Are French cars really that bad?

Inactive

hewhoisnotintheknow wrote: »

so if you went to a honda garage you wouldnt see hondas being recovered for repair?

And the same honda garage wouldnt be able to tell you any horror stories as they just sit about with their feet up as they never have anything to do?

When i had a new car the garage came to collect it for servicing on a low loader as they could pick several up at a time with one guy

You are not seriously attempting to compare Renault's with Honda's?

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Inactive

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

No you didn't start a war, it was already declared and there's no sign of a truce. So long as it stays friendly it's fine.

Agreed, because at the end of the day it doesn't matter a jot to me what people choose to buy.

I know what I buy.;)

suki1964

Now dont ask me why but my ma and pa have a love affair with citreon going back a few years now. The last two cars were picassos - both the electrics were a nightmare. The last one ( not yet a year old), central locking failed, window wipers, interior lights, door locks, windows going up and down, radio resetting - you name it - it went wrong.

Same as the one before - about three years old

So Im not saying ma and pa are dotong a bit ( well they are big time) but they have now traded in the picasso for the berlingo:eek::eek::eek:

I now have the ugliest car in the history of the world parked out my front door


There madness in buying this monstrosity? " It will take an electirc wheelchair and everything else"

Well it doesnt - as there are no wheelchair ramps that will fit the darn thing )=))=))



Sorry just had to get all that out somewhere :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Taking bets on how long it takes for the electrics to fail on this as well :rotfl::rotfl:

Arwen

maz403 wrote: »

:cool: Gulp...I am just about to take delivery of a Clio via the scrappage scheme...does anyone have any positives to put my mind at rest !!!!

I have a Clio, and so far so good.:D

andygb

Atomised wrote: »

I only started this thread because I want to learn more about cars and was wondering why an old clio , rather than the ford focus , was the cheapest to insure if I start driving. I'm sure people wouldn't keep buying the same make of car if they were ALL dodgy. And French car makers would all be bankrupted by now

Feel like i've started a war:o

Atomised, from a personal point of view, I would look at the running costs as well as the insurance costs. The Focus should be very cheap to service and repair, and does have a brilliant reliability record. As for the Clio, the only possible downside, is the dodgy bonnet catch, and the fact that the interior will not be finished as well as the Focus. The Ford Zetec engines are quiet, reliable and economic.
Andy

cyclonebri1

jeeeeez, some of you guys should have been around in the "good old days". In the seventies and into the eighties, a car could be knackered by 30k miles, by 60k it certainly was. A 6 year old car was a no no, a, because they had rusted away by that time and b, they didn't run that long. Today 100k and 200k from a reasonably sized engine is normal, irrespective of brand.

Truth is, our standards and expectations has risen imensely, all surviving car manf have risen to this.

There are no bad car manufacturers, just the odd rogue car of every brand. In general you pay more, you get more, but not an infalible statement tho';););)

stumpjumper

suki1964 wrote: »

So Im not saying ma and pa are dotong a bit ( well they are big time) but they have now traded in the picasso for the berlingo:eek::eek::eek:

Our old berlingo is one of those cars that we miss having since we sold it a couple of years ago.
in 3 years we took that car from 5000 miles to 65000 miles. in that time other than the odd change of tyres all we had to change was an exhaust, and a drive half shaft after the CV joint died when its rubber seal perished (a common part to many marques of car).

in addition to that we had a C4 for 9 months did 18000 miles in that from new(traded it for something less practical cos i wanted too)

F-I-L did 250,000 miles in a Xantia (with the hydrophematic suspension. again no major problems. the amount of milage he was doing manchester to scotland twice a week he needed a reliable car.

had a pair of AX - both of which did 90,000 miles in their time with us. only thing they needed - both required a new altinator at about 40/50,000 miles.

cyclonebri1

I have to add that I have never owned a jap car, why, never had the need. Always found the british european stuff to be fine. In my early years I had, VW,s NSU,s minis etc All good,


But, then I bought an Austin 1800 S, followed by a Morris Marina 1800 TC:mad:
Both dam fine performance cars in thier day, but, !!!!!! I spent every weekend bolting the suspension back together:rolleyes:

datostar

Speak as you find. I got a Peugeot 309 1.3 new in 1987, sold it in 1997 and got a new Renault Megane 2.0 RXE which I've still got. I never had any expensive failures on the Peugeot and the only big bill for the Renault has been for a new aircon compressor when the old one seized. Amortized over 12 years it's peanuts. Just passed its MOT again with no problems. So that's 2 French cars in 22 years. I've no problem with them at all and when the Renault finally gives up the ghost I'll very likely get another. Look after them and they'll look after you.

pulliptears

I drive a 99 Clio and it's never really been any trouble. had some issues a few years back with water tracking down from the sunroof into the electrics but that's all. I like it, its well maintained and doesnt let me down.

Before that I drove a 94 Fiat Punto. It was a nightmare from the start, dodgy electrics and a head gasket that gave up the ghost around 36k. Never again will a Fiat darken my driveway lol