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European cars

joolsveer · 2005-01-15 21:09:43

I am thinking of buying a foreign car. I have bought EU cars for ages and I am unhappy with the dealer support. Can I expect better service from dealers of foreign cars?

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15-01-2005 10:09pm

#1

joolsveer

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I am thinking of buying a foreign car. I have bought EU cars for ages and I am unhappy with the dealer support. Can I expect better service from dealers of foreign cars?

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#2 15-01-2005 11:02pm
lomb

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well toyota dealers are quite friendly

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#3 15-01-2005 11:13pm
mike65

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Foreign cars? How quaint!

Mike.

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#4 16-01-2005 12:39am
Silvera

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Seriously joolsveer, what sort of cars have you bought ?

LHD only ?

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#5 16-01-2005 1:03am
unkel

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Chauffe, Marcel, chauffe!

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mike65 wrote:

Foreign cars? How quaint!

ROFL - long time since the Beetle was assembled over here

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#6 16-01-2005 3:49am
stratos

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I have always found in Ireland that all dealers are most friendly, will help you with anything you need , sort out all problems to the customers utmost satisfaction. Untill you sign ,pay. and drive away. Then it's bye bye baby, don't come back this way!

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#7 16-01-2005 11:38am
joolsveer

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Silvera wrote:

Seriously joolsveer, what sort of cars have you bought ?

LHD only ?

By "foreign" I mean non EU made. The cars I have bought were as follows
Fiat, VW, Opel, Peugeot, Renault. I have owned cars since 1975 which I suppose could make me seem "quaint".

I currently have a Mégane II 1.6 which I bought in 1993. I have already posted some of my experiences with this car which has about 11,000 miles on the clock. I bought it new from the local Renault dealer in Blanchardstown.

link
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=198727

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#8 16-01-2005 11:46am
joolsveer

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One of the problems I find with EU made cars is that all of them I have owned were designed as LHD cars and then converted to RHD. Sometimes this has resulted in dangerous compromises as in the possibility that the front passenger can inadvertently activate the brakes!

This was in relation to a Mégane II also.

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#9 16-01-2005 9:49pm
joolsveer

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Has anybody got any views as to suitable foreign cars for a quaint old f**t who wants an automatic, with full set of airbags, ABS, traction control, climate control, four or five doors, cd/radio with controls on steering column and cruise control.

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#10 16-01-2005 11:20pm
mike65

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Toyota Camry.

Mike.

ps whats your budget?

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#11 16-01-2005 11:35pm
joolsveer

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mike65 wrote:

Toyota Camry.

Mike.

ps whats your budget?

It's whatever my missus allows me to spend!

Isn't the Camry the one which looks like it got its guts hanging out (from a rear view)?

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#12 16-01-2005 11:44pm
Silvera

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joolsveer,

how can the front passenger (in a megane?) inadvertently activate the brakes

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#13 17-01-2005 12:29am
unkel

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Silvera wrote:

how can the front passenger (in a megane?) inadvertently activate the brakes

By slamming down his/her foot. Well reported on a few months back, even here (iirc I started thread on this)

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#14 17-01-2005 12:31am
PauloMN

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Has anybody got any views as to suitable foreign cars for a quaint old f**t

Honda Accord, new or used you should get everything you want on it and they're about as reliable as you can get. As to whether your nearest dealer (Canavans?) will be any better than the Euro dealers, not a clue.

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#15 17-01-2005 1:31am
bazz26

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Have to agree with Paulo.

Had a 94 Honda Accord a couple of years ago as a company car. Had it for 4 years and put 100k miles on the clock with only one problem - radio kept asking for the security code, unit replaced under warranty. Very nippy in 2.0i form and the only money spent on it was for servicing, tyres and timing belt. Even the original battery was in it when it was sold.

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#16 17-01-2005 2:00am
eljono

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I was also going to suggest Honda Accord or even Civic. I think the Civic came in a 1.6 Automatic. Honda are extremely reliable cars and the Accord would have a good spec. Also, since they're made in Japan, some of them would have been designed as R.H.D. (Japanese drive on the left).
If not maybe Nissan MAxima? I know they're cheap, comfortable and high on spec but I don't know what their reliability record is like.

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#17 17-01-2005 2:41am
bazz26

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The Honda Jazz, Civic 3/5 dr and Accord are all made in Swindon, UK for the last couple of years so most are engineered in RHD.

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#18 17-01-2005 11:54pm
jlang

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Joolsveer:Have you considered that part of the reason you're having so many problems may be due to your low mileage. 11,000 miles since 1993 is after all remarkably low.

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#19 18-01-2005 12:14am
aodh_rua

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Honda's do have one hell of a reputation. I remember Jeremy Clarkson said that if Honda built people no-one would die - following Sunday Honda took out a full page ad in the Sunday Times - passport photo of JC in the middle and the quote underneath.

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#20 18-01-2005 11:52pm
joolsveer

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jlang wrote:

Joolsveer:Have you considered that part of the reason you're having so many problems may be due to your low mileage. 11,000 miles since 1993 is after all remarkably low.

I used to do a greater mileage and had cars that were bits of bangers. I foolishly expected that when I had a few bob and could buy a new car that I would have fewer problems. Alas it was not the case. The service interval on my current car is 18,000 so I can't imagine that it should be troublesome at 11,000 since September 2003.

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