Which cars should you buy with your holiday money?
It’s the end of May again. That means you’re all being showered with a ton of vacation cash. Now you ask yourself, what do you do with that? Well, money has to roll on four wheels. Normally you can spend your holiday money on a holiday. But you can also do it differently and spend the money on a holiday car.
Just something for fun, for casual entertainment. Buy, drive for a few months and store or sell in the fall. But yes, what do you actually have for 5,000 euros these days?
And no, we don’t all get € 5,000 holiday pay here either. But that $1,500 to $3,500 most of us will catch will go a long way for that first 50% of what these cars cost.
Volvo 960
€ 4.750
1995
306.873 km
Initially we thought of a W124 generation of the E-Class. That is the ultimate holiday car. Nice and spacious, epic build quality and you can always catch up a bit during the evenings and weekends by mounting a light bar on the roof. But is a Volvo 960 much cooler?
They are also built for eternity. These Volvos are still the ‘real real’. So with a six-in-line and rear-wheel drive. In terms of luxury, you get wood, leather and a silky smooth running engine. There are people who think that luxury depends on the equipment and options: that is not the case. It doesn’t get much more luxurious than a 960. The best way to spend your holiday money? Check the marketplace advertisement of this Volvo here!
MG TF 135 (UK)
€ 4.995
2004
67.170 km
Yes, a Mazda MX-5 is always the answer. And you know, somehow that’s true. But isn’t an MG TF much more fun and original? Just to have it in front of the door? Nothing to the detriment of an MX-5, but an MG TF has a mid-engine and a slightly more exclusive look. A bit in the middle between a Toyota MR2 on the one hand and Lotus Elise on the other.
The Rover K-Series four-cylinder sometimes likes a head gasket, but they are nice burly four-cylinders that already give a good home at the bottom. This version also has the manual gearbox (an automatic is always the TF120). In addition, they are typical enthusiasts of English cars, so with a bit of luck they are at least well maintained. And yes, in this case the steering wheel is on the wrong side, but that only increases the holiday feeling. You can view the advertisement of this MG TF here!
Renault Grand Espace V6 Dynamic
€ 4.950
2007
236.289 km
Yes, a long Espace called Dynamics. That is special. It is a variant of the super luxurious Initiale and luxurious Privilège. Doesn’t matter, what matters is space. In many seven-seater cars, you sit in the back row rather dredgingly. And yes, also in the mega-SUVs. An exception is the Defender 130, but it weighs as much as a reasonably full truck. The Grand Espace is particularly spacious for seven people AND their luggage.
The V6 comes from Nissan, and is therefore easy to tune and nice and reliable. The rest of the electronics are from Renault from 2007. It’s hard to argue with that, but if it still works in 2023, it will still work this summer. Also handy with this huge Renault, you can also remove the seats to create space for the ultimate driving shag pad. Remember that you do it safely, so arrange sufficient roadside assistance through your insurer. You can view the advertisement of this pro-conception mobile here!
Suzuki Jimny 1.3 JLX AWD Cabrio
€ 4.899
2001
107.985 km
Yes, very nice all that power. But what should you do with it? Gosh, driving fast in a straight line. But that gets boring after a few minutes. What can you do then? Well, go for this Suzuki Jimny! Sure, the new model has stolen the hearts of everyone, but the driving experience is almost identical in this car. You have a ladder chassis with effective AWD system, including high and low gearing!
The 1.3 engine is surprisingly thirsty (you won’t get 1 in 10) and with 80 hp not powerful (you won’t get 160 either). And it doesn’t matter, because these cars are great fun. Also on asphalt, but brilliant next to it. And how can you find a better holiday car than the car that you can rent on holidays? In terms of reliability, it is in most cases a mustache, it is a Suzuki. But keep an eye on rust, that can quickly take over. In short, a fantastic way to spend your holiday money! Check out the Jimny Convertible ad here!
Renault Wind 1.2 TCE Night & Day
€ 4.500
2010
165.000
We also had to scratch our heads for a while, because the Renault Wind has become affordable! The nice thing about this is that Renault Sport was involved in the development at the time. Unlike many other folding roof convertibles, this drives very well. There were two engines, this 1.2 Turbo and a 1.6 from the Twingo RS.
The latter has more power, but the 1.2 delivers more torque at an earlier time. So it does not look like an entry-level motor in daily use. Also nice: these are pretty reliable cars. Also nice, in terms of running costs, it is all easy to oversee with this Renault. Check out the ad here!
Audi S6 Avant (4G)
€ 4.999
2002
Undoubtedly many kilometers (not stated)
With a fast station wagon on the road is of course wonderful when you have to cross Germany with the family and the necessities. Audi is the OG of fast station wagons and the Audi S6 doesn’t disappoint if you’re into saving gas stamps, stroking dashboards and terminal understeer. Finding an original copy for this money is still quite difficult, which is why there are rickety rims under this copy.
So you have to look for those original Avus rims on Marktplaats. You get an untold amount of car for 5 grand. Don’t forget that a little Volvo 850 T-5R costs a lot more, while they are considerably slower and only have front-wheel drive. Seen in that light, it is strange that not everyone buys an Audi S6. Of course, all your holiday money for next year will be spent on maintenance. But that doesn’t matter with 340 hp. You can view the advertisement for this gun here!
Chrysler Sebring Convertible 2.7 V6 LX
€ 4.750
2001
143.779 km
The Suzuki Samurai/Jimny is the car you always get when you rent an off-road vehicle on a Spanish island. The Sebring Convertible is the rental car in the US that you got when you ordered a four-seat rental car. You were hoping for an upgrade to a Mustang, but you got this Chrysler. And you know, in principle it’s actually quite OK as long as you don’t see it as a Mercedes-Benz CLK alternative.
The Sebring with V6 is not fast, but it is thirsty. It is definitely not a sporty car, but the comfort is also quite disappointing. And yet, when you open that hood, look at that huge bodywork and just enjoy cruising, everything is right again. This makes it the ultimate holiday car and that’s what it’s all about, right? You can view the advertisement of the ideal rental car here!
Read more? These are 15 car tips for the hot summer!
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