No need to be in a spin about French vehicles
Manufacturers keep their promises and honour guarantees
THE other day I recommended that someone buy a Renault. Yes, I believe you get a whole lot more value for your money than you would get in a so-called name brand.
Needless to say, the person questioned my credibility as a motoring specialist because she had heard that French cars were rubbish.
Had she said that I did not know what I was talking about, I might have agreed with her. But she had heard from her butcher, who had heard from his dietician, that French cars were generally bad and cost a fortune to repair.
Had I heard this in conversation 10 years ago, I would have agreed.
French cars, having made their appearance once again on our sunny South African shores, were absolute, pardon my French, c**p.
I had publicly said so previously on many occasions and I was proved right.
One manufacturer would not accept its own car as a trade-in. How could it expect the public to have faith in its products when it was shying away from its own vehicles?
This left a bad taste in many consumers’ mouth and many more vowed never to touch anything French (cars, that is) again.
Some of the complaints were legitimate, but they were handled badly by the dealerships and, therefore, the products got a bad image.
Most complaints were about the pricing and the availability of spares for these vehicles.
At the time, most of these grievances were based on real problems with the cars.
It has taken a long time for the French car manufacturers to rectify the problem, and although they have done so, the perception remains — unfortunately — that a French car is worthless.
Let me give you some examples of how the French have made huge strides in trying to rectify their initial failures.
Peugeot is backing its product with a class-leading, five-year maintenance contract on its vehicles. This is definitely an endorsement of product confidence.
Renault has 95% of its spares available at any time.
If it does not have service spares available and your car stands for more than three days, it will rent a vehicle for you — all this within reason, of course.
How can you argue with that?
All its new vehicles carry a 150 000km/five-year factory warranty, which, in my opinion, is as good as any other manufacturer out there.
My experience with Citroën has always been pleasant. Its spares are available in a day and the spares people know exactly what you require.
The so-called spares problem was nonexistent when I asked for some from the three French manufacturers Citroën, Renault and Peugeot.
Yes, sometimes their prices seem exorbitant, but have you compared their pricing with the German vehicles in the same segment?
All manufacturers have their problems, recalls and parts issues, but does that mean their products are bad?
No. It merely means that you may have to endure a little inconvenience.
So, next time you are looking for a great secondhand buy, do not rule out the Frenchie.
If you are looking for help with a fuel guzzler or the noisy motor, e-mail me.