iLike2Drive
A useless Range Rover for towing for a while,
then BMW Compact (96, crashed it). This was the car that I just loved to death. Literally. 60 miles an hour head-on collision, I will put some pics on.
Subaru Impreza Sport (ordinary 2 liter, 16 valves, AWD estate, '98), nice metallic blue from the glory days of Subaru. Practical, but cheap finish. Bodywork was prone to dent, I think they tried to save weight.
VW Mk4 Golf (99), nothing ordinary, the most ordinary car I've had. I spent too much time thinking about a semsible car, so I ended up with a dead boring Golf. I aged years during that one year! In the end, I had to spend the most money on this one. Also, this was my ONLY car that I sold for less than what I bought it for. An absolute nightmare!
BMW 318i Touring (E46, 2000), factory Xenon (hated) and metallic green (hated more). But what a drive!
Audi A4 Avant ('98) Just a boring interval between a messy period. Automatic, it was sooo thirsty, I don't know why. Just a glorified and better-built Passat.
and finally, I have my 1983 SL 280 (six cylinder engine) Current one for the weekends. And another
E46 318i BMW Touring, but the 16 valve one from 2004. Who needs more power? Well, actually... me. But it's so economical. My third estate, but I still take it for a pleasure ride from time to time. Once I ended up 40 miles away in my 'playing clothes'. There was just no point of stopping.
I drive a two years old Subaru Legacy Outback for work. 2.5, AWD, but it has such a cheap feel, compared to the Germans. The mats are crap, the plastic is thin and it hasn't got a nice touch. The only thing I love about it is the electric seat with so many settings. Also, it holds on the road very well. The automatic Sport mode is a joke. In the US and Canada, they are fairly popular, I saw several in New York, Boston and Toronto. Here, in Britain, they used to be sold by agricultural traders. Farmers, who also sold tractors. That wasn't even long ago. But it's not mine, anyway, so who cares, I'm not paying for the fuel (fortunately).
Next time I'll either buy a CLK Mercedes or an E46 Coupe (323). I always liked German cars, but never again VW or Audi (unless a Quattro). It was very stable on the road, but I wouldn't buy Impreza either. I Mercedeses have a special feeling and it is just an absolute joy to drive a BMW. It's not just the rear-wheel drive. It's also the balance and the quality. A car that I have been considering for a while is the Mercedes C-class with the round headlamps, but I would stick to a 2003 model. I only had one diesel car, but that C-class would be great with a diesel engine. Here, in Europe, every second new car is diesel, in fact more than over half of new cars. Not in the UK, though. People still have a lot of issues with diesel. Further, diesel is expensive, more expensive than petrol.
But over the years, I missed a few cars that I really, really regret. One was a cheap Maserati Biturbo, another was a Lancia Fulvia. I put bids on both and missed the Maserati by an annoying margin. The fulvia was withdrawn, I think the owner realised, what a jewel he's had. Also, I almost bought an excellent Porsche 928. That is a fast car. It was in beautiful condition, but my girlfriend got bitchy about a thirsty sportscar.
I would still like an E30 318is from around '89. I always loved those E30s, they look sexy AND practical. The Compact that I crashed was based on them, excellent drive.
For now, my pleasure drive, the thirsty, but bulletproof SL - Richard Gere started American Giggolo with one of these, Bobby Ewing started Dallas. But they were both ugly, long-bumpered, roll-eyed American V8s.
I hate losing money on cars and the biggest expenses are the fuel and depreciation. With older cars, I don't have to worry about depreciation. My SL actually cost me just over £120 for a whole year on fully comprehensive classic car insurance. That is pretty good for a car with 185 bhp. Also, I get bored with them easily.
I don't think I could ever buy a brand new car. I just love older shapes and simplicity. But most of all, these cars are just things. Some of them might be nice, but they are just objects. I would hate to have a very expensive car and worry that what happens in the carpark, while I'm shopping and so on. Frugal life can accommodate fine cars, but you have to know what you are doing.
A useless Range Rover for towing for a while,
then BMW Compact (96, crashed it). This was the car that I just loved to death. Literally. 60 miles an hour head-on collision, I will put some pics on.
Subaru Impreza Sport (ordinary 2 liter, 16 valves, AWD estate, '98), nice metallic blue from the glory days of Subaru. Practical, but cheap finish. Bodywork was prone to dent, I think they tried to save weight.
VW Mk4 Golf (99), nothing ordinary, the most ordinary car I've had. I spent too much time thinking about a semsible car, so I ended up with a dead boring Golf. I aged years during that one year! In the end, I had to spend the most money on this one. Also, this was my ONLY car that I sold for less than what I bought it for. An absolute nightmare!
BMW 318i Touring (E46, 2000), factory Xenon (hated) and metallic green (hated more). But what a drive!
Audi A4 Avant ('98) Just a boring interval between a messy period. Automatic, it was sooo thirsty, I don't know why. Just a glorified and better-built Passat.
and finally, I have my 1983 SL 280 (six cylinder engine) Current one for the weekends. And another
E46 318i BMW Touring, but the 16 valve one from 2004. Who needs more power? Well, actually... me. But it's so economical. My third estate, but I still take it for a pleasure ride from time to time. Once I ended up 40 miles away in my 'playing clothes'. There was just no point of stopping.
I drive a two years old Subaru Legacy Outback for work. 2.5, AWD, but it has such a cheap feel, compared to the Germans. The mats are crap, the plastic is thin and it hasn't got a nice touch. The only thing I love about it is the electric seat with so many settings. Also, it holds on the road very well. The automatic Sport mode is a joke. In the US and Canada, they are fairly popular, I saw several in New York, Boston and Toronto. Here, in Britain, they used to be sold by agricultural traders. Farmers, who also sold tractors. That wasn't even long ago. But it's not mine, anyway, so who cares, I'm not paying for the fuel (fortunately).
Next time I'll either buy a CLK Mercedes or an E46 Coupe (323). I always liked German cars, but never again VW or Audi (unless a Quattro). It was very stable on the road, but I wouldn't buy Impreza either. I Mercedeses have a special feeling and it is just an absolute joy to drive a BMW. It's not just the rear-wheel drive. It's also the balance and the quality. A car that I have been considering for a while is the Mercedes C-class with the round headlamps, but I would stick to a 2003 model. I only had one diesel car, but that C-class would be great with a diesel engine. Here, in Europe, every second new car is diesel, in fact more than over half of new cars. Not in the UK, though. People still have a lot of issues with diesel. Further, diesel is expensive, more expensive than petrol.
But over the years, I missed a few cars that I really, really regret. One was a cheap Maserati Biturbo, another was a Lancia Fulvia. I put bids on both and missed the Maserati by an annoying margin. The fulvia was withdrawn, I think the owner realised, what a jewel he's had. Also, I almost bought an excellent Porsche 928. That is a fast car. It was in beautiful condition, but my girlfriend got bitchy about a thirsty sportscar.
I would still like an E30 318is from around '89. I always loved those E30s, they look sexy AND practical. The Compact that I crashed was based on them, excellent drive.
For now, my pleasure drive, the thirsty, but bulletproof SL - Richard Gere started American Giggolo with one of these, Bobby Ewing started Dallas. But they were both ugly, long-bumpered, roll-eyed American V8s.
I hate losing money on cars and the biggest expenses are the fuel and depreciation. With older cars, I don't have to worry about depreciation. My SL actually cost me just over £120 for a whole year on fully comprehensive classic car insurance. That is pretty good for a car with 185 bhp. Also, I get bored with them easily.
I don't think I could ever buy a brand new car. I just love older shapes and simplicity. But most of all, these cars are just things. Some of them might be nice, but they are just objects. I would hate to have a very expensive car and worry that what happens in the carpark, while I'm shopping and so on. Frugal life can accommodate fine cars, but you have to know what you are doing.
