'Safe' Cars, Financially!

[Conor]

I know there's no such thing, but thought I'd ask!

Basically I'm moving away for work by the end of the year. I've had the Touareg for the guts of a year now and it has been absolutely superb, but until I leave I'll be doing less miles, and frankly with petrol prices and being here for the summer I want back in a fast petrol until I go.

So, what would be a 'safe' place for my money? Something that I'll not lose 4 figures on in depreciation assuming no massive mechanical failures in 6 months, maybe even something that I can garage when I leave and know it might start appreciating after a few years? I'll probably put 5-8k on the car before I go, I want 300bhp+, four or rear wheel drive, MPG and insurance not really an issue, 25mpg would be nice cruising on the motorway. Up to £13k.

I was thinking along the lines of E39 M5, B5 RS4, E46 M3 etc. But suggestions welcome!

 

[Eager]

E36 m3
Any sort of ford with RS in it's badge
Twincam gt coupe
R32 gtr
Older vw's
Evo 6 tommi mak

In saying that, any the real safe options you don't fancy doing 8k miles in

Wouldn bank on e46 m3 at all. They need to bottom out and all the dodgy examples need to become crusher food before they will go up by any decent amount

 

[PeteM]

Thing is all these performance cars can have huge mechanical bills that spring out of nowhere.

Never forget the clutch on my 944 stinging my wallet a grand with zero notification.

 

[Pumesta]

Hard to go wrong with a Ford RS TBH

 

[Gavlar]

Skyline, prices are only going up

 

[Eager]

Any gtr agreed. Bar the actual gtr.

 

[Conor]

I maybe should've said, wouldn't be a Ford fan and i'd rather die than buy a jap car! You're all likely spot on with the RS holding money to be fair.

Bear in mind this will be my daily, needs to be comfortable and reliable.

 

[Gavlar]

Buy an M3 then lol

 

[Eager]

E36 m3. Done
If you can find one that's worth it

Next in line mk1 rs focus. Usable and nice too. Sadly not fwd but still meant to be a good job. Will get more sought after in 3 or 4 years too.

 

[Lyons]

E39 M5 for me or E36 M3.

 

[chris_b]

I maybe should've said, wouldn't be a Ford fan and i'd rather die than buy a jap car! You're all likely spot on with the RS holding money to be fair.

Bear in mind this will be my daily, needs to be comfortable and reliable.

Everything in this sentence rules out a collectable tbh. Buy a cheaper DD and something to tuck away and use the odd weekend

 

[Peadar]

E46 M3s are going up in value at the moment, find a good manual coupe, facelift with black leather.

Sub 80k, full history & you're onto a winner.

My phone has been constantly ringing this past week looking for them. All the Scottish & English guys are crying out for them, I had two go across the water the past couple of days.

 

[Nicky]

Probably a daft question, but why throw £13k into it? Why not buy a 172 Clio, 106 GTi, Mk2 Golf with a 20v Turbo engine, a V6 Capri, an E30 325i Sport etc...?

A couple of grand, will leave you smiling every time you drive it and the sort of price range for a cheap motor that you'd have no bother selling on in a few months...

 

[Lyons]

Probably a daft question, but why throw £13k into it? Why not buy a 172 Clio, 106 GTi, Mk2 Golf with a 20v Turbo engine, a V6 Capri, an E30 325i Sport etc...?

A couple of grand, will leave you smiling every time you drive it and the sort of price range for a cheap motor that you'd have no bother selling on in a few months...

Thought that too. I'd have a B5 S4 for £3k odd I think.

 

[Eager]

R32 mk1 also maybe worth a shout

 

[Paul.]

Skyline GT-S? There are some R33s on eBay for the £3-4k mark which makes more sense to me than spending the entire budget. At least this way if you did take a hit on depreciation you wouldn't be putting as much at risk. Plus if you bring one over from England you'll be able to add the NI RWD tax and milk the fact it has "never been welded" for all it's worth. Could probably pitch it as a project for someone looking to make a drift car over the winter, or for someone to clean it up and really make the car minty fresh. On the same note, Supra?

Not sure how easy those two would be to punt on, but at the end of the day they're both I6 engined RWDs with a massive following, so someone should be looking to buy when you're looking to sell.

 

[Nicky]

Thought that too. I'd have a B5 S4 for £3k odd I think.

I just find it hard to justify tying that sort of money up in a car that will need to be sold by a certain time, not to mention the fact that it could cost an absolute fortune to repair the cars he initially listed in the original post if it gave bother in that short time. An E46 M3 engine will sell you back a couple of grand, an M5 would be very hard to sell on if any issues arose and the B5 Audi's weren't reknowned for reliability either.

 

[trev 1515]

E39 m5
I have mine 3 years, done 4k miles and all its needed is serviced and motd. Plus i could easily sell it for what i bought it for.

 

[Eager]

At same time though the sort of thing you could put 3 grand into maintenance at drop of a hat if it doesn't like lying up

 

[Conor]

Probably a daft question, but why throw £13k into it? Why not buy a 172 Clio, 106 GTi, Mk2 Golf with a 20v Turbo engine, a V6 Capri, an E30 325i Sport etc...?

A couple of grand, will leave you smiling every time you drive it and the sort of price range for a cheap motor that you'd have no bother selling on in a few months...

I did say up to 13k, I'm open to anything. But not a wee hatchback. Majority of my miles are still going to be on the motorway, I want something to lie up in in comfort too.

Mk2 Golf is the first thing that came to mind but not something I want every day. Had one and I know that much!

@trev 1515, is there any chance at all I could have a nosy someday mate? I have no experience of E39 M5s at all but I've noticed they seem to be appreciating for sub 100k Mike examples.

@Peadar, you were getting a phone call the second I sold the Touareg. Lol

@Lyons, that's a good shout actually, but I'd find it hard not to modify something like that. Lol

@Eager, thought of those too, but I've always been a bit underwhelmed by them. A mate has a Stage 2 and it would have to be that spec, they're a totally different car but again, not looking for something to do a pile to.

 

[Lyons]

Do you need back seats? Z3/4M.

 

[Conor]

Do you need back seats? Z3/4M.

Nope, but out of my price range. I wouldn't even have made this thread if I thought I could get a Z4M.

 

[trev 1515]

Yeah no problem, its usually tucked up in the garage but its away atm getting a few bits for mot. Mines got 74k miles which is why i think its holding its value so well

 

[Boabybooster]

B5 rs4 , limited numbers made and a cracking car, wish I'd bought that red one in Larne.

 

[Jet9]

R32 mk1 also maybe worth a shout

MK IV maybe or even a MK V - reasonable performance and effortless motorway cruisers.