The Driving Thread

[Foe]

My 3 series is coming up for 10 years old and I’ve driven every mile in it. £30ish grand a decade age after I had a 3 year lease and then paid the ballon payment.

Reckon it’s about £600-800/year on average for service and MOT but the buffer probably hasn’t depreciated much at all the last few years. Until it become a hassle I won’t be binning it. Done something like 51-52k miles.

Leases I can imagine are super convenient to just keep deferring costs effectively. That might be what I do when this thing falls over purely to just keep capital available, but eventually buying a 2 or 3 year old BMW is my base case again. This car has just been so reliable.

[randomlegend]

Should I be wary of a 2018 car that's only done 4500 miles?

[niko_cee]

Has it been owned by an old biddy?

Wary as in you fear it would have been clocked?

[randomlegend]

It's a Mégane RS so I doubt it's been owned by an old biddy.

I wasn't sure if mechanically it's not that great for cars to be barely used.

My other thought was whether it's been used as someone's track car but probably no way of confirming or denying that.


I assumed you can't really fiddle the mileage on modern cars.

[Giggles]

You can fiddle mileage on anything, but 4500 would be a bit too optimistic for that year. Anyone with half a brain would be clocking that to around 40k and there wouldn't be a question asked.

[Pepe]

That is strange. I would definitely ask what the story is. It is not great for cars to sit, but it is not that old and it has been used some, so it would probably be ok.

When I bought my car it had about 4000 miles, but it was only three years old. Looking at the history, it had obviously been repossessed.

[Pepe]

How is it priced? As with everything, if it is too good to be true...

[Ben]

Yeah I'd be wary. Very infrequent heating of the oil will result in sludge/varnish on the engine and that's how you get scored cylinders and boom boom down the line. Unless it has been a track car and the owner regularly serviced it anyway despite the lack of miles.

But Magic told me my car should have blown up by now so what do I know.

[Giggles]

Actually yeah something like repossessed could be likely there if you do a proper history check. Definitely to see if it sat for ages as a salvage job either and someone has bodged a repair to shift it.

[randomlegend]

The garage said they bought it as a private sale from the original owner.

I've emailed them to ask if they have any history about why the mileage is so low (was it used as a track car, was it serviced, etc) so I'll see what they come back with.

It's £21,000 so I think priced pretty much as expected.

[Ben]

Use carvertical or something for a comprehensive check. £20 for a proper check versus a £21k car is nothing.

[-james-]

Have you looked at the MOT history? Usually gives some clues.

[randomlegend]

The dealer have got back to me and it has been serviced twice despite only doing those miles and they will service it again.

I am aware some of these cars had a recall for a fuel pump issue so I asked about that and they've checked and it is part of the recall but it hasn't been done so would need to go to the Renault main dealer to have that done (but would be under warranty).

They said it's not been tracked as far as they know but couldn't be definite.

[niko_cee]

It's a Mégane RS so I doubt it's been owned by an old biddy.

Perhaps, although in my experience elderly boomers often get pushed towards the most expensive variant of a given vehicle. I agree in the case of a Megane RS that would be an odd jumping off point, but you see plenty of relative biddies driving Golf GTis and those 595 fiat 500s, although maybe that was more of a Guernsey thing.

[Magic]

Yeah I'd be wary. Very infrequent heating of the oil will result in sludge/varnish on the engine and that's how you get scored cylinders and boom boom down the line. Unless it has been a track car and the owner regularly serviced it anyway despite the lack of miles.

But Magic told me my car should have blown up by now so what do I know.

Every time I see this thread with a new post I get that fuzzy feeling inside that it's you posting about your engine blowing up.

[Dquincy]

It's £21,000 so I think priced pretty much as expected.

Glad to see those doctors strikes paying off.

[phonics]

Glad to see those doctors strikes paying off.

Quincy thinks Doctors are paid too much because they can afford a VW Polo.

[randomlegend]

Glad to see those doctors strikes paying off.

Me too, cheers mate appreciate your support. Probably be back out there after April when the DDRB recommendation is either shit or late

[randomlegend]

Regarding the car, it's been regularly MOTed and serviced with no problems and the mileages all stack up so doesn't look like it's been fiddled.

[Magic]

Maybe it's just track miles? In which case, run lol.

I'd be less bothered if it was a convertible because you don't drive it as a daily but it does seem weird it's just a normal hot hatch that's 7 years old...

Plus it's French. I'd walk.

[Pepe]

Magic says bad idea, so you should definitely get it.

[Magic]

Whatever. It's just such an odd car to not drive, unless it's a track slut.

[Pepe]

All cars are odd to not drive.

[Ben]

Unless it's a Fiat Multipla. Which is unironically pretty great functionally, just it looks abhorrent.

[randomlegend]

So the garage got back to me and said it was an old guy they bought it from who'd had it from new. He bought it as his dream car but didn't end up driving it much because of poor health and ultimately decided he couldn't justify keeping it.

Depends whether I believe them or not I guess. I think I probably do.

[Spikey M]

I wouldn't be dropping 20 grand on a Renault. It could be their version of the Ferrari Enzo for all I know, it's still a fucking Renault. Just get a Dacia Sandero.

[Magic]

A Megane as your dream car.

[randomlegend]

RS Meganes are one of the most popular track cars around (the previous gen particularly), they are amazing to drive.

[Spikey M]

A Megane as your dream car.

He was planning to drive it regularly until he injured his back on his dream holiday at Pontins.

[Magic]

RS Meganes are one of the most popular track cars around (the previous gen particularly), they are amazing to drive.

Are you listening to yourself? Does the car come with an enormous red flag included?

[Magic]

He was planning to drive it regularly until he injured his back on his dream holiday at Pontins.

And instead of binning it straight away he let it devalue for years for no apparent reason then decided to get rid of it.

[Pepe]

The Megane RS is definitely cool. Not sure if I would call it a 'dream' car, but I would take it over a Z4 any day, tbh.

[Pepe]

I'd take a Miata over both.

[Magic]

The Megane RS is definitely cool. Not sure if I would call it a 'dream' car, but I would take it over a Z4 any day, tbh.

Passed it's MOT no advisories.

[randomlegend]

I'd take a Miata over both.

Two seater is too impractical unfortunately.

[Manc]

Congratulations.

[Magic]

Two seater is too impractical unfortunately.

"I'm not fit, healthy or agile enough to get in a true sports car"

[Pepe]

Two seater is too impractical unfortunately.

Same reason I'm still on the Fiat. Can't take both girls to daycare on a Miata.

[Pepe]

Passed it's MOT no advisories.

Not like that other ticking time bomb amirite.

[Magic]

Same reason I'm still on the Fiat. Can't take both girls to daycare on a Miata.

Try putting them in it instead.

[Pepe]

Nah, they'll damage the upholstery.

[randomlegend]

"I'm not fit, healthy or agile enough to get in a true sports car"

I guess you don't have to worry about practicality since you don't see your kid.

[SincereTheRebel]

Putting touchscreen buttons in a car is stupid. You have to take your eyes off the road to turn up the heating. With proper buttons, i can do it with a no-look-pass. Its probably a thing of the past now.

[Magic]

I guess you don't have to worry about practicality since you don't see your kid.

I don't have to worry about it because I've got two other cars.

[niko_cee]

You'll have to let that Red Bull guy know if you ever sell the collection.

[randomlegend]

Not going to proceed on that car I think.

It's more than I was planning to spend and was only considering it because the mileage is so low and it's close, but the mileage being so low also comes with it's own question marks.

I'd have had to borrow some money from my grandad and we've already got the big holiday to pay off so probably not a wise thing to be doing.

[Pepe]

Collect your e-victory, magic.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Doctor's strikes not going so well then it seems, Quince.

[Pepe]

"NHS in disarray. Doctor resorts to borrowing from Nan to cover basic necessities. Can't even afford a Renault!"

[Magic]

Collect your e-victory, magic.

The true e-victory would have been him and Ben consoling each other.