Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Car Shopping  (Read 9913 times)

pgkevet

  • Joined Jul 2011
Car Shopping
« on: September 05, 2015, 06:58:56 pm »
I used to go car shopping every few years and could never find anything as comfortable as my ageing 200sx or at least at a price I was prepared to pay (which was far less tha i could afford 'cos I just don;t think it's worth paying that much).
Now my poor car has had a serious to terminal problem with a sudden big end knock and I;m having to take car shopping seriously. We do have a 4x4 as well - but in the sticks ya needs a spare. And when you're my size finding a comfortable car is difficult.
I want something with a bit of guts, automatic and above all comfortable and that in my eyes doesn't look fugly.

Past experience with car shopping went something like this:
salesman. "And your name is?"
Me  "Mr K....."
Salesman "And your christian name?"
Me "Wht do you want my christain name?"
Salesman "So I know what to call you"
Me "I. the customer.. You call me Sir"
Salsman "And how much did Sir want to spend?"
Me "Sir doesn't want to spend anything . Sir needs a new car he fits in  so what you got?"

How things have changed! Or perhaps it's just that Shrewsbury car shopping is a different world to London. they all press cups of decent coffe on you..and in the case of Toyota even insist on a take away cup so you can join the ranks of people i hate and sip it while shopping in Lidl's next door afterwards..

So the shoppng so far. BMW 4 series... not a hope of getting in one. 5 Series.. well yes, I do fit at a pinch but that stupid armrest ..Grr. The 6 series starts to be comfortable apart from the armrest.. but I want a light sporty car..
Mercedes.. well lost more comfortable and i do admit i like the CLS coupe and even though they'll come down to a tad under £40K I justwouldnlt pay that for a car..but you can get a 2yr old low mileage one for £22K 'ish.. which rather shows what a heck of a drop it is.
Toyota was a suprise. I can actually get in any of them .. even the baked bean can and plastic thing they try to call a car at the bottom of their range. I even drove a prius today and it's actually quite nice..lacks a little poke at the off but crusies well. trouble is no telescopic steering adjust and my arms aren't as long as my legs..Sadly they didn't have a GT86 to play with.
Nissan. Now my 200sx is lovely..it fits, it.s comfy, it's an old friend, I've had it 21 years and I'm still trying to figure how to get it fixed but I thought I'd go see what they have now. I tried the 350Z a while back and couldn't get in so went to try the current 370Z. Bargain of the century..they had a secondhand one with only 200miles on the clock and in a colour I like. And ya knows there's no shortage of poke and go and i could even live with a stick shift. But I can't get in!!! No way do i fit. Well I can get my legs in but my head is denting the roof. Soo sad 'cos otherwise it's nice in there....

So off we went to the Subaru dealershp 'co they have the GT86 under a different name (toyota and subaru made it together). As It goes we turned up in the wrong dealership..someone selling chinese heavy cars and pickups. If you want  twin cab pickup for £15K new then well worth a look although the acceleration is about as inspiring as a dirge It is a heck of a lot of car for the money and very comfy even for me. And can tow about 5 tons. Of course in wales the back end will be a swimming pool or somewhere to farm fish...
But the dealerhsip were very nice about us getting it wrong..and insisted on fresh perked coffee..
As it happens they had a newish jaguar secondhand on their lot.. an f type. It was nice inside. I fitted too but the model they had didn't have any lumbar support and the way i had to angle seats for comfort left my back feeling strained. yeah, a cushion might do it but it just strikes me as wrong to buy a car you have to stuff with cushions to use for longer journeys. Why a  high end vehicle like that doesn't have adjustable lumbar support as standard...weird.
We found the subaru dealership..and no BRZ.. it's due next week so i can do it all again.
I'll skip fench cars..on principle ( I still blame them for the e on the end of concord and those yellow apples and strikes around calais - I do bear a good grudge). there's mazda 6's to look at, even vauxhalls 'cos I'm getting desperate...
..or i buy something just as a spare temporary in case the 4x4 goes down car and learn to take my 200sx apart and mend it.... The local garage and local engine repair companies just don't want to know or understand....or a secondhand low mileage mercedes CLS ..or the BRZ when i try it....or...

nutterly_uts

  • Joined Jul 2014
  • Jersey - for now :)
Re: Car Shopping
« Reply #1 on: September 05, 2015, 07:31:00 pm »
Its a shame you won't do French as I adore my renault

What about Skoda or Audi?

pgkevet

  • Joined Jul 2011
Re: Car Shopping
« Reply #2 on: September 05, 2015, 07:48:37 pm »
I had a renault once ....merde!
Audi is on the list although they did have a bad rep a while back on their auto boxes. previous round of car shoppng it was high on my list. My Sis has a Skoda and loves it but there's nothing in their range that does it for me..same with Ford although in practical terms the Mondeo really is a good all round car.
I'm looking for comfy, sleek and sporty albeit auto box. I don't give a poo for CD's or phone connections or even electric windows.. a handle would be fine and a satnav stuck on the windscreen....

pharnorth

  • Joined Nov 2013
  • Cambridgeshire
Re: Car Shopping
« Reply #3 on: September 05, 2015, 08:37:23 pm »
I hate spending on cars too and your story sounds like my regular run in with old lovely and reliable, but can I afford to,wait until the dreaded unreliability sets in. Anyway Audi best car I have ever driven automatic hardly feel,you are driving at all really. If it fits.....

pgkevet

  • Joined Jul 2011
Re: Car Shopping
« Reply #4 on: September 05, 2015, 08:43:47 pm »
21years before it let me down...still want to rebuild it. I'd planned on us going on to the end together...

I had a stupid discussion with a bodyshop once...
Me "how much to do a  proper respray on my car.. not just a cheapo blow over"
Him "It ain't worth it , mate"
Me "I didn't ask that. How much?"
Him "Not worth it, mate"
Me "Do you or do you not respray cars? Do you or do you not want some work?"

The problem is everyone wants the quick and easy high profit jobs... not those that take a bit longer and need skill...

clydesdaleclopper

  • Joined Aug 2009
  • Aberdeenshire
Re: Car Shopping
« Reply #5 on: September 05, 2015, 09:01:19 pm »
Not an auto but sporty and gorgeous and my tall long legged hubby fitted in just fine - a Morgan 4/4  ;D
Our holding has Anglo Nubian and British Toggenburg goats, Gotland sheep, Franconian Geese, Blue Swedish ducks, a whole load of mongrel hens and two semi-feral children.

pgkevet

  • Joined Jul 2011
Re: Car Shopping
« Reply #6 on: September 05, 2015, 09:50:12 pm »
Not an auto but sporty and gorgeous and my tall long legged hubby fitted in just fine - a Morgan 4/4  ;D

I'm a bit over 6ft 7....

nutterly_uts

  • Joined Jul 2014
  • Jersey - for now :)
Re: Car Shopping
« Reply #7 on: September 05, 2015, 10:27:50 pm »
My bro (6'5) fits in Audis :)


doganjo

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Clackmannanshire
  • Qui? Moi?
    • ABERDON GUNDOGS for work and show
    • Facebook
Re: Car Shopping
« Reply #9 on: September 05, 2015, 11:58:27 pm »
Dacia
Always have been, always will be, a WYSIWYG - black is black, white is white - no grey in my life! But I'm mellowing in my old age

pgkevet

  • Joined Jul 2011
Re: Car Shopping
« Reply #10 on: September 06, 2015, 05:51:30 am »
The s13 is still one of the more popular drifting cars...it's what gives me hope that mine will get rebuilt. The drifting guys think nothing of rebuilding these engines and sticking new ones in. It aso means that aftermarket engine parts are about.
Buying a drift car as such isn't quite the answer but one that's not totally hopped up to extremes that would destroy the rest of my auto power train might be an engine donor or more likely access to the parts to rebuild my engine. Or ideally one of those guys who thinks nothig of rebuilding and swapping engines being near enough to me to provide the practical help to do it.

Rupert the bear

  • Joined Jun 2015
Re: Car Shopping
« Reply #11 on: September 06, 2015, 10:04:15 am »
Buying a new car 1
Years ago on a Saturday afternoon we went into the local Pug dealer to look for a new car, I didn't realise there is a dress code for main dealerships for we were greeted with " the used ones are round the back" and the person swanned off..  Nevertheless we look an interest in a 206 and after a while the person appeared, possibly to shoo us off, but I wanted a test drive and after huffing about we went for a blast up the road, well about half a mile and back to the showroom .
We wanted it anyway, price , spec, etc etc. and started the purchasing process  ;D
Me " well I see it been in the showroom for a while"
Person " No new in this week"
Me " drive past every day  been here ages... "
Person " yeah maybe so "
Me "and I notice its not exactly brand new........"
Person " how so ? "
Me " built a year ago, says so on the build ticket in the boot and probably sat on an old airfield quietly rusting away..."
Long pause
Person " would you like a coffee"
Now bear in mind its the last week of the month person has now gone for the coffee I brief Mrs RTB on the next course of action. Person returns
Person " so are you interested ? "
Me " yes, seeing its already old you will take an offer, and you can deduct the alloy wheels and put on steel wheels , how does £xxxx. sound ? "
Person " Ill have to speak to the manager "
Later......
Person " yes we would accept that"
Me " ok heres my debit card, I will wait while you change the wheels over and take it with me "
I almost got a friction burn as the debit card was snatched from fingers.
Person "Um you cant take it right now , it needs to be PDI'd .."
Me "yes I understand, any thing will do for a loan car for the week end... "
Enter PIN get receipt, collect car following Monday.



Rupert the bear

  • Joined Jun 2015
Re: Car Shopping
« Reply #12 on: September 06, 2015, 10:04:29 am »
Buying a new car 2

On a Saturday afternoon Mrs RTB and I went to the Skoda dealer to look a Roomster, it was the right colour had a tow bar, air con,wheels etc etc.

Me “ we would like that one please”
Person “ ok ,finance ? “
Me “here's my debit card “
Person “ Watch my lips and look at this sign ….”
Me “ Ok then the no deposit interest free finance”
Person “ Its ready to go, just produce insurance details”

New car 3
Mrs RTB goes to rural skoda dealer in Maud to get animal feed as they are a drop off point, she
comes home with 6 month old ex demo Skoda pickup kept that until 200k + miles

Bet you cant guess the make of the nex car we buy.......

waterbuffalofarmer

  • Joined Apr 2014
  • Mid Wales
  • Owner of 61 Mediterranean water buffaloes
Re: Car Shopping
« Reply #13 on: September 06, 2015, 11:53:37 am »
For a 4x4 I always buy discoverys mark 1, I know a couple of people who repair them and rebuild them, they love anything to do with disco's or landys, thats where I origionally bought them from, plus when they get broken they mend them for me.https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cambrian-4x4-Farm/150843134974395
This is the guy. He'll sell you a 4x4 at a decent price.
the most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, loving concern.

clydesdaleclopper

  • Joined Aug 2009
  • Aberdeenshire
Re: Car Shopping
« Reply #14 on: September 06, 2015, 05:52:23 pm »
Not an auto but sporty and gorgeous and my tall long legged hubby fitted in just fine - a Morgan 4/4  ;D

I'm a bit over 6ft 7....


You could just leave the top off  ;D
Our holding has Anglo Nubian and British Toggenburg goats, Gotland sheep, Franconian Geese, Blue Swedish ducks, a whole load of mongrel hens and two semi-feral children.

 

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