At which point would you sell your car?

d0nkeyk0ng

I own a Golf GTI that I bought brand new in 2007. It's had an oil change every six months, a routine service annually, plus any extra work required at those six month intervals eg brake discs, cambelt. It's crossed the 120k mile barrier. I've already done a camchain and tensioner replacement at 100k, as well as engine valve clean out. It's had cambelt and water pump changed every four years.


The car is getting old. Autotrader prices show it's worth around £5-6k. The next big jobs are steering rack (£1500 for supply and fit a reconditioned part) and clutch (£1200). Add in the normal services I get done and it's half the value of the car.



At what point would you consider it's financially better to buy a new car than keep repairing the old one?

Ebe_Scrooge

It depends to a large extent on how you look at it. Assuming your figures are correct, then for £3000 you've got yourself a pretty much mint car that you know has been well looked after, serviced correctly, and should easily last you another 50,000 miles at least. If you go and spend £3000 on a "new" car, could you confidently say the same ?

If, on the other hand, you're considering spending rather more than £3000 on your next car, you would hope it'll give you many years of service without too many major bills - though that's far from guaranteed, of course.

You should have a pretty good idea of whether your existing car has any major faults, other than the ones you've already mentioned. From a purely financial point of view, it's probably worth hanging on to it if it's otherwise OK.

Are your figures correct ? I know a new clutch is not cheap, no idea about a steering rack. But the prices you've quoted sound a bit on the steep side. I'd also question whether the value you've put on the car is correct - again, it sounds a bit high, but I may be wrong.

foxy-stoat

I would keep it until it starts burning oil. No point in "saving" yourself a few thousand on serviceable repairs that may or may not happen than committing spending £15,000+ on another new car....unless you sell it for £5,000 and spending the same amount on a lower mileage, newer secondhand car.

Paula_Smith

New clutches start from £199 in Ilford

https://www.clutch-ilford.co.uk/?utm_campaign=Clutch+%5BL%5D&utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_term=%2Bclutch%20%2Bfitting&utm_content=2819716xEAIaIQobChMIz_yL9uSv5gIVEMjeCh39ZAinEAAYBCAAEgKYn_D_BwE

parking_question_chap

I had a MK4 GTI until the other year when I needed to replace with something bigger. Didnt want to get rid of the Golf because it was a trooper and I still wish I was driving it. When I sold the car it was still on the original clutch, turbo and steering rack although I had replaced the cam belt a couple of times. Having checked online its recently just gone through another MOT.

Golfs tend to keep going. Has anybody told you it needs those expensive jobs doing soon? Or are they saying they might need doing?

The important question is how badly do you need a car? Could you make do with cycling or taxis for a few weeks if it suddenly went pop?

motorguy

I would have thought both those jobs could be done for an awful lot less. Certainly half that for the clutch. Not sure about the rack but it sounds expensive.

I'd do the work - perhaps staggering it - and keep the car.

Nobbie1967

The low value of the car is a positive now as it means the depreciation is now minimal. What makes you think it will need a new steering rack? These aren't usually service items on any car I've had.

Sounds like you've really looked after it well, so it will probably go well beyond 200k. I'd definitely keep it, but if you do sell it, someone will be getting a solid motor for not much money.

mollycat

Sounds like a decent, well looked after example.

I'd do the jobs when needed and keep it. (Prices quoted do seem expensive though??)

Maybe it's where you are in the UK, but where I live (Scotland) it's not a £5-£6K car....although what it's "worth" is immaterial should you decide to keep.

Mistral001

This car is probably worth more to you than a prospective buyer. So you will not get the true value of the car given how well you have looked after it.

I would have a look around and get a few quotes. I got a clutch replaced on my Citroen for £250 (incl.VAT) a few years ago.

reeac

Oil change every 5,000 miles? Annual mileage 10,000? Should be in fine fettle. Keep it!

caprikid1

MK4/MK5 golfs well maintained are more than capable of achieving 200,000 miles.


Depends whether it is scabby or you fancy a change.


(MK4 GTi 180BHP 85K) Previous Golf MK4 GTi 150 (170K).