Car advice please...

wgwarburton

Hi,
For occasional use? City Car Club:

http://www.citycarclub.co.uk/locations/ ... r-car-hire

Choose the size you need to suit the job (they do VW transporters in some locations...).

No hassle with insurance, tax, maintenance, reliability, depreciation, parking, security... You can use it elswehere, too, so if you take the train to Cardiff (say) or Glasgow you can pick up a car from the street when you arrive...

If you just want occasional transport, not the emotional baggage that comes with car ownership, then it's worth a long, hard look.

Cheers,
W.

jamesco

WGWarburton wrote:

For occasional use? City Car Club:

+1 for renting

Hiring a big van for 24 hours only cost £50 last time I did it. If your use is only occasional then it makes financial sense, saves lots of hassle and you can fit a lot more in a van (and be as rough as you like doing it) than even a big estate. If you end up needing a car frequently then a hatchback makes lots of sense.

twist83

SimonAH wrote:

If you're not planning on loads of miles and want a robust workhorse that's almost free to run (excepting fuel of course) have you considered a series Landrover? Apart from anything else it will take any abuse you care to throw at it, carry and tow anything, and depreciate by exactly nothing. Instant cool too!

That is a bold statement! The other halfs old man runs a Land Rover garage (NOT a dealership) he sells and maintains them. Judging by the size of their house I would say they do break and often and when they do it is not cheap.

Granted they mostly hold their price well.

An older diesel or a newer petrol for hassle free (ish!) running I would say. Also I would get a bike rack or even roof rack to hold the bike(s) on rather than stuffing it in the car.

veronese68

If you're not keen on something too big due to narrow lanes I'd consider a Focus estate. No wider than a regular Focus, but longer with a bigger boot. I'd also say go petrol as you probably won't be doing huge mileage and they're cheaper to buy.
If that's still too big, go for a Fiesta or other small hatchback.

davmaggs

I went down this little avenue of research a couple of months ago having rented cars for the last eight years.

My observations are that the VW badge makes the price higher than a bread and butter brand like Ford, and when trying to buy cheap runners it means that you'd have to buy a thrashed VW to price-match a good condition Ford. Also the diesels aren't what they once were, so any memories of the 200,000 road warriors of the past are out of date, and as other posters have said the move to make them nicer means big bills.

Certain models also tend to have been high mileage (Passat, Avensis) due to their past life so watch for that.

I'd stick to a Ford or Vauxhall, and really really try to avoid upselling yourself to something a little better. That way there's no worries about dents or chucking things in the back. Also used parts are cheap for cars like the Mondeo so you can replace trim, keys, and bumpers via eBay.

I got an old Mondeo. I never thought it would happen.

msmancunia

Thx for all the advice. Have thought about the car club/rental route, but the nearest car club car is in the centre of Manchester, so 8 miles away from me, and I kind of want a car for those last minute, completely underestimated how much paint I need/IKEA tealight emergency runs, which renting a car for is a bit of a hassle.

Going to keep an eye out on ebay/local dealers and see what's out there. As long as it's City blue obviously.

kelsen

Have you also looked at AutoTrader UK? Do a search based on price, spec, distance, etc and see what turns up, then whittle down the results to what catches your eye.

Gizmo_

mudcow007 wrote:

i would avoid anything French in my opinion everyone i have known with a frenchy have either literally fell to bits or suffered from gremlins (like electrical faults)

A thousand times this. I don't know why they are so incompetent, but it's true - Renaults, Peugeots and Citroens have terrible electrics.

Merc A-class is a good call, I'd also suggest something like a Honda Accord estate - almost bombproof.

SimonAH

twist83 wrote:

SimonAH wrote:

If you're not planning on loads of miles and want a robust workhorse that's almost free to run (excepting fuel of course) have you considered a series Landrover? Apart from anything else it will take any abuse you care to throw at it, carry and tow anything, and depreciate by exactly nothing. Instant cool too!

That is a bold statement! The other halfs old man runs a Land Rover garage (NOT a dealership) he sells and maintains them. Judging by the size of their house I would say they do break and often and when they do it is not cheap.

Granted they mostly hold their price well.

An older diesel or a newer petrol for hassle free (ish!) running I would say. Also I would get a bike rack or even roof rack to hold the bike(s) on rather than stuffing it in the car.

Well, all I can relate to is personal experience. Mine was a S2 / S3 with the 3.5L V8 and was immense fun (and used daily for a year for a 45mile round trip commute). Enormous pant moistening good fun, and greenlaned on Sundays with a group of mates. Now greenlaning = prangs = broken bits and although I used to do all the maintenance myself it was the cost of the spares that staggered me - full rear light cluster lens £7.50 for example! OK, I grant that it helps that Bearmach is just down the road in Cardiff, but anything I broke that needed replacing seemed to be ludicrously inexpensive.

roger_merriman

msmancunia wrote:

Thx for all the advice. Have thought about the car club/rental route, but the nearest car club car is in the centre of Manchester, so 8 miles away from me, and I kind of want a car for those last minute, completely underestimated how much paint I need/IKEA tealight emergency runs, which renting a car for is a bit of a hassle.

Going to keep an eye out on ebay/local dealers and see what's out there. As long as it's City blue obviously.

old boring Fiesta and like would seem a good choice, add a bike rack and you can carry bikes and what not places, handy if you MTB, or want to do sportives or just ride somewhere else!

jzed

RS6

msmancunia

Well, what I'd really like is a Lancia Integrale, but I think that'll only be a dream unless I win the lottery. Still the most fun I've ever had driving a car though

veronese68

msmancunia wrote:

Well, what I'd really like is a Lancia Integrale, but I think that'll only be a dream unless I win the lottery. Still the most fun I've ever had driving a car though

Good girl. Sensible choice too, 4wd, 5 door hatchback. What's not to like?

EKE_38BPM

Veronese68 wrote:

msmancunia wrote:

Well, what I'd really like is a Lancia Integrale, but I think that'll only be a dream unless I win the lottery. Still the most fun I've ever had driving a car though

Good girl. Sensible choice too, 4wd, 5 door hatchback. What's not to like?

Old, left hooker (or afterthought RHD conversion) and Italian, er, idiosyncrasies.
Still love them though.

mudcow007

Veronese68 wrote:

msmancunia wrote:

Well, what I'd really like is a Lancia Integrale, but I think that'll only be a dream unless I win the lottery. Still the most fun I've ever had driving a car though

Good girl. Sensible choice too, 4wd, 5 door hatchback. What's not to like?

eye-talion though init

i thought they were made out of rust aswell?

if your getting a delta...can i have one of these please



or at very least one of these

veronese68

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Veronese68 wrote:

msmancunia wrote:

Well, what I'd really like is a Lancia Integrale, but I think that'll only be a dream unless I win the lottery. Still the most fun I've ever had driving a car though

Good girl. Sensible choice too, 4wd, 5 door hatchback. What's not to like?

Old, left hooker (or afterthought RHD conversion) and Italian, er, idiosyncrasies.
Still love them though.

It's called "character" Unless you're stranded at the side of the road when it's called a major fookin pain in the aris.
And Muckyheifer the Stratos has even more character. But unfortunately those two are no good for transporting bikes. Even if you can put a full face lid in a Stratos door pocket.

gtvlusso

For ease of servicing and usage without major expense: Ford or Vauxhall.

For something reliable, but pricey with more kudos: VW, Audi

For something that has style but will cost in terms of maint: Merc or BMW

The petrol / diesel conundrum;

For ease of servicing and low complexity you cannot beat a petrol engine. Modern Diesel Turbo engines are very complex and when something does go wrong it is usually a big bill. So, for low mileage run around - definitely petrol, for higher mileage motorway pounding - diesel.

Spec;

Most important, are the seats comfy, can I get everything I need in it and does it have a cup holder?

That's why I have a fecking great big turbo diesel 4 x 4 that does 20 miles a week around town!

mrc1

Great example of a thread that goes on long enough to have people recommend one thing and others warning off.

When buying do some shopping around and youll get a feel for what is a good or bad example of a certain model. The variance between two 05 plate mondeos will be huge depending on who had them. For my money id not be afraid of high mileage as it mea s longer journies and less stop start. Also look at things like tyres - 4 of same brand is a good sign of someone who has looked after the car.

Sadly though an older car is likely to need some decent work at some point ie cambelt or for a breakdown so research the service schedules and keep some money aside. A great example - look at how many discovery 3s are for sale with 103,000 on the clock as they need a new set of belts at 105k which costs a load. Our discovery covers around 40k a year so sooner or later things go wrong but you just have to accept it will happen and so your best to look after it.

Oh and FWIW i have owned renaults, old minis, peugeots, fords, a landrover, an audi and a vauxhall. Only one that was trouble was the audi so it shows how variable cars can be.

veronese68

mrc1 wrote:

Great example of a thread that goes on long enough to have people recommend one thing and others warning off.

When buying do some shopping around and youll get a feel for what is a good or bad example of a certain model. The variance between two 05 plate mondeos will be huge depending on who had them. For my money id not be afraid of high mileage as it mea s longer journies and less stop start. Also look at things like tyres - 4 of same brand is a good sign of someone who has looked after the car.

Sadly though an older car is likely to need some decent work at some point ie cambelt or for a breakdown so research the service schedules and keep some money aside. A great example - look at how many discovery 3s are for sale with 103,000 on the clock as they need a new set of belts at 105k which costs a load. Our discovery covers around 40k a year so sooner or later things go wrong but you just have to accept it will happen and so your best to look after it.

Oh and FWIW i have owned renaults, old minis, peugeots, fords, a landrover, an audi and a vauxhall. Only one that was trouble was the audi so it shows how variable cars can be.

Wise words indeed.

gtvlusso

mrc1 wrote:

Great example of a thread that goes on long enough to have people recommend one thing and others warning off.

When buying do some shopping around and youll get a feel for what is a good or bad example of a certain model. The variance between two 05 plate mondeos will be huge depending on who had them. For my money id not be afraid of high mileage as it mea s longer journies and less stop start. Also look at things like tyres - 4 of same brand is a good sign of someone who has looked after the car.

Sadly though an older car is likely to need some decent work at some point ie cambelt or for a breakdown so research the service schedules and keep some money aside. A great example - look at how many discovery 3s are for sale with 103,000 on the clock as they need a new set of belts at 105k which costs a load. Our discovery covers around 40k a year so sooner or later things go wrong but you just have to accept it will happen and so your best to look after it.

Oh and FWIW i have owned renaults, old minis, peugeots, fords, a landrover, an audi and a vauxhall. Only one that was trouble was the audi so it shows how variable cars can be.

Agree with you on your point - there is no finite answer!; At least Mercs are chain driven, so, you don't need to worry about cam belt services!!

My ML is for sale:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221053798739? ... 1555.l2649

The b*tch of it is, that I have spent £2k on it this year sorting out the common issues. So it is now fully sorted for another 100k miles.....but we still don't use the damn thing enough to justify keeping it!

**All the tyres match...!

DrLex

mrc1 wrote:

[...] A great example - look at how many discovery 3s are for sale with 103,000 on the clock as they need a new set of belts at 105k which costs a load.

<picky>
It's 7 years or 105K; whichever comes first. Just had mine done this year - £400, so not within my definition of a load.

twist83

JZed wrote:

RS6

Very very good on fuel as well! Cheap to run, cheap to buy and Insure as well if I remember correctly.

twist83

DrLex wrote:

mrc1 wrote:

[...] A great example - look at how many discovery 3s are for sale with 103,000 on the clock as they need a new set of belts at 105k which costs a load.

<picky>
It's 7 years or 105K; whichever comes first. Just had mine done this year - £400, so not within my definition of a load.

Where did you get them done?

DrLex

twist83 wrote:

DrLex wrote:

mrc1 wrote:

[...] A great example - look at how many discovery 3s are for sale with 103,000 on the clock as they need a new set of belts at 105k which costs a load.

<picky>
It's 7 years or 105K; whichever comes first. Just had mine done this year - £400, so not within my definition of a load.

Where did you get them done?

Independent garage off A37, but YLR will negotiate for business.

(Alas, M.O.T., regular year 7 service and a few suspension bits pushed the total up to a few quid shy of £900, but it's not like running an old Series.)

twist83

I only mentioned as the other halfs old man owns Gerald Hallet Land Rovers up near Halstock way. They know there stuff up there and are very honest. Few grumpy old buggers there but they know there Land Rovers.

DrLex

I know Hallets get all the Farmers who got fecked off with Vincent's

Sorry - well off-topic now. We return you to your regular car-based thread...

mrc1

DrLex wrote:

twist83 wrote:

DrLex wrote:

mrc1 wrote:

[...] A great example - look at how many discovery 3s are for sale with 103,000 on the clock as they need a new set of belts at 105k which costs a load.

<picky>
It's 7 years or 105K; whichever comes first. Just had mine done this year - £400, so not within my definition of a load.

Where did you get them done?

Independent garage off A37, but YLR will negotiate for business.

(Alas, M.O.T., regular year 7 service and a few suspension bits pushed the total up to a few quid shy of £900, but it's not like running an old Series.)

Didn't want to get too technical 8) that's a good price though. Most specialists/dealers quote around £800ish - we managed to get ours done by the place we bought it from before we did the deal so all worked out well. Main dealer discounts is a decent place for cheap servicing at main dealers if there is no independent nearby.

We do all the oils related stuff ourselves though - much cheaper.

wgwarburton

msmancunia wrote:

Thx for all the advice. Have thought about the car club/rental route, but the nearest car club car is in the centre of Manchester, so 8 miles away from me, and I kind of want a car for those last minute, completely underestimated how much paint I need/IKEA tealight emergency runs, which renting a car for is a bit of a hassle....

True... OTOH, CityCar have a Fiesta within a mile of Salford Quays and another four within three miles... and renting one of them is very, very easy- you just call up the website (or ring them) and book the one you want for however long you want it..
Obviously not as handy as having your own car outside your house when you're at home, but that's an expensive option... and it's a lot more handy than having your own car outside your house when you're actually at work wanting to use it! :-)

Cheers,
W.

DonDaddyD

Ms Manc, get either a: Ford Focus (Titanium - models in brackets), Fiat Bravo (Dynamic), Honda Civic SE or ES or EX). These hatchbacks have seats that fold flat and a decent spec.

The engines in either petrol or diesel are great. If it were me, I'd buy the Fiat Bravo 1.9 diesel multijet Dynamic.

www.parkers.co.uk

---

Now for the talk of men.

City car = Small light Fiesta or smaller (Fiesta's, Polo's, Punto's, Alfa's are pretty big these days) with a petrol engine. The running/service costs of diesel add up.

Motorway car = Medium - Large diesel engine car

Car you are not planning on driving everyday or even every week (if you're like me) the car you can afford and enjoy driving.

Me? I drive a 2.0ltr petrol Mazda 6. I've driven the diesel version and while it would have been far more economical it is heavier, a lot heavier, and less enjoyable to drive around town, which matters to me because I do drive in London. Sure I could have got a smaller car, but I wanted the Mazda and the insanely sized hatchback boot (car looks like a saloon) comes in handy what with the family.

My Dad drives his BMW 3.0ltr diesel 5 series everywhere, even to the corner shop. When he borrowed my car he gave it back on Wednesday and said he couln't afford to run it. My car drinks petrol and as my need to drive increases (I do more motorway driving than I anticipated) I may have to reconsider my driving style first and then the car...

mudcow007

DonDaddyD wrote:

Fiat Bravo 1.9 diesel multijet Dynamic.

that engine has been used in loads of different (better made cars)
Vauxhall astra/ vectra/ signum probably more

Alfa's

an a suzuki i think

personally i would go for a petrol ford focus you can pick them up for buttons, just use an abuse or a fiesta if a focus is too big