April 2006
My votes:
612 Scaglietti.
Current 911 Carerra 2.
Megane 225.
Pre 2004 Golf R32.
Seat Leon Cupra R, titanium coloured alloys.
18" split rims optional on Mondeo Zetec S etc, not the 18" ST alloys.
Pre 2005 3 Series Sport models, one of the two common types of 18" alloy.
X-Type Sport.
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Can anyone recommend a make of road map(s) to cover a trip to Northern France, Belguim and Holland. Read more
AA road atlas uses IGN mapping for France and is easier to use than Michelin, we find - cheaper in the UK too.
The reason Michelin uses a DC3 symbol for airfields is that French air traffic control has been working to rule since the 1950s...
I am about to take a few years out (after 33 self employed)and consequently will be driving far fewer miles....about 8k p.a.
In addition to my trusty 8 year old VW Transporter, which I may convert into a camper, (or may sell)up until recently I have always run an estate.
My R reg GLS 2.0 Legacy,bought at 4 years old for £3.5k and sold last year for £1.9k, was my third, but I fancy something with more oomph, but similar reliability.
My only criteria are a budget of £6k ish, reasonable space & pace, and 30mpg in rural driving. I normally buy from friends or at auction, and kept over 4 years, with judicious buying, the major cost of depreciation is kept to a miniumum...I can afford £500pa.
Initial thoughts are Mondeo ST220 or Vectra 3.2 V6. Insurance in rural North Yorks is not an issue and the vehicle will be serviced by my local mechanic outside of the dealer network.
Any other suggestions for 'performance' motoring at sensible prices would be appreciated.
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If you want only £500 depreciation pa then i think you're spending too much.
I find it well nigh impossible to believe that you can buy a 6k car and sell it for 4k four years later.
Trade down. Audi 90 coupe 20v c1991 for £700, quattro for a few pounds more. How much fun? I'm a firm believer that one can have much more fun at the bottom end of the market.
Prompted by Tim's post but not wanting to hijack it...
I'm off to Vegas in September and I was thinking, just for the sheer hell of it, of hiring a Mustang - even for a couple of hours. By then, I'll be 21.
Reckon it'll be possible?
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Sorry - I missed the last couple of replies on this for some reason.
I'm going to do some research from home rather than wait till I get there so they can't pull anything funny on me.
I heard they ask for ID for pretty much anything. We were meant to be going next month at which point I'd still be 20 but fortunately it got moved to September. I'd be the happiest man in the world if somehow I managed to hire a V8 Mustang. I'd still settle for a V6 though.
Thanks for the advice.
Was pondering this on the way to work this morning (radio was boring me!).
Are the likes of Saab/Volvo and Nissan less reliable than they were before being swallowed up by the big fish? They have always been a challenger brand and stood for quality and reliability and went on forever. Doesnt seem the case now. Am I wrong? Read more
It's actually a Joint Fiat/GM unit, unfortunately the unreliable ancillaries like fuel pumps, MAFs etc are supplied by Bosch!
Can I put both Castrol SLX 0W30 Longlife oil (green) and 0W30 Longtec (brown) in my 2002 model A4 TDI which operates on a loglife service interval. It looks like the same stuff apart from being a diffrent colour. Read more
many thanks
869 miles in a week: rental Mustang Convertible.
Arrived after 99 days of rain. Yup, woke on Easter Sunday to the 100th! Stopped at 11:00a.m., tho. Guy at Hertz couldn't see why I wanted a convertible, and pressed me to take a Nissan 350z. If I hadn't read the weather forecast I might have been tempted!
Drove down Route 1 (including 17 mile drive) in bright sunshine. Magic journey; the sign the says "Hill and curves for the next 67 miles" doesn't fib!
Then up through Fresno (past James Dean Memorial junction) and on (through 2feet of snow either side of the road) to Yosemite. Driving through the valley with the top down was a magical experience! We then stayed in Oakland and took the ferry into the city from Larkspur, finishing off by driving over the Oakland Bay bridge in Friday Rush hour.
The car? ideal for the job in hand. Yep, "big brother" with the V8 would have been fun. The electric roof was handy (dropped it whilst waiting to pay to go over the bridge) and the view out with it down was much improved... the 'C' pillars are amazingly thick hood up. Car really screamed on kickdown, 5,500 rpm, but picked up to join the Freeway. Road surfaces produced some amazing potholes which I managed to avoid. SWMBO had a drive too, but wasn't comfy with the auto box.
Any regrets? Yup, that we didn't go for a fortnight. Icing on the cake for the holiday; got upgraded SFO to Toronto on return leg as it was SWMBO's birthday. Thanks to the guy who recommended Frommers. Excellent guide book steered us to perfect well priced hotels and good value restaurants. If anyone's doing the trip later in the year, email me for up to date advice.
Tim{P} Read more
Sounds great, I had a similar trip in a Mustang thru Yosemite in January a couple of years ago. Was fabulous!
Hello,
My wife drives the old style 'A' MB.
The car was taken by MB today and returned with it service book duly stamped for the ''A'' service.
What concerns me that the MB main dealer did not use Mobil 1 as stipulated in their 'warranty policy statement' but used another brand of Mobil.
when I phoned to book the car for her first service, for the money and becuase the car is under warranty, i automatically assumed it would be Mobil1 and nothing less.
Anyone help? Read more
Good idea - will email on Monday as I expect to spend at least 15 hours on the net!!
Thanks again - I will follow through but have a lot on my plate so small chance may not!
:-)
Hi,
Almera diesel 2000-5 model.
Know they look a bit dull but are the a good long term used buy?
Also does anyone know is the engine has a chain-cam or belt?
Cheers, IB
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IIRC the 2.2 uses a chain.
In the autumn I plan to change my car, SWHNMAE will take on my Renault Megane dCi since she uses it more than I do and has grown attached to it. Also it's only done 17K and seems too young to sell on. So I will be looking at a straight purchase with nothing to trade in.
My requirements are:
1. I have generally owned Renaults and VW's and have had good service from both makes. However I might consider something different since it will still leave me with two Renaults and a VW, I won't feel a traitor. But I am not a badge snob.
2. I only do about 9K a year but I like diesels.
3. Must have leather interior since the dog often gets on the seats and leaves mud around. Easier to clean etc.
4. Must be either a hatchback or estate.
5. Must be able to cruise at 80 mph with ease. (in France, not UK Mr.Officer). Maybe a six speed box would be useful.
6. Must have good seats since three times a year I do 650 miles a day when visiting family in France.
7. I am only interested in buying new or ex demo and keep for two years and 18K miles.
8. I don't like flash cars, I like to waft along discretely and in comfort.
So far my mind is thinking:
Laguna 2.0 dCi either hatchback or Tourer
Megane 2.0 dCi
Passat Tdi
Golf 2.0 Tdi
Accord or Civic 2.2
Focus or C-Max TDCi
Primera 2.2(not a fan of the styling but I liked the way it drove)
What else could I look at? There must be lots of cars I've not thought of.
Thank you.
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Don't understand: Why is my wife getting your old Renault?(!)
Browse
I've always liked the Focus ST170 alloys, the Mondeo ST220 alloys are nice too (the same but 18").
The optional 18" BBS alloys on the new mini look really nice.