Nearly Decided To Sell My Xm!

Had a bit of a moment there. When I bought my XM, it was intended to be my daily driver - I do a lot of long distance travelling for work (Southampton to Norwich and back most weeks, for a start), so a comfortable, frugal mile eater seemed ideal.
I also snapped up a little diesel AX for the missus, but sadly, the AX seat stuck on the rearmost setting, meaning my wife couldn't reach the pedals. So, I've been driving the AX all year, and to be honest, it's been good - 75 mpg if I do 60 on the motorway, which is extraordinary.

The XM meanwhile has been scooting round town, and has got knocked into a couple of things, resulting in a dented door and a broken mirror. We've driven it every time we've gone anywhere en famille, but I have two kids now, and thinking of a third, plus we have lots of friends with no cars, so often we've ended up taking both cars. Now my AX, whilst it's fine with just me in it, has a dicky rear spring which means the tyre rubs the wheelarch on hard lefthanders. If you put 4 people in it, depending on their weight, it can rub all the time! So, we decided the smart thing to do was to buy a CX estate, either a Familiale, or a Safari and then put the Familiale interior in. It's even more awesome than the XM, still gets good mileage (I need a DTR), and seats 7-8.

So, I'd decided to sell the XM - after all, I've come to think of the AX as "my" car, and 75 mpg is hard to give up. However, after consideration, I just can't do it. I'm keeping the XM as my car (not that I've found the right CX yet!), and selling the AX. Or maybe I'll just lay teh AX up on the driveway, as a "just in case". After all, it only cost £200, and I've put around 10k miles on it since then, there's no stereo, and the speedo doesn't work. It's never going to make me rich.

Anyway, I shall be remaining an XM driver, even if the tax and insurance ARE more expensive, and I'm feeling it's time to start gently tarting it up - replace the sundry bits of electrics that are dodgy (seat and window switches, fuel guage, broken heater knob), and tidy up the bodywork (peeling bonnet dented door), and see if I can get several more years of joy from it without major expenditure.

A nice decision

Definitely keep your Xm, or you may want another and not be able to find a good one again!

Your AX gives fantastic MPG, its probably worth holding onto if you can.

Good luck on the CX search.

I reckon I could just lay the AX up on the driveway.....

hi Sam,

Re. your peeling bonnet and dented door, isn't this one the same colour as yours?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...:MEWA:IT&ih=019

I think he's in your part of the country too.........well, South of Watford anyway.......

Well, I'm buying the front wings, nose cone and bumper and was interested in the
bonnet if it was OK!! Trying to get time off work to go as they're still on the car!!

Andrew

I'm not desperate for a bonnet just yet, so have at it Andrew! Actually, I dropped you a PM regarding CXs, if you care to take a peek.

Sure thing Sam, my mailboxes are a bit bloated and consequently lose the plot when I get
new messages; really need to print things out to a hard copy and delete them to create space;
like everything else, it's a case of finding the time! Know where you're coming from though
and need to spare proper time to pen an answer to you!!

All the best, ttfn
Andrew

Why didn't I think of it sooner!! I've archived my messages and they're now a nice handy
html file emailed to me so all my full mailboxes are now empty for the first time EVER since
joining the forum!! I know, sad, little things etc etc but at least I may notice messages when
they land now!!

Sorry if I'm been late replying to some messages from you guys and I've got some catching
up to do now!

Andrew

Hi Sam

They're a cracking little car the AX, with, as you say, remarkable fuel economy. Those I've had have done 60 mpg with no effort at all.

If you do keep yours, be aware the tyre rubbing the arch is the classic symptom of shot rear arm bushes. If you do the job (I can't remember why, but do remember it's the case) it's quicker in the end just to drop the beam. One side is feasible without, but the other definitely not.

Mike.

Ah, is THAT what it is! If I lay it up, I'll have half an eye on tidying up the faults on it. If I did that, the fuel gauge, put in a stereo, and got the seat moving it'd be a very tidy little car.....

Hi Sam

Might just be worth knowing the colour code of your XM.

John

Hi Sam

I've been down this road several times and each time I have come to the conclusion that there is nothing better than an XM. When you consider the repair and maintenance costs of modern cars the XM is undoubtedly a cheap car to maintain apart form the surperb ride, comfort, space ......

Peter.N.

.....and performance. Funny how so many people have a blind spot for depreciation of £1500 per annum but rile at the occasional £200 on replacement parts. Usually in my view because the former is subsumed in a loan and the second is cash. No wonder we have a credit crunch!

Robert

Oh, have no fear - I was never going to replace the XM with another big car, unless it was the CX. I've come round the the idea of having both.

Where do I find the colour code?

http://club-xm.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=3808&st=30



Andrew