Darcydog, I suspect your i30 cost a good deal more than an average 75/ZT. But it's true what you say about a replacement needing repairs. The cheap 2003 Renault Megane cabrio I bought to get me by while the 75 was having its clutch done (by me - £200-ish for parts), now stands me at a total, including purchase, of around £730, and a day or 2 of my time. It has needed a new silencer, new discs, (which it didn't really need), some touch-up paint, and a new wheel bearing. Oh, and I treated it to an oil and filter change to celebrate it passing its MoT. Apart from the wheel bearing - possibly caused by a rusted and stuck brake pad - it hasn't missed a beat or leaked a drop, either in or out in 8,000miles. So despite it's low mileage, worry-free reliability, lack of rust (on a par with the Rover), and equivalent fuel economy, it's probably the Rover I'll be keeping, having just spent £250 on suspension parts for it, which will need to be fitted for its upcoming MoT. Why? Because surprisingly, it's the Rover that has that certain je ne sais quoi!
|