But personally if I were to buy a car today it would be the new 335d xdrive with no options at £414 @ 3.9% a month direct from BMW. Its a beast 320hp (0-60 in sub 5sec) and real world 45mpg.
Interesting. Will a 3 saloon take bikes easily enough? I’m looking at the 3GT just so I can keep them inside – it’s massive.

You’ll get one in the back but really you’d want to go rack or roof option. I am kicking myself as much as I like my new 1 series I wouldn’t have hesitated for the 335d which wasn’t available at the time. My dealer said bmw are doing a pre release offer hence the great price right now….cheaper than a 330d and as as much torque as a m3

what’s the payement on a pcp for £30k?? im no professional but I bet its a lot!!, funny how as you get older and could buy it cash you really don’t see the point.. 😉 I prefer potato wedges to chips btw… 🙂

Inheritence?

NO way I’d spend 30k cash on a car. Car allowance, cunning lease or classic depreciation-free popular in-vogue model.

Actually, 6yr old RangeRover?

£30,000 for a car? Spend less and save more.

For all you know they’re on 200k a year and are saving 5k a month.

they’ve got 30k to spend, they should be able to spend it, and get advice without pious comments like that.

Having been in a VW golf, I can honestly say it is not very well suited to the UK roads. Far too stiff and unforgiving. A work colleague has one and although the fit and finish is good, he preferred a focus for comfort, which when the golf arrived, has no choice for 3 years now. Passat is a big car , but seems to ride nicer. I had an Elise and it was not very good, very overhyped. Better build quality on kit cars and overpriced parts for a box of mix and match parts. Not sure where your £30 k will send you in car buying, but just my 2p’s worth.

they’ve got 30k to spend, they should be able to spend it, and get advice without pious comments like that.

Massive +1.

Thanks for the entertaining and informative answers chaps

Its not like I actually have 30K cash lying about, please see the previous thread we had on how on earth people afford nice cars!

(yeah flying ox PCP, the world would be my oyster with 30K cash)

Yer daft. Go buy a car you can afford.

Flashy and warton +1. Well done OP, wish I had that kind of money to spend but kids has well and truly put an end to that!

I’ve no recent experience but did own a 2001 S3 and absolutely loved it, broke my heart when I sold it. I haven’t seen the new ones but mine was very well kitted out, comfortable (no run flats!), looked great, and was great fun. Drove a few GTIs around the same time and much preferred the S3, but things change no doubt.

You should definitely at least try the bimmer, I’m now driving a 10 year old 320d touring (M Sport, woohoo) and it’s a great car.

I’d not buy brand new though but I guess the whole PCP thing rules out second hand.

ok I’ll fess up the Mrs has just spent that on a new kitchen/utility and downstairs bathroom and I’d rather have spent it on a car… 🙁 still at least I can now get boiling water on demand apparently…

I would literally need to be shitting pound coins before I’d consider spending 30k on a car.
But if you really had to you could get an awesome 2nd hand motor for a less, in fact I quite like to 2 motor option posted above. You’ll soon have kids then you’re ****ed 🙂

people have different tastes, to me its important and I want to spend some of my income on. We are talking around £420 of my pay check here for something I will truly value and enjoy

others may disagree, you are welcome to 🙂

I would literally need to be shitting pound coins before I’d consider spending 30k on a car.

like

buys his bike from on one
yet spends 30k on a car?

(ill wait for stoner to appear)

Have to confess I’m stunned £30k gets you “just” an Golf GTI or an A3, result of the £ taking a hammering these past 5 years. It’s been 6 years but that’s what I paid for an A6 2.7 tdi Quattro Avant, leather interior etc.

Both very good cars. Personally I don’t like the new A3 dash so I’d go for the Golf for better interior room. Can you get an A3 Quattro (non S) for that money or do they even do one ?

Instead of all the b1tching just let people spend their money how they wish, they’ll be giving the tax man £6k so it’s hard to complain about that right ?

We are talking around £420 of my pay check here for something I will truly value and enjoy

Sorry, but you are committing to spend £420 x 36 (or 48) months, so between £15k and £20k with nothing to show at the end of it.

Been there, didn’t do it.

Instead I bought a cracking older 5 series with a super-smooth V8 for what you’ll spend on your deposit.

Buy a Focus for £10k and use the £20k for a massive round the world trip?

The only reson I’m amazed that threads like this appear (including a pistonheads link!) is because its a cyclist website.
I have nothing else to say (and no chip).

So, someone who likes cycling isn’t allowed to like cars now?

matt_outandabout – Member
Buy a Focus for £10k and use the £20k for a massive round the world trip?

this ^^^^^

Sorry, but you are committing to spend £420 x 36 (or 48) months, so between £15k and £20k with nothing to show at the end of it.

So? It’s his money to do with what he wants.

How much have you spent on bikes? Why didn’t you go to Halfords, it’s cheaper?!

(I agree with your sentiment by the way, and wouldn’t do it myself, but that’s irrelevant)

Not sure what “now” is supposed to mean… but it does surprise me that a cyclist type is so into cars as to spend 30k on one. Maybe it doesn’t surprise you, so be it.

Jaguar

titusrider – Member
people have different tastes, to me its important

Joking/trolling/stwing aside…. important to have a £30k car?

I don’t think you need to be particularly into cars to spend £30k these days. I’ve got mates who spend upwards of £50k on them and change every few years at least. Boggles my mind but they’ve got the disposable income so fair play to them. One of them even rides bikes too!

Titusrider. What if you have an unexpected baby?

You are locked into such things as leases. Im 18months into a 2yr lease and boy I want out.

Plus youll get bored of the car. At least straight finance on a nearly new you can get out of it.

All the power to you. Enjoy cars whilst you have the disposable income.

Within a year of my son being born I eas paying 800 a month on nursery fees.

but it does surprise me that a cyclist type is so into cars as to spend 30k on one. Maybe it doesn’t surprise you, so be it.

a young professional couple

Amazing. 😆

What kind of car would an amateur couple drive?

I don’t give two s**ts how much it costs, but I do want something fast, which is a nice place to be, a reasonable size and that doesn’t look ridiculous when I turn up at client sites in it.

Turns out 25-30 is the kind of money you need to spend on new cars for that these days….

hora – no babies even remotely on the horizon, and precautions in place!

So the OP doesn’t actually have £30K but has the ability and desire to spend £400 odd a month for 3 or 4 years on a PCP agreement on a £30k car. I guess I could afford that if I changed a few priorities and REALLY wanted to. As it is I live relatively meagrely and save quite a bit (mainly so I can either retire early or afford to change career for my latter years) I could probably raid the piggy bank and buy one outright but I don’t think I’d choose to.

The perceived wisdom is that it’s far more financially efficient to save the money first and buy newish 2nd hand. It would be interesting to know how the numbers stack up. If I were to save for 2 years and buy a 2 yr old car that would have cost £30k when new and sell it 3 years later how much better off would I be than if I had ‘jam today’ and didn’t bother saving and had 3 years with the same car on a PCP but had it from new?

Interesting thought convert.

I would just buy any of them, you don’t seem very passionate about the car or even interested in it, just the image and the way it reflects on you. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that, though it seems a bit mad to me. Makes me glad I merely have a bad Corrado/Mk2 GTi habit… Do post pics when you pick it up 🙂

Enjoy whatever you buy chap.

From reading this I’m staggered how little £30k buys in terms of cars these days. 😯

I’m more amazed that people think you need to spend £30k to do this

something fast, which is a nice place to be, a reasonable size and that doesn’t look ridiculous when I turn up at client sites in it.

BWD you make a good point, im not particularly passionate about any of them right now.

I am an alfa nut at heart and would love to justify a giulietta cloverleaf but having been slightly let down by the current alfa mito I have im struggling to want to live with one.

I will try some of the options for ‘trading up’ and if I don’t get passionate about one of them then I’ll stick with the devil I know.

legend – what would you recommend that fits that then? <7.5 0-60 at least

Nissan 370Z 16,000 miles – £19,999
Audi S6 43,000 miles – £17,000
Audi S3 33,000 miles – £19,000
Mercedes SL big enough engine to tow a ship – £pennies

and that’s just with 2mins of looking and within 10miles of the house

or:
8 Renault Clio 182s
+ some barge for the client visits

Legend I appreciate your work but ON PCP (ie for significantly less than £500 a month and no more than £3000 down)

why does it have to be PCP? £14,000 loan over three years is £421/month with M&S + you actually own something at the end (which you are free to do whatever you want with)

Titus as Legend says you could easily spend a lot less and get an awful lot of car for the money…one that is properly quick. B7 RS4 avant circa £20k with a cracking soundtrack too. The interior is lovely too, OK it may guzzle fuel but it won’t drop much cash over the next few years. They’ll never make a car like this again.

Fair play for being in the position to drop £30k on a car…I love cars but would never spend this on a new car just because you could get something properly awesome. For not much more money, my step uncle has just bought an RS6. If you can afford £30k and want something quick, I’d stop mucking about with Golfs and S3’s and buy something really quick.

If you do buy a new one, I’d strongly recommend looking at the M135 its a far better car than the Golf and has a proper engine not a pokey litter four pot. It’ll drive better and sound ace…it’s had great reviews too. Properly good reviews and are there are some great deals to have. Downside is that if its anything like the old 135 it’ll depreciate an awful lot. The Golf to my eyes is a bit bland and the S3 will be quick but lack character and be numb.

For this amazed at how expensive new cars are, it’s true…a top spec Mondeo is the best part of £30k list price. Even the new Octavia is hugely compared to the previous one; tick a few options and you won’t get much change firm £30k. Yikes.

RS4 (Avant), now you’re talking!

Good point on 4 pot, go for something that growls.

Edit: A mate had a ’99 S4 (2.7 litre V6 IIRC) and it pished all over my ’51 S3 in all aspects other than looks.

What’s with the fascination with 0-60 times?

A fast car doesn’t automatically mean good fun, unless your incredibly dull and just want buy a car that can go fast in a straight line.. aka VRs etc.

The OP has ruled himself out of one of the best cars mentioned above (GT86) because its 0-60 isn’t fast enough.