Stop-gap car?

wyx087

Quick update:





Skoda Octavia 3 bought in May for £8700, after a few months still drives well no problems at all. It has all the features I wanted: adaptive cruise (a must), automatic, big boot, hatch-back opening (preferred), good back seat space. Plan to drive this car to the ground until we can rely on EVs for long road trips.


The Merc in the background still goes well, but due to mileage, residual value is just over £1000. So keeping it for the wife if she wanted to drive to doctors appointments or other stuff. It will be replaced by an EV in a few years.




At the time, I took a small risk and bought the new car because the spec I wanted is hard to come by. I had been looking since March. Most are either Golf or £10k+ saloons with high mileage. Not a lot of choice below £10k.


Luckily, the gamble paid off, just confirmed with GP wife is 10 weeks into pregnancy.




Thanks all on this forum. I believe I've saved money on this car upsize movement by purchasing second hand car outright. At least £2000 saved compared to leasing a hybrid. Unfortunately the environment suffers for a few more years

Apodemus

Congratulations! On both the impending arrival and the sensible purchase!

Mercdriver

wyx087 wrote: »

Not many do, most are trim specific.


Eg. Golf mk7 only the GT_ trim has it as standard. But other trims may have it specified.




Not useful for you. Thank you for your understanding, and highly valuable input.


Being serious here. Electronics are highly reliable equipment, usually they fail is because physical objects fail, such as wiring or sensor. It's like calling someone is dumb for their hearing disabilities.






Great link! I would never knew there's one such website, it even did spell check for you! I wonder if that Wikipedia website might be useful.


Oh no, Wikipedia only lists cars that is able to be equipped with ACC. Does not have any information on which trim level has it fitted as standard or whether it comes with the car as standard. Such a shame!

Adaptive cruise control systems often operate from a laser or camera in the windscreen. If that part of the windscreen gets dirty - likely from a seagull crapping on it - it will beep at you and disengage. You can hardly just stop and clean it.

I'm another that is confused by your obsession wit ACC. Why allow your car to do so much of the work? It is something that is often an option even on a top of the range car. Model 1 eye ball co-ordinated with Model 1 right foot usually are cheaper than going for something that has someting you want not need

wyx087

Mercdriver wrote: »

Adaptive cruise control systems often operate from a laser or camera in the windscreen. If that part of the windscreen gets dirty - likely from a seagull crapping on it - it will beep at you and disengage. You can hardly just stop and clean it.

I'm another that is confused by your obsession wit ACC. Why allow your car to do so much of the work? It is something that is often an option even on a top of the range car. Model 1 eye ball co-ordinated with Model 1 right foot usually are cheaper than going for something that has someting you want not need

Getting the car to do much of the work is the future.


Yes, it is not a need. But so far I've found driving much more enjoyable. Much of my daily route can be taken care of by the ACC. Manually keeping distance is very tiresome.


Most are now radar based system. I've not had any problem with it so far. It is in the lower grill, a cut-out for the radar. It coped really well during the random downpour we've had recently: never loosing lock of the car in front.

angrycrow

The concept of acc makes me wonder what people who want it are doing behind the wheel of a car. Surely being so reliant on the car system to maintain a safe distance disconnects the driver from proper observation of the road ahead and prevents the driver anticipating hazards ahead.

Makes think the sort of person who wants acc is also the sort of person who cruises around everywhere chatting on the phone oblivious to what is happening around them.

wyx087

angrycrow wrote: »

The concept of acc makes me wonder what people who want it are doing behind the wheel of a car. Surely being so reliant on the car system to maintain a safe distance disconnects the driver from proper observation of the road ahead and prevents the driver anticipating hazards ahead.

Makes think the sort of person who wants acc is also the sort of person who cruises around everywhere chatting on the phone oblivious to what is happening around them.

Standard cruise control is only really useful on an empty road, 100% of the people driving cannot manually maintain exact 70mph all the time. So instead of constantly adjusting CC, let ACC do it. Unlike Tesla Autopilot, there's no way ACC can "disconnect the driver from proper observations". Because ACC doesn't take into account of surrounding cars. If a much slower car do change into the gap, driver has to be ready to brake, ACC won't recognise this quick enough.




The concept of indirect insults makes me wonder what type of forum this is. Makes think the sort of person writing these is also the sort of person who thinks they are always right.

GwylimT

wyx087 wrote: »

Quick update:





Skoda Octavia 3 bought in May for £8700, after a few months still drives well no problems at all. It has all the features I wanted: adaptive cruise (a must), automatic, big boot, hatch-back opening (preferred), good back seat space. Plan to drive this car to the ground until we can rely on EVs for long road trips.


The Merc in the background still goes well, but due to mileage, residual value is just over £1000. So keeping it for the wife if she wanted to drive to doctors appointments or other stuff. It will be replaced by an EV in a few years.




At the time, I took a small risk and bought the new car because the spec I wanted is hard to come by. I had been looking since March. Most are either Golf or £10k+ saloons with high mileage. Not a lot of choice below £10k.


Luckily, the gamble paid off, just confirmed with GP wife is 10 weeks into pregnancy.




Thanks all on this forum. I believe I've saved money on this car upsize movement by purchasing second hand car outright. At least £2000 saved compared to leasing a hybrid. Unfortunately the environment suffers for a few more years

Nice car, but you can't get two adults and a car seat in the back, something you said was vital.

Norman_Castle

wyx087 wrote: »

Per year breakdown as follow:
- 2200 fuel (at 42mpg)
- 230 tax
- 1410 depreciation
- 690 servicing, MOT, tyres and fixing
Average to £378 per month

Bit late to point this out but £1410 annual depreciation on a £2000 car is nonsense. It may have lost this in previous years, dealer price to part ex value?, but this will be much less as the car ages.

wyx087

GwylimT wrote: »

Nice car, but you can't get two adults and a car seat in the back, something you said was vital.

Which car would more comfortably get 2 adults and 1 childseat in the back? The Skodas are known for its spacious size, I'm surprised you've raised this.


My family members are smaller than the average westerners. It's the 3 seats that's the critical requirement, as most EV/hybrid I looked at seems to be a 4 seater.

Norman_Castle wrote: »

Bit late to point this out but £1410 annual depreciation on a £2000 car is nonsense. It may have lost this in previous years, dealer price to part ex value?, but this will be much less as the car ages.

The Merc car was purchased at £6000 3 or so years ago. Now it's probably worth around £1800 for an average one, less when part-ex.


The Skoda per year estimated breakdown as follow:
- £1850 fuel (estimated at 50 mpg, achieving 54 mpg at the moment)
- 30 tax
- 2000 depreciation (9000 to 3000 over 3 years)
- 600 servicing, MOT, tyres and fixing
Average to £372 per month
Then insurance is also much cheaper due to going from group 35 to group 20.

F1F93

But if you think your Merc will be worth £390 this time next year, give me a ring and I'll take it off your hands for £400 giving you £10 "profit!!"

Then the following year I'll have to pay someone over a grand to take it off my hands...