Help With Car

[feb 47]

I have been thinking of replacing the Forester with something cheaper if it sells for the money I am after.

 

I know I will definetely regret it as it has been the best car I have owned, it ticks all boxes and it has taken me a year to get it to the point it is now to be satisfied suspension wise, but if it pays what it owes me now with hardly any depreciation over 2.5 years of ownership I doubt I will have this opportunity again in the future so it will either be make a big loss later on or marry it and keep paying the petrol bills or convert it to LPG.

 

The requirements are: economic/doesn't break the bank to run, reliable, spacious, fun to drive and it would be good if it had AWD.

 

The Forester ticks all the above apart from the economic. It isn't too bad in long journeys if you are steady and cautious (I have managed 31mpg in long journeys with speeds between 75-95mph and A/C ON for at least half of the journey) but it is horrendous in town especially short journeys where I get 18-21mpg.

 

I have been thinking of either a 320d estate with the M packet, a 330 petrol and LPG it, a 2.0D Legacy estate or a 3.0 Spec B estate and LPG it.

 

After having spoken with people who owned both a FSTi and Legacy tuned by STi, they told me the Forester was the most fun car so I fear I will start the modding again, it would need at least springs and a thicker rear ARB to handle OK. The seats are like armchairs too.

 

I have driven a friend's 320d estate (2008 model) and was happy with the handling so it wouldn't need anything I believe. It didn't even have the M packet although some say that ride quality is ruined by the harder/lower suspension and 18" wheels the M packet has.

 

Prices of 320d are as low as £7k for 2008 models with 149k miles and FBMWSH going up to £11k for 50-60k miles examples.

 

For £11k you can also get a 330 petrol and slightly cheaper a 130 which must be an interesting car from what I have read.

 

Would a 3.0 petrol on LPG be a safer bet (reliability wise) than a 2.0d? It would certainly be more fun as I would probably get bored of the 320d after a while but I am wondering how the engine would run on LPG.

 

The other option is to convert the FSTi to LPG and use a second map with lower boost e.g. 0.6 or so to be safe.

 

What would you do?

Edited January 1, 2012 by feb

[harryskid 193]

Get a Porsche !

[GLPoomobile 958]

If you love the car as it is, then I'd say that LPGing it must surely be the best option if you are going to keep it for years.

[jeremy 70]

My sister has a 2004 petrol auto Forrester and loves it. I say if the only reason you want to change it including possible conversion to lpg is du to economy then do the maths first and find out what your break even point is. Virtually all modern cars will loose money, so unless you opt for something that has very little to loose monerty wiseprobably isn't really what you want. Also I am in a similar situation with my Disco, however sometimes better the devil you know.