November 2009
Readers who have seen my single other post to this forum, will know that I am reluctantly in the market to buy a replacement car. But having been stung once and now feeling decidely hard up, I would appreciate your assistance on what, when, where from and how. My budget is £15k unless I was to opt for contract hire.
What should I buy? I have driven fairly large 4x4s for the past few years. Hard to justify but partly because I use them as 'skip trucks' to carry endless amounts of junk and I like the driving position. Before that I always had Audi (A4s then an A6) or Mercedes (E320) estates. We've recently moved to the city but, having test-driven several, I can't get used to driving something the size of a Golf or smaller. Not fond of smaller 4x4s either.
When should I buy it? I've been scouring the market for a decent secondhand buy (up to 3 years old/40k miles) since the summer but prices appear to have got carried away. I can't afford to buy another Disco 3 and why would I buy say an out of warranty 3 year old Volvo XC90 for 85% of the price of a deeply discounted new one? I read that HJ thinks the next couple of weeks is the best time to buy secondhand before prices go up again in time for expected demand in January.
Where from? I've avoided private sales and hit the forecourts of franchised dealers, often asking about any non franchise PXs they have to dispose of or cars that were coming up to their sell by dates. No joy. Low stocks and high prices. Took myself off to BCA Blackbushe one day. A real eye-opener but pretty much everything was achieving 100% clean price or better for mid to poor quality and high mileage stock.
How should I buy it? I looked into the scrappage scheme, having been offered a friend's qualifying cast off that needed £400 to get it through it's MoT. The figures didn't stack up though on anything larger than a basic spec petrol or diesel Golf S. Anything bigger and I could negotiate a higher discount as a retail customer with no trade-in, certainly among the 'premier' manufacturer brands. Lastly, cash (earning me only 2% a year) or business contract hire thinking about future depreciation from current heady market heights?
Many thanks
bazomis Read more
Been a while since my last posting but been a busy 11 months in the Toyota garage.
Got pulled over for speeding last night (turned down the offer of a fixed penalty as dubious evidence) however this is not what my posting is about.
Took my insurance and license to the local police station at lunch time and the helpful lady behind the counter after doing the paperwork pointed out that my license expires in January 2010 and commented on how many people miss the fact that the photo id type of license have an expiry date ...... I never knew this!!
Did a quick survey in the office and found 2 people that also didnt know.
Check your licenses now ....... If Im stating the obvious and you all know then sorry to have disturbed you Read more
Which of course we all have to pay for
Hi, I'm looking at a used alfa 147 1.9JTD. I've found one I love - but it's a Cat D. I understand this means repairable damage but am unsure whether to go ahead with the sale. The guy wasn't going to tell me it was Cat D until I asked! I've not bought a used car before, only new. Do I offer less than market value or walk away? How do I find out exactly what damage there was to the car - will the log book tell me? Read more
Check out www.alfaowner.com usually loads of well cared for, enthusiast owned cars on there to choose from (prob mine incuded but haven't decided as a nice 159 has caught my eye . . . . . . . .)
Hi Folks
My Fiesta sometimes has trouble starting and I'm going to replace my HT leads because I still have the originals (10yrs 95,000miles). It will need new plugs as well.
The recommended plugs are NGK TR5A-10, but I noticed that NGK do a Platinum version part no. PTR5A-10, which only cost a few pounds more.
Will the platinum plugs be compatible with the 1.25 Zetec engine and if so does anyone believe they will offer any benefits? Read more
these engines do kick out some heat so leads might not last as long but old manky plugs are more likely to blow the coil which blows the ecu which blows the bank balance
really cant see the point of putting super duper expensive plugs in a shopping trolley though?
consider your excess cash flow to be better spent in the blind box in the coop :-)
Dedication.
tinyurl.com/ybkdcjw Read more
Yes, it was in the Metro as well today, one very lucky guy!
HI stumped ,heater blows barely warm,new main radiator,new thermastat,no water loss.could it possably something to do with matrix. Read more
great do you think wd 40 will unseize or new valve.thanks.thought mite be what ever connects valve to heater control knob.
Hi there -
On Thursday evening, my car wouldn't start (and still won't). I had used it about an hour previously and all was fine. The starter motor is turning over and she is trying to start, but no fuel is getting through.
I've checked some things and have managed to rule out the fuel cut-off switch, the relay, a particular fuse that seems to be a problem with Focuses, and have changed the coil pack. I have power going in to the coil pack (I checked with the multi-meter - there are three wires and the middle wire has power) but nothing is sparking (which is why I guessed it might be that). There is no smell of fuel at the a*se end, so even with pedal to the metal she's not flooding.
My guess is that I'm going to need a diagnostics test run, however, with her not starting, I'm going to have to have her towed, I think. I'm a 24 year old female and am worried about being majorly ripped off by a garage.
I'm open to any/all suggestions.
Please help!! Read more
Hi, 99% sure it'll be the fuel pump in the tank. Common on Mk1 Focuses. Easy way to check is lift back seats and the rubber grommit to gain access the underneath the car. Then, while listening carefully get someone to turn the ignition on, if it buzzes for a few seconds its working, if it doesn't, as i suspect it won't, it isn't!
The 2010 Santa Fe could be the next car for me.
The written and video road tests seem to tell me everything I need to know about the car and it ticks all the right boxes for me. A friend has the 2006 version and is very happy, although given his level of extra urban driving I am surprised at the comparatively poor level of fuel economy he gets.
Given the amount of urban driving I do, I would really like to know the urban fuel consumption, not just the combined figure. Can anyone help? Read more
Thanks
Curious it should drop down to 30.4mpg for the seven seats. I wonder why?
the bottom ball joint on my interstar van is worn out. there doesnt seem any way to remove it. are they pressed in??? Read more
I don't know about the Interstar in particular, but most modern cars have bottom balljoints either rivetted to the arm (rivets have to be drilled out) or I have seen a few which are integral.
The general practice nowadays when any suspension arm related joint or bush wears, is simply to replace the whole arm.
Got an AEE engine, and just had new cap, rotor, and plugs. But getting a little juddering on overrun and small throttle openings, like tickling along at 30 in 4th.
Any ideas, anyone? Read more
Browse
You like 4x4's and nothing wrong with that so do i and many others too, as a bonus owning one annoys the hell out of some people for some unfathomable reason so do get another:-)
But maybe from a franchised dealer.
HJ has just road tested next years Hyundai Santa Fe, so have a nose there, and check out his CbyC guide above for the current very similar model.
Your budget should get you a decent example of of a top of range Limited auto, which will still likely have 3 years unlimited mileage warranty left on it.
Surprisingly capable motor, not a small 4x4 by any stretch, friend has one nice motor.