Car advice

[Julia]

I'd be grateful for any suggestions on the following:

Have decided to replace my car. I don't want a Ford, Holden, Toyota etc.
In the past very much enjoyed a couple of Mercedes Benz but don't like the current shape.

Never had a BMW and am thinking about maybe one a few years old but with under 50,000kms. There's no dealership near here so would be dealing with Brisbane who seem prepared to drive up here to show a car that 'looks and sounds like what I want'.

What should I expect to pay for a 3 series (I'm so out of touch with the car market that I don't even know all the sub-sections here) as above?

Is it worth paying more and getting new?
That doesn't seem rational to me because I essentially just drive round locally, probably only do about 1000kms p.a. and usually have the dog in the back, drooling down the windows and shedding hair in the interior.

Is there some other make I should be considering?

Or should I just forget about it given my minimal use of a car, and stick with my quite functional but very old Mazda 626 (still only done 78,000 kms).

All suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[breaker]

Julia,

IMHO if you are only doing 1000k's a year I would stick with the one you have if it's giving no foreseeable trouble,and go on a holiday with the money you save .
Give none to the kids

 

[Whiskers]

Only a 1000kms p.a. Julia... you aught to get a wheeled dog sled. Good dog exercise and way cheaper than a pretty much garaged car.

But seriously, I actually watched around the car auctions and ebay for awhile and actually got my last one off ebay at a considerable discount to car yard and redbook http://www.redbook.com.au/ price.

You can register with Pickles for free and see online what they sell for at auction before you decide. This is the current BMW listing http://www.pickles.com.au/cars/list...=description&ed_search_type=AUCTION&x=19&y=11

http://www.manheimfowles.com.au/ is another big one in Bris, but they want a $500 deposit before you can register to bid or view auctions online. You can view onsite for free though.

 

[Sdajii]

If I was only driving 1,000km per year I don't think I'd bother owning a car at all, let alone buying an expensive one.

Buying a new one seems pointless since you're going to pay a fortune, watch it devalue while it's not even being used, then sell it down the track to someone like me who won't care about a bit of dog hair and will be gleeful about getting an absolute bargain - something which has barely been driven but is cheap due to its age and dog hair. If you were looking at a model I was interested in I'd tell you to buy it now and call me when it's time to sell

 

[Boggo]

Julia, I have owned only Honda's since 1992. I currently have an Accord Euro that I bought new a few years ago and I am very satisfied with it.
Prior to that I had a Honda Prelude that got snapped up when I advertised it privately.

For the amount you would drive it I would suggest a second hand Honda, they last forever.

I have a mate who has a Magna, we stir him about how it doubles in value when he fills it with petrol and why he shouldn't park it near the beach as coastal erosion could outrun it

Mazda's and VW Golf's seem to be popular with my extended family members, just don't take a VW to a VW dealer to get serviced unless you have money to burn.

Just my

 

[Whiskers]

For the amount you would drive it I would suggest a second hand Honda, they last forever.

Yeah people tell me that too... but aparently Subaru's last longer.

I have a mate who has a Magna, we stir him about how it doubles in value when he fills it with petrol and why he shouldn't park it near the beach as coastal erosion could outrun it

lol...

Mazda's and VW Golf's seem to be popular with my extended family members, just don't take a VW to a VW dealer to get serviced unless you have money to burn.

Just my

I heard that Hitler ordered VW to make the 'Beetle' as an economical people car. Turned me off them a bit more. ... or maybe we should celebrate something good that Hitler did.

But yes I agree, service and parts seem to becoming more expensive relatively than buying a car. I have older Suzuki and Daewoo models atm and have found my own parts suppliers for oil filters, suspension and most other parts considerably cheaper than dealer part prices and supply my mechanic with them each service or repair job.

PS: If you are really miserly, sometimes you can get a damaged vehicle "Repairable Write off" as opposed to Written Off (never to be re-registered) pretty cheap if you have the resources or contacts to repair cheaply.

 

[Logique]

Hi Julia,

I'm not a car dealer or any kind of auto expert. So it's just a personal opinion: unless it's a complete rust bucket, at 78000 km just keep your Mazda 626.

If was buying a new car it would be the new Hyundai ix35 compact SUV, it's very impressive on value and utility. Here is a link to a review and a picture: http://www.carsguide.com.au/site/news-and-reviews/car-reviews-road-tests/hyundai_ix35_review

As a car manufacturer, Hyundai have come a long way in a short number of years.

 

[Logique]

And I forgot,
check that your 10yro Mazda 626 will run on ethanol fuel (E10)

 

[skc]

I'd be grateful for any suggestions on the following:

Have decided to replace my car. I don't want a Ford, Holden, Toyota etc.
In the past very much enjoyed a couple of Mercedes Benz but don't like the current shape.

Never had a BMW and am thinking about maybe one a few years old but with under 50,000kms. There's no dealership near here so would be dealing with Brisbane who seem prepared to drive up here to show a car that 'looks and sounds like what I want'.

What should I expect to pay for a 3 series (I'm so out of touch with the car market that I don't even know all the sub-sections here) as above?

Is it worth paying more and getting new?
That doesn't seem rational to me because I essentially just drive round locally, probably only do about 1000kms p.a. and usually have the dog in the back, drooling down the windows and shedding hair in the interior.

Is there some other make I should be considering?

Or should I just forget about it given my minimal use of a car, and stick with my quite functional but very old Mazda 626 (still only done 78,000 kms).

All suggestions would be appreciated.

Julia, reading your post again it sounds like you have actually already made up your mind! It's pretty obvious you just want someone to tell you to spoil yourself and get that Beemer

I say do it. What is the point of having too much money in the bank? If you are normally a saver, spend up a bit every now and then is not really an issue. Of course if you re-mortgage the house to get that car then I would suggest you sell the old Mazda as well!

For 1000km each year taxis are almost cheaper - granted that your dog will have to run behind you.

 

[Calliope]

For 1000km each year taxis are almost cheaper - granted that your dog will have to run behind you.

To travel 20k a week a taxi would certainly be cheaper. However as it is not a money problem, but more a "look at me" factor. I would suggest a Prius.

 

[Sdajii]

To travel 20k a week a taxi would certainly be cheaper.

Pretty big understatement there!

However as it is not a money problem, but more a "look at me" factor. I would suggest a Prius.

I'd suggest a change of attitude from "I'll spend a heap of money and planetary resources on a vanity item" to "It's insane and selfish to waste all those resources on a car I won't even use when most of the world can scarcely feed itself and we're not too far off environmental disaster", but all the same, each to their own, and as someone using a computer in a comfortable house who just ate a hot meal, I'd be hypocritical if I held it against her.

 

[Julia]

However as it is not a money problem, but more a "look at me" factor. I would suggest a Prius.

I suspected I'd regret putting the question up.
It's nothing to do with a 'look at me' factor, for god's sake. Just a vehicle I've always liked. I could spend the same money on a new Holden/Ford/Toyota etc as I'd spend on a used BMW, and you wouldn't be flinging about the same specious accusation.

Since having to start from scratch again financially in my mid 30's after leaving a marriage with my life but nothing else, I worked hard for many years, saved and went without for more than a decade until I was able to be financially independent. During those years I worked fulltime and studied with no holidays.

I wouldn't be thinking about it if I couldn't afford it, so I'm damned if I should feel guilty if I entertain the thought of a new car, well, rather a second hand one.

To those of you who offered your genuine and absolutely practical suggestions, I thank you very much.

And especially to SKC who 'got what I was on about'.

All the practical stuff is quite correct, and it's what I've been telling myself for several years, but I really don't want to end up as representative of that old cliche - 'the richest person in the cemetery'.

 

[Julia]

Pretty big understatement there!



I'd suggest a change of attitude from "I'll spend a heap of money and planetary resources on a vanity item" to "It's insane and selfish to waste all those resources on a car I won't even use when most of the world can scarcely feed itself and we're not too far off environmental disaster", but all the same, each to their own, and as someone using a computer in a comfortable house who just ate a hot meal, I'd be hypocritical if I held it against her.

What gives you the right to make a judgement about me, Sdajii?
You know absolutely nothing about what deprivations I may have gone through to be in my present position. And you know nothing about my age, my health, projected longevity.

Perhaps you'd be good enough to explain to me how my not buying a used car somewhat younger than my present model is going to assist someone in a developing country who is having trouble feeding himself/herself?

How do you know what I might already be contributing to such a cause?
And various others, for that matter.

I simply asked advice about an area about which I'm completely out of touch, and was looking for what is reasonable value for money.

I was not seeking moral advice, and am most appreciative to those ASF members who offered genuine responses.

Sdajii: It's not your business how I choose to spend my money.

 

[Julia]

A further question which I can refer to Fair Trading next week, but someone might know: re a warranty on either new or used vehicle, is this invalidated if the vehicle is not serviced by a dealership of that make?

No way in the world would I be taking any car down to Brisbane to have it serviced.

 

[Calliope]

A further question which I can refer to Fair Trading next week, but someone might know: re a warranty on either new or used vehicle, is this invalidated if the vehicle is not serviced by a dealership of that make?

No way in the world would I be taking any car down to Brisbane to have it serviced.

That certainly simplifies matters. Buy the cheapest new car from a local dealership.

 

[Ardyne]

You said you'd had a couple of old mercs. I lovem. I'd really like to get my hand on a nice w116 series 230 or 280te station wagon. great to drive, pretty safe even now (but no air bags). great build quality. Ihave a mid 70's w107 280sl sitting in the garage that my father left me when he passed away . In running order but waiting till the kids get out of my hair so I have time to strip it back a bit and give it a new lease of life.

p.s no advice on the new car sorry only to say lifes pretty short so get something youre gonna like to get into , whether it be a mini or a hummer

 

[Smurf1976]

A further question which I can refer to Fair Trading next week, but someone might know: re a warranty on either new or used vehicle, is this invalidated if the vehicle is not serviced by a dealership of that make?

No way in the world would I be taking any car down to Brisbane to have it serviced.

You may want to get formal advice on this for legal reasons etc.

But my understanding is that a manufacturer can not invalidate a warranty simply because the car has been serviced by someone other than their dealership provided that the actual servicing done is "by the book" to manufacturer's requirements.

So, any mechanic can do it. But they have to do the servicing as per the manufacturer's requirements.

There's plenty of independent mechanics doing "logbook services" which retain the manufacturer's warranty.

As for whether or not you "should" buy a new car - that's up to you. Personally, I quite like having a reliable but older car simply because it doesn't attract attention in any way. Plenty of 10 year old cars on the road, mine is just another one like the rest and I like it that way. I've owned it since new, only done 77,000 km so far so I intend keeping it for a while yet (maybe literally another 10 years). Comes down to personal choice - do what suits you, not what someone else says.

 

[Whiskers]

A further question which I can refer to Fair Trading next week, but someone might know: re a warranty on either new or used vehicle, is this invalidated if the vehicle is not serviced by a dealership of that make?

No way in the world would I be taking any car down to Brisbane to have it serviced.

Julia, I agree with Smurf. Places like Ultratune http://www.ultratune.com.au/ do them and claim they can legally service under new car warranty for 30% odd cheaper. I don't know about used car warranties though.

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.

What I do for used vehicles is use the common and statutary law provisions to the max whether private or dealer purchases... ie ask all the questions about condition and history and get it in writing as much as you can and so long as you get it properly serviced by a reputable service centre, if something goes wrong or is found to be different to their description , you still have legal recourse especially on the dealer regardless of where you got it serviced.

I'm a bit scheptical of used car warranties cos too often the dealerships fudge problems up to just last their warranty period. That's why I always use my own mechanic.

It's a bit harder with a private or Auction purchase. That's where you would be looking for a considerable discount to redbook or 'usual' car yard price. But none-the-less they are still held to an 'implied' legal warranty to the condition and specifications they represent at time of sale.

The trick is to get them going in writing or in front of a witness (ideally someone mechanically qualified, but acts a bit 'dumb' on the day) to answer heaps of questions.

If no Safety Certificate is displayed, ask for it and have a look at what was done to get it certified and even check out the reputation of the certifier who issued it.

Even buying from a dealer these days if you don't have a good eye for the signs of repairs, you should ask whether the vehicle has ever been classified as a statutory writeoff, or a repairable writeoff. http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Registrat...ff-vehicles/Written-off-vehicle-register.aspx

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

 

[ghotib]

At the risk of going slightly off-topic, have you considered one of these? They're made in Sydney, beautifully engineered, and fantastic fun for both travellers:

http://www.rjwalsh.com.au/mini/index.htm

Cheers,

Ghoti

 

[explod]

Had a 180E merk for 12 years, never misses a beat and still very economiical. They say parts are expensive, never ever needed any parts it refuses to ever break down. 60,000 ks for each set of tyres. I dont' cycle them, just moved front to back. Have a very good grease monkey though, good service every 10,000 vital.

Some very good second hand mercs with low miliage are very good value IMHO

My hylux ute is also another going that never breaks down and is economic. Brought it off a retiring farmer when it had 100,000 ks 8 years ago.

Jags often have electrical problems, dont know about others in the top range.

Only get what you pay for though.