June 2021
Hi, I have a signed used order with a bmw dealership. Car was advertised on used/approved bmw website. 2 weeks after paying initial deposit I’m being told that there is an issue with the car and they no longer want to complete the sale, as it will cost them to much money to fix.
Can I insist that they honour the contract? What legal recourse do I have if they refuse?
Thanks M Read more
Long time lurker, new poster!
We have recently bought a new “fun” car, as our work horse civic is no longer needed in the way it was, as a reliable, decent load carrier. Having read about the desirability of these on the used market and the supposed strength of the market at the moment, we advertised it last week……to no interest so far. Just ALOT of spam.
Are we being impatient? Or have we priced/advertised it incorrectly? It is a 1.8 ES 2012 with nearly 90000 miles on the clock, but it ahead on its servicing and has been maintained carefully fir the 6 years we have had it (extra oil changes/premium fuel etc). It is advertised bang on the autotrader estimate of £4250, trade examples are a good £1000 or more. Thinking we would be happy to see it go around the £3.8-4K mark. The car buying group are offering £3090, if that is helpful. It is on autotrader, gumtree and Facebook (shudder)
I would be very interested to know how other people have found selling privately at the moment, and average time it took to sell? It is such a good car, it deserves a good home. Perhaps it should just get flogged to the car buying group and take the hit….
Cheers
MMG Read more
“Modernmajorgeneral
Thank you SLO - I had rather hoped you would reply!
I thought FSH was in the tag line, but I will try and amend and I agree a price drop is in order before we bite the WBAC bullet.”
I looked again and so it is. I’d add it to the description as dozy folk like me might miss it.
This is where I need some help. SLO is normally into this sort of thing. Anyway, her indoors has decided she wants a small car as a runabout. Now of all times when used cars are overpriced. So my budget is about £7K. I want something reliable so am thinking Japanese or maybe Korean but I am open to suggestions. Colour, spec etc is fairly irrelevant, (as long as it's not a bright pink base model). Mileage is not an issue if the service record is complete and up to date. Petrol, manual or auto(TC box) either considered. Haven't bought a used car for donkeys years and am way out of touch with current procedures so any helpful suggestions will be welcome. Maybe SLO will come out of retirement to assist.
Cheers Concrete Read more
My mother has never used 5th gear in any car she’s owned, says it confuses her. She’s still confident enough to charge down dual carriageways at 60mph with the wee motor in her Honda Jazz screaming merrily away in 4th gear. The 25000 miles it’s done in the last 12yrs are more akin to 50,000 driven normally.
Have a Mazda 5, 2013 with 40,000 miles. Thinking of upgrading to the CX-5, Sport Edition, 2019/20 with about 20,000 miles. They will value my car properly next week, hoping to get just over £5,000. They said as a Mazda owner will get £1000 loyalty, as a Mazda customer. Any useful advice when looking at a CX-5. Obviously the Mazda brand is very reliable. Though I don’t think there is much difference with the horsepower between the Mazda 5/CX-5. Any useful advice, I like the BMW X3, just too expensive and costly.
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“ As all servicing is digital, I could always ask for a print outI utterly despise this recent idiocy of online service records. There should always be a physical record to assist with resale.Think we all despise digital servicing records as service books can be falsified too - bought online with rubber dealer stamps.
I sold an R56 Cooper privately, and a 61 plate Kuga, both had all the paperwork to support a full service history, as does a cosseted R57 Cabriolet we gave to No. 2 daughter last June. It isn't hard to retain this info and more should do it, as it enhances the bona fides of the car when it comes to sell. ...
I'm not a fan of the DCT transmission, but up until a short time ago, I, like most folk I guess, was under the impression that this was a Porsche invention. Not so, and not by a very long time. It was actually devised, patented, and a working prototype made in 1939 by French engineer Adolfe Kegresse.
The article I read about him was mostly about him having invented the 'half-track', (and in a later variation, the 'snowmobile' by replacing the front wheels with skis). This was in Russia shortly after 1910 whilst under the employment of Tsar Nicholas II(!), who, being a big fan of the new fangled horseless carriage, wanted something suitable for the notoriously harsh Russian winters. So the Tsar Adolfe the task of coming up with a solution for which his existing collection of 21 cars could be adapted to use.... Read more
At the end of the article, it mentions that Adolfe, who died from a heart attack in 1943, didn't get to see the liberating Allied armies parading through Paris in their half tracks, of his design.
But he presumably did get to see the German army parading through Paris in their half tracks, which were the same basic design, only quite a lot better....
IMO, this is over designed car.
www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/new-cars/2021-06/reveale.../... Read more
It still holds that if you put your foot down in an EV you reduce range and use more energy so why are manufactures still making cars that will do just this with performance times of 0-60 in 3 seconds it seems a bit hypocritical to me....
I picked up a car a month back. It is a 66 plate Polo GTI and has covered 42k miles. It has been upgraded and lowered with Bilsteins by the previous owner.
At first, I don't think this was happening, but over the last week, I have noticed a knocking sound which I think may be coming from the front. It happens at low speeds, and when steering (possibly WORSE in this case), both forward and in reverse, and also happens on flat/smooth roads (no speed bumps/potholes). Also noticeable idle (clutch depressed, rolling slow into junctions)... Read more
Check the anti roll bar drop links for signs of any play at all. You'll be amazed at how even the slightest play in them will amplify and sound awful, so check them thoroughly by giving them a good firm push and pull.
Cardealermagazine.co.uk are reporting that used car prices are continuing to rise, a result of huge demand and limited supply.
April & May saw a rise across the market of 9% in used car prices, and dealers are adjusting prices up on cars in stock. Toyota Auris Hybrid showed a 13.6% price rise for a 2018 car.
We’re now in the position where people could have bought a car 12 months ago, driven it for a year and now sell it on for a profit.
Auctions are at record highs for prices - a recent trade auction of 125 cars showed that 120 had sold for higher than their retail value.
So if you’ve got two cars, and decide you can live with one, now would be a good time to get rid. The downside, if you subsequently decide to replace it, you’ll pay more. Read more
Ticket prices do seem to be up around 10% overall and I agree there's a fair chance that'll reduce by autumn. The increase is also against the current "expect to pay" figures you see elsewhere on this site, so that provides a handy reference.
Changing tack slightly, and not having bought a car for....17 years, and a used car for.....over 40 years, the approach seems to have changed. The sales story is ticket prices are set centrally (in a garage chain) with little flexibility. Rather they offer the flexibility on any trade-in plus installing options / add-ons, so the recorded selling price remains at or near the ticket price. (A similar approach has been used in other businesses.)...
Always read the advice to questions on the site and find some of the answers not at all helpful
Today a chap as a Honda Civic with a faulty alternator part claimed to be £1100... Read more
Regarding that Civic, I would’ve told them (assuming a full Honda service history) to contact Honda customer services direct then if they get no joy post a few negative reviews online. I motivated our local Honda dealer to fit a new clutch to a two year old CRV which was suffering irritating and unacceptable judder through contacting Honda after the dealer had fobbed me off and the Volvo dealer through a negative review which was quickly picked up by the dealers head office and the branch was instructed to repair my car foc. I withdrew the review after they acted. It’s rare that Civics go wrong but it’s an example of the crippling cost of all this emissions control gubbins our cars are saddled with today. An alternator, starter and battery are all more costly on any car equipped with stop/start. Still £1100 was a nonsense figure. I’ll wager that if they do the above the firm will offer improved goodwill. If however it has been serviced by auld Tam in his shed or the 18yr old lad at the local fast fit centre then it’s time to get the cheque book out.
This Honda garage is treating the customer as a complete mug! An alternator is available (2017 Civic 1.8 Petrol) on Euro Car Parts for £273.89 if you use the latest discount code on the Euro Car Parts Website (they always have a discount code on their website). Currently it's GOAL45
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I'd thank them for their honesty and be happy I didn't have a lemon to fix.