Ain't Nobody Here Posted August 26, 2012 Author Share Posted August 26, 2012 Thanks, I came across that site already - it is very useful! I'm veering towards petrol, tbh, just because it's what we know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted August 26, 2012 Share Posted August 26, 2012 What sort of age car are you looking at? It's just that the newer cars are so much improved in terms of fuel efficiency and running costs, it may be worth paying more for one that is cheaper to run, ie lower emissions from newer engines mean lower tax (our new Citroen C1 is £0 tax! ) and more efficient engines mean more MPG - we also replaced our big car with a Citroen C4 and it has the electronic gear system - basically an automatic, but it is more fuel efficient than the old automatics and manuals as it changes gear at the optimum time. Even newer cars turn off the engine when you pause at traffic lights and switch on again when you set off! Newer petrol engines are matching diesels for fuel efficiency as well, so diesel is looking less favorable for economy reasons. Haggle as much as you can as well - when we replaced our car, we worked out what we could afford each month, got them to that and then managed to get a free towbar fitted, plus free diamond brite coating and extended warrenty. We just kept walking away until they gave in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted August 26, 2012 Author Share Posted August 26, 2012 Well, it's all academic now as we've bought our new car . We just couldn't face driving round lots of showrooms with pushy salesmen. I'd done lots of research online so knew what we wanted. Tried to get some money off cos we didn't want the lifetime warranty but it doesn't seem to work like that . Got £200 for our old car though which is £50 more than it's worth. List price is about £20,000 but as it's pre-reg we paid £14,495 for it. Pick it up tomorrow evening . It's a Vauxhall Astra 1.6i 16V SRi 5dr Sports Tourer. It's an estate but isn't that much longer than our current car and has much more space for bikes and stuff for the boys going to Uni. I never even knew lever handbrakes didn't exist any more - that's going to take some getting used to, as is cruise control . I think this is our actual car as the showroom looks familiar! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted August 26, 2012 Share Posted August 26, 2012 Congratulations! sounds like a good decision, I hope you have many happy hours of driving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted August 26, 2012 Share Posted August 26, 2012 Lovely Enjoy your new car and here's hoping it isn't covered in muddy footprints and dog hair too soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted August 26, 2012 Share Posted August 26, 2012 Luurvely! New Car is a rare treat so enjoy it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted August 26, 2012 Author Share Posted August 26, 2012 It certainly is! We've never owned a new car in our lives before . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkysmum Posted August 26, 2012 Share Posted August 26, 2012 Looks beast as my lads would say. Totally gorgeous and sounds like you've got a real bargain. Wishing you all happy driving. Alli x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pearls007 Posted August 26, 2012 Share Posted August 26, 2012 Lovely Enjoy your new car and here's hoping it isn't covered in muddy footprints and dog hair too soon! Or chicken poo and aubiose............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted August 26, 2012 Author Share Posted August 26, 2012 Don't . It'll just take one car load of hill runners and it'll be full of mud, grass and gravel . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted August 27, 2012 Share Posted August 27, 2012 We've had ours just over a month and already it has kids footprints on the back of the seats and a coating of dog hair I just have to keep reminding myself it's just a car - it is there to be used and abused. Shame really as it's previous owners really had kept it immaculate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hens@HalfMoonLane Posted August 27, 2012 Share Posted August 27, 2012 We've bought the same car but the diesel ecoflex engine but other than that the same. We are very happy with it, very comfortable and easy to drive, I'm sure you will get on with it. I've never had a vauxall before but have been very pleasantly surprised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted August 27, 2012 Author Share Posted August 27, 2012 I saw that one and did consider it but thought we'd stick to petrol as we've always had it. It was also white which I thought might require more washing . Brought the car home tonight - it feels like we're driving something from the spaceage . Headlights come on automatically and the handbrake is a tiny switch which you don't need to turn off, you just accelerate and it goes off by itself . I'm sure there are far fancier cars out there but having driven the same car for 11 years, I'm so impressed by all the gizmos and gadgets in this one . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted August 27, 2012 Share Posted August 27, 2012 Ooh gadgets! Our Citroen is the same - automatic headlights and wipers, handbrake comes on automatically - felt very strange to drive at first, there's nothing to do! Got used to it very quickly though - now it's a struggle when I change to the little car which is manual everything. I keep forgetting to change down gears! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
