bpg
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Post by bpg on Feb 9, 2024 13:48:14 GMT
With that logic no one will be voting at the next GE.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Feb 9, 2024 14:01:05 GMT
It’s the cheap-for-a-reason thing, I suppose. A Mercedes is never going to be a bargain buy, and a complex machine that’s not been well maintained is going to cost serious money at some point. You can get in and out without parting with much money but you do need to be prepared to tie up a chunk of capital to achieve that — or pay the interest to use someone else’s capital.
Humph’s cars were with him from new, and Esp and I bought Approved Used. I reckon since 2012 my two have cost about £22,000 In depreciation and maybe another £2,000 in non-routine items, so a round £2k a year or £170 a month. Of course, it helps that a failure of climate control or air suspension would be an annoyance and not a calamity but I don’t think I’ve been extraordinarily lucky not to have had anything major so far.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2024 14:10:57 GMT
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bpg
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Post by bpg on Feb 9, 2024 14:14:24 GMT
I'm a big fan of preventative maintenance. My Volvo has corrosion on the rear shock bodies. Nothing major, they are not leaking, my logic is why wait until they do and risk additional damage and expense ?
If you buy new enough and look after it, most cars will run to ten years without major failures. Yes, you get the odd unlucky one where a belt has shred or chain has jumped wrecking the engine, on the whole though, cars are pretty reliable.
I had to replace the aircon compressor this year, apparently it's a known weakness in my car. The mechanic said the capacity in the newer car systems is greatly reduced over the older stuff, suppose a trade off of leaking a large or lesser amount of environmentally unfriendly pollution in case of failure. GBP500 is not the end of the world and worth spending in my mind. Yes, it's probably a big chunk of what the car is worth, after two years without aircon I was not going to go without for a third year even if the car only does 5,000 miles/year.
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bpg
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Post by bpg on Feb 9, 2024 14:18:13 GMT
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Feb 9, 2024 14:19:14 GMT
I don’t see anything that car can offer over the Honda that would be of value to you.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2024 14:19:43 GMT
Do you know what. I was actually looking at the exact car a moment ago. But dog and saloon is just a bit too much of an issue for me. Which is a shame, because that's a bargain car.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2024 14:21:29 GMT
I don’t see anything that car can offer over the Honda that would be of value to you. The release of £4k of equity to pay off the Leaf. Yes, robbing Peter to pay Paul. I know. I'd also get more use out of the Superb, it being runnable on electrical electrons only. We'd be like Humph and Mrs Humph again, his'n'hers cars.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Feb 9, 2024 14:25:17 GMT
I’d missed the PHEV bit. Not a fan, as you know; seems like a whole heap of added complexity (i.e. risk) for a small number of low-speed electric miles.
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Post by Humph on Feb 9, 2024 14:34:10 GMT
Bit of a munter though that Skoda.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2024 14:38:29 GMT
Handsome thing in my book. Very spacious. I'm a big fan. Would prefer brown.
Not sure PHEV is too much of a risk. It's just a small EV powertrain nestling in there, and EV powertrains are very reliable. Not aware of any publicity around unreliability of hybrid platforms.
I do 20-50 miles a day, and occasional motorway runs of a couple of hundred, this is ideal territory for PHEV. But of course, for my dailying, the Leaf is a better solution.
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Post by Humph on Feb 9, 2024 14:39:16 GMT
I suppose I’m sanguine about having to spend money on cars from time to time. It’s just part of the deal really. I’ve been jolly lucky with my Merc so far I suppose, but when it needs fettling it’ll get it with no grudges. Parts will no doubt be a bit dearer but I’m now inclined to think that’s because they are actually quite well made.
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Post by Humph on Feb 9, 2024 14:46:56 GMT
Handsome isn’t something I’d expect to see in a word cloud describing a Superb. Practical yes, sensible yes, astute maybe, but handsome? It’s a bit like Ray Winstone, superb at his job and has a certain rough charm but could never be described as handsome. In my opinion anyway.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Feb 9, 2024 14:47:50 GMT
Not sure PHEV is too much of a risk. It's just a small EV powertrain nestling in there, and EV powertrains are very reliable. EVs don’t have to cope with alternating or combining power from two different sources. And petrol engines and their exhausts don’t like intermittent running at suboptimal temperatures. That’s vast amount of hardware to carry about, much of it doing nothing — like wearing two pairs of shoes. I confess I wonder occasionally whether a V90 or 530 PHEV might work for me but I always come up against this — especially when, like you, I already have the ideal machine for 20-to-50 mile days.
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Post by Humph on Feb 9, 2024 14:51:37 GMT
Nailed it. Ray Winstone wearing two pairs of shoes! 😉
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