April 2008
`Ultra Violet` Tests the Agila and finds the 1.2 petrol engine "more punchy" than the 1.3 diesel, which has a 76NM torque advantage, delivered at 2,650 less revs.. How`s that then?;)
tinyurl.com/64w4sm
Regards
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If a litre of petrol has a forecourt price of 107.9, 32.6 pence of that is product and 8.88p retailer margin. The rest is duty at 50.35p and VAT at 16.07.
You can see from this that global shifts in price should have less effect on the motorist than the Chancellor.
Most taxes in this country have a basis in the original figures. Income tax increases as you earn more, so does national insurance. You pay more capital gains tax on a larger gain. If you buy something, the VAT bill will be greater as the cost goes up.
But for petrol, alcohol and tobacco the tax is based on the unit of sale. Leave alcohol and tobacco aside, because we don't need those to get to work and deliver goods, it is insane to base a tax on a unit to the point at which it is far more than the cost of the product.
Historically, Chancellors have claimed that the increased tax was justified to reduce car numbers and miles travelled. But at the same time this country has thrown open its borders to people in search of a better life. And that is represented by a car.
Tax petrol, by all means, but can't we have a sane basis? Why can't the duty relate to the cost? I know Brown needs £15 billion this morning to prop up the mortgage market but there are other targets than the motorist.
The trouble is that we are not as well represented as wealthy non-domiciles and private equity entrepeneurs. Proportionally, we are taxed more and that can't be right.
Sorry to start the day so seriously but I'm tired of being a taxation sitting duck. Read more
Oil is at a new high $116 today... that's a new alltime high. Forecast $125 ish..
Of course if that nice clever and successful President Bush bombs Iran before he leaves office, $125 will look like pennies...
Auto Express Driver Power verdict 2008.
Fiat allegedly, second from bottom overall and worst on "Helpfulness and attitude"
I just can`t believe that, given the new 500, it importance to the company and the new management seemingly having gone through the dealer network.
Both of the Fiat garages I use are great, although I must admit its mainly parts dept as I do my own servicing.
Seemingly head in hands time at Fiat UK? But should it be? how much can results from the general public be trusted.
It seems, along with `normal` owners, there are a lot of young wallies for example, that run Gp`s, putting cooking oil in the JTD`s, chipping until the car vibrates and clutch slips and chipping Panda`s over the rated gearbox torque. The list of ineptness, failure to check oil, taking the car to the limiter all the time as though its a computer game goes on and on.
Then they complain if there is the very slightest imperfection of the paint, under the bumper for example and even complain about normality as they are often witless about cars in general.
Contrast this with the mature knowledge of your typical Skoda owner for example ( a very well deserved 2nd place.)
Can part of Fiats problems lie with the part of its customer base that allegedly in years gone by would have driven a modified (ruined) Nova with a baseball cap on back to front?
Regards ;)
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Interesting to note that the Punto that SWMBO was in love with cost an arm and a leg in keeping on the road. Items fell apart after two years from new. Now she has a Mazda 2 that doesn't miss a beat and has been 100% reliable: she hates it and wants another Fiat. I give up!
Anyone seen the new VW `UP` in Auto express? (16/4/08 issue)
In the showrooms in 2010 and with rear mounted 600cc twin cylinder (petrol and Diesel) engines.
CO2 being targeted is less than 100/gkm and 94 MPG on the urban cycle.
That seems outstanding to me, I hope they see fit to use a non belted engine with hydraulic tappets...
Lots of dynamics around that engine configuration and layout though, it seems to me the most exciting city car for years.
What do you think ?
Regards
( Mods, Sorry about not being able to fit this into the appropriate model list) Read more
sorry to say but the 3l car is all a bit passé now isn't it? what I find much more interesting is MDI Air Car (the one Tata bought)
"The cost f the car is expected to be around £4,000 and would have a range of around 300km between refueling, said a report. It would have a top speed of around 60kmh using air alone and 200kmh using an air and fuel combination engine, it added."
"Most importantly, it is incredibly cost-efficient to run ? according to the designers, it costs less than one Euro per 100Km (about a tenth that of a petrol car). Its mileage is about double that of the most advanced electric car (200 to 300 km or 10 hours of driving), a factor which makes a perfect choice in cities where the 80% of motorists drive at less than 60Km. The car has a top speed of 68 mph.
Refilling the car will, once the market develops, take place at adapted petrol stations to administer compressed air. In two or three minutes, and at a cost of approximately 1.5 Euros, the car will be ready to go another 200-300 kilometres.
As a viable alternative, the car carries a small compressor which can be connected to the mains (220V or 380V) and refill the tank in 3-4 hours.
Due to the absence of combustion and, consequently, of residues, changing the oil (1 litre of vegetable oil) is necessary only every 50,000 Km."
Having just watched tonight's edition of "The Apprentice - You're Fired" on BBC2, I noticed Alan Sugar (sorry that should read Sir Alan Sugar), was being interviewed in the back of his Roller and was clearly NOT wearing a seatbelt.
I understand that he was probably not being chased by the Papparatzi at the time, but why is this total lack of regard for the law and their own life, (and the life of anyone sitting in front of them for that matter) seen on a too regular basis?
Do some of our so called "celebrities" believe they are immortal? Read more
"I am the original AS"
Of course. I was just trying to avoid SAS - I'm not sure he deserves a knighthood, any more than Clive Sinclair, who parted me from most of my pocket money as I tried to get his carp audio kits to work for more than five minutes!
Out on my pedal bike tonight and reached a set of roadworks, one of these ones where the pavement was dug up and so they had made a pathway on the road for pedestrians.
I go through on green and a lorry is behind me as we go over the brow of a hill. Then I realise that these are long roadworks and I am causing a huge traffic jam so decide probably best for all if I nip through the cones to let everyone pass.
Check there are no pedestrians and just as I swerve into the gap between the cones I realise that there is grey rope between each cone tying them all together!
I swerve and do a perfect skid with my back wheel, one that I haven't done since my BMX days years ago and manage to get my feet out the toestraps just as my bike is falling!
On one hand I can see why they tie them together, but tonight I can now also see why they shouldn't! Read more
Drove along a stretch of road today with 2 lanes separated by cones - one lane moving slightly faster than the other. Passenger got out of car in front, moved a cone, car changed lanes. Further on the cones were roped to each other - struck me that maybe it was to prevent easy moving of cones, by hand or by a quick nudge by the bumper?
Pointless I know, but on todays www.liveleak.com is an uploaded video of nitro fuel R/C cars going round a circular track at 200mph. Amusing for about 30 secs, then you feel giddy and travel sick! Read more
I used to build model planes and cars.
I spent weeks making them, and a few days using them. I got bored. They inevitably broke after learning their abilities, and then seeing how far I could 'stretch the envelope'.
The fun was in the construction.
I can't understand people who buy ready made models.
Hi,
The yellow engine warning light has come on in my Honda Accord. The car seems to be running fine despite this. The car has been regularly serviced until about 18 months ago, and a service is overdue.
Can anyone tell me what this light means. By the way the light is constant, not flashing.
Thanks Read more
Thanks for the replies. Will I need to go to Honda to get it read, or will any garage be able to help.
Thanks,
Finally work out how to control iPod from radio. Previously could only get one track, which became tedious after a few days. The same one all the time. Seems quaint only having a two line display after a desk full of 20" screens. Reminds me of DOS days. After a couple of weeks dealer sends me Y cable which improves controllability. Can now access playlists. Promptly create too many.
Rear speakers in particular are awful. Harsh, bottomless, topless, muddy, thin, remote, low-rent, horrible. It would only have cost them a pittance to fit decent speakers as standard. Such cheap skating devalues the BMW brand, I think. On the plus side they don't look too difficult to replace with decent units. Well, from the face plates anyway. Initial impressions prove to be hopelessly optimistic. After two weeks of forum surfing - including correspondence with BMW UK - I have still not found a source for plug compatible upgrades.
The so called OBC doesn't actually seem to compute a great deal. It actually does less than the last BMW I had about 20 years ago, which would calculate an ETA given a distance. This one has a fiddly interface which I eventually crack on to after another session of pawing everything.
The indicator system is initially challenging. I pity anyone else on the road trying to work out where I'm going in the first few hours as I madly swing between right and left trying to get the wretched things to cancel. It seems counter intuitive to press it again in the same direction to cancel. I eventually get the hang of it by never manually cancelling and after a few minutes it seems to exhaust itself.
The cruise control system is excellent with a rich feature set, including braking. The novelty of seeing the little bug racing round the speedo has me setting and resetting it all the way along the road. I almost run into a truck in the process.
Gaining a little in confidence the temptation to experience the torque asserts itself. An excursion to 80mph ensues without getting anywhere near the initial 3000rpm limit. It does haul effortlessly, sure 'nuff. I could drive this car for years without exceeding 3k. On the dual carriage way it feels as there's a cross wind. I check the tree tops. Not a breath. Must be the run flats. Maybe all the tyres have burst. After a couple of weeks of even occasional use I seem to have adjusted to this idiosyncrasy and no longer notice it.
Even in an auto I sometimes like know to which gear I'm in without having to change manually to find out. Selecting "Sport" doesn't prove a gear indication. It's a two stage process, by which time I've forgotten why I wanted to know the cog. A one stage process is available by blindly flipping a steering wheel paddle. But with a tight engine I'm reluctant to take the chance of over revving it by accident. Couldn't they just tell you which gear you're in without such a fuss? In contrast the Audi would provide an immediate gear display after engaging Tiptronic but without changing gear.
Most of the first two weeks getting to know you has been conducted in my garage as I continued to drive the Audi until I sold it a few days ago. In the middle of week three a conservative 120 miles have been covered in the BM. It occurs to me that I probably don't need a car at all. In those few miles the "OBC" computes an average consumption of 36.2 mpg. If accurate then it's mission accomplished as this model was chosen for its claimed frugality.
With the radio off - which is often, for reasons aforesaid - I take to listening to the engine. It has a lovely growl when warm. A really solid sounding lump. My wife dispels this romantic notion by telling me it sounds like a black cab.
I have begun using it for commuting to work. Will report proper driving impressions in due course.
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Ubi said:
"It does haul effortlessly, sure 'nuff. I could drive this car for years without exceeding 3k."
I recently test-drove a 325i and a 325d - both autos. Both hugely capable and refined cars, and both sounded very similar once on the move. But TBH I would have preferred more engine noise at ordinary, legal speeds. If Plod catches you extending the engine in any gear beyond second...
Daughter's new car - a hand-me down from Granny, has mayo under the filler cap and in the rocker cover. Not surprising for a car that only went a couple of miles twice a week.
How best to clear the gunk? - I'm guess that changing the oil won't shift it? It was still present after a fast 20 mile journey home. Read more
These engines seem prone to this. My '96 1.2 used to collect a bit of mayo, despite getting reasonable runs. Motorway run usually cleared it. Remove and clean under the (metal) rocker cover (easy enough on these) if you're feeling energetic, but certainly an oil change and a decent run won't hurt.
JS
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0-60 times are completely irrelevant, but that's all What Car gives, which is a reflection of its usefulness. Take Autocar: it tests the Fiesta ST (148 hp) and the Fiesta 1.6 Tdci (89 bhp) in top gear. ST: 9.2 50-70. Lowly old underpowered diesel: 9.1. The true reflection of torque, which is the issue, is in-gear acceleration. Not ultimate acceleration which will only be achieved a few times before the transmission fails. I'll bet you personally have never achieved a 0-62 in anything like 9.3 seconds, because it requires a harsh approach, repeated until there is no more improvement to be had, on a car that you don't have to fix:)