Driving In My Car
Dec. 13th, 2002 04:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
coalescentToday was my first day off for almost a fortnight. I went car-hunting. It was fun, if at times a little depressing; I just don't fit in small cars. I'm too tall for the Rover 25, and my feet are too big for the Ford Fiesta.
In the end, it comes down to two choices. First up is the Peugeot 206. 1.1l engine, CD player, power steering, about 8,000 pounds. It's a nice car to drive, and I love the styling. Plus, after four years of driving a 306 without anything breaking I have a certain amount of trust in Peugeot. The big bonus is, it comes with a year's free insurance.
The other option is the Honda Jazz. 1.4l engine, tape player, no rear speakers, clever seats...and I fit in it. I really, properly, fit in it. I can sit far enough back from the steering wheel, I have plenty of space to put my feet in, my head isn't anywhere near the ceiling. And yet somehow, the exterior is the same size as a 206. It's also lovely wonderful to drive. It's smooth, it's quick, and the handling is astonishingly good.
You can see the downside coming from a mile off, can't you? Yes, it's a whole bunch more expensive: 9,000 pounds for the basic model, and that doesn't include insurance, which is looking to end up at about twelve hundred.
(Plus, the 206 is undeniably cool. The Honda, for all its virtues, really isn't that cool.)
If I want to, I can afford either. The comfort in which I do it will depend on how much Colwood decide to pay me; apparently it will be a number between fifteen and twenty thousand pounds, and the letter is in the post.
I hope it gets here soon.
In the end, it comes down to two choices. First up is the Peugeot 206. 1.1l engine, CD player, power steering, about 8,000 pounds. It's a nice car to drive, and I love the styling. Plus, after four years of driving a 306 without anything breaking I have a certain amount of trust in Peugeot. The big bonus is, it comes with a year's free insurance.
The other option is the Honda Jazz. 1.4l engine, tape player, no rear speakers, clever seats...and I fit in it. I really, properly, fit in it. I can sit far enough back from the steering wheel, I have plenty of space to put my feet in, my head isn't anywhere near the ceiling. And yet somehow, the exterior is the same size as a 206. It's also lovely wonderful to drive. It's smooth, it's quick, and the handling is astonishingly good.
You can see the downside coming from a mile off, can't you? Yes, it's a whole bunch more expensive: 9,000 pounds for the basic model, and that doesn't include insurance, which is looking to end up at about twelve hundred.
(Plus, the 206 is undeniably cool. The Honda, for all its virtues, really isn't that cool.)
If I want to, I can afford either. The comfort in which I do it will depend on how much Colwood decide to pay me; apparently it will be a number between fifteen and twenty thousand pounds, and the letter is in the post.
I hope it gets here soon.
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no subject
Date: 2002-12-13 02:40 pm (UTC)I do have to say that 206's are much nicer and are nice to drive - I test drove one during my car seeking over the last couple of weeks.
On the other hand, congratulations on getting a job that pays quite nicely for what is - essentially - your first 'proper' job post-grad? You don't have much (if anything) to pay off in student debt do you, so that should be a nice income without the full expense of funding your own homelife?
However - and most importantly - have you broken the news yet at the bookshop?
no subject
Date: 2002-12-13 02:48 pm (UTC)They look lovely, but the view is really odd. I'm not used to having the ceiling of the car come that far forward over my head, to the point where it starts to intrude on my vision. I kept wanting to lean forward because I didn't think I could see properly. It's also not as spacious as the Jazz. Did I mention that I actually fit into that one properly? :-)
have you broken the news yet at the bookshop?
Hard not to. They've all been asking me how my interviews have gone. :)
no subject
Date: 2002-12-13 02:58 pm (UTC)Pfft. You're just too tall.
I went from the Metro - a tin can with glass covering the whole of the front and back - so I could see no surroundings at all, to the Renault which has a real parcel shelf in the back and is a hatchback so that there is more non-window than window in my rear-view mirror.
It's just about getting used to it, tbh.
And just because you fit into the car better doesn't mean you'll enjoy the ride more...
no subject
Date: 2002-12-13 03:14 pm (UTC)It doesn't automatically follow, but it was certainly true in this case. Try one and see. I want to get the Jazz; I'm just waiting to hear my exact salary before I set anything in motion.
Re:
Date: 2002-12-13 03:24 pm (UTC)I like that the specification includes:
• Magic Seats
• Funky dials
As two 'high' features :)
And you get a sticker....
no subject
Date: 2002-12-14 04:11 am (UTC)Don't buy a new car. Really. Don't.
Just by driving it off the forcourt you will loose circa 10% of it's value.
Get something in the 00 Y - 51 age range and you will get all of the benefits of a new car (no MOT needed, warrantee, latest styling, up to date features) without the massive inital deprechiation.
Other tips:
Get a loan rather than finance - unless the dealship can offer you a *really* good rate. A lot of those, drive an X for £0.20 a month a based on big deposits and long terms. Avoid unless you have a trade in worth the deposit or a big fat wodge of cash (how much did you get for the write off?).
Check the small print - I've had what I thought was a loan and turned out to be a HP agreement. Got a bit of a shock when I came to settle early (no early re-payment adjustment).
If you want my advise on what car to get go for the 206. The Jazz is nice enough, and bigger than I thought when I saw it at the motor show, but it is trying to look cutesy without actually being cute. The 206 is a much nicer looking car, slightly harsher lines making it look dangerous (in a good way) and sexy if you get it in the right colour (black is best).
If you are dead set on new a good tip is to look for models that are soon to be replaced with newer versions - such as the Nissan Micra - you'll find that there are some good deals to be had. The same goes for used TBH - my 306 was a bit of a bargain becuase the hatch had recently been replaced by the 307.
Also - didn't you say this was a 3 month contract? Or was that the probation period? Either way - I would avoid making any big financial commitments until you know that you are settled in a job and can afford them.
Thus endeth the car-buying-sermon that takes all the fun out of it.....
Stewart (http://www.foxbasealpha.co.uk/wibblings/)
no subject
Date: 2002-12-14 04:39 am (UTC)Maybe you should try taking the bus for a while - even you should manage to fit into one of those with leg-room to spare!
victoria.
no subject
Date: 2002-12-14 06:14 am (UTC)You know you want to.
On the subject of finance, I have no experience of that. My last car I bought with switch, and the one before that I bought with a bundle of cash. Still if you are in the position to need fiance, (after suggesting a cheaper car :-) ) I would say "don't trust the salesmen". Ask them exactly how much commission that they get for the finance part of hte deal, normally it is quite a lot, and that money is ultimately comming from you.
David
no subject
Date: 2002-12-14 09:30 am (UTC)Most modern car stereos have CDs these days, but they are nothing special. Unless it has integrated controls on the steering column I would change the standard stereo.
Guess that is why I have a CD/Minidisc player with 12 Disc CD-Multichanger in my car.......
Don't listen to CDs much at home any more - so good in car entertainment is a must!
Stewart (http://www.foxbasealpha.co.uk/wibblings)
who is not wise - just old
no subject
Date: 2002-12-14 11:10 am (UTC)I'd agree, except for the facts that -
(a) A nearly-new 206 plus insurance is more expensive than a new 206 with a year's free insurance.
(b) The Jazz hasn't been around long enough for there to be any used cars floating around.
(c) Whichever car I buy, it'll be a lease purchase - the company sets a guaranteed value on the car for x months time (where x is probably equal to 36), and buys it back from me at the end of it all. In both cases, digging suggests it is likely that [new car - guaranteed 3-year-old value] is a smaller loss than [nearly new - estimated extra-3-years-old value], by several hundred pounds.
More generally: Even if I had no job at all, I could still afford to buy and run this car for at least one year, and probably two or three. Obviously, I don't want to spend my entire savings in one go, but couple this with the fact that when I met the MD she was very strongly hinting that I would be there for more than three months (by talking about what she wanted me to be doing this time next year), and the fact that the initial salary is only for the three months and will go up to about 25,000 if I do stay longer, and I'm inclined not to worry about the finances that much. Of course, without the job I don't need the car, but it'll make my life a hell of a lot easier.
I've got to say, I'm a little surprised by the number of people advising me to go for style over comfort. Maybe I didn't emphasise strongly enough how much more fun the Jazz was to drive...
no subject
Date: 2002-12-14 11:13 am (UTC)drive an X for £0.20 a month a based on big deposits and long terms.
The deposit is 'however much I want', with a minimum value of zero. The length in either case will be, as I said, three years.
no subject
Date: 2002-12-14 12:13 pm (UTC)Can I just say how much I hate you. I'm not on a great deal more than that and I'm 6 years into my career.....
On the car front, if you are happy with a lease-purchase (options or whatever the particular dealership calls it) and all the small print that goes with it (for example it will be based on annual mileage - and unlike insurance it is contractual, you have to pay extra if you do more miles and the rates are often punative) go for it. It is an affordable, relatively hassle-free and flexible option. It may be worth your while looking beyond the dealerships - there are other companies that do similar schemes and have better offers.
I still find it very hard to believe that you found the Jazz more fun to drive than the 206. A Civic maybe (Type R :) ) but not a Jazz - they just strike me as shopping trollies.
Stewart (http://www.foxbasealpha.co.uk/wibblings)
no subject
Date: 2002-12-14 12:37 pm (UTC)I should probably stop talking about money.
based on annual mileage
Yeah, the dealers went through calculations with various amounts of mileage. It doesn't actually make a huge amount of difference to the charges, so I'd be inclined to estimate on the safe side and go for about 15,000 a year.
very hard to believe that you found the Jazz more fun to drive than the 206.
The steering in the Jazz is incredibly positive - you just turn the wheel and it goes. My dad, who was also having a go in all the cars (entirely for research purposes, of course...) claimed it handled like the Mini he had when he was young. It's also got fantastic visibility, and hey, let's not underestimate the effect of actually fitting in the damn thing. The 206 felt more...flighty. The steering was disconcertingly light. It also had worse acceleration (although you'd expect that, given that it has the smaller engine).
no subject
Date: 2002-12-14 03:14 pm (UTC)Oh, you git. Sod this research lark, I'm going to be a science writer.
no subject
Date: 2002-12-14 03:33 pm (UTC)*whimper*
Although there are some Grad schemes that have similar early salaries, they are not of the many. Plus, unfeasibly long hours, stress, and jetsetting are involved.
Oh, and *sob*
"I've got to say, I'm a little surprised by the number of people advising me to go for style over comfort. Maybe I didn't emphasise strongly enough how much more fun the Jazz was to drive..."
Go for comfort, I say. You're the one that's gotta drive it, not them. And you're the one that has to pay out for it, not them. Though if anyone wishes to shell out for a 206 for me, mark all cheques payable to...
New cars...
Doing neat internet research...
Honda Jazz sure does look cute, though I'm a little surprised it's a 4-door. I'd expect that as a 2-door. (i.e. passenger access, I don't count in the storage compartment access; American-style)
Also, Niall, you know YOU WANT the 'Magic Seat rear seats' ;-p
The Peugot 206 does look considerably more macho, but you really can't put a price on driver comfort.
If you think you'll be doing much driving, I'd go for the poorer economics of the more-comfortable Jazz. Otherwise, the 206 makes the most sense.
---
If I find I need a car in a few years' time, I'll regale you with my questing tales. I can tell you now it'll either be a hybrid (probably the Honda Insight...the panel of the Toyota Prius was a bit too alien for moi; and we're agreed that the Honda Civic leaves much to be desired) or a convertible sports car (hey, it is California, one of the few climates where having something like that makes sense; I like the little Mazda sports convertible, but I have bad experiences with Mazdas ... assuming I want the added maintenance headache of a car, let alone a sports car, in the first place). If I suddenly come into a lot of money, and the infrastructure is there, the new Honda FCX would be uber-cool, even if the design is utterly crap. Okay, okay, okay, I'll add the Mini Cooper too, but I found it wasn't all the comfy on my knees...and for the price they're asking, the premium-priced hybrid is a bargain. (Sorry Roverworks down Cowley.)
Note: Detroit can go sod off and die. :-)
---
no subject
Date: 2002-12-16 12:27 am (UTC)Well flaunting wealth is terribly poor taste..... ;-)
TBH that probably came out worse than intended. The cash is only really a way of keeping score in the how-sucessful-am-I-game that we all play from time to time.
The amount of cash I earn is more than enough to keep me in the style to which I have become accustomed - and tbh I would have accepted less last time I was looking for work. It is just annoying when I have slogged through working (3 part time jobs at one stage!) and a post grad so I could be in a position to earn decent salary and a straight-out-of-college guy gets it straight away without really trying! It isn't even like you were returning to a job you had worked in a college placement or something......
Remind me never to play cards with you Harrison ;-)
Stewart (http://www.foxbasealpha.co.uk/wibblings)