Buying a car

TTony

Emp_Fab said:

Unfortunately, the proprietor of this last place went home while I was underneath the MX5 with my torch.

According to the CCTV, the proprietor actually ran away, screaming “no, no, no, don’t ask me about low mileage unicorns again” when he saw Emp walking onto the lot.

TimmyO

Emp_Fab said:

Unfortunately, the proprietor of this last place went home while I was underneath the MX5 with my torch. 

I'd say he dodged a bullet 

jaytmon

Emp_Fab said:

Unfortunately, the proprietor of this last place went home while I was underneath the MX5 with my torch.  So...  No....  I have failed to get a car today.  I have no wheels at all tomorrow, so I will have to rely on friends or family to bring me back here where I WILL be buying one of the aforementioned cars.

Surely no self-respecting car dealer would pack up and leave in the face of an imminent sale...?

Your Merc is a surprise.  MPG is excellent - 41 at least.  It's just....  a bit big... it says "fuck off pleb, I'm important", which is not the vibe I want to give off.  Still... 

In amongst this lot here are several nice ones - the best selection I've seen today, including a nice MX5, a Green Auto Fiesta,  a cheap C30 Volvo, an immaculate Avensis, a white TT convertible and a beautiful Merc C200 Auto that's spotless, Auto, Diesel, £3000 and does 41mpg.

Can't help feeling there's a lesson in there somewhere

RaymondLin

That Merck was probably black.

Iamnobody

Go for the Merc - my 54 plate that a had a few years ago was a decent steed. As long as you don’t take it to main dealers and use a specialist they aren’t that expensive to run and maintain.

Emp_Fab

I’ve discussed the selection with Mrs F and have narrowed it down further.  I’ve ditched the green Fiesta and the TT, she’s not keen on the MX5 - neither of us like the colour and I think it’s just too small a car.  If I was tootling around the Côte d’Azur with Mrs Fab, her scarf blowing in the wind, it would be great, but sharing a dark, rainy M4 in winter with a hundred HGVs in a car small enough to slide under most of them is not so appealing.  The Volvo is quirky, but looks like the kind of car a nonce or a teacher (or both) would buy.  I’m surprised the car itself doesn’t have leather elbow patches.

That leaves the 2009 Toyota Avensis, 56,000 miles, FSH, 2.0 Diesel for £4795 and the 2007 Mercedes C200, 102,000 miles, 2.1D Auto for half that price.

SteveRobinson

Avensis = Harley Benton
Mercedes = R8

DiscoStu

SteveRobinson said:

Avensis + pickup upgrade = Mercedes

FTFY.

TTony

DiscoStu said:

SteveRobinson said:

Avensis + pickup upgrade = Mercedes

FTFY.

He’s unlikely to pickup much in the Avensis.  Even with an upgrade.

cj73

Emp_Fab said:

I’ve discussed the selection with Mrs F and have narrowed it down further.  I’ve ditched the green Fiesta and the TT, she’s not keen on the MX5 - neither of us like the colour and I think it’s just too small a car.  If I was tootling around the Côte d’Azur with Mrs Fab, her scarf blowing in the wind, it would be great, but sharing a dark, rainy M4 in winter with a hundred HGVs in a car small enough to slide under most of them is not so appealing.  The Volvo is quirky, but looks like the kind of car a nonce or a teacher (or both) would buy.  I’m surprised the car itself doesn’t have leather elbow patches.

That leaves the 2009 Toyota Avensis, 56,000 miles, FSH, 2.0 Diesel for £4795 and the 2007 Mercedes C200, 102,000 miles, 2.1D Auto for half that price.

Did this discussion involve the C word?

DiscoStu

TTony said:

DiscoStu said:

SteveRobinson said:

Avensis + pickup upgrade = Mercedes

FTFY.

He’s unlikely to pickup much in the Avensis.  Even with an upgrade.

Oh I dunno, I reckon he'd get a few fares on a Saturday night.

SteveRobinson

Car?

RaymondLin

SteveRobinson said:

Car?

Pigs don’t fly.

Iamnobody

Emp_Fab said:

I’ve discussed the selection with Mrs F and have narrowed it down further.  I’ve ditched the green Fiesta and the TT, she’s not keen on the MX5 - neither of us like the colour and I think it’s just too small a car.  If I was tootling around the Côte d’Azur with Mrs Fab, her scarf blowing in the wind, it would be great, but sharing a dark, rainy M4 in winter with a hundred HGVs in a car small enough to slide under most of them is not so appealing.  The Volvo is quirky, but looks like the kind of car a nonce or a teacher (or both) would buy.  I’m surprised the car itself doesn’t have leather elbow patches.

That leaves the 2009 Toyota Avensis, 56,000 miles, FSH, 2.0 Diesel for £4795 and the 2007 Mercedes C200, 102,000 miles, 2.1D Auto for half that price.

You won’t go wrong with either but the Merc will be the better car even with that mileage and has a great auto box. The Avensis seems a bit over priced...

hywelg

hywelg said:

Emp_Fab said:.

Today's the day though.....  it's 08:10.  I've got probably 10 hours....

https://countingdownto.com/?c=2540505

Do we believe you?


Hmmm, let me see.........

Nope 

Wish I could have put a bet on it  but no one would have been stupid enough to take it. 

RaymondLin

Important events in life that should take long but faster than Emp can buy a car.

My mate found out his missis cheated on him on the 20th December, he was divorced (absolute) by mid January in the space of 3 weeks.

I was once hit by a car and had a broken leg, was bed bound for a while and in a cast and I think the total time before I could walk about was less than 3 months.

i think I also bought a house in less time this has been going on.

Emp_Fab

I've been digging around the various sites, looking at common faults with both cars. It appears that despite the premium brand, the Mercedes is liable to suffer more problems than the Toyota.  On the Mercedes, things like the transmission fluid cooler is part of the main radiator and if anything fails there, water gets into the transmission which is obviously very bad news. Also the injectors have a habit of leaking and or getting stuck in the block when you try to remove them.  Another issue is that the car is prone to uneven rear tyre wear due to suspension misalignment.  All of these are very expensive repairs. In contrast, the only thing I could find that is problematic on the Toyota is the electronic handbrake switch is a bit fiddly to operate.

Out of the two, my heart wants the Mercedes but my head is telling me to get the more reliable and lower mileage Toyota.

Iamnobody

But the Merc is half the price and you’re not a private hire driver called Mo...

Actually you do see at lot of Merc’s used as private hire as well.

Still the the best part of £5k for a 10 year old Toyota is expensive. A completely fucked non-runner Merc is still worth a bit of cash even if you spent £2.5k and ran it until the first big repair bill you’ll do alright. Take the gamble!

SteveRobinson

Could any car be more boring than an Avensis?

There used to be a BMW advert in the US. The tagline was 'Nobody ever says "so you drive a Camry?"'

DiscoStu

Any car can break down, Emp. Any car.