How about an EOS then?

Mrs Sharkrider has a nice new vehicle.

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/365384-swmbos-abarth-500-our-new-baby

 

Arnold Clark is stowed out with new (& Registered) ones at their Fiat Dealerships at give away type prices.

All flavours and trims, retro pastel shades, tasteful ones & including Abarths.

As describe she'll not touch a Fiat.

 

EOS is a possibility but I'm sure I've pointed one out before and she was a bit nonplussed.

Keep the BWM and join the AA.

 

Being sat at the side of the road for a few hours will allow you to put her in whatever you want.

I think it's a trap  :peek:

 

You've been set up to fail, no matter what you say, don't say, do or don't do.

 

Gaz

(Motto: Any advice, short of actual help)

New car for SWIMBO- nice swap, if you can get it. I tried it years ago- all I could get was a battered up Robin Reliant.

Get her a golf... has done the trick on many a friends fussy other halfs who don't know much about cars but want to look like they do.

Last night she looked at -

 

Fiesta ST - Too chavvy

Clio (Dad likes his) - Too boxy, would rather have Mini Cooper but doesn't like them either

Hyundai i20 (advert came on telly car basically £10 with a fiver on 0%) - Stoney silence

 

She still likes the A1 and Qashqui but doesn't want to pay for them

Edited 29 July, 201510 yr by Aspman

Is there any merit in fixing the current car? I know its £3,500, but could it get done at a specialist rather than a main dealer?

Sounds like you are between a rock and a hard place though, especially as she seems to be adamant that she wants an expensive car but isn't prepared to pay for one!

 

What about a Nissan Leaf or similar? They get people looking at them - and cheap fuel to boot?

 

Just thinking out loud really

£3500 was BMWs quote.

 

So an indy would be lots cheaper (BMW wanted £1k just for the brakes, £1k for a new battery cable, £1.5k for a new driveshaft).

However I think she's lost a  bit of confidence in the car.

 

Leaf would probably suit but she's already shot down that suggestion.

 

She was swinging between and A1 and something cheap like an Aygo last night.

Still stuck between this idea of wanting a 'badge' yet not being willing to pay for it.

Smothering in the night and digging a hole at the bottom of the garden sounds like a lot less hassle.

A Dacia Duster is the new cool when it comes to reverse snobbery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://dacia.co.uk/vehicles/duster

It has all that a New Car needs except the Convertible bit,

so you just open all the windows as you drive about.

£3500 was BMWs quote.

 

So an indy would be lots cheaper (BMW wanted £1k just for the brakes, £1k for a new battery cable, £1.5k for a new driveshaft).

 

Get the beamer fixed! All relatively straight forward issues not like it needs a new engine (ok quite a bit of work to run the new cable but what are the chances it can just be fixed?), get a quote from an indy at-least...

How about an EOS then?

You beat me to the same choice.

It's

My SWMBO ran an EOS for 5/6 years & swapped it for a sensible choice  Octy vRS about 2 years ago.

But, we both realized that the convertible / coupe ting is a nice combination so we started seaching for a nice one, early last year.

It took a while to find the spec. we wanted but we found a nice example last summer & we are both very pleased to own it.

In theory it's "my" car, but we both have keys, so it's usually a coin toss, especially if it's a sunny day.

 

As for practicality, well we only have a small fleet to choose from, but it has covered the most miles since we've owned it, mostly 'cos

it's quicker than you'd expect, (no external badges + re-map), averages approx 35 mpg, & has enough boot space for 90% of our needs.

 

Whenever we decide to change cars, the EOS is unlikely to be  traded in, in our opinion it would be very hard to replace.

 

(Just to make you laugh, we peeked at a Boxter & Cayman recently, but not for us, a little too small inside & no space for 7/10 days worth of luggage,

unlike the EOS which can carry all that we need for a touring holiday with the roof down.)

 

This probably doesn't help you at all, but a nice EOS could be found within your budget, (ours was app £12,500 with 20K miles) & a VW badge is 

good enough for most of us............)

 

DC

Some more suggestions:

 

How about a Volvo C30?  Look quite good I think and you could get the 5 cylinder turbo version.

 

or

 

One of those short Mercedes - is it a CLC?

Volvo doesn't cut it on style

 

Last night  -

CLC 200K  - got some minor interest last night but not a lot.

Citroen DS3 convertible - minging

VW Up - Horrible

VW Polo - Horrible

VW Golf - That's a Polo isn't it?

Hyundai I20 - Price intrigued her but not the car

A5 convertible - Nice but too dear and not from Audi dealer.

Fiat 500 - Horrible and Fiats are dangerous (last one was a 1988 Uno)

Toyota Auris - Horrible

Toyota Aygo - Price intrigued her but not the car

Mazda 2 - Don't like it

Ford Focus - horrible

Honda Jazz - boring

Suzuki Swift - Boxy

 

I give up. Not mentioning it again.

Edited 30 July, 201510 yr by Aspman

BMW 116i? 

 

I agree send her car to a good independent and I reckon it will not cost much more than a grand to fix.

Badge snobbery drives me nuts as does agism in car selection....but thats just me (and why I chose the Skoda over an Audi or BMW).  That said.....

 

An Audi S4 cabriolet sneaks into budget and is a safe hoot to drive.....or if the V8 is a bit much the 3.2 quattro cabriolet is a cracking open top, sure-footed alternative.

 

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/search/used/cars/audi/s4_cabriolet/postcode/gu68qe/radius/1501/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew/quicksearch/true

 

If she wants 'cool' get a Saab 900 T16 cabriolet (also great in snow) and will only appreciate.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201412199735897?model=900&sort=default&body-type=convertible&page=1&postcode=gu68qe&onesearchad=used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew&make=saab&search-target=usedcars&radius=1500&channel=cars&logcode=p

 

Sensible option is the Suzuki Swift 4x4 (massively popular here in Switzerland as is the Subaru range...) but seems to be a bit unloved by the UK press and, of course, your lovely lady no doubt....  http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/suzuki/swift/65381/suzuki-swift-4x4-review

 

Decisions, decisions......

 

Dave

It's not a brilliant car, but what about an Alfa Mito? Although I've just realised I'm not recommending it on merit, but just because it might stand a small chance of meeting her incredibly tough list of requirements That aside, I was thinking a Fiat/Abarth 500/500c or Panda Cross, Citroen Cactus (regardless of what some on here have said, these are generally considered to be pretty cool cars right now), Renault Captur, Nissan Juke, new Suzuki Vitara? Mazda CX3 is nice too, but incredibly expensive.

I can actually add to last nights list -

 

Alfa Mito - Horrible

Fiat Pandy - Horrible box

Nissan Juke - she has thought about one, her pal has one, but she decided she didn't like it

Renault Capture - Nope no likey

 

Showed her a Vitara a while back and she didn't like, might be worth another look.

I did get her to test drive a Rav4 once but she didn't like it.

CX3 I've not shown her.

Classics are out. I did try her with a nice classic convertible Merc last weekend (350SL) but nope not even the prospect of appreciating value made her interested.

 

Basically she can't afford anything she likes and doesn't like anything she can afford.

 

I won't go in her car for any long journeys now because she refuses to buy breakdown cover for it.

I'm not suggesting anything more to her. If she gets anything I've pointed out and it goes wrong or costs too much it'll totally be all my fault.

Edited 30 July, 201510 yr by Aspman

This:

 

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201507175285972?page=1&colour=blue&search-target=usedcars&onesearchad=used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew&fuel-type=petrol&channel=cars&price-from=500&body-type=coupe&postcode=de53hn&radius=1501&sort=default&make=bmw&model=1_series&logcode=p

 

or

 

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201507155209236?page=1&colour=blue&search-target=usedcars&onesearchad=used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew&fuel-type=petrol&channel=cars&price-from=500&body-type=coupe&postcode=de53hn&radius=1501&sort=default&make=bmw&model=1_series&logcode=p

Edited 30 July, 201510 yr by Chorlton

This:

 

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201507175285972?page=1&colour=blue&search-target=usedcars&onesearchad=used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew&fuel-type=petrol&channel=cars&price-from=500&body-type=coupe&postcode=de53hn&radius=1501&sort=default&make=bmw&model=1_series&logcode=p

 

or

 

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201507155209236?page=1&colour=blue&search-target=usedcars&onesearchad=used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew&fuel-type=petrol&channel=cars&price-from=500&body-type=coupe&postcode=de53hn&radius=1501&sort=default&make=bmw&model=1_series&logcode=p

 

Aye maybe. the latter is quite close. Will point it out and then run away.

Relationship counseling?

Aye maybe. the latter is quite close. Will point it out and then run away.

There are one or two others with full leather.....or loads more if you go for diesel engines.

 

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201507225410277?page=1&colour=blue&search-target=usedcars&onesearchad=used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew&fuel-type=petrol&channel=cars&price-from=500&body-type=coupe&postcode=de53hn&radius=1501&sort=default&make=bmw&model=1_series&logcode=p

Edited 30 July, 201510 yr by Chorlton

It's a tricky one for sure and I wouldn't blame you for refusing to have anything to do with her purchase, but I think I've found something that fits the bill. It's stylish, desirable, sure to be noticed in the car park and has both performance and practicality. It's within budget too, although VED and insurance might be a bit higher than the 1 series.

 

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201506013948868?channel=cars&page=1&radius=1500&sort=default&postcode=nn40td&onesearchad=used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew&search-target=usedcars&price-to=14000&make=maserati&quicksearch=true&logcode=p

 

You can close the thread now, no need to thank me