Honest John’s Motoring Agony Column 07-10-2017 Part 2

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Sat 7 Oct 2017 20:33
- Engineer Andy
To this day I am still amazed after reading HJ's Saturday Agony Collumn that:

a) How many people are so naive to believe both showroom sales staff and politicians and buy diesel cars for mileages not just under 20k miles a year, but WELL UNDER 10k.

b) Ditto for people, even now, who continue to buy what, in my opinion, has been demonstrated to be wholy unreliable (design faults that can't be fixed or which require significant investment in ongoing extra maintenance to keep going) dual clutch 'dry' gearboxes.

Given that a car is, for the vast majority of us, the second most (and for those only renting a home) expensive purchase outside of a home that we will ever make, why FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY do these (IMO) berks do absolutely zero research into their purchase/issue or write to HJ when (as he states in today's collumn and many times before) they could've easily searched for it on this (easy-to-navigate) website or the Telegraph (not so easy but possible), including in HJ's News and Car-by-Car Reviews section, where its as clear as day.

Sometimes I give up.
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Sat 7 Oct 2017 22:17
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In response to Engineer Andy:

I had a Rover 214Si (1996) which although it ran well had a final ECU problem, that convinced me to sell and buy a Rover 2.0 Diesel in 2002. The diesel didn't benefit from low Road Tax, but it did do 50+ mpg (once it got a new diesel fuel pump after Rover went phut), and ran for 140,000 miles till Jan 2013.

My homework was done, to death (on prices, mpg, reliability etc) but without HJs website nor the Telegraph. So I bought a VW Golf, 1.6TDi, 15 months old, under 10k on the clock (ex hire car I believe).

The Salesman did ask me what mileage I intended doing, approx. 12,000 per year, at the time and 25 mile *2 trips a day to and from work, so I can't say he didn't warn me about low mileage usage. There was of course, no mention of DPF and EGR problems, perhaps a bit early for them to have surfaced on that car (?). Road Tax was now only £30/year and a full tank of diesel got me 700 miles, so what wasn't to like?

Of course, the new Diesel was bound to be cleaner that my old Rover, so what not to like there either, doing my wee bit for the Planet as well.

My circumstances have changed, no longer at work and commuting, but still managing just about 30k in last 3 years "touring". I've cut out 75% or more of journeys under two miles into Town & back, walking instead. I've even been running on BP Ultimate since June..!

Do you suggest that after I've maintained the Car with all services, done on time, replaced all Timing belts etc at 5 years that I should chuck the car away, have I made some horrendous mistake that anyone could forsee, or have events outside my control taken over? I don't have £s to throw away, should I cut my losses and go back to Petrol now, or run this car to it's natural end whilst the Powers That Be sort themselves out, but not at my expense?

BTW, I've not taken up VWs "voluntary" emissions fix, I see a get out for any problems that may arise post fix as my 5 year service, and later, wasn't done by a VW Franchise - that I believe may scupper the two year warranty (can't think why it should if the car is properly serviced)

DJM
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