Complete change of heart - new priorities, new spec me

[iaind]

Better equipped in what respect - what is missing that is worth a several thousand pound upgrade path to you?

All I can think is leather seats.

Leather, navigation, reversing sensors, an estate load space, an automatic gearbox (maybe)

It seems to me that you are wanting to change cars more because you are simply tired of driving a Mondeo, which you may have already said. So in that regard a sideways step to a similar running cost car is perfectly fine. Sounds like you just need to test drive the cars on your list to see if it looks like the itch will be sufficiently scratched. By the way, my rear subframe bushes only cost about £200 to repair, and they were proper knackered.

Exactly, I said several times earlier than I'm bored and want a change, so it's more like a diagonal step - slightly sideways, slightly up

 

[[TW]Fox]

You dont get navigation as standard though, and do you really want a circa 2002 nav system that badly?

If you are bored an Accord wont excite you after the 3 week OOH ITS NEW fades away.

IMHO you need to either upgrade properly - be that a jump to the next level OR a move to something a generation newer than you have now - or simply dont bother.

 

[iaind]

I've had the Mondeo more than 2 years and I'm only just getting bored now - which goes to reinforce my point that I dont need a 200+bhp BMW to keep me entertained.

FWIW the Accord would be circa 2005 and the nav was standard (IIRC) on the Executive models.

If you think moving to a newer generation is more important, what would you suggest? Surely the S40 would tick that box? It's a bit arbitrary though - look at the current gen mondeo - what would spending, say 10k on an equivalently specced mk4 actually give me?

 

[Crizzy]

Would you consider something older and cheaper with some money to keep in the bank should a big bill pop up?

 

[The_Abyss]

So why bother unless you buy something demonstratably newer? I mean I'd understand why a normal person might upgrade from a 2004 Mondeo to a 2008 Mondeo or perhaps a 2009 Insignia but... a sideways step?

Whats the point? What does it acheive?

A change.

 

[[TW]Fox]

A change.

That doesnt really answer my question.

 

[iaind]

Would you consider something older and cheaper with some money to keep in the bank should a big bill pop up?

Unlikely - part of what I want is a hassle free motoring experience. If the odds of something going wrong are high enough that I need to keep some money aside specifically then I dont really want it.

 

[iaind]

Slightly different suggestion - wonder what a Celica 190 would be like. Good value, apparently good fuel economy, cheap insurance, reliable...Not sure if it's "me", but worth a look maybe?

 

[The_Abyss]

That doesnt really answer my question.

Yes it does. You however can't understand why someone would want to change their car without upgrading it (the upgrade part is a moot point anyway).

 

[[TW]Fox]

Slightly different suggestion - wonder what a Celica 190 would be like. Good value, apparently good fuel economy, cheap insurance, reliable...Not sure if it's "me", but worth a look maybe?

Ok so 30 seconds ago you wanted a Honda Accord Estate with Satnav and reversing sensors.

Now we are onto a Toyota Celica 190 which is so different the only thing it has in common with the Accord is it has 4 wheels and came on a boat from Japan.

There are no reversing sensors and no Satnav in the Toyota.

This is going to end in disaster - you've no idea what you want and seem to want change for change sake. This rarely ever results in anything but short term happiness and long term regret.

Keep the Mondeo until you know exactly what it is you want next, then buy that.

 

[iaind]

Actually you're right - the Celica is a daft idea, need to remember I will have access to a fun car should I want it, so need to concentrate on the sensible daily runaround

 

[[TW]Fox]

Why must it be a sensible daily runaround? Stop me if I'm wrong but you are a single bloke with no kids, right?

If you like cars that happen to be practical, great, but do you really need to go out of your way to ensure whatever it is you get is a sensible daily runaround?

What about something sensible and daily runaround like a Mondeo diesel?

 

[Bubo]

You say above you are *just* becoming bored of the Mondeo, after 2 years. Is this fairly typical for you, i.e. become bored of a car after a few years? What did you have before the Alfa? Is this a repeatable pattern? Is the boredom irreversible or is it transient? I.e. could you ride out the period of boredom and get another year or two out of the Mondeo before the bordom strikes again? By then you may be in a position to properly upgrade.

 

[iaind]

I am indeed single with no kids. I could afford to run a 330ci (I wasnt just dreaming!), I could probably afford to run an M3 if I really wanted to.

But it's not about what I could stretch myself to - it's about what I want to spend my money on. In the same way I dont want to spend a grand on a reeeeally nice washing machine, I dont want to spend a fortune running a really nice car that isnt going to get used as it's meant to as I'll only be trawling to work in it on a daily basis.

It also leaves me more money to do the things that I really want to do, that I can only really get away with doing while I'm single and young.

Doesnt stop me wanting a change though. If I have to keep un-reclining my drivers seat I'm going to have to set fire to it.

 

[iaind]

You say above you are *just* becoming bored of the Mondeo, after 2 years. Is this fairly typical for you, i.e. become bored of a car after a few years? What did you have before the Alfa? Is this a repeatable pattern? Is the boredom irreversible or is it transient? I.e. could you ride out the period of boredom and get another year or two out of the Mondeo before the bordom strikes again? By then you may be in a position to properly upgrade.

The Alfa only lasted a few months because of a change in circumstances, but the car before that was a Toledo TDi which lasted about 2 years.

 

[[TW]Fox]

I just dont see the point in you changing car given your stated tastes, needs and expectations from a car. You have a diesel Mondeo - it looks sporty, it is economical, it is tidy and you've already fixed the weak points. Buying an Accord instead is like deciding you are bored with crisps so you get some cheese and onion ones instead. Sure, after the first few bites its different but then you realise you are still eating crisps, you even bought new crisps even though you had a perfectly good bag of salt and vinegar ones.

Continue to drive a diesel Mondeo and spend your spare cash on stuff you actually care about.

 

[iaind]

The thing is, the Mondeo is going to cost me a reasonable amount in the next 6~12 months. I know there's no logic in replacing a car because it needs work doing, that's not what I'm getting at.

But if it's going to cost me a fair amount to keep running past the next MOT when I'm already feeling bored of it now - I can see myself getting properly bored and pee'd off.

It's a good car, I would just rather move on before I decide I hate and it's still worth something.

 

[The_Abyss]

I am indeed single with no kids. I could afford to run a 330ci (I wasnt just dreaming!), I could probably afford to run an M3 if I really wanted to.

But it's not about what I could stretch myself to - it's about what I want to spend my money on. In the same way I dont want to spend a grand on a reeeeally nice washing machine, I dont want to spend a fortune running a really nice car that isnt going to get used as it's meant to as I'll only be trawling to work in it on a daily basis.

It also leaves me more money to do the things that I really want to do, that I can only really get away with doing while I'm single and young.

Doesnt stop me wanting a change though. If I have to keep un-reclining my drivers seat I'm going to have to set fire to it.

Take you bike test and join us on two wheels! You'll be able to get a huge amount of power, speed and fun from the £4k budget you suggested, including taking the test and insurance, and you get to keep the current car!

 

[[TW]Fox]

Why is it going to cost you a load of money in the next 6-12 months? It's a mid 2000's Mondeo, I dont understand why you are worried about the impending MOT, surely thats the sort of thing you'd be worried about only if you had a K reg one?

Even my old Mondeo didnt have any trouble with MOT's!

Where is the guarantee whatever you buy next wont need work doing? Especially if you chose something of a similar age, which is what your budget is likely to yield?

 

[Bubo]

The Alfa only lasted a few months because of a change in circumstances, but the car before that was a Toledo TDi which lasted about 2 years.

Was it boredom then that prompted you to change the diesel Toldeo for a perfomace Alfa, after 2 years? Seems a strangely familiar scenario I hope you don't mind me saying this looks like a classic case of itchy feet which as I said if you left it for a while might well subside when you start to think logically that fixing the bushes on your Mondeo will see you through another couple of years till this happens again.