWamaDksm6jwoJrODSfWXdpfg0X7Gx 6vPgvmGal-H5U=w1024-h683-no (https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/vjISylAZi6FsFWy4AXASylgGgqZW7Vmqia84ZIY-JU_hGBMIm0MkrEhUYP6l6RLlO-N7WuN-JsjOo5u8TyhSjni_J3zzvWamaDksm6jwoJrODSfWXdpfg0X7Gx 6vPgvmGal-H5U=w1024-h683-no)

[goldtop]

The LS400 is, as Kaz, says, occasionally challenging to park. And even when you park just fine, it occupies so much of a typical car park space that you are then at the mercy of other drivers' clumsiness. So mine has picked up a few extra scrapes and dings in Italy, France and Croatia. But it was just £1650 to buy and even a full set of belts and water pump for peace of mind was just £500 at Lexus. It reminds me of the Bruno-Sacco-era Mercedes W201/W124/W126.

Every now and then I fantasize about putting a manual gearbox in the LS400. But it would change the DD experience from peaceful/relaxing to and dynamic/involving.

I suppose it depends on what you want a DD for? I like the chalk-vs-cheese contrast. And like the NSX, the LS400 is a leftfield choice.

[NZNick]

^^ lovely trio Jonathan - particularly like that Mk1 Insight - is it manual or auto?

[WhyOne?]

I agree, lovely trio of cars.

[nobby]

yo martin

you still got the fd2?
sorry i never got back to you last year ... lying up in hospital for a month and then full recovery process has killed my 2016 off
if you are still thinking of selling keep me posted

hope all is well with you ... was hoping to get to this year's NSX Euro meet but it might be a stretch too far with recovery etc and my car has a date with Kaz ... hopefully

BTT, its nice to see the Lexus on here ... have a real notion for one come change of family vehicle time, and the GS is on my radar. Lovely cruising cars and there is a knack to driving them especially in hybrid form but I would want to have the F Sport purely to have the 'sporting image' even when its not really :)

nice wee trio of honda's in the pic above.

must try and get a pic of my entire honda fleet before it breaks up


You're welcome to come have a look at / drive in my FD2 sometime, see what you think.

As a 'family car', the only downsides are:-
- rear seats don't fold (boot is still bit bigger than a 3-series)
- it's noisy at M-way speeds, so hard to hear anyone in the back
- ISOFIX bar is hidden behind the biteline, rather than having useful 'guides' like most mainstream stuff.

Depending on budget:-
- Mk5 Golf GTi is ubiquitous but actually pretty good for a modern-ish vanilla turbo-hatch
- 330i is equally ubiquitous but for equally good reasons. Older N52 engine sounds better and doesn't have DI, but the N53 makes more power...and the LCI E90's have a few more toys.
- Evo VIII/IX? There's a few wagons around which are plenty practical and it's not like you're going to be worrying about fuel economy
- ...so in the same vein, how about a VXR8?!? :D Or other V8 saloon?


In fact, in your circumstances don't mess around, just find a fun V8 and be done with it...or if you can't find a good V8, then maybe a 760i! :runsandhides:

[havoc]

No worries Andrew...I heard about your travails on FB. How's the sex-change going?!? ;) :p


I keep thinking I SHOULD sell the Civic (like now, 9 months into a 66-mile per day commute and averaging 31mpg), then never actually get around to it.

To be fair, it's over 80k now and needs a couple of jobs doing, so logic says sell it...but I just know I'll want another if I get a job closer to home again...

[nobby]

Ohhhhh so full of wit!

I did chuckle ...

if I did think you were selling I would perhaps make a better stab at shifting the dc5
miles are not an issue if well looked after.

keep me posted


No worries Andrew...I heard about your travails on FB. How's the sex-change going?!? ;) :p


I keep thinking I SHOULD sell the Civic (like now, 9 months into a 66-mile per day commute and averaging 31mpg), then never actually get around to it.

To be fair, it's over 80k now and needs a couple of jobs doing, so logic says sell it...but I just know I'll want another if I get a job closer to home again...

[Senninha]

Hi,

you mention rear rear seats for a little one so really needs to be a 4/5 door ... which discounts my initial thoughts of S2k, MX5 or Elise ....

So as it's a daily driver, probably don't need/want the GTs of the range ... I'd also ask if you need a specific badge. For example, why buy a Golf when Seat is almost identical and fraction of cost.

But I do like the idea of buying older high end such as the Lexus above, but buyer beware, fall in love with a S class or 7 series and remember although are affordable now, servicing will likely come with a sting in tail.

so what if we put the question back to yourself, what have you got on the shortlist, maybe we can help you narrow it down?

[NZNick]

How about a Legend? The are 2 on PH right now from 2008 which are not too leggy.

[havoc]

2008 - is that the newer SH-AWD 3.5 or the older style?

[NZNick]

Here's one of the 2:

http://www.driftbridge.co.uk/used-cars/6697755-honda-legend-3.5-vtec-v6-ex/

Doesn't mention SH-AWD but is 3.5l - model code KB1, which has SH-AWD afaik.

KB2 was from 09/2008 and had 3.7l engine

[nobby]

i would have had a legend only for the high rate of tax ... running costs seem a bit to high to justify :(
but still find myself looking at them when browsing classifieds from time to time.
lovely car ... ridiculous prices for what you get. outstanding value

[Nick Graves]

Exactly - who cares about the road tax and appalling fuel economy?

No modern car offers the same unique combination of relaxing luxury and fully-torque-vectored chassis sophistication - the worse the road conditions get, the better it handles. If you thought the NSX was good on a muddy back road, try the Leg End! It even rides quite well, by modern standards. Though not in that Citroenesque way the NSX seems to fly above the road on its tiny wheels.

As long as you're using the flappy paddles to put it in the right gear, that is. Even then, the five speed is incredibly dull-witted and slow. And the sat-nav is hilariously dated and whatever you tell the car to do, it turns off the air conditioning, or switches the voice control to German.

Nevertheless, it's a good match to the NSX.