CARS!! Chrysler Delta In UK!

Good point!! my last 4 cars I have bought have been either company demo models or 12-18 month old one owner . All bugs ironed out , low milage , with quite a bit of manufactures warranty left. Yes you do loose a lot of money!! but I have tried to cut a lot of my losses ( But not all ) by doing this . If you do buy a NEW car , best thing is to run it into the ground , thus paying for itself & at its death it owes you nothing……

Oh & towing Helicopters is very low on my list of priorities !!

Slightly off thread but my long experience of changing cars has taught me that residual values are getting lower and lower and that from a low start point with a few honourable exceptions. Bear in mind you will lose a fair percentage the minute you drive a new car off the forecourt.

AutoStick. Thanks for the input re the test drive. As for the Volvo 244, bullet proof as you say.
Just one question, why dont they make cars like that today?.

Recently I sold my wifes Citroen C4 By Loeb, a special ltd edition, cost £15.000,last year. well, just a few pence less, one year later, NO garage would offer more than £7.000 whatever you wanted in P/E.
Hence the Mini Cooper, by Beemer, the residuals should be better than the Citroen.Plus the Beemer upgraded the wifes alloys, as I did in fact buy two from them.(I had to get rid of my 4×4 and caravan, due to medical reasons, hence two Coopers.)
Jim.
Lincoln .7

Yep I was also an owner of a Volvo 244 , stick a turret on it & it became a T-34. Mitsu Gallant a very good , but very underated car In UK –shame really because like the Volvo it was pretty bullet proof.

Delta test drive went ok …Fit , finish & build quality excellent . All engine models have 6 speed gearbox ( Not sure what the Auto option is ) . Doors close with an expensive THUNK !! not a bash , crash , rattle like so many mainstream cars today. Steering adjusts for reach & rake & rear seats slide back & fore allowing legroom/luggage adjustments . Gear box one of the smoothest , slickest changes I have ever experienced ( & I have spent many years off & on in the motor trade ). Ride smooth , comfortable with good roadholding & grip , there is a little tyre roar & road noise. The Delta looks better in the metal than in pics. I test drove the mid range SE witha 1.6 diesel M-jet engine . . I quite likes the idea of the S range , most of the kit of the higher range model , but with the 1.4 T-Jet engine ( Turbo & supercharger combined) 120 BHP ….50 MPG …0—62 in 9.5 secs. Best part oil change / service every 2 years or 21.000 miles …..A choice between equivilent Golf , Astra . Focus , et al . it would win with quite an edge …However !!!!! it just depends on how depreciation/reliability pans out ??

My 2002 Mitsubishi Galant I bought as an ex-demo with 4000 miles on the clock, now has 60000 and, apart from normal servicing and tyres hasn’t had any faults whatsoever. Nor did its 1999 predecessor.

A fine car indeed. I had a 2001 V6 Sport estate for a couple of years. Great looking car with a fantastic auto gearbox.

Chinook size at least?.:)
Jim.
Lincoln .7

That should definitely be the first question asked in a showroom, will it tow a helicopter?:)

Yeah but does this Delta have lots of space to put aircraft parts found on scrap dumps or even tow a trailer…Waste of time if not !
My old Austin Princess was great for that but my Granada had two main gearbox seals go whilst towing helicopters in the 1970-80s.

The BEST car I have ever driven(Work car) was a VOLVO 244, the red engined one with the overly long gear lever. It was my Police Patrol car, NOT one bit of trouble when the Force got rid at 250.000 miles, one or two years later saw it on my patch and stopped it. The driver/owner stated he had done 100.000 miles in it and never had a spanner on it.Although it did have a slight bit of rust along the bottom edge of the boot lid.
Now thats a real car.
Jim.
Lincoln .7

I much prefer the lines of the model than the car! That rear half is nothing to get excitied about – the car, not the model!:D

My 2002 Mitsubishi Galant I bought as an ex-demo with 4000 miles on the clock, now has 60000 and, apart from normal servicing and tyres hasn’t had any faults whatsoever. Nor did its 1999 predecessor.

I have a much loved 1999 CLK 320. It has been a great car with no major repairs to note. Knock wood. But I only have 55,000 miles on it.

As far as a drop in quality about that time, I’ll agree with that.
Compared with my older C class, it is less stout.
The carpet (actually fuzzy burlap) in my car would shame a cut-rate Korean import. My Mustangs had far better.

I think the 300 used Mercedes parts, but I’d be surprised if it used the complete E Class platform.

You’re right, I thought it was the whole platform but it was just major componants shared.
I agree about the Merc comments, shame thay went through that loss of quality of engineering period, I’ve had a few 190s, & 124s which were superb second-hand vehicles.

The merger coincided with a huge deterioration in MB quality.

Moggy

Devastation of M.B. Had a new A class, brand new, had 3 gearboxes in 1st year, a c180, 37 bodywork faults and engine so noisy you couldnt hear yourself speak, also new.
I would sooner have a Sinclair C5 rather than a Merc, they are relying on what they USED to be.
Jim.
Lincoln .7

If you want ugly American ?? there is always my Dodge Avenger ( 2008 )

That’s nearly a damn good picture, but you needed to step to the left about 4 foot and fwd about 3, that should then have removed that God awful car from the shot…
:p

Another ugly car. Not as bad as the Nissan Joke or the Dodge Nitro though.

The roads are full of cars with styling that seems to come from 7 year olds.

I can’t understand how these once great American giants bother with badge engineering Lancia, Fiat, and Daewoo

-Well Fiat now has a controlling share of Chrysler. And Lancia is part of Fiat.
-Buying already designed small car is cheaper than designing your own.
Small cars don’t have a lot of profit, so if you can start with an existing platform and drivetrain, you’re ahead of the game.

I think the 300 used Mercedes parts, but I’d be surprised if it used the complete E Class platform.
An example of Chrysler/Benz parts sharing was the Chrysler Crossfire coupe which utilized the previous generation SLK platform. I don’t think Benz would let their American cousins build a car with the the good bits from their E class but undercut it in price in the US.
Remember here in the US, the 300 is not very upscale, while the E Class is. (They don’t import basic Mercedes here…all of them are the equivalent of their deluxe trim lines. You won’t find E-Class taxis with plastric seats and roll-up windows here).

I don’t like the 300s at all with their faux “Gangsta” look “chopped” top and toothy grille.

Chrysler’s been in bed with so many, one loses track – Hillman/Humber – Rootes Gp

Chrysler’s been in bed with so many, one loses track – Sunbeam, Hillman, Humber – Rootes Gp

Linwood in Scotland now no more of course was the famous relationship of Chrysler – Rootes Group

Incidentally Chrysler manufactured quite a lot of successful hardware for NASA

( GM Brand???)

Aaaagh! Brain fade.

Sorry, up to my neck in training dealer staff on the supercharged Nissan at the moment.

surely Mercedes were a good thing for Chrysler

The merger coincided with a huge deterioration in MB quality.

Moggy

surely Mercedes were a good thing for Chrysler, one recent ok American car I can think of is the 300 which used the Merc E class chassis and suspension.

I can’t understand how these once great American giants bother with badge engineering Lancia, Fiat, and Daewoo