Caroom.fr is worth checking out. It compares and rates a lot of companies.
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We have the exact same car as you. Our one will be 10 years old next year, we have had her for the last 5 years. Paid a tiny bit more (âŹ11k iirc) and it had higher mileage to start with (100,000km iirc) and is now at 240,000km.
The only issues weâve had are to do with the courroie dâaccessoire and the courroie de distribution - the latter needed to be replaced within a year of replacing it, which the garage agreed wasnât normal and did for free.
The infotainment system is showing its age. Iâd like to have Waze on the screen rather than their satnav (Iâve not updated the satnav so itâs years out of date now), but overall itâs been a good purchase. Sheâs built for comfort not speed, but thatâs fine by me.
However I need to find out how to reset the tyre pressure monitor as I pumped up the tyres recently. All the stuff I find on the internet is for more recent models, and the menu system is different. Donât suppose you know how to do it, do you?
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If you have a smart phone, and the car has an âauxâ socket (3.5mm jack or USB), and a âcigarette lighterâ power socket, you can rig up a CarPlay unit like this one:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/CARPURIDE-Compatible-Wireless-CarPlay-Android-Black/dp/B0D9RNGWTZ
I have one in my car (2009 Honda Accord estate whose DVD-based satnav is obsolete) and another smaller one on my motorbike.
They work really well and are cheaper than normal satnav units from Garmin or TomTom (especially the motorcycle ones!).
They work with either Apple or Android phones. Because they mimic whatâs on your phone you can use whichever navigation app you prefer and also any other CarPlay compatible apps such as Amazon Music, Apple Music, Tidal, Spotify etc.
If your car doesnât have an âAuxâ in you can still use one via its internal speaker but that wonât sound as clear as going via your car speakers.
Iâm much happier using the CarPlay on my motorbike as well because it means my phone can stay safely tucked away in my jacket and only the Carpuride device is exposed to the elements and the bikeâs vibration (they make waterproof CarPlays for motorbikes).
I have it mounted permanently with locking RAM mount fixings so itâs hard to steal but even if someone did pinch it Iâm only out a hundred quid or so and itâs a lot better than having my phone stolen if Iâd left it attached to the bike!
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The timing belt we have had done, of course, but I regard that as routine maintenance, And, TBH, the screen of the satnav is defective and does not show properly about a third of the time - stop and restart the car and it works fine. Maybe a loose contact somewhere but not worth paying to have investigated and I tend to use my phone anyway. The infotainment is a little clunky and I would have liked Android Auto integration but that will have to wait until we replace the car. An internal HDD plus both USB and SSD ports allows an immense amount of music to be played but sadly no USB connection for the phone (and the phono connection in the glovebox is a joke). Bluetooth works fine for call, of course.
For now, it drives smoothly and is quite pokey up to 70kph when both electric and diesel motors are in operation giving a combined 197bhp (nowhere near as comfortable on a journey as the Espace, mind) and I am inclined to keep it a little longer. I also like the option of 4wd for muddy fields or icy roads. I donât think ours (2012 model) has a tyre pressure monitor - the Espace did have and they started to malfunction last year (It was 15yrs old then). Replacing the sensors is not cheap - around âŹ400 I seem to recall
Russell
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Ah, sounds like we have a different system. I can listen to audio via Bluetooth.
Yeah, I agree timing belts are normal maintenance costs⌠Itâs just one which didnât last as long as it should have.
Thatâs a good point. I should look into it. This is what the dashboard looks like⌠The current screen lifts up when you turn the ignition on, so not sure I can just stick a new screen directly in front of it.
Yes you probably can, with a suitable mount, maybe an adhesive one. My Honda has its screen recessed into a cubby hole in the dash, I just sit the CarPlay device in there in front of it.
The dangling wires from the device down to the power socket in the centre console and the USB socket in the compartment between the front seats is a little untidy, but I have used self-adhesive cable ties which helps. I also had to put a small support block under it as my unit doesnât stick very well to the texture of the dashboard.
Itâs a bit of a kludge but the slight messiness is acceptable in exchange for having decent navigation!
Hereâs the equivalent setup with a smaller CarPlay device on my Honda NC750S - sorry for the slightly dark photo but itâs raining so Iâm not getting the bike out of the garage!
It uses the same kind of RAM ball-jointed mount as conventional M/C sat nav and phone mounts.
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PS in my old car (A VW Passat) I had a satnav mount that fixed to the driverâs side central air vent - it was made by a Scandinavian company whose name I now canât remember, but it was a specific fitting for the Passat so attached very securely.
That might be an option if the dashboard area doesnât work.
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to get back to the thread titleâŚ
Iâd buy local to where I live, so that any guaratees/hiccups are swiftly and easily handled.
In fact, we bought a 2nd hand Peugeot in UK some years ago and they arranged for their guarantee to be âtaken onâ via our local French Peugeot garage but Iâm not sure if that is usual or if we were just lucky⌠
That is a very good point in my opinion, although my Berlingo was bought from a main dealer 50 kms away, they did allow warranty repairs closer to home with a simple phone call.
Yes, I bought (fairly) locally too. From a garage in Bordeaux, although theyâre just a glorified reseller so not sure what wouldâve happened if the car has developed any issues - but that wouldâve been their problem. I wouldnât risk buying a car a long distance away from where I live personally. Itâs reassuring to be able to get there quickly and easily if needs be.
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Plymouth( one of Chryslerâs labels - now under Stellantis) had a Duster eons ago. It was a poor-manâs muscle car.
Daciaâs Duster is far less glam, but theyâre a solid cheap car thatâs well-suited to French rural motoring and the dealer network is very widespread.
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Iâve had âplusâ cars and âle plusâ cars throughout my life. That no longer interests me. I want to spend my hard-earned monies on experiences now.
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