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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2018 19:24:50 GMT
Yet again in Autocar letters, someone is crying over loss. this latest is someone who found an Audi seat gave him numb legs after a short time at the wheel. Did he not test drive the car? I thought everyone knew that knew cars sold after a month would be the equivalent of having your underpants pulled over your head. Twice now, people with reasonable jobs and finances have demonstrated their surprise surprise surprise, they have been Cilla'd alright.
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Post by grampa on Mar 29, 2018 10:01:06 GMT
Autocar has had a couple of letters in recent weeks with people moaning about massive depreciation when trading in a brand new car in less than a couple of months!
I don't know what they expected - but why would you not check out a car very thoroughly with an extended test drive, especially a £50k + one first if you had any doubts about it (the buyer of an Audi complained about the driver's seat - it would have been a lot cheaper to replace the front seats) - I've never been anything less than delighted with a new car and the shortest I ever owned a car was 9 months and that was only because I was given a company car.
I'm guessing if you're prepared to shed over £7000 a month in depreciation you have enough money that it doesn't really matter?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2018 10:43:20 GMT
Or you are a 'renter', not a buyer?
I suspect that these people don't do test drives...
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Post by grampa on Mar 29, 2018 12:17:34 GMT
Well they claimed to have bought them - it would have been cheaper to rent them! - you must have a crazy amount of money to buy a £50k car and be so blasé about it that you don't even take it for a test drive - tending to buy new cars very soon after the launch, I've sometimes found it difficult to get a test drive, but I would still never buy until I have driven an example.
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Post by Martin on Mar 29, 2018 12:32:56 GMT
I was talking to a colleague last week who’d just taken delivery of a 420d Xdrive M Sport Gran Coupe with M Sport plus pack (couldn’t resist typing the rediculously long name!) and he’d not even been to the garage, let alone taken a test drive. It wasn’t because he particularly wanted a BMW either. He looked down the car list and chose something he recognised. Unbelievable, but true and luckily he’s happy with it because he does 35,000 miles a year. Numpty.
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Post by Roadsterstu on Apr 3, 2018 9:21:16 GMT
I was talking to a colleague last week who’d just taken delivery of a 420d Xdrive M Sport Gran Coupe with M Sport plus pack (couldn’t resist typing the rediculously long name!) and he’d not even been to the garage, let alone taken a test drive. It wasn’t because he particularly wanted a BMW either. He looked down the car list and chose something he recognised. Unbelievable, but true and luckily he’s happy with it because he does 35,000 miles a year. Numpty. I just cannot understand this approach. It is beyond weird! |
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Post by Ben on Apr 3, 2018 11:07:37 GMT
I know a shocking number of people who buy cars without test drives, an idea that is completely alien to me, especially when cars cost they way they do in Singapore.
Most of these folks subscribe to the notion "all cars are the same" and are generally unfussy. Whatever floats your boat then. Your money not mine.
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Post by Tim on Apr 3, 2018 11:58:21 GMT
I'm surprised at the piss poor test drives sometimes offered for expensive cars.
When we test drove the Mustang we were genuinely potential buyers, we turned up in the Nissan for example, yet the test drive was about 6 miles, shared between us and the guy told us he wasn't allowed to press the Sport button!
There's no way I would spend that amount of money after such limited experience.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2018 12:27:15 GMT
I had the best part of an hour in the RS4. They had to source it specially from another dealer, meaning that everyone who bought one from my local dealer before me did so without driving...
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Apr 3, 2018 12:41:38 GMT
Let's face it; if you were going to pick any car without test driving it you're not going to be disappointed with a 3/4 series. BMW has been refining it for decades so it's the car most people want to drive and most manufacturers try to copy; witness the Audi A4, Merc C class and Alfa Guilia are 3 series clones and everything is benchmarked against it.
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Post by Alex on Apr 3, 2018 20:46:16 GMT
I’ve rarely been able to test drive my cars as most dealers are not bothered with company car drivers as it’s not them getting the sale! Our company also have a habit of hanging on TIL the last minute to confirm that you can order a new car and then expect you to make a decision in a day or two. Luckily I’ve been happy enough with the Megane, Insignia and Golf that it’s not been a problem.
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Post by Roadsterstu on Apr 4, 2018 7:10:10 GMT
Let's face it; if you were going to pick any car without test driving it you're not going to be disappointed with a 3/4 series. BMW has been refining it for decades so it's the car most people want to drive and most manufacturers try to copy; witness the Audi A4, Merc C class and Alfa Guilia are 3 series clones and everything is benchmarked against it. Were you wearing your "I love my BMW" T shirt as you wrote that? |
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Apr 4, 2018 7:23:37 GMT
Let's face it; if you were going to pick any car without test driving it you're not going to be disappointed with a 3/4 series. BMW has been refining it for decades so it's the car most people want to drive and most manufacturers try to copy; witness the Audi A4, Merc C class and Alfa Guilia are 3 series clones and everything is benchmarked against it. Were you wearing your "I love my BMW" T shirt as you wrote that? Sorry? I'm normally accused of a love for all things Lexus (who also benchmarked their IS against the 3 Series). What did I say that wasn't true? Sure you haven't got them Volvo moonboots on?  |
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Post by PetrolEd on Apr 4, 2018 7:52:28 GMT
The wife has a 3 series and if that's the best that's going it doesn't say much for the rest of the competition.
Truth is it rides fucking terribly that a decent set of dampers and ditching run flats would probably make a world of difference. The manual gearbox is rubbery, the clutch over springy, the seats over stuffed, you sit too high, the sat nav ain't all that.
When you drive it like you stole it its very nice and that's why the journos get all excited by it but in truth as a family bus its very rarely given a spanking. My old C-class wafted by comparison where this thing crashes. I would like to try a 340i to see what changes they've made as our 320d is also held back by the terrible engine in the front. Still it looks very nice in touring M sport spec.
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Post by Tim on Apr 4, 2018 9:35:00 GMT
The wife has a 3 series and if that's the best that's going it doesn't say much for the rest of the competition. Truth is it rides fucking terribly that a decent set of dampers and ditching run flats would probably make a world of difference. The manual gearbox is rubbery, the clutch over springy, the seats over stuffed, you sit too high, the sat nav ain't all that. When you drive it like you stole it its very nice and that's why the journos get all excited by it but in truth as a family bus its very rarely given a spanking. My old C-class wafted by comparison where this thing crashes. I would like to try a 340i to see what changes they've made as our 320d is also held back by the terrible engine in the front. Still it looks very nice in touring M sport spec.
I agree with a lot of that. We've got a 320d M Sport with the hard suspension that entails plus the optional 19 inch wheels that look great but clearly do sod all for the ride. At present the Nissan - a sporty 370Z, remember - has better ride comfort and sharp bump absorption than the 320! The Alfa GT that my B-I-L bought has significantly better performance from its 1.9 diesel, no doubt helped by being significantly lighter.
However, having been in a fairly boggo spec Merc C Class I'd much rather be in the BMW. The Merc's seats were atrocious, even over a short journey, and the quality of the interior wasn't up to much either. My 320 has a nice gearchange and although the clutch is light it's pleasant enough and the seats are really very good (especially compared with the Merc). I don't like the feel free steering in the BMW though. It's not been much fun having to guess while driving in snow/ice.
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Post by grampa on Apr 4, 2018 9:54:34 GMT
It's a long time since I've driven 3 series - probably 14 years (I used to get them as courtesy cars when the first Mini was in for a service - ironically, they gave Mini courtesy cars to BMW 3 series owners, but eventually I asked them for Mini courtesy cars), but with the models from that generation I was always disappointed - perhaps I was expecting too much from the press hype - the only time I considered buying one was a 318is coupe many many years ago - and very glad I test drove it - I much preferred the Calibra which I bought instead.
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Post by Martin on Apr 4, 2018 9:56:53 GMT
I’ve driven a few 3 Series and have made similar comments, but I think it’s made worse by expectations being so high thanks to the mags. However, I’ve not driven the latest A4, but I have driven the previous one and the current C Class and the 3 Series was the best of the bunch and it’s definately better with a 6 cylinder engine.
The relatively small increase in cost in moving up a size is well worth it imho.
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Post by alf on Apr 4, 2018 9:59:24 GMT
Having seen the state Mrs ALF was in a decade or so ago (regulars may recall my struggles to move away from the mk1 Focus she had at the time) I suspect a lot of these people have mental issues - as many of us do. I started to realise that the severe back ache she got after minutes in a new car could only be psychologically induced, it was part of a bigger anxiety-led aversion to change. If you think your new car might give you back ache, and are a sufferer, then it probably will. And if you are a glass half empty, change-averse person, you'll probably see all sorts of other negatives as well.
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Post by Big Blue on Apr 4, 2018 10:03:56 GMT
W2.0 has an E46 on 16" wheels in SE spec with a 2.5l straight six. It's like riding around on a lounge sofa but when you decide to point it at that square inch over there it goes to that square inch over there. It's 19 years old this year and there probably hasn't been a better 3 series since. The problem is everyone specs M-Sport this, that and the other and then complains that for everyday use the car is too crashy over bumps and only feels great when hooning it down b-roads.....
As to manual boxes and clutches: it's 2018. Stop specifying them for the everyday car. What next? Hand operated speed regulators and drum brakes? (maybe we can call that RoadRunner spec?).
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Apr 4, 2018 10:18:08 GMT
As to manual boxes and clutches: it's 2018. Stop specifying them for the everyday car. What next? Hand operated speed regulators and drum brakes? (maybe we can call that RoadRunner spec?) ^ This. |
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Post by Tim on Apr 4, 2018 10:25:33 GMT
As to manual boxes and clutches: it's 2018. Stop specifying them for the everyday car. What next? Hand operated speed regulators and drum brakes? (maybe we can call that RoadRunner spec?) ^ This. Sometimes the only exercise I get is driving a car with a manual gearbox  |
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Post by PetrolEd on Apr 4, 2018 10:42:42 GMT
Autos don't work in small engine diesels. I did test drive an Auto and it has that horrible all or nothing acceleration that tries to kill you ever time you exit a junction. The fact my Cayman also has a better ride quality just isn't good enough and that's riding on 20" wheels so BMW should be able to tune a car that's the sporting trim level in the range.
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Post by Martin on Apr 4, 2018 10:51:31 GMT
As to manual boxes and clutches: it's 2018. Stop specifying them for the everyday car. What next? Hand operated speed regulators and drum brakes? (maybe we can call that RoadRunner spec?) ^ This. Totally agree! The manual gearbox in the Boxster is fantastic, it’s a real pleasure to use, but auto every time for the main car. I won’t say everyday car, as the Boxster is used pretty much every day and covers more miles than some peoples main car. |
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Post by Ben on Apr 4, 2018 12:04:56 GMT
The point of the test drive is to see whether the car is suitable for you.
Are you (and your family) comfortable with the seats? And the ride? Is there good enough visibility on the road? Is the engine to your liking (character, gearbox shifting points, adequate torque and power)? Can you operate all the controls well enough while driving?
All of these are best discovered on a test drive and not just with a cursory glance in the showroom, IMO.
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Post by PetrolEd on Apr 4, 2018 13:00:51 GMT
You can't really discover how a car fits into your life on a 30 minute drive as you get sucked into that new car buying experience so its very hard to be subjective. Plus I 'm one of those fussy buggers that finds fault in most cars therefore buying a family wagon I struggle. Plus there is budget constraints and compromise which I don't have when choosing my car
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Post by Big Blue on Apr 4, 2018 13:38:09 GMT
I won’t say everyday car, as the Boxster is used pretty much every day and covers more miles than some peoples main car. Just MoT'd the Gorilla. A huge 4,450 miles last year, an increase of 1,009 miles on the previous year. I do around 6,000 miles a year on the R1 so I'm guessing that's my everyday vehicle. |
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Post by Martin on Apr 4, 2018 15:36:27 GMT
I won’t say everyday car, as the Boxster is used pretty much every day and covers more miles than some peoples main car. Just MoT'd the Gorilla. A huge 4,450 miles last year, an increase of 1,009 miles on the previous year. I do around 6,000 miles a year on the R1 so I'm guessing that's my everyday vehicle. Nothing a decent European road trip wouldn’t put right! The Boxster has done 8,300 in the last 13 months, lower than previous years due to a change of work location. The BMW has done 30,600 in the last 12 months (now on just over 93,000 miles). |
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Post by Martin on Apr 4, 2018 15:44:14 GMT
Plus there is budget constraints and compromise which I don't have when choosing my car Oh not to have a budget constraint! With a 16 year old son that has now overtaken me in height (I’m 6’2 and a bit...) and a 12 year old catching up fast, rear legroom is the biggest constraint when choosing a main / family car. Closely followed by the desire to maintain the current holiday budget! |
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Post by PG on Apr 4, 2018 15:49:22 GMT
As to manual boxes and clutches: it's 2018. Stop specifying them for the everyday car. What next? Hand operated speed regulators and drum brakes? (maybe we can call that RoadRunner spec?) ^ This. ^ This too. And every time the magazines test and rave about a "city" car and it has a manual box I just think WTF? |
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Post by Tim on Apr 4, 2018 15:57:46 GMT
Yes, except city cars usually have the easiest manual changes, presumably due to them not needing to cope with much power and weight?
In addition if you spec, say, a £30k 3 series with an auto you have to pay an extra £1,600+
That's not going to go down very well on a £10k supermini.
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