Ever regret buying a car?

Brazen · 26-02-2011, 02:18 PM

Was speaking to a nephew of mine, late last year he traded in a 1996 Toyota Camry on a brand new Lancer VRX.

He thinks the Lancer is a great car, but every time he walks out to it he sees $25,000 of debt sitting in his driveway, he regrets not just keeping his Camry and running it into the ground.

I told him that as its his first big purchase he will get used to it after a while.. But got me thinking have you ever regretted buying a car??

Luckily I havent every regretted buying one, but back in the 90s I got a job with a company car as part of my package, I had in my head a nice new Falcon GL for my long country trips, great! But a senior person in the company had left and they had a top of the range Maxima in surplus which I could have instead of a base model Falcon, they said it was my choice. I was unsure but I wanted to do the right thing for my employer so enthusiastically accepted the surplus car. Big mistake, I hated that front wheel drive POS, It was uncomfortable and slow, it had shockingly dull high-beam lights and simply couldnt handle Australian dirt roads - something needed fixing or replacing constantly, it ate engine mounts and it squeaked and rattled like a 30 year old Land Rover. I was in that car for up to 4 hours a day..aarghh. In the end only had it for 12 months so not the end of the world.

metallurg · 26-02-2011, 02:30 PM

I got a brand new Mazda6 in 2008 and have pretty much regretted it every day since. The seats are goddam uncomfortable and it has sod all power. Only 6 months to go and I can trade up....

XB GS 351 Coupe · 26-02-2011, 02:33 PM

Have never regretted buying one but have regretted selling some a few times..

Quote:

Originally Posted by metallurg

I got a brand new Mazda6 in 2008 and have pretty much regretted it every day since. The seats are goddam uncomfortable and it has sod all power. Only 6 months to go and I can trade up....

Perfect reason to sit in a car and take it for a test run before buying it.

gcg2503 · 26-02-2011, 02:39 PM

They say that one of the 100 things you should do before you die is buy a new car

I did it once and wont be doing it again me thinks!

loosey · 26-02-2011, 02:40 PM

I don't really regret it but buying my skyline wasn't really a good decision. At the time I wanted a stagea but my mate had just had a kid and it was too cheap to pass up. Within the first month if owning it i realised how impractical it is, can't go camping because you can't get much more than an esky and a tent in the boot, can't carry the kayaks, always worry about getting defected and the constant fear of it both being there when I return to it.
That said I've owned it for three years now and I wanted a jap car for a long time. I'll get rid of it soon though.

Wretched · 26-02-2011, 02:57 PM

nope, never have. I have had big problems with some cars I have bought but never regretted them. It made me better myself when purchasing the next one. What to look for and what not to buy again.

chrisfpv · 26-02-2011, 03:13 PM

Yeahp, the one I have now. If I was to ever see the Car Dealer who sold it to me i'd beat his face in. That's not a joke either, i'd really assault him to cause permanent damage.

Dodgy roadworthy, didn't complete his paperwork with Vicroads which caused me to get stung $600 after the rego was suspended by Vicroads and picked up by the police one day. Luckily for him Civil Compliance or whoever they are had a brain and after lodging a form with them they cancelled the fine.

In order for me to get the car into my name and back on the road I had to go down to Vicroads and explain the situation to them. They put it into my name (which they shouldn't do, but given the circumstances) and chased the Car Yard for the $300 or so odd bucks they owed them. Even called me to confirm the Car Yard had paid them after they were sent a nasty letter from Vicroads.

6 months on, new radiator, new water pump, new starter motor, new battery. Oh and faulty water pump = overheated engine, so new engine also.

Yeahp, i'd ruin his life if we ever crossed paths.

Halfmo Rocks · 26-02-2011, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XR

If I was to ever see the Car Dealer who sold it to me i'd beat his face in. That's not a joke either, i'd really assault him to cause permanent damage.

Dodgy roadworthy, didn't complete his paperwork with Vicroads which caused me to get stung $600 after the rego was suspended by Vicroads and picked up by the police one day. Luckily for him Civil Compliance or whoever they are had a brain and after lodging a form with them they cancelled the fine.

6 months on, new radiator, new water pump, new starter motor, new battery. Oh and faulty water pump = overheated engine, so new engine also.

Yeahp, i'd ruin his life if we ever crossed paths.

same story for me on my last one...BAII XR6T ute. was sold to me with many lies attached about it's service history. i ran my finances into major problems trying to fix things...but finances could stretch no further. i traded it on my currnet BFII XT...and between the loss of value & money spent...i am over 15 grand worse off for 4 months of turbo ownership.
the BFII has been all but perfect for 5 months now.
if only i had aimed for this kind of car before i bought the xr6...could have got a brand new one

naddis01 · 26-02-2011, 03:23 PM

I regret getting an Egas RTV. Not because it is a terrible car but because of the terrible consumption (18-20L/100km). Not to mention the lower power. I doubt it is saving anything over a petrol one. We should have just got a petrol one and converted it.

Having said that though it has actually been the most reliable car I have ever had. We have had it since Aug 08 and have done near on 60,000km and it has never had a warranty claim (one recall though). Unlike every other car I have owned - 2 Falcons, 2 Mazdas and 2 Hyundais - all new.

It did however wear out the front pads and rotors after 45,000km. I didn't touch the brakes on my BA in 150,000km other than a front pad change at 90,000km.

metallurg · 26-02-2011, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XB GS 351 Coupe

Perfect reason to sit in a car and take it for a test run before buying it.

I actually did, and at the time I figured it had enough power. Didn't notice the seats though - that was only after the first *long* drive.

Yellow_Festiva · 26-02-2011, 03:36 PM

Citroen C3 Pluriel.

Good design concept ruined by poor ergonomics, astronomical spare parts costs, a plethora of well known quality / durability problems (but no factory recalls), the worst auto box on the market and bugger all back seat / boot space.

Yellow_Festiva · 26-02-2011, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam Rocks

same story for me on my last one...BAII XR6T ute. was sold to me with many lies attached about it's service history. i ran my finances into major problems trying to fix things...but finances could stretch no further. i traded it on my currnet BFII XT...and between the loss of value & money spent...i am over 15 grand worse off for 4 months of turbo ownership.
the BFII has been all but perfect for 5 months now.
if only i had aimed for this kind of car before i bought the xr6...could have got a brand new one

Didn't the car have the stat 3 month / 5000km warranty? Or that only a NSW thing?

As for dealership lies. You should have followed that up and pushed hard. I started a thread a while back about the same thing and a letter and a few phone calls the the right people got it all sorted out to my satisfaction.

vztrt · 26-02-2011, 04:28 PM

I guess the current Falcon I have...but its more I regret getting rid of the BA XR. It was a stocker but it was manual (I hate auto's so much more having to go back to one) and it was such a strong reliable car. I have little mechanical sympathy in vehicles and that thing took it constantly without skipping a beat.

Halfmo Rocks · 26-02-2011, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

Didn't the car have the stat 3 month / 5000km warranty? Or that only a NSW thing?

As for dealership lies. You should have followed that up and pushed hard. I started a thread a while back about the same thing and a letter and a few phone calls the the right people got it all sorted out to my satisfaction.

it did, i am in NSW...but it was right after the 3 months ended everything went bad. i'd already had 5 visits back for warranty in the first 3 months anyway. after all the drama...i just wanted it over with.
in hindsight, i should have got my back up over it...but i'm a shy kinda guy, tough stuff for me to do that.
basically it was a lemon, they shouldnt have sold it as it was...and i should have looked at things more carefully & not been so eager to get the sweet car.

i learned my lesson. look much harder in the future at the finest of details, and buy from ford yards...not random "every car" yards

sinclair ford gave me a good one, and i'm happy in my povo-pack BFII...despite losing the turbo, the 6speed manual & all the xr goodies

XB GS 351 Coupe · 26-02-2011, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by metallurg

I actually did, and at the time I figured it had enough power. Didn't notice the seats though - that was only after the first *long* drive.

I see the old long drive....I find FG seats really uncomfortable in my work car, prefer my BA/BF seats.

RAPID_BA · 26-02-2011, 06:10 PM

I regret buying a near new VS V8 many years back when i could and should have bought the old vl walkinshaw for same money.

At the time i thought, who wants an old vl when i
Can get a near new vs.

Looked at and drove both, insurance price and newness made me get the vs

charles_wif_xf · 26-02-2011, 06:12 PM

I regretted buying the turbo... for about an hour

GYRKIN GT · 26-02-2011, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flappist

Quick, get your mum to drive you over there and whack him with your keyboard........

Ryan · 26-02-2011, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HULK_BA

I regret buying a near new VS V8 many years back when i could and should have bought the old vl walkinshaw for same money.

At the time i thought, who wants an old vl when i
Can get a near new vs.

Looked at and drove both, insurance price and newness made me get the vs

I still prefer driving a VL over a VS even today.

Powdered Toast Man · 26-02-2011, 07:10 PM

I was like your nephew Brazen. I bought my BA on the spur of the moment decision instead of weighing up what I really actually wanted. I didnt want another large car as I was a single guy so I was going to downsize or go sporty.

Nowadays I am happy with the car (actually it seems to be one of the few BAs without niggly defects or mechanical faults) it was just a bad financial decision as it was about twice my budget lol.

Luckily I paid it off quickly so I wasn't stung with too much interest. But when I think about the money it cost and where that money could have been better spent I kick myself.

Now I am thinking about buying a new car but when I consider it financially it's a stupid decision at the moment. My car is still young, running well, cheap to fuel (LPG), powerful, somewhat rare (3V XT) and worth practically nothing to sell or trade. So it's staying with me for a while yet.

The Yeti · 26-02-2011, 07:12 PM

Cars I regret buying

BA Fairmont Giha
Territory for no other reason than poor quality control and even worse dealer service (Thanks Power ford)

Cars I regret Selling

1962 XL Delux
1970 ZC fairlane Factory Black

Mazda 1300 2door Coupe

Ben73 · 26-02-2011, 08:09 PM

I regret buying the jeep patriot. It's now 1 year old 2010 model with 25000kms on it and I'm seriously considering getting rid of it for a V8. Nothing wrong with it, I just made a big mistake buying it. Feels like a massive waste of money. But I have now learnt from my mistake.

Spudz27 · 26-02-2011, 08:17 PM

I regretted the camry although the stock stereo is redeeming it somewhat. Prodigy full blast sounds great in comparison to the Fairmont.

I also regret the Fairmont because I look at it as a waste of money (we do need a second car), because I stupidly pinned my hopes on an op working which didn't, so thought "yeah we need two cars I will buy it" and now having to pay off the Fairmont whilst trying to save for time off possibly needed from next op is impossible. So I can't look at it without feeling angry at myself.

I regret selling my ED Futura for the Camry

chrisfpv · 26-02-2011, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flappist

Quick, get your mum to drive you over there and whack him with your keyboard........

How about you start another thread with a poll to see if I should?

Or how about you contribute something to the thread instead being your usual self? Maybe you should start another thread with a poll to see if you should do that too?

flappist · 26-02-2011, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XR

How about you start another thread with a poll to see if I should?

Or how about you contribute something to the thread instead being your usual self? Maybe you should start another thread with a poll to see if you should do that too?

chrisfpv · 26-02-2011, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flappist

Where's the poll?

Bucknaked · 26-02-2011, 09:31 PM

Looks like you've got a fan there Flappist. I'm sure he'll grow to love and respect you.

SM1DY · 26-02-2011, 09:31 PM

This thread is starting to get a bit juvenile

SpoolMan · 26-02-2011, 09:32 PM

Common boys lets get on with the thread.
edit: Anymore off topic or insults will incur a points warning.
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Only car I regret buying was a gutless VK commie carburetor model 6 cyl on LPG so gutless it was a joke...spent more money on repairs then any other car I have owned..

CADSKY · 26-02-2011, 09:44 PM

getting back onto topic. i semi regret buying my BF MK11 XR6. young and stupid are the two words that come to mind. a great car, luckily was smart enough to get the 5 year extended warranty. have only had 1 issue with it that was sorted out with warranty. a great car that i love but finacially a stupid decision. only 2 years to go till paid off but keen on a V8 and a ute would be alot more convenient now, so looking into a BA XR8 ute. yes its older but i can get a good one for about the same as what i could sell mine for. also really over the auto even if it is a ZF.