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Might be time to change the car blues

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Ajohnw18/06/2016 13:52:20
3631 forum posts
160 photos

My car is 6 years old so might be time to change or just carry on running it, 46,000 miles so should be able to get another 3 years out of it easily. The only major thing that may crop up in circa another 40,000 is brake discs. Clutch just done. I'm more likely to do circa 20 odd k over the next 3 years.

Just had my first valuation. I usually buy pre register or very low mileage demonstrators. Sales man say why buy used when we will sell you a new one discounted for the same amount. Straight face Ok says me. They did discount it a bit and made what I suspect is a below auction valuation on the car. I had noticed a used one at the same place. 16 plate, 1000 miles so then asked about that one. Circa 5k cheaper but all of a sudden £100 less on the part exchange. I just pointed out that in just about all respects it was no better than my current car.Ride slightly worse, touch down on power and noise levels off the road about the same and a touch more off the engine. Trim worse really but heated seats and a rear view camera. Not excited about either.

Looking at cars has been interested. I've always been interested in how they play with prices. 1st problem is I must have my 150 bhp. It must be good cross country on a and b roads. It's not unusual to see the price jump from 20 to 30k to just get the 150 bhp. As a 4x4 might make a change took a look at a Yeti. Built one on the web. At the end it came up with recommended extras - no chance of buying one without I suspect and then loads and loads more, Buy the lot and it would probable be possible to buy a huge Mitsubishi for less. It reminds me of going with my father to buy a car when I was about 8. Heater, carpets and over riders for the bumpers were extras.

Last time I bought I looked at Kia. Very impressed with the engine management in them. It was well ahead of most but no suitable cars so this time took a look at their new Sportarge. Interesting car but who would want a low horse power one? This time it goes up to 180 bhp as they have remapped the engine. Those can be 30K plus. Seems they are very competitive against Range Rovers. There bottom end is sub 20k if I remember correctly. There are also a lot of the previous model about which is a couple of inches shorter.

I always wonder if the buying public is aware that the only markedly change in engine costs is the number of cylinder over rather a large range of sizes and power levels.

John

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Dinosaur Engineer18/06/2016 14:02:31
147 forum posts
4 photos

Model/Workshop engineering ?

Neil Wyatt18/06/2016 14:09:09
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19226 forum posts
749 photos
86 articles

I'm just glad there are people willing to buy new cars so I can get affordable, reliable second hand ones at realistic prices

Neil

Bazyle18/06/2016 14:25:12
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6956 forum posts
229 photos

I thought this might be about "what makes are good for ME's" like no lip on the boot so you can get a loco in, seats fold down flat including front so you can get a 6ft display track in etc.

My tiny Perodua Nippa can have back and passenger seat completely removed so I have at times loaded it with a floor standing pillar drill and a lathe and biggest cast iron garden roller ever made. 59 mpg on motorway.
Recently acquired nearly new Fiesta is too shiny for such things and the seats too firmly fixed. Luckily I realised in time that some other small cars didn't allow a towbar to be fitted. 54mpg on motorway but faster than Nippa.
I do a lot of miles so needed economy but otherwise would have considered one of those bigger square backed things that dog owners seem to like.

donkey18/06/2016 14:39:46
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85 forum posts
5 photos

like mine

image.jpeg

JasonB18/06/2016 14:53:54
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25215 forum posts
3105 photos
1 articles

My dad has got a Sportage and it drives very nicely and seems solidly built with lots of accesories as standard (petrol 4x4) I like it more than the two qashquis he had before. I also drive a commercial Mitusbishi Outlander for work which is very nice, goes well and even with teh basic spec of teh commercial is well equiped, The PHEV is supposed to be good too.

If you want an AWD that goes round A & B roads then get a subaru, those are what I have driven since 1997wink

 

Edited By JasonB on 18/06/2016 14:54:49

duncan webster18/06/2016 15:22:43
5307 forum posts
83 photos

My last car (Vauxhall Vectra) was 14years old with 160,000 miles on the clock when I got shut. It was still reliable, only went because of government scrapage scheme. 6 years old and 46,000 is nothing, keep it a bit longer!

Edited By duncan webster on 18/06/2016 15:23:35

Bazyle18/06/2016 15:48:44
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6956 forum posts
229 photos

This is the sort of thing I meant by dog car. Anyone got one or equivalent and perhaps a picture of it loaded with loco plus driving trolley?

frank brown18/06/2016 16:22:43
436 forum posts
5 photos

I am that sort of quandrary, V W Passat Estate 190 K miles, 06 plate, Wife and mechanic (S-I-L), want me to, for myself, I am still putting building blocks , sand and cement in the back so am reluctant. My Passat is a nice drive, but unreliable but having sorted various things , I hope it improves.

Frank

Gordon W18/06/2016 16:53:17
2011 forum posts

I think mr. ajohn is trying to wind us up.

Mark P.18/06/2016 16:59:19
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634 forum posts
9 photos
I tend to run my cars until they fall to bits,if they are still reliable and cost no more than a couple of hundred quid to get through the MOT I keep them, on the basis I can't get another for that price. My last one I had for 8 years and had done 170K miles.
Mark P.
Ajohnw18/06/2016 17:01:46
3631 forum posts
160 photos

Dog car sums it up - space for a dog cage. Funny some one mentioned Subaru. I should be trying a Forester tomorrow. I tried a petrol one and it's as a Suburu aught to be be. My last silly car was a Wrx, a long time ago now. It was a last fling in the direction of cars I like to drive. One problem with it over a fairly long mileage. At 145mph the hatch in the thing that seals off the underside of the engine bay flies open and wont stay shut there after. Sorry sir they said if we knew you would do that we would have fitted a special washer.

surpriseThe Forester can be bought with the wrx engine - for fast farmers I assume but I must be sensible as mpg counts these days.

Dog cage problems are probably like loco's etc. One surprise car that has a decent boot is a Ford C Max. It can be bought with the 2l engine. Another the Ford Kuga which can also be bought with the 2l engine and even front wheel drive only. More bhp with 4 wheel drive but plus 2k which is better than many. There is also a longer C-Max but the boot floor is a bit lumpy with the 3rd row seats folded down - sheet of osb maybe ? Not that much extra space either. Not looked at prices yet so no idea. It does seem that Ford do the only people carrier with a decent sized boot. Less than my X-Type but the dog should be ok. She'd loose 3 in of paw space, cage same size. None of the garages want to px the dog for a smaller one. She's a lovely dog too.

A man at the Ford main agents suggested I should look at Hyundai. So will at some point. I got talking to some one that did work for them before moving to Ford.

The worse than an X-Type was a 308 or 508. All have big boots and in my view the X-Type does drive a bit better than the Mondeo, guess it's just difference in detail, shocks and spring rating. The 150hp out of 2.2L also feels better than the 150 out of the 2L 308 / 508 whose boots are identical. Gearing is very similar to the X-Type but not so much oomph in 4th,

devilOne thing I have decided - can't really expect to buy an estate any better than the one I have in any respect by the look of it - even noise levels etc.

John

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Speedy Builder518/06/2016 17:21:06
2878 forum posts
248 photos

If your new car has SATNAV, be aware of how much map updates will cost and how they are achieved. I have a Renault with the NAVTEC system which can only be updated via a Windows M/c. I have an Apple MAC book Air and can't update the maps unless I run in Windows compatibility , which is a waste of precious 'disc space' etc etc.
Other ways around the problem, go to dealer, find a friend, buy an old Window M/c, but the point is why should I ?
BobH

Ajohnw18/06/2016 17:44:51
3631 forum posts
160 photos

winkI don't much care if a car has sat nav. I have a TomTom unit. I've changed the battery in it once and it did something recently fully charged that suggests it needs taking apart to do again. I did look at a new one a while ago and checked the maps and found one road that still hadn't been updated. I think I noticed that some cars, might just be Peugot offer free map updates but my bother once told me that an update on his Honda was something like £1k. They are a lot more common now so prices may have changed.

The TomTom has a pug in unit that listens in to the national traffic jam radio. Not so good as hooking it up to a mobile phone but has been of use a couple of times. It's slow to update so only jams that have been around for a long time show up - Radio 2 is better really. I usually have that on while travelling about.

John

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NJH18/06/2016 18:27:34
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2314 forum posts
139 photos

Do you need the load carrying capacity just for the dog cage?

We have a Staffie ( as you might have gathered <--------- !   and she sits on the back seat. She has a special harness which clips into the seatbelt socket. and holds her securely. We used to have two Staffies so both could be accomodated. The good point is that the harness can be used in any vehicle with seat belts and no special modification is required.

Norman

Clive Hartland18/06/2016 19:21:40
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2929 forum posts
41 photos

VW are doing price cuts now, maybe worth a visit. All VW new have been re-programmed now, secondhand maybe not.

Clive

not done it yet18/06/2016 19:24:31
7517 forum posts
20 photos

My view? Duncan is on my wavelength. 46k miles is nothing. Little more than 'run in'. All you are doing is lining the pockets of the car salesman. If that is your aim in life - to give away money, OK - but I dont ascribe to that. They are just grabbing yor hard-earned money for very little. My motor is now over 150k and my wife's Peugeot 607 is coming up towards190k. Yes, some repair costs to keep them completely roadworthy, but still not paying the income of some car salesman's earning of 50k per annum, or more!

Bazyle18/06/2016 19:49:49
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6956 forum posts
229 photos

I don't have a dog. My point about the dog was I see a lot of dog owners with the Peugeot and also Citroen Berlingo because there is no boot lip for the dog to have to scramble over. This is also desirable for a Model Engineer with a 3-4ft long loco, plus driving trolley, bag of coal, tools etc. A full estate is not always convenient when it is also a daily commute, restricted London parking and so on.

Ajohnw18/06/2016 19:57:57
3631 forum posts
160 photos

Some years ago I had a Land Cruiser with some years on it and another German Shepard in the back. Very good dog in most respects just like our current one. While parked up in Dartmouth for around 1/2 hr we came back to find teeth marks all along the back seat top and nicely bitten seat belt. We tend to take our dogs every where with us so some times they have to spend time in the back of the car. They tend to make far more fuss if left at home for even short periods. This particular one had spent much longer in the car without problem. After that I have stuck with dog cages just in case.

Also with our current one if she see a dog walking past she's very likely to dive at what ever is there to stop her getting at it. She's a bit of a problem dog in that respect. I suspect many people would give up on her.

Odd thing on the Land Cruiser was that the dealer I bought it off pointed out that he would never put a dog like that or others in the back of a car because of the damage they might do. I just laughed, I've since found out that serious internal damage to the seats etc isn't that unusual. From the dogs point of view rather than lying down when we are driving about she sits and looks around - even sways with the bends and uses the cage to keep herself upright. On very windy roads like the A40 going down to LLandovery she does lie down usually but keeps her head up so she can see out of the window.

I bought the first cage we had off a person who makes them to fit and loosely speaking lives off the M50. He makes them so that the back can be removed in case the car has a rear end shunt. I also carry a bit of bent 5/16 or so mild steel bar he sells that fits between the boot catch and the lid so that the car can still be locked but plenty of air can get in when the weather is warm so the dog doesn't get hot. They work rather well. Last time I wanted a new cage I bought some heavy steel mesh and made one up myself with some one tig welding and plastic coating it for me. Circa 2" mesh with 1/8" bars. Same sort of thing he used but the bars were a bit heavier. They are a lot better than the usual type and can be made to fit giving the dog as much room as possible. The current one is 3ft by about 22". The next one will probably be a bit wider as I may have to pinch a bit of her paw space - the "font door" stops about 3" short of the boot floor. The cage makers idea. A good one too.

John

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Chris Evans 618/06/2016 20:12:22
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2156 forum posts

What ever you do don't buy a Toyota Rav 4. After 35 years with a series 3 Land Rover I wanted to keep something 4x4 alongside a Passat estate. Bought the Rav and it was the worst car I have ever had,180HP is there but only at silly high revs. Poor handling/ride. Poor seats and trim quality. Best of 32MPG on a run from Midlands to Devon.

Sold it after 4 months and bought a Mondeo estate. Very good and 50+ MPG. Only downside is lack of height in the load area.

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