Dilemma: Keep current or get new?

sparkymark75

sparkymark75

sparkymark75

Soldato
Joined
8 Jan 2003
Posts
3,838
Location
Scotland
I currently have a 98 (S) 306 XSi. It's a solid car which is now in need of some TLC. I'm planning to buy a second car in the new year for my partner to ferry the kids to school, etc. My dilemma is, do I keep the car I've got and spend a bit of money on her, or do I buy a newer car which will be cheaper to run longer term?

Keep 306

Pros
  • Bought and paid for
  • Reliable to date
  • Lowish mileage for age (63k)
  • No initial outlay

Cons
  • Requires major service
  • Small petrol leak
  • New brakes needed
  • Timing belt change soon
  • 2 litre so petrol consumption is higher than I'd like
  • Road tax expensive

Sell 306, buy newish car
  • More reliable (maybe)
  • Cheaper to run (I'd buy a 1.4 or 1.6)

Cons of buying new car
  • Have to spend 2-4k to get decent newish car
  • Wouldn't get much for selling 306

What do you think?
 
mparter said:
What do you think?
Click to expand...
I've been thinking very seriously about changing my 306 recently.

In the end I've decided to put the idea on hold for a bit. I've got the money to change it but decided that whilst the 306 is still usable the moneys better off sat in a high interest account than sat in the form of a car depreciating on the drive.

At the end of the day a 106k 1.4 306 and a few issues (bust air-con, airbag fault etc.) is worthless near enough so I might as well get as much as I can out of it then bin it when it goes wrong in a big way.

I'd say yours was worth a bit more than mine though.
 
Spend the minimum you can on keeping it running and drive it into the ground :D
my 306 lasted 3 years/40k miles of hard abuse before I finaly killed it
DSCF0007-1.jpg

and only had to replace the alternator and tyres :)
 
Well, I decided to keep my trusty old 306. And how does she repay me? By developing a hole in the backbox. And because it's so badly rusted, they reckon the middle section needs replaced aswell because the flange will desintigrate when the backbox is removed. :(

They also reckon I'll need a new CAT soon but that can wait until the new year. It's gonna cost me approx £200 and that's just for the backbox and middle section :eek:

Also getting a tyre and their having a look at the petrol leak. They showed me it last night and weren't sure themselves but they reckon it's the join between the filler hose and the tank. The tank itself seems fine which is a relief. Wonder how much that's gonna cost me :rolleyes:
 
If you're handy with a spanner, do the exhaust yourself! It really is incredibly simple on the 306.

Stick the rear wheels up on some ramps, (assuming you are changing the CAT) unbolt the down pipe where the cat meets the downpipe and I *think* the whole lot should just drop off of the bottom. With the new bits, assemble then BEFORE you try and put it on the car and then just slide the whole lot under and lift up (this is why I recommended taking the old one of first so you know how it all goes back).

Worst thing you can do is not fit it properly and end up taking it back to the garage and asking them to fit it. Parts will almost certainly be cheaper if you buy them yourself too.
 
ci_newman said:
If you're handy with a spanner, do the exhaust yourself! It really is incredibly simple on the 306.

Stick the rear wheels up on some ramps, (assuming you are changing the CAT) unbolt the down pipe where the cat meets the downpipe and I *think* the whole lot should just drop off of the bottom. With the new bits, assemble then BEFORE you try and put it on the car and then just slide the whole lot under and lift up (this is why I recommended taking the old one of first so you know how it all goes back).

Worst thing you can do is not fit it properly and end up taking it back to the garage and asking them to fit it. Parts will almost certainly be cheaper if you buy them yourself too.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, I'm not that good with a spanner, I don't have ramps and I don't have the time to do this anytime soon.
 
Well that sounds as good a reason as any other to get a garage to do the work :D It still might be worth finding out if you can source the parts cheaper, but you mentioned that you're short of time so provided that you avoid the Kwik-fit style garages you'll be fine I hope!

My 306 went back to Kwik-fit FOUR times after the backbox they had fitted kept falling off. I gave up in the end and did it myself!
 
Don't do the Exhaust yourself that is a stupid idea.
Just about every Exhaust place in the world does Free fitting. Tyres and Exhaust get them fitted at the centre.
Throw a couple of hundred quid at it and it'll be good for another 30-40k.
 
malc30 said:
Don't do the Exhaust yourself that is a stupid idea.
Just about every Exhaust place in the world does Free fitting. Tyres and Exhaust get them fitted at the centre.
Throw a couple of hundred quid at it and it'll be good for another 30-40k.
Click to expand...

What are you on about?? To purchase the entire exhaust (excl downpipe, inc CAT) on my old 306 costs me circa £150. When I went to Kwik-Fit and the likes they all wanted a figure above £350 to replace everything. They make their profit on the parts with a nice margin added on top.

There can be no argument that it is cheaper to replace it yourself, it's just time to fit it (which the OP hasn't got).
 
^^ You obviously go to the first place you can find.
My mate owns an Exhaust centre ( Harrowbrook Tyre & Exhaust Hinckley Leics ). I know where he gets his exhausts and how much he charges. The difference is tiny and well worth not having to lay on the floor for.
Try shopping around.
 
It's not Kwik-Fit, wouldn't go near them. They wanted £300 just to replace the cat :eek:

It's a local garage with branches throughout Fife. Not a national company though. I've looked on the web and if the prices include fitting then they seem fairly reasonable.
 
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