[Cesc]

The petrol bills are averaging around 13k and FE is around 13 kmpl. I have been thinking about getting a diesel as a daily drive and keep the RS as a weekend car. The car lease option is there but I don't want to buy a hatch and a new sedan will result in significant financial outgo.

I have come across a 2007 diesel manual transmission Laura that is up for sale. It is the top of the line L&K, white colour and done genuine 90k kms. I drove the car and it drove pretty well. The suspension was making few noises but that is expected for a car that has done so many kms. The timing belt was changed at 75k kms at the dealership and the car was recently serviced. The original alloys were replaced by the owner with horrible chrome alloys that kind of kill the car's elegant look. Overall it is in decent shape. Asking price is 4.5L. Considering I will spend another 25k in sprucing it up a bit (original alloys plus suspension work) does 4.75l sound like a good deal?

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by Cesc

Considering I will spend another 25k in sprucing it up a bit (original alloys plus suspension work) does 4.75l sound like a good deal?

For 25K , you wont be able to get original alloys and the suspension work done! Atmost you can get only the suspension work done in 25K. For alloys , i would suggest you look at good after-market ones that suite your taste.

If the car is mechanically sound then i feel its a good buy!

[Cesc]

Thanks Sagar. Actually 25k will do it for me. I am not looking to buy a new set of alloys. My mechanic is confident he will be able to source used original Laura alloys for 10-12k. The suspension work will also not cost more than 15k (for front suspension only). I rarely get stuff from A**. I know of a couple of good importers. Bilstein B4 shocks for front should cost around 10k and Febi bushes et al plus labour will make it around 15k.

Plus if I do go ahed with the deal I will try to knock 10-15k from the asking price of 4.5L as well so 4.75l all in should do it.

The car is in good mechanical shape. I drove it for a good 20 kms. The turbo and the engine were up to tick. No smoke or anything from the exhaust even under hard acceleration. The FE was good as well (got 18kmpl) and all electricals (steering controls, parking sensors, sunroof operation, electric seat controls, headlights) were all working as they should.

[prithwi-81]

Polo TSI.... nothing beats a new car...

[Cesc]

Prithwi I know what you mean when you say nothing beats a new car. However we are kind of at the opposite ends of the spectrum as far as car buying is concerned. I frequently change cars and can't afford the depreciation that comes with this kind of a habit. It will be very difficult for me to keep driving the same car for 2+ years. Plus the TSI is still petrol. When I already have the 1.8T it kinda doesn't make sense from my view to opt for another similar petrol motor. I intend to keep the VRS and am planning to mod it somewhere down the line to make it a pure fun car. The Laura that I am looking at can become my daily drive and cut down my fuel expenses. I can sell the Laura after a couple of years and move on to another car. The depreciation hit will be more than offset by fuel savings. Thats my rationale.

BTW I saw your VRS a few weeks ago in the market near my house. Looked stunning in flesh.

[Cesc]

First maintenance item for the VRS. The left rear window glass collapsed in the door yesterday. I had just started driving the car when I heard a loud noise from behind. After looking here and there for a while I realized there was no glass in my rear left window! The power window mechanism for that door wasn't working from a couple of days and suddenly this happened yesterday. Car with mechanic who from an outward inspection has mentioned some kind of 'motor' giving way. No big deal is what I am being told.

[Cesc]

Update Time.

So the window motor cost me a royal sum of 2.2k. A few days ago I had the coolant low sign come on and I popped the hood. Nothing in the coolant tank. Filled in water and got it inspected the following day. A leaking plastic elbow near the engine was the culprit. Got it replaced (cost me 1.5k with labor) by my mechanic. Two days later while going back from office the car suddenly started jerking at low rpms and the engine light started blinking. Ignition coil is the first thing that came to my mind. I called my mechanic and he agreed and told me it is safe to be driven back. I did that even though it was a bad experience driving a usually super smooth motor in that manner. Two ignition coils needed replacement. Total damage 5.5k with labor.

So all in I have spent 9.2k till now on maintenance plus the initial servicing. The car has done 10k+ kms under my ownership so not a large sum of money spent on maintenance by any means.

By the way, I did buy the Laura I was looking at (in the posts above) to cut down on my fuel bills - only to sell it a few weeks ago because the fun of driving the RS was nowhere to be had from the Laura. Every time I drove the RS I kept on thinking why am I driving the Laura. I guess I can spend an additional 6-7k per month that driving the RS entails. Thats the thing that I have found with this car. Once you start driving it on a regular basis, none of the cars from the segments around it will come close to the driving experience this gives. That is how I have found things to be. So I am throwing financial prudence to the winds for now .

[v&v]

Belated congrats Cesc. Looks like vRS owners from Delhi is on the rise. Surely an addictive car and a seriously fast car. Looks to me a clean car as per your ownership report. Touchwood

Drive safe.

[Cesc]

Thanks v&v. Quite a nice log you have going there for your vRS. Helped me in making my decision. I know I wont be able to match that kind of a detail in writing my ownership report. Kudos to you.

[dj_zishaan]

Greetings everyone,
its 2014 and I would like to know what shoud I be paying for a clean single owner vrs.
I think 1.5-2lakh sounds good...
don't know if I should be posting here or start a new thread.

[Cesc]

How careful can one be in our country? A quarter of your foot in the wrong place and you have had it.

Last Sunday I am rushing to meet a friend in Delhi and the fuel gauge hits reserve. I usually fill up petrol from one pump in Delhi. In Gurgaon too if I am in a bind then also there is only one pump that I go to (the BP pump near Signature tower). Since I was coming from Manesar side I stop at the HP pump just before 32nd milestone to get some petrol. I twice tell the attendant that I need PETROL. He routes me to a petrol terminal. The guy standing at the terminal takes the petrol nozzle, the meter displays rate for petrol. I ask for 1k worth of fuel and the meter stops at 13.XX litres. So I know that I got the correct fuel. Or did I?

10-12 kms afterwards the car loses power at near 3 digit speeds on the expressway. I frantically press the accelerator and it picks up with jerk. By the time I near Dhaula Kuan this happened 3 times. I quickly meet my friend and start back. I call my mechanic and by the time I am back near Signature tower (another 18 kms) the car is jerking pretty much all the time. It loses power all of a sudden, I pump in fuel frantically and then it picks up again. Back with the mechanic and the first thing he checks is the fuel. And sure enough what comes out of the tank is DIESEL. I cant believe it because all of the fuel filling had happened in front of my eyes. Mechanic tells me that the petrol I got is heavily adultrated with diesel. He has cleared out the tank and the fuel lines. I want him to check the injectors as well and so the car is in the garage right now. He feels that it will be fine because it did not run on pure diesel. I am skeptical. More than skeptical, I am shocked at the psyche of these pump owners who will gladly kill a car in their quest to make more money for themselves.

So we can be as careful as we potentially can. All it takes to screw things up is a quarter of your foot in the wrong place. And short of getting paranoid, you really cant avoid that.

[Cesc]

Got the car back this morning. Drove it to work and it seems to be driving fine. Whew!

[MARCUS_520i]

Wow! That was a close one. I hope she's driving as well as she did earlier and also hope the repair didn't cost you a bomb

[Motoringlover]

Originally Posted by Cesc

How careful can one be in our country? A quarter of your foot in the wrong place and you have had it.

So we can be as careful as we potentially can. All it takes to screw things up is a quarter of your foot in the wrong place. And short of getting paranoid, you really cant avoid that.

Could not have agreed more, it is such a shame people will try to make any money they possibly can, and this is such a major risk when you are driving across the country, imagine getting stranded across the the highway with family along. Luckily this was a city environment and you had access to a garage.

Originally Posted by Cesc

Got the car back this morning. Drove it to work and it seems to be driving fine. Whew!

Good For you mate, glad it is working now, could you please share an estimate on the cost.



Thanks - ML

[Cesc]

Marcus, ML

Right now it is driving just as before. I felt a slight drop in FE but that might be me looking out for things more than they existing.

Cost - actually didnt cost me a lot (touchwood). The mech did not need to replace anything. So apart from the lost fuel (which was drained out), I only paid 1.5k in labor charges.

More than the money cost this really stressed me a lot and is probably my most worrisome episode in terms of car ownership. I still am shocked at the attitude of pump owners.