BMW and PSA form hybrid alliance

Post Sun Oct 24, 2010 11:21 am

ha ha Wish I could afford to strike.

It's all manafactures that are getting bad, at the moment any car built for the eu has to be 80% recycleable and that figure is going up for 2012. They don't want any cars on the road for more than 7 yaers so that'a all they will build them to last that way. Old stuff was designed with keeping the car in mind, so accessability to all parts of the car was thought about (with in reason) Now it's all plug and play crap and if it brakes change the whole thing. ie burnt alve = new engine.

Post Sun Oct 24, 2010 1:59 pm

Simon13 wrote:they're only huge because the french all buy their own stuff.

And we Brits also buy an awful lot. Britain is one of Renault and PSA's biggest markets.
They're not all bad. A neighbour has had a Modus for the last 3 years which has been trouble free, ditto another neighbour's Citroen C1.
Modern cars are all much of a muchness now in terms of quality and it's luck of the draw. German stuff isn't exactly brilliant for reliability these days either - I could tell you some real horror stories. Nobody works on their own car anymore (unless they're into old shit like us) and when it goes wrong, it goes to the garage to get fixed. With luck it's under warranty!
I'd rather pay for a Megane window winder mech than a blown 320d engine....

Post Sun Oct 24, 2010 2:07 pm

gareth wrote: To be fair, if we're talking about solid engineering and reliability, the boat anchors due have the edge on french scrap. 20+ years on and it's going strong. whereas most later engines are probably made out of recycled french cars by now!

Yes, but then you start talking about French stuff made 20 years ago. 205/309/405's which are still rot free, good old XUD diesels etc. If BMW built E30's like Peugeot built 405's, you wouldn't even know what a mig welder was for. Apart from repairing fractured E36 window mechs that is.
I know they're a bastard to work on, but the owner doesn't give a toss about anyone's skinned knuckles. I terms of reliability they were as good as anything Merc turned out.

Post Sun Oct 24, 2010 6:53 pm

Their rust proofing does have to be admired actually. They fall over in the quality of material used. shearing bolts, bleed nipples etc off all the time gets boring pretty quickly! That and for some reason, electrical gubbins always seem to cause problems, even Bosch stuff on 205GTi's for instance.

Post Sun Oct 24, 2010 9:44 pm

Spider's on the citroen's I used to run away from. Bitch of a job even witht the sepcial tools. And Pete, The c1/107/aygo contain the toyota engine for the petrol version, thats why there so bloody good. I used one for 3 months just to work and back, Thing is quick and runs on air. But I would never let my son in it. It feels like it could be made of paper mashe.

Post Sun Oct 24, 2010 11:31 pm

zaust wrote:The c1/107/aygo,.... so bloody good.

sorry mark, does not compute.

Post Mon Oct 25, 2010 1:22 pm

C1's are okay. Toyota engine, made in Poland or somewhere, cost f*ck all to run and they're cheap to buy. Just the car for the times we live in really.

Post Tue Oct 26, 2010 10:15 am

HairyScreech wrote:
zaust wrote:The c1/107/aygo,.... so bloody good.
sorry marc, does not compute.

For just over 6k for a new car you can't go wrong. They are as quick as a mini one, They go round corners better and will do over a ton. I'v taken in 56 plate one's with 80k + on them and they still dirve the same as when new if not better. 63 mpg and £20 a yr tax.... And the heaters work well too. I just would not like to crash in one. I'm tell ing you to buy one fella as I would be in my e30 every day if it was possible.