Car Philosophy Friday: Tis' it Better to Have Multiple Cheap Cars or One Expensive Car?

Many people have debated over the years whether 1 car is worth a cost based on the number of other cars you could have for the same money. While nobody argues that supercars and ultra high end luxury cars are awesome, there also comes benifits with having a fleet of cheaper vehicles for the same price. Many are so rich they can afford a really nice car and then many more affordable ones, but for the rest of us, we will have to consider whether we should make that big purchase of a car with our life savings or to maintain a diversified garage. Let’s consider what’s more practical, attainable, and most of all what is more fulfilling.

Practicality, diversity

This category goes to both sides for different reasons. Having a larger fleet allows you to have more than one good daily driver, a track/rally car, a towing vehicle, a weekend sports car, and an offroad vehicle. If you buy a Ferrari, be prepared to either buy a crappy daily driver or eat out all the time (groceries in an F430 = not so good). So then you need to buy a daily driver, but with all the money you have spent on the expensive car, there is less left to have a nice daily driver, and instead you get something like a Corolla, Civic, or even a Prius, instead of a BMW, Subaru, and etc. There’s also no way you will also be able to afford a racing or rally car, an off-road car, and a tow vehicle. Basically, if you are not next level rich, owning an expensive car sucks up all the funds that would go to diversifying your garage, and exploring all the automotive world has to offer.

Quality

Having one very nice fast car does, however, have its advantages. For one, your car can have both speed and relative luxury in one package. Also, cars like the Porsche 959, Ferrari F40 are historical, hi-tech, and well crafted. For cheap you can afford fast cars, but not quite as fast or quite as good as the real deal. You must admit that even though your WRX STI is an awesome good car, it’s probably not as enjoyable to drive as most Porsche 911s or Ferraris. No matter how much of a bargain your built monster was, it will never be the well-crafted piece of automotive art as a timeless sports or supercar. The experience will simply never be quite comparable.

Maintenance

This category is hard to make a decision on. While an expensive car will have the bigger repair bills, it takes more effort to keep a 3+ car fleet going, especially if you choose less reliable cars. The expensive car will likely cost more, but a fleet of affordable cars is not always cheap either and takes more of your time you could spend driving. On the plus side, you can service these cars yourself, and some even revel in working on crappy cars like David Tracy of Jalopnik with his many old Jeeps and Jeep parts. If you plan on working on your own cars, be ready for a lot of work in the case of a fleet, but expect to need more expertise and money to consider working on a dream car or be willing to foot the huge bill from the mechanic.

Which one wins out?

In an ideal world, you have one or two amazing cars and others for smaller purposes, but on the budgets, most of us have, on some level a choice must be made. I can see why one would not want to deal with having multiple cars, but overall I would rate the value and experience higher. So if you wanted a full garage what would that look like? Well, let’s see the fleet you can afford for the price of a really nice expensive sports or luxury car, and how to get the most variety.

#1. Daily driver

This is the car you will drive every day, as the name suggests, and you need it to be practical, be comfortable, and be enjoyable to drive, as you will spend the most miles in this car. For this, I recommend a sedan, wagon, a larger coupe, or a hatchback. Some good choices include a Subaru Legacy or Impreza, BMW 1, 2, 3, or 5 Series, Volkswagen Golf GTI or Golf R, Audi A4, S4, A6, or S6, Chevrolet SS/ Holden Commodore, Ford Falcon (Australia), Volvo S70 or V70 R, and similar vehicles. Just look for something sporty but still practical and you will have a good time.

#2. Race or Rally Car

If you dream of someday taking to the track or rally course for sanctioned racing, you will need to buy and outfit a vehicle within the rules. So keep in mind the rules of the sport when purchasing the vehicle, especially with rally. For rally, there are restrictions for displacement, and rules prohibiting beginners from turbo or supercharged vehicles, and all vehicles must have a solid roof and most classes require stock cars or light modifications but must be stripped and given a roll cage as well as rally tires. A racing car will also require its own rules including a roll cage and its own especially tires, but maybe less restrictive on mods depending on the class. Once again, study the rules beforehand. For both rally and the track, smaller nimble cars consistently do the best and are the most fun. Also make sure you have all the proper safety gear such as a suit, and helmet, and have a good co-driver for rally racing. For the track, I can recommend a Mazda MX-5 Miata, Nissan 240 or other Silvia, Acura Integra, BMW E30 or E36, or anything sub $500 for Lemons racing. For rally, I recommend a Subaru Impreza, Honda Civic, European Ford Escort or Sierra, Ford Focus, Volkswagen Golf (older model), BMW E30 (Bill Caswell style), Volvo 240, or anything nimble and in good condition within the rules.

#3. Offroad Vehicle

Overlooked by some automotive fans who are not into 4x4s is the experience of offroad adventure. Whether it’s an Outback on a slight lift, a jacked up rock crawler or a classic Jeep, off-road capability offers you the capacity for adventure by automobile. Many people say they do not like offroading because of the lack of adrenaline (that’s not always true, watch Baja or sand dune racing), or the d!ck measuring lift kits. In reality, offroading is a unique experience and the people are very nice, which comes in handy if you need a winch. If anything, off-roading is a great way to get out into nature, and a simple Crosstrek, Outback, or Audi Allroad can do the trip. You can also go camping, and bring a canoe on the roof! Offroad capable vehicles are for adventure, which I think almost everyone could use more of in their life. Some good choices include a Subaru Outback or Crosstrek, Audi Allroad, a classic Jeep Cherokee XJ, Jeep Wrangler or CJ, a Land Rover Discovery or Range Rover, Toyota 4-Runner or Tacoma, Ford Raptor, Chevy Blazer, Ford Bronco, Lada Niva, Mercedes G-Wagen, Nissan X-Terra, and countless more.

#4. Tow Vehicle

If you play your cards right, you could fulfill the needs of this category and the offroad category “with one stone”. Either way, having a tow vehicle is essential if you want to have a project car, have a camper, or racing/rally car, especially the later two. Having a towing vehicle is useful at least, and necessary in many cases. If you want to race, you need a vehicle to transport the car and tools. Also, being able to tow a camper greatly improves the camping experience. It helps when having a project car too, as it can save you on transport cost and I.O.U.s to your truck friend. You don’t need anything more than an F-150 most likely and look for vehicles that can tow at least 2,500 pounds for a vehicle and trailer. Some good towing vehicles include the Ford F-150 or Expedition, Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra or Chevrolet Colorado, Dodge Ram, Toyota Tundra or Tacoma/4-Runner, Range Rover (Chris Harris uses it), Subaru Outback (3,000 lbs. max, only for towing light car),

#5. Sports Car (optional)

This one is optional depending on your budget or how happy you are with your daily driver. This car should have at least some on-road usability, but it does not need to be able to get groceries or serve as a people mover. Your sports car is for fun driving, car meets, and amateur track days. For many, this is the favorite car, an affordable dream car. Some examples include a Subaru BRZ, Subaru WRX STI, Mitsubishi Evo, Mazda Miata, Honda S2000, Nissan Z, Porsche 944, Porsche 928, Porsche 911 (cheap one), Porsche Cayman/Boxster, Nissan 180sx/240/Silvia, BMW Z3, and etc..

#6. (Optional) Project Car

A project car could also fit the category of most cars on this list, especially the sports car. Being able to make a car just the way you want it can be a freeing experience. It’s about fulfilling your dreams, and also the joy in the journey. I won’t make any recommendations because at the end of the day this can be whatever you want it to be, just keep a close eye on your wallet.

Conclusion

So should one own one nice car and a crap daily or have a balanced garage. It’s easy to fall into the temptation of getting your dream car, but having access to a broader variety of vehicles can be more enjoyable, and practical. If you have the money though, don’t hold off on buying your dream car. Just make sure you have enough leftover to enjoy the wide spectrum of automotive experiences. Or you could become an automotive journalist like Alex Kersten and experience everything, but that’s hard work and lower pay, because hey, that’s a job most of us probably wish we had. #blogpost #CarPhilosophyFriday