Opps, it should read bullet proof engine.
I forgot to mention that I used to own a Mercedes 230te and rated it very highly for long distance drives like my regular Maidstone to Scotland with only breaks for fuel and food.
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Roger
I read frequently, but only post when I have something useful to say.
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some estates have a divider........ours can be divided 50/50 or 75/25 (my guess) or of course take the divider out altogether and you're back to 100
so the dog can be in the boot and your belongings are safe, the other side of the divider.
hope it makes sense
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I have to agree with the above.
I test drove a V40 and they let me have it for a day when they were selling them new.
I took it home and did a back to back test wih my Mk 4 Golf 5 dr Hatch.
You can get a lot more in the back of a Hatch Golf than you can in a V40.
I subsequently bought a Passat estate and that was plenty big enough - (it was a nightmare for reliability but that's another story).
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The Octavia combines a *huge* boot with a (relatively) compact overall size. Would be well worth a look.
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so the dog can be in the boot and your belongings are safe, the other side of the divider.
Until you have a crash, or you stop for some reason, and the dog escapes. And then there's a frightened, possibly injured dog running around all over the motorway causing mayhem. Get a cage.
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>> so the dog can be in the boot and your belongings >> are safe, the other side of the divider. Until you have a crash, or you stop for some reason, and the dog escapes. And then there's a frightened, possibly injured dog running around all over the motorway causing mayhem. Get a cage.
>
dog lead attached to metalwork on manufacturers sturdy dog guard, so dog is secured, when you open the boot the dog can't get out..... unless you had a monumental crash, the dog guard would remain securely attached as it fits into the roof........if an accident caused that to collapse the dog wouldn't be very well anyway
so why would i need a cage?
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Having spent a miserable 200 mile journey with just that arrangement during which the stupid animal fought the lead, got tangled up in it so we had to keep stopping and wimpered and growled the whole time, I'd get a cage. Actually in that particular case I'd get rid of the dog. Hideous thing that it was.
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Previous model Vectra esate was very practical, same plan area as the hatch, so not lard asred like the albeit more capacious Mondeo's, I had an SRi V6, good to drive and, as I say quite practical. you could get a late model, around 2001, 1.8 (good engine) for well under £4k.
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The only way you could describe a previous model Vectra as good to drive is if you drove one after having spent the previous 10 years driving a 1 litre VW Polo.
They are awful. Rubbish handling, vague steering, comical levels of bodyroll, dodgy build quality, so-so reliability and a gash interior. They deserved every amount of slating they ever got and the only excuse to buy one is if you suddenly find yourself in dire need of some wheels and someone offers you one for £300.
Literally everything else in its class is better.
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The only way you could describe a previous model Vectra as good to drive is if you drove one after having spent the previous 10 years driving a 1 litre VW Polo. They are awful. Rubbish handling, vague steering, comical levels of bodyroll, dodgy build quality, so-so reliability and a gash interior.
Says a typical Mondeo driver ;o)
Granted, the preface lift Vectra-B wasn't all that brilliant, but after Lotus tweaked the suspension on the facelift model, all the *problems* you mention were ironed out.
As regards reliability, I ran a Vectra-B for over 2½ years, and IIRC, the only probs I had was a split air con pipe (replaced under warranty, and a common fault on the 2.2 engine anyway) one headlight and brakelight bulb failure, and a worn rear suspension bush - again, can be a common fault.
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Find a nice late model Volvo 240 estate for around a grand, huge loadspace, safe as houses, and nil depreciation. Put the rest in premium bonds for a rainy day.
Yours Alan Sugar ;O)
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The only way you could describe a previous model Vectra as good to drive is if you drove one after having spent the previous 10 years driving a 1 litre VW Polo. They are awful. Rubbish handling, vague steering, comical levels of bodyroll, dodgy build quality, so-so reliability and a gash interior.
Totally OTT and not really worthy of comment, though I will.
I had two Vectras, a 96 2.0 SRi which was very well specced, had a great engine, smoother and more punchy than the 2.0 Zetec's in Mondeos of that era, yes the chassis was a bit soggy (the Mondeo handled much better) and it had more than it's fair share of faults.
However I also had a 98.5 model year SRi V6 estate, the first ones to have 16" wheels and the supension mods that were later introduced across the full range at the time of the facelift, this car steered really sweetly, it's high speed stabilty was impressive by any standards and it was practical without being a any bigger in plan area or much heavier that the hatch or saloon, in fact it was shorter that the saloon. 28 mpg was not to bad though servicing costs were high.
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