Why shouldn't I get a coupe as a daily driver?

I need you all to convince me that getting another coupe as a daily driver is a ridiculous idea!

In March/April i'll have around £3k to replace my MK2 MX5. I'm trying to decide on a car to use as my daily driver and also to enjoy on a weekend, as can't afford to run 2 cars.

My commute is 15 miles (each way) on A-roads with no traffic.

I've run my last 3 coupes as my daily driver. However, I bought my first house last November, so now have a mortgage / sofas / furniture / carpets / home cinema to consider.

I've spent ages scouring Autotrader / Pistonheads / Ebay but haven't come up with anything that I think i'd be happy with. So thinking of a nice standard 20vt.

Also, if I bought another coupe my girlfriend would go mental.

What do I do!?

Buy another coupe of course Just hold out until you do find a worthy example to invest in...

Nike. Do it!

I have missed you Nick.
Surely seeing my face is enough of a reason not to get one.

3K will buy you a nice trouble free daily driving coop !

Just get a tidy trouble free na mate.

It's such a rubbish feeling seeing a Coupe on your drive everyday and thinking 'oh no, I have to drive that everyday and use it at weekends too'.

The pure look of it is enough to put you off, never mind having to put up with the way it sounds on start up and then when you're driving it, you feel that turbo kick in and think 'oh why does it have to kick me in the back like that and get me to work so effortlessly and smoothly'.

Then people look at you and the car, wondering what it is that makes that terrible sound as you go past and leave them looking again at the Coupe, wondering how such an old Italian looking thing has left the other cars standing.

Nah, don't bother Nick.




Just buy one Nick Put some Ferrari badges on and see if your girlfriend realises what it is

What she said !

Had mine as a daily driver for 6 years and 75,000 miles with few issues other than servicing and consumables.

Previously, I've never kept a car for longer and a year or so, but can't find anything better/affordable to replace it with.

Just do it - my Red LE has been my daily driver for over 8 years, I have put over 120,000 miles on it during that time.

I don't scrimp on maintenance and I still love driving it, just as much as the day I picked it up back in 2004

Buy two... then you still have a daily driver while the other one is at JBTs

Yes buy another before Mike buys them all.............

Nick - you're asking the wrong audience for an unbiased opinion!

Jfdi

Don't pay the mortgage, don't buy the sofa, the furniture etc.

Put the home cinema in the Coupé and live in it.

Dan, I think that is why he is asking us....

A Coupe makes an excellent daily driver.

As for the missus there's one really good strategy that works every time.
Buy it, hide it round the corner, and wait for a good time to tell her.
(e.g. when she's feeling a bit bad about buying an expensive dress / checking into a health spa etc...)

I do close to 100 miles a day in mine, and its not exactly civilised

Yes, there are times when I long for a smooth, quiet luxo-barge, but mostly, I enjoy the Coupe and drive it accordingly

A standard Coupe is probably ok as a daily driver. I used mine as a daily driver until I went forged. The clutch, loud exhaust and hard ride became too much for me so it's now parked up as a weekend car, and I drive a very smooth comfortable car to work and back now.

Hi Nick, good to see you back again - I bought my second one nearly a year ago from FCCS as my daily driver, and almost achieved that (still use the Plus whenever i can).

You might be able to persuade me to part with it

I would say that you should buy one Nick. Because we/i know you love them.
But as a keeper/weekend car !

The british weather is just mashing them up now at their age.And you could be under the bonnet alot. Do you want that ?
This seems like a good investment mate. http://www.fiatcoupeclub.org/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1402188#Post1402188

She will go mental Nick.

But the rage will pass and the coupe will still be on the drive

I've used mine daily for the last 6/7 yrs, TBH it's been much more reliable than I would have imagined, but when it has gone wrong it has often been off for quite some time eg 6-8 wks for a new head.
Up until a couple of months ago I considered it capable of doing it, but a couple of threads made me think it unrealistic, mine is 18yrs old, a 16vt (parts harder to find and has done 140k). I would think a newer 20/20vt with under 100k would cope for a good few years on 30 miles/day, mine coped with far more than this reliably until it got to around 120k.

Ah, well thanks for all your totally unbiased opinions, just what I was after!!

I think i'm going to stop looking at any cars completely until nearer the time - I've seen a couple of coupes that would have been perfect if I had the money, but no doubt they will be long gone in a couple of months! So no need to torment myself until nearer the time!

I'm definitely going to push hard to get a coupe though - I've got nothing to do my Sunday mornings now! I used to spend hours cleaning my old coupes - the Spazda got its first clean for 2 months at the weekend, and I didn't even use the 2-bucket method to wash it!

Bit of a bummer about Spa Italia being cancelled though, I always planned to sneak another trip there too!!

I do 430 miles a week in mine.

Don't do it. I've spent 2k on it in the last 3 months fixing things that have failed through age. Yes, it sounds and looks great but they're not getting any younger and unless you spend 20k on it like Nigel, you'll forever be spending money keeping on top of it. Use it once or twice a week and enjoy it, but I can think of many cars that would fill the daily role a lot better.

And yes, I do look after mine properly.

It's good to hear a voice of reason! I do look back on my coupe with very rose tinted glasses!

My 16vt and 20v vis were no trouble at all and were both around 10 year old when had them.
My last 20vt cost me an absolute fortune, but was awesome! However most of that cost came from me buying it from a complete knob (ktm250 or whatever he was called), I've convinced myself that buying a nice standard 20vt and getting a good initial service will be fine.........

I dont need a daily driver as I dont drive every day but I do drive mine whenever I can, including my sales work!

I use mine as a daily car and have had 3 over the last 15 years all pretty reliable (compared to the alf Gtv I had for a few years!) Once you've come to terms with the mpg, don't thrash the living daylights out of it and keep a keen ear on the engine and a few quid in the bank for maintenace there is no reason why it can't be used daily. Having to use a euro diesel box everyday when you have a coupe on your drive seems painful!! Do it, a smile a day keeps the doctor away

Except when (a) it's a fiat euro diesel box and (b) the recovery companies will no longer cover the coupe and (c) the fuel difference is around three grand a year...

Before I bought the MX5 last year I nearly bought a Fabia VRS. So something like that is about as sensible as I will want to get!

Although looking around there’s quite a range of cars to be had for £3kish. I could get a half decent X-Type diesel if I decide I’m after a wafter for my commute?!