Other car advice please - 300C may have to go?

[bronzee]

Its easy to lose faith when things go wrong but i'd have a bit of breathing space first before doing anything rash. You were happy with it before and its big and comfy for your commute. You could be out of the frying pan into the fire with anything else...........

Think Nixy is definitely right.

 

All cars have their foibles, some more than others. But if they've been good thus far and it's still under warranty, hold on to it, unless other biggish things start cropping up coming up to January.

[CaptainSensible]

Come on Stan, think about it, the 350z wasnt the FIRST car to carry the Z. Nothing wrong with the 200sx either.

 

Well its crossed my mind Mart - just wonder what the running costs would be - remember I am not really too fussed about a performance car I would prefer something cheap reliable and comfy on the long trips but of course I am fussy and cant stand to become Mr Dull BMW or Merc or VAG !!

Nothing wrong with a bitg of VAG Get yourself one of these buggers, can pick up a tidy one for about £5k.

[Jak]

R33/ 34 GTT or such like?

 

 

http://pistonheads.com/sales/1576001.htm

 

 

Big-ish and i should imagine fairly comfortable, don't actually know how expensive they would be to run though.........

 

 

Jak

[stanski]

Thanks again for the advice and alternative options.

Went out in the 300c todayand damn it was good to have it back. I do love it to bits but it's bits are my concern. There are known issues with this engine it's actually the new Mercedes engine which is in all the mercs today although Mercedes seem to have sorted the niggles on theirs with decent redesigned parts yet Chrysler either deny there is an issue or just replace with the same parts!! To be fair the niggles so far hbe been leaking fuel lines( twice) a new seal on the turbo as it leaks oil onto the swirl chamber motor below and it fizzles till it pops- at least it still lets you drive but in emergency mode- ie slow. New anti roll bar mounts - yes all this on. 2008 car and now the gearbox selector which renders your car immobile completely - probably a good security measure actually!! Oh the alloys corrode every 12 months but that it now in theory it should be bomb proof? But I am worried what's next and warranty is till January.

So budget would be about the £3500 mark tops nothing too performance related but I can't stand the BMW etc brigade just not me so maybe an older medium sized Honda or something like that, then when Beetle is on the road I can sell it and use van as my daily cars.

I will see how things go with the 300 in the meantime but if anything else happens its going .

Btw thanks for info on the forth comming Trafford meet

[bronzee]

Fair do's Stan, I'd probably sell if I'd had those sort of problems too. Good luck with whichever you end up with next.

[geoff-r]

Integra Type R (DC2), these really are great cars for the money and cheap as chips to run and maintain!

[AK350Z]

I've had a think Stan, and all i keep thinking of is an old 5 or 7 series! Maybe even an M? E34/39 are quite stylish now, especially the 39 M5.

Those Bangle designed ones are also cheap as chips with the marmite styling!

[stanski]

Thanks guys. I like the Integra Type R but the ones I like 2001> are still about £8k+ and again it's a performance car with high insurance cost and parts to match I am sure? Are they really that cheap to run 700 miles a week to work?

Andy I know I should get an old 5 series Beemer but I can't do it !!! It would be wearing beige slacks listening to Smooth FM and selling my soul to the corporate devil! Nooooooooooo.

Well anyway still prefer Japanese tin and suppose realistically it's Honda Accord or Mazda 6 even an old Mazda 626!

Will scour autotrader for prices etc.

Thanks all for your suggestions

[marzman]

Ey up Stan!

 

Get a fiesta like mine... its wicked to drive! No joke - im really enjoying it. I drive it like i stole it and am having a lot of fun. I just need to remember that the brakes aren't the best...

 

That said, i've got a promotion coming at work and will be getting a company car allowance, and have been going through a similar thought process to you.

 

I dont mind the german cars though, and have more or less settled on a 01-04 Audi A4 1.9 tdi. 60k on the clock, 50mpg - for under £6k. 700 miles a week stan - how can you not want a diesel?

 

Anyway, someone earlier mentioned a Mondeo... my best mate has the previous gen diesel mondeo ST, and its a very nice car. Great interior and pretty rapid too... i'd have one but they're a little but above my budget (£8.5k ish).

 

Good luck though matey.

[stanski]

Thanks for the info Chris. Had a bad experience with Audi years ago not just the car but the stealer network and Audi UK so put me off for life!! Guy at work has a new TT and is always taking it back to te stealers who are hopeless so ita nice to see nothing has changed!but if you get one take it to an independent to service etc.

 

Been looking at autotrader and ita surprising how cheap some Jap cars are. Can't beleive you can get a Mazda 6 for under £1k now!!! Mazda 626, Honda prelude and Mazda6 I think are favourites at the moment. Not inspiring I know but at they are cheap and relatively bomb proof

and of course I dont need to wash them at all!!! Ha ha ha

Let's see how the tank behaves itself and Bronzee your right might be worth considering an extended warranty for it as an option.

[greido]

A few years back I had a 100 mile per day round trip commute and bought an Audi A4 TDi an absolutely loved it, I bought it at auction, 5 years old with 111000 miles on it and ran it for 18 months, I only ever bought front brake pads, 2 tyres and had it serviced once, the thing was awesome, great comfortable drive and I got about 45mpg.

I bought a Vectra diesel the following winter for the same reason and sold it after 3 months, it wasn't a patch on the A4.

If I were you I wouldn't be so anti-german cars, in my experience they're great, my Audi was the best built car I've ever owned.

[Chris`I]

Get a VAG car Stan, job done. SEAT Leon or Skoda Octavia. Rock solid cars, just run and run. Cheaper examples can be found now, might need a bit more cash then your budget, but you'll find something for not much more. My Leon was great for eating miles

[stanski]

Thanks again. I am the last person to be called anti german!!! I have had vw's my whole life! Look at my memory lane post Vw all the way!! But I like earlier vw's not the newer stuff unless it's vans of course

I am sure the current crop of VAG's are fine but after going Jap 10 years ago I have never looked back. The 300c is an E class Merc underneath and look at the problems I've had? The jap cars I have had Toyotas, Mazdas and Nissans have been trouble free. The worse thing have been replacement rubber seals for the roof on the MR2 that's it, nothing else. Oh had alloys replaced under warranty oh and a brake light went once.

Not bad over 10 year stretch eh.

Well anyway de used if the 300c gives me yet more hassle it's a 2 lyre petrol Mazda 6 for £2k

[AK350Z]

used to drive a few Mazda6 ts's when i worked for National car hire. Pretty decent cars I thought, engine seemed quite revvy and overall I quite liked them.