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Any qualified mechanic can service your car even if it's under a manufacturers warranty.

The dealers like to bluff people to get them to have their new cars serviced at the dealership by a 1st year apprentice and charge $150 per hour plus consumables...

I'm in the motor trade and some of the stories you hear about the prices dealerships charge for servicing and repairs are amazing.
 
Julia,I think you should go for a black Chrysler 300c the gangster look would be
enhanced with muttly sitting in the passenger seat slobbering all over the
leather seats.

On second thoughts just go for a 3 series Beemer,they are a top quality vehicle
and will depreciate less than Holdens,Fords Toyotas,and Mazdas.
Please steer away from E10 fuel, it might be a few cents cheaper,but it gives
you less Ks per Lt and the majority of engines are not designed for this low
octane fuel.
Go on spoil yourself
 
sval62 said:
Please steer away from E10 fuel, it might be a few cents cheaper,but it gives
you less Ks per Lt and the majority of engines are not designed for this low
octane fuel.
Click to expand...
Addition of ethanol to petrol increases, not decreases, the octane rating of the resultant mix.

Typically in Australia, regular ULP (RON 91) is blended with about 10% ethanol resulting in a mix with RON about 94. By comparison, premium unleaded is RON 95, and the high octane fuels at the servo (BP Ultimate etc) are RON 98.

Ethanol does however have a lower energy content per litre than petrol, hence you'll use more of it in a properly tuned vehicle. However, it is also an oxygenate such that if the engine is otherwise running rich, it will improve combustion and may actually decrease fuel consumption.

All that said, it is possible that someone may be importing low octane petrol (ie less than RON 91 and not complaint with Australian specifications) and adding ethanol so as to bring the RON up to 91, equivalent to regular ULP. Stick to the major fuel companies which operate their own refineries (Caltex, BP, Shell, Mobil) and this shouldn't be a problem but it could be with the small operators who may be sourcing petrol from just about anywhere.
 

I'm sorry if I mis-interpreted what you were "on about." All I can say in my defence is that when you stipulated "I don't want a Ford, Holden, Toyota etc," I rashly assumed that you wanted a vehicle that would stand out from the common herd.
 
Noticed that very often BMW is stolen or even carjacked from the owner for getaway car.
Suppose not all BMW’s qualify for that purpose.

Feel like hi-mileage driver with my 17 years old car and over 102,000 on the meter

Not sure if I’ll do it, but my next car might be Honda, so many people say they are reliable and even NSW NRMA back it up with statistics on Honda reliability.
 
Calliope said:
that you wanted a vehicle that would stand out from the common herd.
Click to expand...

my only input here is how about a Harley with a sidecar?

dogs look cute in goggles and the mutt is dry before you get back home.

oh not to forget how much "coolness" status one will recieve at the local CWA meetings.

should be more of it i say.

go the saints
 
here is a dog in a sidecar.

coolest pup in the pound.
 

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Whiskers said:
Used car dealer warranties are much shorter as you probably know, and in my experience often put a cluase like conditional on the servicing being done in their designated workshop.
Click to expand...
Thanks, Whiskers. Yes, I recall the last time I bought a used car with one of these warranties, something went wrong after a few months, but of course it 'wasn't covered' by the warranty.

Ah, just what I've been thinking following the BMW Brisbane salesman (when I said there was no way I'd be bringing any car down there to be serviced) offered that they would drive up here, collect the car, take it back and service it, then return it at no additional charge
Yeah, right.

You can check for yourself if you have any doubts. http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Registration/Registering-vehicles/Written-off-vehicles.aspx
Click to expand...
Thank you, Whiskers.

I'm not surprised to hear that, Glenn. Thanks for confirmation about the warranty situation which is as I thought.


sval62 said:
Julia,I think you should go for a black Chrysler 300c the gangster look would be
enhanced with muttly sitting in the passenger seat slobbering all over the
leather seats.
Click to expand...
Um, sval62, for some strange reason, I'm having a bit of difficulty lining myself up with the gangster look! Not sure I'd be too convincing.


Thanks for the encouragement.

Calliope said:
I'm sorry if I mis-interpreted what you were "on about." All I can say in my defence is that when you stipulated "I don't want a Ford, Holden, Toyota etc," I rashly assumed that you wanted a vehicle that would stand out from the common herd.
Click to expand...
Thanks, Calliope, no problem. It's to do with a car that I really like and which will make me smile when I drive it, if that doesn't sound too silly.
None of the, um, common breeds manage to do that. And I'm probably influenced by the past experiences of driving the European cars.

nunthewiser said:
my only input here is how about a Harley with a sidecar?

dogs look cute in goggles and the mutt is dry before you get back home.

oh not to forget how much "coolness" status one will recieve at the local CWA meetings.
Click to expand...
Very cute photo, Nun. Sadly, I think I'll have to forgo the 'coolness' factor in favour of the comfort factor, but thanks for making me laugh.

I do appreciate all the responses. Having had no interest in the car market for so long, I'm quite out of touch.
Have also had a look at Peugot and Audi. Anyone have any experience of these?
 
Stick with the Merc's better built, more reliable and will run for years longer than the BMWs. Lots of the run of the mill 3 series aren't made in Germany but are bolted up together in South Africa. You've got to buy something with an ///M badge on it to be absolutely sure its from Europe without going into breaking down VIN numbers etc.
 
Very nice build and drive quality in the Merc's and Beemers and can be very reasonably priced second hand. Probably a very smart way to buy a prestigous car unless you're loaded and then it doesn't matter does it.

I had a Merc E230 Elegance and it drove beautifully. Only sold it to buy a Renault Laguna cheap off my sister and because the Merc was getting on.

You'll pay more at the dealer so if you want to save a few dollars apply the same research and logic you do to your share purchases as you would to buying a car.

One word of advice with private sales! Steer clear of Mohammed selling a car with re-registered plates, from Queensland suburbs that are similar to the Lakemba of Sydney or the Broadmeadows of Melbourne and because he is going overseas. This could be a recipe for disaster.
 
Forums are a good source before you take the plunge, car problems are never unique.
Been on ford forums for years,you can tell mechanic what's wrong before they look.
another tip is when getting your car serviced always leave them your spare keys the look on there face is priceless when you have a disagreement and walk out to your car start it up and yell from the window post me the bill,they can keep the spare for all I care.:
 
Agree with all of above Julia. A BMW is a reliable motor.

Remember that 2nd hand car dealers are doing it tough.

3 phrases worth remembering when bargaining

1. I have a cash flow problem.
2. Is that your lowest price.
3. I have a cash flow problem.

Not in any particular order.

gg
 
Thanks to all for further advice which is much appreciated.

gg, is the 'I have a cash flow problem' designed to get them to lower the price?
Would definitely be doing the 'Is that your lowest price" thing.

Is being seen to be able to pay cash a plus or a minus? i.e. if a price is negotiated on the basis of some credit, can one then propose that if said credit is not required and they will get cod, that should bring the price down further?

Gee whiz, fellas, wish I could just hand this whole thing over to you to sort out on my behalf!
 

Firstly Julia you can do this yourself.

It's a game, a trading game, whereby you are trying to buy an asset for the
best possible price.

The dealer is trying to sell at the best possible price.

Some folk fall in love with cars and pay the top price. Others go to auctions and pay the least. I , like you am in the middle.

As a buyer you are in a very strong position ATM. Due to gfc etc.

The dealers can transport cars about the country quite easily and cheaply, so , if you have fallen in love with one car you need to keep this in mind. Someone in Karratha may be in love too!

The best days to buy is Friday as it is end of week for accounts.
Equally end of month is good as well.
I generally buy vehicles at end of quarter, as behind the salesmen are an army of spreadsheet men who are fixated on the balance sheet and the next board meeting.

So next week would be a good time to buy.

My general tack when buying vehicles is to establish the figure they want for onroad with all the extras. Then I check with redbook as to what a private and trade in sale would get.

I then waste as much of their time as I can to get the price I consider fair.

It is vitally important to check the price you will pay, versus then price they quote you will pay.

As a buyer you are in an incredibly strong position.

Love as always complicates things.


Gg
 


Amusing You asked for advice, I gave some. When you ask for advice, it may or may not be offered. If it is and you like it, take it, if not, discard it, it costs nothing and carries no obligation This is the internet, no need to get upset about words on a screen coming from a stranger

You're right, I don't know what your age or financial situation is, although from your posts I gather you're not a spring chicken and you're not poor either. I have no idea what path led you to where you are, and frankly, I'm not fussed.

My point was that we live in a very extravagant society, where we pour resources into something like a car we don't even need, while most of the world would be happy just to know that they were going to have a hot meal every day and a warm, safe place to sleep every night. If you want to buy an expensive, unnecessary car, knock yourself out, I didn't say I'd think you were evil, although many starving people in the world will. As I have already pointed out, I am also a western person and guilty of the same thing, probably not to the same extent, but I'm not trying to claim any moral ground. I just think it's a little extravagant to buy a luxury car you're not even going to use (1,000km per year isn't using a car, in my opinion). You asked for comment, I gave it, throw it away if it pleases you, or if you prefer, get upset and not only take offense, but extrapolate it to imaginations of me commenting on multiple areas of your life! Your choice, it costs nothing either way
 
Julia said:
I do appreciate all the responses. Having had no interest in the car market for so long, I'm quite out of touch.
Have also had a look at Peugot and Audi. Anyone have any experience of these?
Click to expand...

I hired a 2009 Peugot 207i on my holidays and it's a very zippy car with great style, acceleration, suspension and steering. We drove it at the lakes district in UK with hilly, windy roads and it was perfect for it.

I drove an AUDI A4 diesel (not my own) a few years back and was very unimpressed. The engine sounded terrible and power delivery was poor. Visibility was also on the poor side.

The several merc's I've driven are only OK. I like the solid feel of mercs and their reliability, but never the acceleration and brakes. The pedal always seem to not respond well when you initially press them down, then when you press harder to try to get some response, it jerks forward making it an uncomfortable ride. The brakes are also too sensitive for me. Then again it's probably because of my driving style - I like smooth, accelerator-control driving. Steering is a bit on the heavy side.

The car I like the most is a Lexus 200i (now discontinued). Excellent handling, smooth as anything acceleration and braking. The newer 250i are also just as good.

BTW I never owned any of the above cars... I am just lucky to know someone who does and drives for them every now and then...
 


I own 2 Harleys, 3 licensed cars,1 unlicensed project car , 2 boats and numerous other toys.
i cant play with them all at the same time and sometimes wont touch them for months on end.
i am obviously evil and need to reconsider how to spend my own hard earned cash in the future.

by the way i think your use of the internet for general chat on forums is rather extravagent , when, seeing as your pc and internet bill could feed a family also , so why not do the world a favour and sell them now so you can do your bit for mankind.

unreal.
 
Thanks, skc. Much appreciated.

So I'm a model of moral and fiscal rectitude in comparison!
It looks as though you can hold yourself responsible for the demise of at least a whole African nation due to your extravagance, Nun.

Sdajii said:
You asked for advice, I gave some.
Click to expand...
I asked for advice about cars because it's not my area of expertise and because I'm out of touch.
I did not ask for a moral assessment of my character.
Thank you all the same.
 
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