: my company car goes back to the lease company on Tuesday, so I've just had it valeted and tomorrow the touch up paint is out ! I've taken it for granted for a while but after picking it up today in pristine condition cream leather ,walnut dash, M sport Le Mans Blue , wow ! it had new tyres a month ago , so today I thought I'd give it its last blast , in this great condition only 58000 miles it drove perfectly I found some empty Pennines roads and let it off the leash, short throw box , big wide rear Potenzas, rear wheel drive and 177 bhp, fantastic diesel motor and reminded me why I've had these cars for the last 15 years. The replacement is an Audi I don't think I'll like it half as much but then I don't expect to keep it long as I'm getting very disenchanted with working for a living ! 2009 GS Auto Zermatt Silver - Sold June 21 after 10 years of ownership

2016 Subaru Outback SE 2.0 diesel SE Premium Lineartronic Sold 2024 after 8 years and 80k miles . Best Car I ever owned !

2023 Toyota Hilux invincible X 2.8 Auto .

I got fed up working 2 days a week to pay the tax man too, so I just thought sod it and chucked it all in, took early retirement, off to Singapore for 3 months soon for a feet up session and will buy a new Evoque when I get back, oh joy!
Really dont know how I found the time to work thinking back.

Brilliant ! I'm the last of my bunch of mates still to be working at 57 ! And I agree with you 100% , 2009 GS Auto Zermatt Silver - Sold June 21 after 10 years of ownership

2016 Subaru Outback SE 2.0 diesel SE Premium Lineartronic Sold 2024 after 8 years and 80k miles . Best Car I ever owned !

2023 Toyota Hilux invincible X 2.8 Auto .

///

Aha me too, early retired at 55... don't know how I fitted life round work before that...

... ...

Be true to yourself. That way happiness lies...

I've driven 320d's for work and even test driven a current 520d and I still don't get it myself. There simply isn't the power to exploit RWD and while the 2 litre diesel does seem to go on forever, it's a bit rough.

I'm not an Audi fan myself, but it should still be an improvement.

Well if you don't get it you don't get it, but it would be a poor world if everybody thought the same wouldn't it , at least we agree that a Freelander is a half decent bus, The Audi will be less powerful at 163 but the main attraction is that at 63 mpg mixed driving it will let me leave the diesel card scheme and be 1600 quid in pocket to fund my own mileage all my works driving is home to the airport and at 70 mpg plus on the motorway I'll make nearly 5 pounds a gallon on my fuel claim unbelievable economy from a full size 2 litre estate car. 2009 GS Auto Zermatt Silver - Sold June 21 after 10 years of ownership

2016 Subaru Outback SE 2.0 diesel SE Premium Lineartronic Sold 2024 after 8 years and 80k miles . Best Car I ever owned !

2023 Toyota Hilux invincible X 2.8 Auto .

Loved my e90 330i in Le Mans blue on lemon as well - best colour combo in my opinion and by far the best car I ever had. I always get a slight pang when I see one!

Don't get me wrong - I love the freel2 but its no drivers car like the BM.

Have had audi's as well and whilst they are a nice place to be they never drive as well. I had massive problems with my Audi also which put me off.

I had an e46 320cd before the 330 and whilst you can't smoke the tyres like you can in the 6 pots they can still go side ways and make rapid progress when pushed.

 Freelander 2 TD4 Auto, SE, Narvik Black, Alpaca full leather, Rear Headrest Entertainment System, 6 CD, 18 HSE Wheels, Privicy tints

MartynB wrote:

Well if you don't get it you don't get it, but it would be a poor world if everybody thought the same wouldn't it , at least we agree that a Freelander is a half decent bus, The Audi will be less powerful at 163 but the main attraction is that at 63 mpg mixed driving it will let me leave the diesel card scheme and be 1600 quid in pocket to fund my own mileage all my works driving is home to the airport and at 70 mpg plus on the motorway I'll make nearly 5 pounds a gallon on my fuel claim unbelievable economy from a full size 2 litre estate car.

What about one of these?? I quite like the idea of it

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/bmw/3-series/...-confirmed

Packing up work at 57, you must be all wimps.

I worked as an M and E Building Services Design Engineer until I was 71 travelling all over the UK in a FL1 to hotel and office block projects.

Only packed up then because could not fit in the 5 weeks of Prostate Cancer radiation treatment into the schedule, so cut back to an office based roll until I was 73, and finally retired because of lack of projects due to the clowns running the UK.

Now spend most of my time in the winter running small building projects FOC for local churches and in the summer caravanning (sorry George) and officiating on British Rally Championship and BTRDA car rallys.

Keep going as long as you can the Care Home will come soon enough.

Bill T. Life Honorary Member of Wallasey Motor Club.
Licenced MSA Radio Operator for 35+ years.
Rallying is the only sport.

Good for you Bill! I jacked in work at 60 because I could and have too many hobbies for work (still playing in a rock band as well). Off to France to live in a few weeks time...another adventure and to get away from Bill's "clowns" that are running the UK  John
07 HSE Narvick Black
Land Rover Series One
Triumph Rocket 111 (sadly gone!)

Each to there own but after 40 years of working and being away from home all over Europe for the last 5 years , I fall firmly into line with the " jack it in early " brigade, you never know what cards life is going to deal you so I want some years in retirement unlike my Dad. Also if blokes like us block the upper rungs of the ladder how do the young ones ever get a foot on the bottom rung. John your plans are spot on keep on rocking  2009 GS Auto Zermatt Silver - Sold June 21 after 10 years of ownership

2016 Subaru Outback SE 2.0 diesel SE Premium Lineartronic Sold 2024 after 8 years and 80k miles . Best Car I ever owned !

2023 Toyota Hilux invincible X 2.8 Auto .

Last edited by MartynB on 18th Mar 2013 5:10 pm. Edited 2 times in total

Duplicate  2009 GS Auto Zermatt Silver - Sold June 21 after 10 years of ownership

2016 Subaru Outback SE 2.0 diesel SE Premium Lineartronic Sold 2024 after 8 years and 80k miles . Best Car I ever owned !

2023 Toyota Hilux invincible X 2.8 Auto .

Packed it all in aged 52 having stayed with the same company since i was 16.

My Dad once told me the sooner you can retire the better.
Unfortunately he died aged just 56 just before he was due to retire. Another member of the failed FL2 clutch/DMF club, twice.

And my Dad passed at 57 the same age I am now he worked ( and I mean worked ) 43 years without a break apart from the last 6 months when he couldn't. So am I going to risk dying between the shafts ,dragging the cart uphill , no bloody way, 2009 GS Auto Zermatt Silver - Sold June 21 after 10 years of ownership

2016 Subaru Outback SE 2.0 diesel SE Premium Lineartronic Sold 2024 after 8 years and 80k miles . Best Car I ever owned !

2023 Toyota Hilux invincible X 2.8 Auto .