March 2024
My firm (a local bus and coach company) has sitting it its bank a tax payer funded grant which has to be spent on electric buses. We’ve bought two Sigma 8’s, which have proven to be a disappointment due to range and poor reliability - one has been off the road for months awaiting parts. We’ve also bought a Mercedes based minibus which has also proven to be next to useless.
On Monday morning I was presented with an electric Ford Transit minibus for appraisal. On turning it on it’s immediately evident that it’s also not fit for purpose with an estimated range of just 115 miles! This plummeted to 88 miles after a run of 17 miles in good weather and driven gently. These are around £80,000 yet it’s capable of doing two short school runs with confidence in winter at best, in other words absolutely useless and not good value for the tax payer. Otherwise quite pleasant to drive if a bit heavy and bouncy compared to an equivalent diesel.
My recommendation was not to buy, to put the money into another tried and tested (but not without fault) ADL product instead to go along with the E100 we have on order already, which would better serve as a rolling advert for the firm. Read more
Decades before I moved here there was infill building behind the row of houses (semis and small terraces) on the open land behind. The council built two blocks of two storey pensioner flats. Since I moved here people have come along the service road to park at the bottom of their back gardens on short drives or in garages, as door mirrors, etc. are at risk on the main road out front.. Anyway the cash strapped council (although happy to waste a fortune on irrelevant jobs and pointless projects) have now come up with a cash generating wheeze! They have decided deiced that non-council tenants (the properties are now a mix of council and ex-council\) should pay an access charge over their land (the road) at higher rate than resident's parking permits nearer the centre. Google says the road is a public highway so whilst the council have to maintain it do they have any right to make it a toll road for some? Read more
OP has stated its a public highway maintainable at public expense, so vehicular access right is a given.
Hi all, this is my first post here.
We are looking for a used car (age: 2020 or newer, budget: £15-25k) as our family is expanding. The plan is to have 2 car seats at the back row. Ideally, a passenger should sit inbetween them but I know that this is almost impossible. Therefore, we are open for a 7-seater option as well.... Read more
Thanks badbusdriver for your recommendations!
How would you compare the Kodiak with the Kia Sorento?...
Heya, strange question but any help appreciated. Im trying to find out how much the New Photocard driving license cost when it was introduced in 1998/99. Nobody seems to know including the DVLA. So imagine you had a paper provisional, then you passed your test in 1999, and applied for your full driving license with the new photocard, what was the fee?
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We are required by an EC Directive to issue photocard licences to all UK drivers by 29 July 2001."
That requirement must have changed as we moved to our current address in April 1999. My updated driving licence was paper and it still is. Never had a photocard one, although that will have to change in 6 years when (if) I reach three score years and ten....
Thinking about the Dacia Duster Diesel, I've read on some forums there were issues with the clutch, or are there any other issues I need to look for?
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Not sure on the Dacia but on every other Renault 1.5dci I've seen it is a hydraulic clutch with a master/slave.
I can't remember the last car I saw a clutch cable on. Probably something from the 1980s.
Anyone booked a Holiday there ? You might want to check out the news before flying. Looks like another revolution brewing ( to me). Read more
Anyone booked a Holiday there ? You might want to check out the news before flying. Looks like another revolution brewing ( to me).
Tink that'd be a counter-revolution, pretty much by definition....
Hi guys,
Wanted to have your opinions.
I do low mileage, short journeys and live a city and don’t commute.
Want to replace my 15 plate Qashqai either with a Self charging Hybrid or 3rd gen normal Qashqai Automatic. Used of course. Now with the hybrids, I’ve read that many have flat batteries if you don’t drive often, which I hadn’t known! I often leave my car on my driveway for 2/3 days without driving and my current car doesn’t have flat batteries.
Considering my usages, do you recommend the 3rd gen mild hybrid Qashqai auto or still think a full hybrid is better say a Toyota. Thought of Lexus hybrid as well but also worried about the flat battery issue as well. Read more
For a low mileage user with few long journeys + off road parking, an EV is the logical choice.
If, for whatever reason, you don't want or like EVs (plugging it in is a chore) then there is little point in going for a PHEV which has to be plugged in to make any real sense. ...
My KA is reluctant to start in the morning, I have replaced the plugs and ignition leads.
The garage laptop tells me the fault lies with the following:- EVAP Purge Valve. Apparently Ford do not now hold any in stock nor do the local dealers in Swindon.... Read more
Be aware that the engine in the KA of this age (providing its not pne of the rebodied Fiat 500's) is not a Yamaha designed Zetec such as that fitted to the Fiesta but a Zetec Ro-Cam designed in Brazil. Its a SOHC iron block with a chain drive whereas the Yamaha Zetec is DOHC alloy block with a cam belt.
As far as I am aware parts are not interchangeable between the 2 so you need to be careful that you ensure they know which Zetec it is when ordering the part....
Hi
My car was stolen 10 days ago and insurance claim processed.... Read more
The problem is if you buy it back now and it is recorded as a write-off you will probably only get sc*** value in the event of any claim including if someone drives into you. Best to learn from the experience.
Hi guys
After my old caddy has given up completely. I’m now looking for a new car but know next to nothing about cars and what to look for (the van was necessary for previous job and gifted to me)
Looking for a decent size hatchback. Something with a bit of go to it but I’m no petrol head by any means. Mileage is around 10k a year so petrol and I’m not fussed whether auto or manual.
I’ve been recommended to look at Ford Focus, Honda civics and Mazda 3 (have had a Mazda estate before which I thoroughly enjoyed) need something I could fit a Labrador in the back so don’t really want to go smaller.
Is there anything else worth looking for? Are these good cars or ones to avoid?
I’m probably looking budget wise around the 2014-2016 age although budget can flex a bit if needs be.
Any advice and recommendations would be gratefully recieved. Read more
The vast majority of petrol Focus at that age will have the 1.0 Ecoboost engine, and you don't want that. Also, any automatic Focus of that age will have the Powershift DCT, which is also to be avoided. So better to give the Focus a miss if it has to be a 2014-2016 car.
Which brings me to another point, 2014-2016 isn't a budget!. Not only can prices of cars within that age range be very high (another current thread has a link to a 2012 Toyota Avensis at over £8k), but they can vary dramatically. So if you want help or suggestions (there may be many), you really need to tell us what you can spend. ...
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Amazon partnered with Rivian to develop their own electric van - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rivian_EDV -
I’ve not seen one near me - they’re usually Transits with very few straight panels.