Yes...ironic that with today's pretence at betterment, you can safely buy a late '90's LS400 with 200K on the clock and be pretty sure it'll run for another one to two hundred thou miles pretty trouble free.  A few grand or less would buy one too.  The Mk1/2 GS300 uses the same straight 6 cyl engine as the Supra and is virtually unburstable.  That engine can be safely tuned to 1000BHP and Lexus use it in 206BHP trim for reliability.  The drawback with the older GS series was that they were quite dull to drive but tuners love them (plenty are lowered and tuned) and they even use them as drift cars!  (bet Lexus never saw that coming...)

Yes...ironic that with today's pretence at betterment, you can safely buy a late '90's LS400 with 200K on the clock and be pretty sure it'll run for another one to two hundred thou miles pretty trouble free.  A few grand or less would buy one too.  The Mk1/2 GS300 uses the same straight 6 cyl engine as the Supra and is virtually unburstable.  That engine can be safely tuned to 1000BHP and Lexus use it in 206BHP trim for reliability.  The drawback with the older GS series was that they were quite dull to drive but tuners love them (plenty are lowered and tuned) and they even use them as drift cars!  (bet Lexus never saw that coming...)

I met a Bulgarian guy a few years back who had brought back an LS400 from his time working in Germany,it had a whopping 310,000miles on the clock and it ran as sweet as a nut.He gave me a lift to Sofia in it and I actually dozed off to sleep on the way, a rare occurence for me as i'm not at ease as a passenger,and an even rarer occurence to find a car that can ride out the crater like potholes of the Bulgarian road systems.

For what its worth so far I love my Roomster, true thye seem a little bland on interior style like most of the VAG but its still got quite a lot of gismos and is a cracking car but then it should be its a new car. Got a minor tin rattle somewhere, probably a heat shield on exhaust but dont hear it often but will mention it when it goes for a service. The dealer has been great really, think SUK let them down delivering the car though.

Had and still got in the family a 54 plate Polo, great little car and does have things that need repairing but its 11 years old!.

Next a Reno Scenic, great practical car with acres of space. BUT terrible quality, did 80k in it over 7 years Nd it was just under a year old when we got it. In that time it went through 3 os drive shafts? Only car Ive had to replace those before.

Other car that Ive still got is a Nissan and a brilliant car its been and still is. Its a 1996 car and had it since 2002. Only major parts have been a clutch and a starter but that starter had been immersed in water lots of time and each time had loads of fun doing it! That car has been places the wife got out and walked leaving me with all the fun haha and carried alsorts in and on it and to mention towed alsorts too. Only thing to ever stop it was a 4 foot snow drift and that was because it was a 20 yds long. Yes its rusty and just about had all the major rust areas replaced so once completed should go on for years. Ohh the engine is gear driven so no belts to snap. That car is great and still love driving it.

Had a P10 Primera which was great too but itll be driving along the motorway in the sky by now.

Last year I bought an 05 plate Nissan the same model as my old one but sadly not in as good condition and not as good at all, put it in px for my Roomster and lost about 2k ishin that time and if it wasnt for good friends would have lost loads more in repair bills.

A lot of modern cars are timing belt and water pump at the same time these days. A lot of older models from most manufacturers were far more reliable than modern equivalents. These days cars are far more complex animals with far more electronics, cars are a harsh environment for electronics. I also think that demand to keep costs down has also in turn driven down quality of all cars too. Also it doesnt make good business sense for a manufacturer to build a car that lasts for years without breaking down or needing repairs. A friend of mine has a Astra diesel 60 plate and 55k on the clock, hes now needing a new gearbox that will land him with a bill for 4,500.

Personally Im happy with my bland interior but hugely practical Roomster and my old Nissan, could say best of both worlds.

So would I buy another Skoda, so far too right I will!

Remember a car that a life span of a car these days is supposed to be around 10 years, go back to the 70s and compare 10 year old vehicles condition and dont forget safety.

Flippin heck did I really type so much!

Did I say, I love my Roomster!

Flippin heck did I really type so much!

Did I say, I love my Roomster!

For what its worth so far I love my Roomster, true thye seem a little bland on interior style like most of the VAG but its still got quite a lot of gismos and is a cracking car but then it should be its a new car. Got a minor tin rattle somewhere, probably a heat shield on exhaust but dont hear it often but will mention it when it goes for a service. The dealer has been great really, think SUK let them down delivering the car though.

Had and still got in the family a 54 plate Polo, great little car and does have things that need repairing but its 11 years old!.

Next a Reno Scenic, great practical car with acres of space. BUT terrible quality, did 80k in it over 7 years Nd it was just under a year old when we got it. In that time it went through 3 os drive shafts? Only car Ive had to replace those before.

Other car that Ive still got is a Nissan and a brilliant car its been and still is. Its a 1996 car and had it since 2002. Only major parts have been a clutch and a starter but that starter had been immersed in water lots of time and each time had loads of fun doing it! That car has been places the wife got out and walked leaving me with all the fun haha and carried alsorts in and on it and to mention towed alsorts too. Only thing to ever stop it was a 4 foot snow drift and that was because it was a 20 yds long. Yes its rusty and just about had all the major rust areas replaced so once completed should go on for years. Ohh the engine is gear driven so no belts to snap. That car is great and still love driving it.

Had a P10 Primera which was great too but itll be driving along the motorway in the sky by now.

Last year I bought an 05 plate Nissan the same model as my old one but sadly not in as good condition and not as good at all, put it in px for my Roomster and lost about 2k ishin that time and if it wasnt for good friends would have lost loads more in repair bills.

A lot of modern cars are timing belt and water pump at the same time these days. A lot of older models from most manufacturers were far more reliable than modern equivalents. These days cars are far more complex animals with far more electronics, cars are a harsh environment for electronics. I also think that demand to keep costs down has also in turn driven down quality of all cars too. Also it doesnt make good business sense for a manufacturer to build a car that lasts for years without breaking down or needing repairs. A friend of mine has a Astra diesel 60 plate and 55k on the clock, hes now needing a new gearbox that will land him with a bill for 4,500.

Personally Im happy with my bland interior but hugely practical Roomster and my old Nissan, could say best of both worlds.

So would I buy another Skoda, so far too right I will!

Remember a car that a life span of a car these days is supposed to be around 10 years, go back to the 70s and compare 10 year old vehicles condition and dont forget safety.

Mine will be 9 years old come end of November,hasn't seen a Skoda service agent for 5 years and [touch wood ] will probably happily soldier on for at least another 5 years.My bad back appreciates every moment it spends in the excellent seats,my fuel economy is getting better every month now its being given regular long runs through the lanes and I still like the exterior styling...no....in fact,I love the exterior styling.The only thing i would change? I'd have had the 1.6 petrol or 1.9 diesel for that little extra oomph factor off the line.Having said that though,through the gears on motorways at speed, the car acquits itself very well.I've been suprised a few times joining a m-way from a slip road how quickly 50mph can become over 80 if i take my eye off the speedo.

Edited 16 May, 201511 yr by faradaycage

Roomster's a good car

 

You hit on a few good points there.  20 or 30 years ago, anything over 5 years old was a bangar and a risk for regular big miles.  These days, a 10 year old car, regularly serviced, should still be good for another 5 years trouble free motoring (most cars).  Thing is, that is only true up to a year or two ago.  I personally think that many modern cars will not worth the risk in 10 years time and that car reliability/build quality peaked in the last 10 or 15 years.  Its a more disposable market and more short term with more manufacturers chasing a the same market numbers (in Europe anyway) and quality is suffering on the alter of marketing new gimmicks/models every year which dont really advance in any way but the gadgets.  Would I buy another Skoda?  Only if it was a Mk1 Fabia, or perhaps early model Yeti.

 

RE water pumps you mentioned...yes many cars have those replaced with cam belts and for good reason.  Many these days have gone over to Nylon/plastic parts not just because they're cheap but because the coolant is so darned aggressive that eventually it eats down some of the metal parts.  I know that Lexus suffered with the RX models (due to metallurgy issues on that model with the coolant used) . Still, the Skoda water pump is cheap to replace so no biggy.  It's pretty much become a standard service consumable. 

 

Comapring Skoda with other manufacturers these days and they're not at all bad...but they don't represent the bargains that they did 10 years ago by comparison and the used market is where it's at at the minute.

Flippin heck did I really type so much!

Did I say, I love my Roomster!

some would say "someone has to love a roomster", :peek:  :peek: :peek:  

 

but if you have owned one you do love the versatility of the load space, I often used to have the back seats out for dump runs or getting stuff for DIY etc, then put them back in for a  day to day, and the boot was a reasonable size without taking space away from the cabin :sun:  :sun: :sun:  :sun:  

Edited 16 May, 201511 yr by bluecar1