Had enough of shite

[Supernaut]

4 hours ago, TrabbieRonnie said:

I'm another Outback owner (our 'modern' 2005 family car)... Great drive, decent boot, and pretty much unbeatable in the weather for a car, anyway.  Would agree with others, rust is a now constant threat, and the parts can be eye-wateringly expensive.  I got a custom stainless exhaust hundreds cheaper than Subaru wanted for a mild steel.  My wife uses it 95% of the time, gets 36mpg.  I always seem to be doing something on it though, whereas the old Hilux keeps plodding on.  

Yep, I always find it funny seeing my dad, a farmer in his early 70s, driving a subaru with a fruity sounding stainless exhaust. He got that exhaust for the same reason as you. It's still silent inside though.

[stonedagain]

20 hours ago, Barry Cade said:

Just put the Jeep on Ebay, I'm at the end of my tether with it and its jerking. I've had a rough tally up of shite expenses for the past year or so, and I'd be cheaper just getting something newer and boringer.. Living way up in Braemar the last thing I need is a motor which never makes me feel like its not gonna let me down. Drove Mrs Cade's 500l to Edinburgh the other night to get a German family to the airport as their hire car had hit a pothole, ripped the sidewall and had no spare. The hire company left them high and dry and stuck in the back of beyond... anyway, the weather was horrible, but the wee Fiat just ploughed through, I was listening to spotify, air con on and cruise set, and I remembered I actually enjoy driving, especially getting 45MPG.

 

Issue is. I need something a bit big, room for the daft dug, 2 litre plus for towing and would like 4wd if poss. I like luxury so sat nav, cruise and air con are a must. Prefer auto. up to 7 grand ish...... Everything I look at seems to come back to the VW group which I dislike. Front runners just now are a Nice Mondeo TDCI Titanium X estate, a Mazda 6  estate and a Skoda Superb 4x4 DSG estate.  Maybe a Yeti or a Kuga.

 

Gonna be stuck with it for a few years so don't wanna make a mistake. I'm finding engines have gotten so smol now. Caravanners beware!

Freelander 2? Mine has been excellent in the 3 years I've owned it.

[Barry Cade]

4 hours ago, Justin Case said:

How many boxes would a Kia Sorento tick? Should be big enough and they seem to be reliable and rugged 

 

 

 

 

ARGH! That is what kinda got me down this road in the first place- I had a nice one which I really liked- liked much more than I should have. Flung it in for an MOT and it was terminally ROTTEN, not just rusty, ROTTEN. That episode cost me well over a grand, It was a car I bought with my head and vowed just to run it, keep it safe and reliable and it bit me on the arse HARD.. Avensis cost me £500, Saab 9-5 owed me 5 or 600 quid, doblo lost me £200, Broke even on my wee Shogun. Shite has probably cost me best part of 2k in a year, I've never really enjoyed any of them as there has always been something to fix or sort, not to mention all the changing of V5's, insurance, putting dog guards in them, touch up paint, consumables... I'll probably take another £600 hit on this Cherokee.  And I do everything myself- no garage bills, all parts at trade and Tyres etc fitted free.

 

This Mingebag motoring is fucking expensive!

 

Subaru's? Every one I've ever worked on has turned into a sodding nightmare. The undersides just crumble away, just like Mazda's. Duster? Top engine is a 1.5.. and too light for my caravan. Renner don't seem to do big cars anymore, neither do Alfa or Fiat ( Which have always been the most reliable cars I've owned)

[garethj]

The modern shite forum might be worth posting in.  You’re not the first person to get hacked off with spending money on an old car that rewards you with another expensive breakdown.

In my experience anything that’s not brand new can still shit itself in exciting ways so maybe look at buying a good warranty with your £8k car.

[shoddybanger]

Agree with garethj. And it does sound like you need a break, really.

Maybe try not to overthink it - just walk into a dealer's and drive out with a fairly new car that you happen to fancy as pure transportation.

There will always be shite available, when you feel the need to delve in again.

[BorniteIdentity]

There are plenty of pre VVTi Toyotas available. They might not be £2.97 any more but, in the round, still make eminent sense when looking at value for money. 

However, we’re talking about £7,000 cars here so I’ll not recommend a Carina or Camry. If it was me, set on spending that money, I’d look at a lovely MK4 Mondeo or or a W212 Mercedes and focus in on the petrol engines. Fuck the MPG; the bigger picture will save you money. 

[Garythesnail]

£2k in a year - a £170 a month, still 'winning', just need to find the right sub-£1k shed that isn't a shed. 

Must be stressful if you haven't got a dependable, go-to car though.

[The_Equalizer]

42 minutes ago, BorniteIdentity said:

There are plenty of pre VVTi Toyotas available. They might not be £2.97 any more but, in the round, still make eminent sense when looking at value for money. 

However, we’re talking about £7,000 cars here so I’ll not recommend a Carina or Camry. If it was me, set on spending that money, I’d look at a lovely MK4 Mondeo or or a W212 Mercedes and focus in on the petrol engines. Fuck the MPG; the bigger picture will save you money. 

Indeed. May as well make a virtue of a necessity. I am just waiting for the A207 Benz to get into a similar price range. I like the twin headlight of the earlier cars and the 350 or 500 pez would be a hoot to drive. 

[Cheggers]

It strikes me that whatever modern car you choose to mention (let's say less than 10yo) the internet will have a ready supply of horror stories, whereas in truth there's no such thing as a genuinely bad car if you stick to the major brands.

 

Yes, you probably saw an awful lot of Audis on the back of your truck, but there's an awful.loy of Audis out there.

 

 

[Dannyk]

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201908311711377?model=MONDEO&sort=relevance&body-type=Estate&radius=20&postcode=nn96hg&make=FORD&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=New&advertising-location=at_cars&page=1

Enough left over for a towbar and maybe even cheap shite to mess around with another day. if you changed your mind

[davidy80]

1 hour ago, Barry Cade said:

.....Alfa or Fiat ( Which have always been the most reliable cars I've owned)

Just goes to show how different our experiences can be. Alfa and Fiat have been the worst cars I've ever owned, especially the Alfa.

 

[Skut]

How about a big Ssang Yong. The Rexton for example. Big, cheap, 4x4,  2 litre plus Merc engine, simple ish underpinnings and lots of toys and tow most things. 2012-13 model be about your budget. 

[xkjagnz]

1 hour ago, Skut said:

How about a big Ssang Yong. The Rexton for example. Big, cheap, 2 litre plus Merc engine, simple ish underpinnings and lots of toys and tow most things. 2012-13 model be about your budget. 

Bought one for the wife, she loves it 2.2l but 3.5 t towing capacity, humongous inside cheap to run, ours was the demonstrator so way cheaper than new but an older one would be in your budget (with the 2.7l lump)

[Barry Cade]

3 hours ago, Dannyk said:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201908311711377?model=MONDEO&sort=relevance&body-type=Estate&radius=20&postcode=nn96hg&make=FORD&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=New&advertising-location=at_cars&page=1

Enough left over for a towbar and maybe even cheap shite to mess around with another day. if you changed your mind

That is lovely. I think a Mondeo is in order. Titanium X spec. and (gasp) a Diesel .. I've spent another evening under the bonnet of that fucking Jeep. I could have gone to Ballater for chips, if I had a car that worked. Instead I was wet, cold,dirty and pissed off. Nearly lost my phone too as I cable tied it under the bonnet on video to see if I could see what was happening. Every green car I've ever owned has either been a total bastard,or tried to kill me. Should have listened to my Mum.

 

Oh, and a Mondeo is the easiest car in the world to fit a towbar to.

[Flat4]

13 hours ago, Barry Cade said:

That's  were my head is just now. Apart from 4wd, they are the perfect choice. Been away from Ford for a long time but time to go back to the blue oval I think.

What about a Jaguar X Type? Mondeo in a fancy frock and they have a 4wd flavour. May need to beef up the suspension for towing tho as they have a reputation for being a bit soft.

[Barry Cade]

28 minutes ago, Flat4 said:

What about a Jaguar X Type? Mondeo in a fancy frock and they have a 4wd flavour. May need to beef up the suspension for towing tho as they have a reputation for being a bit soft.

I saw enough of those, welding the sills up for MOT's and they  are a proper pain in the arse to fit towbars to. Love an XF though!

[Roobarb]

Bloody hell, what are you all doing with you Subarus? Living on the beach?

I’ve not had that problem, though mine have always been carefully bought (bar one which was new) and sold maybe three years later. 

So far my biggest expense has been a couple of new clutches, new brakes and discs and for some reason, breaking wheel nuts when I rotate the tyres...

I must confess the petrol consumption isn’t the best though.

[motorpunk]

A newish Mondeo is hard to argue with. Nice, spacious, cheap, reliable, inoffensive. Bangernonics can be bloody miserable at times.

[big_al_granvia]

sorry but there is no such thing as 1 vehicle that does it all, you have to compromise or run at least 2, the granvia is great as a doss van and once it gets its towbar it will be a great tug but it drinks diesel and is a pain doing the shopping, the almera is great for going to aldi but it wont tow heehaw, it hasnt rusted much though, the beemer does 40 odd mpg but the steering is really heavy.... buy a ford mondeo, okay when the clutch goes it will need a dmf and probably a starter motor, it will rust but it is the closest to a jack of all trades 

all cars are shite, when they spit their dummies they are a pain in the arse, they cost time and money and apart from doing what they are meant to do they are boring, who actually likes getting covered in crud fixing something.... other drivers are wankers, the old bill are cnuts and the dvla are jobsworths

[ChampionRabbit]

9 hours ago, Roobarb said:

Bloody hell, what are you all doing with you Subarus? Living on the beach?

I’ve not had that problem, though mine have always been carefully bought (bar one which was new) and sold maybe three years later. 

So far my biggest expense has been a couple of new clutches, new brakes and discs and for some reason, breaking wheel nuts when I rotate the tyres...

I must confess the petrol consumption isn’t the best though.

Same here; neither my last Legacy (03) not my current Forester (06) has significantly rotted. Both are excellent, hassle free motors apart from boring stuff like O2 sensors and drop links. Only down side is fuel (30mpg average). Ace cars.

[Luxxo Waftybarger]

4 hours ago, ChampionRabbit said:

Same here; neither my last Legacy (03) not my current Forester (06) has significantly rotted. Both are excellent, hassle free motors apart from boring stuff like O2 sensors and drop links. Only down side is fuel (30mpg average). Ace cars.

It might be that west Cornwall and being kept on grass/mud had tested mine. Strange that others in the fleet over the same period - VW T5, BMW E46 and E91 did not rust.

[Garythesnail]

Front wheel drive Mondeo?

moar cylinders

even moar cylinders

[lesapandre]

This may be not at all what you want - I have a late 90's Citroen C15. Its a tinny little van and only two seats. They rust...but if you can find a good one they go very well (1.8) are economic (diesel) have a furnace hot heater and I can get mountains of crap in the back. I have various cars and vans but the C15 is the 'go to' really when I go out and what I drive the most as it's real fun.  It even has a tow hitch. It's noisy but I have done London-Bradford-London in a day without much bother on one tankful - it is 5-speed. Spares are still available. Run on cooking oil. 1000's still about in France. Owned it 4 years - no trouble - it's been to France 3 times 1000 mile round trips and it's just long enough to sleep in the back.

This on Ebay as an example. Bit pricey but looks clean. Years of life there and no electronics.  Prices for good ones are rising quite fast now. 

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F274056383352

[rmt87]

Hyundai i40 tourer would probably suit. Decent mpg big,comfortable and max towing weight of 1800kg. 

[Barry Cade]

Well. A car has been bought. I had it for a day, then the garage has it for another week... It's a Focus.

 

2014 Focus 2.0 Titanium X manual Diesel estate. I picked it up all shiny and smelling lovely, then noticed a dent in the wing that wasn't there before and dipped beam wasn't working on the passengers side. We were away for the weekend ,collecting the car as part of that ( It was our silver anniversary) The workshop was closed for the weekend so I dropped the car back to them Monday morning to fix it so I had it for a day... I really really like it. Had a wee play with all the buttons, let it park itself for me and messed around with the lane departure shizz. It drives ace and the clutch and gearbox are really smooth- a surprise as I always remember 2 litre denzil Fords having a really sharp clutch. Handles  very nicely and was giving over 50MPG on the dash.

Anyway, I wasn't happy with driving around with 1 headlight so I whipped out the Halfords Trade card and got a bulb- a fancy Xenon one at over 50 quid. Still no light.. Checked a bit further and it was the Ballast box that had gone- garage can sort that out. A new headlamp from Euro  is over 900 quid... Holy *****   A ballast can be had cheaper than a bulb. It had just been through the workshop- I checked and it had been serviced,new rear discs and pads put on and a few other things so maybe lucky the Ballast box went when it did. Anyway it's all sorted now seemingly but it's 150 miles away and I'm working until Monday. Bugger.

[SiC]

Ballast is worth getting from a scrappy/eBay second hand. My experience is that rarely do HID bulbs fail (unless Chinese) and it's usually the ballast. Depending on the type of HID bulb, it may or may not have a ballast on the back. 

[cort16]

I got the ballast thing for my Cadillac from an old gooner 2 headlamp for 20 quid . 

You came quite a long way for the focus that garage is local to me.

[Barry Cade]

Garage has sorted it at their cost- New Osram Ballast boxes are about 50 quid if I ever need another.

[Barry Cade]

Update on Non Shite ownership.

4

I've really warmed to this thing, so thought I'd give a wee update after about 1500 miles. Still getting my head around a few things, it's a Titanium X will pretty much all the options so a lot to learn! I like the engine- its the 163 BHP 2 litre Peugeot lump so has plenty of pull and far smoother on takeoff than Mondeo's I remember with the 2.0. I was forever stalling them things in the workshop, but the clutch is very forgiving on this, averaging 50MPG , but I'm finding 6th isn't getting a lot of use in the mountains. Fine on the motorway though and it's a cracking cruiser with the cruise set at 70...

The park itself thing does indeed park itself. Had a bit of fun with it, but still freaks me out when the steering wheel moves itself. The auto main beam is great, apart from coming over Glenshee.. It thinks the snow poles are another car so dips the lights just when you need them most. Blind spot indicators are OK on the motorway but give loads of false alarms everywhere else. Keyless is great, no messing about -keys just stay in my pocket all the time. Updated to 2019 maps for the sat nav and it's been brilliant so far. Handling is brilliant, you can have loads of fun on the roads round here and can really feel the torque vectoring working. Roscoe's not so keen though- have one of those moulded boot mats and he struggles for traction when I'm pushing on, think he preferred the Jeep... Heated seats,windscreen ,grille shutter and auxilliary electric heating in the heater box make -10 up here a lot more pleasant, and Xenons with washers help after the gritters have been through. 

 

No regrets so far and I still go out in it, just for a drive. Towbar and electrics kit on the way to me, so we'll see how it tows after I fit it all. 

[danthecapriman]

Glad it’s proving to be a good choice for you, looks a nice car!