When to change car ??

[Boomerang]

What's the general opinion on the most cost effective way to run a car .? How longs a piece of string ?
If you buy new £££££ in depreciation straight away .
Buy year old ,biggest depreciation hit avoided , then keep til it's dead suffering any repair bills , or change after 3 or 4 years so still has some value for trade in . !
Or lease ?
It's all swings and roundabouts . Repairs are pot luck as is the reliability of new or old .
Cost the earth to buy but worth nowt when you want to sell .

 

[Pieces_of_Eight]

Makes a big difference if you can claim VAT back...

 

[Lincsman]

Buy new with 15% discount keep 6 years/80K miles or just before major repair.

 

[GTB]

or just before major repair.

^^^ This, but only if you have a crystal ball!

 

[Lincsman]

^^^ This, but only if you have a crystal ball!

In my case clutch feeling odd and strange noise.. dual mass flywheel?.. stopped using it until new car came, (why dont they test drive?).. dealer sent it for auction... someone thought thats a nice clean 5 year old one owner car with full service history (by me) and was last seen in dealers yard for £1750 more than i was paid for it. Hope they gave a warranty!

 

[Paddington]

After driving carefully for several weeks with a slipping clutch, I traded my old Rangey in for a newer one with only 250,000 miles on the clock. I new the dealer and told him about the clutch and the next week my old car had disappeared from the forecourt. Apparently the clutch lasted until the new owner got it home.. so I think they lost a bit on the sale.

 

[marcusthehat]

Buy new, prudently, cash down, run to 200-250,000 miles.
And the origional clutch should last the life of the car, even with some towing.
With a mix of self servicing and Indy shop for the bigger jobs(after warrenty period is up)
Used to do 20 to 25K per year, now down to 15 to 18K, in semi-retirement.
Rinse and repeat.
Since I have never (& quite seriously) in 40 years been let down or stranded at the roadside by an older self maintained vehicle, if one drives with owt approaching mechanical sympathy, and checks fluid levels and services reasonably regularly.
A whole lot to be said in favour of lifting the bonnet and having a poke about while pulling the dipstick.
mth

 

[24/7 farming]

I don't think I could ever buy new, I have tried keeping cars about 2-3 years old, but after I was stung on a 4 year old BMW, which cost me 8000 euro in repairs and depreciation in three years of ownership I dabbled in the cheaper end of the market, and to date it has been working out nicely!

I buy what I fancy, or what suit at the time, usually try to stay to around 5k, no borrowing, most recent was €4k on a 10year old audi A4 avant in 2012, now into year 5 of ownership. averaging 3-400€ a year in repairs above and beyond servicing and tyres and it has covered about 80,000miles for me since I got it... now at 250k. Never has left me stranded (touch wood!)... repairs have included things like leaking power steering rack, suspension bits n pieces and two new front wings as they are prone to rot, I also have got other bits n pieces painted n replaced at times cos I don't like it looking too untidy! (but will still fill it with fencing posts and head of through the fields).

I have been trying to get a year for every 1000 spent!, so I have it valued at 0 now and will drive it for as long as it will keep going as I still enjoy it, currently needs a set of rear springs at next service (a coil broke in recent cold weather). If and when a large repair comes along it will be sold for scrap, and I'll go again...

In recent times I have had a pajero jeep that I spent 2k on and drove for 4 years till it rotted beyond handy repair... got 500 for it from a farmer for feeding around his farm, although it was running alongside any cars I had at time time as it was cruel on diesel!!! Have had a 1.7 astra for 3500, drove for a year and a half and sold again for 3000. Also ventured into a 1.0l yaris for a few years while the missus was learning to drive

Suppose I should disclose that I also have an Evo 3 which helps me thole some of the more mundane purchases!, but it does no more than 2000miles any year.

Dont think i will ever spend the likes of 20k on a car again, although i have developed a serious soft spot for the VW amarok of late...

 

[Princess Pooper]

I am 50 have owned a car since I was 21. I have had 4 cars, a metro, and then diesel Peugeot 205, 306 and 307. All at least 2 yrs old when bought, all run into the ground except the latter which is still in use. The 205 went to another owner at 210,000 miles as it had a lot of silly niggly faults like the hand-wound window getting stuck, great for a spanner head to play with. IT did a further 40,000 miles including visiting Germany!
At one point I was doing 25,000 miles a year a lot of it up and down farm drives and on rural lanes, although a lot less now I don't do much off farm use. As a female driver usually on my own and often in very rural areas in all weathers a long way from home, reliability has always been important to me and I have only had to call recovery due to mechanical breakdown once in 30 years (split fuel pipe). Serviced regularly, minimal own maintenance other than checking oil water etc. Great local trustworthy independent garage whom I would recommend to anyone.

Always got enough money put buy to go out and pay for a 'new' one should I get a sudden death. (Not the case in 1990's when the metro failed its MOT, sub frame rusted through no point in mending and a loan from Mum was required!) The 307 was the most expensive I think about £7k but it was also the newest as it didn't need an MOT to start with I think all the others were past that stage.

 

[B&B Pig Man]

I contract hire new vehicles on 2 or 3 year deals.

It does mean you are slightly limited on choice, and factory options are expensive. But if you choose what's on offer then it works out quite cheap.

I currently run a Jag XF, and the Mrs has a Hyundai i30.
Have done it this way for the last 15 or so years.

I use a broker to do it - usually bluechillicars or nationwide vehicle contracts.

 

[Qman]

What is the name of the garage Princess?

 

[Princess Pooper]

What is the name of the garage Princess?

http://lhexhaustsmotcentre.co.uk/

5 mins walk from the cattle market in Melton

 

[Qman]

Thanks

 

[GTB]

I'm fifty next month and on my fifth car. First was an opel kaddet then two cavalier SRi then a terrano (kids came along) and current car a Passat estate. First three were 2 to 3k cars. Last two bought nearly new. Terrano lasted twelve years and Passat is still going strong at almost ten years old.

 

[Bones]

Buy an oldish toyoty avensis, it will see you to the grave,,

 

[DRC]

I took my l200 to JT Hughes Telford yesterday , as there was a recall on passenger airbag. Whilst waiting, I had a drive in their new demo l200, with 2000 miles on the clock . I liked it and asked what deal they could do. The demo one was £21500 plus VAT . My one has only done 49000 on an 08 plate, full service history , cambelt changed and only owned by us.
I was offered the paltry sum of £4750 trade in, so it will stay where it is.

 

[wdah/him]

only thirty, keep cars to they die or fed up looking at them, only buy what i like to drive.

had 2 clios
1 dturbo 306
2 astras. first died other i didnt like not as nice to drive
toledo, sold before died-just
a3, leon, bora, died but humble money all nice to drive
saab 93 didnt like to look at it but great to drive, undecided

 

[Grain Buyer]

I once had a Renault Megan which I bought for £300. Ran it for 20,000miles, used to drop all the back seats and fill it with logs, used to keep the dogs in it when we had guests round for dinner. I had to park it on a hill so I could bump start it, the exhaust was held up with wire. Sold it 3 years later for £200 to a bloke who had lost his job and needed something cheap to get about with. That was cheap motoring, but I wouldn't fancy going back to those days.

 

[Shep]

I took my l200 to JT Hughes Telford yesterday , as there was a recall on passenger airbag. Whilst waiting, I had a drive in their new demo l200, with 2000 miles on the clock . I liked it and asked what deal they could do. The demo one was £21500 plus VAT . My one has only done 49000 on an 08 plate, full service history , cambelt changed and only owned by us.
I was offered the paltry sum of £4750 trade in, so it will stay where it is.

You were right, to keep her, I got £4950 for a 2010 with 100,000 miles on it and thought it was a bum enough deal.

 

[ISCO]

Always ran Toyota's, bought nearly new and ran till dead. Never sold a car that was worth buying. Latest one is 58 auris on 105000 miles, gearbox went pre Christmas and beyond repair. Local garage can't find reconditioned one and new one 2.5k. Evidently problem on them with bearings going..
May be changing makes but only second hand.