The most interesting figure I saw in there was that apparently, on average a driver in Britain now does only 9,070 miles per year, down from 10,200 20 years ago. I'm sure that's more than outweighed by the increase in the number of drivers, so the total number of miles driven has risen, but it's still an encouraging statistic. The suggestion that we might reduce congestion, pollution, fossil fuel use etc. by reducing the number of people who own cars seems to me to be ill-thought out and doomed to fail for all sorts of good reasons, but I am sure there is a scope for tackling those problems by recognising that cars are not evil, while reducing the number of miles people have to drive them, and it's interesting to see that the trend is already in that direction.
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I'm sure it's absolutely true - and food for thought for those who complain about costs. In 1985 my father bought (new) a Montego which I mercifully wrote off in 1990. It had a 1.4 engine and wouldn't go (gently) uphill on a motorway at 70 with four of us in it. It was incredibly low spec.
Today, you can buy a 5 year old Mondeo estate for the loose change you find down the back of the sofa, and it will have aircon, satnav, etc. etc. etc.
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Hey, Mapmaker, can I have a rummage down the back of your sofa?
Mine only seems to have a couple of 5p pieces, a walnut from last Xmas and a boiled sweet wrapper. But that's always been my luck.... :-)
Edited by cockle {P} on 09/07/2008 at 15:51
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I've got two spare TDCi engines, a Mondeo, some old rusting Metros and an elephant.
Seriously though, I've been out to dinner where dinner for 4 has come to more than the cost of an 8 year old repmobile.
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Totally agree Mapmaker. Things have really improved. A then and now comparison with equivalent 6 year old bottom of the range second hand models from Ford.
1988 - no speed cameras, little congestion and a 1982 Ford Sierra 1.3 "Base" with 60bhp. Luxuries, fitted: errm...did it even have a heated rear screen or near side mirror? Probably nearly knackered with around 60k miles on the clock. Not to mention crosswind stability problems...
2008 - speed cameras everywhere, congested roads and a 2002 Ford Mondeo (III) 1.8 LX with 123bhp. Luxuries fitted: electric windows, air-con, heated windscreen, cruise control, power steering, CD player etc. At 60k miles it will have lots of life left in it and should be generally trouble free. One of the best handling mainstream cars on sale.
Yep, I like 2008 much better as far as 6 year old cars go. Just a shame we can't have our cake and eat it. Getting rid of speed cameras and congestion would be bliss...
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I'd forgotten that. The Montego didn't even have a clock, and the radio only did MW and LW.
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That's because the Montego needed a calendar to measure the acceleration, not a clock. Austin dealers would have probably thrown one in for "sporty" drivers... ;)
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