I know the purists may not agree but I still think that the late E-series BMWs may prove to be peak BMW for build quality and dynamics. Even they're getting on a bit now though!duncs500 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 22, 2023 1:53 pmThat's my worry TBH, I quite fancy a nicer daily, and would love something a bit more 'premium' eg. Merc/BMW, but I just feel there's big bills and issues everywhere you look.Swervin_Mervin wrote: ↑Wed Nov 22, 2023 1:12 pmI've felt for some time that VAG products are fairly flaky Duncs, but not sure if this is a more recent thing with them, as the testers suggested. Having driven/owned a few F-series BMWs I wouldn't be surprised if they're not much better.
I wonder whether it's worth getting a relatively new well-engined 5er touring, then just maintain it at an indy and run it until it dies (which is hopefully a long time). That way you can sort out the early niggles and have a relatively low long term maintenance cost. Dunno if it would work like that, but in my head it's a good excuse.
Your fleet running reports
- Swervin_Mervin
- Posts: 4845
- Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2018 8:58 pm
Re: Your fleet running reports
Re: Your fleet running reports
Cars in general peaked from 2000-2012. Maybe I should say affordable cars which weren’t totally white goods.
How about not having a sig at all?
Re: Your fleet running reports
The E series are superb. My wife's 320d auto has been rock solid. I also did a lot of miles in one from new with zero issues.Swervin_Mervin wrote: ↑Wed Nov 22, 2023 4:31 pmI know the purists may not agree but I still think that the late E-series BMWs may prove to be peak BMW for build quality and dynamics. Even they're getting on a bit now though!duncs500 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 22, 2023 1:53 pmThat's my worry TBH, I quite fancy a nicer daily, and would love something a bit more 'premium' eg. Merc/BMW, but I just feel there's big bills and issues everywhere you look.Swervin_Mervin wrote: ↑Wed Nov 22, 2023 1:12 pm
I've felt for some time that VAG products are fairly flaky Duncs, but not sure if this is a more recent thing with them, as the testers suggested. Having driven/owned a few F-series BMWs I wouldn't be surprised if they're not much better.
I wonder whether it's worth getting a relatively new well-engined 5er touring, then just maintain it at an indy and run it until it dies (which is hopefully a long time). That way you can sort out the early niggles and have a relatively low long term maintenance cost. Dunno if it would work like that, but in my head it's a good excuse.
I also had an F21 M140i which was brill. 84k in 3 years from new. Other than having a rattly exhaust valved silencer replaced, it was faultless. Same with my current 330e 60k in 2 years so far and it just works. Nothing breaks or falls off. They're excellent.
Re: Your fleet running reports
You can probably widen that to 2015 I think. From 2015 on pretty much everything went turbo and I largely lose interest after that point. You're then mostly stuck with special edition cars to get your naturally aspirated kicks. 2017 with GPF to meet Euro 6c made it even worse.
-
- Posts: 2573
- Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2018 3:58 pm
- Currently Driving: Ferrari F430 Spider
BMW M4 Comp
Mini Cooper
LR Evoque P300e - Contact:
Re: Your fleet running reports
Neither UAE nor USA have GPF and their cars sound much better.
I think what has happened is car manufacturers have built their cars to last until warranty plus one day and have much better knowledge now about when metals etc will fatigue to the point of failure. After all, they don’t get any money from you selling your car to a third party, so why should they waste resources/ increase costs for nought?
I think what has happened is car manufacturers have built their cars to last until warranty plus one day and have much better knowledge now about when metals etc will fatigue to the point of failure. After all, they don’t get any money from you selling your car to a third party, so why should they waste resources/ increase costs for nought?
Cheers,
Ian
Ian
Re: Your fleet running reports
it is in their interest for them to last longer than that though, they make a load of money from the finance on them when they're new, then those same cars get a second lump of interest when sold as approved used cars (usually at an even higher APR).IanF wrote: ↑Wed Nov 22, 2023 7:45 pm Neither UAE nor USA have GPF and their cars sound much better.
I think what has happened is car manufacturers have built their cars to last until warranty plus one day and have much better knowledge now about when metals etc will fatigue to the point of failure. After all, they don’t get any money from you selling your car to a third party, so why should they waste resources/ increase costs for nought?
- Swervin_Mervin
- Posts: 4845
- Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2018 8:58 pm
Re: Your fleet running reports
Our F20 felt fairly flaky to me. Had a 5 figure warranty claim, and a steering rack replaced without us asking. A few courtesy F30s we had when that was in felt flaky compared to the E91. Was similarly unimpressed with an F10 as well.McSwede wrote: ↑Wed Nov 22, 2023 5:13 pmThe E series are superb. My wife's 320d auto has been rock solid. I also did a lot of miles in one from new with zero issues.Swervin_Mervin wrote: ↑Wed Nov 22, 2023 4:31 pmI know the purists may not agree but I still think that the late E-series BMWs may prove to be peak BMW for build quality and dynamics. Even they're getting on a bit now though!duncs500 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 22, 2023 1:53 pm
That's my worry TBH, I quite fancy a nicer daily, and would love something a bit more 'premium' eg. Merc/BMW, but I just feel there's big bills and issues everywhere you look.
I wonder whether it's worth getting a relatively new well-engined 5er touring, then just maintain it at an indy and run it until it dies (which is hopefully a long time). That way you can sort out the early niggles and have a relatively low long term maintenance cost. Dunno if it would work like that, but in my head it's a good excuse.
I also had an F21 M140i which was brill. 84k in 3 years from new. Other than having a rattly exhaust valved silencer replaced, it was faultless. Same with my current 330e 60k in 2 years so far and it just works. Nothing breaks or falls off. They're excellent.
- Sundayjumper
- Posts: 6639
- Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2018 4:04 pm
- Currently Driving: Land Rover, Peugeot 406 replica
Re: Your fleet running reports
Teh Smart teh Second
I took it for a spin around the block this afternoon and generally it felt pretty OK. Suspension is firmer than Gavster's. Brakes grinding a bit from rust. It spluttered a bit under full boost in 1st gear but that's all. Fuel was very low though which made me think - if it's only done fifteen miles in five years, how old is that fuel in the tank ?? So I went off to Tesco and put £30 of SUL in there plus half a bottle of Redex. Came home, left it idling for a bit to circulate the fuel, then went off to do other stuff.
This evening under cover of darkness I went for a slightly longer run, particularly looking for smoke as it's much easier to spot it in the headlights of the following car. There seemed to be a bit when hoofing it, but I'm pretty sure it was gradually getting better. Stuttering less. Brakes less terrifying.
Which again made me think - if it's done zero miles in the last three years, how did he get to the "smoking" diagnosis ? It wasn't by getting it properly warmed up and driving it under full load / boost.
I'm increasingly hopeful that the only real fault is lack of use. MOT is booked for tomorrow morning. I'm still 100% expecting a fail but I'm hoping it'll be a mild one.
I took it for a spin around the block this afternoon and generally it felt pretty OK. Suspension is firmer than Gavster's. Brakes grinding a bit from rust. It spluttered a bit under full boost in 1st gear but that's all. Fuel was very low though which made me think - if it's only done fifteen miles in five years, how old is that fuel in the tank ?? So I went off to Tesco and put £30 of SUL in there plus half a bottle of Redex. Came home, left it idling for a bit to circulate the fuel, then went off to do other stuff.
This evening under cover of darkness I went for a slightly longer run, particularly looking for smoke as it's much easier to spot it in the headlights of the following car. There seemed to be a bit when hoofing it, but I'm pretty sure it was gradually getting better. Stuttering less. Brakes less terrifying.
Which again made me think - if it's done zero miles in the last three years, how did he get to the "smoking" diagnosis ? It wasn't by getting it properly warmed up and driving it under full load / boost.
I'm increasingly hopeful that the only real fault is lack of use. MOT is booked for tomorrow morning. I'm still 100% expecting a fail but I'm hoping it'll be a mild one.
Re: Your fleet running reports
Brakes even on the more recent ones are not good. Nothing nothing nothing... head through the windscreen. Not clear how they can be so badly calibrated
- Sundayjumper
- Posts: 6639
- Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2018 4:04 pm
- Currently Driving: Land Rover, Peugeot 406 replica
Re: Your fleet running reports
I was right, and quite amazingly so. It failed on wiper blades. That’s allSundayjumper wrote: ↑Wed Nov 22, 2023 8:06 pm I'm still 100% expecting a fail but I'm hoping it'll be a mild one.
Frikkin wiper blades. LOL.
There’s a bunch of advisories of course and I’ll deal with them in due course. Bearing & brake are real, brake hoses / pipes are totally normal old car items.
Re: Your fleet running reports
I find it hilarious that the garage sold the car as spares or repair when it could have passed an MOT with just some new wiper blades
Re: Your fleet running reports
Yes that's a massive result - to be honest though it is probably just a stronger way of saying "sold as seen". They wouldn't want to be bothered with any recourse if it was actually a basket case.
Re: Your fleet running reports
That's a right result, SJ
Mini passed its MOT, but initially failed due to the TPMS light being on. They reset it and it passed. Nothing else came up that's the first MOT in our ownership.
Mini passed its MOT, but initially failed due to the TPMS light being on. They reset it and it passed. Nothing else came up that's the first MOT in our ownership.
Re: Your fleet running reports
That's rather awesume.Sundayjumper wrote: ↑Thu Nov 23, 2023 9:45 amI was right, and quite amazingly so. It failed on wiper blades. That’s allSundayjumper wrote: ↑Wed Nov 22, 2023 8:06 pm I'm still 100% expecting a fail but I'm hoping it'll be a mild one.
Frikkin wiper blades. LOL.
Re: Your fleet running reports
Re: Your fleet running reports
It used to amuse me when my day job was classic cars that the order form and invoice never described it as transportation - your £1m Miura was just a collectable like an old painting, not something defined as a car!
- JonMad
- Posts: 2732
- Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2018 9:25 pm
- Currently Driving: 2015 Swift; 2012 Yeti; 2006 Fabia
Re: Your fleet running reports
Result, @Sundayjumper !
(and thanks for the spreadsheet update)
(and thanks for the spreadsheet update)
Left over crest; tightens.
Re: Your fleet running reports
My Mondeo was MOTd yesterday and failed on a slightly wobbly driver's seat.Sundayjumper wrote: ↑Thu Nov 23, 2023 9:45 amI was right, and quite amazingly so. It failed on wiper blades. That’s allSundayjumper wrote: ↑Wed Nov 22, 2023 8:06 pm I'm still 100% expecting a fail but I'm hoping it'll be a mild one.
Re: Your fleet running reports
My contribution to the “Smart cars parked up and used as advertisement boards / decoration” list.
Spotted at Winter Wonderland
Spotted at Winter Wonderland
How about not having a sig at all?