Question about car buying...

[MisterTommyH]

If you were looking to get a car which of the following would you choose:

- Slightly lower level brand (as in badge envy) with more equipment as standard (I.e. Electronics, interior finishes etc):
- Slightly higher brand level with less as standard, but a better looking vehicle. And less of them around.

All other things equal, costs equivalent. Similar practicalities, number of doors etc.

Not interested in getting into the the specs or details. It's a broad brush question as I already have two models in mind. Edit: having said that the first one would be rear wheel drive, which I'm not too sure about when it comes to winter..... That point I will take comments on.

[Tomor]

Get the rear wheel drive. Get one with 700 bhp and a massive exhaust. Fun in the winter :)

Sent from my magical portable device

[maviczap]

Never worried me what I had, so long as it got m from A to B cheaply without breaking down

The cheapest was a £50 Talbot Solara, which I kept for over a year, maybe more, never let me down & I didn't ever worry about where I parked it. Rear wheel drive, so lots of fun in the snow & ice :p

[DJ123]

what is more important to you from the vehicle. If your in it alot will the creature comforts make a difference. Or are you in a position where having a premium brand car will be an advantage either for work or socially?

[Sid Squid]

Easy choice - get the one with the Maserati badge on it.

[squirrel_hunter]

Buy the cheapest. Spend money on bikes.

[Spank86]

Screw the brand.

But remember to bag up first.

[BanannaMan]

If car #2 is a more reliable brand I'd go that way.
Screw the extra bells and whistles.
Plus it's fwd so it will be of more use in the winter.

[Jabba]

If they are broadly the same price now, about the same age and same price then there might not be that much difference in resale value in a few years time, so that's not necessarily a factor.

I'm with the others; get the most reliable. There's nothing worse on a cold morning than going outside wondering if it will start.

If you can't choose then, ask yourself how many of the toys you will actually use. My guess is that most people don't use even half of them.

[Biker Biggles]

Did someone mention reliable?The other things are ergonomics.Get the one that is comfortable and easy to drive.The only toy I need is a radio/cd thingy,and did someone mention reliable?Get the one that wont break.

[thefallenangel]

Did someone mention reliable?The other things are ergonomics.Get the one that is comfortable and easy to drive.The only toy I need is a radio/cd thingy,and did someone mention reliable?Get the one that wont break.


Work tried to give me a transit connect that I couldn't fit in because my knee kept hitting the phone+ radio control. Safe to say I now have a transit so + 1 to the ergonomics.

My attitude is to go for a good example of a cheaper vehicle thats been well looked after with a few extras.

[Heorot]

Buy Japanese and reliability is not an issue.

I bought my Impreza Turbo as a new car in 1998. It has done 120,000 miles and has never broken down. It gets alternate major and minor services once a year regardless of mileage and has never failed its MOT despite being 16 years old. The only component to be replaced in all that time (apart from tyres etc) was a starter motor 5 years ago.

So, Japanese as a first choice and everything else is secondary.

[keith_d]

Reliable gets my vote too.

My next car will probably be a boring, reliable estate with a towbar.

Pros:

1) Take almost anything you need to shift
2) Not much thirstier than a saloon (unless you get the 3 litre V6)
3) Comfortable for long journeys
4) Good excuse to take the bike for shorter journeys

Cons:

1) Boring
2) Boring
3) ....

[Heorot]

My Impreza is the estate version. NOT boring at all. No towbar though.