Hi. Im looking to purchase a ford galaxy x plate 2001. I had my heart set on a manual but there is none around for the price im looking for, but i have found a automatic version.
Im looking for advice on what the difference is in the mpg, the road tax and just the car in general!
Look for a Seat Alhambra or VW Sharan too as they are the same thing.
why take life so seriously..its not like you are going to make it out alive
And the Seat/VW can generally be cheaper.
Also make 100000000% it`s not an ex-taxi as an X plate could have been taxi`d, sold on then sold again.
Loads of quirky problems to look out for like the spare wheel clamp that holds the wheel up breaks, costs a fortune.
Interior door handles, same again.
Wiper linkage/motor if it sounds rough or slow probably needing replaced.
Diesels can be better for mileage and I`m pretty sure the VW engines do better but don`t quote me on it, and the higher spec models can be nice (lots of storage spaces)
Diesels also tend to be a bit more expensive etc.
Things to check for ex-taxi:
Extra hole in the roof, normally near the front and between the front seats (for the aerial mount).
Scratches where a mag-mount arial may have been used instead (generally between driver`s head and passenger behind if brought over the drivers door, usually scratches the paint there where the wire was too or other locations are across the rear roof area of the car above the rearmost passengers heads.)
Screw marks from a tailgate mounted aerial, usually two screw marks, circular and small where it`s burst the paint to make a ground/earth and is in that sort of pinched line around the tailgate where the two skins meet, can be anywhere on that though on it`s entire outer edge.
Interior: Excessive scuffs/damage although this can happen with kids/normal passengers too.
Around the drivers area or the front footwells/dashboard or even the overhead area look for screwholes (sometimes plugged) where the fire extinguisher was mounted.
Also screwholes or extra wiring or holes where the actual taxi radio was mounted ;)
Nothing wrong buying an ex-taxi that you know it`s history and driver(s) but if it`s one that`s been owned by the company and rented out it`ll probably have been hammered.
Owner driver cars are usually in better nick (my Zafira is probably one of the tidiest 04 plates out there and has done 150-odd thousand now) but it still has a couple of little issues to be fixed.
Jimbo : oÞ
"Making Teenagers depressed is like shooting fish inna barrel"