May 2007
Hi, I am looking for suggestions for 7 seater estates, as I am looking to replace the escort in the next few months anyway and am finding that 2 or three times a month I could really use the extra seats, as we end up taking two cars, which gets expensive in fuel, or at other times making 2 trips.
Ideally I'd like something like a Renault 21 estate, where all the seats are forward facing, as I would prefer the separate boot, rather than having the rearmost passengers share legroom with luggage.
As these Renault 21's are quite rare now, has anyone got any other suggestions? Read more
Whilst there is much discussion on what the 'trigger' speeds are for prosecuting speeding motorists, does anyone know how slowly regular car drivers can travel without being 'done' (presumably for obstruction)? Read more
Mrs O once got pulled over not long after passing her test for driving too slowly through rural Worcs
That's an interesting point - I remember my driving instructor advising that proceeding quickly and safely up to the speed limit (or the safe equivalent depending on conditions) was always the way to go. He said that if you appear to be holding traffic up on your test you'll pick up a minor point. If you continue to do so the minors will stack up until you've failed even though you haven't actually reached the limit of 15, because enough of them were related to the same offence to give reasonable cause for concern.
How would this be assessed? Surely the simple fact that driving in this way can prevent you from getting a license should also result in people taking a step towards having theirs taken away? Any instructors onboard who can comment on how they deal with this?
Well I decided the old Civic was getting a bit long in the tooth at seven years old and a bit boring so after a month or so of consideration and checking prices, I went out to the local Honda Main Dealer on Friday and bought a 2.4 EX Honda Accord Tourer . 04 plate. one owner car, 24 k miles ie barely run in for around half the new price .
I'm picking it up on Friday and obviously read HJ's CBCB so was looking out for the problem areas.
Had a good test drive and a look round the car and the only problem I found was uneven wear on the outside edges of the front tyres which suggests a tracking problem although the tyres ( Michelin Pilot Premacy ) still have plenty of tread . The garage have promised to check the tracking and rectify the fault. They are also spraying the rear bumper to get rid of a few badly touched in corner scratches.
Nice friendly negotiation with the salesman . I managed to get more or less what I expected in P/Ex on the Civic. I also negotiated a two year parts and labour warranty rather than the one year they were offering, years road tax ( £300 ) , full service , new MOT and a full tank of petrol.
I'm interested in any Tourer owners views of the car or problems they have had with tracking . I'd also like to know if there are any other likely problems to look out for ( apart from the drain on my wallet at the petrol station) before I pick it up.
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.................. but I am happy with the deal.
That is the most relevant bit.......enjoy :-)
Most car makers' on-line configurators are a bit of a let-down and leave you feeling you'd have done better to pop down to the showroom and see for yourself. Not this one, though:
www.bentleyconfigurator.com
Mine's in Peacock Blue with 12-spoke wheels and Saffron upholstery and...and...you can go on and on. Till it crashes - the configurator, I mean. (It's a bit browser-sensitive, too.) And it's left-hand drive - the Bentley, I mean - but that's OK because it'll be spending most of its life in the south of France anyway.
What's that, Nurse? Medicine time already? Read more
You had me worried the Will, thinking that Bentley would use a word an Americanism as vulgar as "configurator" when in fact it's actually an Integrated Commissioning System
My sunroof (a standard feature on the car, doesn't have aircon) is tilt and slide.
It spontaneosly opens in the 'tilt' position.
Last year it did this say once a week, now it's more like twice a day.
I can get it shut again by doing 'slide' then back to shut.
Has anyone had this problem? What should I check first? Faulty switch? Fuse?
Thanks
Stewart Read more
mikey and dieselbob
excellent advice, thanks very much
Stewart
My (52) Espace had a service (fri 11th) at a dealer, who deals in many makes of cars, rather than just Renaults- service went well but that night a car going past set off the alarm system - I did normal checks doors and windows all shut nothing preventing closure and no obvious friendly animals. But it continued to go off- so had to leave it unlocked.
Took it to a MAIN Renault dealer (thurs 17), they looked at it charged me £75, but failed to rectify it, as I found out over the weekend.
A possible solution is a new box, currently unavailable even from Renault.
if they don't manage to rectify, what chance of getting the costs reimbursed- then have it taken out and a NEW system installed - any recommendations Read more
In you shoes I would be straight back to the dealer who charged you £75 and demand a full refund. Explain to them politely about how you cured the problem and would have expected them to do likewise.
It's a States side example, but nevertheless mirrors some of our own representatives:
www.timesheraldonline.com/ci_5937218
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by Read more
if we start talking about politicians' hypocrisy
Not to mention the right to bear arms in the US, and the absence of that right here to protect ourselves from crazed millionaires and other armed elements (no names, no packdrill).
There is an odd vibration that is coming from the rear of my SAAB 9-5. I thought that it was probably poor wheel balance, though on inspection at Kwik Fit, it was clear that there were a number of nails in the rear tyres too.
Two new tyres, 4 re-balances and tracking done at that time, and while reduced, the judder is still there. It doesn't seem to be better or worse at any particular speed, though the roads round here are not smooth enough at any point for me to work out what is actually emanating from the car, and what is from the road.
Is there anything else that I ought to be looking at that is obvious? The noise seemed to start just after the most recent dealer service about 3 weeks ago. Read more
I have just received my renewal papers for my car insurance and I am infuriated to note they now have adopted an 0870 contact number for renewal. We have two policies with this company and I feel I am paying them enough money without increasing their profits via our telephone bill.
I am going to contact them via one of their 0800 numbers for new business and if they refer me to an 0870 number I will threaten to take my business elsewhere.
To repeat myself , these numbers simply infuriate me!!, they cost 8 pence a minute and more often than not you are deliberately held in a queue to generate income for them !!
MAD and getting MADDER!!.
Ps I do try "say no to 0870 " first. Read more
For al the English grammar experts out there, to clarify things and to avoid any more analysis of my posting, the statement "I do try say no to 0870 first" was referring to the statement "these numbers simply infuriate me!!, they cost 8 pence a minute and more often than not you are deliberately held in a queue to generate income for them !!". :-)).
There's a reason for everything, but I'd like to know what his excuse is -
i17.photobucket.com/albums/b60/Cunobelin/Smartwith...g
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oooh....cheeky!
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well I've had most if not all of the cars mentioned in this thread and, if you can find one, my vote would be for the Pug 505, I've had 3, my favourite being the 2.5 turbo diesel family estate - takes 7 adults (one of mine actually had a central lap belt in the third row making it an 8 seater) and a bigger boot than a Galaxy (personal experience). The Renault 21 is almost as good but has a smaller interior - ok for small children getting to the back row but not adults. The Mitsibushi has far less versatile seating - the two rows don't fold flat and a small boot. The Galaxy is only good if you like visiting mechanics - often.... Had a K- reg Caravelle - 5 cylinder diesel, drank more oil than diesel even after being rebuilt by VW speciallists 3 times and rusted like there was no tomorrow. Currently on my 3rd Previa (genuine UK not a smaller Emina/Estima) , cost less than £1k, very comfy and still does 25-35 MPG