How often do you change your car?

[Proto]

I’ve been travelling extensively in France, Spain and Portugal for the last couple of months. It’s noticeable that cars, particularly in France, are not bought as status symbols, but as a means of transport. Mostly small and medium sized cars, very few ‘prestige’ models.
Also noticeable that the French mostly drive French made cars. They outnumber German cars by a big margin.

 

[lane]

Yes I have noticed that on holiday in France. Much fewer large SUVs and prestigious german brands. Mind you my experience if you want to keep a car a long time don't buy French.

 

[lane]

The "oh, I really need 4 seats" argument went through my mind when I first considered a Smart.

53 weeks later I've yet to need them. That's 53 weeks of not kicking the environment in the nuts every time I go out because I'm not dragging around an extra unnecessary 800kg. The time will one day come, probably sooner than we realise, that the demands upon the the environment a d resources will make driving a 4 or 5 seat car with only one occupant will become unlawful, and rightly so.

Most people don't "need" 4 seats, they simply allow their lifestyles to evolve to the point where such things become a convenience, and having done so they then mindlessly drag the 3 empty ones around with them wherever they go.

Well I have a need quite often for 4 seats we are a family of four. However I have given this some thought and what I don't need are two cars with four seats. Food for thought.

 

[Profpointy]

Yes I have noticed that on holiday in France. Much fewer large SUVs and prestigious german brands. Mind you my experience if you want to keep a car a long time don't buy French.

Whilst I've never owned a French car I do know friends who've done huge mileages in older peugots, diesels particularly - 250 and 350,000 miles respectively.

That said, a work colleague scrapped a middling age Renault because a new wiper motor would have costed £1500 (mostly labour) to replace. You'd have had to take half the car to bits to get to it

 

[tyred]

Depends on your definition I suppose but can't honestly see it.

Take something like an original Mini, an MG Midget, an original Golf or a Peugeot 205 on twisty back roads and you will have all the driver involvement and fun you want but at sensible speeds, then try it in a 7 series BMW and report back. Big cars are great for motorways and boring everywhere else.

 

[I like Skol]

Well I have a need quite often for 4 seats we are a family of four. However I have given this some thought and what I don't need are two cars with four seats. Food for thought.

We are a family of four, my car has 3 seats....

 

[tyred]

Yes I have noticed that on holiday in France. Much fewer large SUVs and prestigious german brands. Mind you my experience if you want to keep a car a long time don't buy French.

The French build much better rust resistant bodies than the Germans or Japanese. Peugeots and Citreons will take a few hundred thousand miles in their stride. The 406 has always been popular with taxi drivers here and they will all tell you that they were pretty indestructible.

My own 205 has done over 200,000 miles now and the engine still isn't burning any oil (and it's a base model petrol, something designed for pottering around Paris and not doing high miles).

 

[Slick]

Take something like an original Mini, an MG Midget, an original Golf or a Peugeot 205 on twisty back roads and you will have all the driver involvement and fun you want but at sensible speeds, then try it in a 7 series BMW and report back. Big cars are great for motorways and boring everywhere else.

Not strictly true imho. The original mini felt more like a go kart and the MG might have been of its day but that's long gone. There are lots of other cars other than the 7 series that would be described as a big car that would provide lots of fun on a clear twisting road.

 

[lane]

The French build much better rust resistant bodies than the Germans or Japanese. Peugeots and Citreons will take a few hundred thousand miles in their stride. The 406 has always been popular with taxi drivers here and they will all tell you that they were pretty indestructible.

My own 205 has done over 200,000 miles now and the engine still isn't burning any oil (and it's a base model petrol, something designed for pottering around Paris and not doing high miles).

Not really my experience my 406 cost me a fortune. Good engine everything else rubbish. My Avensis costs my hardly anything. Most taxis seem to be Avensis now.

 

[Drago]

My 406 was quite robust, but in all the years I owned it I didn't do humongous mileage.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Not really my experience my 406 cost me a fortune. Good engine everything else rubbish. My Avensis costs my hardly anything. Most taxis seem to be Avensis now.

Quite a lot in the city-centre too

The Skoda Octavia runs it very close though!

 

[perplexed]

I tend to keep mine until they reach that tipping point of being not worth fixing, the repair being far more than the car is worth. This is if the bill is a 'one off', but other things are often beginning to go at this point.

Alternatively, they go when they need a repair which is not necessarily expensive as such, but there are some general niggly reliability issues.

I tend not to swap 'em unless there's a reason in other words.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

@Drago

Can you see this?
Strange Rover features


View: https://www.facebook.com/352480858110735/videos/747985055598643/UzpfSTEwMDAwMDUwNTE0OTA4NjoyOTI3MTM2MjMzOTc5ODUz/

 

[Profpointy]

Continuing the tale of my Saab, just had a £1300 bill - doubtless more than the car's value, but it represented a lot of different jobs and it now feels like new to drive. Lots of suspension bits replaced, new front brakes (discs only £45 each to be fair) plus an air con fix. Back to economy luxury motoring !

Whilst Mrs PP concedes it's nice to drive on a run, she really would like a smaller car as it's narrow for parking round our street. To be fair I'd prefer a smaller car, but this is such a joy to drive and notwithstanding the above bill is genuinely cheap motoring, particularly for a genuinely lovely, albeit old car.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Continuing the tale of my Saab, just had a £1300 bill - doubtless more than the car's value, but it represented a lot of different jobs and it now feels like new to drive. Lots of suspension bits replaced, new front brakes (discs only £45 each to be fair) plus an air con fix. Back to economy luxury motoring !

Whilst Mrs PP concedes it's nice to drive on a run, she really would like a smaller car as it's narrow for parking round our street. To be fair I'd prefer a smaller car, but this is such a joy to drive and notwithstanding the above bill is genuinely cheap motoring, particularly for a genuinely lovely, albeit old car.

Nice cars the old Saabs - we had three 9-5 Estates back in the late 90's (not at the same time!) all company cars and I used to get a new one each year. The Aero HOT was a bit of a beast although the front end squirmed a bit when hoofing through bends.

I thought they were making a post-bankruptcy comeback through some Chinese outfit?

Strange beast Saab (the old over-arching group that is) - product of a pacifist country making machines of war and death. I never could get my head around that. But then life is full of compromised principles.