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Yep for the last 6 years I down graded to a Vauxhall corsa 1.3 diesel , low tax £30 and low insurance , I've only resently upgraded again
After owning a Mini Cooper S for quite a few years I bought a 1 series BMW as I wanted a more relaxed drive, more comfort and more space (all things a Cooper S doesn't provide). It's a lovely car but my journeys have changed to far more short trips and I'm finding that fuel economy is not good at all, plus I do miss a manual drive car...something like my Mini and Peugeot 306 XS before it - both were nippy and fun to drive. I'm looking for a smaller, more economical car, which is cheaper to insure, maintain in the event of repairs and run. I don't crave the latest gadgets or need a premium small car or hot hatch...just a supermini would be fine.
I've been looking at the new Ford Fiesta as it's supposedly still great to drive but has a much better interior now, as well as cheap running costs. Other options would be a Corsa or Yaris.
Many of you guys have some really lovely cars but have any of you actually 'downgraded' to a more modest car and not regretted it? What did you buy and how did you find the sudden drop in performance/build quality/speed etc?
Last edited by Shane; 26th November 2017 at 22:12.
Yep for the last 6 years I down graded to a Vauxhall corsa 1.3 diesel , low tax £30 and low insurance , I've only resently upgraded again
From a Saab 9-3 TiD to a VW Up with the complete option list added. Never looked back. (And yes, I was happy with the Saab as well). We also have a CRV, but I prefer the Up for urban driving.
Menno
Last edited by thieuster; 27th November 2017 at 19:16.
Many times. It’s just like trading ‘up’, within a week it’s just your car and you never notice it. Then you see your bank balance, and all’s well with the world!
As a car nut who has owned many classics (when in Oz) and more recently a few M5's, Maseratis etc, we have recently switched to more basic cars. A move to Nth Wales and living in Lladudno where everything is walking distance and work just a 10 min bike ride away has made cars suddenly seem unimportant. As someone who loves driving it can be odd to not drive at all for ten days at a time. I am thinking the way this weather is going it may see me back in the car for the commute but the temp gauge barely gets off zero!
Our daily is now a 10yo Alfa 159Ti which is worth little but does the job, its nice not fussing over cars as we I once would have. For a second car and so I can enjoy Snowdonia, we are importing a Subaru Legacy STi, again not big ££ compared to previous madness.
last car change we 'downgraded' if you want to call it that, to a Toyota Auris Hatchback - Hybrid version - now the kids were a bit more grown up we shouldn't need to take the kitchen sink with us everywhere we go
Floor is flat at the back and seats me and my growing boys comfortable in the back - (2 of us @ 6" tall) the boot is a bit small but that's because I have the emergency spare wheel in it - with that out its quite deep and fits 4 medium suitcases and then some no probs.
only issue is trips to ikea now means we only buy small things (blessing in disguise )
need to take bikes, get a bike carrier.
Need more space - take spare out or use a roof box - fold down one seat etc...
need a bigger car just for one day or week - hire one
haven't looked back and its a very good size compact with amazing MPG - took some getting used to but you adapt and you just get used to it
if i spent most of my life in a car trundling up and down visiting clients etc i would want/need a bigger comfier car but I cycle everywhere so the mrs is the one who uses the car most of the time
Last edited by Xantiagib; 27th November 2017 at 10:35.
As per above we also "downgraded" (from a Lexus GS430) to a Toyota Auris Hybrid.
Best move ever!
The cost of the car is covered by the reduced fuel, servicing tax and insurance.
There is just as much space inside.
The in car entertainment system is better.
The comfort is the same and I don't miss the V8 punch (partly because my driving habits have changed since a silly speeding offence a couple of years ago).
One thing that has surprised me - the cloth seats are MUCH more comfortable than the leather ones were in the Lexus and completely remove the need for heated/cooled seats.
Cars are getting bigger (every couple of years the equivalent model gets fatter/longer - just look at the VW Golf!) so a "small" car these days is probably as big as a larger one previously. The trickle down effect means that the technology in the smaller cars is getting better all the time too and, by the time it is installed in them, is more reliable than when first introduced in the flagship vehicles.
I still love getting nearly double the miles out of a tank that is 2/3 the size - kerching!
Just my thoughts.
Cheers,
Mark C
Went from a BMW 320SE touring to a Fiesta 1.0 Red edition.
The Fiesta is the better car and better drive, for me and my circumstances. No regrets at all.
Foggy
I went from turbo (petrol) Volvo to 1.4 Fiesta as my daily driver. With hindsight, much depends what you chose: In my case, although the Fiesta is a decent car (previouys model to the one you're thinking about) the fuel consumption is a bit crap and only a few mpg better than the Volvo which had over twice the BHP. Insurance and RFL not markedly different.
So, I'd suggest doing your research first, then decide. The new Fiesta is a very good car. Corsa.....less so!!
We have a Volvo XC60 and a Fiesta 1.0 eco boost - and I will admit I much prefer driving the Fiesta! - with things like a heated windscreen, warmer cloth seats (that therefore don’t need fancy heating!) and a decent stereo/phone interface you get all the creature comforts you really need for a lot less £. I can also get around 50 mpg if I drive carefully, zero road tax and cheap insurance. I must confess I don’t really like the looks of the new Fiesta (looks like a shrunken focus somehow) but there’s a reason the Fiesta has been so successful - so chuckable and fun to drive, regardless of cost!
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I ran Jaguars for 22 years and bought a Honda Civic on retirement. It's a good car but once you have had a good car, a downgrade is just that, a downgrade.
I run a Hyundai in Spain and it's more suitable for the narrower roads but it's still a downgrade.
So think twice. It's like eating spam after fillet steak.
Thanks for all the comments so far. I've been looking at the technical data and reviews for the Fiesta and even the lowest powered 1.0 turbo (just 98bhp) would seem to be fine for me. It's smaller, lighter, has much better fuel economy (45-50 mpg around town) and is insurance group 10 as opposed to 18 for my BMW. Even the 125bhp version of the Fiesta is a group 12/13 and may provide a bit more punch for motorway driving.
I don't know what the Corsa or Yaris are like to drive...various car reviews seem to say that the Fiesta is out on its own where driving fun / handling are concerned. The other thing I've found is that although my current car has a ton of equipment and auto everything, I really don't need most of them - only the heated seats are really nice :)
Easy way to decide is to hire a car for a day and see what you think.
I bought a Fiesta 1.0 eco boost about a year ago for town running and to save my main car. After running it for a year it is excellent, more than enough zip for everyday use and it wouldn’t worry me if I had to do a motorway run. No tax, about 44mpg around town and just had it’s first service at my local friendly garage for £90, didn’t use Main Dealer as they are ridiculous(£220).
My other car is a M3 so I like to rip along but the little Fiesta definitely gets the thumbs up from me, try a test drive.
My mother has the 125bhp version and very quick.Only fault she says visibility is poor out of the back.Originally Posted by Shane
I downgraded from a BMW 5 series to a Mazda 2(worth a look) and no regrets,in fact a better car for a third of the price.
Theres an obsession with cars this last decade, everyone on cheap PCP / Finance deals has had the chance to own a car they cant really afford or rather dont have the full dollar to pay for and as a result its led to many trying to keep up with the Joneseys.
Ive had a very practical Toyota IQ that was super cheap to run and easy to park and manoeuvre infact Id go as far as to say the most fun package Ive had. It won’t impress your mates or make the neighbours think you have a few quid but it was perfect in fit, form & function indeed several thousand miles through Europe in it was a pleasure.
My advice, buy what you need, what you can afford, and use it as a tool dont be the tool driving it
RIAC
I am mulling over similar situation as am retiring next year and looking at combination of different uses for the cars after retirement plus reducing costs. But what worries
me is that if I trade down and really don't like it then going to be more difficult to trade back up after I have retired.
I've done it before (Mercedes E-class to a Fiat Panda, Jeep Grand Cherokee to a Toyota Prius, Volvo 940 to a Smart Car) and I will almost certainly do it again. I enjoy driving small cars for the things they are good at and larger cars for the things they are good at!
Reminds me of someone I knew through work.
Did really well with a company and rewarded himself with the BMW 850i he'd always wanted.
He found it a huge disappointment and replaced it with a Brabus Smart Car, which he loved!
Me? I've never massively downsized, but I don't like big cars - Currently got a 'big' VW Golf Estate - I wouldn't want anything bigger and I only got this because I didn't want a reputation as a 'lift-cadger' at my dive club...
M
+1......although I have to admit to having a mild addiction to Spam.
Agree with the car comments, I run a 3.0 Diesel Jag XF even though most of my driving is short runs and I do less than 4K miles/year. I just like the car, even when it's returning 20mpg in traffic. Logically I should get something smaller/more economical, but hell will freeze over before I do that, the Jag's bought and paid for and I`ll keep it till it gets long in the tooth. If I was 30 years younger I might think differently, one of the dubious privileges of getting older is being able to do what you like..........within reason!
Paul
Last edited by walkerwek1958; 27th November 2017 at 19:14.
I had a Jaguar when I retired. I should have held on to it and ridden it until it started to become troublesome. I sold the Jag, bought the Civic, I am now on the second as the wife wrote the first one off in an accident, but they just don't have the cache of the Jag. Life is now just that little bit duller.
^^^ this ^^^ Exactly what I did 4 yrs ago. I rented an Up for a week at the start of my holiday. It took us everywhere. I got convinced - also it convinced me to get one with full specs. It makes it more fun to drive: sliding roof, proper sound system, nice wheels.
If you’re looking at a Fiesta the difference between the 99bhp and 125bhp models is negligible in terms of performance, but huge in terms of mpg apparently (I’ve driven both and can only comment on the performance, but the mpg issue is often mentioned online) they also drive better on the smaller alloys you get with the zetec models, become a bit crashy with the larger ones. Having said that, I’m quite keen on trying out the new ST when it’s out in the new year - the chassis is so nimble I quite fancy a bit more power, and the interior looks a bit more grown up
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Don’t forget the 99bhp one has zero road tax, Top Gear magazine voted it the best and not to bother with the more powerful versions.
From a 3.5ltr Merc SLK to an Aygo 1ltr. 50-60mpg round town, zero road tax, years warranty from Toyota and £14 a month for servicing over 3 years.
Love it in the wet, you are more involved driving it and bonus points if I ever manage to overtake anyone.
For reference, mine is the 138bhp version of the 3 cylinder 1 litre. In the 18 months of ownership my average mpg has been 44.9mpg. That's a daily round trip commute of 40 miles in total, mainly on dual carriageway, along with some local trips at the weekend. I'm not overly heavy on the right foot, but equally so, I don't drive like a nun.
The engine makes a lovely sound too :-)
Cheers
Foggy
For some time our 2nd car was a Volvo V70 2.4 auto, now its a 1993 Audi A2 2003 1.4, brilliant little car,
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
Audi R8 V10 down to Porsche Cayman S down to currently a Lotus Europa S
Also went from an Aston Vantage V8 to a 1996 Lotus Elise S1 about 5 years ago, that was an extreme change and bonus was Elise was super economical on fuel and actually went up in value. Happy days.
Not regretted any of them, it's great to have fun with lots of different cars, life's too short to have 1 car for 4 years. Also won't be able to have 2 seater cars for ever and also with EV cars and AI cars gaining market share, it won't be long, in relative terms, before standard petrol sports cars are taxed off the road for daily use and I want to enjoy as many as I can before that happens.
The only thing I miss is seeing an R8 or an Aston parked outside, both stunning cars to look at and the sense of "wow that's mine".
I've been thinking similarly; I've been running 2 cars for years, nominally one for me and one for the Mrs. I like driving and enjoy something with a bit of poke, whereas she's the opposite and views cars as white goods, a way of getting from A to B.
The last few years I've had an AMG Mercedes, which SWMBO won't drive as she's frankly scared of it; to be fair it does have the thick end of 400 BHP and demands a certain respect. She's not the most confident driver. "Her" car, until last year, was a Fiat Panda - great around town but not so good on a long journey. We'd always take the Merc.
Last year the Panda started to play up, and we'd had it a few years, so it got chopped in for a Chrysler Ypsilon (still basically a Panda underneath). This is fully kitted out and has more toys than the Merc to be frank - the damn thing will even parallel park itself if asked. Also, despite having a comedy engine (900cc two cylinder turbo), it's more than happy to keep up with the traffic in lane 3 of the motorway. It's comfortable, road tax is free, and if you don't drive it like a lunatic it's not hard to get 50 MPG on a run. Really, all the car you need when there's only the two of us.
But, but, but.. the Merc may be a garage queen (37K miles in 11 years..) but I'm struggling to bring myself to sell it. It does burn my arse paying £535 a year to tax a car I hardly use, and the fuel consumption is appalling when I do drag it out of the garage (average 20 MPG, single figures when you cane it). However, when you plant the throttle and hear that V8 sing I have to admit it still makes me laugh like a madman. Although it's lost a shed load of value over the years, depreciation has pretty much flat lined now (nobody makes cars like this any more, and I doubt they ever will), who knows it might even start to appreciate over the next few years. And, although I expect it to start to cost a little more to run over the next few years, it's not going to be as costly as running a classic.
I think, in summary, I'm going to hang on to it for as long as I can. It may not be the wisest financial decision but cars like this aren't going to be around forever - might as well enjoy it while I still can! And if came down to purely rational decisions, we'd all be here discussing our £10 Casios. Long live man maths.
Cheers,
Plug
I like the Zetec 1.0 turbo with 99bhp - it has everything I need and I'd actually prefer smaller 15" alloys. To get the 125bhp version you need to go for the Titanium model and that also comes with auto lights, bigger screen with satnav, electric door mirrors and 16" alloys. All that I can do without - the only thing is that the 125bhp also has disc brakes, which the 99bhp model doesn't; and it (supposedly) pulls better from 30-60mph. How much of a difference disc brakes make I don't know. Rob - did you find any difference at all in mid-range acceleration between the 99 and 125 versions?
Btw, I don't think the 99bhp model is exempt from tax or even in the £30 bracket - this is the parkers webpage on car tax for the Fiesta and it seems like it's £140 a year: https://www.parkers.co.uk/ford/fiest...-2017/car-tax/
Had one for just over a year and the 1.0 litre eco boost 98bhp is tax exempt.
A brand new one would be 140 under the (silly) new rules :-(
Foggy
My friend recently took me out in his BMW i3 and I was really impressed with it.
He has the one with a little petrol generator giving extra mileage. I have to say, I have been seriously thinking about it as an additional car either my wife or I use as we both have 4 x 4 diesels.
Yep, they changed the rates last April, forgot all about that, my new M3 was £1200 for the first year then £450 after that, the thieves, but at least my little Fiesta is free.
Just read the above as I thought Parkers had made a mistake but seems like it will be £140 :(
Btw - I will be buying used...if it's the Fiesta then it will a year old model.
Last edited by Shane; 27th November 2017 at 22:19.
All this talk of Fiestas made me check Autotrader. £8k ish for a nearly new 2017 car is unbelievable value! I honestly had no idea they were that cheap.
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I initially went for the 99bhp version as it was (at the time) £0 road tax and my 17 year old son needed a car to learn in with the lowest insurance group seeming a sensible option. It’s still tax exempt and drives well - I’m sure the 138bhp is a hoot, I live in rural Norfolk so it suits the narrow winding roads well - as I say I’m tempted to look at the new ST and my son can walk!
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Yup.... filled up last night - £35 (its 91p a litre where I live) plus a 40l fuel tank only but it has a 600 mile range - I think the last time I filled up was beginning of the month
I too had full leather before and now cloth seats are just fine and so far not touched them in 2 years whereas the leather ones I cleaned and fed meticulously every 6 months or so.
I'm getting old i need a car that will make my life easier/cheaper and more comfortable so I can spent that time and money on other things - (like the 50 year old Citroen DS i have...I mean my family)
Having driven my mothers new shape Fiesta which i think is 125bhp i too think a second hand Fiesta ST is about the best value sports car on the road.
What did you make of the drive in the Fiesta and the performance?
I really liked the car(I normally drive Jap cars i.e Mazda 2 Honda Toyota etc)
The performance is more than enough for the real world but the biggest improvement is the interior on the new model with it's large screen for sat nav and less buttons.
The only problem is the price of the new one compared with a 12 month old one that still is a great car but with an old styled interior but if it saves you £5000 or more then the old one is fine.
I think my mothers is on 16 inch wheels(didn't check)but ride fine considering the crap roads round here.
For 15 years I had an 80 mile round trip each day. I started off in a Clio 1.8 RSi, then a brand new Audi 1.9TDi, then a new BMW 320D MSport Touring, a 1 year old BMW 320D MSport coupe and finally a new BMW 430D MSport XDrive coupe which cost just over £42k. I now have a 6 mile daily round trip and have a Mini Cooper.
I initially missed the power and luxury of the BMW but now really enjoy the fun element of my Cooper. The fact that I’m not losing a fortune in depreciation is a real pleasure. The kids also prefer the Cooper.
I wouldn’t have changed car if my daily commute hadn’t changed but currently happy to have a smaller, cheaper car.
In March we bought a VW Up as a runaround, saving the Golf for longer journeys.
We we both love the Up, it isa very basic Move Up model with a paltry 60 bhp, half that of the Golf, but is just so much fun to drive.
Its to the perfect car for what we bought it for.
Last year I sold my A4 cabriolet and bought a 1500 mile 208 - the swap cost me about £1200 but I really like it and don't really miss the cab
The pugs cost me nothing and is really nippy
Yearly road tax is less than a month on the Audi
Last edited by lewie; 29th November 2017 at 19:30.
Not down graded, as I've kept my special car...
But my daily is a 15 year old Toyota Yaris 1.0.... I would drive that car anywhere, it's been brilliant 50 mpg will sit at 70 all day long...
I've downgraded from a Focus ST estate to an Ecosport with the 123hp 1.0 engine. I wasn't a hooligan in the ST by any means, but now find my driving style much more relaxed.
The smaller engine still has plenty of punch, and the 3 cylinders give a great sound. Ironically it's not as good on fuel (the ST was the 185bhp diesel) and is dearer on roadtax. But economy is acceptable (average low to mid 40's mpg) and road tax is standard. However, I'm paying £135 a month instead of £300, and the final payment if I keep it is £7200, not £12500 like the ST. Plenty of gadgets too, very happy, doesn't feel like a downgrade.
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Bought a Mk1 TT as my weekend car when I also drove a Mercedes CLS estate. Mercedes now gone and TT my daily driver at least it will remain so whilst I can still fit the children in.
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Viper I love your downgrading. It is, but all relative I guess ha!
When I decided to put the Z4M into the garage as a toy, I briefly rented a 1.0 fiesta to try a cheap daily. But ditched it within a few weeks to get a new JCW.
Life was too short and spending too long in a car that didn’t do anything for me seemed madness. Yes it’s foolish from a cash perspective, but you can’t put a price in happiness.
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I have. It's been really liberating to have a lower value car that you are not precious about at all.
I have been fortunate enough to own several nice cars. I have cleared most of them out by now. Other than this one which is currently proving reluctant to leave my garage:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/172962750193
However, the car that has stayed with me through my recent journey from singleton to family man is a little 14 year old Toyota Yaris Verso.
I originally bought it as the cheapest means I could find to transport downhill mountain bikes to tracks and races in Scotland, Wales or the Alps.
Once married my wife treated herself to a nice posh car but then proceeded to bounce it off everything solid she could find over the next few crazy weeks.
I kid you not. There was the wall she "nudged" that was no longer standing. Then the bollard she "brushed" that required two new doors to remedy.
As the Yaris was sat idle she agreed to try that for a years probation and has not looked back, or hit anything else, since.
She is an inherently good driver and drives our large campervan without trouble. I just think the higher value of her car made her nervous.
The Yaris is utterly reliable, costs pence to run and has proven to be equally adept at swallowing a young family of 4, and all the paraphernalia that comes with, as it was muddy bikes. All in a tiny footprint.
Alright the handling of the slab sided shape, with around 75 eager horses driving through 13" rims is not quite in the league I had previously become accustomed to, but it does the job.
As such it has racked up 20x more miles than any previous car of mine and made a way into our affections through it's sheer utility.
Only reason I may swap it out eventually would be a slight doubt regarding it's structural integrity in a serious collision versus a larger car.
And the best bit of all:
I would describe it's fairly dire hue as a sort of metallic Granny Gold, but not Toyota. No the official colour is.........Sporting Beige!
Makes me chuckle every time. I doubt whether even Mr A Partridge couldn't have come up with that one.
BMW 435d to 118d - which we'll run until it's dead. I cover 20-25k miles a year and it's generally pretty miserable driving in the UK. A few creature comforts is all you need and you tend to get those in a basic Corsa these days. My other half has a silly All4 mini which will be traded for an Astra (or similar) after the winter.
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