9 years old, needed 2 rear springs, fitted by the MOT garage, total cost nearly £300.

I was thinking of replacing the Croma with a 500 MPW Dualogic (I drive Autos).
It may be that the on-the-road vast improvement in the Croma has saved a £10000 outlay on a 500 MPW.

The Croma has done only 41000 miles, as I am nearly 82 and live in a small town with easy access to some essentials. It had cam belt, belts and tensioners, water pump, front discs and full oil and filter just a year ago.

Should I keep it or change it?

Keith

Stick!

Change it while the going is good..

And sell your Croma to me!!

Keep it.
Even if you have to do the other two known weaknesses (drive shaft and alternator) sorted by a garage, it will cost less than a new car will loose in value as soon as you drive it out of the dealer!

Keep it. It's got a new ticket, you are obviously comfortable driving it. Who needs a new car and the massive depreciation associated with it.

If you want a change perhaps look at something a year old where someone else has had the loss.

Just my thoughts.

The 500l mpw dualogic is a typical Motability car, but at 6 months old and perhaps 3000 miles is back off lease and retail priced under £12000 for a top spec. This indicates nearly 50% off new retail in 6 months is possible, like the Croma. Does the similarity end there? Almost record depreciation, and they are not selling.

Keith

Keep the Croma. £10,000 is a lot for a number plate. Is the 500l the 1.3 Mjet?

If so I think the auto would strangle the otherwise barely adequate performance.

Her indoors has just gotten a 500L 1.3 Mjet manual and it's a very nice car, just not as nippy as the Twinair Ypsilon

My Croma has gone to my son who needed something big enough to separate dogs and kids from each other.

keithglos said:

The Croma has done only 41000 miles, and full oil and filter just a year ago.

Keith

Click to expand...

With such low annual mileage, it's better to change the oil+filter twice a year......it will keep the engine alive forever...!!

Thanks Peter, but with top quality oil and virtually no traffic driving, plus it never gets started without going far enough to fully warm up, I would think it would be OK.
Also I know when it is doing a regen and would not stop half way through. There should not be any oil degradation through fuel from the regen.

Simply not economical to replace the oil.

It would be better if I did more mileage.

Keith

Hi Keith I have been looking at 500l's on ebay and was alarmed that they do not crash well! Some did not even trigger the air bag and the front end is a complete mess. Everything made of plastic ! I would think a slight bump into post ect would write it off! I think you are right and the 500l will end as the Croma has
which could be good news if you’re looking for a bargain just don't bump into anything!.

250 for 2 rear springs sounds a lot

Every MOT I think the same thing and think
1) What would I get? and
2) What happens if whatever it is hasn't been looked after?

and then I decide to keep it for a while longer yet.

Fact is that once you've paid for a car it's normally quite cheap to run unless / until something catastrophic happens.

Keep it, or as Lanciaman says,... Sell it to me. I would prefer an auto box to the manual I have now

Dave: The springs were £100, labour £95, not able to do this myself now due to limited mobility.

Telegraph: I am more concerned by the damaged 500ls on ebay, some described as not listed as writeoffs. They do seem to have collapsible plastic front and rear panels.

Baz: I rate the Aisin box as the best auto I have driven, really brilliant 6 speed.

Keith

keithglos said:

Dave: The springs were £100, labour £95, not able to do this myself now due to limited mobility.

Telegraph: I am more concerned by the damaged 500ls on ebay, some described as not listed as writeoffs. They do seem to have collapsible plastic front and rear panels.

Baz: I rate the Aisin box as the best auto I have driven, really brilliant 6 speed.

Keith

Click to expand...

So,.... is this setting the scene for negotiating the price ,... yes, I have heard (read) that from a few people on the forum. The manual,... not so good.

Ha, snap! mines same


If your having no bother with your chroma, then keep it. If you thinking of trading in, then please trade in mine as I`m having electrical issues I`ll take yours, not sure I can go back to a sub 200 hp car

Certainly not trading in, that is the equivalent of gift wrapping it and leaving it on a garage forecourt. Any PX allowance is going to be within the profit margin.

In the 60s early 70s I was a relocation consultant for preowned vehicles, ie. kerbside autos.

Keith

Peter Pick-Up said:

With such low annual mileage, it's better to change the oil+filter twice a year......it will keep the engine alive forever...!!

Click to expand...

The official Croma service schedule recomendation is to change the oil every two years if mileage is low. I can see no justification for changing modern low mileage oil every 6 months. It's like the americans and their 3000 mile changes. Califonia had a big ad campaign to change this a few years ago.

I don't work from the book, but with 40 yrs experience...
Btw, every handbook, incl. that of the Croma tells you to change oil more often when driving under "hard conditions", or something like that.
All European driving is considered hard conditions...stop and go, low annual mileage, engine's not reaching operating temps (10-20 mls...) etc.
The most ( I would say ONLY) important thing for a long, trouble free engine life, is more oil changes...
The two year interval is ridicules in any way, and is only forced by competition saying the same...
Oh, and get rid of the EGR, it will kill any Diesel engine in time.