My Fiesta has got to go (probably!) but what next?

pandora205

Jonny Cogs - I've just discovered the Blue Motion range of VWs... what a great idea, though a bit more than I was planning. I am very tempted!

pandora205

Conor - now a Capri would take me back a bit though I think a 3 litre might cost a bit to run! Nice cars though (I worked as a receptionist in the car sales department at a Ford dealer the early 70s as receptionist so I do remember them well!)

vaio

pandora205 wrote: »

I haven't decided completely yet, though I do want the air con to work. I may even go for another Fiesta as I like this car though the trim is tacky (very cheap looking seat covers and 'heavy' dashboard). I'm also starting to think about diesel as a cheaper alternative.

I was just listening to radio discussions about the range of car tax bands to come in in 2010 so I think I'd better read up on that too.

Fixing the air con is £500, changing your car is maybe £4k, spend the £500. (but get a second opinion from a specialist air con place)

China is sucking up all the diesel in the world so I’d think twice or three times about diesel as a cheaper alternative (unless you run a chip shop.)

The new car tax bands (even if we don’t see another government U turn) will probably make a 1.4 car cheaper so nothing to worry about there.

You say you like the Fiesta, I’d say keep it and if the £4k is burning a hole in your pocket send it to me or have a good holiday.

banger9365

if you spend 500+ is getting your car fix is will still be cheaper than buying a new one (says me),if you spend 500 a year on it still cheaper has finance will cost more than that a year or putting the money back that you have spent on a new car put there is a time when it is not viable to spend money on them when ever that mite be and not when the air con gone and the rest of the car is alright

Badger_Lady

I'm still not convinced it will end up being £500, just on air conditioning for a Fiesta..? Several hours work? I could buy two "nearly new" cars for that price.

But it would certainly be more expensive to part-exchange it than to spend £500 on fixing it. As others have said, mad to dump a reliable car based on air conditioning!

I've got a Honda CRX with electric targa-top, automatic and air conditioning, £2,100 on eBay. Stop wasting money on ordinary cars! Fix the one you've got or "downgrade" to something more fun In fact, if you really want to burn your savings, get both - on hot days, just take the convertible out with its roof down.

pandora205

Goodness... lots of opinions that I should keep the Fiesta!

I suppose it's made me a bit suspicious/superstitious (which is ridiculous) with the air con thing. When I first bought the car and had it checked it was something that wasn't working, and not covered by 3 month warranty. I took it to the main dealer and had it regassed, but that didn't work first time. Then it seemed to be okay through last summer..........

but now I'm wondering if it ever was okay. The air con engineer (specialist company) said that the evaporator doesn't usually just go - It's mainly a manufacturing fault which should/would have been picked up during first year. But, as I said before, it used to belong to a car rental company, so possibly no-one ever got it fixed properly. A replacement of this part would be tricky as the dashboard needs to come out.........

Besides that I did spend a bit on the car when I first had it having the wheels redone (alloys) as they were scuffed. It looks okay now and goes well, so I'll wait to see about the air con. And I will get a second opinion - it's a lot of money to spend having it put right.

If it is more than £500 I will part exchange as I was going to change it in around 18 months anyway.

And I do want something boring and newish rather than a style statement car.