August 2004
Before summer ends (summer being used in the most metaphorical sense....) and the bad weather starts, I'd like to get some tuition on driving in adverse weather conditions (ice, snow, etc).
I have no idea where to start looking - I shouldn't imagine it's covered by regular driving instructors - so can any of the BR crowd recommend a place to start?
I'm based in the East Midlands so local-ish if possible.
Many thanks...
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Hi,
I'm going to be clocking up thousands of motorway miles driving to my new job, so the rusting remains of my 1988 Renault 5 (1.4 GTS) have to go.
Reading the posts on here, and of course CBCB, I'd kind of settled on a diesel Cavalier. However, the oldest Vectras are comparably priced to the newest Cavaliers, and I can be pushed up to £1000 if I must.
So, should I go for a Cavalier, or a Vectra?
How much do you think I should pay? I was thinking 500-700 and 700-1000 resp.
Also, I get 38mpg from the Renault (I drive carefully), so I'd consider a petrol Cav/Vec if you think I could match or beat this. (My dad had a 94 Cav 2.0 GLSi and it drank like a fish.)
Cheers,
Richard. Read more
Based on personal experience if I had to rely on any $1000 car I would choose a Cavalier every time.
Early Vectras were very ropey
Mondeos probably OK, but much more expensive to work on than Cavaliers.
Do not even consider a Citroen of any description. Basically they are nothing more than pink fluffy dice on wheels, held together with plastic and bent wire. If it were not for the huge subsidies the French motor industry gets from the French government, Citroen, Peugeot and Renault would long since have gone the way of British Leyland.
I may be being a little dense, but I am trying to compare different estate/ large family / MPVs in terms of luggage carrying capacity. If you read various brochures they quote different capacities, as do the car magazines. This is often based on the abbreviations VDA and SAE, but these are never explained and a 'google' search has not helped! For example, I am looking at the Saab 9-5 estate and the quoted luggage capacity seems to vary from 416 dm cubed (VDA) to 890 dm cubed(SAE) with the seats in place, but say the Honda Accord has 626 Lts (VDA method) rear seats up (to window line), but no equivalent SAE dimension. When you look at most of the dimensions of the vehicles they are very similar. In general what I want to know from the manufacturers is which car will as much of the children's paraphernalia without resorting to a roofbox, and this should be given in a consistent, reproducible and understandable manner across car types and brands. In terms of making useful comparisons between cars it would be helpful if these carrying capacities were consistent, so that the poor old consumer, i.e. me were not consistently confused, especially when nearly every car salesman I have asked has not a clue what these terms mean either!
If anyone can help (?honest John) please advise.
Many thanks
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Dont worry about it. The SAAB 9-5 Estate luggage space is HUUUUUUUUUUUGE
This is an BBC article about improving road safety in Russia(with a picture of quality Lada's):
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3580772.stm
My favourite bit is "Replacement mirrors are too expensive for Vladimir - so he prefers to twist in his seat like a motorbike rider. " Read more
Im looking to buy a Corrado and have seen what I believe to be a good one. There is only one problem, the mpg counter on this corrado is saying that it is only doing 12.6 even when driving at 60mph on the dual carriage-way. Now my mate has the same tye corrado 1.8 16V 1990 and at that speed he gets 36.2 mpg. Can anyone enlighten me as to whats going on? Or what the problem could be? The other things on the digi display are accurate and there is no apparent petrol leak. Cheers Read more
Ben is correct. Dont let it worry you unless you get a strong smell of petrol!! My Mk 3 Golf states 12 Mpg around town, it actually gets around 19-20.
Why do new tyres have those coloured bands running round the tread? Read more
So you can tell they've not been used on the road???
My Tax is due on 31 August and my car requires an MOT certificate from 15 September. Do I need to get it MOT'd in order to tax it?
Thanks for your help Read more
Similarly, for subsequent MOTs you need to turn up with the old MOT certificate.
Don't do what I once did, and go 32 days before it expires, as they cannot then give you the benefit of the extra month.
After glowing reports from several sources, SWMBO is now considering the Jazz with manual box, as a (2nd hand)Lexus Is200, which was my original recommendation, is simply not practical for her current business requirements as carrying bulky objects is a pre requisite and my Legacy estate is 'boring (her words) and has to go.
As posted earlier, I have talked her out of a MB Vaneo (praise be)and she is not keen on the Berlingo type multivans.My local dealer offers no discount from new (she has no p/ex)and only £300 off an ex demo, so we are currently looking at sourcing from a UK supplied internet site.
My initial impression is that it is underpowered when fully loaded, but as 200 mile journeys are few and far between this is not an issue, and no diesel version is envisaged to provide extra torque.Should she go for new, or buy 2nd hand privately?I have bought previously from auctions, but contacts in the trade tell me that the Jazz is rarely seen, if ever, at auction.
Do any owners in the BR have any feedback on this motor please?
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I don't understand this one though - three grand over list?!!
Is it done on purpose so it'll come out at the top of any search organised by price?
i was looking to change the vectra for the 406 HDI 110. only thing is i can\'t find one with reasonable miles. but i found one with 105,000 miles. full service history etc. really good price. it\'s on a 2001 plate.
so question is. does this engine last. i bought my vectra with more miles on it and had no troubles. but i hear stories of this HDI engine doing 500.000 miles plus.
i don\'t know wether to go for a slightly older plate or just get the newer one with slightly higher miles.
what do you think? Read more
Engine should be good for mega miles but my neighbour had one and the ABS cost him a grand. We all look at the engines but it seems to me that more mundane bits can cost you the £s.
Parked in a multi storey at Henley today. One where you take a card and pay in a machine on your way back to your car. Something like £1 for two hours, IIRC.
Came back to car after 75 mins, with sandwich in hand. Paid on the way up to the car. Phone went while I was getting in the car, so I sat and completed the call and ate my sandwich before moving off.
Sure enough, when I reached the barrier it said I had underpaid by 30p - because I had taken too long getting from the machine to the exit.
This would be OK if 1) someone had bothered to anwer the assistance button 2) the driver behind hadn't been deliberately obstructive when I tried to reverse (at him, gently! - he could see I was having some kind of trouble) or even 3) they had a excess machine alongside the exit barrier. Oh, and 4) I was still within the overall time (2 hours) I had already paid for, so why an excess anyway??
All my fault I know, it was mainly the driver behind who annoyed me....
Another lesson learnt... Read more
When picking up (able bodied) mates at Thiefrow I wait on the approach road until they phone me to say they have just picked up their bags from the carousel.
They then head downstairs and stand waiting at the drop off zone, in the car and away.
(sexist comment ahead)
Works fine except when females are involved. For some reason they can not fathom 'in the car and away' apparently there is a need for some sort of compulsory introduction ritual before they can enter a vehicle...
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Not really local, but treat yourself to one of these:
www.giftexperience.com/advanced_driving_schools.ht...l
or
www.trade-sales.co.uk/Learning/learn5.html
or
www.rospa.com/drivertraining/courses/driver_traini...l
No experience of any of these, they're just what google coam up with