Soldato
- Joined
- 12 May 2011
- Posts
- 6,306
- Location
- Southampton
My 2003 330ci is currently in the garage being repaired for a very rough idle and drive, and big loss of performance which as I thought turned out to be an air leak. I was hoping it was something fairly simple like the hose, filter or MAF, but of course it turned out to be a leaking something valve on the engine itself- a £200 part, £327 fitted with VAT. (I'm sure this is where you're all going to jump out and tell me I could have got it done for 50p at so-and-so garage somewhere, but whatever)
Anyway it's needed numerous things done to it over my two years of ownership, and has a few quirks that I manage / live with e.g. oil consumption, but with this new £300 bill I'm wondering whether I should just get something boring and reliable instead. I've always known it would be more of a liability to maintain that a newer, more reliable but boring car for the same value, but now I'm wondering if I've had enough!
The thing is with moving house, and a wedding in another country, and the car's last bill, in the past month or two I basically don't have any savings left- the replacement boring and reliable car would be worth £2,500 as that is what my BMW is worth, ish.
Would you stick with it (devil you know and all that) or would you get rid asap? Both from an economic perspective and from a "I really don't want to drive something boring" perspective, because I do still really like the car- I still look back sometimes (the coupé is a near perfect shape in my opinion!) and the idea of owning a 12 year old focus fills me with "euffgh".
Another option could be to spend only £500 on a really old focus or fiesta that I can run into the ground over a couple of years whilst saving up for something a bit more reliable but also not boring.
(as an aside I don't understand how young people can afford such nice cars, even if their leasing them!)
Anyway it's needed numerous things done to it over my two years of ownership, and has a few quirks that I manage / live with e.g. oil consumption, but with this new £300 bill I'm wondering whether I should just get something boring and reliable instead. I've always known it would be more of a liability to maintain that a newer, more reliable but boring car for the same value, but now I'm wondering if I've had enough!
The thing is with moving house, and a wedding in another country, and the car's last bill, in the past month or two I basically don't have any savings left- the replacement boring and reliable car would be worth £2,500 as that is what my BMW is worth, ish.
Would you stick with it (devil you know and all that) or would you get rid asap? Both from an economic perspective and from a "I really don't want to drive something boring" perspective, because I do still really like the car- I still look back sometimes (the coupé is a near perfect shape in my opinion!) and the idea of owning a 12 year old focus fills me with "euffgh".
Another option could be to spend only £500 on a really old focus or fiesta that I can run into the ground over a couple of years whilst saving up for something a bit more reliable but also not boring.
(as an aside I don't understand how young people can afford such nice cars, even if their leasing them!)
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