Q&A 119 - Fixing British Leyland
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What car should I buy as a fun third vehicle for daily use?
I'm Richard Porter. I'm Johnny Smith. And this is on the other side of things, the Smith Sniff spin off in which we answer your questions. Well, hello. Welcome. Uh it's another of our second shows on a Friday on the other side of things where we answer your questions. Um so I'm just gonna dive right in and do that. Um with a car buying advice question from a listener called Lewis, I think, or Louie. It's hard to know. I'll uh either way. Uh he says, Hello, you folded head gaskets. Uh I would welcome some advice on a potential third car purchase. I drive a Mark 7.5 Golf GTI performance. Mmm, excellent. Okay. I I love it. And have decided it'll be a car I keep until I or it dies. I have it serviced every six months as I drive around twenty thousand miles a year.
I cannot find a single fault in it at all. Plenty fast enough, fun to drive, and most of my journeys are on the motorway where it'll cruise and easily reach forty plus miles per gallon. Now that's great. My wife and I Yeah, it is, isn't it? It's hard to argue against it. You just go, Yes, that's it. Have maybe cars have just peaked of that type. Um my wife and I have a three month old and she needs a new car to drive to and from town for coffee and baby class shenanigans. She wants safety, high driving position, and practical. We are seriously considering leasing a new Vauxhall Frontera. There are some very good lease deals on the E V models which seem too good to pass up. Yes, I've noticed this. Anyway, my question is not about a baby wagon, it's about a fun third car for us slash me.
I live in Sussex and regularly drive into Greater London, so when I'm driving to and from the M twenty five, I met with some great country roads, and with the lovely weather we've had recently I'm more and more drawn to buying a two-seater convertible I can occasionally take to work slash drive to the shops when we run out of nappies. You may be thinking a larger cabriolet would be better with the baby, but the baby doesn't know its ass from its elbow, so she wouldn't mind missing out on some open top work in inverted commas. I know. I like the idea of Oh, there's a baby. Done now it's asked from his elbow. Clueless, isn't it? Um I would like to spend a maximum of ten thousand pounds and I'm thinking along the lines of an Audi T T S, a boxter or an S two thousand.
Would love to know what you guys think with your knowledge and experience. Please feel free to suggest other options. CMTM Or Louis. Louis Louis. Louis
or Lewis. Well my my mate Lewis lives in lives in Sussex, but he's he wouldn't ask. But he spells it L E W I S. Yeah, he's an L E W so that's Yeah he is.
Anyway, there we go. Okay. Sorry. Well
name confusion. I was before I heard the budget, I thought I knew what I was going to recommend him, but uh that's Go on, what were you gonna say? I was gonna say BMW I eight. And the reason the reason for that is because if you go into London, you've got it can switch into EV mode if you and it can be great in heavy M twenty five E type traffic, uh w with the electric only. But the I eight, as you know, I've said it before, I just think it's such an amazing car, full carbon, interesting powertrain, futuristic looks and Wild interior two plus two. Full and it's less than f you know, thirty five grand, I reckon. So Well
but the 'cause the roads to on Cabrio or whatever came later, didn't it?
How could British Leyland have been reorganised to become a viable carmaker?
I think they're probably a bit punchier money wise. Yeah. Out of budget here. But yeah.
Um I did the launch of that car, I preferred the hard top. Did you? Okay.
I believe that they can be quite hard to ensure slash expensive to repair and the two things are obviously related because Like I think if you have the laser headlights or something they're they're the y per unit to replace one is you know, something absurd, like ten grand. Yeah, well that's quote me on that,
but No, that's true. That's when you've just gotta rely on second hand bits, basically. Otherwise you is snooked, mate.
I funnily enough, I was also going to suggest, but I don't think it's in budget, uh from the left field a Honda S six sixty imported from Japan K car.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What car should I buy as a fun third vehicle for daily use?
0:01–3:41
2
How could British Leyland have been reorganised to become a viable carmaker?
3:41–7:23
3
What would a modern Triumph road‑ster look like and could BMW revive the brand?
7:23–10:52
4
Which budget‑friendly modifications can personalise a 2003 Micra?
10:52–15:22
5
Why did British Leyland’s model overlap and lack of strategy cause its downfall?
15:22–20:22
6
How might a shared rear‑wheel‑drive platform have saved BL’s brands?
20:22–24:30
7
What are the pros and cons of importing a Honda S660 versus a domestic classic?
24:30–28:58
8
How can young drivers make a modest car feel special without breaking the bank?
28:58–34:35