Downgrading?

[Chad]

I don't think I could bring myself to do it but just lately I've been thinking of selling the 172 and getting something cheaper to run. Its not that it breaks the bank but sometimes I think I could spend the money on other stuff like my house or holidays.

I keep telling myself that I wouldn't really save that much as the 172 isn't that bad on petrol for the performance (alot better than my other halfs MX5 1.8). My insurance is only around £500 protected so I wouldn't save a lot on that.

Has anyone else done the same? Did you regret doing it? Did it actually save you any money?

 

[Englebert]

I doubt your 172 is worth much, what would you downgrade to? Stick to the devil you know mate, you could buy a banger and then spend loads repairing it...

 

[Ross M]

yeah im thinking the same but cliobuyer has pointed out the main point thats making me keep it at the moment, its still under warranty and if i downgraded i would end up forking out repair bills etc.

 

[Chad]

Thing is I don't do that many miles alot of the time so it seems like I'm paying a fair bit per mile overall. I do make a few long journeys though and I think I'd get pissed off driving something slow or with crap handling.

I could probably get 8Kish for mine as the milage is low so I could get a newish car with warranty and no MOT to worry about. It would also save me sorting out the front brakes as they are ok at the mo but need replacing at some point this year.

I can't see me saving enough to make it worth while but wondered if anyone else had done it.

 

[Chad]

yeah im thinking the same but cliobuyer has pointed out the main point thats making me keep it at the moment, its still under warranty and if i downgraded i would end up forking out repair bills etc.

Mines already ran out and the car will definately need parts replacing at somepoint this year.

 

[Jones]

gt tdi golf?

 

[Chad]

Really don't like deisels, I know there quick these days but I just don't like the power delivery.

 

[DaveJwxm]

ill swap with u lol

 

[mja182]

I was in the same situation about a month ago mate! Put the 182 up for sale as im getting married this year and needed to free up some cash! Then it got me thinking! If i was save myself an extra few hundred quid a month, then what would i see in return? Even more money being spent on the wedding? Adding to already increasing costs for one day? Ok how about a holiday? Nar thanks there over in two weeks! The thing which finally made me decide to keep it and save for a V6 is that, for one i couldnt bring myself to downgrade and two the misses spends any extra money she has on herself! So why shouldnt i spend it on something which i enjoy, cars? The only way is an upgrade for me and cant see me ever being able to cope with going to a lesser car.

 

[James172Cup]

This is exactly the reason i'm selling mine, the amount of driving i do doesn't justify the cost of running it.

 

[JayR]

If your talkin small engined clio/saxo/106 then do it mate, if your downgrading to a valver/vts/gti dont, as said you'll probably spend as much repairing it not to mention when it is off the road it will be a pain in the rear.

 

[mja182]

This is exactly the reason i'm selling mine, the amount of driving i do doesn't justify the cost of running it.

So what?
You only live once! you may not be here tomorrow! you cant take money with you! if you can afford one in the first place then its worth it just for the one off blasts every so often!

 

[Neil G]

I wouldn't say the 172 is an expensive car to run at all....compared to my old WRX the petrol and insurance is cheap!

Keep the car and have fun in it

 

[Alex_225]

I never found my 172 that expensive to be honest, although it all depends on the mileage and type of driving you do. I've found the Megane is a thirstier car but I only spen £10 a week as I only do 40-50 miles a week.

If you're thinking of getting a cheaper car to run maybe something like a Fiesta Zetec-S would be a reasonable change, really good fun to drive, cheaper to insure, 1.6 so more mpg. Thats just my thoughts though.

I don't know from experience how much you would save by changing.

 

[Tinium]

Downgraded from my 172 to a landrover 101 and a Mk2 golf gti - The gti I picked up off ebay for £40 less than a monthly payment on the 172! Changed the cam belt and rear wheel bearings for £150 at a local garage, and no problems in the 6 months I've had it so far. It's also slightly rusty, beaten up, noisey and rough when cold and the paint has faded. But so much more fun beating BMW's because of it!

I guess the moral is downgrade yes, but still go for a drivers car that'll bring a smile to your face (and again when you think of the money you're saving), and be ready to accept the fact that if a banger does break down, it's still cheaper to buy 1 a month than the monthly payment on a 172. Now that's a scary thought.

(The 101 however does now eat most of the money i saved on selling the clio. Ah well!)

 

[kully]

I wouldn't say the 172 is an expensive car to run at all....compared to my old WRX the petrol and insurance is cheap!

Keep the car and have fun in it

^^^^^^^^^^^car or one off holidays .:quiet:

 

[JayR]

Lol, Kully i take it you didnt see the thread in off topic then :quiet:

Its all well and good buying a rustbucket a month and it being cheaper than a repayment on a 172 but not many people would want to drive one about.

Id rather pay the extra for a nice car myself.

 

[ianlowry]

I "upgraded" from a 1.4 8v about 6 months ago and can tell the difference in petrol costs, even though mpg has only dropped from 42mpg to about 33. I'm only doing 11k miles p.a. at moment so no problem but if that increased a lot/family finances were a concern etc I'd get rid of it pretty quickly. Depends what £ you put on a fun drive...

 

[JayJo]

Plenty said above.

I downgraded from my Alfa GTV V6 two years ago and now I don't really regard it as a downgrade as the Clio is so much fun. Anyway not really solving your problem.

However, as others have said, don't go for a 1.2 because you bought your RS to have fun. Just get something with the same appeal. Fieast ZetecS

Loads of people are getting in to money problems because they max out, but if you can HONESTLY afford the clio but you would like to save a little extra cash then I would suggest keeping the clio and looking at saving money else where in your life style.

Honestly I looked at this 18 months ago and now I've cut all the sh1t out of my finances and I'm sorted. Look at your mobile bills, visa card, luxuries and insurances etc you could suddenly find a saving of £60-100 a month.

Sorry to sound like a Dad, but it can be done. Too many of us throw money away with little or no regard.

 

[Chad]

Thing is the cars paid for so I would only save money on petrol and insurance. As for my other bills they are already the best deals I can get (Pay as u go phone that I hardly call out on, interest free credit card and I already rearranged my mortgage and insurances last year tho get a better deal)

Its not like I'm skint and can't afford to run the car I just think sometimes that I don't really do enough miles to justify owning it. I doubt the lack of miles will make much difference to the value of the car if I ever come to sell it either.

The other thing that bothers me is the depreciation. Its probably worth around 8K at the moment so its lost 4.5k in three years, thats like a third of what it cost new.

 

[WADEY]

My girlfriend has a Toyota Aygo. 55mpg no matter how you drive and great fun!!

 

[SOHROB]

keep it,i doubt you will get £8k for a 172 without warranty.As long as it runs well keep it

 

[Zebrs]

Thinking of doing this shortly. Need to pull my finger out and start paying off my student loan instead of paying to have the 172 sitting on my driveway. It is an economical car to run for what you get, but I just can't justify keeping it much longer. Going to 'downgrade' to a slightly older car with same performance that I can buy outright and the insurance will be half of the Clio's. Won't say what cos you'll prob all laugh!

 

[KnightAzul]

I have had my 182 for nearly 2 years and have started to think about "downgrading", not because it is a financial drain, but rather for something less focused and with more "style".

The 182 is a great car and you won't get more fun for less money, but you do get:

1. Not the greatest build quality: rattles, snap together plastics
2. Poor turning circle
3. Engine mount knocks
4. Harsh suspension that can pogo over bumpy roads
5. 98 RON petrol costs that spiral whenever a butterfly farts in one of the OPEC countries (this is a personal choice, many people go for 95 RON)
6. Needs to be driven hard to enjoy, which is not always possible in the morning and evening rush hours
7. When it's all said and done, it is still a Clio and is not the most stylish or practical car in the world

My only problem is that I haven't found a suitable alternative which can come close to the 182's performance and is economically viable. Some less focused 4 door alternatives that I was looking at were: Alfa 147 JTD 16v, Golf GT TDI 170 hp (looks a bit boring). But I'm not completely sold on diesels. Also I'm going to be well out of pocket with any change that I make.

The search continues.

KnightAzul

 

[blue nose]

I doubt your 172 is worth much, what would you downgrade to? Stick to the devil you know mate, you could buy a banger and then spend loads repairing it...

there speaks a wise man

 

[GazCB]

A) No-one will buy a 172 for £8k.

B)If you hardly do any miles, then you're hardly going to save any money with a more economical car.

C)If your insurance is down to £500 then you're gonna save a max of £250 on that.

Result It's not worth selling your car to save money. You won't get what you wanted for it and it'll cost you money time and stress to sell it. Whatever you get next, you'll be thinking that the slight saving in running costs is nowhere worth how shitty it'll be compared to your 172.

I tried downgrading. I made the mistake of buying a Punto before I'd sold my 172 so I lost even more money when I sold the Punto instead of my 172 (cos I was gonna get so little it wasn't worth selling it)

 

[carrmrc96]

Get a zetec-s. Used to have, actually the best car i've driven. the driving position is better than a clio.

 

[Chad]

I have had my 182 for nearly 2 years and have started to think about "downgrading", not because it is a financial drain, but rather for something less focused and with more "style".

The 182 is a great car and you won't get more fun for less money, but you do get:

1. Not the greatest build quality: rattles, snap together plastics
2. Poor turning circle
3. Engine mount knocks
4. Harsh suspension that can pogo over bumpy roads
5. 98 RON petrol costs that spiral whenever a butterfly farts in one of the OPEC countries (this is a personal choice, many people go for 95 RON)
6. Needs to be driven hard to enjoy, which is not always possible in the morning and evening rush hours
7. When it's all said and done, it is still a Clio and is not the most stylish or practical car in the world

My only problem is that I haven't found a suitable alternative which can come close to the 182's performance and is economically viable. Some less focused 4 door alternatives that I was looking at were: Alfa 147 JTD 16v, Golf GT TDI 170 hp (looks a bit boring). But I'm not completely sold on diesels. Also I'm going to be well out of pocket with any change that I make.

The search continues.

KnightAzul

Thats pretty much every reason I've even thought about swopping. The main thing for me is build quality and deprieciation. Already it feels a bit old because of the rattles and knocking of the interior/front suspention. Mines not done many miles and although gets driven hard sometimes it's not been abused like some. The brakes have taken a bit of stick (front have been a bit warped since 10,000 miles) but otherwise the car hasn't been overly stressed(ie. no quarter mile or trackdays, yet.)

I drive my missus' MX-5 a fair bit and thats done twice the miles in the same time yet that probably feels better than when it was new. It still drives perfect and is a lot smoother now its done 35K. The interior plastics look a bit cheap (still dont rattle though) but other than that the cars feels solid as a rock and the built quality is spot on. The MX-5 should have cost 18K new but even the cheaper models are still put together as well and cost the same as the clio, why couldn't the 172 been built to the same standard?

 

[Chad]

A) No-one will buy a 172 for £8k.

B)If you hardly do any miles, then you're hardly going to save any money with a more economical car.

C)If your insurance is down to £500 then you're gonna save a max of £250 on that.

Result It's not worth selling your car to save money. You won't get what you wanted for it and it'll cost you money time and stress to sell it. Whatever you get next, you'll be thinking that the slight saving in running costs is nowhere worth how sh*tty it'll be compared to your 172.

I tried downgrading. I made the mistake of buying a Punto before I'd sold my 172 so I lost even more money when I sold the Punto instead of my 172 (cos I was gonna get so little it wasn't worth selling it)

Excactly what I thought in the first place but I wanted to here other peoples opinions.

Although after having a quick go on my mates CBR600RR the other day I'm now thinking sell the clio and do my bike test. Then go out and buy a cheap car and a fast bike.

 

[RobTQ]

The Zetec S is great fun to drive. But I found the MPG in the 172 to be near the same as the ZS for the town driving I do.

 

[R20 CWH]

yeah im thinking the same but cliobuyer has pointed out the main point thats making me keep it at the moment, its still under warranty and if i downgraded i would end up forking out repair bills etc.

true, iv never wanted to downgrade to something but considered a 2nd car to save the mileage on mine, but in the end the savings even by going diesel are pretty dire if you consider the potential for large repair bills with a banger

 

[NOT! gary l]

have to get my tuppence in for what it's worth and i have to say (in my opinion) i cant see where you have an argument.

1 the car is paid for

2 insurance is down to £500, very cheap

3 you dont do many miles

surely number 3 is a reason to keep it, from my point of view, the only thing stopping me buying a 172/182 or more powerful car is that it currently costs me £60 per week on fuel to run a 1.2 (and the fact my girl is 2 months pregnant with my 2nd kid but im trying to convince myself shes lying to me:S )

if i didnt do so many miles then i would be able to justify buying a bigger engined car, you dont do many miles so therefore you should keep it

 

[black kro]

My girlfriend has a Toyota Aygo. 55mpg no matter how you drive and great fun!!

the dCi does that wiv a lot more style and a hell of a lot quicker!

 

[furry_cup]

im always thinking of selling my cup for something cheaper to run, the amount i spned on petrol tax and insurance, i think im at the age when i need to start saving for my future, flat, holidays.. and basically making my life better instead of screwing all my money on a car.

 

[Mells]

mate I want something cheaper to run and I spend £50 a week on petrol for a 1.2. I've spent probably 5 times the amount the car is worth this year in petrol alone!

doubt your really going to save much. could you cope with just 1 car in your family if you hardly do any driving??

walk/cycle to work etc?