Marlon wrote:
Hi all,

8 grand - what would _you_ buy?

A 1st Class ticket to Prague, a penthouse hotel room, a couple of crates of
Bolli and a small troupe of young fit blonde hookers for the weekend.

;-)


--
Cheerz - Brownz
'89 K100RS
'53 JCW MCS

"Albert T Cone" wrote in message
...
Adrian wrote:
Albert T Cone gurgled happily, sounding much like they
were
saying:

Mondeo TDCI prices are already inflated compared to the other engines in
the range.

All the more reason for their prices to drop rapidly.

As diesel prices move away from petrol prices, the cost-to-run closes
right up. Add in the increasingly poor rep of modern diesels (DMFs,
particulate filters etc). Then consider that few people actually NEED as
much space as a Mondildo estate gives, and that a Focus is going to be
considerably cheaper to run.

The price gap still has a long way to go to eat into the economy
differential.

I hate DMF's with something approaching a passion, but I don't think that
they are a significant consideration when buying; I would imagine that
many buyers don't know about the issues, or have chosen a fuel type and
accepted that they apply to all brands.

The prices of focus diesels with the decent engines are also inflated;
moreso in fact than the mondeo. The prices will stay inflated until some
competition appears in the market; this is happening a bit now, with the
Accord cdti and the B6 passat, but the prices aren't likely to plummet
radically, as far as I can see.


More to the point, if he has 2 dogs and wants to take luggage, it won't all
fit in a Focus.
My retreiver isn't that big, and would be very uncomfortable in a Focus
boot. I'm assuming it's about the same as the Astra boot we had to cram her
in - I dread to think if we'd had 5 people and luggage. Thank god we were
only 5 people and dog going a few miles.

--
Dan
Clio R27 F1 #65

"Adrian" wrote in message
...
Albert T Cone gurgled happily, sounding much like they were
saying:

The price gap still has a long way to go to eat into the economy
differential.

Not when you factor in the higher purchase price. £5k will get you a 54-
plate 2.0 petrol Mondy estate or a TDCi a year older. Look at it the
other way round, and the 54-plate diesel will cost you a grand over the
petrol.

At 35mpg average for the petrol, at £1.20, or 47mpg at £1.35 for the
diesel, you're looking at 15p/mile for the petrol or 13p for the diesel.
So that purchase price difference will cover the price-per-mile
difference for 50,000 miles.

I hate DMF's with something approaching a passion, but I don't think
that they are a significant consideration when buying

Together with particulate filters, "Joe Average" is starting to have
heard of them and their ways - not always accurately, but they're
starting to equal "big bill" in minds.


Why do people on here always come up with such weird arguments about buying
cars?

"Ah don't get those, the cambelts service is £500" and such like. So? So
what? You keep the car say 3 years, £500 is hardly a huge part of that.
And that cost does always include a service as well - which is gonna be £200
minimum on anything modern.

Every car has the potential to give you a big bill. Take a risk ffs..

--
Dan
Clio R27 F1 #65

--
Dan
Clio R27 F1 #65

"Willy Eckerslyke" wrote in message
...
Adrian wrote:

As diesel prices move away from petrol prices, the cost-to-run closes
right up. Add in the increasingly poor rep of modern diesels (DMFs,
particulate filters etc). Then consider that few people actually NEED as
much space as a Mondildo estate gives, and that a Focus is going to be
considerably cheaper to run.

I suspect I'm alone in thinking this, but I find the Focus estate quite
appalling to drive. We have one at work that's only a few months old and
I'm amazed how horrid it is. Also, the engine rattles like buggery, dunno
what type of diesel it is, but it's noisier than the Endura in our Mondeo!

SteveH wants to give you a hug I bet.

:-p

--
Dan
Clio R27 F1 #65

"Doki" wrote in message
...

"Marlon" wrote in message
...

Hi all,
took my '93 BMW 530i lump for a service yesterday, to find out too
many bits are dropping off & it's now beyond economical repair (quoted
around £1200 to put it all right on a car that would be worth c £600
when right - I inspected the issues, and agree that they're BIG issues).
So..... this being the rainy day I've clearly been saving for I
now have a budget of £8k for a replacement. Still sad though, the
lump's a great drive, great refinement.
However there are prerequisites for the new wheels:

Have to be able to transport 4 people + 2 dogs (one large, one
small) + luggage the length of the country in comfort (hence "family"
5-seater with good sized boot).
Have to be able to cope with towing a 1200kg (when occupied) horse
box (but just on local trips), so probably minimum 1.8l engine?
Must average (much) more than the 23.5 mpg I've been getting out of
the lump over the last 3 years I've owned it!

I've got ideas, sadly nothing particularly exciting as far as
motoring goes, as a result of last nights tinterweb searching, but
thought it might be interesting to see if anyone's got any particular
recommendations.
My SWMBO got excited by 4-year-old Jaguar X-types being down to
£7.5k now - til I pointed her at the fuel economy figures.....

Also, as I've never actually bought a car from a dealer before, if
a forecourt sticker says £8k, what do you think I should actually expect
to get a car for - and would no trade-in be a better bargaining
position?

My apologies if any of this appears like numpty stuff - I'm just a
newbie in this area.

5 series estate on LPG. I have a Derv FWD Estate (406). I'd not choose
another over an LPG proper car again. There's **** all chance of anything
that big and FWD handling as far as I can tell.

Dude, I bet less than 1% of the population, certainly buying in this sector,
could tell the difference in handling between any car :-) He's kept his old
barge since '93, if he keeps this car that long that would be a 15 year old
LPG system... That's likely to go wrong somewhere in that time (seals etc)
and is gonna be a tricky home fix.

--
Dan
Clio R27 F1 #65

"Willy Eckerslyke" wrote in message
...
DanB wrote:

Oh and the £8k car, probably some kind of large engined, turbo diesel
estate car - my parents have a 2002 Mondeo Ghia X estate (2.5 V6 petrol)
and it's cavernous inside - and my retreiver has PLENTY of room in the
boot :-) The 130bhp TDCi has plenty of torque as well so would do the
job, on Autotrader a quick glance shows me a 2005, 05 plate 2.0 TDCi Ghia
estate, with FFSH, 43k miles, all the toys like climate/cruise etc for
£7,789 from a place called Blackburn Motor Village. It's a kinda dark
red colour.

Isn't that likely to be worth about 50p in a couple of years time?

Well it's taken it's big hit already, and he sounds like the type of guy to
keep a car till it's death then get rid so I doubt that's a major
consideration. But being that it's high spec, diesel, and estate gives it a
better chance than the petrol engined equivalent.

--
Dan
Clio R27 F1 #65

"DanB" wrote in message
...
"Doki" wrote in message
...

"Marlon" wrote in message
...

Hi all,
took my '93 BMW 530i lump for a service yesterday, to find out too
many bits are dropping off & it's now beyond economical repair (quoted
around £1200 to put it all right on a car that would be worth c £600
when right - I inspected the issues, and agree that they're BIG issues).
So..... this being the rainy day I've clearly been saving for I
now have a budget of £8k for a replacement. Still sad though, the
lump's a great drive, great refinement.
However there are prerequisites for the new wheels:

Have to be able to transport 4 people + 2 dogs (one large, one
small) + luggage the length of the country in comfort (hence "family"
5-seater with good sized boot).
Have to be able to cope with towing a 1200kg (when occupied) horse
box (but just on local trips), so probably minimum 1.8l engine?
Must average (much) more than the 23.5 mpg I've been getting out of
the lump over the last 3 years I've owned it!

I've got ideas, sadly nothing particularly exciting as far as
motoring goes, as a result of last nights tinterweb searching, but
thought it might be interesting to see if anyone's got any particular
recommendations.
My SWMBO got excited by 4-year-old Jaguar X-types being down to
£7.5k now - til I pointed her at the fuel economy figures.....

Also, as I've never actually bought a car from a dealer before, if
a forecourt sticker says £8k, what do you think I should actually expect
to get a car for - and would no trade-in be a better bargaining
position?

My apologies if any of this appears like numpty stuff - I'm just a
newbie in this area.

5 series estate on LPG. I have a Derv FWD Estate (406). I'd not choose
another over an LPG proper car again. There's **** all chance of anything
that big and FWD handling as far as I can tell.

Dude, I bet less than 1% of the population, certainly buying in this
sector, could tell the difference in handling between any car :-) He's
kept his old barge since '93, if he keeps this car that long that would be
a 15 year old LPG system... That's likely to go wrong somewhere in that
time (seals etc) and is gonna be a tricky home fix.


Ooops, '93 beemer, not owned since '93 - my bad :-) But he appears the
kinda dude to keep a car till it dies, so the same could apply been that
Mondeos don't have a rep already for dying before their time. Especially
when you consider the number sold, if anything was often enough to be
'common' it would have affected an awful lot of cars. My parents 2002 V6
estate is ok anyway on 80k miles, aside from the A/C needing a regas for
like 2 years, and mum only just getting round to it - and of course now it's
had heavy use having been sat for all that time the clutch has snapped off
the compresser... Anyway Partsgateway got a new one here nextday for £80
with a 90 day warranty :-) Well, next day after she asked for my help,
mechanic said the part was £300 without going to Ford. Dunno what he meant
by that, as the Ford bit is only £320 anyway it seems heh.

--
Dan
Clio R27 F1 #65

DanB wrote:

"Willy Eckerslyke" wrote in message
...
Adrian wrote:

As diesel prices move away from petrol prices, the cost-to-run closes
right up. Add in the increasingly poor rep of modern diesels (DMFs,
particulate filters etc). Then consider that few people actually NEED as
much space as a Mondildo estate gives, and that a Focus is going to be
considerably cheaper to run.

I suspect I'm alone in thinking this, but I find the Focus estate quite
appalling to drive. We have one at work that's only a few months old and
I'm amazed how horrid it is. Also, the engine rattles like buggery, dunno
what type of diesel it is, but it's noisier than the Endura in our Mondeo!

SteveH wants to give you a hug I bet.

:-p

Thank **** I'm not the only one who can see through the hype.
--
SteveH 'You're not a real petrolhead unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo'
www.italiancar.co.uk - Ducati 750SS - Hongdou GY200
Alfa 75 TSpark - Alfa 156 TSpark - B6 Passat 2.0TDI SE

"DanB" gurgled happily, sounding much like
they were saying:

My retreiver isn't that big, and would be very uncomfortable in a Focus
boot.

Hmm. My mother's (large) red setter was fine in the boot of her 306
estate.

"DanB" wrote in message
...
"Doki" wrote in message
...

"Marlon" wrote in message
...

Hi all,
took my '93 BMW 530i lump for a service yesterday, to find out too
many bits are dropping off & it's now beyond economical repair (quoted
around £1200 to put it all right on a car that would be worth c £600
when right - I inspected the issues, and agree that they're BIG issues).
So..... this being the rainy day I've clearly been saving for I
now have a budget of £8k for a replacement. Still sad though, the
lump's a great drive, great refinement.
However there are prerequisites for the new wheels:

Have to be able to transport 4 people + 2 dogs (one large, one
small) + luggage the length of the country in comfort (hence "family"
5-seater with good sized boot).
Have to be able to cope with towing a 1200kg (when occupied) horse
box (but just on local trips), so probably minimum 1.8l engine?
Must average (much) more than the 23.5 mpg I've been getting out of
the lump over the last 3 years I've owned it!

I've got ideas, sadly nothing particularly exciting as far as
motoring goes, as a result of last nights tinterweb searching, but
thought it might be interesting to see if anyone's got any particular
recommendations.
My SWMBO got excited by 4-year-old Jaguar X-types being down to
£7.5k now - til I pointed her at the fuel economy figures.....

Also, as I've never actually bought a car from a dealer before, if
a forecourt sticker says £8k, what do you think I should actually expect
to get a car for - and would no trade-in be a better bargaining
position?

My apologies if any of this appears like numpty stuff - I'm just a
newbie in this area.

5 series estate on LPG. I have a Derv FWD Estate (406). I'd not choose
another over an LPG proper car again. There's **** all chance of anything
that big and FWD handling as far as I can tell.

Dude, I bet less than 1% of the population, certainly buying in this
sector, could tell the difference in handling between any car :-) He's
kept his old barge since '93, if he keeps this car that long that would be
a 15 year old LPG system... That's likely to go wrong somewhere in that
time (seals etc) and is gonna be a tricky home fix.

I dunno. I suspect LPG is generally less complicated than people think it
is. We have a fooking ancient Toyota fork truck (it's so old that the VIN
plate says "Toyoda Loom Corporation") on gas and it still works perfectly.

As for people being able to tell the difference between the handling of
different cars, I'm not so sure. My bird's hardly interested in cars but she
absolutely hated the Corsa she drove, liked the 106 and loves the way the ZX
drives, and it's certainly the best handling of the lot she's driven. OTOH
some people claim not to be able to tell the difference between cheap and
horrible tyres, or a terrible hifi and a good one. I'm certainly not going
to try and guess who can tell and who can't... And obviously, it makes
bugger all difference on the motorway, but something that can handle will
raise a smile in the twisty bits at either end of your motorway run, whereas
the 406 is simply capable - plenty of grip through fast corners but it
doesn't really handle in a way that'd put a grin on your face (and lots too
much weight to go well through tighter bends).