Downgrading.

[Mr Burns]

The big question in my head atm is what to do about my car. It's paid off in the new year and I'll owe nothing. I've put 35k hard miles on the car since I bought it two and a half years ago, and have done about ten trackdays in it. The car has been serviced regularly and hasn't given me any troubles at all, which is testament to the mk3's build quility.

Thing is though, I'm on a relatively low wage and living with my parents at 29. I have some savings but nothing to get excited about, and I can't help thinking I should sell the car and bank some cash. I would replace it with something like a Civic or 172 for about £3,000 and carry on doing trackdays. Tyres and maintainence would in theory be cheaper, and I wouldn't cry so hard if I stuffed it.

I've never downgraded before, and people keep telling me I'd regret it if I did. What do you think?

 

[Darren S]

I would only downgrade if you were either 110% commited to the step-down. Or, that you had no alternative.

If you tend to stay at your parents, then keep it. If you're intended to save up for a place of your own, then commit to a downgrade - maybe even curb the amount of track days you do.

Again, it comes down to commitment and just how far you want to go with it.

D.

 

[ForceIndia]

Drive my 172. Fall in love. Buy it. Marriage made in heaven.

 

[the_baron_von_richthofen]

I think if you want some extra cash its a good idea, you say downgrade, is that just because of the age and value of the cars you are looking at because i would have thought that a 172 was just as much fun as your current car, and if you wanted a decent civic for that money wouldnt it be a VTI? If so i'd go with the clio all day the vti's havnt got a patch on them.

 

[wozza182]

Mate I have an R26 at the mo and am going to downgrade to a 182, need some money for my flat deposit, simple!! Some things are a little more important than cars!!
I say do it, and you never know in the future you could upgrade again!?

 

[Christopher]

You drive a 197... how is a 172 Cup a downgrade?

/Troll.

 

[sussex_gti]

I downgraded when I had to sell my Starlet GT. Not quite a huge leap, but I went from having power steering, a/c, coilovers, and an awesome turbo engine to a 106 xsi, with manual steering, no a/c and a revvy, but not to powerful 8v n/a. I absolutely loved it though. All i'd say is get out there, do some test driving and see what you think. The good thing with a 2-3k 172 is it wont loose a huge amount of money if you look after it.

 

[Mr Burns]

I think if you want some extra cash its a good idea, you say downgrade, is that just because of the age and value of the cars you are looking at because i would have thought that a 172 was just as much fun as your current car, and if you wanted a decent civic for that money wouldnt it be a VTI? If so i'd go with the clio all day the vti's havnt got a patch on them.

I've owned a 172 and 182 before so I know they are really good cars, although I've been offered a VTi EK Civic on coilovers with low miles and FSH for £2,500 which seems like a bargin. I really don't know :S

 

[Neat]

Depends if you care what other people think really. The general public judge based on the age and size of a car - the newer and bigger, the more you are apparently worth financially (generalisation obviously, not everyone thinks like that.)

Do you care what others think?

I'd say stuff what everydody else thinks.

I would quite happily have bought and driven a much older car................but did I want a performance car that had done a high mileage - nope.

If you're confident you can buy an older car wisely, and bank some cash in the process - go for it. You'd need to be careful the extra cash didn't go on the maintenance of what would be an older car though.

I'm in a similar position - slightly older than you and still living in the parental home. I really want to save up for a Honda S2000, but if I did it would be madness to actually buy one - the money should go towards a deposit on my own place :S

 

[jenic]

If at the end of the year/start of next year you decide to part ex for a 1*2 i'd be very interested, will be in a position to buy it then but not before November unfortunately.

 

[Guppy]

Keep it.

Start saving the instalements/finance etc you are paying on it for your own place?

Once its paid for obviously.

 

[Mr Pants]

Depends if you care what other people think really. The general public judge based on the age and size of a car - the newer and bigger, the more you are apparently worth financially (generalisation obviously, not everyone thinks like that.)

Lol this is so true. I bet 95% of the people on the road look at my car and think blimey that's a random colour Clio.

 

[Tom]

172 cup. Decent coliovers/Seats. Dont put it on the floor.

 

[Mr Burns]

As much as I'd like one I don't think I can handle a fifth Clio, I need a change lol.

 

[Jasey]

If you want to get a house then downgrade - but do it properly.

Sometime you just have to bite the bullet - I once went from one of these;

to one of these;

It was tough at first :dead:

 

[sussex_gti]

As much as I'd like one I don't think I can handle a fifth Clio, I need a change lol.

Civic VTI's are great cars. For 3k you should be able to find an Import SiR2, with LSD and a bit more poke.

 

[Iain C]

oof 29 and living with the olds. Id sell everything to escape that

 

[Mr Burns]

oof 29 and living with the olds. Id sell everything to escape that

They are retired and spend most of their time away caravaning leaving me with an empty house with no bills, it's good h'actually.

 

[Christophe]

all depends on your plans.

My 172 got written off by this woman and i had just bought a new flat. So i thought this was a good opportunity to downgrade and make life easier with living costs for a bit. As much as i wanted a 182 and very nearly got one i ended up getting a ZS mk6.5 . Performance wise and sound wise it's tough even now but i guess it was the right move .i do get jealous when i see an rs clio but it's not like i can never go back to them.

 

[Sarah]

Keep it.

Start saving the instalements/finance etc you are paying on it for your own place?

Once its paid for obviously.

what this man said

cant believe how long uve had it Ste

 

[Iain C]

They are retired and spend most of their time away caravaning leaving me with an empty house with no bills, it's good h'actually.

My mate is in the same position, but he's 33! We do take the pee outa him.

 

[R-Sport.]

The big question in my head atm is what to do about my car. It's paid off in the new year and I'll owe nothing. I've put 35k hard miles on the car since I bought it two and a half years ago, and have done about ten trackdays in it. The car has been serviced regularly and hasn't given me any troubles at all, which is testament to the mk3's build quility.

Thing is though, I'm on a relatively low wage and living with my parents at 29. I have some savings but nothing to get excited about, and I can't help thinking I should sell the car and bank some cash. I would replace it with something like a Civic or 172 for about £3,000 and carry on doing trackdays. Tyres and maintainence would in theory be cheaper, and I wouldn't cry so hard if I stuffed it.

I've never downgraded before, and people keep telling me I'd regret it if I did. What do you think?

Downgrade mate-

if you want a track car ( CLIO )buy a mildly tuned Phase 1 for around 2.5k & bank the rest-- whatever that is- 7/8k-
if you want a track car & a daily runner- maybe a 172 Cup-

29- living @ home ... At some point you want your own place & that doesnt come cheap-

Bank the money, run a lower priced car & get yourself a nice batchelor pad

S

 

[rory182]

When I bought my flat I sold the 182 for £6700, bought a 1.9 gti for £1200 (a bit of a project!) and the flat, then a year later I bought the 172 and a motorbike and still have all 3 lol - no regrets.

 

[sussex_gti]

I'd bloody love to be living back at home!

 

[DynamoDave]

In my opinion/experience 'downgrading' is ok and you will be fine with it as long as you get a car with similar performance etc.

I've done it in the past and been really sensible which leaves me bored 2 minutes later. Do it whilst still having a quick car and you'll love it.

Cheaper cars are more fun to drive imo.

Like others have said, some people judge your level of success on the type of car you drive - they are tw*ts though.

Dave

 

[SteveS Cup]

I downgraded from my TT to my polo. Realised the Polo was costing me more money to run and I spent all the money I gained from the downgrade on more mods... So very stupid. I then got the Clio.

The 172 costs me next to nothing in petrol in comparison and I'm now able to put a fair amount of cash away each month.

I'm 22 and I really don't want to be 25 and still living at home so I guess at 29 you must be itching to get your own place! I just don't want to rent.

 

[the_baron_von_richthofen]

I've owned a 172 and 182 before so I know they are really good cars, although I've been offered a VTi EK Civic on coilovers with low miles and FSH for £2,500 which seems like a bargin. I really don't know :S

I have driven an EM1 coupe and its just not that fast, the honda guys like to think they are but there not, there is absolutely no power below 5k and when you do hit v-tec it makes a cool noise but thats about it. They are very reliable though. If you like your thrills do not buy a civic VTI!!

 

[Gaz_]

Exactly why i sold my 197. Do i miss it, hell yeah, but the Cup has the performance side so thats ok. I banked around 5k doing it, which all helps. It takes AGES to save. I'm saving around £700 pm at the mo and its soooo hard. Everytime i see a 200 it pisses me off knowing i could actually buy a new one outright tomorrow..... but cant Had my eye on a house at the other week that needs a full renovation, 120k, but i need a good 20k deposit. First time buyer ftl. Still, by this time next year i will have one, so thats my focus. A drive is a must

 

[Jamie]

If you like the car I'd keep it Ste. It's the tip of the iceberg, that 3k cash difference you'd get will make little difference. I'd just save for another couple of months to make up that difference when push comes to shove.

 

[theduck]

How much will you free up if you sell the 197 and buy one of the cars you are considering?

If its enough, or at least a good starting point towards being enough, then its worth doing.

 

[Gaz_]

If you like the car I'd keep it Ste. It's the tip of the iceberg, that 3k cash difference you'd get will make little difference. I'd just save for another couple of months to make up that difference when push comes to shove.

I used to think that, but to actually save 3k on non CS wages does not take a few months........ I just wished i started saving much earlier.

 

[Jamie]

Well. If you're living at home with a decent job I'd be expecting people to be able to save about £750 pcm.

Also, if you're buying on your own with a sole salary in the grand scheme of things that 3k difference isn't massive.

In other circumstances it's obviously alot bigger.

 

[theduck]

Well. If you're living at home with a decent job I'd be expecting people to be able to save about £750 pcm.

Also, if you're buying on your own with a sole salary in the grand scheme of things that 3k difference isn't massive.

In other circumstances it's obviously alot bigger.

So lets say your on a sub 20k a year salary as a lot of people are, that £750pcm will leave you £550pcm. Now lets say your buying a 197 on finance, thats going to be about £250pcm, you pay rent to your parents, I used to pay £200pcm so lets go with that, you then need to out of that pay for petrol to get you to work every day, so lets call that £100pcm and suddenly you have no money for anything else...

 

[jenic]

So lets say your on a sub 20k a year salary as a lot of people are, that £750pcm will leave you £550pcm. Now lets say your buying a 197 on finance, thats going to be about £250pcm, you pay rent to your parents, I used to pay £200pcm so lets go with that, you then need to out of that pay for petrol to get you to work every day, so lets call that £100pcm and suddenly you have no money for anything else...

But he wont have finance on the 197 :S

 

[CrippsCorner]

Definitely, cars are worth nothing at the end of the day. It's much better to have some savings...

I downgraded (a lot!) and I found the cheaper car to be just as much fun if not more so as I didn't mind getting my hands dirty with it! With the 182 I was too scared I'd muck something up as it had cost me all I had.

 

[Jamie]

You're making your own scenario here fella. There's alot of information in this thread you have not taken into account and not applied what Ste has said...

Ste has said.... His finance is up so that's another £250 pcm from your workings. He has also said he doesn't pay any bills and parents are retired which means he more than likley pays a nominal amount to his parents... That's another £200 pcm from your scenario. All in all, that's immediatley another £450 pcm.

Further more we don't actually know his salary but having owned a 197, done 10 track days in it, late twenties and financed it I'd say it's reasonable and prehaps more than low 20's.

 

[theduck]

You're making your own scenario here fella. There's alot of information in this thread you have not taken into account and not applied what Ste has said...

Ste has said.... His finance is up so that's another £250 pcm from your workings. He has also said he doesn't pay any bills and parents are retired which means he more than likley pays a nominal amount to his parents... That's another £200 pcm from your scenario. All in all, that's immediatley another £450 pcm.

Further more we don't actually know his salary but having owned a 197 and done 10 track days in it and financed it I'd say it's reasonable.

I'm just poking holes in your assumption that people living at home should be able to save £750pcm.

 

[Bluebeard]

Downgrading is awesome! I sold an E36 M3 Evo for £6800 (iirc??) and bought a really crappy 328 BMW Touring. still did 99% of the stuff the M3 did, but I didn't care about filling it with crap, leaving it in the supermarket carpark, didn't have to have clean clothes to get in it (I was a bit anal with that car! lol)

I just think its a good Idea as long as the cheap car is a good car. A Honda Civic is not a good car.

 

[Jamie]

I can see what you mean. To avoid confusion I should have put "you" not "people" in one of my above posts. "You" as in Ste.

But I did put in; "other circumstances in maybe different" which means I'm talking about one specific scenario.

 

[Bluebeard]

I can see what you mean. To avoid confusion I should have put "you" not "people" in one of my above posts. "You" as in Ste.

But I did put in; "other circumstances in maybe different" which means I'm talking about one specific scenario.

Take your accountant hat off James ffs!