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Glad you've had a good year with the CLK. You'll have to try the Logan and see how you like it: it's designed as a workhorse and I wouldn't expect it to be any sort of a 'fun drive'. It looks quite a big car for that little engine.
The alternative is something secondhand which might help you to miss the CLK less. Ford Focus 2.0 petrol estate perhaps, or a Skoda Octavia vRS petrol estate like mine, or a Mazda 6 petrol estate? Any of these would be newer for your budget than a Mercedes estate which might be tempting! (Sorry, I shouldn't talk to a vicar about temptation with Lent just about to start!)
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Jonny. I am currently driving a Mercedes E350Cdi and a Renault Captur 0.9Tce. Chalk and cheese but I really like both. Yes I miss the effortless performance of the Merc but with a high octane petrol the Captur is reasonably perky. Consider the Dacia for what it is, a car built to a price, but doing it very well and you won't be disappointed.
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Thanks all, I'm not sure I'll miss the power of the CLK. Its very rare that I get the chance to really put my foot down. The instant oomph when pulling out into traffic etc is nice but I'm my driving style is definitely Captain Slow rather than Stig! And I certainly dont do much motorway driving. The CLK has taken me on the motorway only once (when I found myself doing an easy 95 and wondering why everyone else was going so slowly!).
I havent really considered a second hand estate, but I will have a look around. At the moment I am erring towards wanting the reliability and security of a new car without any of the risk of secondhand.
The Renault dealer (which also has Dacia and Kia) were exceptionally average when I popped in to look, not especially friendly or enthusiastic and only one Logan hidden away on the forecourt.
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When i went to look 18 months ago at a Kia/renault dealer who did Dacia, the salesman said prices are fixed we earn so little on them..
we wre looking at a venga, witha friend who bought, another friend bought a few weeks ago, and I bought a venga 2 (air con) demo the other day.
Autotrader is your friend, (others ibcluding HJ's site are available.)
Bags of room,
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20160201061...p
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It's a good time to buy a Dacia, they have pre reg a good few hundred as the UK and France are picking up the slack in the European markets.
Some amazing deals on pre reg Laureate Logan MCV
Another big Dacia delivery due in soon
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Sorry for the thread drift, but very interested to read your (daveyK) comments about the supply/demand situation about particular cars. Are there other makes you are aware of that are good buys because of large amounts of pre reg around and more due in soon?
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Some good deals on Autotrader! When I popped in, the price offered was £9795 for a Laureate Prime (which has metallic paint and sat nav). It was implied that they might be able to do better when I go back on Friday for a test drive, so we will see!
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I went back to the Renault dealer this morning for an appointment to have a test drive. I arrived a few minutes early and after about five minutes of loitering someone asked if they could help, I said I had an apointment with x for a test drive, and was told he would be with me in a minute or two.
Well, 20 minutes and we were still waiting (as were a couple of others, who looked as annoyed as a I felt, lots of crossed arms and frowning!). So we came home again. They have my details so time will tell if they phone, but I'm not sitting by the phone waiting.
In comlete contrast I have just been to a well known pet shop and within 30 seconds of standing around someone came to help and get me what I wanted.
Rant over, might try the Tamworth Renault/Dacia dealer on Monday.
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Took a trip over to the Renault dealer at Solihull this morning. Had a good drive in a Logan 0.9l, it's quite nippy when the turbo kicks in and generally drives like a agile small hatchback. Good short gear change, light steering but good feel to it. The dash looks quite old fashioned, but everything feels solid and the sat nav/stereo system works really well. And of course there is loads of room!
So I have ordered a Logan Laureate Prime for delivery in April. It seems astonishing value with all the extras on the Prime special edition, £9800, with a spare wheel and 5 year warranty thrown in.
A good dealer experience as well, friendly, not pushy, knowledgable and let us take our time (especially as I bet he didn't earn much commission from a £10k Dacia!). Took a friend with me who couldn't believe how much car it is for the money, and neither can I really. Very pleased!
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Thats as big a change in cars as i've seen for some time, well played Rev, 5 years warranty and under £10k, you can't go wrong really.
You found a disinterested Renault dealer, shocking..:-) if you think that was bad you should try delivering a transporter load of vans to the one not a mile from my house, free foul languaged and nasty abuse for your trouble, so i'm very glad you voted with your feet and bought from the dealer who could be bothered.
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I suspect the Dacia dealer got loads more commission than any Renault dealer would.
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"I suspect the Dacia dealer got loads more commission than any Renault dealer would."
Local Dacia dealer salesman told me they get £300 commission per sale.
Now, that may be on the Sandero access (£5995) and doesn't include accessories etc. and it may be different if they sell on PCP.
Personally, I quite like the Dacia price regime - the posted price is what you pay. I don't have the time. the patience, or the enthusiasm to shop around. I ask 'what's your price?' and work on that basis. (Different, of course, if I was buying something much more expensive).
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I drive a 2004 Jag Xtype 2.0 diesel, 158,000 miles. Happy with it, and fingers crossed for MoT next month.
My son, after various bad experiences buying cheap crap, largely funded by the Bank of Dad, bought a Sandero 1.2 Ambience in June last year. £100 pcm including 5 year warranty, 3 year service plan, breakdown. Financial sense for him (and me!).
I love my car - relaxed cruising and all that. But I am very impressed with the Sandero. It's fun to drive - a zizzy small petrol engine that takes me back to my younger years! And the Sandero has great space, all that I'd need.
When (it's not if!) the Jag goes to the scrapheap in the sky I will seriously consider a new Sandero (or possibly a Logan or a Stepway) to replace it. I'm a bit tempted by the 0.9 engine, which back in my day would be what you'd expect in a high-end motorbike!
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Good news! The Logan has arrived at the dealer and I was all set to go in on Monday to complete the paperwork.
Bad news! A Golf and a Transit ploughed into the back of me while stationary this morning. The Golf was stopped behind me, the Transit didn't stop and my poor Merc looks a bit poorly (but not as poorly as the Golf, and the driver who hit her head, but is okay thankfully).
I suspect the insurance are going to write it off. It drives okay, but the back end is badly damaged (bumper damge and the boot lid is bent) and the rear headrests which double as the roll bar have popped up and won't go back down!
So now I have to wait for my insurers to spring into action, and because two other vehicles were involved I also have to pay my excess while they decide who is liable (hopefully I can then claim it back). And it was all going so well....
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Maybe I should have bought a Honda: in John's Gospel Jesus tells the crowd,
"For I did not speak of my own Accord..." and the disciples had one too: "The Apostles were in one Accord." (from Acts).
Or maybe a motorbike: "the roar of Moses' Triumph is heard in the hills." (from Genesis).
There are others but I'll stop now!
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The insurance company (Aviva) has worked very quickly and have already written the car off, made me an offer and transfered the cash to my account. I guess the sooner they pay out the less responsibility there is for a hire/courtesy car.
The settlement figure is only a few hundred less than what we paid for it, and a few hundred more than what we were getting for part exchange. So we are content with that. It will be collected on Monday.
Having had a closer look, I think the damage is more substantial than first thought- the exhaust has been pushed in, the roof opening mechanism is damaged, as well as the rear panels, boot and bumper.
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Now I am impressed with that mega quick. Roof gear damage is expensive to repair as a quite specialised area.
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Maybe I should have bought a Honda: in John's Gospel Jesus tells the crowd,
"For I did not speak of my own Accord..." and the disciples had one too: "The Apostles were in one Accord." (from Acts)
Ahhh - now your're talking about a proper car!
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