Do I change this car or not?

hughjohn

I have owned a 2002 citroen xsara since 2005.
It has been regularly serviced by me always.
I have to say it has been the most reliable car I ever owned, never ever once has anything gone wrong on it. It now has 108,000 miles up.
It regularly returns around 45 mpg.

Now the downsides.. it costs €626 to tax each year
it needs new brake pads/discs
it needs 4 new tyres
some gurrier has broken the aerial off the roof so now
there is no radio

Is it time to say goodbye or is it worth spending on, would most likely change to a commercial as I use this as a van (back seats down ) mostly.

Previously have run cars till they drop(in my case worst was ford escort engine blew at 120,000 best was mitsubishi lancer did 247,000)

I think 2nd hand cars/jeeps have never been so cheap.

MidlandsM

why change it?

you know it well, its going well, its bought and paid for (assumingly), the work you mention it needs is cheap enough, its frugal (45mpg is good) ....


...drive her on...!

L-M

Crap cars are cheap, good cars are expensive.

166man

Limerick man wrote: »

Crap cars are cheap, good cars are expensive.

Not really. Check out the bangernomics thread where you'll find some really nice older BMW's/Mercs that are cheap because of the road tax not because they aren't good. Toyotas are relatively expensive in Ireland due to the fan base, does that make them good cars? Hardly...

Wicklowandy

For no more than 500 and could be a lot less you have something as good as a van that you know, and you can always put the seats up when you need a car.

I think you'd be mad if it does everything you need

NinjaTruncs

It doesn't sound like there is anything wrong with your car so why change. Pads, discs, tyres all cars wear through these and the aerial is just unfortunate, it's not like you're replacing a clutch or there is something mechanically wrong with the car.

While changing to a commercial will save on tax, that saving will be eroded by depreciation unless you are planning on getting a van with a few years on it and then you don't really know what you're getting.

I'd stick with what you have and as you have in the past run this baby into the ground.

L-M

166man wrote: »

Not really. Check out the bangernomics thread where you'll find some really nice older BMW's/Mercs that are cheap because of the road tax not because they aren't good. Toyotas are relatively expensive in Ireland due to the fan base, does that make them good cars? Hardly...

It's very easy sit behind a computer and say this is a good car and that is a good car, go out and actually looking at these cars can be a completely different story.

Also, there might be a cheap 01 Corolla vs. a rightly priced one, they could be incomparably different cars.

vulmac

You have nothing to lose by keeping it. You might get €1000 to €1500 at best. Again what you need done to bring the car up to spec is nothing more than the usual maintenance. You will have to do this anyway to sell it on.

166man

Limerick man wrote: »

It's very easy sit behind a computer and say this is a good car and that is a good car, go out and actually looking at these cars can be a completely different story.

Also, there might be a cheap 01 Corolla vs. a rightly priced one, they could be incomparably different cars.

So going by your logic the bangernomics thread is pointless as we don't really know what any of us are looking at. We have to make certain assumptions, it's what makes the world go round.

MidlandsM

166man wrote: »

So going by your logic the bangernomics thread is pointless as we don't really know what any of us are looking at. We have to make certain assumptions, it's what makes the world go round.

the bangernomics thread is just CHEAP BANGER AD SPOTTING, not car vetting in the flesh.........that is all......

the car buying adventure just starts there......

L-M

166man wrote: »

So going by your logic the bangernomics thread is pointless as we don't really know what any of us are looking at. We have to make certain assumptions, it's what makes the world go round.

Exaclty, bangernomic is just fun, it's for an ideal world. I'd say one, maybe two people have bought cars out of it.

You seriously didn't think that every car linked there was a perfect little banger with no hidden past or flaws or potential problems, did you?

Cicero

Sit down and work out your needs for a vehicle over the next number of years OP. That will be your best predictor and starting point of whether you should change it right now.

David09

Keep it. You know the car and what it's like. Plus you'll have the benefit and reassurance of having 4 new tyres and new brakes. You could buy another car of unknown history and have something go catastrophically wrong.