Need a new car

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chelmsfordhammer91
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Re: Need a new car

Post by chelmsfordhammer91 »

Plumping for a Qashqui, found one that fits the bill so going to take a look on Saturday.

It's really grown on me over the last week and so glad we had one to essentially test drive properly for free. The courtesy one was the highest trim (I had to ask the lady in the dealership as it doesn't say anywhere :oops: ), but the one we've found is the Acenta Premium so still has the sat nav and sensors/camera etc.

The one we found is the 1.5 dci rather than the petrol we are borrowing now, but should be more economical and suits my wife's commute from Chelmsford to South Ockenden four days a week.

Not sure if this is a new thing, but the dealership wanted us to sort it out over the phone before coming to actually see it, then if we like it when we are there and tested it etc., we are good to go. I've always haggled face to face after picking up on any unreasonable dents/scrapes etc. so not entirely sure how that works this way.
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Re: Need a new car

Post by Geordie Hammer »

My recommendation to anyone buying a new car is speak to DL.

He buys a new car every other week! :crylol:
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Re: Need a new car

Post by -DL- »

Rude...

Every 3 weeks.
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Re: Need a new car

Post by dasnutnock3 »

My mate ordered an electric car 8 months ago, from Skoda, having leased a Kodiaq a couple years back. They told him the car is nearly ready and that they want to pay him £2k less PX for his Kodiaq, despite a written guarantee they’d honour the agreed price when he signed up. I’d be stunned if this sort of stuff wasn’t widespread, as used car prices start to drop - completely illegal, of course, but they’ll be willing to chance their arm on a few mug punters agreeing to the worse terms.
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Re: Need a new car

Post by chelmsfordhammer91 »

I assume they are all shysters, but it's wise to be cynical when buying one of the more expensive things in life.

My in-laws had a Merc GLC on PCP and when they traded it back in the difference between their balloon payment and the trade in prixe was about 13k in their favour. Worked out all in they had effectively leased the car for 10k for 3 years. Not bad going for a 50k ish car.

They went for a Tiguan this time as the lease cost for a new GLC was mad, they wanted nearly £700 month!
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Re: Need a new car

Post by jastons »

I don't drive but have my test booked for December. I wanted a petrol Golf 5 doors and the best hatchback? Now I'm having doubts. Are they boring? I won't be getting a GTI or R.

Also, what about cost? Would I be better off buying a Seat?

The Mrs has a diesel SUV but I still want 5 doors and a decent sized boot.

With my previous instructor I was driving a diesel Audi A1. He was a prick, kept telling me to swith to automatic. My new instructor has a petrol Mini which I much prefer to the Audi. So should I perhaps swerve VAG all together?
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Re: Need a new car

Post by -DL- »

dasnutnock3 wrote: Sun Jul 24, 2022 8:30 pm My mate ordered an electric car 8 months ago, from Skoda, having leased a Kodiaq a couple years back. They told him the car is nearly ready and that they want to pay him £2k less PX for his Kodiaq, despite a written guarantee they’d honour the agreed price when he signed up. I’d be stunned if this sort of stuff wasn’t widespread, as used car prices start to drop - completely illegal, of course, but they’ll be willing to chance their arm on a few mug punters agreeing to the worse terms.
It's already becoming widespread. It all depends on the wording of what he has in writing and the T&Cs of it - but to agree a price then renege on it is c***ish - but by the same token, they may have him by the b*llocks - because if he goes elsewhere, then his PX may well only be valued by the next dealer at the 3k less than 8 months ago.

As I put a couple of weeks ago - despite the lack of brand new vehicles at the moment, used values are dropping from the heady heights they were because dealers are needing to shift stock, because people are no longer buying because of the extra money they're having to put in their tanks and pay to their energy supplier.

The one's still holding value at the mo are the A & B segment vehicles (Pug 1/208, Clio, Fiesta, etc) - the perceived economical cars that are cheaper to insure and run.
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Re: Need a new car

Post by -DL- »

jastons wrote: Mon Jul 25, 2022 8:53 am I don't drive but have my test booked for December. I wanted a petrol Golf 5 doors and the best hatchback? Now I'm having doubts. Are they boring? I won't be getting a GTI or R.

Also, what about cost? Would I be better off buying a Seat?

The Mrs has a diesel SUV but I still want 5 doors and a decent sized boot.

With my previous instructor I was driving a diesel Audi A1. He was a prick, kept telling me to swith to automatic. My new instructor has a petrol Mini which I much prefer to the Audi. So should I perhaps swerve VAG all together?
Mate, you may be worth building up a no claims bonus of your own by driving an older car with a small engine as a run-around before committing to a family type hatch of any make - because despite your age, you'll actually be seen as a bigger risk by insurers for leaving it late to become a driver, than someone that's jumped straight behind the wheel at 17.

Golfs are good and functional and well made, but unless you really, really want one, the premium you'd pay over other makes isn't really worth it in my opinion. Once you have your licence, go out and test drive as many different motors as you can - and I've no doubt you'll be surprised how not much different to drive a Golf is over other makes - especially when there is anything up to a few grand difference in the price with a Golf over a Peugeot, Ford, Renault, Vauxhall etc of the same age and spec. Yeah, they hold their value a bit more, but not a few grand more over and above your purchase price - unless of course, you pan on running it in to the ground until it dies over a few years.
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Re: Need a new car

Post by White Goodman »

I'm not in any way convinced by electric cars yet.

I have an A6 hybrid.

It is ****ing awesome in the Summer , the 30 mile electric only range seems to last forever and I don't have to bother with the petrol station at all.

Winter I've seen battery range drop as far as 15 miles and you don't get that either.

Obviously I know why but how are they going to solve this massive variance in all electric cars?

You wouldn't accept a petrol car that did 50mpg in summer and then 25mpg in cold weather.

I may be over exaggerating slightly to make a point but surely a valid concern
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Re: Need a new car

Post by mumbles87 »

White Goodman wrote: Mon Jul 25, 2022 12:47 pm I'm not in any way convinced by electric cars yet.

I have an A6 hybrid.

It is ****ing awesome in the Summer , the 30 mile electric only range seems to last forever and I don't have to bother with the petrol station at all.

Winter I've seen battery range drop as far as 15 miles and you don't get that either.

Obviously I know why but how are they going to solve this massive variance in all electric cars?

You wouldn't accept a petrol car that did 50mpg in summer and then 25mpg in cold weather.

I may be over exaggerating slightly to make a point but surely a valid concern


worth watching this about plug ins

my electric is 180 summer 140 winter so yes defo get trade offs

you get some in petrol cars but the volume of fuel you are carrying around the trade off seems a lot smaller
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Re: Need a new car

Post by White Goodman »

Interesting stuff.

Obviously the green agenda is pushing these things but.again not.convinced that cradle to grave, they are better than clean, efficient fossil fuel vehicles

Battery disposal for a start is horrific environmentally.

Plus I don't want a fast car.that sounds like a squealing pig.
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Re: Need a new car

Post by mumbles87 »

White Goodman wrote: Mon Jul 25, 2022 1:53 pm Interesting stuff.

Obviously the green agenda is pushing these things but.again not.convinced that cradle to grave, they are better than clean, efficient fossil fuel vehicles

Battery disposal for a start is horrific environmentally.

Plus I don't want a fast car.that sounds like a squealing pig.
There is a garage in Surrey that retrofits new batteries into old leafs

They then increase the life of the car and the batteries are reused as house batteries etc
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Re: Need a new car

Post by -DL- »

ICE's are more efficient in the winter than in the summer due to a variety of factors, namely an engine burns much better when it's breathing in cold air, and the air in the atmosphere isn't as dense either, so the car has less to push out of the way - plus of course, the car is only using what would normally be wasted heat from the engine to keep the cabin warm. If you have a turbo engine, the intercooler also cools the air in the turbo quicker in winter too, also adding to the efficiency.
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Re: Need a new car

Post by mumbles87 »

-DL- wrote: Mon Jul 25, 2022 2:28 pm ICE's are more efficient in the winter than in the summer due to a variety of factors, namely an engine burns much better when it's breathing in cold air, and the air in the atmosphere isn't as dense either, so the car has less to push out of the way - plus of course, the car is only using what would normally be wasted heat from the engine to keep the cabin warm. If you have a turbo engine, the intercooler also cools the air in the turbo quicker in winter too, also adding to the efficiency.
However burning fossil fuels is only about 45% efficient and electric is 85% isn't it? As a power source (quick edit. EDF say electric is 70 and ice struggle to get 40. Article here https://www.edfenergy.com/for-home/ener ... -efficient)

Heat pumps have made a huge difference to range

One thing that is interesting is how they perform in traffic

Ev kicks ice in traffic so if you get delayed you go miles further

But flip that round motorways once you go past about 55 ice kicks butt

My a406 to work limit of 50 all way ev is best option but anyone using motorway going over 100 miles a day ice is best
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Re: Need a new car

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mumbles87 wrote: Mon Jul 25, 2022 2:36 pm However burning fossil fuels is only about 45% efficient and electric is 85% isn't it? As a power source (quick edit. EDF say electric is 70 and ice struggle to get 40. Article here https://www.edfenergy.com/for-home/ener ... -efficient)
70% efficient still doesn't cut it when you're doing as many miles as I and many others do.

mumbles87 wrote: Mon Jul 25, 2022 2:36 pmOne thing that is interesting is how they perform in traffic

Ev kicks ice in traffic so if you get delayed you go miles further
Turn your stop-start on, and you still save a bucket load of fuel. Last time I had to drive up to and through London and back, my average MPG dropped by a negligible amount - think I lost about 2mpg from my usual average of between 60 and 65 - and that was all to do with the fact unlike a whole lot of people, I actually keep my stop-start turned on and use it.

The main point remains, unless you're doing relatively short trips, and EV is about as much use as an ash-tray on a motorbike, unless of course you don't mind queuing for an EV point and sitting there for a couple of hours before you resume your trip - plus of course, you then need to find somewhere to charge when you reach your ultimate destination.

We got back from holiday the week before last, and I worked it worked out without much thinking that there would have been no way on this earth we could have done what we did with an EV.

It's till a poor range, a poor infrastructure, and a ridiculously expensive purchase price to start off with. Thankfully, I'm at an age where I'll be able to drive proper cars until the day I die - which is exactly what I will be doing - because I cannot see there being sufficient rage and infrastructure in my lifetime.
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Re: Need a new car

Post by mumbles87 »

How much range is reasonable tho?

I'd like My next one to be 250 rather than 180 just for a little extra for longer trips

But the family car I want a 300 plus range

I mean at the moment with the cost of fuel crisis I'm doing 50 miles a day and it's costing right now £1 , will rise to £2 when I go on my Tesla energy tariff but if I stayed on go it would go to £1.50 a day

I could easily do 60 mile each way trip even in winter and be comfortable just plug in at night. I don't every night I can get 3 trips to work before to need to

So £20 a month? Soon to be £40 I was doing over £100 a month in petrol when it was at £1.30 a litre

All depends on charging at home and distance traveling

However if you are a 2 car family id highly recommend one .. we swap as we need , then if the kids aren't with us or just 1 of them we always take the ev

I'm thinking one of Kia , Hyundai, mg or nissan for a second hand ev when the lease ends then lease a proper range EV when the kids are out of car seats

But then I will add we only go on about 2 long trips a year and could easily work around charging so it's entirely what suits the person
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Re: Need a new car

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mumbles87 wrote: Mon Jul 25, 2022 3:29 pm How much range is reasonable tho?
The same as what I currently have in my 60 litre diesel tank at around 60-65mpg. Besides the range, they need to not start at well over 35k (and actually nearer 40k and above, being realistic) for the type and size of car that I need.

Having paid not a lot of money in the grand scheme of things for the motor I posted above - what's the cheaper option long term, even at almost 2 quid a litre?

It ain't going to be a 40k electric car, that's for sure. Even a 20k 2 year old one of the above will still be the cheaper option long term. No point saying it only costs a quid to charge for 50 miles, when the starting price of a Corsa-e is 28.5 grand and goes up to almost 32 grand. For a Vauxhall Corsa.

Jesus wept.

If I was inclined to even consider spending that money to sit on my drive, I'd be spending it on fun. Oh f*** me yes, lots of fun in the shape of 310bhp, front wheel drive, Japanese engineering :newharry: :newharry: :newharry:

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Re: Need a new car

Post by chelmsfordhammer91 »

Range for electric cars will improve as yime goes on, as well as the manufacturing cycle to (hopefully, otherwise there is no point) a state where overall they are the more environmentally friendly option whilst being as practical if nor more so.

I mentioned it on another thread but Nio (China based) are due to release a 150kw battery next year which they tag as doing 1000 miles per charge. As with any efficiency/range test, it will most likely be lower than this, but I believe the issue with range will be gone in 5 years or so.

The next issue is charge time/convenience. Referring to Nio again (not pumping them but I did a lot of due diligence on them for investment purposes so take any optimism here with some bias), they do the option of swap stations. Basically these are units that take up the size of two parking bays and automatically change the battery in the car within about 3 minutes. This has proved successful in China, but largely because they put some decent infrastructure in place in the areas which would demand it. Over here, we are already a couple of years behind at least.

Next, cost. Battery as a service (BaaS) is a concept Nio took on which is where you choose to buy the car only, or the car and battery with the latter costing 10k ish more (not entirely sure on the pricing here as it depends on a few factors). If just the car is bought, the battery can be leased via a monthly fee, where you can chop and change monthly on ehat battery capacity you need depending on your desired mileage.

There are pros and cons to these methods, but IMO the ideal scenario is that cars of a similar size by different manufacturers have a universal battery format so swap stations can be widely used. It also takes out the issue where batteries degrade a lot quicker than the car itself, so you aren't scrapping electric cars in good nick just because the battery replacement costs would be so high.

The downside to this at the moment is that Nio patented the mechanics around the battery swapping, but have franchised the tech out to their rival Xpeng on one of their models. This could expand (Nio have entered the Norwegian market with Germany due next later in the year or early next year) so other manufacturers can use swap stations.
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Re: Need a new car

Post by -DL- »

****ing hell. I've just done an insurance quote with my current insurer to see what extra it would be to insure a base spec Skoda Enyaq SUV - a similar sized car to what we have now. It's an extra 21 quid a month. I'm currently paying 23 a month, so almost double. 15k miles per annum PCP is knocking on for 600 a month. I'm not even paying 200 quid a month for mine - and when my range drops to 50 miles, it takes a couple of minutes before I have 650-700 miles again.

Sod that for a game of soldiers.

Tell me how these things save you money? :grin:
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Re: Need a new car

Post by dasnutnock3 »

-DL- wrote: Mon Jul 25, 2022 11:36 am but by the same token, they may have him by the b*llocks - because if he goes elsewhere, then his PX may well only be valued by the next dealer at the 3k less than 8 months ago.
Yup, by any measure, a revolting tactic by his dealer. I think he'll go to the ombudsman, and will probably win, but he's at least in a position to be fairly picky (doesn't use the motor very much, hence why he's going electric). It's those of us who don't have a choice that I feel for.
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