Seeking non-VW advice

[JOG]

Thanks for your feedback everyone - it seems that a diesel *can* be okay, but the weight of opinion says, more often than not, it won't be ideal and that a petrol engine is a better bet for my use case. I guess that, in my heart of hearts, I knew that was probably the case, but didn't want to dismiss a vehicle I was smitten with.

Forgot to mention that, prior to the test drive, the first thing I asked the salesman was whether the vehicle was a petrol or a diesel (the windscreen info just said "hybrid"). He was quite dismissive and almost snorted that "all hybrids are petrol mate". It wasn't until I got home and did some research that I discovered he was wrong. If he'd have answered accurately (honestly?) I wouldn't even have bothered with the test drive and I wouldn't have been in a position of having to walk away from the car.

Anyway, I got a follow-up call from the garage this morning and I gave them short shrift.

Bloomin barrow-boys!

 

[Chippie1]

Thanks for your feedback everyone - it seems that a diesel *can* be okay, but the weight of opinion says, more often than not, it won't be ideal and that a petrol engine is a better bet for my use case. I guess that, in my heart of hearts, I knew that was probably the case, but didn't want to dismiss a vehicle I was smitten with.

Forgot to mention that, prior to the test drive, the first thing I asked the salesman was whether the vehicle was a petrol or a diesel (the windscreen info just said "hybrid"). He was quite dismissive and almost snorted that "all hybrids are petrol mate". It wasn't until I got home and did some research that I discovered he was wrong. If he'd have answered accurately (honestly?) I wouldn't even have bothered with the test drive and I wouldn't have been in a position of having to walk away from the car.

Anyway, I got a follow-up call from the garage this morning and I gave them short shrift.

To be fair I didn’t realise there were diesel hybrids but surely he should know

 

[Lotuscamper]

I guess it how the tone or manner salesman spoke to you ? Telling kindly that you can get diesel hybrids but vast majority are petrol !
I hope my son who is sales at a BMW dealership would speak to his customers with respect and honesty ? Well at least respect !

 

[Stay Frosty]

Carshop Bristol branch have got a petrol 2019 AMG C300 petrol estate on a 68 plate with 20,262 miles for £26 grand if we can start a community car search?

 

[Bav]

Carshop Bristol branch have got a petrol 2019 AMG C300 petrol estate on a 68 plate with 20,262 miles for £26 grand if we can start a community car search?

Carshop Wakefield is where I went the other day.

 

[Stay Frosty]

You'll probably find Carshop are part of Manheim or similar and basically are a clearing house for leased car fleets from the various users.
In the past I've bought a few cars at auction and struck lucky but these days that circle is being closed with the cars coming off hire and being auctioned at Bruntingthorpe for instance and then starting their next retail life through Carshop or Bristol Street Motors etc.
If you don't get too specific with the model there's always a shed load of fresh cars through on a regular basis as barely anyone actually buys cars these days and certainly don't hold onto a car for more than three years, my current Astra 1.6 petrol turbo is an ex Motability car at three years old with 17,000 miles from BSM, cheap and rapid transport.

 

[Bav]

You'll probably find Carshop are part of Manheim or similar and basically are a clearing house for leased car fleets from the various users.
In the past I've bought a few cars at auction and struck lucky but these days that circle is being closed with the cars coming off hire and being auctioned at Bruntingthorpe for instance and then starting their next retail life through Carshop or Bristol Street Motors etc.
If you don't get too specific with the model there's always a shed load of fresh cars through on a regular basis as barely anyone actually buys cars these days and certainly don't hold onto a car for more than three years, my current Astra 1.6 petrol turbo is an ex Motability car at three years old with 17,000 miles from BSM, cheap and rapid transport.

I'm old-school - I've always bought cars outright. I get that leasing reduces monthly payments, but I just can't get my head around paying-out for 3 years and then not having an asset to show for it. Then again, outside of company cars, I've never driven anything fancy or expensive (6.1 camper excepted ).

 

[Stay Frosty]

Old school isn't a bad thing but it definitely produces a slower economy, renting cars has accelerated car ownership with the same car still being leased at 10 years old if it's a desired make/model.
Cheap money ie. low interest loan rates has done the same to houses as cars with the seemingly low payments introducing inflation into the the cycle and a perceived artificial cheapness to the target purchase which has very little relation to the ability to buy outright at the point of purchase.
I think I've been watching a bit too much Vlad Vexler on YouTube.

 

[Lotuscamper]

Now my son who works at BMW sings the praises of PCP deals and he tried to explain me the difference between HP & PCP
Now as we have had a HP finance approved we gone down this route as we plan to pay of the balance in a few years so avoiding some interest
Anyway all this finance stuff gives me a headache so I leave to wife and pay what she tells me !

 

[Bav]

Now my son who works at BMW sings the praises of PCP deals and he tried to explain me the difference between HP & PCP
Now as we have had a HP finance approved we gone down this route as we plan to pay of the balance in a few years so avoiding some interest
Anyway all this finance stuff gives me a headache so I leave to wife and pay what she tells me !

I the understand the technicalities of finance, but am prone to making decisions based on emotion (note being smitten by the inappropriate Merc). Mrs Bav injects reality, logic and discipline into proceedings. It's a partnership that works well and is in its 35th year.

 

[Lubrown]

I'm old-school - I've always bought cars outright. I get that leasing reduces monthly payments, but I just can't get my head around paying-out for 3 years and then not having an asset to show for it. Then again, outside of company cars, I've never driven anything fancy or expensive (6.1 camper excepted ).

Same. I was always brought up with “if you can’t afford it don’t buy it”.

 

[dubber36]

It's not always about "if you can't afford it, don't buy it" If the money you would have paid out can be used for other things that could make you money, then it makes sense. That's how business works. Always has, always will.

The way I look at money is, you only earn it once, so you can only spend it once. It's when people spend it two or three times that it gets sticky.

 

[Crazymind]

On another note, Rich people don’t use their money. They don’t risk their Capital.

 

[Stay Frosty]

The spending it two or three times though has happened and translated into crazy house prices at the first and second time buyer level of the market thanks to buy to let and interest only mortgages squeezing out this category.
It's horrible but there's no easy answer to the spend ahead situation as the distortion between the market value of something and people's ability to pay for that item either with savings or borrowed money has pushed the items price beyond that of someone with savings alone.
I'm actually out in the camper and the sun's shining, I'll get my happy head back on!

 

[Bav]

It's not always about "if you can't afford it, don't buy it" If the money you would have paid out can be used for other things that could make you money, then it makes sense.

You're referring to the cost of missed opportunity, which is definitely a thing. However, with savers having suffered a prolonged period of historically low returns, that concept has become very diluted and often overlooked. Hopefully it won't be forgotten now that interest rates are returning to historic norms.

 

[Bav]

Well, in sinister HAL 9000-fashion, my car has just decided to take its revenge for me having the temerity to consider getting rid of it.

We're currently in Northumberland (about 180 miles away from home) and tonight, on the way back from dinner, the car started to misfire (as if being starved of fuel) and then it went into limp mode. It was dark, we were on a narrow twisty lane in the middle of nowhere and there was no mobile signal - great!

Fortunately, I managed to nurse it back the 9 miles to our accommodation, though it was sounding dog-rough by the time we arrived. I'll be calling the AA first thing tomorrow and, as I have National Recovery cover, I'll be able to get it & us back home if they can't fix it at the roadside, but I fear that's the end of our holiday.

 

[Stay Frosty]

It knows... now you've got the mental wrestling match of how much do I spend fixing it when my eye has already been taken by a swoopy new strumpet Merc?
Obviously the more major the problem the easier it is to wave goodbye to this previously reliable old friend but in its disabled state it's a breaker if you've got the patience or whatever weighing in fetches currently, bummer about the holiday but is there still time to get the T6 from home fired up and carry on?

 

[Bav]

I reckon scrapping it is the most likely outcome - there was very little value in it before this. Whilst I've discounted the Merc, as you say, I've had my head turned, so that's another nail in the old girl's coffin. Tomorrow would have been our last day, so not a biggie re the holiday.

 

[roadtripper]

Since we bought the Caravelle last Autumn the XC70 has lost its heating, air con, ABS light on and possible subframe bush issue. They definitely know when they've been retired from the "hero" vehicle

For your vehicle choice a plug in hybrid sounds ideal if you can find one with a range that matches your shorter daily drives. That avoids the short journey issue most of the time, assuming you have a drive to charge on.

For my use I'd love it if someone did a 4x4 estate with diesel front wheel drive and electric rear wheel drive. Would be great for the 5% of time I need the 4x4, not shag the diesel on the shopping trips but still give me the 700 mile range for roadtrips.

 

[Bav]

Just had the local breakdown guy round to look at the car - job was handed-off by AA (presumably due to location).

Injector 1 was "weepy" and when it was disconnected (whilst the engine was running [like a bag of spanners]), it had no discernible impact Also tried disconnecting injector 2 and there was a noticeable deterioration with that one. Given the repair cost is probably not that bad, it's possible that the old girl will live on.

Anyway, now arranging to get recovered to a garage local to home and looking forward to 5+ hours of chit-chat with recovery guy.