Cars, cars, aaaarrrrgggghhhhhhhsssssss

blue_monkey_2

I hate looking for cars but here we go again...... I am not sure I can take it to be honest. Already sick of looking.

I need a car to get around for work, taking the mail out, going to shows and fittings.

I have seen a Volvo V50 on an 08 plate, 100k on the clock - nice car, perfect for business use (large boot space, good on fuel, ins, tax, 153g) but it'll not get us around in the snow. Sigh. We tend to be stuck in when it snows, what are these like in the snow and ice - anyone know?

I've also seen an L200 (no back box though so would be more expense - could sell the chrome bars though as they are new and recoup some costs there. Or some kind of 4x4 but they are high on the g's and cost a lot to tax and use a lot of fuel.

It's going through the business 80% business, 20% personal, I am VAT registered (might be applicable for an L200), emissions under 160g would be preferable.

I also want to stick it on my credit card, 5kish, and do a balance transfer which is 0%. I know I can get a loan but a) it'll take longer to repay, b) the card is 0% for 18 months and c) I do want the security of purchasing it with a card in case it is crap. Also buying it with a warranty - no warranty, no touchy!!

The last 2nd hand car we bought was a lemon (I think because we was sick of looking after 5 weeks we just thought, this seems OK and got it) but because a lot of the driving I do is rural, we did not find out until it was too late and could only do 50 MPH on the motorway EEEK!!! Hubby has replaced all but the Turbo - which is £600 - it is an old car and we'll not even be able to get our breakdown cover to cover it next year so it's time to get rid of her, put it down to experience and move on to something newer.

But what........ just wondered if anyone had any advice, what is the V50 really like, does it handle well on the country lanes, in the wet and snow?

Lum

You live in Hertfordshire, not the Scottish highlands, don't waste money and petrol on an L200 or any other 4WD just for the 2 weeks a year when it snows, just spend £20 of a set of cheap wheels off eBay for whatever car you buy and throw some winter tyres on them.

Seriously, if my GF can manage a one hour commute in the snow in a RWD 200SX with just a set of Nokian winter tyres on there, the V50 will do just fine.


As for breakdown cover on an old car, what you want is personal cover, rather than car cover, then you'll even be covered if you're driving around in a Model T Ford.

Notmyrealname

Let me put it this way. The Volvo is a very popular car in Sweden. They get far more and worse snow than we do.

4x4 in Hertfordshire? You don't get snow bad enough. Come up to the Yorkshire Wolds where we typically get 4ft+. And even here, 4x4 owners are in the minority, usually being farmers.

If you want a 4x4 for the snow, it would be far cheaper to get a normal car and then hire a 4x4 when its bad snow than to run a 4x4 all year round.

Strider590

blue_monkey wrote: »

But what........ just wondered if anyone had any advice, what is the V50 really like, does it handle well on the country lanes, in the wet and snow?

Just add winter tyres and your sorted..... Don't forget where they make those things..... I've been there (Volvo Torslanda SWEDEN), snow is the norm.
It'd be a damn site cheaper and more effective than a 4x4 on standard summer tyres.

spiro

If you are worried about snow/ice buy a car that is front wheel drive and a set of winter tyres not a 4x4.

blue_monkey_2

Hmm, I thought I posted a reply on here but it's not here. I knew everyone would laugh at me, LOL. Yeah, I know, but last year it was 3 weeks in total and I could not go out anywhere.

So, winter tyres, I just store them and change them when the snow comes? That's going to cost me £4/500 isn't it? And I can I use them when it is thawing? Never thought of that before. I think I'll get some for our day to day car then. When it snows we are on hills in and out so school closes - they never grit even though there is a school here and there are no gritting bins in the village so while you say 'it's only Hertfordshire' once the plough comes and impacts the snow and it freezes it is difficult to get out and about anywhere. To me it would make sense to have one practical car.

I love the look of the Volvo - even a saloon is quite spacious in the boot but I need a 2.0L Volvo because of the emissions and tax and claiming back through the business (8% over 160g or 18% under) and they are as a rare as hens teeth. V50 or S40 will do but wow, they are hard to get hold of - lots of 2.4's but not 1.9L or 2L. I do not particularly want to go into London car shopping either. Search continues I suppose.

blue_monkey_2

Lum wrote: »

As for breakdown cover on an old car, what you want is personal cover, rather than car cover, then you'll even be covered if you're driving around in a Model T Ford.

We have personal cover Lum and it covers cars up to 16 years old so the one we have will be more than that in May. Doesn't feel old tbh but it is and we'll have to cover it separately and it costs more.

I do not want to buy anything too old as I am worried it might break down.

Obukit

Winter tyres are dependent on temperature rather than snow. Most tyres you put on when the temperature is less than 5C, as they have better grip then even when it is not snowy (summer tyres go too hard in this weather, as do all seasons to a lesser extent).

That way you're not messing around with jacks with the snow coming down. When the weather improves, you can switch the tyres back again. Buy a trolley jack and it will take less than 20 mins for all four corners.

Lum

We have personal cover with GEM Motoring assist, I've had no problems calling them out for an L reg (1994) Nissan 200SX or a J reg (1992) Volvo 940, both of which were over 16 years old at the time. It's fine to want a newer car for whatever reason you like. I only really mentioned it because if that was your sole reason for upgrading, it would be a way to avoid having to do so.

As for your village. I'm not trying to make this into a competition or anything but I did, until very recently, live up in the valleys and do photography trips into the Brecons in the snow. We're talking unploughed ungritted hilly single track lanes. Here's a picture from one such trip.



The car has Nokian WR-G2s fitted and just drove out of that no problem. More importantly, it still handles and stops well on snow and ice. I will admit that that car is part-time 4WD (most of the time it's RWD), but you'd be surprised how little the ECU bothered to do a changeover.

And that is the real point. You may be looking at 4 wheel drive, but all cars have 4 wheel braking, and 4WD cars are heavier. When you're going downhill all that fancy drivetrain is going to be doing is making you slide slightly faster if you don't have the correct tyres. Once you have the correct tyres the 4WD isn't actually all that useful. FWD is fine, RWD a little less so.


As for changing the tyres over, my preferred solution is to throw them in the back of the car, drive to the local tyre place and give one of the lads there a £10 - £20 backhander to swap them over for me using their lifts and tools.

fivetide

blue_monkey wrote: »

So, winter tyres, I just store them and change them when the snow comes? That's going to cost me £4/500 isn't it? And I can I use them when it is thawing?

The key point is winter tyres. Not snow tyres.

Anything under about 7 degrees and winter tyres are more effective because the rubber stays more grippy than the summer stuff.

You would get 4 months use a year out of them at least. You can of course drive round on them all the time if you like but that is unncessary.

Managed perfectly well living in Scotland in a rwd Merc last year. Just kept a bag of salt and spade in the boot just in case.

5t.

C_Mababejive

http://www.autosock.co.uk/