Reply to: Summer car

[d000hg]

I really like our automatic + adaptive cruise control combo. You can pretty much just let it follow the car in front except in traffic which is stopping completely. Far less taxing.
Although an EV could be an option?

[Paddy]

Not going to lie, it's pretty tulipty however way you dice it. He's generally not that fussed when I take him. He plugs into his iPad/phone and watches random junk on youtube.

There are bits where I'm stuck in traffic, there's other bits where it's just a long blast down an a-road or meandering around suburban leafy boulevards. The traffic is why I'm thinking an automatic might be a lifesaver - that's what I have in my galaxy.

Definitely automatic for London traffic.

[courtg9000]

I have seen some Mercedes CLK (yep 4 seater) soft tops recently at around your budget. There was one on Pistonheads last week in fact. If you can find a good one. Try and avoid Mercedes cars from the South African factory if you can for reliability reasons. If they come from the US/Germany/Hungary factories you should be ok.

[b0redom]

Not going to lie, it's pretty tulipty however way you dice it. He's generally not that fussed when I take him. He plugs into his iPad/phone and watches random junk on youtube.

There are bits where I'm stuck in traffic, there's other bits where it's just a long blast down an a-road or meandering around suburban leafy boulevards. The traffic is why I'm thinking an automatic might be a lifesaver - that's what I have in my galaxy.

[d000hg]

It's ~ 18 miles across south London. Near Heathrow to near Merton. It's a horrific commute. Direct door to door takes between 1-1.5 hours in the morning (one way) - they put him in a shared taxi (which is no longer suitable due to issues with other kids) which bumped up the time to ~ 2 hours. It can be a little quieter on the way back ie 50 mins - 1.5 hours.

Yes it's appalling. Yes I hate it. Yes I am prepared to put up with it as the school is great, and there are no others even vaguely in the area with spaces. In fact he was completely out of school for over 6 months whilst Surrey dicked around trying to find a place at all.

At some point I will win and the authority will cave and have to give him his own taxi, but until then, I just have to suck it up.

Jeez that sounds awful. Even with a private taxi he's going to spend 2-3 hours a day in it, which sounds like he's still got a terrible deal regardless of how good the school is. Or does that part not bother him?

I had assumed it was long distance rather than impenetrable traffic. Is sitting in a traffic jam at 12mph any more fun in a fun little convertible? I think the "nice A/C" suggestion makes more sense now!

[NotAllThere]

Might only break down half as much as other cars but costs three times as much to fix.

In the context of this thread, the cost is somewhat irrelevant.

[Paddy]

It's ~ 18 miles across south London. Near Heathrow to near Merton. It's a horrific commute. Direct door to door takes between 1-1.5 hours in the morning (one way) - they put him in a shared taxi (which is no longer suitable due to issues with other kids) which bumped up the time to ~ 2 hours. It can be a little quieter on the way back ie 50 mins - 1.5 hours.

Yes it's appalling. Yes I hate it. Yes I am prepared to put up with it as the school is great, and there are no others even vaguely in the area with spaces. In fact he was completely out of school for over 6 months whilst Surrey dicked around trying to find a place at all.

At some point I will win and the authority will cave and have to give him his own taxi, but until then, I just have to suck it up.

That is a really crap journey, I did that a few times from Kensington and then I got a car and driver. It is such a bad route that you will no doubt have an accident one day because there are lot of impatient drivers. If I were you, I would pay for a private car and driver.

[b0redom]

I'm not sure you want that sort of fun when dealing with a 3hr round trip to collect an autistic child!

OP are you really spending 6 hours driving per day?! And when transport is provided, your child will be still spending 3+hrs a day travelling? Neither really sounds sustainable.

It's ~ 18 miles across south London. Near Heathrow to near Merton. It's a horrific commute. Direct door to door takes between 1-1.5 hours in the morning (one way) - they put him in a shared taxi (which is no longer suitable due to issues with other kids) which bumped up the time to ~ 2 hours. It can be a little quieter on the way back ie 50 mins - 1.5 hours.

Yes it's appalling. Yes I hate it. Yes I am prepared to put up with it as the school is great, and there are no others even vaguely in the area with spaces. In fact he was completely out of school for over 6 months whilst Surrey dicked around trying to find a place at all.

At some point I will win and the authority will cave and have to give him his own taxi, but until then, I just have to suck it up.

[DoctorStrangelove]

Might only break down half as much as other cars but costs three times as much to fix.

IMS bearings. Bore score.

Don't touch with a bargepole.

How much to replace the bushes in the front suspension?

Oh, I'm sorry sir, those aren't available as a spare, so it'll be £5k for suspension parts

Just watch all the Wheeler Dealer programmes involving Porsches then run away fast.

[vetran]

Might only break down half as much as other cars but costs three times as much to fix.

mate of mine really wanted a Porsche after spending a fortune he bought a Renault that is like voting for Boris!

[northernladuk]

If it's really 6 hours a day, get a Porsche - far more reliable.

Might only break down half as much as other cars but costs three times as much to fix.

[NotAllThere]

I'm not sure you want that sort of fun when dealing with a 3hr round trip to collect an autistic child!

OP are you really spending 6 hours driving per day?! And when transport is provided, your child will be still spending 3+hrs a day travelling? Neither really sounds sustainable.

If it's really 6 hours a day, get a Porsche - far more reliable.

[Uncle Albert]

Get one of these: https://www.gumtree.com/p/mg/mg-mgf-...ant/1460335370

Cheap as chips, convertible, ULEZ compliant.

[fabios]

I would go for MX5 MK3 with MOT and assume you may not get it mot'd next year due to rust issue. If the rust is sorted then the price will be much higher.
Other option is mercedes SLK which I would also assume goes to scrapyard at the end of summer. MX5 is like a gokart, really good fun to drive and gives some sensory stimulation as well. Mercedes is more boring in terms of the feel but more buttons inside, e.g. to take the roof down.

You could consider buying a written off car with mot and just enjoy it for couple months, a bit of gamble but so is buying from "normal" sources
https://www.copart.co.uk/lot/5657670...50-au-sandwich

update: make sure aircon is working, really pain driving in a convertible car during weather like last weeks with no air con.

[d000hg]

The risk is part of the fun!

I'm not sure you want that sort of fun when dealing with a 3hr round trip to collect an autistic child!

OP are you really spending 6 hours driving per day?! And when transport is provided, your child will be still spending 3+hrs a day travelling? Neither really sounds sustainable.