The CC3's done 25,000 miles so it was time for its second service today.
It needed a driveshaft bearing which was done under warranty.
I was told the bearing was noisy, but not noisy enough for the driver to hear it.
The garage also changed the brake fluid, but I wasn't charged for that because they failed to ask for authorisation.
Rest of the service was pre-paid as part of the three-service plan I bought when I bought the car.
The only bill today was £11 for my Ka courtesy car.
I've had 25,000 miles of trouble-free motoring with no unscheduled costs, and there's every reason to think I'll not be back at the garage until the car's done 37,500 miles.
My definition of ideal motoring is to drive the car around for a year, take it to the garage for a service, and repeat the process.
Main dealer servicing is working for me.
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you cant really beat buying a new car and only needing it serviced one a year and every works and will serve well.
the idea of running a possible death trap for £500 turns my blood cold just thinking of it
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...you cant really beat buying a new car and only needing it serviced one a year and every works and will serve well...
Spot on.
When I was buzzing around in the little Ka, I thought I'd rather have a new one of these for £7K than something second hand.
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>> When I was buzzing around in the little Ka, I thought I'd rather have a
>> new one of these for £7K than something second hand.
Now y'see that's all very well but for example, I paid £7995 for my Mondeo estate when it was 3 years old and had 35k on it. Even with a generous discount on that (then) top of the range trim I'd have struggled to get a new one for much less than £17000.
It's now nearly nine years old with nearly 200k on it and has been virtually faultless. Couple of bulbs and an exhaust hanger fixed at no charge. Never been to a main dealer since I've had it either.
I think that's ok too don't you ?
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Thu 25 Nov 10 at 17:00
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>> the idea of running a possible death trap for £500 turns my blood cold just
>> thinking of it
>>
What makes it a potential 'death trap'? The fact it's worth £500?
Surely a year old neglected car could be a potential 'death trap'?
The idea of running any death trap, no matter the value would scare me.
Last edited by: ToMoCo on Thu 25 Nov 10 at 17:09
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What makes it a potential 'death trap'? The fact it's worth £500?
Surely a year old neglected car could be a potential 'death trap'?
i would never buy a yr old car either.
new all the way for me every few years. proper warranty not some useless insurance backed effort.
ive had 10 new cars in the last 20 years and would never go back to something used.
i dont care at all if im wasting money in some poeples eyes because to me having a quality new car is priceless. in 20 years ive had one warranty claim on a 1day old cmax that was rubbish but in the end they gave me another one after getting a solicitor involved.
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Oh I wouldn't criticise anyone for buying new. Done it myself several times. Just think it's not necessarily a black or white decision is all.
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Oh I wouldn't criticise anyone for buying new. Done it myself several times. Just think it's not necessarily a black or white decision is all.
true humph but the thought of driving around in some elses mucky car or inheriting problems others have glossed over is not for me. i cant begin to know how id feel if i bought an old car and was involved in a accident and the children got hurt.
i started buying new car when a 1995 escort i had was involved in an accident and just crumpled at 30mph and i needed to be cut out. safety first and cost is way down the list.
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nyx2k
"ive had 10 new cars in the last 20 years"
"i started buying new car when a 1995 escort ...."
I hope you dont apply the same arithmetic when working out your motoring costs!
or maybe you do, and that is why you dont understand what it is costing you.
Last edited by: pmh on Thu 25 Nov 10 at 17:34
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typing with brain not in gear.
I hope you dont apply the same arithmetic when working out your motoring costs!
my point is that i dont care what it costs to drive a modern reliable safe car.
if i lose thousands then i still dont care. some people go on holiday several times a year or spend 30k on a new kitchen but i have no debt and house is paid for and dont drink or smoke. so im lucky i can afford to spend on new cars every few years when either the warrant expires or my boredom threshold has been reached
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>> i started buying new car when a 1995 escort i had was involved in an
>> accident and just crumpled at 30mph and i needed to be cut out. safety first
>> and cost is way down the list.
>>
Yeah, each to their own. It's good to keep up to date with safety developments. I don't know what you drive, but I'm willing to bet I could find a safer car thats a year older.
Last edited by: ToMoCo on Thu 25 Nov 10 at 17:36
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you undoubtedly could tomoco but i wont take the chance on reliability either.
new car is just so easy to aquire. i look on the web a few months before hand to look at new stuff and narrow it down to 3 models . drive them for a few hrs and go back and buy one.
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Well, It's all about opinion and you got yours. You obviously can aford it so why not.
But hey, If safety was paramount, I'd be looking for the safest for my given 10, 20, 30k, not new.
Be it a fully inspected used s class or some newer renault, I don't know.
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>> >> i started buying new car when a 1995 escort i had was involved in
>> an
>> >> accident and just crumpled at 30mph and i needed to be cut out. safety
>> first
>> >> and cost is way down the list.
The 1995 escort was a heap when it was brand new,
Last edited by: Webmaster on Thu 2 Dec 10 at 01:08
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>> ive had 10 new cars in the last 20 years and would never go back
>> to something used.
>> i dont care at all if im wasting money in some poeples eyes because to
>> me having a quality new car is priceless.
I have had 17 brand new cars in 35 years.
I bought a second hand one. It just like having a new car.
Oh no its not like having a new car, its like having a new car at less than half price.
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a yr old or two is always a big worry as anything could be wrong with it and i may consider if it had a cast iron warranty but theres no such thing so i would rather trust that the factory built it properly and not that the owner last drove it properly or has got rid for another reason of unreliability
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>> no such thing so i would rather trust that the factory built it properly and
Its the same factory, they could just as easily screw up your new one,
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but someone else has driven it a few thousand miles so the car is now an unknown quantity to me so would rather buy it new and trust in the maker
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Do you trust hire cars? The car they loan when yours is serviced? Taxis? buses?
you have probably flown on a second hand aeroplane as well.
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hire cars only as a last resort and my friend has his own small jet aircraft and the way those things are looked after i think they are almost new condition until they wear out the airframe
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It really does me good reading your posts on this nyxk.
I know that if both of us ever end up totally broke, it will hurt you more than it will ever hurt me!
Pat
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its not about the money and certainly not about the soc alled prestige of owning a new car every few years. its Only about my peace of mind and the percieved safety of my newer cars.
ive been broke and wealthy several times with some silly business gambles but now were ok and live in a very nice area but with a modest house and a run of the mill family car.
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So if you end up broke again, how will you compromise your ideals on safety then?
Pat
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hopefully wont need to but i would buy a bigger car like a mondeo or bigger with the best safety record possible by reading many threads on the forums from owners.
the reliability would also come into it as we live in a rural location and i believe that these roads are statistically more dangerous than motorways or city traffic
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Well, it's good to see you would compromise, the way your posts were reading I had visions of you giving up driving:)
Pat
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>>but now were ok and live in a very nice area but with a modest house and a run of the mill family car<<
And I'll wager its a new house, and not one of those 2nd hand used jobbies then.
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its a tatty 1960's house originally built for the workers of the goodwood estate so no thrills except a good sized garden. not even a drive or off road parking
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>>its a tatty 1960's house originally built for the workers of the goodwood estate<<
I'd rather live in a tatty 1960's house in a very nice area, than a very nice house in a tatty area.
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that's the main reason for buying it. we had a nice 4bed detached but the neighbours in general were awful and the area wasnt nice but had a lovely sea view. so i ended up buying this house for more money than the other one sold for but never had a days regret.
i get to use the goodwood race track fairly often and get free tickets for the revival and the fastival of speed.
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>>we had a nice 4bed detached but the neighbours in general were awful<<
You cant put a price on good neighbours IMO, we've been here 4 years now and the neighbs are 1st class including their children, we're due a move though (again!) and the house is up for sale but - ya cant take your neighbours with you and - some of the stories I hear, well ... :(
Last edited by: Dog on Fri 26 Nov 10 at 08:40
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>>>You cant put a price on good neighbours.
Very true and a major factor as to why we've been here 17yrs.
Previous place however had farmland on two sides with an intense red faced farmer who constantly looked on the verge of carrying out some axe murder. He would park his tractor inches from our fence fiddling about doing not much at all and say it would be our hard luck if he damaged it during farming operations... our fault for putting it there he said.
One day found him on our place digging a hole in the grass... looking for a lost drain he said... looking for somewhere to put his last victim more like.
We lasted 3ys there... he didn't drive us away as such but at times did spoil our enjoyment of the place.
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We lasted 3ys there... he didn't drive us away as such but at times did spoil our enjoyment of the place.
>>>
>>>>>>>>pity tony martin couldnt have had a few words in his lughole for you as
no one likes cold steel in their earhole
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>>an intense red faced farmer who constantly looked on the verge of carrying out some axe murder<<
So, its not just on the Bodmin Moor then :)
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...So, its not just on the Bodmin Moor then :)...
Must have been Mardle Fen.
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>>>but someone else has driven it a few thousand miles.
They've just done the testing for you.... no big deal.
I'm currently one year into intensive testing of mine for its second owner :-)
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nyx2k
Have you never heard of the bathtub curve and failures
see -(www.weibull.com/hotwire/issue21/hottopics21.htm)
Your new car is probably much more likely to fail in the first few months.......
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error 404 on that one but i would be interested to read the info if someone can get the link to work please.
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www.weibull.com/hotwire/issue21/hottopics21.htm
sorry clumsy bracketing better explanation
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bathtub_curve
Last edited by: pmh on Thu 25 Nov 10 at 17:53
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very interesting reading pmh.
i can only go on my personal experience of new cars having only one fault in well over 300k miles and ive had many different makes except never had a vw or a vauxhall
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>> very interesting reading pmh.
>> i can only go on my personal experience of new cars having only one fault
>> in well over 300k miles and ive had many different makes except never had a
>> vw or a vauxhall
I did 600k miles in new cars.
do you want the list of failures?
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are these modern cars made in the last decade as from my understanding that new cars are getting safer and safer yr on yr but you may be correct on the reliabilty front. is it possible that ive just been lucky or is it my research that has paid off
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>> are these modern cars made in the last decade as from my understanding that new
>> cars are getting safer and safer yr on yr but you may be correct on
>> the reliabilty front.
The last troublesome car was a 2005 VW touran.
left me stranded twice.
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...I did 600k miles in new cars...
As ever Zero, your one is bigger than my one, but I have done nearly 100,000 miles in two diesel Fords in the last eight years.
Both performed faultlessly on the road and no unscheduled visits to the dealer.
Any possible problems - as with my driveshaft bearing today - were caught by annual/mileage-based main dealer maintenance.
An important part of happy main dealer motoring is buying a decent make and model of car in the first place.
The easiest way to do that is have a good look around and then buy a Ford.
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>>Main dealer servicing is working for me.
>>
Not for me!
A franchised Mercedes dealer that I have used for over 7 years now told me at my last service that I needed 2 new alloys as they had become damaged by road conditions. This came as a surprise to me as the car drove fine. When I put my winter wheels/tyres on yesterday I took the opportunity to have a REALLY close look at all 4 of the wheels as I took them off the car. I cannot find any trace of any damage whatsoever.
I have written to the MD complaining, but in the meantime I shall be going elsewhere for my next service ... .
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Careful, Humph. That car cannot be worth more than £500. The thought of your driving around in a deathtrap like that scares me witless. Sell it now.
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Probably should. Can't quite get around to it.
Edit, anyway, my wife uses it most of the time now so I should be fine thanks. No need to worry.
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Thu 25 Nov 10 at 17:13
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Boxterboy appears to drive a Mercedes.
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nyx2k said: "new all the way for me every few years. proper warranty not some useless insurance backed effort.
ive had 10 new cars in the last 20 years and would never go back to something used.
i dont care at all if im wasting money in some poeples eyes because to me having a quality new car is priceless. in 20 years ive had one warranty claim on a 1day old cmax that was rubbish but in the end they gave me another one after getting a solicitor involved."
Up until about 3 or 4 years ago I would have totally agreed. But at that time I bought a second hand 9 year old Peugeot 306 with 103,000 on the clock as a runabout. I enjoyed the bargain basement aspect so much I even found I used in preference to the Audi. Since then both are still family owned and my "always chop it in at 2 / 3 years" new Audi is coming on 7 and I'm keeping it.
Mapmaker bears some responsibility in this seriously revised attitude of mine and Hey Guys ..... I'm grateful.
I don't have any warranty anymore, pay up when it's needed and am saving pots of money and enjoying it.
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i do have an old car it's a 190e mercedes. i bought that new when i had no family to support so could afford a new car in my early 20's. it has never gone wrong because i look after it properly.
mostly now its driven by my sister as shes lost her job and had to sell her newish focus.
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My old Jag is now 11 years old. Can't be worth much more than £1,500 - £2,000 if i'm lucky.
If I ever sold that, someone would have a right bargain. It's 'in' today having some suspension bushes done (not much wrong with them, sailed through the MOT, but cold weather had them clonking a little bit).
There is absolutely nothing wrong with that car, nothing whatsoever (apart from the above)...because i've fastidiously maintained it, at any cost.
Yes, you generally get a good package with a brand new one...but it's not impossible to pick up something like mine, if you do your research and have some patience.
Mine was bought second hand 2.75 years old with 12K on the clock from a main dealer...and a saving of £10K on the price from new. I haven't spent anywhere near £10K on it, so it's worked well for me...and no doubt does for countless other people in similar circumstances.
The other thing is, the type of car second hand that you can get for the same price as a less premium one brand new. I'd rather have the premium brand car second hand.
Last edited by: Westpig on Thu 25 Nov 10 at 17:47
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i would buy a used car off someone like you westpig as ive been lucky enough to build a mental picture of what sort of person you are from reading thousands of posts on several forums. your jaguar would suit me perfectly as a weekend toy for a bit of luxury.
there are many peolple on this forum and others that i would buy a newish car from if i needed to economise on my motoring costs
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>> i would buy a used car off someone like you westpig
I would like a new brand car though..:-)
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also to keep my mind at rest on safety i always purchase some spare steel wheels for a new car and have snow tyres put on. it can get pretty snowy and icy when the weather turns and you live surrounded by the south downs to the rear and open countryside for miles on end
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Oh come on! the south downs is not the Alps!
Snow tyres?
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when it does snow it builds into very high drifts in our tiny hamlet and we get abandoned by the local authority and we need to dig our way out
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can i please make it clear that it is never my intention to belittle poeple who chose to run an older car or have smaller amounts to spend on motoring.
i would feel awful if i came across in that way
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nyx.
Have you an inflatable boat... or did you have one?
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i have had many inflatable boats to use on chichester harbour and other places i have lived.
we now have a small 16ft motor boat that we only use on the harbour area
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>> can i please make it clear that it is never my intention to belittle poeple
>> who chose to run an older car or have smaller amounts to spend on motoring.
>> i would feel awful if i came across in that way
It hasnt.
you just happened to hit a place were a lot of guys like a good argument!
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you just happened to hit a place were a lot of guys like a good argument and also believe that we are always correct!!
.....and so to bed ?
Last edited by: pmh on Thu 25 Nov 10 at 18:16
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i came from the darksied when hj shut down and was a member there for a few years so i feel as if i know what sort of person i am talking to and may i say that this is the most freindly and non judgemental of the forums i frequent
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....an i please make it clear that it is never my intention to belittle poeple who chose to run an older car or have smaller amounts to spend on motoring....
nyx,
None of your posts come across that way.
If anything, the thread reads a little as if the others are ganging up on you.
Not that they mean to do that, I'm sure.
On a motoring forum there's bound to be a lot of people who work the market a bit harder than simply buying new every few years.
I think motorists who are not interested in cars tend to be the ones who buy a new car when the old one needs its first MOT.
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i dont feel ganged up on but i was trying to keep my answers it the order the posts with remarks or question came in. i think i managed it. if i havent replied to a query someone has made please remind me.
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I think the answer that, buying second hand allows you to afford a class of car you couldnt get brand new, is compelling,
You need to be sure however, that you dont buy servicing bills you cant afford.
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that's mostly my fear.
i can run a new £13k or a fantastic bmx 5 or 7 series or even older bentley of such like but i like the idea of know what im getting with as few unknowns as possible
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nyx2k
Your 'new' car is, by definition, a 'used' car the day you take delivery. If I were to buy it from the dealer to whom you part exchange it when buying your next 'new' car would I be buying 'somebody else's mucky car' or a car that has been 'neglected by its previous owner'.
I certainly don't have any objection to you buying new every time but I feel that your reasons don't really stack up these days. When you started buying new 20 (or 15) years ago your motives might well have held water but modern cars are far safer and better built and 'lemons' are few and far apart.
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but how much extra am i spending on new as opposed to nearly new with manuf warranty.
maybe only 2-3k in the first 2yrs and i feel safer with this new known quanity.
i can see others rationale but for the price of weekly cigarette habit or a friday night out i can run a new car as opposed to a nearly new
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>> maybe only 2-3k in the first 2yrs and i feel safer with this new known
>> quanity.
How about 6k? thats closer to the mark.
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i beleive in my "man maths" approach to accountancy.
i probabaly is nearer 6k in 2-3yrs but to me its worth the peace of mind.
if my new cars needed any repair work then i'd be tempted to look at nearly new but i have no need at present as ive had no faults or worries to make me change my mind
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Your 'new' car is, by definition, a 'used' car the day you take delivery. If I were to buy it from the dealer to whom you part exchange it when buying your next 'new' car would I be buying 'somebody else's mucky car' or a car that has been 'neglected by its previous owner'.
my point however is you dont know whether ive looked after my 2yr old car or driven it around my local goodwood track (which i have for the last 3 cars)
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>>> have had many inflatable boats to use on chichester harbour and other places i have lived. we now have a small 16ft motor boat that we only use on the harbour area
Ahh jolly good. My Zodiac sits in the shed packed away until the day the fen floods and we need to abandon the house.
Thought I'd seen your username in a boating related forum a while back.
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i used my inflatable on the witham and the navigable drains around the fens.
if the government scientists have there way you'll be swimming to work in the near future.
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I've bought new, nearly new and used. I have no problem with buying used. But then I listen to FiL revving the nuts off his stone cold Clio while he turns it round so it's pointing down the drive, then he turns the engine off and leaves it. Makes you wonder what the previous owner got up to. But then I think that you're ok most of the time and the risk is worth it (and the £s).
John
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>> Main dealer servicing is working for me.
It's nice to hear some good words said about franchised dealer servicing. I've invariably been satisfied myself.
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>> It's nice to hear some good words said about franchised dealer servicing. I've invariably been satisfied myself.
>>
Likewise.
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I get my cars serviced in a franchised dealer workshop, by a franchised dealer technician, for mates rates. It's a nice combination which I am taking full advantage of, while it lasts. :-)
Example: 110k (Inspection) service on Golf TDI 130 last week, plus a new set of rear brake pads = £80 all in.
Book doesn't get stamped, but who cares? This is the newer of the two, and it celebrates its ninth birthday next year.
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>> The garage also changed the brake fluid, but I wasn't charged for that because they
>> failed to ask for authorisation.
>>
>> Rest of the service was pre-paid as part of the three-service plan I bought when
>> I bought the car.
>>
I've never heard of a manufacturer service plan which didn't include the brake fluid change.
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I'm another chap who is totally happy with his main dealer.
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>> you have probably flown on a second hand aeroplane as well.
and some aeroplanes are many years older than your car :-)
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...I've never heard of a manufacturer service plan which didn't include the brake fluid change...
I've had Ford diesels for the last eight years.
The form seems to be the dealer asks at every second service - or in this case doesn't ask - if I want the fluid changing.
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Most brands I've dealt with have it on the schedule at some point and I assume they do it, never been asked for it. BMW were/are quite fastidious about it both car and Motorrad dealers.
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>> Most brands I've dealt with have it on the schedule at some point and I
>> assume they do it, never been asked for it. BMW were/are quite fastidious about it
>> both car and Motorrad dealers.
>>
VW is every 2 years, they only do it if you want it done, but do suggest it at most services
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BMW cars told me it was important to reduce the risk of damage to ABS (Yeah right I thought) However there is plenty of informed chatter on BMW bike forums that it's unthinkable not to change it every 2 years - IIRC it was 4 years for cars.
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Just checked the X1's manual looks like its down to two years now..
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Its not mandatory, only an advisory.
On a VW fail to get it done at your peril tho, your ABS /stbility control module will go TU at just over three years and you wont get a penny from VW unless you have full VW serivce history.
£1k fix.
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Common sense to change it then.
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Yes, most makes state it as an advisory, and treat it as an optional item to be agreed with the car owner beforehand. According to the web, across the big pond, " General Motors and Chrysler do not mention brake fluid in their scheduled maintenance recommendations. A General Motors spokesman said Delco Supreme 11 DOT 3 brake fluid contains additives than many other brake fluids do not, so it is essentially a lifetime fluid. "
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I have tended to stick with main dealer servicing since being able to afford newer cars. The Mrs VW is now 5 years old, and I was thinking it was time to switch to local indy servicing, but they have just offered me the next 2 services (1 major, 1 minor) and 2 X MOT's for £299. I doubt my local indy would be any cheaper, and the dealership in question have nice coffee, Polo's as courtesy cars, will wash and vac it, and stamp the book
They have also said they will change bulbs and wipers for no labour charge if done at the same time as the service.
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The Mrs VW is now 5 years old, and I was thinking it was
>> time to switch to local indy servicing, but they have just offered me the next
>> 2 services (1 major, 1 minor) and 2 X MOT's for £299. I doubt my
>> local indy would be any cheaper,
£299 up front - pay by Credit Card (Section 75 gives refund where supplier fails) as they may not be around in 24 months time !
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>> The Mrs VW is now 5 years old, and I was thinking it was
>> >> time to switch to local indy servicing, but they have just offered me the
>> next
>> >> 2 services (1 major, 1 minor) and 2 X MOT's for £299. I doubt
>> my
>> >> local indy would be any cheaper,
>>
>> £299 up front - pay by Credit Card (Section 75 gives refund where supplier fails)
>> as they may not be around in 24 months time !
>>
Fair point, but I intend to have the major service done now which is a big chunk of the cost, and they are part of a large PLC, so the risk is small, however I pay for pretty much anything by credit card
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i cant remember what my last service cost at 12.5k miles for the citroen.
it was it's first service, i really should know what these things cost but i just take them in and ask what is looked at etc.
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>> I've never heard of a manufacturer service plan which didn't include the brake fluid change.
>>
It's not part of service schedules for my Focus. It's an optional extra on request.
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>> It's not part of service schedules for my Focus. It's an optional extra on request.
>>
What does Ford's Etis sytem say for your car: www.etis.ford.com/fordservice/serviceScheduleForm.do;jsessionid=E4EFA2EAD7ACFC4F023483AF29DA8F0A.dulv0676
Many dealers don't include it in the price, but it's mandatory if you want it serviced according to the manufacturers reccomendations, which you need to do for warranty.
My point was that if you buy a 3/4/5 year service plan form the manaufacturer, I've never seen one that didn't include the brake fluid change as required by the schedule.
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Main dealer service - nyx2k
