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I can see how smaller wheels would add cushioning on rough roads but I don’t know what the effect would be on general comfort so I don’t know if that’s a better choice than changing the car.
Well, my experience of going from lower to higher profile tyres - winter ones on smaller wheels - was that it softened the ride appreciably and made the steering feel slightly less precise, though nothing particularly dramatic. Obviously there's a limit to how small a rim you can fit as you need to accommodate the brakes, but this was all covered earlier on. Beyond that, some tyres with stiffer sidewalls also ride noticeably harder than others. I guess it depends on how much you like the car otherwise and how much your missus dislikes it 🙂
Special price for you.
£500+VAT?
I might take a look at the Jag
Jesus H Corbett Mols, you of all people should not be considering a Jag. An ex of mine's dad drove a Jag, he bought a second one which he SORNed on the drive to use for spares to keep the first one moving. A mate got one as a courtesy car whilst (ironically) his Merc was in the garage, said it was the worst thing he'd ever driven and it'd be more economic to fuel it by burning five pound notes.
The CLS only gave me 39 today which is frankly shocking.
And you're considering an E-class estate instead?
Get yourself a Mondeo and stop frotting about with overpriced broken motors. Mrs Grips will thank you for it.
Get on a Merc owners forum and ask if anyone want to swap your wheels for something smaller? There's probably somebody who would snap them up.
Can’t you get small wheels second hand from someone who upgraded to the big rims.
That IS second hand! CLS aren't a common car, and by the looks of it many were specced with 19s already so there's not much available with the right offset. There's a few from the older model (different offset), there's some junk here and there, but the best source is a few big German eBay shops and that's how much they are. Inc VAT, by the looks of it, cos eBay collects it.
And you’re considering an E-class estate instead?
Nah I've discounted that, on the basis it's basically the same car I have and for the same money.
Thing is, 8 years/88k miles is right about the point where things might start needing attention anyway, besides engine mounts - like shocks, bearings, bushings etc. A Passat would be either similar age but lower mileage or vice versa. Just looking at a 2018 for £14.5k, it's got new connected features and all modern stuff. That car's 5 years newer. The only thing I'd miss is the self levelling suspension, plus it'd need a towbar but that's easy to arrange if not especially cheap.
I mean I really love driving it, and I'm sure it'd be great with bigger and quieter tyres; but if no-one else likes being driven in it, it's shit on fuel and it's going to need more maintenance, it's not really the right car is it?
Skoda Superb MK3 onwards? There's not a more comfortable car I've ever been in.
Good shout, but they seem to be a similar price to the Passats, there are fewer listed on Autotrader, and for what it's worth (not a lot really) they don't look as nice. One to keep in mind though ta.
I've hatched a plan. I'll arrange to go to my parents, I'll ask my wife to drive, request we go on the windy country roads then tell her we're really late. The anxiety will make her right foot significantly heavier, maybe she'll start liking the Merc 🙂
If you do go with the passat - check that it is capable of being fitted with a towbar - my sister had fun with a new octavia which wasn't rated for towing (Skoda wouldn't issue a new vin plate despite it being physically identical to one that was rated for towing ) - ended up with a different new octavia that has factory fit towbar
I mean I really love driving it, and I’m sure it’d be great with bigger and quieter tyres; but if no-one else likes being driven in it, it’s shit on fuel and it’s going to need more maintenance, it’s not really the right car is it?
Didn't we tell you this two dozen pages ago? (-:
I dunno man, I feel for you. You clearly want to love it, it's a nice-looking motor. But if your missus hates it then you've got three choices: get shut (of the car!); buy her a cushion; or tell her to lump it or buy her own.
Look at it this way. You currently have a serviceable vehicle. You know the adage, "the best time to get a new job is when you already have one"? Have a look around, do a bit of tyre-kicking. The reason you wound up with the Merc was time constraints, exactly how I ended up with a Scorpio years ago. But now, you've no time pressures. You can get something else tomorrow, or in a year. And you're currently sat on two cars' worth of ready capital.
Blimey, that's odd, I'd have expected Octavias to be approved. But I'll check, ta.
Keeping to VWG, what about an Arteon? Mate had an early model with towbar fitted.
Too new I think. An Arteon estate would be lovely but I don't think it has self levelling suspension either despite all the competitors doing so.
So for the hassle of selling the car, buying a new one, and any money lost in those transactions, you'd consider buying a car without a towbar and getting it fitted, but won't try some new wheels, which by the sounds of things would probably cost about £900 (minus the cost of flogging yours on eBay)?
As you've already been tinkering about with it you've probably got a very good idea of what condition the car is in, whereas anything else could need new engine mounts.
I might take a look at the Jag
Please don't. FIL had one bought at two years old. He had the courtesy car for more time than the car he owned, as it had multiple failures and issues. After 11 months Jaguar bought the car back.
I’m on my 2nd jag - had an XE diesel r sport 163ps for 4.5 years. Nothing went wrong with it in that time other then needing one silicone pipe changing towards the end.
Few months into XF Sportbrake (2.5 ish years old) - so far so good. Infotainment can be a bit buggy but apparently that’s ‘normal’.
Love how it drives / the size of the interior etc.
I think the Landrover Discovery Sport is meant to be awful with loads of issues so Jaguar landrover definitely have some problems sometimes.
which by the sounds of things would probably cost about £900
£5-600 for the wheels alone and about £700 for decent tyres. Theres still 6mm on the current ones. I would if I was going to keep it but I don't know how much difference it'll make so it's an expensive experiment.
The car's in good condition, yes, but shocks only last so long they're a service part. And yes, any other car could need fixing but on a 3 year old Passat it's a lot less likely.
Have a look around, do a bit of tyre-kicking.
Yeah I think I'll put it up for sale after my Lakes trip in October (stealth ad!) at the high end of the price range and see if I get a bite. If I don't get close ish to what I paid then it's not worth it really.
Thing is, it's not my car, it's the family car so we all have to like it. She drove the Passat as much as I did once I stopped going away for work every week in it.
(stealth ad!) at the high end of the price range
Don't consider a career in Marketing either.
Chop it in for VW Phaeton.
£700 for a set of tyres 😯
You can get cheapo tyres in those sizes but I'm not getting those. I paid £460 I think on the old Passat for a set of Goodyears.
Rears about £175-225 each depending on offers and fronts about £160-200.
Don’t consider a career in Marketing either.
Don't worry, I never have 🙂
check that it is capable of being fitted with a towbar – my sister had fun with a new octavia which wasn’t rated for towing
Vrs ?
Don’t consider a career in Marketing either.
Steady on, there's no need for that sort of talk!
If you need an advertising jingle......
Lord won't you buy
My Mercedes Benz
The ride is to harsh
For my Mrs' rear end
Turns out that the warranty is backed by the RAC but the contract is held by TCW and they obviously don't give you a refund if you cancel it because they are a bunch of bastards.
So if I sell the car I'm stuck with paying off the £1k extra it cost.
In other news, it got 48mpg coming from my parents' house, that's something like 15-20% worse than the Passat.
I'm like this ^^^ with bikes. I like to call it 'examining all the options and enjoying the journey', my wife calls it something slightly less complimentary.
Anyway, not advice for Molgrips but I couldn't let this pass
exactly how I ended up with a Scorpio
@cougar - how does ANYONE end up with a Scorpio? Was it abandoned outside your house? Won it in a card game? I just can't imagine any transaction where I would hand over actual money for one. My dad had one for a while and even when new, it was the most horrible thing I'd ever sat in. Including my mum's Anglia!
how does ANYONE end up with a Scorpio? Was it abandoned outside your house?
ROFL at least there are some good things about my car 🙂
On the subject of bad cars, the local Merc specialist has an old, 2002 I think, C-class coupé which is utterly horrific. It's a barely mobile scrap-heap, everything is falling off, rattly, noisy, doesn't work, smells bad or all of these. Now I've driven some wreckage in my time (no, not the Passat) but on top of its mechanical condition this thing was just an awful car. Claustrophobic as hell, couldn't see out of the back, driving position all over the place, cramped, and just unpleasant. I really wanted to get out and walk away. Never been so uncomfortable driving a car.
I really wanted to get out and walk away. Never been so uncomfortable driving a car.
Genius move, you forget how bad your car was before you took it to the repairer, so when you get out of the POS into yours that he hasn't sorted 100% it still feels miles better!
Thing is, it’s not my car, it’s the family car so we all have to like it.
There's your first mistake.
It's the family car, so she has to like it. You liking it is optional.
When's this thread going to hit 1000 posts?
@cougar – how does ANYONE end up with a Scorpio?
As I said, I was under time constraints. I had to buy something today that was in-budget. (Hiya Mols.) It was the best of a bad bunch.
Honestly though, y'know... it was the version that looked like Nigel Farage, from outside it was horrific. But inside, it actually turned out to be a little bit brilliant. The seats were like armchairs, it's probably the only car I've ever had that I could cover several hundred miles in without feeling the need to stop for a stretch. The dash was lovely, all walnut insets, it was a nice place to be. The bottom-of-the-range 2L engine in the one I had was more than capable, the V6 must've been a right hooligan.
I bought it under duress but I don't regret it for a second. The one criticism I'd have would be that it was properly tail-happy, it oversteered if you sneezed. The Cosworth must have spent more time going sideways than forwards.
I nearly drove over to TCW today and asked for part-ex on something else. But I'm fairly sure this would be a terrible idea and cost much more than if I sell privately.
I thought everyone was making profits on car sales with covid pricing? Have you tried chucking in Marvin's reg on Motorway for an idea of possible return?
It's going to take some price rises to offset the premium I paid at TCW. It wasn't cheap. There are some cars on Autotrader at not far under the price I paid, and some that are a fair bit under. But most seem to be more than the online valuations.
out of interest why do you consider self-levelling a requirement? Our car is a 7 seater (so can go from pretty much nothing to 500kg of people over the rear wheels), doesn't have it, and drives fine. Sure it points a little uphill, and you probably wouldn't want to rag it, but who rags a fully loaded car anyway..
I hate the feeling of the back being too low, I end up having to re-adjust the seats and controls. I always avoid stuffing the boot when the caravan is on for this reason and that can cause problems. I don't like the way that the caravan makes the back of the car wallow about either. Of course, if it didn't exist, then I'd manage as I did on the Passat, but given that it can be had and I actually do have it right now, and it's brilliant, it'd be a shame to go back. The caravan adds about 80kg of weight to the back which isn't a lot but it's overhanging the back wheels quite a bit so has a lot more effect than 80kg inside the wheelbase.
On our holiday we stuffed the very large boot with heavy items as well as hitching the caravan, mainly the inflatable kayak and SUP, and it was absolutely fine. Even putting that stuff in the caravan would have been difficult as it's probably already on its limit in terms of weight. You don't get a lot of cargo capacity in them. In a car without any kind of suspension assist it'd have been rubbish. I added some inflatable bag things to the springs on the old car which really helped; searching again it looks like there are now even better options available so I could perhaps do similar if/when we get rid of the Merc, but built in options are better I think.
I think you need a MK2 Discovery with a One life live it sticker for your towing duties!
I think you need a MK2 Discovery
Now that's just trolling. A Disco, with all its creaks, rattles and random failures, would be in tiny pieces all over moly's floor within a week.
It’s going to take some price rises to offset the premium I paid at TCW. It wasn’t cheap. There are some cars on Autotrader at not far under the price I paid, and some that are a fair bit under. But most seem to be more than the online valuations
You might still be surprised, we sold my dads car for more than the equivalents on Auto Trader. Doesn't hurt to get a quote.
Yeah maybe I'll head over today. Out of boredom. There's a slim chance that they'll be buying up cars and keeping them a few months as futures.
MK2 Discovery with a One life live it sticker
whilst that is obviously tongue in cheek, if the remit is a large-booted, comfortable towing car then that sort of thing might not be a terrible shout. xc90? rav4 with some manufacturer-backed warranty (its 10 years/100,000 miles on toyotas if you service with them)? etc
if the remit is a large-booted, comfortable towing car then that sort of thing might not be a terrible shout.
It needs to be economical though for when it's not towing. SUVs are out of the picture really.
Have you considered a V8 bi-turbo diesel? 😉
I'm at TCW. There's a really nice Passat CC, 64 plate 56k miles and only £12.5k but it's just been sold. Should have come up yesterday when I was thinking about it!
Impulse buy coming up!
Safe option though innit, Passat.
The sale fell through so they offered it to me. Had a closer look - pretty battered paint, scuffed interior, engine nice and smooth but no flippin cruise control! Who buys an auto without cruise control? What manufacturer makes big cruiser cars without cruise as standard in 2014?