Used car buying advice

[The Duke]

I got my mates of Ebay, they are thicker, and better looking with the offical GTC badge (cough copy right rip off) , and colour match. All 4 for £30 iirc.

After 40k, only a bit of wear where my right heal sits. However it’s double layers in that area, like a sacrificial bit. I’d never by oem set.

It’s like the boot net, dog guard, the cup holder ashtray etc.. All overpriced crap.

The only ‘extra’ that does make me think ‘maybe’ is bootliners. But even then it would have to be a car that a dog can travel in lake some hatches, or an estate. My current set up is the sit on the back seat with doggy seat belts (a lead with a male seat belt buckle on.)

If they are dirty a blanket out the boot is chucked across the seats. Luckily my dogs don’t malt. One of the reasons we choose them. I spent my youth hoovering stirs everyday. 3 German sheps, I’m not repeating that.

[PlaneMan]

I forgot to mention the boot ‘tray’ , it’s a kind of reinforced foam with a (I think) rubber coating. It goes about an inch up around the sides of the boot, in theory if a small amount of liquid is spilt in it it won’t leak anywhere.

In the old Swift I had the same kind of thing, saved me when a tin of beer burst for no reason,  the vast majority was still in the tray. Asda, fair play, agreed to have the seat backs and boot sides cleaned properly.

[Richard]

The Duke wrote:

I got my mates of Ebay, they are thicker, and better looking with the offical GTC badge (cough copy right rip off) , and colour match. All 4 for £30 iirc. After 40k, only a bit of wear where my right heal sits. However it’s double layers in that area, like a sacrificial bit. I’d never by oem set. It’s like the boot net, dog guard, the cup holder ashtray etc.. All overpriced crap. The only ‘extra’ that does make me think ‘maybe’ is bootliners. But even then it would have to be a car that a dog can travel in lake some hatches, or an estate. My current set up is the sit on the back seat with doggy seat belts (a lead with a male seat belt buckle on.) If they are dirty a blanket out the boot is chucked across the seats. Luckily my dogs don’t malt. One of the reasons we choose them. I spent my youth hoovering stirs everyday. 3 German sheps, I’m not repeating that.

My floor mat in the old car is about worn through after 97,000 miles, a boot liner was only ever used to take the dying Labrador on his final journey when the cancer got his brain.
Otherwise they were a bit slippery for dogs.

Steve, never get a husky, their main purpose in life is to turn food into moulting fur within hours. You can brush a husky four times a day, (if you have the time) even when it is not ‘shed time’ when fur gets dumped not just moulted.

[PlaneMan]

Been using Android Auto a bit now and it’s very good, the first couple of times it was a bit hit and miss connecting with the cable but since then it’s worked perfectly. OK Google works a treat but the replies are LOUD.

Need to see what else it can do.

 

[JayCeeDee]

Just been looking at Google Maps and it offered me the chance to install Android Auto so I have. I’ll give it a try and see how it does. It’ll be interesting to see if it replaces the TomTom app or supplements it!!

[PlaneMan]

Android Auto is very good on a phone by itself, when it’s on a bigger screen with some steering wheel controls (and bigger still buttons) it’s even better. Really impressed with it so far.

Managed to wash, clay bar and wax the roof and bonnet this morning before fatigue got the better of me. The kit I linked to earlier in the thread is amazing. The amount of crud the clay picks up is mental, even on a car that hasn’t had a lot of road miles.

Both the roof and bonnet now feel as smooth as anything, noticeably more so than the rest of the car. I think the kit will do my car at least 5 or 6 times so it’s well worth the money. Much cheaper than the options a dealer will offer, £149 from Suzuki, and I know it’s been done properly, at the dealers they could get anyone to do it-they may or may not give a s*it.

 

 

[The Duke]

I do like to clay bar my car, (it’s cheap of amazon) sort of  relaxing and very satisfying. It’s amazing how much dirt is left on paint. And how smooth the paint feels afterwards. Then a good Polish and hard wax and the car is good for a good six months. With just a hose wash and a spray wax.

Sadly me now have building going on right near where I park, (up wind from the cars). So my car hasn’t had a proper clean since October. Cba putting the effort in for it to be full off dust the next am.

I did take it to the Polish place when the sun come out. But that’s about it until the builders frig off.

 

[PlaneMan]

Been trying out Waze today on Android Auto, it’s very good.

Had a few flaky connections so I tried a different cable, no issues since. I suspect the one I was using wasn’t up to handling the data required or maybe just a bit cheaply made.

The way that messaging works is brilliant, Hangouts in my case. You get a notification, if you want to hear it you just tap it and it’s read out to you with the option to reply. Speak your reply and it reads it back to you and then you can send it. Apart from tapping the notification there’s no need to touch anything else. Very impressive.

[Tippon]

We’ve been using Android Auto in Ellen’s new car, but EMUI, the Huawei (Honor) interface interferes. Sometimes phonecalls just don’t work, and there are other niggling problems.

Waze is great though. I use it on the phone regularly, and it beeps if you go over the speed limit. I think it only beeps once though, so if you miss it, you don’t get another warning.

[PlaneMan]

That’s a shame Ryan, luckily the 5T just works.

The voice recognition in the car is even better than than on my phone, how I’m not sure but it is. The only thing that seems to confuse it a bit is lots of ripples in the road. I just wait for them to pass then try it again.

[The Duke]

It’s also car dependant too. I was given a new astra with AA and it connected once in the week I had it. Apple car play was slight better at 3 times. That was with a pixel  And iPhone 7. (maybe 7s I can’t tell iPhones apart)

Ive since tried it out on both a skoda and seat, and the VAG system has worked flawless, with both my Pixel (on skoda) and P20p on the seat.

So I think it’s car and phone dependant. My next car will defo have it. And I have a decent selection of phones to test out on it. Though it will be after the summer.

Atm I’ll just struggle along with my 3rd party Bluetooth. Also I’m not a fan of android auto just on a phone. I don’t really see the point.

[PlaneMan]

I treated the interior last night with this stuff. I was glad I had a respirator as it stinks and with my asthma it can trigger an attack. Left it an hour or so and did another sweep. Left it 14 hours before I went in the car and it still smelt a bit but not enough to be annoying. That quickly faded to a ‘new car’ smell with an hours drive with both front windows open a bit. It’s amazing stuff, well worth the money and hassle to apply.

Also managed to clay and wax the passenger side and back today. Only the drivers side and front to do now. Hardly used any of the supplies I bought, which is nice as mum is now dropping hints about getting her car done. ?

[The Duke]

That spay could tempt me to dumb out aged Brown leather couch for a dark cloth (I’m not sure cloth is the right term) couch.

I hate leather, but with kids (and now dogs), a soft material couch doesn’t last. Our current settee is 13, which isn’t a bad inning considering 5 kids got brought up, and the dogs like it.

But with something like this, the dream of a non leather couch may well be ignited again.

[Richard]

The Duke wrote:

That spay could tempt me to dumb out aged Brown leather couch for a dark cloth (I’m not sure cloth is the right term) couch. I hate leather, but with kids (and now dogs), a soft material couch doesn’t last. Our current settee is 13, which isn’t a bad inning considering 5 kids got brought up, and the dogs like it. But with something like this, the dream of a non leather couch may well be ignited again.

We went the other way, a 40 year old suite and another 30 plus year old suit, both fabric covered,  were recently dumped in favour of one leather set up. I do not expect to buy another one any time soon and almost certainly not in this lifetime. Cars likewise, one 17 year old, one 18 year old have both gone, the little runabout has cloth seats and they are a bit worn but nearly 100,000 miles have passed by, so some excuse there. Both new cars are claimed to be leather, but honestly, I feel seat design and state of wear are as important as the fabric.

[The Duke]

Good thing about car seats now, is they arnt real leather, or most arnt. I think renault was the last main stream non luxury brand to drop real leather. It doesn’t feel as nice, but should last longer than real leather.

Tbh I hate full leather far seats, more than I hate a leather suit. A car is one of two things, backing hot or freezing cold when you get in. Leather is just the worst for this.

I do like a half leather half alcantara though.

[Bob Williams]

I hated the old 50’s and 60’s sticky, slidey cheapo vinyl seats. But I also cannot stand real leather seats, I also stick to that in summer. I like fabric or, best of all, Alcantara, which is comfortable and seems warm in winter, cool in summer. I don’t know what the iX20 fabric is, but the seats are defo comfy.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[PlaneMan]

Finally finished claying and waxing the car, took about 6-7 hours in total. I reckon a non-knackered person could do it in about 1/2 of that. Totally worth the effort though, the finish is superb and dirt just wipes off so easily.

[The Duke]

Have you polished and waxed? If not now is the time, it will stay clean for the whole summer. Just run a hose of water over it and all dusts will come off. And a quick spray wax after. Takes 15mins to cover the whole car. Even with my back.

All you’ll need is bottle of spay wax (any will do), and couple of microfiber cloths to get the bird muck off.

Squirt the muck, let it stand for 20 seconds, scoop off with in cloth, buff with second cloth.

My car is filthy again, it rained, and the dust from the builders at the top, all stuck. I’m not cleaning this car again ? it will likly begone before the builders have.

 

[Ed P]

Leather is nice, but about 20% of females have a nickel allergy and nickel is often used to prevent mould on leather goods. This shows what nickel does to feet if the person has the allergy, just think what it could do to the nether end! (Only 5-10% of males have this allergy for some reason, but the higher incidence with females is thought to be caused by bra fastenings and nickel-silver jewellery)

Obviously it is easy to ask your partner if they have the allergy, but really anyone travelling in your car needs to be alerted as well!

Most European cars now state if the seat coverings are nickel free – I think Volvo were first to the market on this point

[PlaneMan]

Steve, yes it was all polished and waxed.

I have a spray bootle of the shampoo solution made up for quick cleans, worked well on my old Swift and it’s even better on this one now. I have about 14 microfiber cloths, always keep a couple in the car along with some window cleaner.

[Author]

Posts