April 2024
Kia sportage would you buy one with 139k on the clock please Read more
Hi everyone,
Last year I purchased a DS3 Prestige 1.6 BlueHDi (99) with 63k miles for £6,500. Its comfortable and frugal and has mod cons. Unfortunately, in the past year I've experienced so many issues with the car, the most recent being a fault with the Adblue system and I've spent close to £2,500 in repairs and maintenance. Therefore, I have made the decision to look for a replacement.... Read more
Chops garage on youtube had an Aygo (or clone) in, looked good overall but underneath was a different story, front subframe rotted completely through, yes lived its early life in Scotland....
Looking for advice on a smallish hybrid car second hand with some good longevity etc.
Thoughts? Read more
How about a Hyundai i10. We bought one 7 years ago on advice on this forum and other places. Easy to drive, easy to get in and out of, best of all no hybrid. Personally I would steer clear of the Yaris. They have tiny 12v starter batteries that go flat if the car isn't regularly driven. We can leave the i10 for 3 or 4 weeks when we go on holiday and it still starts straight away. A friend with a Yaris has had issues when not driving his for a week.
PS. If you can find an older non-hybrid Yaris then that will be fine....
I am considering buying a second car, a fun car if you like, for weekends and just enjoying when I can. Naturally I know that these come with an element of risk which I'd like to try and mitigate a bit in terms of not buying anything that is notorious for problems or costly repairs.
I have always wanted a Mini and have seen a number of 2019 onwards Cooper S models that I am very tempted by as they are a riot to drive. All FSH with auto boxes (I want auto) and main dealer supplied - would these be a decent or a risky buy in terms of reliability? I have an excellent BMW/Mini independent garage very close to me if I had any issues or for servicing at reasonable cost.... Read more
Nobody can ever accuse me of rushing into this as am still pondering. I have looked at a few options and pretty much settled on the Mini.
I have identified a John Cooper Works which I like a lot and it would be an absolute blast, but I don't know much of the reliability of those particular variants. It's 3 years old, full Mini history with about 25k miles and looks the part. The running costs would be higher as the wheels are bigger and the brakes huge, so I need to look at the costs of those....
This has been much discussed before but it seems that quotes for my son are particularly high at the moment. He is taking his test next week so in a spirit of optimism I am tentatively exploring options for insurance.
Last summer we bought a project car for him on his 17th, a 2002 Fiat Seicento and since January I’ve been taking him out for practise in addition to his lessons. Insuring him as a learner was through Adrian Flux for £257 for 4 months (I’m also insured to drive it on a cheap classic policy).... Read more
Money savings expert link - usually decent quality advice:
Bought a car from a dealership around 70 miles from where I live at the end of October, around 33k miles on the clock. After only ten days I got a dashboard light start to come on each time I turn the ignition on with an exclamation mark in a triangle saying engine fault: repair needed followed by airbag(s) or pretensioner seat belt(s) faulty then ‘risk of particle filter clogging: see handbook’
Contacted them straight away about it and they booked it in for an initial diagnostic in their workshop for two weeks later. I then noticed a creaking type noise driving at low speeds under the driver footwell and mentioned this also prior to diagnostic. Verdict from the initial diagnostic was that shock absorbers needed doing and that the dashboard lights were an electrical fault and they would need their subcontracted electrical specialist to have more of a look at it. I was informed that when they had a date of availability back from said electrics specialist that I could bring it to them, have the shock absorbers done then the car be taken to the electrics specialists garage same day.... Read more
Even if you won a court case against them they’d simply bankrupt themselves and reestablish under a different name so you can’t claim anything from them. They’ll be experts at this sort of thing, they’ll have done it before. A Quick Look at companies house (assuming they’re a limited company - most are) will no doubt show virtually no assets to claim from. It’s a painful and unfair lesson in life, and honest dealers selling sub £5k motors are few and far between. Warranties mean nothing on decade old cars and modern emissions strangled diesels aren’t worth considering at this money, or much more.
In fairness to the dealer concerned (and we haven't heard their side) the car has covered 9000 miles so has hardly blown up out the door.
There seem to be two faults: the DPF fluid and pump and maybe an airbag light. The airbag light if it came up soon after purchase the seller should have rectified. The DPF fluid depends on how soon after I guess but fluid is really a service item and the pumps do often need doing at the same time. It isn't the end of the world, £150 for a pump, £30 for the fluid and about an hour's labour. It is not unreasonable that doing a high mileage a purchaser might have to do this. This is really basic car maintenance stuff these days....
I am currently between jobs (by design, and for one week only) so now would seem like a good time to get any car switching out of the way. I have taken the Karoq to various dealers, who have given me a PX value of £15k-£15,500 but I have unfortunately either not liked the car I went to see or it has been sold the same day (why don't they phone you and tell you??) I tried WBAC, who offered £14,500.
Yesterday, I thought I'd give this new-fangled Motorway a go. It is, frankly, a bit more of a faff than they would lead you to believe. Once you've entered all the details, you then need to upload photos. Fair enough, but they can't be any old photos; they have to be taken from the exact angle they require. To assist you with that, you need to download an app that puts a 'ghost' car on your phone screen to line it all up. ... Read more
Good chip shop in Cheddar, if you needed to refuel on the way home.
;-)
Came upon this Skoda promotional film this on YouTube morning, from back in the (glory?) days of the Estelle!
better still ten years later with the TDi engine in the 306.
Peugeot called their engines HDi. The TDi was the noisier but more economical VAG offering.
Found a good spec second hand one on offer for £16250 (compared to around £44k when new!) But it's a little dull in looks and and a bit "soft" in handling...
Anyone had experience of this car? It's a lot of car for £16k, but an equivalent Peugeot (3008), built on same base, looks a lot sharper, and has a better quality interior / display even in a lower spec... (The Pug tends to command a slightly higher price, possibly due to badge desirability and better looks / all electronic-instrumentation.)
Any feedback / suggestions / thoughts gratefully received!
also do some longer trips on occasion - which could work out quite expensive with that weight...
It will make a difference but maybe not as big as you think. Once up to speed, aerodynamics are a bigger factor than weight (within reason) and remember the car will take on battery charge through brake regeneration, though proportionally less than self charge hybrid because of the much bigger battery. Plus, you could charge on route if stopping for a comfort break.
As mentioned by HJ here www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/new-cars/2024-02/2024-mi.../ the MINI Cooper's 1.5 engine is going up to 154ps - it's currently 136.
Anyone know whether the BMW 118i which currently shares the 1.5 will also be getting the power hike? Just for the purposes of my next car daydreams. Read more
Enough rambling - any thoughts/suggestions?...
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OK, last year I bought new Sportage, which is different from OP's model but here is my take.
I bought Kia because of its 7 year warranty. At 139k it is out of warranty....