The sublime or the ridiculous? Car choice!

Which car??

  • Bmw convertible

    Votes: 12 75.0%

  • Kia Soul

    Votes: 4 25.0%
  • Total voters
    16
  • Poll closed .
srichards

srichards

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I normally have older but interesting cars. Generally a hatch/saloon type and a soft top. I've done this for years but I'm wondering whether to have a new but boring car as the second car. But I've also seen another soft top I would rather like.

The dilemma is ultimately the cost will be similar over a few years between the two. The old car may be a money pit but will be worth something probably. New car will be leased but lease costs over 3 years would be similar but fixed and no danger of sudden bills as car will be under warranty but it would just be handed back.

Main car is a bit temperamental as its another old one so I'm torn between the sensible new car or the heart older car...

Two car choice is between either an old bmw 3 series convertible that's a low owner, low mileage one in a fantastic colour with all the trimmings I want or a Kia Soul ev on a lease. Soul can have a sunroof and does have the climate control and wotnot. Downside is ev range, possibly less comfortable seats and dullness but older car may be a nightmare money pit.

I've tried flipping a coin and I'm not getting any kind of must have either way.

How on earth do you decide when you can't decide?!
 
I can (kinda) understand the beemer, but of all boring cars, why the Soul, which is fugly to boot!?
 
viv1969 said:
I can (kinda) understand the beemer, but of all boring cars, why the Soul, which is fugly to boot!?
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It is fugly but it's got a better range than the cheap leaf and I hate the look of the leaf even more!
 
I'm sure I read that the Kia is desperately uncomfortable due to massive wheels and hard suspension, but that wasn't a hybrid/eco version. The problem here is your main car as we don't know how big it is and whether it will do all the duty stuff like shopping and garden centre and just leave the convertible for fun?
 
Main car is huge and can easily do everything else. I tend to use the convertible for shopping and bibbing about as they're more wearing on longer trips.
 
Have you thought about a Mazda MX-5 as the soft top? More fun than most BMW Convertibles to drive (albeit without the same power), but unlikely to be a moneypit should things go wrong with it.

(I'm not bashing BMW Convertibles - I have 2 of them! - but the MX-5 is actually more involving to drive).
 
Please not another boring grey German car on the road. To give them credit though they're not the only ones.

Im a hypocrite though, i do eye up the 1,2 series convertible myself from time to time.

Not many interesting cars on the road outside the supermini category.

If your other car does all the practical stuff get a mx5, mr2, s2000 etc.. 350z can be picked up for a song. Great looking and not lots on the road.

No none of the above vote.
 
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srichards said:
Main car is huge and can easily do everything else. I tend to use the convertible for shopping and bibbing about as they're more wearing on longer trips.
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What is it? Is it also hugely dull, or hugely boring?
 
It depends on your needs. We have an estate as a family/dog car thats economical, well spec'd so we tend to use that for journeys.
We have an mx-5 as a small run around, fun, small and easy to park, works well in todays tiny parking spaces. Occaisionally I use it for the commute to work.
My main commute vehicle is a motorbike
Then I have a fun car

So depending on your needs, I'd have the fun car which you could use as a second vehicle occasionally, plus a sensible car. Two sensible cars, especially if youve had a second fun car, would be boring.
 
Main car isn't particularly sensible. It's a large petrol engine one so the rationale was to get something smaller for local stuff. EV is perfect complement as it does short trips and up to 20-30 miles and the main car is much better at 20 miles plus. It's better at higher speeds and longer routes. The ev is better at the piddling about.

I do like the open air so soft top or sunroof is a must have in one of them.
 
Have you seen the honda s660 what fun and interestibg that looks! Apparently it's coming here in a 1000cc form.

Not much help to you now though! :)
 
Someone in our vllage has an E36 M3 convertible from the mid nineties, and it is a really lovely car - mid metallic blue with light grey leather interior, and in superb condition. It has the six cylinder engine and sounds great.
 
I had a 325 convertible BMW and didn't like it all, great lumbering heavy thing it was, handled terribly and if the mechanism operating the metal folding roof went wrong I would dread to think how much it might have cost to put right :eek:
 
Cartus said:
I had a 325 convertible BMW and didn't like it all, great lumbering heavy thing it was, handled terribly and if the mechanism operating the metal folding roof went wrong I would dread to think how much it might have cost to put right :eek:
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What era BMW? I'm looking at a 2002 ie E46 which I hoped to be more refined ie less of a tramlining skippy idiot than the earlier ones.

This one is a fabric folding roof and they're less of an issue than the multi part metal ones.
 
When leasing the electric car, will you have to rent the battery on top of the leasing cost?

I've found every BMW I've sat in excruciatingly uncomfortable but if you're the right shape and size for them, they're (apparently) not as bad.
 
Nod said:
When leasing the electric car, will you have to rent the battery on top of the leasing cost?

I've found every BMW I've sat in excruciatingly uncomfortable but if you're the right shape and size for them, they're (apparently) not as bad.
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Not with the Kia fortunately. It's battery owned. I wouldn't touch a battery lease car with a 20 foot pole. You also have hassle with insurance if the battery is leased as that has to be settled separately if the car is a total loss. This can lead to all sorts of issues with inadequate payouts and arguing. It's not worth the bother.

The 1 series M sport I borrowed for a while had appalling seats. I'm avoiding all the 1 series and later 3 series as they all had the same rubbish seats. The ones in this BMW are leather and squidgy and fully adjustable.

Crap seats have discounted so many otherwise decent cars. A lot of the cheaper makes don't even have seat height adjustment. Steering reach and rake adjustment is also very useful. Often it's only rake. BMW I'm looking at has full adjustment and it seems necessary to have this to get a genuinely comfortable driving position.
 
srichards said:
What era BMW? I'm looking at a 2002 ie E46 which I hoped to be more refined ie less of a tramlining skippy idiot than the earlier ones.

This one is a fabric folding roof and they're less of an issue than the multi part metal ones.
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Mine was a '57 plate one of the early metal roof models. It just felt such a heavy car, and subsequently didn't handle or go round corners well. I think the roof mechanism contributed to the excess weight as well as additional chassis strengthening needed because of the convertible body. It looked great though and the 3.0 V6 is a lovely engine, it just wasn't the car for me.

I personally wouldn't have a convertible again, as a main car anyway. Apart from once or twice by the coast, in the summer, sun shining, it seemed a bit daft where I live and definitely very draughty, especially in the back!
 
srichards said:
What era BMW? I'm looking at a 2002 ie E46 which I hoped to be more refined ie less of a tramlining skippy idiot than the earlier ones.

This one is a fabric folding roof and they're less of an issue than the multi part metal ones.
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Actually, that reminds me of the one Bimmer that didn't cripple me - a 2002! Not year, model!
 
Had a 2009 kia soul 1.6 petrol for 18 months. It was ok I guess. Bad points; Poor fuel economy, rough ride from hard suspension and big wheels and felt like it was skipping if you hit a bump mid corner. If you drive like miss daisy you may think differently.
I Wouldn't have another one given a choice.
Traded in for a ceed estate which was comfy, good on fuel (diesel), handled and suited us well.
 
srichards said:
EV is perfect complement as it does short trips and up to 20-30 miles........ The ev is better at the piddling about.

I do like the open air so soft top or sunroof is a must have in one of them.
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upload_2016-4-24_11-30-46.jpeg
 
Yelkrub said:
Had a 2009 kia soul 1.6 petrol for 18 months. It was ok I guess. Bad points; Poor fuel economy, rough ride from hard suspension and big wheels and felt like it was skipping if you hit a bump mid corner. If you drive like miss daisy you may think differently.
I Wouldn't have another one given a choice.
Traded in for a ceed estate which was comfy, good on fuel (diesel), handled and suited us well.
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If it's skippy over bumps then that would rule it out for me immediately. I think they've messed around with the suspension for the EV so that it is better in the current one for the 2016 cars.
 
Don't some of the Kia's and Hyundai's have leaf springs at the rear? Not ideal is it the 60s still?
 
rjbell said:
Don't some of the Kia's and Hyundai's have leaf springs at the rear? Not ideal is it the 60s still?
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Kia seems to be torsion beam axle which seems to be quite common on modern small cars.

Has to be better than semi trailing arm which BMW seem to stick with for far too long.
 
srichards said:
I already decided I couldn't afford one of those and the running costs make even a hardened money pit owner like me wince ;)
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Oh yes, I think it's a car you get to know your local filling station well :D

Looks very nice though...
 
Between those 2 it would have to be the beemer - is there nothing better than the soul though? Citroen Cactus for example (neighbour has one on lease, loves it).
 
ancient_mariner said:
Between those 2 it would have to be the beemer - is there nothing better than the soul though? Citroen Cactus for example (neighbour has one on lease, loves it).
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Cactus is even more horrendous looking than the Soul! :puke:
 
srichards said:
Cactus is even more horrendous looking than the Soul! :puke:
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Well, we can agree to differ on that, but function-wise (and I get the idea this is all about function) I believe it to be the better car.
 
ancient_mariner said:
Well, we can agree to differ on that, but function-wise (and I get the idea this is all about function) I believe it to be the better car.
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The cactus isn't an auto and electric so it fails for me in the function department ;)

The more I read the more I think the lazy petrol automatic may be the more sensible choice...
 
srichards said:
Cactus is even more horrendous looking than the Soul! :puke:
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Oh no...not even close.
I think they have a degree of "funk", whereas the Soul appears to be the most inaptly named car out there.
 
I like the cactus too. In fact I think that citreon has the best looking range out there at the moment.
 
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Soul seats are very comfortable, Souls come with all the gadgets you could ever want, Soul is querky I love my Soul. Back when the V1 Soul was first released I thought fugly as well but I thought the same about Fleetwood Mac's Tusk album and it's now one of my all time favourites.

Not sure the price of the EV versus the low range makes it worth buying but one of the regular petrol or Diesel versions certainly is.
 
srichards said:
The cactus isn't an auto and electric so it fails for me in the function department ;)

The more I read the more I think the lazy petrol automatic may be the more sensible choice...
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The Neighbours cactus is an auto. I've just re-read the OP & noticed the EV bit, but considering your alternative I don't see the EV as being important.
 
Buying cars with ones brain is like choosing a wife because she likes what you like.....You should buy a car with your HEART!
If you are making it fit the spreadsheet model you have created then the only Soul you will ever have will be made by Kia.

Enjoy!
 
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