November 2006
I am looking at the Megane 165 GT. This is essentially a detuned 225 and a bit less OTT, less likely to get stolen.
What other cars might be considered a rival that I should look at?
My needs:
2.0 litre petrol 130bhp+
5 doors
Leather seats and aircon/climate
Alloys
Slippery winter trips to France need front wheel drive.
Not too big, Focus rather than Mondeo class.
I only do 9K a year, so not really bothered about MPG, as long as it's not excessive. No more diesels, 'er indoors gets my car. Time for some fun :-)
Quite happy to have Renault again but that will mean we shall have three Renaults. Maybe I should have a change. I quite fancy another VW.
What do you all think?
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I will soon be in need of a new exhaust system as one of the back box's is nearly holed.
I have a 2001 Ford Mondeo St200 Ltd Edition 4 door.
I assume the exhaust system is the same as the St200 5 door. I have been adivsed to get a de-cat system to squeeze a few more horses out of the motor.
Firstly, are de-cat systems legal? Or will I need to replace the cat every time I have an MOT?
Secondly, I was intending to get a Ford exhaust, ( haven't checked the price yet, but I guess it will be around £400 for the cat back). Are after market systems well made and would they be designed to produce the low back pressue which my current Ford exhaust system produces. Would they improve responce or hinder it?
Ady... Read more
The St200 has 205HP (151kW)
Having recently acquired an auto, not having driven one for some years, I have been wondering why the D and R positions in the gate seem to be the reverse of normal logic.
If I had to design such a thing from scratch I would put D ahead of the N position and R behind. (Forward for ahead and back for reverse)
What is the explanation for the apparently perverse logic here?
I assume there is one, and that is not the result of a daft moment way back when autos were first built.
A further worse thought, perhaps not all manufacturers use the same gate layout! Read more
Gordon M
I always thought it was just a more natural movement under
likely prevailing acceleration.
When accelerating, it's a natural movement to pull back the lever
as you're pushed back in the car. Likewise, it makes sense
to push forward when you're held against the seatbelt.
Aircraft have throttle controls that are fully forward for maximum power and fully back for minimum power (or reverse thrust).
Up to around 1940, French and Italian aircraft had throttles that worked in the opposite sense. There is at least one known instance of an aircraft with a British pilot and French co-pilot having a tug-of-war on the throttles. Perhaps the French were applying the same logic as above.
Interestingly, a motorcycle throttle is rotated backwards (top towards the rider) to accelerate.
Everytime you look at the news nowadays, there seems to be something on regarding cars, co2, emissions etc. The delightful Mayor Ken wants the heavy polluters to pay more. Well, a thought occurred to me. The congestion charge is rapidly becoming a co2 tax, so why not actually charge for the amount of co2 produced?
All new cars have a co2 figure. Which is great, but how many people know how the figure is achieved? I dont. Im assuming a standard test of some kind. Which is fine, but how does it factor in how the car is driven? Lets say im doing an "italian tune up" one day. Or im enjoying a spirited (but safe and legal) drive. Surely my car is producing more co2 than if i was drying at the standard level.
So rather than tax the car and introduce pay per mile and all the other nonsense, i suggest charging by the amount of co2. With a bit of tweaking of an ecu (im no expert on these things) they could get get an output from the ecu showing how the car is driven and based on a nifty formula a calculation could be made regarding how much co2 has come out. This data could then be picked up from somewhere (data transfer when filling up as an example, or roadside units that communicate with the onboard computer) and you can receive a nice monthly bill.
Must be a fairer method than everything else i have seen suggested.
Any opinions welcome.
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>they could get get an output from the ecu showing how the car is driven and...
... then you could get points for driving your car too hard and producing too much CO2. What a fantastic idea. Big Brother is watching your car's performance every second. And wh gets to pay for this amendment to the ECU? All motorists, even those who don't go into the c-Zone.
be off with you before you're lynched. ;)
Hello
My 2002 clio keeps blowing brake light bulbs on the one side, any ideas.
Thanks Read more
Thanks will do.
Might be a bit confused here, but did I see Charlie Tope (?), who presents the above, in Carry On Abroad over the weekend?
S6 1SW Read more
>>Charlie Toupe
Heh. Toupe. Nice one.
Except it's toupee. Doh.
tinyurl.com/y7je2t
In London, due to decapitated meters and clever locksmiths the familiar meters may be phased out to be replaced by paying by mobile phone.
It was covered on BBC & ITN lunchtime. Read more
A similar system operates in Putney, through a company called Parkmobile. It acually works very fairly, because you send a text when you park, and another when you return. So you only pay for the time you are parked, and you can be sent text reminders when your time is about to run out. You pay £1 a month to be 'on the system', which is a little different from the scheme Westminster are bringing in - they add 10 or 20p per transaction - not sure of the precise details.
Hi All,
Thinking of changing my Rover 620ti and have narrowed it down to two choices:
51 / 02 Mondeo 2.5 ghia x
Or
51 / 02 Omega 2.6 cdx
Both will be noticably slower than the Rover, but will be more refined so it?s a trade off I'm willing to accept.
Trouble is I cant decide which one to go for. I know that chances are the Omega will have an auto box - is it possible to have fun driving a car so equipped are there any techniques to spice things up? -
The Mondeo is more modern and a sportier drive, but is it a bit humdrum? I like the Omega for its solidity and exec feel but does that translate into boring? I've had a 2.0 auto Omega which was quite dull in its power delivery - are the V6's more entertaining?
The spec on the Mondeo is staggering but I know little about the car as a package.
In my experience, Vauxhall Opel cars seem better built than Fords (well at least you're less able to see where corners have been cut)
Any advice between these two or am I considering apples vs pears?
P.s. Want to spend no more than 5.5K
Cheers,
David. Read more
Thanks Guys, your info is really helpfull!
On the 2.0 litre auto Omega I had I found that the tyres would wear on the inside on the front at an alarming rate - its the first car I'd had which wore them down to the canvas.
I have thought about a 3.2 Vectra but realistically a lowish mileage one is hovering under the 7 grand mark for a 52 plate - probably a little bit more than I wanted to spend as I can kind of justify a cheaper thirsty car like the Omega/Mondeo.
Having said that, does anyone know what a 3.2 vectra will do MPG wise? I'm thinking about 20mpg up here in hilly Yorkshire as I get 23/24mpg day in day out in the 620ti with a lead right foot in urban driving.
Thanks in advance,
David.
Hello Everyone.
Mercedes A Class.
How long is the long wheelbase version, and how short is the short wheelbase version?
Thanx
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Aim low, expect nothing & dont be disappointed Read more
I've driven worse, and it's for SWMBO. If she's happy, I'm happy.
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Aim low, expect nothing & dont be disappointed
p11 today's Telegraph
Thames Valley Safer Roads Partnership now using facial recognition software to identify drivers who try to deny it was them at the wheel..........
apparently a company specialising in image enhancement is used to improve the speed photo and it is compared to your driving licence photo.......any doubts and all the pictures are taken to court.
one side of me says 'fair enough, if you speed, then lie and Attempt to Pervert the Course of Justice then you deserve it...but...
the other side says 'yet more creeping big brother stuff and loss of civil liberties' Read more
it wasn't me it was my twin brother!
Browse
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I had a lesser Megane (1.5 dCi 106PS Dynamique Sports Tourer 6spd manual) as a company car and I really liked the car itself, but the build quality and early reliability was dreadful. Be very careful.
After 3 months and 9,000 miles:
Seat trim visibly worn
Two clutch switches had failed on the starting system. These were on back order with Renault on both occasions.
The paint on the fuel filler flap had faded to a completely different colour to the surrounding bodywork.
The ESP and SERVICE lights would intermittently appear on the dash.
The electric windows played up every time it rained.
As none of these faults are specific to the dCI engine, it is logical they could apply to the 165 you are considering.
I agree as a product, the Megane is a great car (I even like the styling). It was faster, more economical, smoother, more comfortable, better equipped, and far more refined than the mk1 Focus TDDI it replaced, but the Ford did 99,000 miles with just one minor fault, had no unscheduled dealer visits, and drove as well at 99k as it did the day it was delivered.
Cheers
DP