GF Car Buying Advice Required

[stringvest]

picking up a new car in an hour, after my hairdressers appointment.

[Jenson]

15 hours ago, manwiththestick said:

Quite bizarre this as I'm looking for some advice so searched for this thread and found my previous call for advice which I ignored.

 

Two years ago I got a two year old Focus which was absolutely fine for my needs at the time if a little boring. So I'm two years into a 5 year finance deal and I'm thinking I want something better as my job and salary has changed for the better and I recently cleared a large credit card debt meaning I'm in a better position 2 years on.

 

What's the score with finance agreements? Can I speak to the company and say I'm happy to continue but want to change car and the contract runs for five more years and some adjustments to be made in payments or do I find another car and work it out through the dealer where they clear my current agreement and start fresh with a new one?

I'm pretty sure you can just go to any dealership and part ex. They will give you a valuation for your car and offer to pay off your existing finance. Any shortfall in the valuation against the outstanding finance will be added to the price of your new car. They'll then set you up on a new deal.

[stringvest]

7 minutes ago, Jenson said:

I'm pretty sure you can just go to any dealership and part ex. They will give you a valuation for your car and offer to pay off your existing finance. Any shortfall in the valuation against the outstanding finance will be added to the price of your new car. They'll then set you up on a new deal.

wise words.

[Rico1304]

16 minutes ago, stringvest said:

picking up a new car in an hour, after my hairdressers appointment.

Does it have a soft-too?

 

(The car, not your hair) 

[stringvest]

Just now, Rico1304 said:

Does it have a soft-too?

 

(The car, not your hair) 

not quite.  Might as well have though.  I'm re-embracing my feminine side.  Never really released the slightly overtight grip on it I've always had, to be fair.

[Rico1304]

Just now, stringvest said:

not quite.  Might as well have though.  I'm re-embracing my feminine side.  Never really released the slightly overtight grip on it I've always had, to be fair.

It’s what makes you such a sensitive lover. 

[Captain Turdseye]

On 31/01/2015 at 12:57, Trumo said:

I would definitely avoid French and Italian cars though.

 

On 18/02/2015 at 17:21, Trumo said:

Avoid anything by Peugeot, Citroen or Renault even if they fit the criteria.

 

On 01/07/2015 at 16:38, Trumo said:

Don't buy a diesel.

 

I bought an 11 plate diesel Peugeot 207 a couple of months ago and I love it. Now I’m hoping you’re a know-nothing wanker. 

 

I had a Renault scenic years ago and it was absolutely fine right up until a Romanian lorry driver tried to crush me on the M6. 

[stringvest]

Just now, Captain Turdseye said:

 

 

I had a Renault scenic years ago and it was absolutely fine right up until a Romanian lorry driver tried to crush me on the M6 in the dogging parking bays at Knutsford. 

 

[stringvest]

5 minutes ago, Rico1304 said:

It’s what makes you such a sensitive lover. 

 

I believe so.  That and my empathetic nature.

[Captain Turdseye]

Just now, stringvest said:

 

 

Keele services are better for that kind of thing. Or so I’m told. 

[Rico1304]

We are on holiday in America and have hired a car. It’s something called a Cadillac Escalade and is fucking huge. It’s exactly like the car Homer Simpson designs, completely and utterly mental.  I’m sure the ‘upgrade’ was to get it out of the car park taking up 2 spaces.  

[lifetime fan]

[Dr Arthur De Sabre]

5 hours ago, Rico1304 said:

We are on holiday in America and have hired a car. It’s something called a Cadillac Escalade and is fucking huge. It’s exactly like the car Homer Simpson designs, completely and utterly mental.  I’m sure the ‘upgrade’ was to get it out of the car park taking up 2 spaces.  

Big countries need big cars....

 

 they don’t like, but a fuck off big v6 is cool to drive eh?

[Chairman Meow]

29 minutes ago, arthur friedenreich said:

Big countries need big cars....

 

 they don’t like, but a fuck off big v6 is cool to drive eh?

 

My mileage has dropped a huge amount in the last few years, used to be at least 30 to 40 thousand every year and now other than if I am in a rally car it's 3 to 4 thousand at most.

 

First time in my life I have an economical car and I no longer go anywhere.

 

As such I am considering getting an old BMW 540 on the basis that I don't travel enough to worry as much about the fuel and most importantly, it has a sweet sounding V8. 

[Davelfc]

 

I'm picking up my new car soon, picking one has been the headache. Then there are car salesmen, like politicians they will spin and tell you what you want to hear to get the sale. There's a decent website that sells new cars for about 4k off retail and you pick them up from the dealerships, there are probably quite a few of those websites and they are definitely worth a look.

 

This time around I'm not having to pay for a pack to get some of the new safety toys and driver comfort tech, it's all included. As someone that remembers a radio, & electric windows as being options it's quite nice seeing so much packed into cars as standard these days. 

 

Lane keep assist, blind spot detection, adaptive cruise and a few other little toys will probably only add to the stress of driving, I mean after having been a driver for over 36 years it might be difficult to adapt initially. The thought of the car stopping itself behind another car in traffic, and then proceeding when the car in front moves is counter-intuitive to everything I've ever experienced. 

I read somewhere a while ago that the problem with moving from fully manual driving to fully automated driving are the steps between that progression. 

 

I'm sure I will adapt but even thinking about for instance the Tesla autopilot scares the hell out of me. (I'm not getting a Tesla) It's not that I can't adapt, it's not that I wouldn't be able to work the tech. It's that my fear is that if my brain learns to not react at certain times, will that affect the times when it should react. Hesitation is the devil when driving.

 

I'm really at the age when I would be happy with a two-seater smart car, I don't care myself what it looks like and as all of my kids now drive my mileage has dropped considerably. But then along come grandchildren and so I need something a little more substantial. 

 

The next time I will be in the market for a new car the EU could have implemented their planned regulations. Your car will be limited by the local speed limit you are driving in and most of the auto driver assists will be mandatory. With the increasing number of electric vehicles, the government will have to get their tax somewhere. Currently, in some states in the USA they are taxing hybrid and electric car owners for the fuel tax they are not using. I expect us to have to pay per mile we drive and the new regs would suggest that's the road we are heading down. Grandchildren or not, at that time I'll be becoming a pedestrian full time. 

[Dr Arthur De Sabre]

4 hours ago, chevettehs said:

 

My mileage has dropped a huge amount in the last few years, used to be at least 30 to 40 thousand every year and now other than if I am in a rally car it's 3 to 4 thousand at most.

 

First time in my life I have an economical car and I no longer go anywhere.

 

As such I am considering getting an old BMW 540 on the basis that I don't travel enough to worry as much about the fuel and most importantly, it has a sweet sounding V8. 

That’s kind of where we went with the Ute, rarely use the car other than driving the airport. Want to use it for some off road trails, so figure by that and the fact we have no kids so carbon emissions are lower than folks with kids. Fuck it I’m getting a big bastard v6 5.8litre.

[Sweeney287]

4 hours ago, 16613 said:

 

I'm picking up my new car soon, picking one has been the headache. Then there are car salesmen, like politicians they will spin and tell you what you want to hear to get the sale. There's a decent website that sells new cars for about 4k off retail and you pick them up from the dealerships, there are probably quite a few of those websites and they are definitely worth a look.

 

This time around I'm not having to pay for a pack to get some of the new safety toys and driver comfort tech, it's all included. As someone that remembers a radio, & electric windows as being options it's quite nice seeing so much packed into cars as standard these days. 

 

Lane keep assist, blind spot detection, adaptive cruise and a few other little toys will probably only add to the stress of driving, I mean after having been a driver for over 36 years it might be difficult to adapt initially. The thought of the car stopping itself behind another car in traffic, and then proceeding when the car in front moves is counter-intuitive to everything I've ever experienced. 

I read somewhere a while ago that the problem with moving from fully manual driving to fully automated driving are the steps between that progression. 

 

I'm sure I will adapt but even thinking about for instance the Tesla autopilot scares the hell out of me. (I'm not getting a Tesla) It's not that I can't adapt, it's not that I wouldn't be able to work the tech. It's that my fear is that if my brain learns to not react at certain times, will that affect the times when it should react. Hesitation is the devil when driving.

 

I'm really at the age when I would be happy with a two-seater smart car, I don't care myself what it looks like and as all of my kids now drive my mileage has dropped considerably. But then along come grandchildren and so I need something a little more substantial. 

 

The next time I will be in the market for a new car the EU could have implemented their planned regulations. Your car will be limited by the local speed limit you are driving in and most of the auto driver assists will be mandatory. With the increasing number of electric vehicles, the government will have to get their tax somewhere. Currently, in some states in the USA they are taxing hybrid and electric car owners for the fuel tax they are not using. I expect us to have to pay per mile we drive and the new regs would suggest that's the road we are heading down. Grandchildren or not, at that time I'll be becoming a pedestrian full time. 

How can they tax a fully electric car for something that you don't use and they're already likely paying tax on the electricity they use to charge their car? 

 

Fucking governments all over the world are just corrupt twats all looking after no.1

[Rico1304]

The company I work for are sponsoring Fully Charged this year. It’s a 3 day event showcasing amongst other things electric cars so I’m looking forward to having a go in a few. Got my current one for 4 years but after that wouldn’t mind a Tesla (2nd Hans probably). 

[Dr Arthur De Sabre]

1 hour ago, Sweeney287 said:

How can they tax a fully electric car for something that you don't use and they're already likely paying tax on the electricity they use to charge their car? 

 

Fucking governments all over the world are just corrupt twats all looking after no.1

There should be a residual tax to cover road maintenance, plus if you want easy use of the charge stations, someone needs to install and maintain them, preferably a sole supplier in areas to reduce cities being blighted with competing power lords. Like the German energy model.

so yer still gonna get taxed, but you won’t be paying fuel tax.

[Dr Arthur De Sabre]

Just now, Rico1304 said:

The company I work for are sponsoring Fully Charged this year. It’s a 3 day event showcasing amongst other things electric cars so I’m looking forward to having a go in a few. Got my current one for 4 years but after that wouldn’t mind a Tesla (2nd Hans probably). 

Should be good that, Robert Llewellyn is involved isn’t he? 

[Rico1304]

4 minutes ago, arthur friedenreich said:

Should be good that, Robert Llewellyn is involved isn’t he? 

Yes, he’s fronting it. Nice bloke, very passionate about elec vehicles and doesn’t mind if you say hello because you think you recognise him from work rather than the telly.  

[lifetime fan]

1 hour ago, Rico1304 said:

The company I work for are sponsoring Fully Charged this year. It’s a 3 day event showcasing amongst other things electric cars so I’m looking forward to having a go in a few. Got my current one for 4 years but after that wouldn’t mind a Tesla (2nd Hans probably). 

 

What did you go for in the end? 

[Rico1304]

1 minute ago, lifetime fan said:

 

What did you go for in the end? 

X3.  

[Chairman Meow]

3 hours ago, arthur friedenreich said:

That’s kind of where we went with the Ute, rarely use the car other than driving the airport. Want to use it for some off road trails, so figure by that and the fact we have no kids so carbon emissions are lower than folks with kids. Fuck it I’m getting a big bastard v6 5.8litre.

 

If I lived in Oz I would most definitely be that nob head in the Monaro or Falcon V8 that makes way too much noise and pisses of all the neighbours. 

 

1 hour ago, Rico1304 said:

The company I work for are sponsoring Fully Charged this year. It’s a 3 day event showcasing amongst other things electric cars so I’m looking forward to having a go in a few. Got my current one for 4 years but after that wouldn’t mind a Tesla (2nd Hans probably). 

The motorsport regs in the UK are still very sketchy and not really sorted for electric cars but we are toying with the idea of trying to make either an electric rally cross or time attack car of some kind. 

[Karl_b]

I know absolutely nothing about cars but we're in need of a new one. I'm a bit loathe to buy a new one, ours is a 10 year old Hyundai i20, economic little runner, barely had anything wrong with it, only 70,000 on the clock but we need something bigger. I don't know where to start. Ideally, we'd like a hybrid but not sure our budget will stretch to one (unless the fuel savings are significant) and enough room for the two of us, dog and to throw camping gear in the boot. I sometimes drive a Kia Nero for work and that'd be ideal in terms of size. Pretty open minded on make and model, must have a DAB! 

 

I have £10-12k in mind but could be way off. Our neighbour is a car dealer and has said he'll sort me out - he reckons he can get £2k off the AutoTrader price of something if we tell him what we want, but I don't know what we want.

 

Any recommendations?