My father has just rung me to say that he's faced with a bill for somewhere between £1500 and £2000 for refurbishing the engine in his N-reg Laguna 2.0 estate. He's caught in the classic trap of whether to have the work done (the car is otherwise in good condition), or replace the car, and I've just been talking it through with him. My first reaction was "Mondeo estate". The situation is that he is retired, wants something cheap to run, doesn't need a powerful car, but does need a bit of space to carry round an electric wheelchair in the boot. He then mentioned an Astra estate as a possibility. I suggested something japanese for reliability.
Do the backroomers agree that he should replace rather than refurbish, given that the refurbishment should at least provide him with a car that will run on for a few years? I can't help thinking that engine repairs have a habit of slowly creeping up as the work proceeds!
Alternatively, do any of the backroomers have any ideas for a replacement?
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I would say replace it. The car is only worth about a grand or so. You'll spend more on it than it's worth to fix it. That 2 grand would be better off put to something a bit newer, maybe a Primera. A budget of say £4K would buy a nice one. One option re the Laguna is to try and source a second-hand motor for it. Then it might just be cost effective to fix. I think it helps to look at cars just like any other appliance, eg would you spend more on fixing your washing machine or TV than its worth?
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Yes, my thoughts as well. Only problem is, he can only afford a couple of thousand - £4k is too high. Just adds to the dilemma! At the end of the day, there will always be a risk of being out of the frying pan into the fire as far as problems are concerned, given that he can't really go beyond a total of £2000.
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OK, not really a problem. £2K buys you a lot of used car these days. Should still get a nice Primera possibly a couple of years younger than the Renault for that. Look privately and don't worry too much about mileage, check for full service history and careful owner. A good used Primera will be a much better bet than the Laguna for hassle-free ownership. Also, perhaps check out whether you have to get an estate, the hatch version is much more widely available and the boot is huge. Might also be worth looking at Mazda 626 although I believe spares are pricier. A good Mondeo might also be worth considering.
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At this price, you should think on auction shopping.Sounds like you're OK with what you're looking for.
Check out the part exchange, big dealer branded sections in Auctionview link, to our left here.
Mondeo 1.8LX R plate-ish, maybee?? Or 406??
VB
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The only other option is for him to have a guaranteed 2nd hand engine put in in instead.
I certainly would not spend the 2K on that car.
I would look at a good diesel estate
Xantia P to R reg can be lucky for a little over a grand
VW golf or Passat
Astra or vectra
Mondeo
Loads of choice out there.
Hugo
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Anything in good nick, really. Probably the latest Mondeo he can get, but it doesn't really matter.
Before doing anything though, I would shop around for quotes on the repair work and/or a guaranteed second hand engine.
If that can be done for under £800, I would definitely do that. No way £2k though; plus the car's probably worth £200 as salvage on eBay or in the local paper.
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