Inspecting and Accepting your New Car....
Discussion
As per the title, we are due to go and collect our brand new family meat wagon in a couple of days.
Ive read many many a thread on Pistonheads telling people they should have checked this, or inspected that - and your right to return / reject the car etc should you find anything wrong with it.
But realistically - how do you go about giving the car a THOROUGH check over in a garage car park, whilst making sure you dont miss anything.
So, what to look for (Paint / Tyres / Interior)?
What to expect on the day? (Tank of fuel / Free Mats etc)
Im not expecting much, customer service over here is crap at the best of times - AND its Renault
Advice and experiences please gentlefolk
Ive read many many a thread on Pistonheads telling people they should have checked this, or inspected that - and your right to return / reject the car etc should you find anything wrong with it.
But realistically - how do you go about giving the car a THOROUGH check over in a garage car park, whilst making sure you dont miss anything.
So, what to look for (Paint / Tyres / Interior)?
What to expect on the day? (Tank of fuel / Free Mats etc)
Im not expecting much, customer service over here is crap at the best of times - AND its Renault
Advice and experiences please gentlefolk
If its a new Megane check for panel and door fit - I can't believe how bad they come out. When I had one as a company car for 6 months I complained to the dealer about it and was told you have to expect panel fit like that because it is "mass produced car" Mental.
One of the guys at work had to have his go into the bodyshop to have the door realigned as it was so out.
One of the guys at work had to have his go into the bodyshop to have the door realigned as it was so out.
A911DOM said:
What to expect on the day? (Tank of fuel / Free Mats etc)
I wouldn't expect anything unless I had negotiated these in before I agreed on a price and signed.Edited by sklar on Friday 17th June 13:58
I had horrible trouble with my Espace, and I had a major fight with Renault regarding the poor longevity of their 2.2DCI unit... which is well documented. I did get some money out of them, but it wouldnt convince me to buy from their range of cars 'for me'!
The 2005 Scenic my mrs has currently has been no trouble however, and as its something she is familiar with and isnt prepared to go up in size or outlay, so we decided to go for the new scenic as a replacement for the school run / carting stuff on holiday / general use vehicle.
I dont need to make excuses obviously, and I knew the PH massive would be straight on my tail as soon as I mentioned buying another - its a calculated risk based on the fact we will be entirely under warranty for the period of ownership - and also that it was the best equipped car for the job we need it to perform within a bearable budget.
Buying second hand in Belgium is not quite as cheap as doing the same in the UK, and the tax implications of bigger and better motors are also incredibly depressing! (Hence my other recent posts regarding buying a pick-up double cab which dodges the tax man to a greater degree without having to have a miniscule engine).
So, with my manhood firmly questioned - what should I be making damn sure happens on collection day?
The 2005 Scenic my mrs has currently has been no trouble however, and as its something she is familiar with and isnt prepared to go up in size or outlay, so we decided to go for the new scenic as a replacement for the school run / carting stuff on holiday / general use vehicle.
I dont need to make excuses obviously, and I knew the PH massive would be straight on my tail as soon as I mentioned buying another - its a calculated risk based on the fact we will be entirely under warranty for the period of ownership - and also that it was the best equipped car for the job we need it to perform within a bearable budget.
Buying second hand in Belgium is not quite as cheap as doing the same in the UK, and the tax implications of bigger and better motors are also incredibly depressing! (Hence my other recent posts regarding buying a pick-up double cab which dodges the tax man to a greater degree without having to have a miniscule engine).
So, with my manhood firmly questioned - what should I be making damn sure happens on collection day?
In true pistonheads tradition I thought I'd dredge up my own thread and update:
I collected the new car yesterday, and was relatively impressed with the handover and customer service offered, which was in stark comparison to when we actually wanted to part with the cash in the first instance and place the order...
Anyway, the car looks fairly good (its only a Renault for the school / holiday run at the end of the day so wasnt expecting much), but the finish and spec isnt too bad! We definately chose the right colour (dark met grey which suits the car well), and speccing the 'Bose Edition' was a good move too I think, alloys look good on the car, and the satnav / 6 gears / sound system / half leather / cruise etc are quite nicely done and neatly packaged. Time will tell obviously how the car wears and if its up to the task of dealing with 3 kids worth of dirt being trudged through it every day...
I have spotted a couple of minor paint imperfections since getting the car home, around the top edge of the roof near the boot (like a little sort of 'point' or 'pull' in the paint) - its perfectly smooth, but I can see the imperfection in the light.
Not sure if its even worth mentioning and making a fuss about, and Im not sure I want a Belgian bodyshop guy getting his hands on the otherwise unscathed car...
So I guess im as pleased as a bloke can be about taking delivery of a shopping / school run car...
Now on to the search for MY replacement vehicle - Ive been told recently that the tax break for utility vehicles (ie pick-ups and double cabs etc) is coming to a grinding halt, so that idea looks to have been canned for now.
Im trying to convince the Mrs that another classic / oldtimer is the way to go, but she seems 'unconvinced'.
I collected the new car yesterday, and was relatively impressed with the handover and customer service offered, which was in stark comparison to when we actually wanted to part with the cash in the first instance and place the order...
Anyway, the car looks fairly good (its only a Renault for the school / holiday run at the end of the day so wasnt expecting much), but the finish and spec isnt too bad! We definately chose the right colour (dark met grey which suits the car well), and speccing the 'Bose Edition' was a good move too I think, alloys look good on the car, and the satnav / 6 gears / sound system / half leather / cruise etc are quite nicely done and neatly packaged. Time will tell obviously how the car wears and if its up to the task of dealing with 3 kids worth of dirt being trudged through it every day...
I have spotted a couple of minor paint imperfections since getting the car home, around the top edge of the roof near the boot (like a little sort of 'point' or 'pull' in the paint) - its perfectly smooth, but I can see the imperfection in the light.
Not sure if its even worth mentioning and making a fuss about, and Im not sure I want a Belgian bodyshop guy getting his hands on the otherwise unscathed car...
So I guess im as pleased as a bloke can be about taking delivery of a shopping / school run car...
Now on to the search for MY replacement vehicle - Ive been told recently that the tax break for utility vehicles (ie pick-ups and double cabs etc) is coming to a grinding halt, so that idea looks to have been canned for now.
Im trying to convince the Mrs that another classic / oldtimer is the way to go, but she seems 'unconvinced'.
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