Discussion
Hello all
I am sure this a common question but I am about to take the plunge and buy a 2004 Gallardo manual. I have just got the insurance down to £1700 from £3500 which was a major hurdle. I have a 997 at the moment which is fantastic and totally reliable but I want something a bit more exotic. If any of you have Gallardos I would appreciate your feedback on ownership experience, reliability etc.
Thanks in advance
I am sure this a common question but I am about to take the plunge and buy a 2004 Gallardo manual. I have just got the insurance down to £1700 from £3500 which was a major hurdle. I have a 997 at the moment which is fantastic and totally reliable but I want something a bit more exotic. If any of you have Gallardos I would appreciate your feedback on ownership experience, reliability etc.
Thanks in advance
Hi yorkie, I've owned both and would say the following.
If you are paying sub £95k (and you should be), you'll only hose £10-£15k a year first off.
The Gallardo is more of an event than the 997 and you won't be let down driving it. Make sure you've got a new clutch on the Lambo and accept you'll probably need another car for anything requiring more than an overnight bag and you are on to a winner.
I was silly and paid £125k and worried too much about the lack of use of something so bloody expensive. If I could buy mine now for £90k (what I got for it) I'd probably do it.
I think I'm going 360 spider though..
good luck - hope it's yellow or black.
If you are paying sub £95k (and you should be), you'll only hose £10-£15k a year first off.
The Gallardo is more of an event than the 997 and you won't be let down driving it. Make sure you've got a new clutch on the Lambo and accept you'll probably need another car for anything requiring more than an overnight bag and you are on to a winner.
I was silly and paid £125k and worried too much about the lack of use of something so bloody expensive. If I could buy mine now for £90k (what I got for it) I'd probably do it.
I think I'm going 360 spider though..
good luck - hope it's yellow or black.
All i can say is DONT!
Granted the Gallardo is an event and its quick but after my experiences i would not buy the Gallardo at all.
The reasons are.
1 for 04 cars especially the build quality is poor and that was reflected in my car. The clutch problem even if it has been changed for a c type clutch was never resolved _ you will get about 8K miles if its a manual car and replacement is 4K. earlier clutches last about 2K
2. The depreciation is frightening I had bids i neevr thought could be so low- NO ONE in the trade wants these cars. trade bids on a low miles 04 car were about 75K.
So if you buy an 04 car now you should pay no more than 84-86K and expect to lose AT least 20K in year one. WHY?? because by then the car will be out of manufacturers warranty( god help you) and the baby gallardo with the audi V8 will be out and much much cheaper.
The individual on here who states they are agood bet and you will lose only 10/15 K is living in a cloud.
All i can say is ring round the dealers with the same car attempting to sell it- NO chance unless that car is low 70s.
I appreciate that all cars lose money and you might be well off enough to accept this- it is indeed a truly quick car but the steering is awful, the gearchange not that good.
Check for clutch replacement within the last 1000 miles or you will be buying anotehr VERY soon, melting rear lights, suspension bushes that need replacement all the time as the car clonks, mid rev hestitancy which neerv seem to be resolved, on the rear engine hatch the screws drop out causing butresses to scratch- the list goes on!
For your information tom hartley offered me 70K for mine. and hes is asking about 90 for the same car
Granted the Gallardo is an event and its quick but after my experiences i would not buy the Gallardo at all.
The reasons are.
1 for 04 cars especially the build quality is poor and that was reflected in my car. The clutch problem even if it has been changed for a c type clutch was never resolved _ you will get about 8K miles if its a manual car and replacement is 4K. earlier clutches last about 2K
2. The depreciation is frightening I had bids i neevr thought could be so low- NO ONE in the trade wants these cars. trade bids on a low miles 04 car were about 75K.
So if you buy an 04 car now you should pay no more than 84-86K and expect to lose AT least 20K in year one. WHY?? because by then the car will be out of manufacturers warranty( god help you) and the baby gallardo with the audi V8 will be out and much much cheaper.
The individual on here who states they are agood bet and you will lose only 10/15 K is living in a cloud.
All i can say is ring round the dealers with the same car attempting to sell it- NO chance unless that car is low 70s.
I appreciate that all cars lose money and you might be well off enough to accept this- it is indeed a truly quick car but the steering is awful, the gearchange not that good.
Check for clutch replacement within the last 1000 miles or you will be buying anotehr VERY soon, melting rear lights, suspension bushes that need replacement all the time as the car clonks, mid rev hestitancy which neerv seem to be resolved, on the rear engine hatch the screws drop out causing butresses to scratch- the list goes on!
For your information tom hartley offered me 70K for mine. and hes is asking about 90 for the same car
Wow Octane sounds like you've been a very unlucky man..
I'm not sure how many others have had the same problems?
I have a 2004 car and have done just under 5000 Miles with none of the problems you have mentioned?
I know that clutch problems have been aired by a number of owners but i think the advice to anybody buying a car let alone a car costing this much money is to have it professionally inspected.
Yorkie go for it you only live once and the thrill of the Gallardo is brilliant.
Take up Alan's offer of advice as i think he is best placed for knowledge on these cars.
Good Luck...
Shan
I'm not sure how many others have had the same problems?
I have a 2004 car and have done just under 5000 Miles with none of the problems you have mentioned?
I know that clutch problems have been aired by a number of owners but i think the advice to anybody buying a car let alone a car costing this much money is to have it professionally inspected.
Yorkie go for it you only live once and the thrill of the Gallardo is brilliant.
Take up Alan's offer of advice as i think he is best placed for knowledge on these cars.
Good Luck...
Shan
2 5HAN said:
Wow Octane sounds like you've been a very unlucky man..
I'm not sure how many others have had the same problems?
I have a 2004 car and have done just under 5000 Miles with none of the problems you have mentioned?
I know that clutch problems have been aired by a number of owners but i think the advice to anybody buying a car let alone a car costing this much money is to have it professionally inspected.
Yorkie go for it you only live once and the thrill of the Gallardo is brilliant.
Take up Alan's offer of advice as i think he is best placed for knowledge on these cars.
Good Luck...
Shan
On lambo power it seems most owners have had clutch problems on manual cars and ecu problems on the F1 cars.
I would say that my reliability experiences were no worse than the Ferrari I had but its when you come to sell it- thats the problem. Whatever you have paid for the car bears no relation to its real worth- in being very realistic here when i say that within 12months the trade price ( if you can sell it) of a G will be somewhere near 60K.
octane said:
Whatever you have paid for the car bears no relation to its real worth- in being very realistic here when i say that within 12months the trade price ( if you can sell it) of a G will be somewhere near 60K.
Hi octane,
Can I ask how you have come to this conclusion? Not being funny, this is a genuine question - like many others, I am considering buying a Gallardo too.
OK thinking about this more and there's no other cars on the market that confuse me so much.
If these cars have taken the massive hammering everyone claims, why is it that most dealers are still making 20-30k mark up prices on cars?
For example, here:
www.racecar.co.uk/lamborghini/lamborghinisales.htm
You have cars that are mid 90's, but you claim the trade price is mid 70's.
Are dealers REALLY making 20k profit on used Gallardo's?
What gives?
If these cars have taken the massive hammering everyone claims, why is it that most dealers are still making 20-30k mark up prices on cars?
For example, here:
www.racecar.co.uk/lamborghini/lamborghinisales.htm
You have cars that are mid 90's, but you claim the trade price is mid 70's.
Are dealers REALLY making 20k profit on used Gallardo's?
What gives?
[quote]Are dealers REALLY making 20k profit on used Gallardo's?[/quote]
They made a good £18K on my GT2 when I sold it
I think there are some cars people are running away from (even if the drop isn't real (yet))
A few months ago, someone on here was considering a new Gallardo, and called a dealer to ask what they would offer him for his spanking new car with delivery miles.. he was told mid £80s. I'll see if I can find the thread.
They made a good £18K on my GT2 when I sold it
I think there are some cars people are running away from (even if the drop isn't real (yet))
A few months ago, someone on here was considering a new Gallardo, and called a dealer to ask what they would offer him for his spanking new car with delivery miles.. he was told mid £80s. I'll see if I can find the thread.
most dealers seem to work on 20% so if its a 10k car they make 2k and on a 100k car they make 20k, they argue large profit but large risk cos of large outlay and we as public dont have much choice when selling cos theres so few garages dealing in this type of car. personally, even though i hate doing it, i still buy from dealers cos of the risk factor privatly, and cos they trade in!
>> Edited by irish boy on Thursday 12th January 15:36
>> Edited by irish boy on Thursday 12th January 15:36
Blow Dog said:
Whatever you have paid for the car bears no relation to its real worth- in being very realistic here when i say that within 12months the trade price ( if you can sell it) of a G will be somewhere near 60K.
Hi octane,
Can I ask how you have come to this conclusion? Not being funny, this is a genuine question - like many others, I am considering buying a Gallardo too.
I have come to this conclusion based on what I sold my 04 car for together with the experiences of two other owners i am aware of.
The Gallardo is a great car and it super quick but this comes at a HUGE price.
The problem is that with one authorised dealer in the UK you are left with the second tier market when you come to sell it as it is unlikely they will buy it from you at ANY PRICE
Blow Dog said:
OK thinking about this more and there's no other cars on the market that confuse me so much.
If these cars have taken the massive hammering everyone claims, why is it that most dealers are still making 20-30k mark up prices on cars?
For example, here:
www.racecar.co.uk/lamborghini/lamborghinisales.htm
You have cars that are mid 90's, but you claim the trade price is mid 70's.
Are dealers REALLY making 20k profit on used Gallardo's?
What gives?
The supercar market now can only survive by buyers taking a huge hit in depreciation, then onto the next individual who can afford the lower price as youve just lost 28K on your gallardo in a year.
The dealers have to markup this amount- they might have it in stock for a year waiting for the next person to come along who wants to lose another 25K and so it goes on!
Thanks.
For what it's worth, I think there's a lot of scaremongering going on at the moment.
I'm currently chasing 2 separate commercial entities with immediate offers to purchase a car and none of them are returning my calls - I can't say they are THAT desperate to sell to be honest....
For what it's worth, I think there's a lot of scaremongering going on at the moment.
I'm currently chasing 2 separate commercial entities with immediate offers to purchase a car and none of them are returning my calls - I can't say they are THAT desperate to sell to be honest....
gt2man-2 said:
FWIW, I wouldn't be too comfortable as a dealer, sat on a string of £90-100K cars that are doing over £1000 a month in depreciation EACH.. and then staff + building costs.. it's not like you sell a Gallardo every day/week.
I agree I would not be to comfortable as a dealer either.
erm......... which is worse? owning the car or being the dealer attempting to sell it! its a close call!
I suppose if your the dealer there is always the chance that an individual will pay our asking price after all you see the same cars in dealers showrooms for months and the price is the same??
BUT if you own it....well you will have a very generous offer!!
As a followon, Blowdog is waiting for 2 dealers to call him back over cars he's enquired about.. and he's been waiting a while. Not only do the dealers not want to know when you're selling one.. they don't want to know when you're buying one either !
Conversely, I bought another car today from Top555 (not a F or L car) and the dealer was so pleasant and helpful without being pushy, it was a breath of fresh air.
Edited to say I should read what Cem writes before posting !!
>> Edited by gt2man-2 on Thursday 12th January 17:06
Conversely, I bought another car today from Top555 (not a F or L car) and the dealer was so pleasant and helpful without being pushy, it was a breath of fresh air.
Edited to say I should read what Cem writes before posting !!
>> Edited by gt2man-2 on Thursday 12th January 17:06
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