Which car would you keep?

Keith

We got everything in the Mazda and it was very tight, but a family turned up next to us with a 106 with a roof box and everything in it. Made a lot of sense. I've already started to look at Avensis tourers for next year!

fadetogrey

Just read your post again and I assume it will be your first child.Firstly unless you come into a lot of money soon your days of travelling to europe ,camping etc are going to be drastically curtailed.I can assure you from wide experience the running costs for a mk one baby far exceed that of any BMW.The money in lieu for the mazda will be sorely needed for this child and as to keeping the BMW, again I can only suggest you get the priorities right. So Either keep the mazda bin the beemer and cut down on your outings to europe until money levels improve or get the money in lieu of the mazda,still bin the beemer for what you can get for it and use public transport.Thousands do it every day.

[Deleted User]

Sightly off topic.

Everyone used to manage with a normal run of the mill car back in the day. Now it seems as soon as you have a kid and/or dog, you have to have some great big mum truck!

missile

The Mazda is too small and the beemer too old and expensive to run as your only car. I would get rid off both and buy a circa three year old estate / 4X4.

A bigger car will cost more on fuel tax insurance, but if you do less than average miles? You don't say how many miles you drive?

Weird_Nev

I've assumed 10,000 miles a year in my calculations. This is what we do across both cars excluding my wifes work milage, but with her off work I really don't know if that will change significantly.

Each car honestly costs exactly the same over a year all in! (I neglected the £30 a month tax my wife pays on the Mazda forst time around) BMW obviously has potential to cost more, Mazda running costs are essentially fixed. The joy of the Beemer is that the moment it goes badly wrong I simply scrap it and collect my £200.

FadetoGrey>I appreciate what you're saying, but I'll judge what my priorities are thank you all the same. My priorities are having a practical family car that enables my family to enjoy fun stuff. I don't need to drive to work, I do need to get to the hills and fields occasionally.

I think the real answer to this problem may be 'get rid of both and buy something that actually meets your needs'. Could try and use the BMW as a stop gap whilst I save I suppose.

I've seen the following cars for around £4k ,all of them appeal in one way or another:
2002 BMW 530i touring (powaaaahhhh, and cheap because petrols are unpopular)
Jaguar X type estates 2.0 diesel - a bit left field, not sure how big they actually are.
Honda Accord 2.2 Diesels - nice and big and good mpg
Saab 9-5 3.0 V6 diesels - might be a good blend of power space and economy ,but I dislike the vauxhall in a frock nature of them.

Hmmmmm.

mikey72

Weird_Nev wrote: »

FadetoGrey>I appreciate what you're saying, but I'll judge what my priorities are thank you all the same. My priorities are having a practical family car that enables my family to enjoy fun stuff. I don't need to drive to work, I do need to get to the hills and fields occasionally.

We had three kids.
Camping, in a tent, became twin roof boxes on an estate car, (that was so loaded I couldn't see out of the back of), towing a trailer.
Then I gave it up and bought a motorhome.

Weird_Nev

That's what I'm scared of. That and a Zafira. *shudders*

missile

Weird_Nev wrote: »

.....

I think the real answer to this problem may be 'get rid of both and buy something that actually meets your needs'. Could try and use the BMW as a stop gap whilst I save I suppose.

I've seen the following cars for around £4k ,all of them appeal in one way or another:
2002 BMW 530i touring (powaaaahhhh, and cheap because petrols are unpopular)
Jaguar X type estates 2.0 diesel - a bit left field, not sure how big they actually are.
Honda Accord 2.2 Diesels - nice and big and good mpg
Saab 9-5 3.0 V6 diesels - might be a good blend of power space and economy ,but I dislike the vauxhall in a frock nature of them.

Hmmmmm.

That is what I suggested:A

IMHO, there seems little point in selling one old beemer to buy another. If you can only afford £4k, I would get rid of the Mazda and run the beemer for as long as you feel it is viable.

mikey72

Weird_Nev wrote: »

That's what I'm scared of. That and a Zafira. *shudders*

Got one of those now.

gingerdad

We managed with a 1.2 corsa for the first year with our daughter and bought the wrong pram propper mammas and papas one

In your case I'd stick with the Mazda for now and review in a few months. I don't see why you need a big estate with only 1 child. But each to their own.