Talking cars for a mo....................

[snowy]

Thoughts please?
Currently have an Audi A3 140bhp 2.0 Tdi, owned since 48,000 miles, now on 150,000, and apart from tyres / discs / pads wipers and servicing hasn't cost me a penny, and never had any issue, still gives 50+mpg. 
Issue - at 160,000, second cam belt change & major service due, about £600 for both.
Clutch - still on original - as Dual Mass been quoted £585 for clutch kit / flywheel and fitting.
At 150,000 miles - am I on borrowed time? 
So, that's £1200 on a car that I've been offered £2800 PX for, similar on eBay for £3,600 from a dealer!
Do I chop it in for something similar but newer (3 years, about 30,000 miles) or better the devil you know, keep it and await clutch slip and impending cam belt / service? Trouble is spending money on it makes it worth no more, only more sale-able in the private market!
Only benefit in changing would be to get a car with better entry, ain't getting thinner or younger! 
Thoughts appreciated!

[BigAlan]

Not sure about the model but a mate has an Audi and when he needed a new clutch he had fitted something different from a dual mass one which was a third of the price, Audi as you say wanted your arm for one.

If your a person who like me gets used to a car and can't be arsed to change it then keep it, you know its personality and how it goes, as you say it's not cost you a bean so far so why should it, you have to have consumables we all do.

If you fancy a change do it before you change your mind, me I always make my mind up on the spot, sometimes, well usually, hmmm not sure.

[PRD]

Keep it. Even if you need to do those repairs it will be cheaper than buying another car and you will not know how other car has been treated.

[nightrider]

If you can afford it I would change , if the turbo goes then you are looking at a grand , the minute you start spending big bills on a car then. It's time to change, if you don't remap it then the clutch could last another 100000, I would not bother with cambelt and do the major service my self ,which is only oil and filters , then run it in to the ground !  Every year you keep it you are saving a grand plus on what the new car will lose ,,,,,,,,,,

[zedmeister]

Keep it a new one will probably depreciate more than you will spend on the present one, fork out the £1200 and you will have an older car that's good as new.

[O.C.]

A difficult question, personally I would change it for something newer, the thought of throwing good money on a bad car makes me squirm   

I try to only keep cars thatbare still under manufacturer warranty....having said that Gills Daihatsu Terrios is a brilliant car and its 10 years old now.

[Lonewolf]

I'd keep it simply because you know the car having had it for so long and whilst it's running sweet, hang on to it. My motor is on an 11 plate with 119k on the clock and because its been very well looked after it drives beautifully. Hard fact is that its only worth about 4k but if it ever needed a bit of work I'd gladly pay to have it done rather than wasting my money on a newer car.

[Wookie]

 
Wolfe ya took the words out if me chops 

[tapps]

i was in the same spot as you a few months ago.i have a 10 plate peugeot 308 hdi diesel with 140,000 on the clock, it had a few issue's that needed doing, it was a case of getting rid or spending money on it, it had a blowing injector, needed rear brake disc's & wheel bearings, cambelt & auxilary belt,battery & last but not least a starter motor,i've probably shelled out about £1,500 on it so far, there's an oil leak on the front of the engine which need's looking at & it's still on the original clutch & exhaust system,when they need doing i will get them done, i was offered £1,700 in p/x on a one year old one a short while ago it was £15,000,i had a worry about it & decided to keep what i haven know it's costing me a bit, it's paid for though.it was just unfortunate for me it all happened at the same time.i did purchase it from new for now it's a keeper.stick with what you've got.

[keith]

HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY VW VAN WHICH I NEED EVERYDAY FOR MY WORK GOT TO AROUND 150000 MILES  a new clutch was fitted around £1000 dual mass, then I had to get a new intercooler forgot what the dealer charged for that , but I know they were a lot cheaper on ebay, then when I got to around the 155000 miles the engine started to cut out without warning , turn off the ignition and back on then it would run for a while the without warning would cut out again , you just didn't know when it was going to do it , remember when I went to pick up my 09 zzr the van started doing it but it got me there and back.   it was in vw for a while on the diagnostics , which don't pin point everything straight away , anyway the problem was an injector ,again not cheap from the dealers ,had one replaced ,this was the start of it after a couple of weeks the fault returned trying tom save money got another off e bay , the problem never went away later another injector went ,once the ecu knows there is  a problem it just cuts out the engine, thinking back I should have either renewed the four injectors with the dealer at a cost , or just part ex it before I put the clutch in and the injectors ,I managed to limp it into a ford dealer and got a new pre reg transit ,102000 miles on it now ,never had a problem , so apart from the injector pump which will be expensive you have the injectors which may be coming to the end of there working lives , I think I wouldn't spend any money on it and go for the change . good luck with what you decide to do . 

[Boomer]

Have a 1998 Honda Legend that I paid £900 for in Nov 2015.
Has flaking lacquer, aircon don't work, gets 22mpg.
Comfy, quiet, fast, love it.
Was amazed when it passed it's MOT in Nov 2016.
Gonna drive it 'til it explodes and then buy another one.

[Stolichnaya]

i had a 2004 BMW 645 Convertible - dual mass flywheel n clutch was £1600..  at an Indie!!

anyhoooo - my 10 penneth.  you are only considering the things you know are needing doing !  build in other possible failures due to age/mileage and it could look more cost effective to sell/trade. 
Ball joints, drop links (if it has them) shocks/dampers etc etc.  all the things that have a life span.

Of course if it doesn't owe you anything then sense says keep hold.  trouble is you never know when something will fail..

i now have a 2009 Merc CLS 320.  had it 18 trouble free and very enjoyable months.  got it on 54k miles, now on 75k but just in that last 3 weeks ive had the driver side spring collapse! (£150) the window mechanism fail (£185) and its also just had an Auto box service (£215) and the motor serviced (£150)

I'm 48 years young and this is my 61st car... i hold little value to cars and have sold them because they need tyres before now but I'm faced with the same thoughts....  get shot of it ! before something really goes pop and i end up with something not worth trading!

if i were you i'd see what you've got to spend, add that to what youll get for yours and see whats out there.  if its not that young and has lots of miles why bother selling!

[mikeyw64]

the odd occasion (occasionally once maybe at most  2 weekends a month)  i need a car I just hire.

eg last weekend I made a booking via Thrifty to pick an Economy (it was a Vauxhall Adam on this occasion ) car up at 10:00 on Fri morn to be returned 08:30 Mon morning, cost £29.25

(oddly if I picked it up before 10 it would have been about £72)

Over Crimble I picked up a Hyundai IX20 on the Fri Morning and returned it the Tues Morn after the NY BH, Cost £116

Ok doesn't work for everyone but works for me 

[O.C.]

good move I'd say   

[Wookie]

A good few years ago there was a study into the cost of running a car the deprivation etc ..com pared to using taxi for all journeys .
Findings were it was over a 12 month period it was 60% cheaper  to use taxis .
And I expect the same would apply now to care rental .