Gransport as a daily driver? - Discuss.

JSP214

Member
Messages
131
Just wondering if there’s anyone on here who either uses, or has used, a GS as a daily driver and what their thoughts/experiences were of it, for that purpose?
 

doodlebug

Member
Messages
913
Just wondering if there’s anyone on here who either uses, or has used, a GS as a daily driver and what their thoughts/experiences were of it, for that purpose?
Not a GS but a 4200 Classico. It was my daily driver and was used in all weathers for my 30 mile daily commute for over 10 years and 100k miles until I changed jobs 2 years ago. The journey into work comprised mainly of quiet A roads, which would have suited a GS perfectly. The snow was a bit of a problem but apart from that it was fine.

The location of the new job meant the journey to work was mainly urban, so I retired it from the work commute because the fuel economy went through the floor. I hate to think how much the fuel has cost me since I bought it, so I don't.
 

Andyk

Member
Messages
61,038
I used my 3200 as daily drive and I would say it was all the better for it. All those moving parts well moving everyday is better then them not. Fuel was rather a lot but it was reliable as it was being used daily I think.
 

BL330

Member
Messages
1,121
Happy to provide experience. Used mine 3 days a week or more for 6 years. Kept a second vehicle ( BMW )to share the role mainly to keep the kilometres down and use for little trips to the shops, etc. The big factor is the nature of the commute. I live in a city of 300,000 people with good freeways and easy escapes to the countryside. Brilliant for this type of car. My car hates Sydney traffic and plays up a little every time we visit. You absolutely need the F430 clutch upgrade to live with those traffic queues. Much smoother and positive changes.
If I lived in Sydney I would have the GT or a early QP with the ZF gearbox rather than the GS.
I have stiffened my car's suspension up and some days it is a bit too much. I run the 18" wheels to get back some comfort.
 

Ewan

Member
Messages
6,757
The GS is a great daily, and was built with that in mind. Bullet proof and torquey V8, 4 seats and a boot. Sensibly sized also, so easy to park, and not so low as to be troubled by speed bumps. So ideal. And currently, excellent value for money with some good cars available at around the £20k mark.
 

redsonnylee

Member
Messages
1,540
I dont use mine as a daily driver, although that was the same for my 3200. I live in a part of london that has 20mph everwhere and speed bumps are like pyramids, even in my 4x4 I cant go through them too quickly.

If I lived somewhere else without all this I would be in it every day.
 

Wanderer

Member
Messages
5,791
I've used my QP5 as a DD for ages, perfect. Here in BE/LU hardly used it and car has been a biatch!!
 

JonW

Member
Messages
3,259
I would not want to use my GS as a daily driver.

It’s a lovely car, but the ride is very firm, and (depressingly) prices in the UK are seriously sensitive to mileage... so your casual daily pop to the shops would end up costing way more than it should, and wouldn’t be super comfortable...

For me they are best reserved as a toy, and something to enjoy occasionally.
 

D Walker

Member
Messages
9,827
I would not want to use my GS as a daily driver.

It’s a lovely car, but the ride is very firm, and (depressingly) prices in the UK are seriously sensitive to mileage... so your casual daily pop to the shops would end up costing way more than it should, and wouldn’t be super comfortable...

For me they are best reserved as a toy, and something to enjoy occasionally.
Yep, depressingly that low I “may” get another, probably Oct/Nov time, or maybe early spring.
Mind Ghibli prices are shockingly low too.
 

Ewan

Member
Messages
6,757
I would not want to use my GS as a daily driver.

It’s a lovely car, but the ride is very firm, and (depressingly) prices in the UK are seriously sensitive to mileage... so your casual daily pop to the shops would end up costing way more than it should, and wouldn’t be super comfortable...

For me they are best reserved as a toy, and something to enjoy occasionally.
Yours is a particularly lovely example and I can see why you might be mileage and price sensitive about it.
But one could now buy a good GS for circa £20k, run it as a daily, add 10k miles or so and the depreciation would in all likelihood be less than if one had purchased a £20k Golf (for example). Not that depreciation need be the main concern for a daily car, especially one so modestly priced anyway. Far more important, if you are to use it most days, is to be driving something that you actually want to drive.
For over 10 years I used a selection of 4 different QP V’s as my daily cars and depreciation was negligible as they were all relatively cheap to buy in the first place.
 

philw696

Member
Messages
25,114
Spot on Ewan you want to be using a car that you enjoy driving.
At the end of the day we're only ever custodians.
A little like ex girlfriends it's all about the ride :)
 

mjheathcote

Centenary Club
Messages
9,033
You buy a new car for say £40k, after 2 years it can be worth £20k.
Buy a GS, use it and enjoy it, and scrap it after 2 years.
Well no don't scrap it but the reality is that what ever mileage you do over the 2 years the value after that time you will be better off than buying any decent new car with its depreciation.

Edit: already said above, should have refreshed!
 
Messages
493
+1 for not as a daily for the GS or any of this generation F1

5- 10 years ago i would have said yes but in my view, the age that these cars are getting too now, the F1 system is going cause you problems... its not if its when and the parts are getting harder to find and more expensive. Plus you've got low speed ,stop start driving day to day which the system sux at and lunches your clutch.

manual 4200 tho why not?
 

Twinspark

Member
Messages
460
Its doable but i found that with time the car will get very cumbersome for a daily driver, its a bit stiff and the seats are hard and the transmission is a bit jerky. The GS is a car that likes to be driven fast and hooned so daily driving it can be frustrating.

I think a manual 4200 will be perfectly fine however.
 

Vampyrebat

Member
Messages
3,117
Its doable but i found that with time the car will get very cumbersome for a daily driver, its a bit stiff and the seats are hard and the transmission is a bit jerky. The GS is a car that likes to be driven fast and hooned so daily driving it can be frustrating.

I think a manual 4200 will be perfectly fine however.
It is!..............I used mine as a daily for over 3 years for a 4 mile trip into work on roads that were 40 and 30 mph and it had no problem with it at all. Every now-and-again I would take it up the motorway to blow away the cobwebs just to be on the safe side.
 

Twinspark

Member
Messages
460
One important point i forgot that needs to be mentioned is the lack of cubbies in the GS, you pretty much only have the flimsy door pocket so its annoying if you like to put your phone and water bottle on the center console.

The 4200 center console has a cupholder and a few other storage areas where its not much of an issue.
 

nigw

Member
Messages
904
I've just sold my Gransport (I'd forgotten how much work it is to respond to enquiries, not knowing which of them are genuine and which are time wasters!), but if I hadn't sold it I was thinking about keeping it as my daily runaround. I wouldn't be concerned from a reliability perspective - and if your commute is rural/open it'd be fine as a daily driver....but if it's urban/city driving I think the hard suspension would get a bit tedious. Also agree on the storage - not a lot of storage if you don't have a passenger to hold things for you (even getting my shades out of the door pockets is a challenge!).