car buying these days...

[VJ]

I've found it is normal. It is just interesting that it is such a consistent difference.
(it actually sounds a bit like in Back to the future, when doc opens the uranium compartment in the Delorean )

[TransformX]

I sometimes have it happening with my 1997 Lancia.

[VJ]

Just curious... In the Subaru, when you open the fuel-cap, there is a short hiss/pfff sound as if there was a pressure difference (this appears at about 1/4 turn of the cap). It happens every time when opening it and does not lasts long. I usually fill it up when it is around 1/4 tank and fill it untill the filler clicks.

I haven't noticed this in my Polo, or my father's Volvo, but both those cars are of a different generation (>18 years old). I don't think my father's Opel does it (8 year old Mokka). But I haven't really fuelled other modern cars so I got curious: is this a change in modern cars? Or is it not typical for all cars?

edit: regarding the car door, the current expectation for the new door is up to 90 workdays, as the door is not available in Europe and may have to come from Japan.

[VJ]

Sorry to hear that...

The damage on our door is one of the worst lacquer damages I've seen. Not a small chip or minor dent, you really see the different layers of lacquer that chipped of. The garage owner genuinely looked saddened by it, the mechanic's first reaction was "but it is a new car!", both had this look of desolation. It is the third damage, the first was small superficial damage on a rear door, the second a deeper damage on a side panel (plastic), but this is right in the centre of the passenger door. I have no idea with how much force you have to open a car door to create such a damage. Or it was some other thing that caused it - it is more or less at hip-height...

They say it is possible to touch it up, but it won't be as good as it was. The recommendation is to replace the door as the impact even damaged the bare metal. Insurance - which we have via Subaru - in such cases allow for a door replacement, so we've started the procedure.

I'm a bit puzzled that they would replace the door rather than the panel - or maybe that is just how they call it. The car will have to be at their place for a couple of days (either if it is for fixing or for replacing the door), the waiting time before we can make a replacement will depend on the availability of the door, anywhere between a few days and a few weeks.

I had a bodyshop once fix a bad dent in my Polo (partly my fault: with the front fender I hit a moveable concrete mushroom-shaped pole that was invisible from the driver's seat and that was not there when I arrived - since then I visually check all sides before getting in). It was also not too expensive and they even managed to make the right colour. But that was not on insurance or so and it was already an old car. Here we figured we pay for the insurance anyway and may as well use it to have it done properly: we don't want it to start giving issues 5 years down the line or so.

edit: Procedure is started, the dealer will take care of all administration. He did express hope that they won't have to wait two months for a door, given the current supply-chain issues. I was not so happy with the sales-person, particularly as he was not knowledgeable and gave wrong answers to our questions about some functionality (luckily he undersold it: it has more and better features than what he told us), but at least the after-sales service seems good (we had a first oil-change before).

[UtwigMU]

If it's any consolation: There was a bad hail storm a few weeks ago with grains up to 1" in diameter that created about 15 dents on the hood alone and more dents on roof and frames. Fortunately I have insurance for natural disasters and my costs won't go up (pay ~1000 EUR/annum for insurance). Since everyone in the area had had their car dented it's taken some time to schedule inspection but process is moving along.

I had a bit lesser dent on the door than you few years ago and when car was in the body shop for other fixes I also had them fix it. It was around 100-200 EUR, cash.

[VJ]

Next big dent in the new car... And quite a bad one... Several layers of the lacquer chipped off and are gone on something like a 1cmx1cm area, with small scratches leading away from it towards the back and a longer dent at the top of it leading up. It is surprising to see how thick the layer of lacquer is (car has metallic finish). It is almost dead center on the front passenger's car door, with the whole panel dented (reflections are different than they used to be). But the fact that those layers are visible makes me think it will be an expensive fix - but necessary to prevent rust...

No idea how someone could make such a damage; they really had to be either stupidly careless or just malicious. And of course no address card or anything. We will have to get this fixed as it is down to the bare metal. It is covered by insurance but of course it will increase or insurance cost subsequently so we'll have to check if it makes sense. (I'm wondering if it is not from a bicycle or scoot trying to squeeze between parked cars)

But the car is fantastic. We both love driving it, and my wife now has no issues with longer distances and actually considers driving it relaxing. The Warsaw-Belgium trip in one day is no problem with both of us taking turns (provided we plan it on a calm-traffic day), which is so reassuring in the current air-travel climate. We have already over 10000 km on the clock - mainly from long distance trips, and probably will make two long trips to my parents before the end of the year; so we may reach 20000-25000 km in one year.

[VJ]

Haven't fully checked yet, but well over 3000 km. The longest section will be around 1000 km, but with 2 drivers and full highway driving it is well doable.

[Umfriend]

Yup.
Meanwhile we are planning another big trip with the Subaru: from Warsaw via Bremen and North-Netherlands to Enschede (project meeting), then on to Belgium (family visit) and then back via Dusseldorf (another project meeting) to Warsaw...

Funny, I've lived in the Netherlands all my life but I think this means you get to go to Enschede before I ever do (and it's not a big town but not an out-in-the-woods village either). How many KM is that trip in total?

[VJ]

Yup.
Meanwhile we are planning another big trip with the Subaru: from Warsaw via Bremen and North-Netherlands to Enschede (project meeting), then on to Belgium (family visit) and then back via Dusseldorf (another project meeting) to Warsaw...

[Belwarrior]

Picked up the car on Friday.
Still very apologetic, and I have the impression relieved no accident happened because of their error. The excuse as to how it happened is a bit weak: they did not clean the springs well enough, which made the damages (which were right at the bottom of the springs) difficult to see...

They really managed to do it quite fast and gave me a big discount on the work. So I'm ok with how they dealt with it.

Good news then

[VJ]

Picked up the car on Friday.
Still very apologetic, and I have the impression relieved no accident happened because of their error. The excuse as to how it happened is a bit weak: they did not clean the springs well enough, which made the damages (which were right at the bottom of the springs) difficult to see...

They really managed to do it quite fast and gave me a big discount on the work. So I'm ok with how they dealt with it.

[VJ]

Big mess at the VW garage...

I went on Friday for annual maintenance and mandatory technical check (and I asked them to check the rear wiper). They did not have time any more for the technical check, but gave me back the car so I could go myself (quite a normal procedure to go by yourself) later - only remark was the expired fire extinguisher, so I got a new one. On Monday, the car failed the technical check due to the very bad state of the front suspension springs - a failed check gives you 2 weeks to get it fixed. They also mentioned that the rear break balance is bad but just in the norm. Driving on eggshells on the way to the VW garage (I was warned that I should avoid shocks), my rear wiper stopped working and just started pointing down. Quite furious at the garage and I complained; the wiper was just the icing on the cake. They are very apologetic and are very puzzled how they could have missed it all: they already confirmed that the technical check was right. But the parts will have to be ordered... They said they are also working out a compensation, as their error put me without a car for a much longer time than it normally would have been - they don't know we have another one .

The car was serviced there for 10 years, so I'm a regular client there and never had any issues with them... let's see how they handle this...

[VJ]

Interesting EV-price dilemma:

https://jalopnik.com/ev-prices-are-trending-in-the-wrong-direction-1848722277

Right now, Bloomberg analysts say EV prices must go down 25 percent to boost adoption. While analysts with Morgan Stanley argue EV prices must go up by 15 percent to keep pace with supplier costs.

According to that article, it would be better to buy an EV sooner than later... but with the limited infrastructure around us and our car usage, EV was not an option... Of course a lot can change in 10 years or so...

[VJ]

First dent.... Looks like it is from a car-door that was slammed into the side of our car. Quite a deep dent in the panel surrounding the front-right wheel... A bit of a weird location, but I would guess a rear door of a four-door hatchback parked next to us but facing the other way could hit it at that spot. It is very visible when the light catches it as the whole panel is deformed towards it. It even punched the lacquer I think. Deeper and more visible than any dent the Polo sustained in its 20 years... Why are people so negligent and careless about other peoples stuff?

Thinking of having it fixed, but not sure if to put it in insurance or not (we have full coverage, but it may increase next year's)... I'm slightly worried though that it might start rusting if the lacquer is pierced and it also looks quite bad ... OTOH it happened on the parking in front of our apartment, so we are always parked on that one...

[VJ]

A cold start (at near 0 temperatures), after a couple of days parked in temperatures that reach -7, followed by a city drive in traffic with plenty stops for red lights will always consume much. Polo was similar. In summer, the Polo could go as low as 6l on longer trajectories.
Still, if in the same real world winter conditions the Subaru equals the Polo in fuel usage then that is not a bad thing (it is bigger and 4WD). And it looks like warm weather performance could be even better than the Polo.