Time to change the Mondeo?

[Bailes1992]

I own the Mondeo outright and has a p/x value of about £4000.
It needs new wishbones, new trailing arm bushes, new turbo actuator and it has a rattle behind the dashboard that nobody can trace!

That said I love the car and it still drives like new.

Now I'm considering a change.

Options?
2010 BMW 118d SE with 54k on the clock in dark blue with full black leather and loads of options. It works out about £204/m for 3 years.

Or

2011 BMW 318d Executive Edition with 86k on the clock in black with cream leather, again it has loads of options ticked. That works out £170/m for 3 years.

What ever I choose will have an extended warranty.

But unsure weather to change or not?

Bailes.

[Welly]

Wishbones and bushings for Fords are cheap (I know this ) and the rattle will probably go away.

You've spent a lot of time and effort getting the Mondy right it seems a shame not to benefit from the use out of it. I've had my car for 5 years which is unheard of in Welly circles but I like the thing and find it hard to think of a replacement.

I only do about 8K per year so I guess in your situation you need to think ahead and if you want a new car then go for it, also I suppose if you're racking up over 30K per year then the Mondy won't last forever (you'd get the best money for it now).

What a lot of people do is keep financing cars every 3 years and eventually build a fund in the value of your trade-ins.......eventually you'll be buying £25K cars with reasonable finance. Trouble with finance for me is it that it's always very nice when it's paid off and a constant drag when its not.

[Captain Jack]

I only bought one car on finance and that was the God-awful Honda Accord. When it broke beyond economical repair, GAP insurance screwed me over (what a waste of time and money they are) and I was left with enough money to buy my last 406.

Since then I vowed never to buy cars on finance, though I do see the attraction in doing so, especially if you intend on doing astronomical mileages and require frequent car changes.

I'd say.... do it. I think you had some real good value out of your Mondigo, though you haven't had it for very long. It's now at a mileage where things will start going wrong simply from wear and tear and even if you do keep it, there will be a nagging voice in the back of your head to get rid of it. That's what happened to my 406... the voice in my head finally won after about a year and half!

That said, £200 is a lot of monies per month - perhaps better spent towards house/wedding (it will happen one day)?

I am saving every (well, most!) penny I have towards the wedding and a house - both for next year. Other "hobbies" have to be moved to a back burner.

[Bailes1992]

OEM spec front wishbones are about £100 a side.
Trailing arm bushes aren't available from Ford and the entire trailing arms are £200 a side. Lemforder do the bushes £80 a pair.
The turbo actuator isn't available new but second hand units go for about £100.
I've had the rattle since summer last year. 4 mechanics including ford have failed to find its origin.

I'm leaning towards a new car, just not sure I want the finance.
The way I organise my pay I wouldn't notice it missing anyway!

But I do love my Mondeo!
Plus it's got its MOT Saturday so need to make my mind up!

[Bailes1992]

http://www.carshop.co.uk/used-car/BMW/1+SERIES/KW59RUC

http://www.carshop.co.uk/used-car/BMW/3+SERIES/DG11SLV

They are the two cars!

[Captain Jack]

Why a BMW? That's a lot of money for such high mileage. And 1-series are hateful cars in my eyes....

Why not a new Mondeo?!

[steve_earwig]

I suspect you'd be down-sizing on both of those. Just looking at Honest John Well, when did he get anything right, eh?

What does your other half say? Did you ask her yet?

[Welly]

OEM spec front wishbones are about £100 a side.
Trailing arm bushes aren't available from Ford and the entire trailing arms are £200 a side. Lemforder do the bushes £80 a pair.
The turbo actuator isn't available new but second hand units go for about £100.
I've had the rattle since summer last year. 4 mechanics including ford have failed to find its origin.

Sounds like you've convinced yourself it's time to change anyway.

I think you should look at an Audi A3 sportback with 4WD I think the A3 is one of the few cars you can be judged by. Similarly a Golf GTD would probably suit.

Why don't you look at leasing options too?

Those 1-series' are starting to fall into the hands of dodgy types as they get older and the 3-series will just blend in with a sea of other BMW repmobiles. Not forgetting that when it snows you'll have to take the bus..........

[PeterN]

I would get a 406 2.0. Hdi, cheap to buy, cheap to repair and cheap to run. The money you save buying it would probably pay for repairs for the next 10 years.

Peter

[Bailes1992]

I fancy a BMW cause I like the way they drive. I generally find VAG cars overpriced and generally rather dull.

I wouldn't mind a lease car except I never know how many miles I'm going to do. If you go over your threshold then they charge you an arm and a leg!

I have thought about getting an older car but I could do 50k+ in the next 12 months. Then again I could just do 20k, who knows?

I would prefer the 3 to the 1 series. My missus wants me to get a Focus so the 1 series is a compromise.

[Welly]

Have you ever thought of running a mid-90's Merc (them's what run run on veg oil if desired) but just using it to rack up the miles for work (presume they pay you something towards travel) and then you could keep the paid-for mondy for special duties at the weekends.

I know one or two couples that run a shitter to do all the Donkey work but then have something rather tidy for the nicer driving.

I bet you'd be able to run a mid-90's Merc on a shoe string and still put 80,000 miles on it.

[Bailes1992]

I don't really have room for 3 cars and not could I justify keeping a diesel Mondeo for the weekends! A V6 Alfa? Yes I could justify.

I really don't know what to do?
I'd like the peace of mind of a newer car in warranty but I love my Mondeo to bits! It's the first car I've ever had I can jump into and go anywhere without worry that it's going to fail.

[trufflehunt]

If I was going to pile up the miles, I'd buy something bulletproof. If no diesel available,
I'd put LPG in it.

Mid-90's Mercs.., that's right in the middle of when their build quality took a nose-dive..?
BM's.. I've owned 2 , admittedly long ago, but one was brand new, and the other 2 years old.
Fast, rather Teutonically soulless, and not up to the quality image that BMW tried to portray.

Lots of miles.... some kind of Subaru..., a Lexus IS200..... ?

[OllieNZ]

Lexus Ls400 with lpg conversion... my neighbour when I lived in the states had one with over 300k on it and his mechanic's wife had one with over 500k and the only thing that went wrong was the aircon compressor after 160k other than that just routine services

[Welly]

Mid-90's Mercs.., that's right in the middle of when their build quality took a nose-dive..?

I think Mercs were overly engineered up until about 1997-ish when rust and electrical problems were to follow. I believe something like an 'L' or 'M' reg (1993/4) are spot on.

Bailes; also consider the use the new car will have....you probably park in those temporary construction site (contractors parking) areas and the other hairy-arsed mouth breathers in their Vans are not exactly sympathetic when squeezing into the space next to your motor.