Some good suggestions here. I think some of them (e.g. Golf R32) aren’t going to quite hit the mark of what I’m trying to achieve, which is more money in the bank and seats for kids (OK, so the seats bit is of course sorted). I looked at the R32 before getting the Boxster. I actually quite liked it but it was expensive to run for “just” a Golf; the tax was £400 a year!
I’ve had the Boxster 13 months or so and have got 28mpg out of it. Most of those miles are open country B and A roads, since I’m lucky enough that I don’t have to commute through busy traffic or towns and cities. I don’t drive like it’s stolen every time I get in it, but I make progress and love the way it drives…except when there’s even a tiny smattering of snow on the ground (the rear wheels are about as wide as the English Channel).
The rear seats don’t need to be big and comfortable for long journeys, but do need to be big enough to get booster seats in (not full-on child seats). It’s only occasional short trips that the kids will be in there. I’d also like something that doesn’t give me palpitations when it’s time for a service or new tyres.
I think the problem with owning a car that is expensive to run is that it’s stopped me doing other stuff l like to do, like nice holidays. I just need to balance the fun budget a bit more evenly 🙂