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Hello, still window shopping here. Have been round the houses and still circling. Everything from the last Twingo through a Ignis Sport (thanks @rustyspanner) but now homing on on an E46 touring 320D.
Looking for enjoyable ownership/driving, something quirky/cool (v subjective obvs) and get 2 bikes in (yeah would have to be "on" for the Ignis) and cheapish running/depreciation costs.
Flame away please! I'll check back in after my 3hr flight
C30 T5 Polestar?
Pretty quirky, not at all bad to drive.
I had 2x29ers in the back of mine, but if you're using anything LLS or a larger frame, it's best to get a roof rack.
Engine is pretty robust, in fact most of the car is, parts are easily available, if slightly more expensive than something more mainstream.
I ran a E46 320d touring for many years. Fast (especially with a small remap 😉 ) comfy and very enjoyable to drive. The youngest of them must be almost 20 years old now though so unless very low miles and mollycoddled they will feel tired without new bushes and suspension etc. What I remember. Front wings got badly rusty on the arches and needed renewing. Rust was appearing on rear arches when I sold it 8 years ago. The wiring to the rear hatch was a bit dicky. Needed a new propshaft bearing and a new starter motor. Apart from that and servicing it did me well. Oh, and I removed the swirl flaps from the engine, though by this point in time any engines still running either have them removed or else it will not be an issue.
As far as getting 2 bikes in the back, I would think again. You can if you removed enough wheels and jenga them in. You would be far better off with roof bars though. And being nice and low it is easy to get the bikes on the roof too.
I've got an E46 330i which I've had since 2005.
I've done a fair amount to it in my time - front wings, full suspension rebuild, 2 gearbox flushes, alternator, coil packs, everything on the front of the engine which needs bearings, driveshafts (but only to fix an ABS reluctor ring problem cause by corrosion) and most recently a gearbox control module.
But, It's only ever broken down once in 18 years, and that was dirt stuck in a calliper which caused the bakes to seize on the motorway. Parts are cheap and plentiful and it's usually easy to work on.
BUT - it's probably cost more in the last 4 than in the previous 14 combined in terms of parts and maintenance and is probably only worth it as I do it all myself. It'll need all the brake lines done this year.
You can easily get 2 bikes inside with the rear seats down and the front wheels off. Handlebars in the rear footwells and the forks against the back of the front seats and pedals to the outside and it's all fine.
We had two E46 320D tourings, his and hers, no major bills and both over 200k miles when they were retired. I calculated that I wanted to replace them with an estate, cam chain, petrol, good mpg, reliable and came up with an Avensis estate (which I prefer).
How much spanner do you do yourself? Even the youngest e46 is 17-18 years old now, so I'd expect there to be regular maintenance/fixes. Yes, parts can be cheap and might be easy to work on, but the time factor is what ended my association with an interesting 18 year-old car recently. More often than not there was something not quite 100% that needed fiddling with.
Stop pissing about and just buy something you big fanny.
😏
Enjoyable to drive, quirky/cool, 2 bikes "on" with a seasucker type rack, kinda cheapish running costs, virtually no further depreciation possible: mk1 TT 225 coupe.
I had one briefly and was intending to keep it for a long time but then my current car appeared on my radar and it was too good an opportunity to pass up. The TT cost me £2k and was in pretty decent nick, sold it for the same. Only really needed some new sill covers to get it looking tip top - the old ones were steel on top of the aluminium body and had rusted at either end. Nice place to sit, excellent to drive and with some serious acceleration when you wanted it, passable boot if you put the two rear "seats" down.
Stop pissing about and just buy something you big fanny.
😏
🙂 - should be available as an auto reply to a lot of posts really.
Cheers guys, as expected. Will mull it over.
@TheflyingOx that is also on my list, a mate got his bike in one back in the day, and my bro liked his.
Roof bars seem awfy grown up but I suppose I may succumb.
That's true actually. I've got photographic evidence of a large Banshee 29er in the back of mine. It involved sliding the passenger seat forward to the point it was effectively a 1 seater car but it did work.
A doer upper is for sale nearby for £400!
Good Lord, indecision is a struggle!
Go on Al just buy it. 😁
@singlespeedstu tempted but needs an engine rebuild. It's in Selkirk!
I'm not helping you push it back.
Great @singlepeedstu - you'll tow?
Buy these two. They are enjoyable, quirky and with the pair you only need to fit one bike to each.
https://nclarksouthampton.wixsite.com/z300s
https://nclarksouthampton.wixsite.com/kleemannslk