Buying from a used car dealer
A few friends are looking to upgrade their cars and having read my review of Station Garage in Balsall Common, were asking my opinion on various options available.
Buying a used car is always a gamble. There are usually three reasons a person sells of a car:
1. Upgrading to a new car
2. Financial problems &
3. Some problems with the car.
More often than not, it is usually the third reason. So be very careful when buying a used car. Used car dealers are usually costlier than private sellers. However, most usually offer some kind of warranty or the other. Take Station Garage for example. Their main selling point is the fact that they offer 12 months warranty on their cars and 12 months MOT as well. However, I have to be honest.
I am not really happy with the garage. I specifically requested them to change one of the back tyres and to top up the engine oil as I found out that it was quite low. They did change the tyre and topped up the oil as well. You will notice that I say "topped up" and not "change". That's because they simply topped up the engine oil with some used oil. Some of my other friends confirmed this as well.
I am not sure why they did this but it really lowered my evaluation of the garage. I stopped recommending them after I found out about the oil. Going to have to go for a full service soon because I am not really sure what they meant by "car serviced" and what they did with the car now. That's what happens when customer don't trust a company any more.
Satisfied customers will usually recommend the company and help bring in new customers. On the other hand, unsatisfied customers will spread the bad news even more, more so when they happen to be bloggers.
Buying a used car is always a gamble. There are usually three reasons a person sells of a car:
1. Upgrading to a new car
2. Financial problems &
3. Some problems with the car.
More often than not, it is usually the third reason. So be very careful when buying a used car. Used car dealers are usually costlier than private sellers. However, most usually offer some kind of warranty or the other. Take Station Garage for example. Their main selling point is the fact that they offer 12 months warranty on their cars and 12 months MOT as well. However, I have to be honest.
I am not really happy with the garage. I specifically requested them to change one of the back tyres and to top up the engine oil as I found out that it was quite low. They did change the tyre and topped up the oil as well. You will notice that I say "topped up" and not "change". That's because they simply topped up the engine oil with some used oil. Some of my other friends confirmed this as well.
I am not sure why they did this but it really lowered my evaluation of the garage. I stopped recommending them after I found out about the oil. Going to have to go for a full service soon because I am not really sure what they meant by "car serviced" and what they did with the car now. That's what happens when customer don't trust a company any more.
Satisfied customers will usually recommend the company and help bring in new customers. On the other hand, unsatisfied customers will spread the bad news even more, more so when they happen to be bloggers.
Chrysler Crossfire
Chrysler Crossfire
Base MSRP: $34,735
Base Invoice: $32,162
Fuel: 3.2l/195.2
Engine: Gas v6
MPG City/Highway: 18/25
Transmission: 5-speed a/t
Drive Type: Rear Wheel Drive
Doors: 2
Washing the engine
I plan to sell off my old Ford Escort. Decided to give it a nice wash before putting it up on the market. Took it to the car wash nearby, just behind "The Pilot" pub on Burnaby road. The rates were not bad - £5 for external wash and £10 for steam washing the engine.
The guy did a great job and my car looks like new (well almost).
However, the story does not end there. Yesterday, I was driving to Ikea with my wife, the car suddenly started backfiring and jerking. Quickly drove over to KNS Autoparts Ltd at Foleshill. Found out that a pipe was loose and leaking air (I am not sure from where) and also that water had got into my engine (where the spark plugs are located). So they took my car in for a while and cleaned the engine up. The damage was not that bad - only £10/ The car was perfectly OK after that but what a scare.
My "Auto Story in Pictures Wednesday" post.
The guy did a great job and my car looks like new (well almost).
However, the story does not end there. Yesterday, I was driving to Ikea with my wife, the car suddenly started backfiring and jerking. Quickly drove over to KNS Autoparts Ltd at Foleshill. Found out that a pipe was loose and leaking air (I am not sure from where) and also that water had got into my engine (where the spark plugs are located). So they took my car in for a while and cleaned the engine up. The damage was not that bad - only £10/ The car was perfectly OK after that but what a scare.
My "Auto Story in Pictures Wednesday" post.
2008 Honda CR-V
Honda CR-V
Base MSRP: $20,700
Base Invoice: $19,257
Engine: Gas i4
Fuel: 2.4l/144
MPG City/Highway: 20/27
Transmission: 5-speed a/t
Drive Type: Front Wheel Drive
Doors: 4
Kia Sorento Car Gallery
Kia Sorento
Base MSRP: $20,695
Base Invoice: $19,715
Engine: Gas v6
Fuel: 3.3l/204
MPG City/Highway: 16/22
Transmission: 5-speed a/t
Drive Type: Rear Wheel Drive
Doors: 4
2008 Lotus Exige
Lotus Exige
Base MSRP: $61,000
Base Invoice: $54,000
Engine: Gas i4
Fuel: 1.8l/110
MPG City/Highway: 19/26
Transmission: 6-speed m/t
Drive Type: Rear Wheel Drive
Doors: 2
What a great time in Monterrey...!!! 2007
Well, this was a long time ago (april 29, 2007) but i'm still very happy because thanks to this achivement i could get more experience and learn MUCH more; mainly because the prize was an internship at Airdesign http://airdesign.com.mx/newsite2/ (i'll writte something about AD some time latter)
The event in fact was called "3rd car design and engineering international congress" in Monterey Mexico (what a wonderfull city, and very nice people as well) and some of the speakers and judges were: Henrik Fisker, Daniel Mastretta, Humberto Ortiz, Sasha Lakic. Miguel Avalos and the president of the Latin American Car Design Association, Luis Fernando Rubio. (wish i can get in touch with him!)
So wen i saw the add of the congress i asked to my parents for some money.. :) and began to work in my entry for the contest, in fact i couldn't sleep very well those days because i was attending my finnal round of exams (high school, "voca 2") lol thru those days i got a lot of fun!
Two weeks later my design was finished and i send it ! ... and one week later i was in Monterey, immediately i felt at home, (somehow) sorrunded by petrolheads just like me, talking only about cars, cars... and cars... this was heaven!
That time in Monterey was unique, and i fully recommend that kind of events, (not only because i got the first place) because i meet a lot of people, and learn something from them, also because this kind of events "opens" your eyes and shows you how amazing is the world of car design.
This was my second participation in car design contest, because some time before i participated in another design contest organized by rigoletti, "houze of disign"?? and the sponsors of the Mexico's international Autoshow 2006 , finnaly i got the 3rd place. But what a very disorganized event! (*:*)
Cheers!
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The event in fact was called "3rd car design and engineering international congress" in Monterey Mexico (what a wonderfull city, and very nice people as well) and some of the speakers and judges were: Henrik Fisker, Daniel Mastretta, Humberto Ortiz, Sasha Lakic. Miguel Avalos and the president of the Latin American Car Design Association, Luis Fernando Rubio. (wish i can get in touch with him!)
So wen i saw the add of the congress i asked to my parents for some money.. :) and began to work in my entry for the contest, in fact i couldn't sleep very well those days because i was attending my finnal round of exams (high school, "voca 2") lol thru those days i got a lot of fun!
Two weeks later my design was finished and i send it ! ... and one week later i was in Monterey, immediately i felt at home, (somehow) sorrunded by petrolheads just like me, talking only about cars, cars... and cars... this was heaven!
That time in Monterey was unique, and i fully recommend that kind of events, (not only because i got the first place) because i meet a lot of people, and learn something from them, also because this kind of events "opens" your eyes and shows you how amazing is the world of car design.
This was my second participation in car design contest, because some time before i participated in another design contest organized by rigoletti, "houze of disign"?? and the sponsors of the Mexico's international Autoshow 2006 , finnaly i got the 3rd place. But what a very disorganized event! (*:*)
Cheers!
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Electric cars in La Rochelle
This is my second "Auto Story in Pictures Wednesday" post.
Saw a few cars near the Les Minimes post on our vacation in La Rochelle. They were hooked up to some sort of recharging post. I don't understand French but I immediately realised that they were electric cars. Later on found out that they are part of La Rochelle's active environmental pollution reduction policy. The electric cars are for hire and pay by usage time and mileage totalled during the month.
The pictures here are of the Citroën AX. You can recharge them for free.
Malaysians may recognise the shape. The Proton Tiara produced in the country from from 1996 to 2000 was based on the Citroën AX.
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If you wish to join "Auto Story in Pictures Wednesday, just send me an email (ahoklah@gmail.com) with a link to your post and I will email you the code for the blogroll. Will add you to the blogroll as soon as you have it up on your own blog.
Saw a few cars near the Les Minimes post on our vacation in La Rochelle. They were hooked up to some sort of recharging post. I don't understand French but I immediately realised that they were electric cars. Later on found out that they are part of La Rochelle's active environmental pollution reduction policy. The electric cars are for hire and pay by usage time and mileage totalled during the month.
The pictures here are of the Citroën AX. You can recharge them for free.
Malaysians may recognise the shape. The Proton Tiara produced in the country from from 1996 to 2000 was based on the Citroën AX.
---------
If you wish to join "Auto Story in Pictures Wednesday, just send me an email (ahoklah@gmail.com) with a link to your post and I will email you the code for the blogroll. Will add you to the blogroll as soon as you have it up on your own blog.
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