Completely Torn - advice please!

JoshRH93

Hi all, 
After purchasing my house last year, now we are settled etc my attention has turned to buying a car (on hold due to the virus but researching now).

I've wanted a Range Rover Evoque for a long time which is what I planned to get. Now the time has come (or will have once the virus is gone) I am finding myself trying to justify getting it. I can afford it and the extra costs you associate with a car like that but I can't help but look at a 'standard' focus and think it is also nice but half the price! I am mid 20's with a young family but we both have good jobs and haven't owned a 'nice' car before and I do love cars. I can't help but see the extra expense as money I am taking away from kids holidays etc even though they would still get a holiday whatever car we buy... 

I should add that any car I buy would be second hand, not new and both our jobs are relatively safe, although who really knows.  

Is this just something anyone else has had, what did / didn't you do? Or what advice do you have? 

Thanks for reading!

DoaM

The Evoque and Focus are entirely different types of vehicle ... a Focus is a typical car whereas an Evoque is a "soft-roader" - an off-road style vehicle that won't cope too well actually off-road. Range Rovers (apparently) have well-published issues ... if you get one and yours succumbs to such issues then you have a money pit.

DrEskimo

If you are worried about spending that much money, then I think that is a sign that you can't really 'afford' it in the strictest sense of the word. You're definitely thinking about it in the right way. What does spending all the money on the car stop you doing.

For me, I only buy cash, and never a car where the value is more than 50% of my annual take home pay. Otherwise I have too much money tied in things that drop in value. I also ensure I have savings for other things I need in the near future, along with my emergency fund of course. 

Personally, I've moved away from spending silly amounts on cars. I just don't get much fulfilment from them anymore and happier sitting in a cheaper car stuck doing 15MPH knowing I have bigger savings and lower running costs.

For the record, I've moved from a brand new Audi S5 on finance, to a used Renault Zoe. Couldn't be happier!

JoshRH93

Thanks for the replies. 
Yes I agree the cars are very different, a Range Rover Evoque is what I want but obviously a Focus would still likely do the job just as well and cost half the amount in doing so. That's very true and a good point to consider. 

DrEskimo, I agree with your point about affordability, I just can't seem to get my mind past what the extra money could do for the kids and despite wanting the car for a while, and holding off until our financial situation is good enough, now it is I am debating if it's a good idea... window shopping is so easy!

Another spanner in the works is that I could also keep my current car which is okay, nothing seriously wrong and perfectly suitable but I've always had in my head about having our first nice car once we are in a good enough financial position. 

I suppose the positive is I can't make any rash decisions while we are in lock-down! 

Exemplar

We took a PCP on a new Evoque in December. Best car my good lady has ever had, last car was a TT. Very different beasts but she loves the Evoque. 

AdrianC

Quick look finds that an Evoque can be leased on 10k/year for £336ish, 6+47, so £17,800 for 4yrs/40k.
Similar deals on a Focus are £230, 3+47 - so £11,500. Not half price. 2/3 ish.

So the question is whether just over £1,500/year is worth it to you to be driving what you want rather than something you'll resent for four years...

tacpot12

What does your wife/partner think? As you are in two minds about it, I would definitely include her in the decision before getting too wedded to the idea of an Evoque.

Scrapit

Get a st focus, all the nice bits, some performance and not a hairdressers car. Chavy maybe but more reliable than any landy product.

Alanp

Life’s too short, treat yourself 

JoshRH93

Thanks for the comments all, some good points to consider. 

Wife is the same as me, prefers the Range Rover but it’s just the extra cost that makes us think twice. She’d be happy either way, I wish she would just tell me what she definitively wants to do, not that I can talk 😀

Focus ST has been a consideration as a ‘compromise’ but then I just start to think if I’m spending more I may as well just get the Range Rover! Since reading the comments here I have done some more research into the specific reliability of Evoque’s and it does worry me a bit, saw that 46% of owners have had an issue in the last year! 

I have a 2013 CMAX now, purely for practicality so also think the Focus may not actually be too different from what I already have. We don’t quite need as much space now as kids are 5 and 4 so no large buggies anymore, thankfully! 

I think it may come down to what would I regret more... buying it and wishing I had the spare cash or not buying it and resent my car wishing it was an Evoque! 

facade

What you need is to find the cheapest way to have an evoque for 12 months or so. Maybe buy an older one with some sort of warranty, with a view to trading it in 12 months, and take the hit in depreciation. Once you have one, then you can decide whether you really need one and want to spend huge amounts on it, or whether any old clunker will do, and you'd rather have the extra cash.

Not getting one you will always wish you had, and buying any lesser car as an alternative that "isn't an evoque" means you will resent that car anyway.

It is unlikely you will be taking any expensive holidays abroad this year, so you have that cash to spare...