Selling a nearly new car...

PaulieC

I am in the position of having to get rid of a 05 Volvo S40 SE, registered in March as the missus is expecting twins in the next couple of weeks. I want to get a mini-MPV (7-seater) , but the thought of losing so much on my current car galls me. So the options as I see it are:
1) Trade-in against a new MPV (Renault Grand Scenic or similar)
2) Sell my car and pay cash for a new car
3) Go back to Volvo dealer and ask him to order the car of my choice and give him the Volvo.
There are pros and cons for each scenario, but given the fact that my car is so new, no one will give me a trade-in price and I'm getting very differing opinions on a private sale

Any suggestions ?

Alun

It's a tricky situation which I was also in a few years ago when I moved from Holland to Ireland after having just bought a new Bora 2.3 V5 with all the extras six months before. In the end I just dumped it on the dealer I'd bought it from and took whatever derisory amount he offered me. All attempts at a private sale fell on stoney ground with the only takers being opportunists who wanted to take it off me for next to nothing, presumably to sell on. I wasn't trading in though, so maybe that'd make a difference.

Maybe you could build a time machine and go back in time 9 months and develop a sudden "headache"

kluivert

How many kids have you got.

The S40 imo is a great family car.

I wouldnt bother changing it coz (congrats) if your wife is expecting twins you'll only have on pram thing and the S40 has a big boot.

If your looking at MPV theres better than the Renault. Try the Mazda, Ford or Opel option as well.

PaulieC

I have one and two on the way. I agree, It would have been perfect for just the two and to be honest, I wasn't really planning on twins .
But I've been out getting car seats and trying them out and the like and the back seat of the Volvo is just not going to be big enough for two car seats and my other girl, who is almost 5. (Big enough being a pretty relative term, in my day we had to fit 12 of us into the back seat etc etc. )
I have driven all of the mini-MPVs that are on offer and found that in terms of practicality, the Grand Scenic is best. I want three separate seats in the middle row (the Mazda5 only has two+a tiny middle one, as does the c-max) and the Zafira I found too difficult to move the seats around, and that was on a brand new car. The Corolla Verso was nice and would have been perfect only for the boot is too tiny with all seats up. The Honda FRV(3+3) was the seats and the boot, but when I was driving it on the M50, my daughter grabbed my arm and started telling me how much she loved me, which nearly had us off the road. The peugeot 307SW was a runner until I drove it - very tatty interior for a brand new car.
All in all, the Renault was the best, IMO. I used to own a Laguna, so I know how the quality can be, but it will be covered by warranty.

Rodney Trotter

The Corolla Verso would be the best option w.r.t. depreciation. Remember you don't have to have all 7 seats in use at all times and you can fold unused seats into the floor when not in use. Similarily with the Grand Scenic and Zafira. One drawback, possibly, with the Corolla is the fact they are actually assembled in Turkey.

Also remember the Touran, but they are spartan and you have to pay well for any creature comforts.

The MAZDA will be a sales failure, like most all mazdas, irregardless of their features.

Remember the Grand Scenic version, with a sunroof, doesn't carry a spare wheel. It has an aerosol to pump up the tyre if it goes flat but the tyre must be discarded after use, so a puncture can cost up to €250, if you need to replace the tyre with an identical one.

w.r.t. boot space? If you are going to be running with all 7 seats occupied, think about getting a roof-rack (rails) and roof box. They are a useful accessory and handy if you need the extra space, only occasionally.


Finally? I would recommend you go back to where you bought your car and see what they can do for you with a new car , even if it is a Renault. You could also consider KOPING Volvo, owned by Mooney's, who also count HONDA, HYUNDAI, SUZUKI and NISSAN among their franchises. I cannot think of any VOLVO dealer who also sells RENAULT. Johnson and Perrot, in Cork, do OPEL, VOLVO and HONDA, but that might be too far out of the way for you. I think the VOLVO dealer in GALWAY has a multi-franchise too, again maybe too far for you.

lanno

i would also say try KOPING Volvo as they have links to a
RENAULT dealer

knifey_spoonie

The corollla verso,s are well built, they may well be built inb turky but they have to meet the same toyota standards as any other.I know for a fact the renault are complete tripe .They are giving endless problems and the 2 rear seats in the back weigh a tonne.With the zafira opel say that they do not consider 1L of oil per 100 miles as excessive oil burning

I,d say the verso is you man 5 star N-CAP .There are a few in toyota dealers just back from fleet.Go for the Luna model A/C and alloys the A/C helps when you have babies and that much glass in a carAve a look here

Squirrel

knife_fighter wrote:

The corollla verso,s are well built, they may well be built inb turky but they have to meet the same toyota standards as any other.I know for a fact the renault are complete tripe .They are giving endless problems and the 2 rear seats in the back weigh a tonne.With the zafira opel say that they do not consider 1L of oil per 100 miles as excessive oil burning

I,d say the verso is you man 5 star N-CAP .There are a few in toyota dealers just back from fleet.Go for the Luna model A/C and alloys the A/C helps when you have babies and that much glass in a carAve a look here

Do you have any proof about the Renault or Opel,I know people who have had both and thought they were brilliant, preferred the Renault

junkyard

I'll give you proof of how crappy Renaults are!!!!! I sold a new Renault Senic to a customer of mine a couple of years ago and the thing broke down six times in the first five months with the same problem that Renault knew about (igniter coils) and each time they would only replace the individual one instead of the set. Of course I was getting the stick for it and I had to tow it for free each time. Renaults reply was " tow it up to us and we'll replace THE igniter coil" and " The're all like that" was't very helpful. I rang Renault in Dublin on four occasions and they wouldn't ring back. Needless to say Renault was disposed of and replaced with a Toyota and no problems... ever.

PaulieC

Purely on practicality, the Renault wins. Believe me, I wanted to hate it the most as I used to own a Laguna and that had lots of problems (although it was bought used and 5 years old).
I would love if the Verso was just 6 inches longer to give it a useable boot space. It's unlikely that I would be using all 7 seats at all times, but when I am, the Verso wouldn't even fit a single buggy, nevermind a double.
As far as seat usability goes, I would say the Mazda has the lightest seats to move, all moveable one-handed. Next would be the Verso, followed very closely by the Scenic. The Zafira, with it's much heralded 'ingenious' Flex-7 system is a nightmare as you have to fold up the middle bench to pull up or push down the back row of seats.
I think I may have spent too much time thinking about this