July 2004
Hi
I've read loads in the press about certain cars (Mini Cab, SLK, CLK Cab, SL, Boxster, etc) have extremely low depreciation due to demand. Extremes being of people buying Mini's/SLKs, using them for a year and still getting list price.
The question I have is - is this really feasible in the real world, or is it a myth.
Do dealer margins on 2nd hand vehicles mean that although the advertised price may be the same as list, the price you actually receive when trading in isn't so good. It's difficult to work out from book/forecourt prices as most models discussed have huge (and expensive) options lists, so actual price paid is difficult to assess.
Ultimate goal (as is everyone?s) would be to change car every 6 months (9,000 miles) with zero depreciation. Common sense says it's impossible, but with 2 year waiting lists on some cars it may be possible in certain cases.
Interesting that there seems to be a familiar theme with these cars - German convertibles.
I'd like to hear what others think.
Dave
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Hi all, looking for opinions on the following:
I'm shortly going to trade-in my 99T BMW 318SE for (probably) a two year old 530. The 318 is in A1 top condition inside and out, with one glaring exception.
A few weeks ago my wife conducted a spot of "stunt parking" involving a high kerb and the passenger side "skirt" (not sure if that's the right term, but I mean the very bottom bit of the side bodywork, which appears to be a 10cm high piece).
As a result, the "skirt" is both nastily scraped and a little bent out of shape for about half it's length. I'm just thankfull that she didn't get the alloy wheels as well!
So, my question is this: is it likely to worth me paying to get this fixed before trading it in, or is the difference in trade-in value not likely to make this economic?
Ie: If it's going to cost me £750 to fix, but the dealer only chops £500 off the value then it's not worth doing.
Also, as an aside, I've been told that August is the best month to get a "good deal" since the dealers are very quiet when everyone is on holiday - any truth to this statement?
Thanks in advance.
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My girl's bit of stunt parking a while back was estimated at about £400 by a 'proper' bodyshop, but after a few enquiries, we found a small outfit operating from a large shed in the corner of a field, and they did a brilliant job (2-pack paint and exact colour match) for £120. I'd rather pay for the work than the premises...
Carrying on from www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=24...4 started by Carl_a
Why? Why? Still, he started it and you lot have now gone on for over 200 replies, so here\'s vol 2. ND
I have never considered owning a Rover. I always thought they were old mens cars. They kept the wrong name. They should have stuck with Triumph. The only Rover I ever fancied was the SD1 V8. Read more
Yep, the Austin Rover site is great.
In terms of heritage, in MGR's case this can also be measured at how far from grace the company have now fallen.
Their cream products, Land Rover, Range Rover, Jaguar and Mini have long since gone, and in my view, MGR have very little to offer the car buying public.
HI
I bought a C3 Auto for my wife The car seems fine but my only query is as the car slows down I can feel the gears change from 4th to third and then 2nd. I wonder if this is normal for these auto boxes or a fault? Is this a type of gearing down?
I have never noticed this is other auto changers eg polo
thanks
alan Read more
Yes, these newer gearboxes change down as well as up! Thats the way its supposed to be.
If you drive in "Tiptronic" mode, when you reach the extremes of the rev range, it should change gear to prevent self destructing.
i have a omega v6 94. a strange thing has happend twice in 10 days. in the morning the car starts first time every time. drive to work 13 mile stop the car then 10 mins later go to start it but the battery has gone flat. jump start it and its fine. then today it did it again. when you put your hand on top of the battery its very warm and the battery terminals are very hot...... please help if you can Read more
The starting fine then not were the exact syptoms I had on my Cavalier's original AC Delco battery over a period of several months. Mostly it was fine and never left me stranded. One day it just died. Could be yours is giving you early warning that one of the internal plates is breaking down. Many years ago I watched a Lucas outlet test my battery (not AC Delco) in the days when you could unscrew the top-up caps. The faulty cell boiled like a kettle so this could be why the battery top is getting hot.
Seeing a Marlin Roadster on the road yesterday, I built and ran one myself a while back, set me thinking about "Q" plates and how they are used- if at all with the modern reg' plate format (AA04 ABC) Is there some new provision for qualifying vehicles or have they carried on the old A 123 ABC style?
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Thanks for the replies everyone. My own Marlin kept the donor car registration because nearly all the non "kit" parts came from the donor car. That was in back in 1985 but it sounds like that is still the procedure and from Salem's experience still in the old format. Ta Steve.
Hi everyone,
I have a Seat Alhambra V\'99 model.I park my car away from the house in car parking bay,often out for sight of my house.I have had my car SCRATCHED many times by the LOCAL SCUM BAGS for no reason at all.I\'m after a system that I could use within the car which runs on 12v.It would be good if the cctv camera were infa red/low light,montion detected say 4 meter range,records to video/hard drive and cover 360 degess so may be more than one camera to be used.
I have looked at endless web sites with on real luck.I open this up to you all as the POLICE said if you got them on tape they are NICKED.....
Thank you,
Nick Beckwith
28/7/04.
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Or run an older car. You'll save yourself a lot of worry & money too.
I recently found out that there is an issue with early C5s, with uneven tyre wear, and I have had just had the rear tyres checked on our C5. Sure enough, there is 2mm less tread on the outside of the tyres, than on the inside. Having found this out, I went hotfoot to the local Citroen dealer, only to be told that Citroen won\'t cover the cost of rectifying the problem with any car that has covered more than 20K miles.
To me this is amazing, as it is due to a known fault (that has been known about for some time), but it has never been subject to a recall. The car is still covered by an extended warranty. It has never been picked up on previous services but it must have been noticeable before, to anyone carrying out a service properly.
Has anyone any advice on what to do? The local dealer won\'t take up this issue on my behalf and I have dealt with Citroen UK before, so I know what confronts me if I start down that route. Read more
I had my one done under warranty late last year. It's not a 'recall' as such - you have to complain to the dealer. They will check to see how far the wear is 'out of tolerance' and if the car qualifies, the whole rear suspension assembly will be replaced. It's a whole day's work and very expensive, so Citroen have to be pushed. Results, however, are excellent. My one is now showing no signs of abnormal wear whatsoever and the work doesn't seem to have any adverse 'side effects' on the car. I believe some owners have even pressed Citroen for a new set of tyres as well and got them! I didn't because I'd already replaced the tyres before asking for the modification.
Do try and get it done under warranty, though, otherwise it will cost you dearly in tyres throughout the life of the car and replacing the 'axle' at your own expense would be an absolute no no!
Good luck.
Graeme
Sadly nursing a quite horrific hangover from last night, I am still to move from the sofa.
Nonetheless I was just watching quite a sad programme about Landrovers.
At one point the man showed a 1948 Landrover and said it was one of the first made.
I thought they had been around longer than that ? Read more
For any classics enthusiasts within reach of Harpenden, it\'s Classics on the Common this evening. Restricted to cars over 20 years old (my Capri doesn\'t quite make it), it is nevertheless likely to attract over 1500 participants. Harpenden\'s not very large: travel by train!
www.classicsonthecommon.com/ Read more
Pen, pen, pen.
::Who's going to finish this one off?::
Den, den, den
;-)
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Thanks for the replies, I probably should have clarified my circumstances a bit better.
Hugo, I've already been down the road(s) you suggest in the past and although well proven don't fit my current situation. I've also found that recently it's very difficult selling on Mondeos/Vectras.
I do a reasonable amount of business miles, and need a car that's going to be comfortable on long journeys and also present a 'business' image - therefore have discounted options 2 & 4.
Most people that I mix with at a business level tend to have Audi/BMW/Merc/etc type cars, and although I've driven the repmobile type cars for years feel I need to get a similar car.
Hence my thoughts around the cheapest way to run one may be a car with high residuals and long waiting lists. But keep them too long and high mileage causes huge decrease in value. Also just driving a car out of a showroom also causes huge decreases.
I was just considering if there was a happy medium,where you run one for say 6 months and hopefully sell at (or near) purchase price. Like I said originally common sense says 'no way', but press say it's easy.
Regards
Dave