Car Thread II

[jiggles]

My work’s introduced a salary sacrifice scheme for EVs recently so I ordered an Audi Q4 e-tron Quattro to replace my 2017 Hyundai Tucson about 5 weeks ago. Of course, with the semiconductor shortage right now, it’s not going to be ready until mid October, but that hasn’t dampened my excitement one bit.

It just seems like an absolute perfect alignment of timing right now when:
a) The sale value of my current car has gone through the roof. (Like, up by 80% since the scheme was introduced and I first priced it)
b) The BiK on EVs is almost zero at the minute.
c) Audi have a deal offering a free 7kW home charger installation
d) All public charge points in NI provided by the electric network are still free to use for now
e) They’ve just installed a 50kW rapid charger round the corner from my house which is also free.

The scheme includes insurance, annual service, any tyres you need, breakdown cover etc. Literally the only thing I’ll have to pay for is the juice, and even then, I can get that for free for now. Buzzing.

A little annoying that I had to tax, MOT and insure the Tucson again this week when any other year I’d be shot of it by now, but I’ll at least get any owed money back on the tax and insurance.

I'm starting a new job next week that has said they'll be launching something similar soon. I find company car tax utterly bewildering, but I'd definitely be interested. That does seem amazing.

I don't actually want to get rid of the Subaru, I just never bought it as a commuting car , and new job isn't on the Metro line so I'll have to drive.

I'd potentially be interested in something much smaller and tun it as a third car.

Yeah, at first glance the monthly price looks a good deal more expensive than if you were leasing from the dealer directly, but the fact that it includes all maintenance and insurance costs, doesn’t require the huge £6-7k up front payment a private lease does, and the payment comes out of your gross salary (and therefore you pay a few hundred pounds less in tax/NI per month) makes it a much better deal overall.

I ran the numbers like 10 times and for the same net cost that my current car costs me a year, I get a brand new car that’s worth twice as much, replaced by another brand new one every 3 years. An incredible deal, really.

[Dual]

Company car is always the way to go, especially if you do lots of miles.

[rinks]

Do you do lots of miles, jiggles?

[jiggles]

Hell no. Average only about 5k a year in the time since I got this one but half of that time was pandemic so it’s pulling that number down.

I will be doing more though. When I’m back in the office I’ll have to run my son to his grandparents and back each day, as well as obviously driving in and out of work myself and in a couple of years it’ll be school runs too.

[Harry Bizzle]

My work’s introduced a salary sacrifice scheme for EVs recently so I ordered an Audi Q4 e-tron Quattro to replace my 2017 Hyundai Tucson about 5 weeks ago. Of course, with the semiconductor shortage right now, it’s not going to be ready until mid October, but that hasn’t dampened my excitement one bit.

It just seems like an absolute perfect alignment of timing right now when:
a) The sale value of my current car has gone through the roof. (Like, up by 80% since the scheme was introduced and I first priced it)
b) The BiK on EVs is almost zero at the minute.
c) Audi have a deal offering a free 7kW home charger installation
d) All public charge points in NI provided by the electric network are still free to use for now
e) They’ve just installed a 50kW rapid charger round the corner from my house which is also free.

The scheme includes insurance, annual service, any tyres you need, breakdown cover etc. Literally the only thing I’ll have to pay for is the juice, and even then, I can get that for free for now. Buzzing.

A little annoying that I had to tax, MOT and insure the Tucson again this week when any other year I’d be shot of it by now, but I’ll at least get any owed money back on the tax and insurance.

Be wary if you have a Defined Benefits pension, as salary sacrifice will reduce your pensionable salary and cost you a fortune in the long run.

[jiggles]

I don’t, but good advice nonetheless.

[False]

its a great time to sell atm so thats why your trade in is good, id jump on it if you want the new car

seems like something that would be much more interesting than a tucson too

[jiggles]

Well, just as I was rounding the corner to the final stretch of the 12 week lead time, they’ve gone and delayed it by another 8 weeks. A 5 month wait in total from order. Christ, that is crushing.

It’ll make a nice Christmas present I guess, but when I was already in the mentality of “the next time I put fuel in this car is the last time I ever do it” or “only one more payday between now and the new motor” it just sucks. It’s due it’s dealer service in October too, which I was planning on refusing and instead offering to sell it to the dealer but now I can’t even do that and I’ll have to service it.

[rinks]

Could be worse. You could have a prang in November.

[Kezzer]

The girlfriend is looking to get a car, probably a small hatchback. I have a few practical ideas, but want to try and stear her towards a hot hatch/ something thats a bit of fun if I have to drive it.

[jiggles]

This chip shortage.

I’ve been checking on some car forums to see how the lead times on the Q4s have been for everyone else and some people who ordered before me are reporting manufacturing is due to begin on their orders in January (which means delivery about 6 weeks later!). Also took a look at some of the other makes and models I could have chosen in the scheme to see what the lead times are on them now. 60 weeks for a Tesla.

On top of that, the dealer service I’ve had to get to keep the warranty live on my current car is today. Or it would be, if they hadn’t called me last night to say “don’t show up, as of tonight we’re permanently closed”, due to the supply of new stock drying up. So, gooseberry fool. The next closest Hyundai dealer is a good 75 minute drive away, so that’s going to have to be a whole day off work now instead of popping out for 15mins to drop it off and again to pick it up.

[rinks]

This chip shortage.

I’ve been checking on some car forums to see how the lead times on the Q4s have been for everyone else and some people who ordered before me are reporting manufacturing is due to begin on their orders in January (which means delivery about 6 weeks later!). Also took a look at some of the other makes and models I could have chosen in the scheme to see what the lead times are on them now. 60 weeks for a Tesla.

On top of that, the dealer service I’ve had to get to keep the warranty live on my current car is today. Or it would be, if they hadn’t called me last night to say “don’t show up, as of tonight we’re permanently closed”, due to the supply of new stock drying up. So, gooseberry fool. The next closest Hyundai dealer is a good 75 minute drive away, so that’s going to have to be a whole day off work now instead of popping out for 15mins to drop it off and again to pick it up.

I’ve a vague memory of hearing that you don’t have to get your services done at a dealer in order to maintain your warranty. Some legal/consumer rights thing. Might be wrong.

[SEP]

This chip shortage.

I’ve been checking on some car forums to see how the lead times on the Q4s have been for everyone else and some people who ordered before me are reporting manufacturing is due to begin on their orders in January (which means delivery about 6 weeks later!). Also took a look at some of the other makes and models I could have chosen in the scheme to see what the lead times are on them now. 60 weeks for a Tesla.

On top of that, the dealer service I’ve had to get to keep the warranty live on my current car is today. Or it would be, if they hadn’t called me last night to say “don’t show up, as of tonight we’re permanently closed”, due to the supply of new stock drying up. So, gooseberry fool. The next closest Hyundai dealer is a good 75 minute drive away, so that’s going to have to be a whole day off work now instead of popping out for 15mins to drop it off and again to pick it up.

I’ve a vague memory of hearing that you don’t have to get your services done at a dealer in order to maintain your warranty. Some legal/consumer rights thing. Might be wrong.

You can have your service carried out by any VAT registered garage as long as the follow the correct service schedule for the vehicle and can produce a printed invoice with all the part numbers used.

At least that's how it is in the UK. Not sure about Ireland.

[jiggles]

This chip shortage.

I’ve been checking on some car forums to see how the lead times on the Q4s have been for everyone else and some people who ordered before me are reporting manufacturing is due to begin on their orders in January (which means delivery about 6 weeks later!). Also took a look at some of the other makes and models I could have chosen in the scheme to see what the lead times are on them now. 60 weeks for a Tesla.

On top of that, the dealer service I’ve had to get to keep the warranty live on my current car is today. Or it would be, if they hadn’t called me last night to say “don’t show up, as of tonight we’re permanently closed”, due to the supply of new stock drying up. So, gooseberry fool. The next closest Hyundai dealer is a good 75 minute drive away, so that’s going to have to be a whole day off work now instead of popping out for 15mins to drop it off and again to pick it up.

I’ve a vague memory of hearing that you don’t have to get your services done at a dealer in order to maintain your warranty. Some legal/consumer rights thing. Might be wrong.

Yeah, I went and looked at the terms of the warranty earlier when trying to find alternatives and saw it doesn’t have to be the dealer. They definitely told me I had to when I bought it though, because they were trying to upsell me to their service plan. So strawberry float em. Glad they went out of business, the lying banana splits

[rinks]

My car continues to be a strawberry floatin’ dude. Passed its MOT again. 07 plate, never failed one.

A year on, and it’s done it again. What a car.

[LewisD]

My car continues to be a strawberry floatin’ dude. Passed its MOT again. 07 plate, never failed one.

A year on, and it’s done it again. What a car.

Wot car is it m8 lol

[rinks]

Blue one.

[Kezzer]

I've got a blue car too!

speaking of, it had to have its engine coolant pump replaced so it didnt explode.

[Victor Mildew]

Bloody Subaru drivers everywhere now!

[jiggles]

My Tucson is in for a service right now so I’m running around in my mum’s Dacia Duster and it’s making me question whether I actually want to go ahead with the Q4 etron or stick with what I’ve got.

Because I tell you what, you get so used to it and have no idea how premium your own car actually is until you have to run around in something downmarket for a while.


Before I took it I was thinking “so no reversing camera and no heated seats” but it’s more like
- gearstick feels gooseberry fool
- steering wheel feels gooseberry fool
- seats feel gooseberry fool. Sponge and cloth
- radio is gooseberry fool. No DAB, no Bluetooth media, no nav
- no auto lights
- no auto wipers
- wipers are gooseberry fool
- rear view mirror is insanely magnified, side mirrors are tiny. visibility is gooseberry fool
- no acceleration
- brakes are mushy and unresponsive
- low tyre pressure warning, doesn’t even say which wheel or how severe
- no climate control
- no cup holders in front
- no rest for left foot