buying a new car

[Icy Gull]

How many things do you need in your car in France? Bulbs, breathalysers, emergency equipment, do they like loading people's cars up with crap?

Pretty sure you don't need the breathalysers anymore. You do need a reflective jacket for everyone in the car and they have to be kept in the car not the boot.

It's an absolute pleasure to drive on French roads after our third world motorways here

 

[willyfantastic]

You mean the ones consistently recalling their cars because of safety fears or defective components?

my toyota got a brand new gearbox due to the recall a few years ago. it ran fine then and it runs fine now so im not complaining

90k on the clock, never had a problem with it

 

[Mutts Nuts]

Wife and I are thinking of buying a new car, to be probably our last and downsizing from our Octavia. We have looked at 2 that appear to be VFM, a Kia Picanto and a Dacia Sanderosa made by Renault the problem is for a test drive both agents said it is about a 4 mile round trip which doesnt give a true appraisal of performance comfort etc. I want to hire 1 and drive to Southmpton or Portsmouth and back to get town and open road experience but due to insurance and the mileage neither can provide extented test drive. Does any body know of a self drive company or garage anywhere in SE England who may be able to help or does anybody own one who can give me some opinons.

if they wont let you have a decent test drive don`t buy a car from them, simples

 

[beorhthelm]

Why do people by renaults?!

marketing.

 

[BensGrandad]

if they wont let you have a decent test drive don`t buy a car from them, simples

Apparently the law has changed, according to another dealer, they cannot insure you or their car for you. This dealer was prepared to lend us one but we had to insure it ourselves, if we then buy the car the insurance premium is refunded. So phoned insurance company to ask the price and proceedure etc and they said they cant do it as we dont own the car and in the event of an accident and damage to the car we would not suffer any loss. This sounds like rubbish to me as I could borrow a car from somebody on here and insure it for me to drive. Wife is covered to drive anybody elses car but not me as I am now just a named driver on her policy.

 

[Notters]

Apparently the law has changed, according to another dealer, they cannot insure you or their car for you. This dealer was prepared to lend us one but we had to insure it ourselves, if we then buy the car the insurance premium is refunded. So phoned insurance company to ask the price and proceedure etc and they said they cant do it as we dont own the car and in the event of an accident and damage to the car we would not suffer any loss. This sounds like rubbish to me as I could borrow a car from somebody on here and insure it for me to drive. Wife is covered to drive anybody elses car but not me as I am now just a named driver on her policy.

Big companies generally self insure anyway, so they don't need insurance as such.

 

[surrey jim]

Apparently the law has changed, according to another dealer, they cannot insure you or their car for you. This dealer was prepared to lend us one but we had to insure it ourselves, if we then buy the car the insurance premium is refunded. So phoned insurance company to ask the price and proceedure etc and they said they cant do it as we dont own the car and in the event of an accident and damage to the car we would not suffer any loss. This sounds like rubbish to me as I could borrow a car from somebody on here and insure it for me to drive. Wife is covered to drive anybody elses car but not me as I am now just a named driver on her policy.

Try tempcover.com or similar. They do short term insurance

 

[BensGrandad]

Try tempcover.com or similar. They do short term insurance

Thanks for that as I did an on line quote which came up as £22 per day.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Pretty sure you don't need the breathalysers anymore.

Yes you do - http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/overseas/compulsory_equipment.html

I drive in France for around six weeks a year and the police can be shit hot on these so you need to make sure you have two.

 

[Icy Gull]

Yes you do - http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/overseas/compulsory_equipment.html

I drive in France for around six weeks a year and the police can be shit hot on these so you need to make sure you have two.

Recommended but still not law and you will not be fined. Like you I have them but I wouldn't bother to buy them if you are motoring in France now.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/road-safety/9880120/France-breathalyser-fine-dropped.html

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/overseas/driving-abroad-whats-new-2012.html

 

[HovaGirl]

Yep, the car put the wipers on! Fuel pump would randomly fail, internal lights were sketchy to say the least. The car was not new, 8 years old, but even so......

That's an old car. What do you expect?

 

[HovaGirl]

I'd be interested to know what has gone wrong with them? I always assume that people only continue to buy Renaults because they don't realise how unreliable they are compared to other cars.

Nothing went wrong with any of our Renaults. I gave the history of why they were changed.
1. S/h Renault Laguna p/exchanged for brand-new Renault Laguna
2. New Renault Laguna sold because we went to live in Greece
3. Bought brand new Megane in Greece. It was stolen.
4. Bought another brand new Megane in Greece. Sold it after 7 years when we returned to UK.
5. Bought another brand new Megane in UK.

All of these cars have been very reliable. However, it could be because most of them were brand new. The first was only 3 years old.

 

[wellquickwoody]

That's an old car. What do you expect?

8 years, old? Comfortable life eh?

 

[PWA]

Always kick the tyres.

 

[HovaGirl]

8 years, old? Comfortable life eh?

We had 8-year-old cars for years, one after the other, and they all became too expensive to repair when they broke down. Hence, we shifted to newer cars. The newer the car, the cheaper to run.