2020 plans for your cars

[Richard]

My plan is to continue having no car

It’s what Greta would want

[Jobbo]

I used one of my extra days off today to visit the BMW and Audi dealers near me; I have never used either one previously and they're not part of Sytner or any of the other big chains I've used before (and had good experiences with on the whole).

Audi dealer only had white cars in the showroom other than a bright green RS Q3, which looked really quite good (to my surprise). The BMW dealer had a selection of lovely classics including a 3.0 CSL and 3.0 CSi, and a 60s Mini Cooper S, all very original and pristine - I don't think any were for sale. Good place to go for a latte too. But most interesting for me was looking at the G31 5-series; I really loved it when I sat in one. I had thought it didn't look much of an advance from the F11 but in the flesh it's great. So I am now deciding between a 530d xDrive Touring, Audi A6 Allroad and Tesla Model S when I come to change cars. Much as I loved my old Audi, I think the BMW will edge it... but the Tesla is the wild card once I've spoken to the accountant.

[Simon]

Merc will just stay as is. Still looking to swap the Mondeo for a Yeti; an effort which will gain impetus in the new year when the wife hopefully passes her driving test.

Well, it seems that history is destined to repeat itself, sort of.

4 years ago in January, exactly 1 week after fitting a new battery, my last Mondeo was written off by a man in a van. This time a week after fitting a new battery to this Mondeo I've gone and done a deal on trading it in for a Yeti. Moral of the story? If you want rid of your car I'll come round and fit a new battery in it. It'll be gone within the week.

I'd been keeping an eye on the market for petrol auto Yeti's for the wife for a while. Yesterday I found a decent gunmetal grey one up in Lowestoft. It's a 1.2TFSi DSG (7 speed) with 44k miles on the clock. Price a few hundred under market. Got up early this morning to drive up and see it. It's pretty immaculate. All the correct (Skoda) services, a clean MOT history and obviously well looked after. It even had the original Yeti brochure and Supaguard receipt in the glovebox. Got another couple of hundred knocked off as it didn't have the advertised bluetooth (but it's an easy retrofit) and the same trade-in on the Mondeo as I was offered 11 months ago when I got the Merc. I pick it up next weekend.

Do I win a prize for the first to enact their 2020 plan for their car?

[McSwede]

Merc will just stay as is. Still looking to swap the Mondeo for a Yeti; an effort which will gain impetus in the new year when the wife hopefully passes her driving test.

Well, it seems that history is destined to repeat itself, sort of.

4 years ago in January, exactly 1 week after fitting a new battery, my last Mondeo was written off by a man in a van. This time a week after fitting a new battery to this Mondeo I've gone and done a deal on trading it in for a Yeti. Moral of the story? If you want rid of your car I'll come round and fit a new battery in it. It'll be gone within the week.

I'd been keeping an eye on the market for petrol auto Yeti's for the wife for a while. Yesterday I found a decent gunmetal grey one up in Lowestoft. It's a 1.2TFSi DSG (7 speed) with 44k miles on the clock. Price a few hundred under market. Got up early this morning to drive up and see it. It's pretty immaculate. All the correct (Skoda) services, a clean MOT history and obviously well looked after. It even had the original Yeti brochure and Supaguard receipt in the glovebox. Got another couple of hundred knocked off as it didn't have the advertised bluetooth (but it's an easy retrofit) and the same trade-in on the Mondeo as I was offered 11 months ago when I got the Merc. I pick it up next weekend.

Do I win a prize for the first to enact their 2020 plan for their car?

Well done. Yeti's are awesome.

[Simon]

Yup. God knows why Skoda ditched them when they are so liked by their owners. They've tried to push a bit upmarket now with the Karoq.

'Our' Yeti is a trade-in at a Honda/Hyundai dealership. It was time for the previous owner to get a new car and when they went shopping they were disappointed that Skoda didn't make the Yeti anymore, so they bought a Kona instead.

[McSwede]

Yup. God knows why Skoda ditched them when they are so liked by their owners. They've tried to push a bit upmarket now with the Karoq.

'Our' Yeti is a trade-in at a Honda/Hyundai dealership. It was time for the previous owner to get a new car and when they went shopping they were disappointed that Skoda didn't make the Yeti anymore, so they bought a Kona instead.

We loved ours. A brilliant little car. Fun to drive, super practical too. With the seat out ours would swallow a 1tn dumpy bag full of garden rubbish plus plenty more. I'd have had another and I wish we did.