Re buying a new vehicle

I have a 7 seater, well 6 3/4 seater because one person would need to be quite slim, and when the seats are stowed it provides lots of cargo space. Absolutely delighted with the style. Does the work and then is ready when you want to gather people.

I bought it as a family utility vehicle and it gets a lot of use. I use it for my little business to haul ladders and all sorts. A d then they are also long enough to strap paddle boards on the roof too

Just my 2 cents.

 

Only going for new van due to the scrappage scheme running atm. Been offered the princely sum of £125 by a scrappy for my lovely Subaru be it falling to bits but still runs fine. I would get minimum £1250 more off a Connect than a dealer’s best offer that I have found so seems not bad. Personally I don’t care if the van is new re paying before seeing. From bitter experience once you pay the full whack for anything your position for any type of query/ complaint is considerably weakened. Say the van arrives up from Manchester and it isn’t the spec I ordered. How long before it’s sorted out? I’ll bet you a lot quicker if they haven’t got full payment, or there is damage to the piantwork, am I expected to accept the van as is or have the damage repaired at their cost but have to waste my time and fuel travelling 2 hours there and back to collect the van.
I bought a year old car from a dealer down in Cheltenham a few years back. He got it driven up here to Scotland for very little money and I only paid a minimal deposit (refundable if not happy). It was agreed I could take the car to my garage and have it given the once over. If all ok only then did I need to pay for it. All went like. Car was perfect and everybody happy.
So far things re the sale of a new vehicle is going anything but well, I have not had it confirmed delivery date or where it is being delivered to!
These are national dealers but cheesing me off considerably. FC has come up with a good idea of travelling down to pick the van up rather than it being driven up here. The dealer is charging a fair whack to,do,this and certainly I could drive down to get it and 2 vehicles coming back up for a lot less. Going to see how the d3alers view this on Monday.
Many thanks @Jack McHammocklashing , tried your suggestion but they don’t have what we want in stock.Thanks @Sheal if I could get a better offer for my poor old car I wouldn’t bother with the Ford scrappage scheme.

 

Delivering a vehicle is quite expensive so it's good you have the option to pick up .

 

Ever since moving into this house, I've always had a vehicle to use as a "workhorse." The choice for the last change came down to either a Connect or a Transit. It was the latter that won purely on the grounds of capacity. When the Transit went in for (shall I list them?) expensive repairs under guarantee, I had a Connect as a loaner for a few days. On studded tyres, it went rather well in the middle of the Swedish winter. Other than the heater, no complaints really. Having said that, the thing that surprised me was the amount of rust on it, even if it was a relatively new van. Maybe not relevant as ours are German built, and presumably yours will be UK built.

From what I saw, the only thing that would trouble me would be Fords build quality. It does not seem to be up to scratch on either of them. Nice driving vans though.

 

I get my vehicles sprayed for rust as soon as I take delivery. We use a lot of salt here in the winter so it helps. My 17 year old mustang doesn't have any rust and neither does the van or the truck. Well worth the money.

 

Just to add to my earlier post. salt has not been used on the roads in this region for 20-25 years.

The rust on the Connect was not underneath, but in the middle of body panels, around door handles, things like that. Even on my Transit, the tailgate had to be replaced (part of the guarantee work mentioned) due to rust that had caused holes around the number plate light cover.

 

Yes, they inject the protectant into the the door panels, well, everywhere.

I wish they would quit with the salt here too.

@Fat Controller there had been a huge shift in steel supply here many years ago. The Canadian steel industry had been choked out by the U.S. and, of course, their steel is now pretty well all that is provided to the car companies. We are now experiencing the U.S. trying to shut us out of our own forest industry -which is regulated and renewed, they want to close down our dairy - we don't use hormones, and lots more of this. So, it is not a surprise that the auto industry has suffered from getting cut off from suppliers. However, that said, the spray does work.

It really is everywhere - not just slapped on the bottom of the vehicle.

 

If only we lived closer ..think my other half would happily swap our transit for your imprezza

In all seriousness though, hope you get it sorted with the dealer.. I'd get the deposit back and look elsewhere if they're not willing to bring the car to you.

 

I may very well be wrong with this, but most manufacturers have improved rust treatment of their cars over the past few years. Most, but not all, are on a par with each other. The thing is, smaller vans are not cars, they are working vehicles. As such, by the time they are 5 years old or so, thy dont have to last much longer as the target market (= companies) have by that time put on a high mileage. Other factors added to that mean it doesnt matter if they are rusted out. They simply sell them.

The Company van market is very competitive, so the lack of rust prevention is a plus for all. The vans are cheaper to produce, which makes them cheaper to buy.

If I was buying one to keep, then I would agree with @CanadianLori Get them rustproofed from the very beginning, if it doesnt void the warranty. If it does, dont bother. Just change it after a few years.

 

Update on my buying a new van saga.....happy days I think/hope. After a frosty phone call with the dealer sales person who was wanting payment upfront I stood my ground and told them politely to go and get stuffed adding that I did not appreciate getting a quote which then went up by £55. I had a fair idea their omission would mean I could have a strong case for being missold and as a consequence the dealer would have to give me back the deposit.
After I spoke with the boss of the person I had had dealings with the whole affair took on a very different atmosphere.That small word called sorry was used, I was offered not to have to pay upfront and to forget the omitted £55.
However I had had the dealership by this time and really did not feel inclined to give them my business. There was no hassle getting my deposit back as it was obvious I had been badly informed and treated.After another couple of phone calls to a different dealership I have agreed a sale for an identical van, to be delivered to my home, I pay once I have inspected the van and I am happy with it, and after I told this dealer of all the trouble I’d had he matched the other dealer’s price and took another £100 off to “cheer me up” result.
I fail to understand how people can be so unpleasant in doing business and I have no idea what happened to “the customer is always right”.
Many thank all for your useful input. I’m getting a bit old for these types of battles but I really do not take kindly to being dictated to when I am a customer.
@Linz yes a great pity as I am very fond of my old “bus” and sad to see her going literally to the scrap heap.. We have had her for nearly 11 years and she never caused a minutes bother in all that time. Unfortunately now all sorts of bits need doing to her and having sat outside up here in Scotland all these years has not done her bodywork any favours.I will be both amazed and delighted if the new van does us such good service.

 

@silu , so you got a good result and £100 up into the bargain

 

Congratulations, silu! Hope all goes well for the delivery.
All I can add is 'don't ever, ever buy anything in France. Anything, from a tin of tuna to a new car, is fraught with indifferent service and woe betide anyone who complains (That's a gallic shrug, by the way, perfected over several centuries )