I am finding less justification for keeping the M5.

My situation is broadly as follows:

M5 has been driven 4,000 miles since August. Approx 2- 3,000 of them have been as a tow car.

I don't use it to commute or for work and it is used occasionally at weekends, rarely in the week.

I need a 2nd car to do 2 things, i) to get my daughter and myself about including picking her up from childminders and ii) a towcar for the racecar.

Car no. 1 is the Legacy which my wife needs for work (works on the road and needs the bootspace and ideally 4wd).

I don't enjoy driving on the UK roads much nowaday for several reasons. I find it irritating and boring.

Do I chop in the M5 for something else? If so, what? It mustn't cost more than the M5 both in upfront cash and running costs.

Trouble is the M5 is such a good car. It will do 19mpg towing the racecar, it is immaculate (I spent a long time finding it) bar a few bits that need sorting on the exterior. I get a strong feeling that if I get shot I will regret it . On the other hand I cannot let the car go to the dogs (throwing stuff in it for racing will eventually take its toll).

Help required.

 

If you don't enjoy driving in the UK, then why bother with owning such a drivers car? By your own admission, 3/4 of your driving is towing - so your M5 is doing nothing that a 1995 Mondeo diesel won't do - albeit rather more stylishly / comfortably - but it's one of the most expensive ownership prospects you could possibly go for.

A diesel Audi Allroad will have more boot space, be better on fuel, cheaper to insure and will actually make a better tow car (for example).

 

It sounds like it needs to go, that's got to be an expensive toy to have sitting around

Can you use the Legacy for towing or is it exclusively the wife's now?

I feel very much the same about driving on the roads and wonder how long I'll keep the M3 for (must update my thread), although I have got the "learn new tracks conveniently" excuse.

Bloody racing turns everything on it's head, I remember when owning a 'nice' car was enough

 

Do you need to sell it (need the money) or not?

If keeping it doesn't bother you financially then keep it

Having said that I sold the Evo while not needing the money, it just wasn't getting used at all and I felt like I was chucking money away and not getting enjoyment from it.

 

sell it

from what you have said, there is no point in keeping it

it's only metal and it's not as if you won't be able to replace it

 

Thanks for the replies. Just a couple of clarifications:

I don't need to sell, but I don't like waste.

I would like to have something clean, comfortable and spacious. I don't want a a 15 yr old vehicle as a 2nd car nor a 2 door.

Has anyone suggestions? I was thinking of one of them Mitsubishi or Nissan truck type things, with the double cab (forget the name).

Does anyone have other unusual suggestions? Car hire for example (I do need to pick up my daughter from nursery two evenings which is approx 4 miles from my house).

Another idea is to have a 2nd car that doesn't tow but have a specific tow car which I can part own with Fieldl. Not too keen on this unless I can be convinced as it takes up more space and would need to be kept roadworthy-again hire car could be an option but we had a look some time ago and they don't seem readily available with tow bars.

 

Have you got anywhere you could keep a van?

It's ideal for a dedicated tow car but not the sort of thing you'd want parked outside your house.

I certainly wouldn't want the thing I've just bought on display

 

Flog the M5, get a 530d with a remap, presto, awesome towing car with grin factor when ur not towing! Looks wise, close-ish to the m5

Or a 3.0 tdi audi/vw variant with a boot...

 

Or an old beavertail tow truck.

We would have done something like this (still contemplating a transit at the moment) but access to mine is tight (plenty of room to park a truck once you're in, but a bugger to get one down the drive) - share the costs of keeping a dedicated race truck on the road and have whatever car you fancy for the rest of the time.

If not, do be aware that the double cab things are still only 4x4 pickups and not much fun for anything but towing really, the Landy is great, but you wouldn't want to spend 3 hours on a motorway in it.

 

I'm sure towing a race car whilst driving an M5 on the British roads hardly helps matters - how frustrating does that sound!!??

The M5 has to go, whilst you love it, it's just not being used in it's preferred environment / capacity!

You don't like waste, so if it's replaced then it sounds pointless having 19mpg when all you are doing is towing at circa 55 mph.

I'd suggest a diesel Disco or A6 Allroad, all the space, pace, torque and creature comforts you'd need from a vehicle that is designed exactly for your requirements.

Your frustrations with the British roads is soon forgotten when you lower the race car on to the track. So why have a track engineered road car that you know in your heart is now a waste?