February 2008
I have been around the German heavy metal dealers these past few weeks testing possible purchases. I have a budget of almost 30K and don?t have a fixed model in mind. You?d think I?d be inundated with salesmen.
I have therefore been amazed at the lack of selling I?ve encountered. No one has tried to sell me up or down, asked me to consider alternatives, compared the peers, offered me the unbeatable bargain, followed up or otherwise made any effort to move the sale on. Unfailingly they have provided a quote, made available a car to test and wished me goodbye.
I wonder if they?ve had it too easy for too long on our shores, long labelled Treasure Island by the big importers.
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Is it possible for me to change the oil on a Peugeot 406 Estate without any special tools. 2000cc 51yr.
{year/engine details added to subject header - as per the 3 separate requests to do so} Read more
My wife has a 98 406 1.8 petrol. According to Haynes it is almost identical to the 2.0
I've been changing the oil on this ever since it was out of warranty in 1999 and its dead easy, no special tools required. I presume you will be changing the filter as well. Its down the front of the engine facing the back of the radiatior and it is accessible enough.
I was in bed last night when the earthquake struck and the whole house shook and made various groaning / banging noises. Given that the epicentre was in the Midlands and I live in the Manchester area, it must have been felt over a wide area.
My question is, were any BackRoomers driving at the time and did you feel anything? Read more
my first thoughts upon experiencing all the vibrations and rattling were of poltergeist , the last occupant who had the flat before me died in bed ( my bedroom) sent a shiver down my spine as well , i put the radio on (5 live) and after about 20 mins all the texts and e-mails were coming through (phew) about an earthquake.....slept like a baby after that!
Circumstances have changed and we have decided we need a bigger car with more carrying capacity, whilst still ticking the reliability/economy boxes. Having scanned EBay and Autotrader found a very nice vehicle, quite local as it happens. Went to take a look saturday afternoon and all checks out - service history, condition, equipment/toys etc. Discussed the opportunity for a trade-in against my present vehicle and a figure was suggested, but as the particular spec was not listed in the Glasses guide the proprietor said that he would ring round the trade to confirm the price and call me monday afternoon and I left my contact details accordingly. No call, and so I called yesterday afternoon "he's with a client, and will call you back later" and left my number - again no call.
I was working at home yesterday and again today, I can in principle pop over right now and do the deal with cash on the spot. But should I? They have not returned my calls, and seem disinterested despite my obvious buying signals (yes, I've been on the courses, done the sales job etc). If this is their attitude now, what might it be like if there is a problem with the car three months down the road? My view is that this is not the only car in the world and another good deal will come along in due course. Would you persist and give it one last shot in the window of opportunity I have today? I am not inclined to do so despite the fact I like the car and can live with the numbers indicated, it is really a matter of trust and confidence.
MGs Read more
If he's not chasing you up - then it's probably not a great deal for him.
But that *may* mean it's a good deal for you - only you can decide really.
If I get a salesperson chasing me up, I usually think it's because I'm about to get fleeced.
I'm not convinced that you can equate to poor pre-sales performance to poor after-sales.
Personally, I'd go back and see what deal I could get with the cash in my pocket.
Good Luck.
Looking for a cheap new or nearly new runabout for SWMBO. Will be used for only a minimal mileage per day but due to her working hours needs a reliable car. Also required to carry our twin 4 years olds.
Options I'm looking at.
Citroen C1
FIAT Panda
Ford Ka 1.3i
Peugeot 107
Toyota Aygo
Hyundai Getz
Your opinions or alternatives would be appreciated.
All can be bought for £6000 and under with different amounts of spec. I guess the Ka and Panda will have the most spec but does this make them the better car to buy ?
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Update for you all.
We have agreed a deal for a Nov 06 Micra 5dr 1.2 Spirita with 9k miles for £5800 in silver.
I was very surprise at the comfort and the 1.2 appears to be quite spirited.
took ot for a lengthy test drive, on town, A road and dual carriageway and appears to be ideal for our needs.
Thanks for all your suggestions.
according to KPMG.
On the basis that those who opt out of having a company car as a result of high taxation end up driving a higher-polluting older car.
www.kpmg.co.uk/news/detail.cfm?pr=3044
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>>No conjecture - you specifically just wrote that you think that KPMG are saying that CO2 has gone up:
Where? ;) <--- a smiley just to prove that I'm only trying to find out where the misunderstanding has arisen and that I'm not having a go.
I promise you that I didn't. Please point out where I did.
I have dozens of tiny stone chips all over my bonnet and I'm going to bite the bullet and try to remedy them myself with touch-up paint. It's Ford's Panther Black metallic and they are very obvious and spoil the look of an otherwise immaculate car. I would normally just dab it onto the affected area and T-Cut afterwards, but any helpful suggestions from anybody welcomed! Read more
Excellent selection there. They are all tiny so I think the cocktail stick is the way to go. Many thanks guys.
The expected introduction of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles could cut U.S. gasoline use but could increase deadly air pollution in some areas, two reports say.
That's because a plug-in's lower tailpipe emissions may be offset by smokestack emissions from the utility generating plants supplying electricity to recharge the big batteries that allow plug-ins to run up to 40 miles without kicking on their gasoline engines. Plug-ins, called PHEVs, are partly powered, in effect, by the fuel used to generate the electricity.
The rest of the USATODAY news item: tinyurl.com/yss7cr
Another example of not looking at the whole package? Read more
For tokenism at its worst, see GB's pronouncement in today's Mail.
Gordon Brown said he and his wife, Sarah, had tried to cut their carbon footprints by fitting solar panels to heat water at their home in Scotland,
Looking for a new car after havingpink fluffy dice xantias for the last 7 years.
Really love the celica, so looking at eithe rone of those of a hyundai coupe, want somthing that looks nice (and imo both look fantastic) nice to drive, and not too expensive to look after.
Anyone reckon its a pipe dream or can i realisticly find somthing decent for that price range? Read more
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I find it ironic that mainly due to insurance reasons young drivers are forced to drive round tin boxes like the 106, AX, Metro etc. All these cars have a high death point score on HJ's used car breakdowns yet are likely to be driven by 18 year olds with no experience.
Does anybody else think there is something wrong here? Hopefully as time passes these old superminis will mostly be scrapped and modern ones (which are safe) will become the bangers.
What are you thoughts? Read more
Most new drivers I know get a car on HP now so drive around in clios, corsas, fiestas etc that are probably as safe as anything and cheaper to insure than a banger!
This is what I did with my first car... Apart from the 2 star NCAP rating I've not done too bad... Not driven into anything except for the bins once (with Police Squad theme playing in my head)
Covered in dents and dings (as per mentioning in the other thread) but I've still got a reliable car now that I'm a more... sensible driver.
Browse
No, I think the art of buying is dead - no reflection on you Ubi, btw. If the sellers can make a living so easily, the buyers aren't doing their 'job' properly in my view. I see this markedly in my area of N.W Wales. The big franchise dealers (esp. of the Heavy Metal Teutonic variety you mention) locally have such a crowded pool of fat carp to skewer with their uncompetitive (to me) 'deals', there's little incentive to be lean, mean selling machines.
Despite the years of car brokers & internet selling, I'm convinced many buyers fall into the glass & stainless steel temples & gormlessly accept the first deal offered. Your salespeople probably know that soon after bidding you adieu, Mr&Mrs Moremoneythansense will waddle in, wide-eyed, barely able to distinguish a rip-off CTG from a flat (fat) rate percentage loan.