Old Shite v New Shite (warning, may feature opinions)

[outlaw118]

Mate of mine is currently tooling about in a mark one-and-a-half Focus, on a 52 plate. It's a bit dog-eared, and it's been to the moon, mileage wise. He bought it for £not much at Chelmsford auctions, when he moved back to Essex from Manchester, and was relatively skint.

 

However, he's more flush now, and someone his brother works with has a MG6 that he's selling, no other reason than he tends to change his cars just before the MoT becomes due. He's after £5000, he's been offered £4500 p/x but a better discount on the new purchase if he doesn't trade anything in. It's a 5 door hatch Turbo, in silver, with about 30k on it, and i know nowt more than that.

 

I reckon it's a fair price, and as my mate intends to keep it for a while, the depreciation, while still scary, won't be that bad,

 

Question is, is it a better car than a MK1.5 Focus?

[Asimo]

It might be a better car but it will be a worse investment.

[outlaw118]

Indeed, just having a look at the Wiki page, they were about £16k new, so thats lost 66%+ of it's value in a little over two years.

 

Wonder if they did a finance deal with Guaranteed Future Value shittery attached?

[Pillock]

They're both equally as likely to feature some catastrophic failure so the only difference is losing hundreds, or thousands.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Okay, if I could get one for £4,500 I'd be keen. It's a very cheap way into an attractive modern car on a very recent plate. Unfortunately the values have dived for a reason and I'd treat that £4,500 like I'd just dropped it on red. 

 

Tell him to buy it and post about it on MacDroitwich. 

[Split_Pin]

It might be a better car but it will be a worse investment.

This.

[mercrocker]

^Thirded.....the newness will wear off quicker than a few microns on the Focus moving parts.   I doubt it would be any better after that.  

[drum]

What about an MG6-300FTW (Fastest in The World) ?

 

http://www.chelfing.com/page38.htm

 

Maybe should be MG6 -300 WTF

[stuboy]

keep the focus

[wackywacerwill]

Staying with the oval does sound sensible though boring. Change is fun and often expensive so the decision should be ruled by either heart of head, whatever floats your/his boat really.

[Spiny Norman]

Imagine having a functioning but scruffy Focus plus £4,500 and ending up with an MG6. How mad would you have to be for that to happen?

[RedSparrow]

What about an MG6-300FTW (Fastest in The World) ?

image.jpg

 

http://www.chelfing.com/page38.htm

 

Maybe should be MG6 -300 WTF

 

What the frig? I would love to see if they actually cobble that together.

What a pile of shite.

[Felly Magic]

Most dealers wouldn't even offer that for a used 6. Last year many dealers said around £3500 for a 12 month old example, as they really would struggle to shift em. I think out of all the new cars on sale, they have just about the worst residuals going, and finding a dealer when it breaks, well, needle in a haystack as they only have around 35 countrywide

[Cavcraft]

'Only gamble what you can afford to lose.'

 

If he can afford to spunk four and a half large on something pretty much unproven, then good luck to him.

[CortinaDave]

I quite like them... and - feck it, its a 3 year old decently specced car for much less than you'd pay for anything equivalent. the general consensus is overall they are actually alright.

 

yes its still going to depreciate faster than shares in the Dave Lee Travis fan club, but if you're keeping it long term then it might actually be cost effective.

 

2 years on when they are sub 2 grand I'll give one some serious thought!

[scooters]

If his ford snotter has given him good service and shows no sign if dying then I would hold into it. One thing you can totally guarantee about cars is that they will, at some point, break down. You need to minimise the risk and the rule should always be to ensure your daily driver s mechanical history is as well known by you as possible. Better the devil you know. My advice would be to keep the focus as a daily, take 1500 and buy an MX5 for a toy. That 4.5k mg could be a cash bucket, they are a relatively new design and issues will only be emerging now.

 

Re old vs new....I'd class a mk1 focus as a modern car.

 

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk

[Micrashed]

Personally I would keep the Focus.

 

But then I spunked £9000 on a Citroen C8 for the wife.

 

Russian Roulette - Oh Yeah!

 

Still - this keeps me amused http://garyc.me/bring/

[NorfolkNWeigh]

What about an MG6-300FTW (Fastest in The World) ?

 

http://www.chelfing.com/page38.htm

Maybe should be MG6 -300 WTF

I'd forgotten Chelfing even existed, loving the fact that because of outlandish and ridiculous claims by MG that this could be real!

[drum]

I'd forgotten Chelfing even existed, loving the fact that because of outlandish and ridiculous claims by MG that this could be real!

In essence, we have two 150MPH cars bolted together, 2 x 150MPH = 300MPH

can't argue with that science*

[outlaw118]

Hmm, thanks for the input chaps, having spoken to chummy at some length in teh pub last night I formulated a list of "pros" and "cons", in favour/against both cars, taking into account the comments up to about ten pm last night (when he went home, barely able to speak, due in no uncertain terms to the amount of "Guest Ale 3 - 5.7%).

 

Pro's for Focus.

 

It's cheap, bought and paid for.

It's been reliable so far, paid out for one part-worn tyre and about a litre of oil in a year.

Pretty good on pez.

Availabilty of parts, and any garage worth it's salt will be able to mend it.

No problem parking it anywhere, not worried about a few more dings etc.

 

Cons for Focus.

 

It looks horrible, last owner had dog(s) and despite repeated attempts and magic trees, it smells.

Possibility of impending bills.

Started to drink/drop a bit of oil.

MoT due March 15th.

Paint is Pogweaseled all over, (although I have a mop that I seem to remember volunteering to lend).

 

Pro's for MG6.

 

Newer car, in fact newest thing he's ever owned.

Rarity value.

More toys, equipment etc.

He'll be the 2nd owner, and knows it's been cared for, and it won't smell of 1000 dead billy-goats.

For a (just about) 3 year old car, it's cheap.

 

Cons for MG6.

 

Rare - nobody will care it's an MG, and may well take the piss.

Rare - dealer - wise, and unknown quantity re: parts etc.

More toys - more to go wrong.

It's cheap - yes, but it'll be worth scrap money in a couple of years, and only lunatics from a certain beige website will want to buy it off you.

There's absolutely no way any chicks will want to do teh secks with you. (Although to be fair, he's a bit of an weird looking fucker, so a Porsche may not do the trick either)

 

 

I reckon that just about sums it up; any more suggestions, please feel free to copy and paste!

[DVee8]

Right tell him to get the MG,then get him on here so he can give us a running commentary of each and every breakdown and the costs and agro that go with them so we all can e-value the situation for 10 years time.. 

[phil_lihp]

Surly a few quid spent on a professional valet or even a secondhand interior would sort the smell and paintwork. even money spent fixing an oil leak will be thousands less than the MG.

[Craig the Princess]

Right tell him to get the MG,then get him on here so he can give us a running commentary of each and every breakdown and the costs and agro that go with them so we all can e-value the situation for 2 years time..

 

EFA

[Taff]

ive been drinking cider since lunchtime, so please bear that in mind while reading this post.

 

He's got £4500 and tatty focus? and has asked you if an MG is a good diea?

 

Tell him to mug off the MG, get your local ukraniancarwash.com to valet the hell out of the ford (twice), buy a £3000 M3 or M5 for shit and giggles and spunk the rest on charlie and whores.

 

Anyone else need a life coach?

[Morgan84]

You can get plenty of variety these days for £4500; why spend it on a depreciation disaster when there are plenty better value for money more credible cars to have. Try a Saab 9-3 maybe, or why not a MG ZT/ Rover 75 as they are less money, for what is more or less a FWD BMW.

 

As for the Focus they are a good car, and as has already been said nothing a proper inside out clean can't improve I'm sure; newer is not always better. 

[fred]

ive been drinking cider since lunchtime, so please bear that in mind while reading this post.

 

He's got £4500 and tatty focus? and has asked you if an MG is a good diea?

 

Tell him to mug off the MG, get your local ukraniancarwash.com to valet the hell out of the ford (twice), buy a £3000 M3 or M5 for shit and giggles and spunk the rest on charlie and whores.

 

Anyone else need a life coach?

 

Sounds like good advice to me, aprt from the frosty jack dinner that is