Car question

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swee'pea99

Legendary Member
I was once told by the bloke who worked in our local garage that the key to cheap motoring was simple: Buy careful, buy German.
 

w00hoo_kent

One of the 64K
I was once told by the bloke who worked in our local garage that the key to cheap motoring was simple: Buy careful, buy German.
Yeah, the one I got burnt on most was a Mercedes Estate. Was supposed to do me a couple of years, off loaded it for peanuts after a couple of months, still not working right. That was one of those times when I'd arrived and was suddenly told all the things that weren't broken any more. I should have got back on the train and gone home, but I'd travelled quite a way and I was sure it'd be OK. My bad. Then again, you could argue I wasn't careful.
Had a BMW that wasn't bad, but the best of the bunch was a Lexus LS400, thirsty, but a lovely car, paid around £400 for it, kept it 14 months (starter motor went in the end). If it fitted my needs I'd buy another one in a shot.
 

Levo-Lon

Guru
If you dont know what your looking at get a AA report done.

my van has done 42k from new ,I service it myself every 3k so its a minter and well cared for.
if you dont want AA get a mate who knows as a impartial view is best..

also bear in mind one repair like a DMF could set you back £600, £1500 so make sure the car purs with no heavy vibes at tick over, check engine is stone cold when its started as this will high light oi smokel and rattles ..

mine field but I got my mate a 150k pug for £900 thats been faultless for 6 mth bar a stat and he uses it to do a 80 mile A1 comute every day as his R32 is his baby so it can be a bargain if your carefull
 

screenman

Legendary Member
I was once told by the bloke who worked in our local garage that the key to cheap motoring was simple: Buy careful, buy German.

No that is the route to expensive motoring, no wonder the bloke works in a garage and does not own it. 25 years of running French cars here very low running costs, if you buy the right car. Now my VW experience although I like them cost me dearly, mine just went on limp home mode 15 minutes ago, again.

Just think the whole car is costing less than a sofa and two armchairs.
 
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screenman

Legendary Member
With you there 100%, I had an old Renault 5 with alleged low mileage and it was always breaking down with parts impossible to get and cost a bomb to keep on the road. The only one worse than this was a Hyundai

If I was going sub grand on anything it would be a Ford as parts are easier to get either from a scrap yard or motor factors.


You are kidding about the spares, they are stocked every where. GFS, Europart, both very cheap and there are loads more out there. As for a Ford, so right buy a Mondeo, only £1200 to change a clutch on some. Ford parts are no cheaper and often more expensive than european car parts, ask somebody who buys parts often, like I do.
 

4F

Active member of Helmets Are Sh*t Lobby
Location
Suffolk.
I had a Renault 5 where the gear box went. It transpired that for the year period of my car there were 15 different types it could be and it happened that I had one of the "300" they built which had a 4 speed inside a 5 speed casing. This meant that whilst it bolted to the front of the engine like a dream it had no where for the gear lever to bolt to operate. After months of phoning around and trying 3 different replacement gear boxes and speaking to a specialist Renault reconditioned expert to try and get to the bottom of the issue I realised how lucky I was to be one of the 300. I cut my losses and shared that luck with the scrapyard.

Now running a W reg Ford Fiesta which has done 45,000 miles and is a doddle to work on, pick up parts for a snip, not that it has needed much work doing to it over the last 3 years.
 

tyred

Legendary Member
Location
Ireland
I have fond memories of my MKI Golf and there was a time when German cars lived up to their reputation but it was a long time ago. Anyone I know with a modern German car seems to often have horribly expensive problems with them.

As for Ford - one word - RUST! Focus and Mondeo don't appear too bad but Fiestas and Kas seem to disintegrate, something their French counterparts won't do.

At this end of the market (which is my usual send of the market for cars) I would buy purely on condition and not worry too much about badge or mileage. Low mileage isn't necessarily a good thing and most engines today can happily take a few hundred thousand in their stride IF they have been cared for and if a car is showing high miles with no obvious defects it's probably because someone has been caring for it, mechanically at least.
 
I would avoid Renaults. They always seem to have problems every one I have known.

As above all French cars are tarred with this brush but I would say that Peugeots are very reliable. I would say go for a 307 SW (high and longer estate) that will give you all the room the Scenic has.

I would say as long has it has done less than 100k then it is OK. Timing belt may need to be changed at about 50k so if it has not been done then it is a bit of a concern. Check when done and when due.
Aside from that, aim for a long mot and make sure it has not had any crash repairs. Generally the mot will now have advisables printed on it.

And remember there are lots and lots of cars out there to choose from.

Many can be good and give good service. I sold my 11 year old pug 406 to a friend 2 years ago for £700 and he has had a trouble free 30k miles in it.
 

Twinks

Über Member
Hmm, depends on the Focus, and probably similar for the Fiesta, they don't wear well. When we scrapped our 02 Focus the recovery guy was pretty scathing, suggesting while most Fords are pretty bulletproof (I'd have very little worries owning a high mileage Mondeo for instance) the Focus tends to get tired after around 100,000 which is pretty quick nowadays (it'd be on its third head gasket if it'd been a Cortina of course). You might be OK, but generally the smaller the car, the less likely it is to survive high mileages.

Oh shoot! Just bought an 02 Focus Estate. :laugh: Oh well bought cheap and not expecting too much.
 

w00hoo_kent

One of the 64K
Is it a diesel? If so, I've got a Turbo I've not offloaded yet, 5k miles max since bought as a refurb unit, about a day to fit if you're taking your time. Replaced the blown one with it then the rest of the car became bodily challenged a few months later... I liked my Focus estate despite what recovery guy said about them.
 

Twinks

Über Member
No its a petrol.......and an automatic....not driven either of these for years, feels really weird. Thanks anyway.
 

rb58

Enigma
Location
Bexley, Kent
I was once told by the bloke who worked in our local garage that the key to cheap motoring was simple: Buy careful, buy German.
We have had a VW Lupo since new - 15 years now, with just 60k miles. For the last few years its role has been reduced to pub and tip runner. Yet it still looks great and starts on the money. It had new tyres and a new battery last year. And a new clutch pedal box (a known fault on Lupos and Polos). Other than that, in its whole life it has had two services, one of which included cam belt. As far as I can remember, it has never even had an advisory on MOT. It cost about £6k when we bought it brand new. It's extraordinary. And has to represent the best value for money car I've ever had. You do have to wind the windows up by hand though. I will keep it until it dies.
 

screenman

Legendary Member
I had a Renault 5 where the gear box went. It transpired that for the year period of my car there were 15 different types it could be and it happened that I had one of the "300" they built which had a 4 speed inside a 5 speed casing. This meant that whilst it bolted to the front of the engine like a dream it had no where for the gear lever to bolt to operate. After months of phoning around and trying 3 different replacement gear boxes and speaking to a specialist Renault reconditioned expert to try and get to the bottom of the issue I realised how lucky I was to be one of the 300. I cut my losses and shared that luck with the scrapyard.

Now running a W reg Ford Fiesta which has done 45,000 miles and is a doddle to work on, pick up parts for a snip, not that it has needed much work doing to it over the last 3 years.

Of course each engine will have a slightly different gearbox, in terms of ratio's etc. You will find Ford had the same. I once bought a 4 year old Escort that was written off due to a dog chewing two seat trims, they could not get a match up.

I can match a car story with another all day long, brought and sold about 6,000 of cars and been in the motor trade over 40 years, I do not run a Ford.
 

DRM

Guru
Location
West Yorks
Father in law has had a couple of 1.6 petrol scenics, one was on an s plate, the other was on a 51 plate, both brand new and having driven them both I thought they were underpowered, a 1.4 would be terrible, they both seemed to do about 35 mpg on a run
 
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