The Final Year

[waue1978]

Dropped the car off yesterday for the MOT & service today. Got the phone call at 10:30 this morning to tell me that it needed rear drop links, 1 tyre (cord showing, but still plenty of tread so will have to look at that one) & that the parking brake was inadequate. She said the parking brake will probably just need adjusting, but all in the bill still comes to £335 - MOT & service deal is £120. Admittedly, none of it means that the car is on its last legs, but it does mean that after 26 months of ownership & 3 MOTs I haven't had a "free MOT" yet out of it. With all the money I've spent in maintenance since I bought it, I don't think I'm too out of order in wishing that I could just get a break 1 year. Since I bought it in January 2010 I've spent:
1st MOT & service, new centre exhaust - £200
Cambelt, aux belt, bottom pulley & water pump - £450
2nd MOT & service, new rear caliper, new rear pads - £300
New air conditioning condensor - £350
New driveshaft - £100
3rd MOT & service, new droplinks, new tyre & handbrake adjustment - £335

All that comes to £1775. Even if I take off the £360 for the MOT & service deal each year I've spent over £1400 maintaining it. I don't absolutely hate the car - the 2 years I've owned it is a record compared to the previous best of 1 year - but I think we all get to a point where you just want something else.

Meanwhile the 1.8 Mondeo & 523i we gave Mum & Dad have been spectacularly reliable. Although the Mondeo is newer (55 plate) it has covered 115k & all it has needed is rear brake discs & pads. The BMW is the same age as the Pug with 100k & has only needed a final stage resistor (when knackered it keeps the climate control running after the car is switched off, draining the battery) which cost £75 from main dealer, but was a DIY job, & a new battery which my father suspects wasn't actually needed as the old one seems to be charging up ok. The only black mark against it at the moment is that the airbag light is on, but we have that pegged as a loose connection as it only came on when I moved the seat to drive it home from Bagshot & now & again goes out for a short while.

I've worked out the fuel costs based on the BMW averaging 20mpg & the 406 doing 35 - most of my trips are cold starts & short journeys - & i'm currently £400 up over the 2 years. Depreciation is currently nil as sub 100k HDi estates are still advertised at more than I paid for mine. I got offered £1000 by a forecourt dealer against a £1800 C5 last year & we all know how little dealers pay for things. But as soon as the odometer hits 100k that little cherry is gone for me as the phenomenon is that once a diesel estate has actually passed that 100k mark, its (admittedly inflated) value plummets by comparison. On top of that is the fact that I can't add cruise control or any other bits due to the lack of prewiring in my car. I'm also a little miffed at myself for running around in what is apparently an unroadworthy car every year for God knows how long with my little boy in it. If I could do more of the work myself, the 406 would probably save me a fortune, but the simple fact is that even if I could, I don't have the time or a place that I can do these things. The interior swap & stereo fitting is about the limit of my fettling capabilities.

I probably won't be doing anything too drastic yet like part exchanging so soon after paying £350 on it, but I may stick it on Ebay to see what it goes for within the next few weeks & if I can get a decent price it may go sooner rather than later as tax is a couple of months away. Whatever I can achieve over £1000 will go towards the unavoidable costs of changing that I'll incur such as the private plate transfer, insurance & getting the windows done again before the Summer - automatic £450 before I've even worked out what I'm paying for a car.

At the moment the call of the Beemer is getting rather loud, but there are a few sacrifices in getting one. Most of the 5 series saloons don't have folding rear seats which further limits the load carrying ability compared to the 406, on top of that fuel penalty. On the other hand though, an automatic (which is what I'd get if I go down the BMW route) would be much nicer when sitting in the school run queues. I also still love the idea of a 2.2 HDI in either a C5, 607 or another 406 estate, but the 406s are like rocking horse poo now, 607s I have on good authority are either really good or really bad (& I'm just not that lucky) & a C5 (as much as I like them) will have a value that plummets further than a Granny's breasts. Added to that the 2.2 engine is even more complicated than my 2.0 110.

A little torn on what I'll get next really, but I am fairly sure that X745EBY will be back on the 406 by Christmas.

[Welly]

I get the impression you like your motors in top condition, and there's nothing wrong with that, but it's expensive.

I had to get my engine mounting fixed cos it tore through the intercooler hose, this then led to a whole new world of expense. I think the problem with mine was that although the engine pulled like a train it had been used for Caravan towing and that took its toll. I think though that some people 'put up' with stuff whereas you would get it fixed?

You could have reduced the cost of repairs if you were able to do the work yourself, much of the cost is in Labour and VAT.

If I had another 406 I'd probably spend loads on getting all the common things put right so I could enjoy driving it more.

[waue1978]

I get the impression you like your motors in top condition, and there's nothing wrong with that, but it's expensive.

That was just the necessary stuff I listed there. Most people would regard the aircon as unnecessary, but when we first got the car jack was still a toddler & it was horrible putting him in the car in the Summer when it was like a greenhouse. The air con keeps him comfortable & me happy. The cambelt was dfinitely due as I had no service records to show that it had ever been done with Peugeot's recommendation of 10 yeras or 92k.

If I added up every other expense (the wheels, interior, window tinting), I would have ended up quids in getting myself a Beemer. The only difference with those costs is that a lot of it got recouped to the tune of at least 50% by selling the parts that were removed. Closer to the time of getting rid, I may even recoup some more by offering up the interior & wheels & replacing with standard items, but to be honest, the time & hassle involved probably wouldn't pay off. I'll probably just fit the Hoggars back on & sell the Nautilus to a coupe enthusiast as 3 of them are still unmarked & the 4th only has a light scuff on the rim.

[Bailes1992]

Waue when you thinking of actually getting rid?

[waue1978]

Waue when you thinking of actually getting rid?

At the moment, the best timeframe I can give is before October & I'll make the new car my birthday present to myself, but there's a gorgeous low mileage 528i that has had the price lowered by £600 today that may force the issue a little bit sooner. There's also a really nice 2.2 C5 & an automatic 607 that I have my eye on.

I may just end up waiting until I'm 100% on what I want though, as there's this nagging feeling that after a couple of months with a Beemer I'll miss having folding rear seats, a large boot & rare visits to the petrol station.

Do you know somebody that's looking then Sam? It's a fair old drive down here from South Wales.

[Bailes1992]

Do you know somebody that's looking then Sam? It's a fair old drive down here from South Wales.

I would love your estate. It was absolutley mint when I saw it last time and in the best colour.

I could afford it but I like havign a little money in the bank like I do now, and I'd have the trouble of getting rid of my 90 which at the moment, I'm happy with.

Also seems very much the case with 406's that the tatty looking ones go on forever and the mint ones have problems.
My first 406 was mint apart from abit of welding on the sill and the suspension was shot.
My current 406 is a wreck bodywork wise and all it needs it track rod ends and wheel alignment

[waue1978]

Mine is probably ok mechanically now its had a bloody fortune spent on it, but the cambelt will be due again in 2015. Although it isn't "clean" at the moment (haven't washed it for a while) the body & interior condition is actually much better now as all the little dents are now gone & the SRi interior did away with the nasty extra wiring that was necessitated by the electric SE seats.

Will probably hang on for a while yet anyway as the BMW sounds nice in theory, but the harsh reality is that I'd probably want to change again soon after - I may be able to get away with a saloon, but I at least need folding rear seats in case I have to take the dogs to the vets or grooming parlour & whilst the fuel cost may be offset by the savings in maintenance over the long term, short term I'd be pi**ed off with it costing more each week. There's also nothing to say that I wouldn't get caught a*sehole open & end up buying a Beemer that needed a fortune spending on it!

The other alternatives that I'd been considering are also a bit questionable as I was chatting to the head mechanic when I picked the car up. When I mentioned C5s he pushed open the door to the workshop to reveal the 55 plate C5 that they were working on. One faulty shock absorber was costing the owner nearly £300 (think that was just the part cost as he wasn't too clear & not sure if he meant a pair) with the added cost of the hydraulic fluid & possible bleeding - might give that one a miss then. I was under the impression that the hydraulic suspension components were actually cheaper than normal, but apparently not. The ex-Peugeot mechanic gave me a couple of hints regarding 607s the other day too. Told me that if you get a good one, they don't give much bother at all & can be an absolute joy to own. The flip side was though, that there weren't many like that. During his time at the dealership he said he kept seeing the same ones back time & time again with various unconnected faults.

Maybe I'll get lucky & a nice 2.2 406 estate will turn up not too far away in the next few months. Failing that, I'm really not too sure where to go from here. Gone off the idea of a Zafira now as the good ones are still expensive & you don't find many with cruise & climate control.

[Bailes1992]

Why don't you maybe spend a little on your current 406?
Better the devil you know than the devil you don't afterall.

Maybe lower it 35mm with a front strut brace.
Remap it to ~135-140bhp.
Maybe get a nice backbox fitted with a nice tailpipe etc etc.

Just smarten it up a little?

[waue1978]

I still wouldn't have the cruise control though & it's still going to bust that 100k mark soon after Christmas.

However, the remap I'd consider, but I'm reluctant to pay out another £200 when I'm looking to replace within 8 months. There isn't anybody nearby with a Galletto that could do the honours for a few quid & the general consensus seems to be that the "free remap" file for the 110s causes a bit of vibration under heavy throttle loads anyway.

As far as lowering goes, the speed bumps round here are bad enough with normal suspension - would absolutely kill the car if it was lowered.

[grasmere59]

[quote="waue1978"]I still wouldn't have the cruise control though & it's still going to bust that 100k mark soon after Christmas

Both my cars have cruise and to be honest i hardly ever use it on either as the roads seem far to crowded nowadays ,if i were buying another car it wouldn't be top of my priorities also i can get better mpg using my right foot than the cruise can ever do.

[rwb]

I get the impression you like your motors in top condition, and there's nothing wrong with that, but it's expensive.

^ ^ This
I've been driving round with a cracked bumper held together with cable ties and glue for a year (everyone was polite enough not to draw too much attention to in Gaydon last year). I managed to find a scrapper in the right colour that I could get to, but I knew that I was doing it for my vanity and not to add any value to the car -- which I consider to be worthless anyway.

You're servicing is a lot cheaper than mine
But I'm dividing the cost over 6 years of ownership

[OdinEidolon]

Waue, also consider the fact that with you doing mostly short journeys (why you need cc then?) a diesel isn't ideal, I'm afraid to say.
Why don't just get the cheapest old (thus immortal) petrol car you can find and keep both? The estate for long journeys and dogs and things to carry and the (small) petrol to go get the kids?
I spend my whole early life in a 106 and really, a kid doesn't give a damn on legroom!

[sirwiggum]

Dunno about the C5, but with the Xantia spheres were £20 a corner, changable in 2 minutes with an oil filter wrench, and the LHM hydraulic fluid bled itself as it had a pump.

My 406 was a bit of a dog in fairness, rusting bodywork and the engine mounts shot. But I suppose it never failed to start and never left me stranded, even on a big road trip to Englandshire.

Got the Honda, costs a lot more in fuel (20mpg) but it hasn't needed much work.
I think one of the rear calipers are sticking, but every car is going to have wee jobs needing done.

[waue1978]

Waue, also consider the fact that with you doing mostly short journeys (why you need cc then?) a diesel isn't ideal, I'm afraid to say.
Why don't just get the cheapest old (thus immortal) petrol car you can find and keep both? The estate for long journeys and dogs and things to carry and the (small) petrol to go get the kids?
I spend my whole early life in a 106 and really, a kid doesn't give a damn on legroom!

The cruise control is a blessing on the odd occasion that I do a long journey as my leg gets sore if it's holding the pedal in situ for too long.

A lot of people say that a diesel isn't worthwhile doing short journeys, but the figures speak for themselves. I did a lot of calculation with this when weighing up whether to follow the 5 series route. As a comparison against my father's car (using actual achieved fuel consumption figures & not manufacturers quotes):

My car had 78k when I bought it a little over 2 years ago & is now on 92k which means I cover 7k a year. 406 averages 35mpg on weeks where no long trips are made. Our cheapest local diesel (according to www.petrolprices.com) is 143.9p which equates to £6.54 per gallon (using 4.546 to convert)

7000 / 35 = 200 gallons a year x £6.54 = annual fuel cost of £1308

Dad's 523i averages 20mpg on petrol which is 136.9p at our cheapest station - £6.22 per gallon.

7000 / 20 = 350 gallons x £6.22 = £2177 per year on petrol

Mum's 1.8 Mondeo averaged 25mpg round town when we had it.

7000 / 25 = 280 gallons x £6.22 = £1741.60

This equates to a saving of £433.60 a year over Mum's Mondeo which would be the most economical petrol car that we'd be able to live with due to size requirements. Although our fuel savings over the 2 years have been wiped out, there's always the chance that we could have incurred similar maintenance costs with the Mondeo had we kept it.

As far as running 2 cars goes, that is a big no-no. Even with multi-car insurance, the cost is an extra £500 per year, then another £200 a year on road tax, another £100 per year minimum on MOT & maintenance & that is before you take into account the cost of buying another car.

Jack may not be too worried about legroom, but he's the most important thing in my life so I am. I'd rather spend a little extra knowing that he's got that little bit more room around him if the worst happens.

[OdinEidolon]

Waue, also consider the fact that with you doing mostly short journeys (why you need cc then?) a diesel isn't ideal, I'm afraid to say.
Why don't just get the cheapest old (thus immortal) petrol car you can find and keep both? The estate for long journeys and dogs and things to carry and the (small) petrol to go get the kids?
I spend my whole early life in a 106 and really, a kid doesn't give a damn on legroom!

The cruise control is a blessing on the odd occasion that I do a long journey as my leg gets sore if it's holding the pedal in situ for too long.

A lot of people say that a diesel isn't worthwhile doing short journeys, but the figures speak for themselves. I did a lot of calculation with this when weighing up whether to follow the 5 series route. As a comparison against my father's car (using actual achieved fuel consumption figures & not manufacturers quotes):

My car had 78k when I bought it a little over 2 years ago & is now on 92k which means I cover 7k a year. 406 averages 35mpg on weeks where no long trips are made. Our cheapest local diesel (according to http://www.petrolprices.com) is 143.9p which equates to £6.54 per gallon (using 4.546 to convert)

7000 / 35 = 200 gallons a year x £6.54 = annual fuel cost of £1308

Dad's 523i averages 20mpg on petrol which is 136.9p at our cheapest station - £6.22 per gallon.

7000 / 20 = 350 gallons x £6.22 = £2177 per year on petrol

Mum's 1.8 Mondeo averaged 25mpg round town when we had it.

7000 / 25 = 280 gallons x £6.22 = £1741.60

This equates to a saving of £433.60 a year over Mum's Mondeo which would be the most economical petrol car that we'd be able to live with due to size requirements. Although our fuel savings over the 2 years have been wiped out, there's always the chance that we could have incurred similar maintenance costs with the Mondeo had we kept it.

As far as running 2 cars goes, that is a big no-no. Even with multi-car insurance, the cost is an extra £500 per year, then another £200 a year on road tax, another £100 per year minimum on MOT & maintenance & that is before you take into account the cost of buying another car.

But you have to take into account that a diesel car suffers much more from short journeys than a petrol one, thus it will probably lead to higher maintenance costs.

Jack may not be too worried about legroom, but he's the most important thing in my life so I am. I'd rather spend a little extra knowing that he's got that little bit more room around him if the worst happens.

This is beautifil, but then you should be looking for something more secure than a 406 for sure. The 406 only has a 3 star NCAP rating with the old system, which may as well be 2 stars by now. I know the NCAP rating isn't everything but as far as safety is concerned the 406 wasn't the top then and isn't today. The roof and the sides are made of too thin a steel to support heavy crashes. If you have a look at 406 vs 407 NCAP tests you'll see how the roof collapses on the 406 compared to the 407, for example. An old 5 series and a 607 are probably better but not by far.

EDIT: re-reading what I wrote I do not know if I'm sounding rude or something, if so I'm sorry, I'm only trying to help you to make the wisest decision (which I fear is not a 406 )