Reply to: Buy or lease a car?

[Slumdog]

thanks for the info but i've started to figure out what i'm looking for.

Audi A3 2.0 Tdi, must have 6sp, 17s, leather, climate. I know the cost may go up but it's what i want now. I cant save all the money

[BolshieBastard]

BMW has no longer a choice thanks to CUK posters. anyone know of any deals for Audi A3 diesel. Hoping for 2.0litre engine within/around £10k and average mileage.

I wouldnt bother about that. The 3 series diesel is a very refined car and motorway muncher. My 2002 E46 320d is on its original front tyres at 130k miles (yes, that's right, 130k!) and returns 57mpg. It used to be 60mpg regularly but I recently had the rear discs replaced (at about 120k miles) and think they may be dragging a little more than the originals.

You may be able to get a late E46 model or an early E90 low mileage for your budget.

[slockyer]

OMG it is so bad, it is good. I love the Big Mac index haha.

[ASB]

If you can stand the graphics:-

http://www.lingscars.com/index_min.php

[Slumdog]

BMW has no longer a choice thanks to CUK posters. anyone know of any deals for Audi A3 diesel. Hoping for 2.0litre engine within/around £10k and average mileage.

[BolshieBastard]

I'm on my third lease car.

Currently on my second Audi A6 on a personal lease basis. this one costs me £355 per month for 24 months and is cheaper per month than the last one.

The plus(es) are these:
* brand new car
* no road tax
* totally reliable
* no major capital outlay
* spend less than buying a new car over the same period
* new car every two years.
* 'premium' cars are cheaper than non-premium beacuse the residual values are higher.

There are some cheap deals going on the new A6 ATM but your figures dont tell the full story.

Either £355 pm is ex VAT or you have specified less than 10k miles pa.

You are paying for the road tax, its just in your monthly payments. Of course you spend less than buying a new car but your lease car goes back on 2 years and you have nothing. Effectively, you are in a rolling 2 or 3 year contract at nearly £400 a month until you do decide to buy.

The bit about premium cars being cheaper due to residuals is a myth put out by the leasing industry. Your monthly lease on a premium car is substantially higher than on a non premium car. Just compare the rates, mercs, bimmers and audi's are always more expensive to lease than their vauxhall and ford counterparts.

You can get some good lease deals especially if like audi, they discount the car to get more of them on the road.

Having said that, you can also get very good deals to buy the A6. My local audi dealer offerred the same repayments on a new A6 tdie with bluetooth and sat nav etc as for a lease car. The interest was 1.2% pa.

In the end I decided not to lease or buy the A6 as it was such a bland car.

[NickNick]

The previous 5 (or 6) cars were all Golf GTi's and I fancied a change. However as soon as The Boy came along, it just wasn't a sensible car, hence theHonda Jazz and Mazda 6 we got to replace it.

[SBK1972]

Hi

I know a few guys that have got a few 7' series onlease. Both of them are chauffeurs, and do many miles. But, what they tend to do, is pay for a lease with low mileage, and keep clocking the cars back.

They have a small mobile mechanic who services the cars using BMW oil filters / parts, taking it to the dealer every 6 months for a service, to keep the dealer / service book looking correct.

Obviously they keep the cars in int condition, more for the job really, but helps when it comes to returning the car.

Thats what I would do. However, Im old school, rather buy the car out right, look after it, etc etc. Mind you, I brought my m3 evo new back in 98', still got it. Cost me over £40K cash in 98, worth about £7K, so perhaps not the right way considering the amount of cash IVe lost.

SBK

[Elevator_Music]

Combination. Expensive and it turned out that whilst the 120d was a great car to drive it had no back seat and no boot to speak of.

That's the problem with the 1 series. Yes great great drive. 1 point. BUT outclassed in almost every other way (back seat, boot space, equipment). I mean, you might as well just be done with it and buy a Z4!

Golf GTI would be my choice, and to be honest much cooler.

[CheeseSlice]

Buy a nearly new cheap Mondeo diesel and flog it till death for 10 years, seriously.

This makes an interesting read: Buyers may be wasting money on diesel cars

WHS. I'm not fussy on my cars though.
I'd much rather buy a nearly new car outright, and not have to worry about the payments going out every month (especially now).

[tino]

Combination. Expensive and it turned out that whilst the 120d was a great car to drive it had no back seat and no boot to speak of.

'er indoors has a 2 door Fiesta diesel at the moment, it's just too small though with the child hence looking for something bigger - and she want's a 4x4

[oraclesmith]

Nick Nick Lease-One !

[NickNick]

Too expensive or just cause it's a BMW?

Combination. Expensive and it turned out that whilst the 120d was a great car to drive it had no back seat and no boot to speak of.

[Elevator_Music]

With regard to leasing, are you not bound by the set mileage you sign upto at the start of the lease? And if you go over it, they charge you per mile for going over (shaft you big time)?

This always put me off in case I had to get a gig in Glasgow (for example)?

[tino]

I leased a Honda Jazz for £99 a month including insurance with no deposit. Mileage limited to 10K though.

At the end of the first year, I was given the chance to buy it at
(the retail price at t = 0) - (12x99)
which we jumped at. I'd definitely do that again, but compared to a BMW 120d I leased for close to 400 a month I'd not touch that again.

Too expensive or just cause it's a BMW?