Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

Why do you need roof rails? Can’t you get a rack that fits without?

Re estate or not, do you need the space? If not I’d imagine a golf would be much cheaper in the long run

Came to ask about a roof rack / box on a Golf too (mk6)!

You've selected pretty different cars there. If you need the space of a full sized estate then a polo won't do. The Volvo will probably be more expensive on every metric you can think of, but if it fits your needs...

Irrc the Golf Plus has roof rails.

Anyway, my question...

I need a roof rack and maybe a roof box. What should I be looking for? It will be used rarely - car boots for large possibly heavy objects, then a roof box to drive to Europe. Possibly also a bike, but probably not.

Ideally don't want to spend a fortune, but equally don't want a false economy.

Cheers.

I’ve got no experience with those door jam racks so I’m a bit uncertain about them.

Basically, if I have to give up on patching up my Audi here and here and get a sensible car, I want to be able to put bikes, kayak, Xmas tree etc up top. Or inside on the case of an estate.

Mostly I probably want a Volvo estate coz I think they’re cool for some reason.

Sensible car bit comes partly from me and plenty from SO, due to the potential of offspring at some stage or something

Pro tip, based on experience, don't put xmas trees inside your car. You'll be finding needles in random places for months afterwards

Mostly I probably want a Volvo estate coz I think they’re cool for some reason.

Imo that's a far better reason than some aspirational man logic based on imagined utility.

I think it’ll suit the inevitable mad-maxing better than a golf plus. Sadly other half isn’t keen on missing out on the chance to have a car that’s easier to park than the cabriolet.

Also (having never bought a car before, inherited the Audi) - does one actually gain that much for the extra £££ spent at a dealer? My experience with motorbikes is “not really”.

Volvo estate coz cool

Agreed. Have no desire* for anything else.

(*Except for a bigger/faster one)

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does one actually gain that much for the extra £££ spent at a dealer?

No, but buying privately can be a painful and time consuming process. There are a lot of cars out there which are not worth viewing, but often you only find that out after wasting time travelling to view.

If budget allows, I would suggest a car supermarket. They have their own hazards, but you get to see a large number of cars in one location, and as they are nearly all ex fleet, they have generally been maintained to an acceptable standard.

Whats that in front of the volvo?

I prefer private but I also enjoy the process of researching cars and spending hours on pistonheads/ebay looking for good ones. Recognise that this might not be for everyone.

Seems budget does not allow, sadly. I'm looking at a £4k max spend, to include a peace-of-mind session at the local garage

My mate got this note on his car when leaving space for people to get out of their drive, perfect 5/7!

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I put a little gouge in the rear bumper of the Mazda today, I am officially totally shit at parking... Probably not helped by the tint glue on the rear window that makes visibility a bit of a challenge... Hmmm...

So much want. Really very little need. But not zero need..

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Considered just renting when you really need? Might work out better, once you factor in insurance, running costs, potential issues. Cars are expensive and can be costly, especially when spending lower amounts and potential for things going wrong js increased.

But you could get a Volvo v70 for that money. If 4k is max I'd suggest spending 3 and putting 1 in the bank as insurance for when something needs fixing, it will.

If you know a bit about cars or have a mate that does, buy private, you can get a lot more for your money, but you take then risk also. Otherwise a dealer gives you recourse but you're paying extra for that warranty. So you could self warranty by saving the cash and putting it in the bank as insurance.

Yeah it is something I’ve thought about, mostly on the principle of not wanting to be part of a car centric society, but I’m in Worthing and we don’t have Zipcar or anything, and also basic to medium maintenance I do myself.

Your point re self warranty is pretty much where I’m at, so thanks for confirming it’s a sensible route! 😊

Roof rails and racks, always prefer to get genuine, especially after knocked myself out getting out of a car with crappy 'multi fit' Thule roof bars sticking over the sides of the car. Quality of the racks are good, but look daft IMO.

Find some proper OE rails and bars for your car or track down the original manufacturer and get them direct for less.

Golf wagon Mk6/7 are great, can recommend, get any petrol or the 1.9 PD tdi, the 1.2/1.6/2.0 CR are problem childs, have their issues by this age.

VOlvo, get a real one a V70, the smallers ones are secretly fords (not that thats terrible) , they don't age as well as the V70. Engine wise, any 5 cyl volvo diesel (lower powered ones seem to be more reliable and return epic economy for their size). Or any petrol, the ford derived petrol engines are fine, probably better than the VW ones but don't have that much experience with them.
£3k should get you a last of the line 2005/2007 P2 car with moderate miles and good spec, then save the other 1k for the upcoming things.

That thing is fully sick, please buy.

What’s a golf CR? 🙄 going to have a look at some today....

Thanks for all that though, def helpful

Common Rail
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_rail

Pro tip, based on experience, don't put xmas trees inside your car. You'll be finding needles in random places for months afterwards

Definitely. Always lash to the roof.

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Spotted this earlier, the owner later appeared with his other half in a white Range Rover as it appeared to have run out of fuel

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https://youtu.be/fyKODVVdpDY