Replacement Car

[Barrie Dav 2]

I agree with Tony and BEB - Volvo V70 D 5 2.4 turbo diesel. Mine has 200,000+ on the clock. Accelerates like a Euro Fighter - O.K. I exaggerate a little. Very economical and bags of room. Oh. I forgot to say very comfortable and reliable.

Edited By Barrie Dav 2 on 16/12/2014 13:37:55

[Erfolg]

Shaunie

Have you any tips, with respect to elecrical faults that are worth looking out for when considering purchasing?

Will, I had never heard of the problem, so I have Googled the issue, if it exists it appears to be an issue with vehicles between 2007-2009. My existing car is 2006, and my wifes car is 2014, hopefully should be ok. It is one of the concerns I have had with my Ford, Citreon and Vauxhall, having timing belts, where breakages were responsible for hundreds, if not thousands, of car engines. It is also what puts me of VAG cars (VW, Skoda etc).

[reg shaw]

Sounds like the thread title should have read 'Anyone with a BMW 3 series GT?' as you seem to have made your mind up already Erf??

I'm a Mondeo owner and won't be swayed, my new one is a youngster for me, '55 plate and 84K on the clock when I got it, though I soon got that over 90 within 3 months or so. My old one was also a '55 plate, but that old girl had 285,000 on its clock when it was traded in by my brother in law on a new Fiat.

The same brother in law has a new M5 BMW. I say he has it, but the main dealer has actually had it more than he has, and they don't think he'll get it back before the end of Feb as they can't sort its issues. Thats what you get for spending 60+K on a thing with 4 wheels!!

Ian.

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[steve-richards]

I have a Vauxhall zafira excellent for transporting models

[ken anderson.]

erfolg-by the time you get loads of replies on the forum-you wont know which to choose......one of the lads I know who is a mechanic...says it doesn't matter which one you go for...they all have their problems......its all down to you what you want and how much you want to pay...I was reading a current diesel mag and it was saying that expect to pay £500.00 to have a new battery fitted some of the current cars out there....as they need a complete (dealer) re-set ... and at least £1000.00+ for a replacement clutch... modern motoring/not..............but the dealers are happy...

 

ken Anderson...... new car's dept.

Edited By ken anderson. on 16/12/2014 15:20:18

[flyless]

I brought a ford transit for the planes

You can pick a good one for about £400

[Peter Christy]

Erfolg: A mere 90,000 miles? 'Tis barely run in! My SAAB 9000 Aero is nearly at 190,000 miles, is still capable of blowing off most Porsches and Beemers whilst turning in 35+ to the gallon! Add in the most comfortable seats you will find in any car, plus the ability to lug not only a big Hirobo Bell 47, but also a JR Agusta 109, sundry other smaller models and support kit around, and still have room for a passenger!

And still not using any oil between services....

--

Pete

[GrahamC]

Posted by ken anderson. on 16/12/2014 15:03:56:

erfolg-by the time you get loads of replies on the forum-you wont know which to choose......one of the lads I know who is a mechanic...says it doesn't matter which one you go for...they all have their problems......its all down to you what you want and how much you want to pay...I was reading a current diesel mag and it was saying that expect to pay £500.00 to have a new battery fitted some of the current cars out there....as they need a complete (dealer) re-set ... and at least £1000.00+ for a replacement clutch... modern motoring/not..............but the dealers are happy...

ken Anderson...... new car's dept.

Edited By ken anderson. on 16/12/2014 15:20:18

Naa... what you do.... is get a 12v supply - and modellers should have lots of choices. Connect it to the terminals with crocodile clips. Undo the battery terminals, remove the old battery being careful not to disconnect the crocodile clips. Fit the the new battery and connect the terminals before disconnecting the secondary supply - and bobs your uncle.

Ive got a MK4 modeo hatch. Last car was a Skoda Octavia estate. Lets just say the Germans are good at design and the Czechs are good at implementation and leave it there shall we!

[ceejay]

never owned a Beemer so cant comment, spent many miles in Mondeo,s and all seem to work just fine, I am a liker of big estates cos I need the space, currently own what for me is the perfect modelers motor a Seat Alhambra, it even comes with seats to put in if I decide to carry people, its a van with carpets, almost 7ft long even space for the camp bed for weekends, 1.9 tdi has 140k on it still does 42 mpg and carries a load of kit, came cheap and pre dented too!!

cj

[Malcolm Blake 1]

I am currently driving my 11 year old Kia Sorento which also has 90,000 on the clock. She ( is called Sonya ) has never once failed me and, apart from fuel, tyres and servicing, I have only had to pay to have the bumpers resprayed. That is due to supermarket trolleys - me hitting them !!

I carry a 78 inch span Miles Magister and a 78 inch Goldberg Cub in the back, both at the same time. Admitted, I do remove the wings. I also have my flight box and fuel.

[Erfolg]

I do agree that perhaps the heading should have been 3 series GT.

Having owned a Ford, a Sierra, and having driven many Mondeos, I must also agree, very good cars. A fact is that the Ford was the very first car, that did not let me down, although it would fail its MOT for things like worn torsion bushes and required the timing belt replacing, at indecent intervals (from memory). All in all very good products. Particularly the Zetec version, that daughter N0 1 had.

As for SAAB 9000 being faster than etc. than a Porsche, maybe, although I doubt it. What mattered then was, you would not be holding me up, you would have long gone. What mattered to me, that every day cooking cars, could not stop me overtaking safely, however hard the odd idiot may try. Above all it was the mid speed acceleration that was outstanding. Cornering, again incredible, no need or desire to find the limit. As with your SAAB, incredibly frugal with fuel, when driven sensibly.

I did briefly think of a Cayenne, or a BMW Z4 GT (a hatch back), but do not need the speed in either case and the Porsche is far to big and possibly thirsty, the Z4 looks good, but I no longer want to be that near the ground.

The GT may be my current front runner, what i want to know, would one be better than my existing car. What has surprised me is how different BMW equipment can be. My car the heating and cooling all takes care of itself, I just dial in what i want, apparently the wifes does not, then my rear view mirror automatically dims, my wives does not and it goes on, both appear to be the same level of model and certainly the equipment looks the same.

I will go to a dealer again, to see if they have any in stock, as the GT does not seem plentiful on the ground. You never know, I may change my mind, yet again.

[Masher]

How about a side ball? Do what I do - choose what ever you fancy for the modern car then buy a classic for the flying wagon. I have a Morris Minor van which fits plenty of models plus kit, most of it lives in the van semi-permanently, zero road tax, £100 insurance and £40 MOT pa so cheap as chips (assuming you get a good one!). Used all year round and ads an extra smile factor when I go flying. As an added bonus, it costs me about £30 to fill the tank!

[John Muir]

I recently bought a Kia Carens with 30 miles on the clock for £5K off the list price. Not the world's most exciting car, granted, but quiet, comfortable and huge inside with all the seats folded. Best of all, it has a seven year warranty which will see me through until I hit retirement age without too much in the way of unexpected costs. My biggest problem is figuring out how to transport my planes in such a way that they don't slide or roll about!

I gave up on sporty cars years ago on the grounds that:

a) I can't drive them fast anyway

b) Nobody is ever going to see me as 'cool', no matter what car I climb out of

John.

[Masher]

Ha ha - "b) Nobody is ever going to see me as 'cool', no matter what car I climb out of" Until last year I had a very smart '69 E-type jag.................... it got tons of interest wherever I went....................from post middle aged blokes!!!!!!!

[David Davis]

Stop rushing about and buy one of these. Mitsubishi mechanics.

[Erfolg]

John

There is a lot in what you have written that applies to me.

In many respects, that is what attracts me about the GT, it so does not look like the vision of a GT in the 70s to 80s. In most respects it is just a tall saloon, with a hatch back.

Conceptually i have thought of cars like some of the Hyundai types. It is i have just come to value reliability and comfort. I have also noted that a lot of the value cars, are not presently that much cheaper and I really do live in fear of owning another Leyland/Rover equivalent, totally unreliable, built down to the lowest cost possible, designed by an accountant, with the style of a Damien Hirst, all hype.

[Brian Hammond]

I,ve got a Mercedes A 160 Diesel which has plenty of room with seats down and is very frugal with fuel which means more toys for me!

[TinPot Pilot]

Erfolg,

due to my 15 year old Corsa having been attacked when stopping at traffic lights I required a replacement capable of transporting both my own and my brother's planes (plus us of course).

I too was looking a BMW with a tailgate and even test drove a 5 series. However due to time constraints and costs I eventually tried a Saab 9-5 saloon ( a diesel, an automatic was needed since clutch operation hurts my back).

This is so...ooo comfortable, the back seat folds down and I can fit in up to about 6 planes with a wingspan of up to six feet plus two sets of equipment, while averaging 37 mpg.

My only problem is ,what to do when I need to replace it since they are no longer made?

[Peter Christy]

Posted by TinPot Pilot on 16/12/2014 18:27:29:

My only problem is ,what to do when I need to replace it since they are no longer made?

Don't worry about it! As long as you service them properly, they go on to astronomical mileages (see my earlier post about my 9000 Aero - 190,000 and still going strong)!

I've also got a 1971 SAAB 96 - still going strong, not sure if its twice or three times round the clock now! And in 2012 I took it all the way to Ballenstadt in East Germany (between Hanover and the Polish border). Something like 1700 miles in ten days, it never missed a beat, carried a load of "toys" to the European Heli Champs, kept up with the team convoy on the way home, and turned in over 35 to the gallon. Oh, and it didn't boil when I got stuck in a traffic jam around Hanover on a blazing hot day on the way out - unlike a number of new BMWs and Mercs I passed on the hard shoulder!

--

Pete

[kc]

A car has only to get you and your cargo from A to B safely and reliably at a price you can afford.

A car that is unreliable is no use. I wouldn't buy a secondhand vehicle that was not still under the makers warranty. Many are now 5 or 7 years warranty.  It seems the electronics are the weakest link and the most expensive to replace - just a warning light will be a MOT failure and may cost fortune to repair.  Find someone who has the "Which? " guide to cars to see which are the dud cars.

Make a spreadsheet to check on vehicle cost at predicted MPG at todays fuel cost and insurance cost. Calculate for say 2 years, 5 years and 7years to see what it may really cost ( assume any car depreciates to almost zero after maybe 7 years or so )

For reliability I doubt you will beat Toyota. Consider an Avensis. I have the previous model -Carina - still going strong at 16 years and almost all original including exhaust. Passed all 13 MOT's without any work ---( I may be unlucky this year! ) You wont beat that.

Edited By kc on 16/12/2014 19:33:55

[Chris Berry]

If really big models then get a van. If not then a Skoda Octavia or Superb. Bullet proof, VW vehicle for Ford money but so much better. if you like to get your toe down then the 170 is for you, if not then the 140 is ideal.

[Rob Lewis]

I got a new car a few weeks back. Initially i was thinking of a 3 series GT as a friend has one, but it was a bit out of my price range having only been released last year. Last car was an old 3 series BMW hatchback, and wanted something bigger but not an estate.

I ended up getting an Audi A5 5 door sportback. Loads of room in the back with the seats down, and a huge boot lid to get them in and out.

[Gavin Mack]

6 months ago I replace my 1997 audi 6 estate with a 2008 Subaru Legacy 2L Petrol AWD estate as it was one of only a few cars that could take the Beast 60 fully assembled, I actually took the plane to the garages and found that it wouldn't fit in most cars including the Mondeo, length was fine but width was to narrow as they had filled any spaces with compartments. legacy is crap on mpg (26 average) but majority of driving is local. Suspension is very definitely sport.

[Prop Nut]

Some of the cars designed by engineers would have been very much better if they had been designed by accountants!