Sadly Leaving the Fold.

[KennyN]

Noticed it the other day parked outside the hairdressers / nail bar along Love Street ,.

RE , your other post - recently a chap at work was searching for an identical car as yours , it also had to be red. It took months to locate the right one and he ended up going to Ireland to get it. He absolutely loves it as it has been his realistic dream car for around 20 years but mortgages and kids got in the way , as they do.

Enjoy your new motor it looks a nice one.

Kenny

 

[A.J.]

Had 2 Audis in my time. First was an original S3. That went like brown stuff off a shovel until it was stolen.
It also has the dubious honour of being the only car I've ever had to abandon in snowy weather....
Second was an A8 4.2 Quattro Sport. That car I absolutely loved. Fast, quiet but with a fabulous engine and superb handling (and proper quattro system as opposed to the haldex version). Even on knackered tyres it was pretty good in snow (it felt a bit tail happy so I had a look and the rear tyres were almost slicks!).

When I worked in the Vehicle Contract Hire industry our MD had one and declared that is was the best car he had ever driven

 

[flowrider]

Had 2 Audis in my time. First was an original S3. That went like brown stuff off a shovel until it was stolen.
It also has the dubious honour of being the only car I've ever had to abandon in snowy weather....
Second was an A8 4.2 Quattro Sport. That car I absolutely loved. Fast, quiet but with a fabulous engine and superb handling (and proper quattro system as opposed to the haldex version). Even on knackered tyres it was pretty good in snow (it felt a bit tail happy so I had a look and the rear tyres were almost slicks!).

Haldex isn't great when compared to the Torsen system. My S5 has Torsen and the torque vectoring sport differential so handling is pretty much spot on in all conditions.

 

[Ron240]

I must say that having had 4matic for the last couple of years, it does give you a great feeling of security and I would be reluctant to manage without it sometime in the future.

There's a particular roundabout quite close to where I live that I had to be very careful on, when driving the Coupé when it was wet. Last night I just blasted right through it, I didn't even lift on the exit, the Quattro just dug in and flew in and out of it like it was on rails. Yes, the road was wet and a fair degree of negative camber too.

Four wheel drive, don't you just love it?

Completely agree with you both.
My previous car was an S3 Saloon which I bought new in May 2018 and kept for exactly 25 months before getting my CLA.
I loved the Audi which got admiring compliments regularly, and I feel the same way about my CLA which is a much higer spec but lacking in power and AWD compared with the S3.
My point is that even though I do not drive fast everywhere(although little bursts of acceleration are enjoyable) it is plain to see where an all wheel drive system is helping in everyday driving when you no longer have it.
I had got so used to driving my S3 that I was no longer aware of the benefit of AWD and just took it for granted.
Ironically it was originally the next model up in the range
(CLA 35) that I wanted which has directly equivalent power to my S3 together with 4MATIC AWD so would have been ideal, but I convinced myself I didn't need them both(which is still true) at a cost of an additional circa £8k in the same trim spec, plus elevated into the rip off tax bracket of £475 compared with £150 that I will pay now.

I still want the AWD and extra power regardless though....so maybe next time.

 

[Rob7seven]

However, it will be getting my private plate put on as soon as is possible.

And the best of luck with that. The plate transfer process has just taken me five months, FIVE. The reasons were the near impossibility of contacting DVLA, and an unimpressive, "Couldn't care less once we've got your money" performance by the supplying dealer, Mercedes-Benz Brentford, the only bad MB dealer I've ever encountered, check out their website feedback, unimpressive to say the least. I was a cash buyer having sold my previous car privately, and I went for the best deal I could get, by-passing my good local dealer. Of course,that's taught me a lesson, though fortunately no problem with the car itself. The problem all along was only missing paperwork, but the right person at MB Brentford was almost as hard to track down as the DVLA, even with the help of Mercedes Customer Assistance.

On Jimbo's comment on what kind of idiot would buy a car without driving it first, I've done that twice, but both cars were from slightly distant MB dealers, one new and one approved ex-demonstrator. The first time that worked out fine, and the second time taught me that not all dealers are perfect when it comes to some aspects of customer after sales service.

 

[A.J.]

And the best of luck with that. The plate transfer process has just taken me five months, FIVE. The reasons were the near impossibility of contacting DVLA, and an unimpressive, "Couldn't care less once we've got your money" performance by the supplying dealer, Mercedes-Benz Brentford, the only bad MB dealer I've ever encountered, check out their website feedback, unimpressive to say the least. I was a cash buyer having sold my previous car privately, and I went for the best deal I could get, by-passing my good local dealer. Of course,that's taught me a lesson, though fortunately no problem with the car itself. The problem all along was only missing paperwork, but the right person at MB Brentford was almost as hard to track down as the DVLA, even with the help of Mercedes Customer Assistance.

On Jimbo's comment on what kind of idiot would buy a car without driving it first, I've done that twice, but both cars were from slightly distant MB dealers, one new and one approved ex-demonstrator. The first time that worked out fine, and the second time taught me that not all dealers are perfect when it comes to some aspects of customer after sales service.

What happened there Rob ? My plate transfer was instant and the new Registration Document took less than a week to come through my letter box

 

[Jimbo1959]

Time will tell on the cheaper

Well it's certainly cheaper to buy, lol. It's averaging 49 mpg at the moment with a mix of driving style and I never consistantly got anywhere near that from the Merc unless I was in full on Grandad mode, which I couldn't do tbh.

However, as you say "time will tell" sir.

 

[Jimbo1959]

I didn’t know that when I voted to let you stay. I can cope with Audi and TT but that.....

Aw Steve! I like a manual.

 

[Jimbo1959]

And the best of luck with that. The plate transfer process has just taken me five months, FIVE. The reasons were the near impossibility of contacting DVLA, and an unimpressive, "Couldn't care less once we've got your money" performance by the supplying dealer, Mercedes-Benz Brentford, the only bad MB dealer I've ever encountered, check out their website feedback, unimpressive to say the least. I was a cash buyer having sold my previous car privately, and I went for the best deal I could get, by-passing my good local dealer. Of course,that's taught me a lesson, though fortunately no problem with the car itself. The problem all along was only missing paperwork, but the right person at MB Brentford was almost as hard to track down as the DVLA, even with the help of Mercedes Customer Assistance.

On Jimbo's comment on what kind of idiot would buy a car without driving it first, I've done that twice, but both cars were from slightly distant MB dealers, one new and one approved ex-demonstrator. The first time that worked out fine, and the second time taught me that not all dealers are perfect when it comes to some aspects of customer after sales service.

"You're a braver man than I Gunga din", there's no way on God's green earth I'd buy a car without road testing it first. Even a brand new one.

 

[A.J.]

"You're a braver man than I Gunga din", there's no way on God's green earth I'd buy a car without road testing it first. Even a brand new one.

I bought my last car without a road test Jim. It was only 3 years old and had only covered 12,500 miles so it was not really a gamble. As it happens it was not a problem and and the car was all I expected it to be condition wise both mechanically and bodily

 

[Ron240]

there's no way on God's green earth I'd buy a car without road testing it first. Even a brand new one.

I bought my present and previous 2 brand new cars without a test drive.
There simply was no need to because they were all the specific cars I wanted so a test drive would not have changed that.
I would however insist on a test drive in a used car before committing to buy.

 

[Jimbo1959]

I bought my last car without a road test Jim. It was only 3 years old and had only covered 12,500 miles so it was not really a gamble. As it happens it was not a problem and and the car was all I expected it to be condition wise both mechanically and bodily

I bought my present and previous 2 brand new cars without a test drive.
There simply was no need to because they were all the specific cars I wanted so a test drive would not have changed that.
I would however insist on a test drive in a used car before committing to buy.

You guys must be lucky, if I did that there would be some expensive problem which would come to light and the dealer would be of the "We've got your money, now F*ck off and leave us alone twat", sort. That type of luck has made me very cynical and careful as a result of previous bad experiences.

 

[Wighty]

Noticed it the other day parked outside the hairdressers / nail bar along Love Street ,.

RE , your other post - recently a chap at work was searching for an identical car as yours , it also had to be red. It took months to locate the right one and he ended up going to Ireland to get it. He absolutely loves it as it has been his realistic dream car for around 20 years but mortgages and kids got in the way , as they do.

Enjoy your new motor it looks a nice one.

Kenny

I think he also went for a fa&#y wax as well buddy

 

[eman]

I was travelling backwards and forward to Welshpool for work in the summer and there was a red TT parked on the grass for sale fairly newish model but didn’t take much notice of it other than it was still there when my job was over.

 

[A.J.]

I was travelling backwards and forward to Welshpool for work in the summer and there was a red TT parked on the grass for sale fairly newish model but didn’t take much notice of it other than it was still there when my job was over.

There are five Red TT manual diesels on AutoTrader at the moment so they are not that rare

 

[Wighty]

Did you see that excellent advert a few years ago of the red TT falling from space and then landing on the road with a real loud exhaust growl , filmed somewhere like Iceland
Found it

 

[Rob7seven]

What happened there Rob ? My plate transfer was instant and the new Registration Document took less than a week to come through my letter box

Well, firstly, I misremembered, it was actually four months not five, but maybe you didn't know that DVLA are in one hell of a mess at the moment, inevitably the excuse is "Covid", which appears to be bringing the whole Country to a complete, but largely avoidable standstill. Phones not answered, "You are in a queue, it will take one hour and fifteen minutes for an operator to answer your call", emails not answered, and texts ignored, but you've probably experienced that yourself. Inevitably, state-run concerns are the worst, many are "Working from home..." until next April/May at least, no private business could operate like that, though Mercedes for one seem to be closing on them. I have a friend in the motor trade, and he has been very helpful, he warned me about the DVLA. His family used to own and run the BMW franchise in Bournemouth, but frustrated by German whip-crackers among other things, he's been independent now for many years. If you look at the DVLA website, they tell you that the average wait for a new V5 will be 4 to 6 weeks, what an admission. Friend told me that was optimistic, so I waited patiently a bit longer.

It is of course the dealer's responsibility to arrange all necessary documentation etc when they sell a new car, but once they'd been paid, MB Brentford might as well not have existed. They'd informed DVLA, and lost interest completely after that. They never once took a phone call, or responded to an email or text, which is why I took things to MB Customer Service. They took their time in responding, but things did start to move eventually, though they couldn't help with DVLA, and Brentford did nothing as far as I could tell. Eventually, with help from my ex-BMW dealer friend, we asked the DVLA to supply a duplicate V5, and this arrived about one week later, so they clearly did have all the information on file, only then could I transfer my registration, which can be done online in an instant, but only once you have a V5. At last, four months after the car was delivered!

Sadly, there's more. The car was immaculate when delivered, but the carpet mat in the driver's footwell was missing, something that would have been obvious to even the most casual observer. This was reported to Brentford before their delivery driver had left, but it took exactly three months before my C300 was fully carpeted at last, constant broken promises on "Next day delivery", "Definitely next Tuesday" etc broken, and eventually, it arrived in the mail with no apology or covering letter, nothing at all. Thee months.

Mercedes Customer Service did phone me eventually, after ignoring my request for a refund of the £25 I had to pay for the duplicate V5. A very pleasant woman from the MB Europe service headquarters in The Netherlands chatted at length about my problems, and whether I was satisfied with the way everything had turned out. She assured me that "Action was being taken", and that I'd be receiving a full explanation and apology from Brentford, though over a month later, nothing, not a single word. Brentford is a Mercedes-owned operation, so they have real clout there, friendly MB woman said that they can replace salesmen, and even sack dealer principals in extreme cases, though of course I'll never know about that. However, although I've heard nothing, the rogue salesman involved in the sale phoned my ex-BMW dealer friend to complain about me stirring things up for him and the Dealership, he didn't seem to think he'd done anything wrong! My friend's only involvement, apart from advising and helping me, was to let me use his place as the delivery address, I wanted a professional on hand when the car arrived. The deal was all mine from start to finish, he had no contact with Brentford, and his details wouldn't have appeared on any documentation etc, only as the delivery address, so perhaps Brentford are afraid of me now...

 

[V6Matty]

no private business could operate like that,

Dissagree with that, the company I work for moved 95% of it's staff to work from home in 3 weeks at the start of COVID, we're not returning to the offices until likely March and even then it won't be everyone back in at once, that's even if we keep all out office space.

 

[A.J.]

Well, firstly, I misremembered, it was actually four months not five, but maybe you didn't know that DVLA are in one hell of a mess at the moment, inevitably the excuse is "Covid", which appears to be bringing the whole Country to a complete, but largely avoidable standstill. Phones not answered, "You are in a queue, it will take one hour and fifteen minutes for an operator to answer your call", emails not answered, and texts ignored, but you've probably experienced that yourself. Inevitably, state-run concerns are the worst, many are "Working from home..." until next April/May at least, no private business could operate like that, though Mercedes for one seem to be closing on them. I have a friend in the motor trade, and he has been very helpful, he warned me about the DVLA. His family used to own and run the BMW franchise in Bournemouth, but frustrated by German whip-crackers among other things, he's been independent now for many years. If you look at the DVLA website, they tell you that the average wait for a new V5 will be 4 to 6 weeks, what an admission. Friend told me that was optimistic, so I waited patiently a bit longer.

It is of course the dealer's responsibility to arrange all necessary documentation etc when they sell a new car, but once they'd been paid, MB Brentford might as well not have existed. They'd informed DVLA, and lost interest completely after that. They never once took a phone call, or responded to an email or text, which is why I took things to MB Customer Service. They took their time in responding, but things did start to move eventually, though they couldn't help with DVLA, and Brentford did nothing as far as I could tell. Eventually, with help from my ex-BMW dealer friend, we asked the DVLA to supply a duplicate V5, and this arrived about one week later, so they clearly did have all the information on file, only then could I transfer my registration, which can be done online in an instant, but only once you have a V5. At last, four months after the car was delivered!

Sadly, there's more. The car was immaculate when delivered, but the carpet mat in the driver's footwell was missing, something that would have been obvious to even the most casual observer. This was reported to Brentford before their delivery driver had left, but it took exactly three months before my C300 was fully carpeted at last, constant broken promises on "Next day delivery", "Definitely next Tuesday" etc broken, and eventually, it arrived in the mail with no apology or covering letter, nothing at all. Thee months.

Mercedes Customer Service did phone me eventually, after ignoring my request for a refund of the £25 I had to pay for the duplicate V5. A very pleasant woman from the MB Europe service headquarters in The Netherlands chatted at length about my problems, and whether I was satisfied with the way everything had turned out. She assured me that "Action was being taken", and that I'd be receiving a full explanation and apology from Brentford, though over a month later, nothing, not a single word. Brentford is a Mercedes-owned operation, so they have real clout there, friendly MB woman said that they can replace salesmen, and even sack dealer principals in extreme cases, though of course I'll never know about that. However, although I've heard nothing, the rogue salesman involved in the sale phoned my ex-BMW dealer friend to complain about me stirring things up for him and the Dealership, he didn't seem to think he'd done anything wrong! My friend's only involvement, apart from advising and helping me, was to let me use his place as the delivery address, I wanted a professional on hand when the car arrived. The deal was all mine from start to finish, he had no contact with Brentford, and his details wouldn't have appeared on any documentation etc, only as the delivery address, so perhaps Brentford are afraid of me now...

That is certainly a tale of woe. I did mine on line and it was only back in June of this year and it went as smooth as silk with no issues at all. I also do my RFL by standing order with the DVLA and no issues there either

 

[Rob7seven]

Dissagree with that, the company I work for moved 95% of it's staff to work from home in 3 weeks at the start of COVID, we're not returning to the offices until likely March and even then it won't be everyone back in at once, that's even if we keep all out office space.

If the company you work for is coping well then that's fine, I was talking about what seem to be the lower standards of general customer service etc, which in far too many cases, DVLA and to a slightly lesser extent Mercedes UK, seem to have fallen through the floor. How quickly is your Company answering the phone if they're even answering it at all, responding effectively to customer queries etc? If you think you're all doing well, then I'm very pleased to hear that.