James Ruppert: Don’t be afraid of a repairman Car News

I have more reliability statistics for you. I’m not entirely sure how reliable they are, but it’s all based on Google searches, which sounds like research these days. Either way, I’m indebted to the good folks at Scrap Car Comparison, who Google searched for phrases related to breakdowns, breakdowns and repairs for almost 500 different car models. This was then cross-checked with the sales figures for each model.

Apparently the BMW 1 Series is the absolute worst because there are 31,000 searches for defects, resulting in a sales weighted score of 30.6. (The higher the score, the worse it is.) But should that put us off? I rather like the small, big-engined 1-Series, reminiscent of the spirit of the 02 era and early 3-Series. A 2009 3.0-liter 125i M Sport is about to switch to a six figures and with three previous owners it costs £ 6,999 at a dealership. I would try my luck on that. Indeed these are great value for money and I was distracted by a 2006 125i with less funky 17 inch alloys and 88,000 miles at £ 5,400. They look funny, the Mk1s. Maybe the newer ones have more complicated issues, hence the research.

At the other end of the graph is the Peugeot 3008 with just 2,310 problem searches for a sales weighted score of 2.56. This makes it pretty good by internet search standards. Granted, these have been very popular as a family buy and are a good deal. A 2015 1.2 Pure Tech Access petrol with 50,000 miles is yours for a reasonable price of £ 5,500. This is for an example of two owners at a dealership with a warranty and road tax of £ 30 per year. There are big-scale diesel engines out there, so if you’re happy with an HDi 3008, which will deliver around 70 mpg in total and cost £ 20 in taxes, a 2014 1.6 Allure with just over 70,000 miles and two owners costs £ 5,995.

Just in case you’re wondering, the worst overall manufacturer according to this survey turns out to be Vauxhall, which seems a shame, but there are loads of Vauxhalls out there and the parts are relatively cheap and easy to locate. I would be inclined to go cheap and cheerful. The Astra Sport Hatch is a pretty chunky and interesting coupe, with a 2008 1.8 16v Sport – no turbo to be wrong, 100,000 miles and fully low emission zone compliant – £ 1,500. To negotiate. Even though you have to research some parts online to improve it.

One problem with surveys like these is that some owners aren’t very proactive, so if there’s an issue, they don’t google it. They just let the emergency services or the garage sort it out. Keep this in mind.

Tales from Ruppert’s garage

Land Rover Series 3, mileage – 133 221: Here’s the thing: I was given an extra interior light kit from a youth. It says “atmosphere” on the box, so it will vibrate to the beat of the music and is more ambient rather than particularly useful. I have several vehicles on the fleet that have no interior lighting: the truck, the baby shark, the Mini Cooper and the Italian Job Innocenti. So all of them need some kind of lighting. The Baby Shark would look awfully cool with foot light on, and I have driven the Cooper in pitch darkness a few times without incident. I’ve used a torch with the truck at night before, so I guess he wins. But I can change my mind.

The reader’s walk

Mercedes-Benz CL500: Many thanks to Patrick for that: “You could say it’s Bangernomics taken to the extreme, but in terms of value, I think it’s quite short. It’s a 2011 CL500 with all available options and seven Benz service stamps, all for less than a top-of-the-line Fiesta. So I hope for many years of driving at a reasonable cost. What I do know is that every trip, whether short or mundane, will be turned into an opportunity. There is no doubt that the price of driving ICE cars will be phased out in a few years, so I would like to come out strong!

Questions from readers

Question: I am tempted to buy a used Audi A3 that I have found, but it has been lowered. Is it still worth considering? How will this affect the car? Aaron Lawrence, Stockport

Reply: Generally speaking, a lowered suspension means the car will have better aerodynamics, so very subtle fuel economy might be possible, but the most noticeable effects are less positive: harder ride, risk of uneven wear. tire and the potential for the transmission to be damaged by the retarders. You might be drawn to the higher cornering performance, but it’s crucial to make sure that the modifier uses good quality parts and that full alignment is done afterwards. JW

Question: My daughter wants a reliable first car and is considering a 2015 Volkswagen Polo and a 2015 Ford Fiesta. Any ideas? Marie Morley, by email

Reply: The Polo, while being an almost perfect first car, is not the most reliable. He finished 17th out of 25 in the What Car? Reliability Survey and the Fiesta of the same period finished 16th. Why not consider the same age …