Help! BMW or Volvo?

Originally posted by PVGSLF


Now the next question is do I go for the apparent bargain that buying an ex police one is? Any colour so long as it's white! Well maintained but had a hard life so I hear, but at bargain prices you can run the risk of having to spend more on it later.

I would avoid an ex Police Vehicle if I were you, no matter where it has come from it will have been driven VERY hard all of its life and depending on the force the maintenence can be questionable. The other thing to take into account is that most Police vehicles now come out of the factory as a 'Police' spec so you may lose some of the features of the equivalent 'Civvy' model. Depending on the force the electrics can sometimes be questionable too, as they will have had quite a lot of mods and then been ripped out again for selling.

Believe me I drove them for many years and would never ever buy a used one !

Cheers

Mark

Originally posted by PVGSLF


Now the next question is do I go for the apparent bargain that buying an ex police one is? Any colour so long as it's white! Well maintained but had a hard life so I hear, but at bargain prices you can run the risk of having to spend more on it later.

I would avoid an ex Police Vehicle if I were you, no matter where it has come from it will have been driven VERY hard all of its life and depending on the force the maintenence can be questionable. The other thing to take into account is that most Police vehicles now come out of the factory as a 'Police' spec so you may lose some of the features of the equivalent 'Civvy' model. Depending on the force the electrics can sometimes be questionable too, as they will have had quite a lot of mods and then been ripped out again for selling.

Believe me I drove them for many years and would never ever buy a used one !

Cheers

Mark

Thanks a lot people. Useful input to one of the less stressful decisions I've had to make recently!!!

The points about ex-police cars are well noted, and whilst I've found a couple of companies that specialize in 'rehabilitating' ex police cars to normal life and even supply them with 12 month warranties, I will remember that they are still cheap for a good reason.

I've still got a month before I'm back in the UK and needing a car, so I will use this time well to seek out the pefect spec.

Happy New Year

Thanks a lot people. Useful input to one of the less stressful decisions I've had to make recently!!!

The points about ex-police cars are well noted, and whilst I've found a couple of companies that specialize in 'rehabilitating' ex police cars to normal life and even supply them with 12 month warranties, I will remember that they are still cheap for a good reason.

I've still got a month before I'm back in the UK and needing a car, so I will use this time well to seek out the pefect spec.

Happy New Year

Originally posted by willd


BMW's problem, in the UK at least, has been that the 3 series has become the Ford Mondeo of the naughties. This has resulted in dealerships becoming more akin to your local ford dealer and thus levels of service have gone down.

I will leave you with this thought- as an avid reader of Car magazine- I have never seen them pick a volvo of any kind over a BMW in a road test between the two.

What about the xc90 over x5? Top Gear,Which Car? im a volvo man, own the new xc70 and had the old xc70, 850 and 740 and have all done over 100k miles and were great, let alone powerful and eat luggage!

Originally posted by willd


BMW's problem, in the UK at least, has been that the 3 series has become the Ford Mondeo of the naughties. This has resulted in dealerships becoming more akin to your local ford dealer and thus levels of service have gone down.

I will leave you with this thought- as an avid reader of Car magazine- I have never seen them pick a volvo of any kind over a BMW in a road test between the two.

What about the xc90 over x5? Top Gear,Which Car? im a volvo man, own the new xc70 and had the old xc70, 850 and 740 and have all done over 100k miles and were great, let alone powerful and eat luggage!

Do have a look at the Audi S4 especially the Estate version (Avant)if its not too late. I have had one for the last year and it does everything the Volvo would, only the interior is much classier. Poole Audi specialise in nearly new ones. Worth a test drive[^]
Bw
Raj

Do have a look at the Audi S4 especially the Estate version (Avant)if its not too late. I have had one for the last year and it does everything the Volvo would, only the interior is much classier. Poole Audi specialise in nearly new ones. Worth a test drive[^]
Bw
Raj

Originally posted by rrao56
Do have a look at the Audi S4 especially the Estate version (Avant)if its not too late. I have had one for the last year and it does everything the Volvo would, only the interior is much classier. Poole Audi specialise in nearly new ones. Worth a test drive[^]
Bw
Raj

I've certainly been considering Audi's, and enjoyed a year of being driven around in an A6 in china when i worked there. But they seem a little too tame price for price. A volvo T5 is a lot of go for your money.

Originally posted by rrao56
Do have a look at the Audi S4 especially the Estate version (Avant)if its not too late. I have had one for the last year and it does everything the Volvo would, only the interior is much classier. Poole Audi specialise in nearly new ones. Worth a test drive[^]
Bw
Raj

I've certainly been considering Audi's, and enjoyed a year of being driven around in an A6 in china when i worked there. But they seem a little too tame price for price. A volvo T5 is a lot of go for your money.

But they seem a little too tame price for price.

An S4 a little too tame[:?] Those T5s must really shift.
Make sure there is no hint of a rattle from the top end if you are getting a T5.

But they seem a little too tame price for price.

An S4 a little too tame[:?] Those T5s must really shift.
Make sure there is no hint of a rattle from the top end if you are getting a T5.

Originally posted by Paul H
But they seem a little too tame price for price.

An S4 a little too tame[:?] Those T5s must really shift.
Make sure there is no hint of a rattle from the top end if you are getting a T5.

Yes, having done a little more research into the S4, I take that statement back!
Sadly in my price range age, they hadn't started doing an auto option - and the Mrs can not be persuaded to drive a manual ever again [:(]

Originally posted by Paul H
But they seem a little too tame price for price.

An S4 a little too tame[:?] Those T5s must really shift.
Make sure there is no hint of a rattle from the top end if you are getting a T5.

Yes, having done a little more research into the S4, I take that statement back!
Sadly in my price range age, they hadn't started doing an auto option - and the Mrs can not be persuaded to drive a manual ever again [:(]

[RichardMannion]

I'd certainly take a look at the Audi range again - I do love their cars. The new A4 is about to come out, so is pushing some of the previous model prices down. Slow they are not.

S4 prices do vary, the cabriolet versions do seem to be cheaper though as they don't tend to hold their initial value well.

[RichardMannion]

I'd certainly take a look at the Audi range again - I do love their cars. The new A4 is about to come out, so is pushing some of the previous model prices down. Slow they are not.

S4 prices do vary, the cabriolet versions do seem to be cheaper though as they don't tend to hold their initial value well.

Originally posted by RichardMannion
I'd certainly take a look at the Audi range again - I do love their cars. The new A4 is about to come out, so is pushing some of the previous model prices down.

I echo this.

Further with the A4 if your budget doesn't stretch as far as a new-shape A4 all I can suggest is haggle as much as you can on the old model - or take Richard with you to get a proper deal [}:)] - or have a look at ex-demonstration, pre-registered, nearly-new, less than 3 year old Audi's. Whichever option you take, haggle haggle and haggle!

If the dealer won't play ball go to another dealership of the same marque, or to save leg work ring round a few different dealerships and see if they can offer you a good deal. This works with most dealerships of all marques (unless you ring two dealerships under the same brand, such as Lookers or Arnold Clark) and some dealers will be more desperate than others. Also isn't it supposed to be true that dealers are willing to do better deals towards the end of a month if it looks as though they're going to miss sales targets? If so you might be better off doing business around then.

Let us know how you get on and best of luck!

Originally posted by RichardMannion
I'd certainly take a look at the Audi range again - I do love their cars. The new A4 is about to come out, so is pushing some of the previous model prices down.

I echo this.

Further with the A4 if your budget doesn't stretch as far as a new-shape A4 all I can suggest is haggle as much as you can on the old model - or take Richard with you to get a proper deal [}:)] - or have a look at ex-demonstration, pre-registered, nearly-new, less than 3 year old Audi's. Whichever option you take, haggle haggle and haggle!

If the dealer won't play ball go to another dealership of the same marque, or to save leg work ring round a few different dealerships and see if they can offer you a good deal. This works with most dealerships of all marques (unless you ring two dealerships under the same brand, such as Lookers or Arnold Clark) and some dealers will be more desperate than others. Also isn't it supposed to be true that dealers are willing to do better deals towards the end of a month if it looks as though they're going to miss sales targets? If so you might be better off doing business around then.

Let us know how you get on and best of luck!

You know, this is where I go wrong.... I'll haggle for a day over a £10 fake watch in China to save £2. But houses and cars I pay the first price I see [:(]

You know, this is where I go wrong.... I'll haggle for a day over a 10 fake watch in China to save 2. But houses and cars I pay the first price I see [:(]

Get whatcar or some mag like that. These give you a target price to haggle to. If you cannot get the dealer to play, just show him the mag and he will normally lower his trousers in a most obliging manor. Then if he doesn't, as VS075 says, go elsewhere.

(I refer to dealers as 'he' purly as a convenience of language. However if you get a dealer who is not a 'he' it is unlikely that any of the tactics above will work)

Get whatcar or some mag like that. These give you a target price to haggle to. If you cannot get the dealer to play, just show him the mag and he will normally lower his trousers in a most obliging manor. Then if he doesn't, as VS075 says, go elsewhere.

(I refer to dealers as 'he' purly as a convenience of language. However if you get a dealer who is not a 'he' it is unlikely that any of the tactics above will work)

Also isn't it supposed to be true that dealers are willing to do better deals towards the end of a month if it looks as though they're going to miss sales targets?

This is very true as I proved last March.

Also isn't it supposed to be true that dealers are willing to do better deals towards the end of a month if it looks as though they're going to miss sales targets?

This is very true as I proved last March.

Originally posted by Paul H
Also isn't it supposed to be true that dealers are willing to do better deals towards the end of a month if it looks as though they're going to miss sales targets?

This is very true as I proved last March.

Better if its the end of a quarter. Targets/deals run for a quarter at a time.

David