06.11.07
Politics and Cars
So I am back. Since my hopes on politics have been so cruelly dashed I will leave all further comments to my unconcious.
I had a dream. (actual dream).
There is a party. I am on the edge of the party when I see Enda Kenny arrive. The song “You are the sunshine of my life” comes on. I approach him singing the song 
My voice is considerably more tuneful than in real life We dance. He leads. He is quite nifty. A two step sort of thing. I say “Enda, you can still be Taoiseach”. He shakes his head ruefully and says “No Sarah, I can’t see how its possible”. I say “But Enda, if Sinn Fein abstain, anything could happen on Thursday. Don’t give up hope!”. He remains doubtful. I’ve been humming the song in my head for 3 days.
Cars. So we need a new car. Our prime interest is in a second hand Audi or Volvo estate. We’ve seen some around 2004 with low mileage for around 15-20k depending. Everyone says “wooooah, those audis/volvo’s…sounds great but they cost a fortune to maintain. Cheapest day you’ll have with the car is the day you buy it bla bla”. On holidays the place was crawling with audis and volvo estates driven from Germany to the Cote d’Azur. Why can they have audis and I can’t? Are the doomsayers wrong?
Paul Newton said,
June 11, 2007 at 12:34 pm
if you can get a volvo estate 1994 with low milage for 15k, will you pick one up for me while you’re at it……. i used to drive a V70 it was the most beautiful car I ever had, and I’ll be back to them next time.
it did cost a fortune to service though.
tom said,
June 11, 2007 at 1:31 pm
just out of interest why do you need a new car, is there something wrong with the old one?
Sarah said,
June 11, 2007 at 2:08 pm
We’ve had a Citroen C4 for two years so a) we need to trade it in before it crashes in value and b) we are just sick of it. I’ve been driving Citroens for 10 years and I want a change. I want something clunkier and bigger. The boot space is crap. It was fine when I was a single girl zipping around town in the C3 etc but it just doesn’t do as a family car. They are cheap though so we stuck with it for the c4 but we’ve done our time. So we are thinking either the V40 or something like a Ford Focus. My parents have one. They are super cars and not too expensive but we love the idea of a V40. Except for these horrendous services everyone warns us about. I think I’ll phone the Ford guy in Mullingar and see if he’ll take our Citroen as a trade in..
tom said,
June 11, 2007 at 2:23 pm
you’ve already owned it for the period during which it crashed in value Sarah. From now on it will only lose about €1000 a year. You are doing things precisely the wrong way round!
What’s the practical difference between a Ford Focus and a Citroen C4? Not a lot really, I can’t believe there is much between them in terms of overall size and they are both big enough for a four person family.
Ray said,
June 11, 2007 at 3:16 pm
2 year old Skoda Superb 1.9TDi built on an Audi A4 chassis with VW engines and Passat reliability, 57mpg [sorry, still can't do litres per 100km] and carries kids and kit for holidays with comfort and panache. Unlike Enda it won’t let you down … sigh and, ilke Enda, a pity about the name [I mean "Superb", FFS c'mon!]
Leo said,
June 11, 2007 at 3:24 pm
Sarah,
Tom is right, the Citroen has already lost most of its value, it’s the worst brand for depreciation, but most of it is lost in the first 2 years. If you are looking at buying a used car, Citroens, Peugeots and Renaults are your best bet, you can pick up a 2 year old one for approx half the price that it would have cost new. Prestige brands such as Merc’s, BMW’s, Volvo’s and Audi’s also lose a lot of money in the first couple of years, but relative to their original cost it is less than the Citroens. The main issue is servicing and parts cost. You could get the prestige brand serviced by a local mechanic to save costs, but you will lose the “Full Service History” that these cars require when you go to sell them on, and if anything complex needs to be done to the car, you will need to go to a main dealer as they are the only ones with the systems required to hook into the models intricate computer systems. Parts must also be bought from main dealers and these costs can be significant. Generic parts would be cheaper but when installed in a fairly new car, they will void any warranty that remains on the car. If I were you I would stick with your Citroen for a while longer.
My 2 cent.
L
Sarah said,
June 11, 2007 at 3:54 pm
hmmmmm, ok makes sense BUT
a) if I stick with it how do I get over the fact that I am sick of it? Some vehicular dharma on that please.
b) maybe I should wait until my local Citroen dealer gets in a C5 estate with low mileage?
Does this mean I can spend SSIA money on some Irish modern lanscape art then?
Tom N said,
June 11, 2007 at 4:01 pm
Sarah you will hate the idea but second hand Hyundai Sante Fe, or Nissan X Trail, or some SUV type thing. Definitely worth it for the kids. As regards the carbon footprint, buy a diesel. A bit pricey but “for God’s sake, won’t somebody think of the children?” Second hand Avensis is your best bet for price/resale value compromise!
Doomsayers? Economy is like an opinion poll. Only think that matters is the way it is going. Interest rates going up. Cost of doing business in Ireland going up.
Landscape art? No. That’s just wrong!
(PS Other Tom, forgot to put N after my name on some posts so some guy called Crewser might hate you!)
tom said,
June 11, 2007 at 4:06 pm
you are ‘sick of it’ because the CAPITALIST SYSTEM wants you to desire a new car and feel unhappy with the one you have. There is nothing wrong with your car.
On the other hand if the alternative is Irish modern landscape art then get straight on to carbuyersguide.ie.
liam said,
June 11, 2007 at 4:10 pm
I know you’re sick of it now, but what’s the C4 like to drive, Sarah? Clarkeson loved it when it came out.
Welcome back, by the way, and I hope you had a nice holiday.
Sarah said,
June 11, 2007 at 5:34 pm
Actually I loved it for ages. It is a nice car. It doesn’t like going over 90kmph but that’s ok. It just a bit, flimsy? So the kids and hubbie have it wrecked. I want something sturdier. I love driving the Ford Focus. Its a great clunky car but without all the expense of the volvo as far as I can tell.
Don’t knock the art. When the cars are in the tip, the art will still be on the wall. As my friend John says, its endures when all the other crap is gone.
I had a nice holiday BUT I got tonsillitis and was feverish and bed ridden for a few days which led to wild fantasies of being let go to a sanitorium for a month, like they did in Victorian times. I don’t want a holiday any more. I want to stay in bed for weeks and be minded. I am so sleepy. But I have a tan. So I look healthy even though I am not and even though tans aren’t healthy. My life is one long cruel irony.
Gerry said,
June 11, 2007 at 9:07 pm
that would be your friend john the art dealer? he’s right though, albeit if you want over-priced you can’t get much worse than irish art.
i know nothing about cars although you owe it to the public to buy an SUV to complete the standalone house and the 30 k kitchen.
Mat said,
June 11, 2007 at 9:17 pm
OMG – I’ve only just realised you are a decklander! *click*
Joe Drumgoole said,
June 12, 2007 at 6:32 pm
You can’t have an Audi or a Volvo because they are premium brands and VRT totally stuffs them up in the Irish market. As a result to make the price attractive they strip out all the good stuff and your lucky to get four wheels and an engine for the price. And even after that they are still expensive.
Stay away from the marquee brands and you’ll get a much better deal. Of course if you are loaded, then you shell out for the extras and damn the torpedoes.
If you’re that rich do you fancy investing in my software company while your at it ?
Sarah said,
June 12, 2007 at 7:21 pm
Well according the big meanies not only am I MAD to consider buying ANY new car but I can’t even have a piece of art instead.
Good job I’m not financially dependent on one of you lot. Thank god I always made sure I had my own money…
Maggie said,
June 14, 2007 at 11:39 am
Go north – we recently bought a Chrysler PT Cruiser in Northern Ireland and reckon we saved about €2,000 or €3,000 by doing so – even after paying VRT on import. We found it through the auto-trader website and were able to calculate how much VRT we’d pay by going onto the Revenue Commissioners website. Never buying a car locally again!! And we love the car – it’s stylish and has loads of room.