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SomethingOrOther
I'm moving to a new job in summer and will have to give back my current company car. The new employer has an EV scheme but I have to pass my probation (3 months) before I can join it. Factor in delivery times etc and I probably have a 6 month gap to fill. Looking at the cost of lease deals etc I quite like the idea of buying something old and relatively cheap (£2000-£5000), running it for as long as needed and then moving it on for hopefully minimal loss.
We have a Seat Leon estate which will continue to be fine for hauling daughter and bikes, so I feel like I've got a bit of leeway to get something a bit silly and with the timeframe I'm looking to have it don't need to be too worried about running costs/mpg/long term reliability. My car history before I started getting company cars was Japanese and relatively fun (Mazda 323 Fastback, Toyota MR2 Mk2, Civic Type R FN2). Realistically most of the driving I do in this will probably be motorway cruising out to client locations. My ideas so far are:
Nissan 350z - won't be in great nick at this price range but I've always wanted one and engine wise it seems like there's not a huge amount to go wrong
Mazda RX8 - Dirt cheap now due to rotary engine lifespans, but I've always liked the styling and this seems the ideal timespan to have one before petrol and servicing costs bite
Alfa 156 - The fun engines are out of my price range but oh so pretty and would be good for bike or child moving if the Seat's being used
BMW 330/335i - All high mileage and probably thrashed at this price range but would make a nice motorway barge if they don't explode
Porsche Boxter - Small, silly and impractical. But I've always wanted one
BMW Z4 - As above
Subaru Outback - Seems to be the forum car of choice, 3L model can be had for 2.5k, combines fun and practicality, handy if I get caught in a blizzard.
As you can see these are kind of split down the middle between the fun/practical crossover and just plain silly, so I probably need to make my mind up between those two avenues before I go any further. Any thoughts on this list or options I might have missed would be much appreciated...