New car, important things to do for longevity?

[MortyDK]

Dear all,

I'm a long time Citroen Xantia driver, who's currently thinking about buying a new car for daily transport for the family. Our plan would be to buy a new car, and keep it for a good while -- 8+ years.

Money is a bit tight, so we would like the new car to be reliable, and last.

Besides corrosion protection & reading the manual carefully, is there anything we should do on the car while it's new, to maximize the chances of it lasting a long time for us? In other words -- and not french car specific -- are there some value-adding maintenance things / modifications one can do with a new car, which often yield really good value in the long run?

Thanks

[mad_at_french_cars]

Doesn't seem to be much necessary with modern cars. Perhaps have it properly waxed and polished, other than that .. well, I can't think of anything at all. Service it on time, check tyre pressures (regularly), fluids (when you can be bothered) and that's about it.

[Stickyfinger]

Find the VERY BEST Xantia Estate, send it to a specialist, have it stripped/rebuilt and resprayed, Engine rebuilt to take LPG or Veg, ICE updated and trimmed with leather ect...

You get change from 5 grand and a car that will last longer than any of the new tin plate lumps for a 1/3rd of the price and no complicated engine management ?

Its a thought anyway

[Stickyfinger]

Doesn't seem to be much necessary with modern cars.

Try looking under my C5x7 and say that .....bloody powder coating....made of Poo !

[MortyDK]

Thanks all! Corrosion protection, and getting it serviced at the recommended intervals to maintain the manufacturer's warranty -- is that it?

I think I saw someone mention plastic wheel well liners; are they useful or not really? Anything else you can think of?

[Peter.N.]

If you get a diesel, change the oil at least twice as often as specified.

Peter

[mad_at_french_cars]

Doesn't seem to be much necessary with modern cars.

Try looking under my C5x7 and say that .....bloody powder coating....made of Poo !

Well, he did say money was tight, he wanted it to be reliable and last for 8 years - presumably with little expense on repairs - so I assumed he'd ruled out any type of Citroen..

Get a Kia with a 7 year warranty and live with it. Job done. They honour that as it's a manufacturer warranty too. They've just done replaced a window motor on my mum's 6 year old one under warranty. I believe it gets its service and MOT once a year and she does nothing at all else to it. Not even wash it.

Can't be beat really if reliability, cheapness and warranty are top of your list.

[mad_at_french_cars]

I think I saw someone mention plastic wheel well liners; are they useful or not really? Anything else you can think of?

Think they all have such things fitted as standard now.

[Stickyfinger]

Or just Print your own plastic car

[Peter.N.]

I would say that the Peugeot 406 8 valve Hdi is about the most reliable car you can get. Mine has done nearly 240,000 miles, I have done nearly 50k of that and it has had no serious problems and will do 60mpg with care.

Peter

[Fr3nchy]

Make sure to do the basic maintenance. Keep it clean and try to keep it away from corrosion.

[GiveMeABreak]

Or just Print your own plastic car

Mmm... could be a nice little earner 3D printing steering racks for X7s.

[white exec]

Rustproofing, rustproofing, rustproofing.
Underside, subframes, inside doors and sills and floor cavities, behind wheel arch liners, behind bumpers.

Use a good cavity wax - there are lots of recommendations, of which mine is 4CR Cavity Wax.
If you are going to do it yourself, worth buying a Sealey SG18 waxing gun (which runs off an air-line).
Ours still without rust after 22 years, first seven of which were in UK.

As Peter says, if diesel, change oil and filter every 6000mi/10,000km, and (French) engine innards should last forever.

[Bick]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/253141912295?c ... 162&crdt=0

This is like gnats p*** and gets into everywhere been using it for years its brilliant.

[white exec]

Heck, that stuff is expensive!