Chat about cars you've been in lately

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Tenesmus
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Chat about cars you've been in lately

Post by Tenesmus » Tue Feb 07, 2012 1:12 pm

2011 Clio rented in Dublin at the weekend. Went well, comfy in the front but not in the back. All the buttons where you'd expect. Didn't appear to be a way of locking the car once you're in it, which Mrs Tenesmus didn't like, and the mirrors weren't heated. Reasonable boot space, probably because there's no room in the back for passengers unless they're pixies. Looks pretty good in black, interior ok. No locking petrol cap. Although the speedo is in kph, the trip computer is in miles. Better than the...

2010 Toyota Yaris rented in Dublin at Xmas. Took a while to get used to the buttons, the gearbox was pants and the engine was the size of a Rover starter motor and sounded like a tractor. Used no fuel at all. Will only start if you have your foot on the clutch (why?). Looks horrible especially in silver and has a cheap plasticky interior.
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Re: Chat about cars you've been in lately

Post by threelitre » Tue Feb 07, 2012 3:08 pm

He - nice topic, although my own non-Rover experience is pretty slim...

Last rental: 2010 C4 Picasso 1.6HDi (the short one) - ordered a Golf sized car and that's what we got. Cool, as we wanted to go on a combined family holiday and business trip taking both kids. I'd buy on of these - very roomy, a suspension setup actually not made for racing and a comfy motorway cruiser with the small Diesel engine. Performance - well.... It did only use a very little less Diesel than our K-engined Rover 416 Tourer - a bit disappointing really. The Steering was strange though: Quite direct, but made the Honda setup on the 827 appear like the paramount of feel. The other distraction was, that it tended to run after every irregularity on the motorway, accompanied by gentle rolling motion of the body - luckily I'm not one to get sea sick!

Regards,

Alexander
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Re: Chat about cars you've been in lately

Post by Very Tall Brad » Tue Feb 07, 2012 4:00 pm

McLaren MP4 12C last August - superb finish and attention to detail. Leagues better than anything else that I have driven or owned in this price range/supercar style in terms of smoothness, ride comfort and ease of driving. I only had it up to about 60mph but it rode like an executive car. Very impressive.

Vauxhall Insignia 2.8 Elite last year- If I wanted a repmobile and to travel anonymously (have you seen how many are on the road?) I would choose this. I haven't driven the current shape Mondeo but this looks so well built and is eerily quiet for a mass produced car. Very very good.

Lexus 450h last week- I had the pleasure of driving Sir Geoff Hurst's old car last week. He has traded up to an LS600h. 19000 miles, 10 plate...feels like new, smells like new and drives serenely. The electric batteries would worry me a bit as no Lexus dealer that I have spoken to can give a lifetime warranty or even an indication of how long the batteries will last/cost to replace. All that I have been told is that the Toyota Prius has been on the market for over 10 years and no cars have had their batteries fail yet. This particular car is a car to buy for quietness, smoothness and that feeling of smugness. It is also great value at £27000, some £20000 under list price. I have also seen a 2007 model with 17000 miles for £17000. Great car, tomorrow's technology today.

BMW 118d Coupe last week - no no no. Ugly, squashed up looks. Dark interior - even made me feel small. Poor resale values, expensive options. A car to buy if you are a tw*t. Hard ride, dodgy plastics - the Hyundais are half price and just as good but better equipped. How do they sell so many?

Nice thread idea, by the way...
No longer an 800 owner!

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Re: Chat about cars you've been in lately

Post by Richard Moss » Tue Feb 07, 2012 5:13 pm

Recent experiences:

Mitsubishi Lancer hire car (2009 model). Noisy little 1.3L engine with precious little power and even less performance when mated to an automatic gearbox. Cheap, tacky but pleasant enough and actually quite enjoyable to drive.

Alfa 166 3L V6 (2000). Incredibly disappointing car. Inferior to an 820 Vitesse in every possible way other than the engine noise, brakes and seats. Unreliable, stodgy to drive, and actually rather dull.

Chevrolet Lumina coupe 3.8 (Holden Monaro CV6) (2003). love it. Tackily built inside, a bit dull to look at but excellent performance, great handling/ride/steering and surprisingly good fuel consumption. 100% reliable over 12 months usage. The brakes are adequate but might be a bit weak if it was the V8 version. Capable of travelling a long way in comfort - if only the seats looked as nice as those in the Alfa.

Mrs M's Kia Soul 1.6L (2010). It does the job. Looks neat and tidy inside and out (especially outside) and has been 100% reliable and economical, especially given the fact that it does mostly town driving. I find the steering rather lifeless and the engine really isn't powerful enough for the autobox (which changes up too early). Loads of space inside and great value for money at less than £8500 new and more to the point, Mrs M loves it (which makes my life easier!).
Out in the desert with a 1998 Grand Cherokee V8, 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4L and a 1997 Chevy Tahoe V8. Back home: 1969 MGC GT

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Re: Chat about cars you've been in lately

Post by dollysprint » Tue Feb 07, 2012 5:53 pm

BMW 118d Coupe last week - no no no. Ugly, squashed up looks. Dark interior - even made me feel small. Poor resale values, expensive options. A car to buy if you are a tw*t. Hard ride, dodgy plastics - the Hyundais are half price and just as good but better equipped. How do they sell so many?
Tell a dog a bone is chocolate flavoured and he'll believe you. Agree with all the above, went car shopping with bro last year, the salesman was astonished when Nick(bro) asked if there was an option of softer springs and different alloys with a more standard ratio tyre fitment, the ride was truly awful.

I get to drive lots of different cars, not exotics, but mainstream stuff, Astras, corsa's, clio's, Laguna's, mondeo's ect ect and all I can say is they get more soulless and clinical with each passing model, nearly all now have hard rides, bland and dark interiors and a passing resemblance to being ugly. I accept that most people view a car as just a tool but lets have a little character please.

Also hearing some real horror stories regarding the recent batch of small capacity diesels, and petrols for that matter.
Remember back in the 70's when engines would be worn out at 70,000 miles, well what about 2010 model cars suffering engine failures at 20 to 30,000 miles, makes the 825 KV6 look positively reliable.

Nothing built in the last 10 years has really left an impression, well, not a positive one anyway :cry:

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Re: Chat about cars you've been in lately

Post by schuwolf » Tue Feb 07, 2012 8:23 pm

Fiat Grande Punto: Tacky, noisy & uncomfortable
Ferrari summot or the other (bloody numbers flummax me): Same
Rover 75 Club 2l diesel auto: Lovely
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Re: Chat about cars you've been in lately

Post by MikeMedford » Wed Feb 08, 2012 12:13 pm

Richard Moss wrote: Mrs M's Kia Soul 1.6L (2010). It does the job. Looks neat and tidy inside and out (especially outside) and has been 100% reliable and economical, especially given the fact that it does mostly town driving. I find the steering rather lifeless and the engine really isn't powerful enough for the autobox (which changes up too early). Loads of space inside and great value for money at less than £8500 new and more to the point, Mrs M loves it (which makes my life easier!).
Really have stepped up in recent years haven't they?

Mum has a 2010 Kia Cee'd Ecodynamics, when she mentioned she was getting one originally I advised her to try something else after seeing previous Kia's and how shockingly horrid the interiors were and how bland and lifeless they were too.

My oppinion has completely changed on the company now, interior and build quality on hers is as good as anything else I've been in, the level of standard kit throughout the range is also impressive too.

Garage gave her a Kia Venga as a courtesy car whilst hers was in for the service last time and that wasn't quite as good as the Cee'd, interior felt cheaper but still perfectly acceptable.

Engine in hers only has 90hp or so (derv) but it goes well enough for what she wants and it returns a huge ammount of miles per gallon, handling on it is reasonable too and not quite as firm as some other new cars I've been in.

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Re: Chat about cars you've been in lately

Post by rickt500 » Wed Feb 08, 2012 5:43 pm

Sister has a 118d, not impressed, firm ride, hard seats, hard plastics, odd shape, and useless in the snow apparently.

Brother in law has an A4 estate, probably 2009, all looks flash, but just not comfy to ride in, screen with stupid knob-drive thing is daft.

Mum bought a brand new Laguna Diesel last year, little 1.5 turbo diesel, drives lovely but again interior too black and silver for me. See how long the little engine lasts, probably doesn't help that they specify very high service intervals too.

I had a 75 diesel tourer until recently, couldn't get on with it, and wouldn't have another. Loved the looks, loved the interior, super comfy, but made me feel 80 years old, handled like a barge, and after 2 fuel pumps, a MAF sensor and various other bits I decided to get rid before it just imploded. Put it this way, in 16 years of 800 ownership I've never had one fail to get me home, this thing managed it 3 times in < 6 months.

I'm sticking with my 820e for the foreseable future, no cats, no abs, no airbags, minimal electrics, nothing to go wrong ! Just works.
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Re: Chat about cars you've been in lately

Post by Richard Moss » Wed Feb 08, 2012 5:48 pm

It's actually a bloody good car, just not my cup of tea. If I had to pick one car out of all the non-800s I've driven in the last five years, it would be a tight choice between my old XJ40 and my current Lumina/Monaro/Omega Coupe. In the final analysis, the reliability of the Luminaro gets it by being more reliable.
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Re: Chat about cars you've been in lately

Post by schuwolf » Wed Feb 08, 2012 8:03 pm

Far too many modern cars have awful, tacky, black and cheap silver plastic dashes. 'orrible. Much prefer the English leather and wood look!
Brian Wolsoncroft
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Tenesmus
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Re: Chat about cars you've been in lately

Post by Tenesmus » Fri Feb 10, 2012 1:10 pm

My brother in law has had a long line of Toyota Corollas. Every three years or so he trades it in at the same dealer for another new, red, base model saloon. Last year he went for his first MOT (or whatever the Irish equivalent is) because he never usually keeps them that long. The cars have never let him down.

The only time he's ever called a recovery service was when he came out to find it on bricks.

Comfortable, reliable and very dull. Perfect for the unimaginative to get from a to b.
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Re: Chat about cars you've been in lately

Post by RoastBeef » Fri Feb 10, 2012 1:53 pm

In answer to an earlier post, I haven't been in a BMW 1 Series, but I do really like the design - it's one of the very few 'modern' cars I like the look of and is the only 'Chris Bangle' modern BMw I like the look of. So I sometimes consider buying one as I like BM's, in the end though, the fact that I could probably not do the maintenance/servicing myself, always stops me from buying. I think BM's are fine in the snow, it is just about driving style imo. I went passed 2 quite new BM's stuck on one road near me last Saturday, when we had the snow in my old e36, with no problem at all, because I was driving sympathetically to the conditions.

To me personally, the best car I have been in is the Lotus Excel, I have owned a few and think they are the most under-rated car ever. Superb in any situation imo, never understood why they are so over-looked and why anyone would choose the Esprit instead.

Outside of the Lotus, that I freely admit I am very biased towards! I do like the 'Classic' Range Rover 3.9, it is a useful and complete car, that will satisfy the driver in any situation. providing you find a good example. Other great cars include Jaguar x300, Merc w126, w124, w201, Toyota Supra Turbo mk3, BMW e38 740i, BMw e34 and Porsche 928.

As an aside, cars I thought were very over-rated or I hated, inlcude Toyota MR2 mk1 and mk2 (particularly mk1 - felt very slow and poor handling, so disapointed after searching for a long time for a truly Concours example). Vauxhal Cavalier 2.0, woeful in every way, Toyota Celica (latest model - utter c**p), Ford Focus mk1 (not terrible, but very over-rated, worse than the Escort mk4 I once had), Renault Clio, Volvo s40 (appaling), Golf V5, all horrible. Lotus Elan. Porsche 924 (Great, except it was sooo slow).

Good thread!
Pete

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Re: Chat about cars you've been in lately

Post by RoastBeef » Fri Feb 10, 2012 2:01 pm

Forgot to mention - I drove a mates Ferrari Testarossa once, which was, obviously awesome, in everyway. It just felt exciting, special and exotic. But, I would not want to own one in this country, it would get vandalised and too many speed cameras and bad roads, plus idiots in car parks who open their doors into the car next too them. If I lived in Germany, then a Testarossa would be great! :-)
Pete

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Re: Chat about cars you've been in lately

Post by threelitre » Fri Feb 10, 2012 2:12 pm

The 1-series surely is a talking point. I don't think it is beautiful and it is unpractical. But when I was out in my brother's early 120d that was HUGE fun! Boy, was that a quick car. The M-suspension with huge wheels was a bit of a pain on rough roads or even for eating miles on the motorway, but it clung to twisty bits like no other car. He had a Cooper S (first gen) before and seemed more happy with the 120d - the Diesel at least managed more then 200 miles between refills ;)

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Re: Chat about cars you've been in lately

Post by RoastBeef » Fri Feb 10, 2012 2:28 pm

I guess the 1 series isn't practical, true. But, then the same goes for the modern Mini and they are everywhere! I personally think the 1st gen 1 series looks good, purposeful like a BM should, I was horrified when I recently saw the new 2nd gen version though, completely ruined the design imo, a horrible lash up.

BM's generally always handle well, so I expect the 1 series to be a good drive. I believe that they all came with run flat tyres though and that ruins good handling I think.

ETA..
I have BM 1 Series alloys on my old e36 Compact and it also is grips forever in the twisty bits, I think the wide 225 rubber (rear) 205 (front - for clearance) makes a very sticky combination on a short car!
Pete

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