Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Boxtaboy
I am doing that just now with my car- I used to use my 01 boxster as only a weekend fun car because we lived in NYC and I worked there too. After having a baby boy, we moved to NJ, and now also got a chance to change my office location to an office complex in NJ, which is only 5 miles from my home.
I contemplated buying a junker car to do the daily commute, but then thought what for? My car, although in pristine condition, is already 8 years old, and in reality isn't worth that much anymore anyway, so why only enjoy it on the occasional weekend when I figure I can drive it everyday to work?
I have been driving it everyday to work for about a month now, and absolutely love it. I get to drive top down to and from work, park in a secure garage with security cameras, and am smiling from ear to ear everyday as I go to and from work. Can't beat that with a stick, and I'm not worried about the wear and tear or mileage because I bought the car for the pleasure of using it and not for saving it for anything.
Before I was using it everyday, and only using it occasionally on weekends, I used to think the car was a bit of a waste, as we already have an 08 Audi Quattro as a family car, but now, it's pure permagrin. I say use it as your daily driver!
|
Boxstaboy- thanks for the words of encouragement!! I really don't know what exactly I should do. half of me is with you - drive the box as my daily driver. I honestly do not NEED to have a car with back seats as we have a virtually brand new car for family use. We have free roadside assistance and complimentary loaners when our family car is in for serice. it's a 2007 Acura MDX. it has like 30k miles on it...yeah, it could break down, but we'd get it towed to the dealer and they'd immeidatley give me a new TL or TSX as a loaner - all of which will fit all my kids - been there done that - even the TSX fits three cars seats in the back - the new one is the size of the old gen TL in terms of width which is all that matter wiht kids/carseats. legroom isn't an issue..
BUT - there are going to be times when due to one of us being out in the big car, wiht one or more kids, that the toher person woudl be home with 2+_ kids and essentially be stranded.... having 3 kids, and an MDX and Boxster, means in all reality, we are a ONE car hosuehold. which is not ideal.
i'll do some serious soul searching this weekend. I really don't want to sell my boxster. it runs great. i've put new brakes, new tires, painted my bumperettes, painted my calipers, put in the 9897 shifter, - all fun stuff. not that I can't sell it...but it's a lot of fun for me. and given that I only paid $13k for it...it's not like I sunk a huge mega chunk of money into it. but again, it's just a car. i can sell it, and if the mood hits me, and the $$ is right, I can always buy anothe rone. it's not like there aren't a pile of boxsters for sale at any given moment. many of them far nicer than mine...
if I did sell the boxster, i'd have to get something relatively sporty to replace it. I'm not talking about an RS4 or M3 sedan...both very cool, but very much too expensive. but again, I'm definitely a "car guy". if I woke up tomorrow and my boxster was gone and I had to drive a Honda fit, or a camry, or some kind of "regular" car, I would be depressed, clinically depressed. all though college and grad school I had posters of sports cars over my desk - as enocuragement, motivation to get good grades, pass the bar exam, and get a job. if i was a single guy, withough the family, i have NO doubt I woudl have a brand new 911 turbo in my garage. period. i could afford one on my income if I was a bachelor.... but with stay at home wife, 3 kids, and all the associated family expenses...it's not even in the realm of possibility for me. maybe when the kidsd are out of the hosue in like 20 years...
if gasoline powered cars haven' tbeen made illegal by them..
on my "budget" of wanting to spend $20-30k, if I sold the obxster, I could easilyh pickup an almost new, CPO TL Type S. they are FWD, nowhere near as sporty as a a boxster, but they are "kindas" sporty, very reliable. used CPO for $27-30k for 2008 low low miles. this would be very reliable, fit all the kids, and be fun "enough" to stave off clinical depression.
a used 335i woudl cost a bit more, it's a bit smaller inside, but it's piles faster and more sporty. but if I buy, i'd be paranoid about the service ocsts once it went off warranty. i would have hte same paranoia about turbo/intercooler/etc failure and some multi thousand dollar bill - just like we sweat IMS and RMS issues hwere....
I don't want something too small or too cheapy. i coudl live with a slower / less flashy car - but it needs to be safe. my current DD that I am likely selling to my bro in law - is an older Volvo. it's old, but it's solid and safe. ... I work in public safety job, and i've seen the aftermath of major T/Cs involving small and unsafe cars. I've seen stuff that would make you vomit, and shudder in disbelief at how just fragile our bodies are when they come into contact with broken glass, twisted metal, and fixed objects. .... that's why I have a big SUV for our main car. something lie a 3 series or a TL is not a "tank" but amuch much safer than a civic or other sub 3000 lb car.
another car I've thought of - a used V70R. I used to have an S60R from 2004-2006. very nice, very safe, quite fast. not 335i fast, but fast. you can flash the ECUs just like many turbo cars, and easily have a large wagon tha tlooks good, AWD, brembos, with 330-340hp on tap. total sleeper. i've seen these in the high teens, low 20s.
the more I think about it, the more it seems impractical to make the boxster a DD. it would work, but there woudl be many situations where it would just create problems.