January 2007
I am thinking of changing my car sometime this year and would appreciate some suggestions as to it's replacement.
I do at least 2k miles per month, sometimes upto 3k.
My current mode of transport is a 1.4 Polo [1996]. It's not a great car, but it does the job well enough and if I keep the speed down to a steady 60 on the motorway I get very good MPG. It works out a about 45MPG when driven this way.
Trouble is I used to own a S Type Jag (3.0 petrol) before this and I feel the Polo lacks, how shall I put it, a bit of finesse.
As I do more than average miles per year am I better off buying a higher mileage car to begin with [which should be cheaper] and just pile on more miles over the next year or two? Or should I go for a lower mileage car and change it after 1 year?
My budget will be £4K max.
My preferences would be something nice to drive, automatic preferred [easier when you in unfamiliar towns and cities] 4 door and not too thirsty. Not bothered about petrol or diesel. Something 'flash' would be nice but not essential.
Any suggestions appreciated. Read more
Today someone shunted the rear of my car when I was in stationary traffic. I suggested to the lady to pull over to the side and we'd exchange information. I asked for all her info, she gave address and phone number (etc) and vice versa. However, due to the fact she had no documentation I asked for a form of I.D. She had nothing with her, not even a debit card. I've subsequently contacted my insurance company and everything on her behalf seems valid. However, no one stopped as a witness and I'm just wondering what I should do if I'm in that predicament again.... Should I have called the police as a precaution?
I let her use my phone to call her dad and I checked it with the number she gave me so wasn't too concerned. Also the damage to my car isn't huge (does need a new bumper) in comparison to her brand new ford ka. Read more
All my cars have a disposable flash camera in the glove box and a dictaphone. OK the camera has to be replaced every year or two as the film deteriates but I have even used one at the scene of other peoples accidends and given the camera to the innocent party which they gladly pay for. The dictaphone is two fold, one, in an accident scenario your collect all the conversation, and two in a police stop situation you bite your lip and you have got everything they said. Also when you see something strange going on you can hit the botton and record reg numbers, colours, makes etc, and retrospectively decide whether you have witnessed a crime or what ever.You can not retrospectivly recall the reg numbers atc. Today's technology of course provides the solution in a mobilephone, photo's MP3 audio recorder all in one unit. When I do use the recorded I just tune it on and slip it in my top pocket. Regards Peter
I have a knocking from the front n/s and had the anti roll bar bushes replaced and it is still there and I have been told it will be the lower suspension arm bush. Does anyone know how much this may cost please? Thanks. Lenny Read more
Hmm - if getting a garage to do it I'd reckon double that - £120-200. depending on which garage you use and which link has gone - there are 4 suspension bushes each side. Tthey've been an unwelcome addition to servicing from 100k - 170k ; I think the replacement cycle is now about to restart at 170K...
From What Car:
"BMW overhauls its 1 Series range this March ............
Tyres with lower rolling resistance, six-speed gearboxes, regenerative brakes and new valve and injection technology help to improve performance and efficiency across the range.
The 118i petrol in particular benefits from substantial improvements, a 0-62mph time of 8.8sec bettering its predecessor by 0.6sec. Fuel consumption is massively improved too, however, now more than 10mpg better than before at 47.9mpg.
The 118d diesel is 1.0sec faster than before at 9.0sec, while lower fuel consumption of 60.1mpg makes it BMW's most fuel-efficient model ever."
What is more impressive 47.9mpg for the petrol or 60.1mpg for the diesel, we will see if the claims stack up in practice I guess.
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"The Ecomatic was the magical clutchless version."
Ah yes - there was a nasty Fiat one as well.
Apologies if this is undue plugging (mods feel free to remove if you consider this inappropriate), however the car above as discussed by BR's a few weeks ago is now for sale in HJ Classifieds. If anyone is interested, do please get in touch.
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You might want to say where it is in the country....?
Also number of owners is often something buyers often want to know.
Just trying to be helpful.
Hi all, the problem with my friends Galaxy is that it wont start unless towed!!! He's changed the Heater plugs and all the filters but still no good. A local mechanic told him it's a common thing with these, the CRANKSHAFT PULLEY wears so much that when turning the engine over the pulley's wear actually puts the timing out????? When towed started it runs lovely so can this be true? Pls help....thx Read more
I'm wondering whether it's the fuel running back as it starts fine for the rest of the day once it has initially been towed to start!!1 Mileage is unknown as the dash instrument cluster does not work!!! Is fuel run back a common problem on these 1900 TDi engines? Thinking of maybe fitting an in line "lemon" type fuel primer, as found on Peugeot diesels.......thx so far...
I am not looking forward to the extra £200 a year it is going to cost me to have a car when the congestion charge zone is extended westwards over the objections of almost everyone in Kensington and Chelsea. But I will have to bite the bullet.
For reasons too complicated to go into, my wife is showing interest in exempt vehicles. The TfL website is hopelessly and gratuitously complicated and obscure. There is nothing resembling a simple list of exempt or partially exempt vehicles. One would expect some small modern diesels to be on such a list, but they probably wouldn't be. Biofuel or dual-fuel/hybrid seem to be the only categories.
Does anyone have any idea what is exempt or partially exempt, and whether any such vehicles are obtainable for reasonable money? What about those Vauxhall factory LPG conversions? I've read quite a bit of carping about them on this site.
My instinct is that a Mk 1 Prius (for example) would be expensive and troublesome. Can anyone contradict this authoritatively?
I don't need or want to be lectured on the use of vile articulated buses. The only good thing about this extension is that I will be able to return to my bad old ways and add to the congestion in the West End whenever I feel like it. In every other respect the thing is a bummer. But I would appreciate any useful input on everything except the GWhiz. Read more
The mayor has already indicated that the westward extension of the
congestion charge zone is going to lead to more congestion. Terrific.
Fabulous. Can't wait.
But then last week in an interview with Nick Ferrari on LBC he also hinted that the rise in congestion would offer a chance to rise CC charge up to £25 for band C+ vehicles even inside the zone so all in all it looks like he's being clever again and cornered the situation to his liking...
In the same interview he also confirmed to one of the listeners that his office has fully established branches all over the world, which cost up to £400,000 a year in upkeep each. Some of them are in very questionable places, like Venezuela and they apparently serve as outpost for business. The whole things sounded even more corrupt than the whole strange Capita relationship they have around CC scheme where Mayor pays Capita fines for not meeting CC targets from budget and then pays Capita because their profits don't reach contractual minimums ....
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[Nissan 2.2 dCi are NOT Renault engines. Grrr...]
It's really bad today in many places, up North in Leeds very stong winds. Today I noticed it rocking the car around when stationary at traffic lights, a new shape Panda. I know it's only around 850kg and quite boxy - a bit like the Wagon R etc. The tyres are quite narrow and it doesn't feel too stable.
When do you think it's too bad to decide not to drive? The Police advise motorists to be cautious etc. I know it's about 80mph wind speed. Has anyone ever seen a car blown over, as happens to lorries?
I don't feel to happy about the return commute tonight...
If a tree comes down well no car would protect you? Read more
It's nature's way of telling you not to buy a Kangoo.
Just been looking at Ebay .I can't get the link into here but under car rental (?) someone's selling in-car TV monitors which replace sunvisors. OK you might think, except they are a pair, so there's one for the driver's side.
Scary thought, do you think there are people out there who find driving so boring they are watching TV as they cruise up behind you on the motorway? Read more
I can't get the link into here
Here you go. tinyurl.com/37fbue
Also been previously mentioned that you can also get rear view mirrors with inbuilt LCD monitors as well.
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=41510
help please!!!!
just been informed my heater matrix has failed in my "k plate" landrover discovery.
the sting is, it costs £1000 quid for my garage to fit .
i want to buy the part and fit it myself but have had no experience of landys inner workings.
i once changed a matrix on a vw golf, and , thanks to the help of an honest john user i managed to do this without removing the dashboard et al!!! anyone know how easy or hards this task is in a disco????????
a read through would be fantastic, or a source of info!!!!
thanks in anticipation !
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Never done 1, or wanted to.
But book time for the job is 6.30 hours. Would expect 1st time you do it it will take longer, so allow 2 days I would suggest.
Any local garage is going to want at least £400 depending where you arte in the country. main dealer or top end garage is going to be double that figure so estimate sounds about right
Browse
Thanks - that's made it a lot clearer.