How Conservative Are We?

[xXx]

Yes your point about finding a well maintained car of this age being tough is very true. But I would also think that you are more likely to find a two or three owner well maintained BMW with history than a AE91 Corolla that will most certainly have a million kilometers on the clock, crash repairs all around the body and 15 owners on the book.

hmmm... very good point. When it comes to using a euro car in SL I don’t think anyone questions the engineering superiority as peri pointed out. But the glitch is the excess costs involved in maintaining these cars, especially for someone like me who'll make an absolute mockery out of any sort of a DIY job.

To be honest I have never owned a euro car. I have no clue how expensive they are to maintain. So I really shouldn't make any comments in the first place. But I have heard few horrible stories about them so I’m drawing my assumptions based on that.

So all you euro gurus please enlighten me

1) Are the parts actually more expensive that jap ones?

2) Are there recon parts available in the market?

3) Does these cars need more attention than a jap one?

4) What are the most common problems these cars face?

I know answers to these questions depend on the model and make of the car. So to make things simple lets talk about BMW's (I always had a bit of a soft spot for them)

Sorry for hijacking the tread and I remember we've touch based on some of these questions in different threads. It’ll be nice to have a full analysis on this subject as it'll definitely come in hand when loosing the euro car virginity lol

[GTAm]

1) Are the parts actually more expensive that jap ones?

2) Are there recon parts available in the market?

3) Does these cars need more attention than a jap one?

4) What are the most common problems these cars face?

I know answers to these questions depend on the model and make of the car. So to make things simple lets talk about BMW's (I always had a bit of a soft spot for them)

Sorry for hijacking the tread and I remember we've touch based on some of these questions in different threads. It’ll be nice to have a full analysis on this subject as it'll definitely come in hand when loosing the euro car virginity lol

From my experience with Euro and Jap cars.......

1) No they are about the same price, provided you don't go to the agents who will rip you to pieces . The prices have to be the same if they are original. The Yen and Euro are both equally strong currencies compared to our rupee. The cost of labour in Japan is actually higher than in many parts of the EU. And the freight is about the same.

2) For some cars yes. Like Pug 406 and BMW and Mercs. But less of a choice than Jap for sure.

3) Yes. They are usually a bit more complex and require a stricter service and maintenence schedule. I would also say that a brand specific mechanic will be a good idea as the way everything is laid out and engineered is very different to Japanes cars.

- I had a v bad experience giving my previous Alfa to an AC guy who did not know the brand. He damaged my dash board and broke some plastic pieces as he did not know the sequence of removal.

4) Mostly electrical issues I would say - can be quite annoying. Example - door locks failing, electric windows not working, air con etc. If you maintain a strict service schedule, your mechanical wear should be similar or sometimes exceed Japanese levels.