WDB
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Post by WDB on May 18, 2021 15:02:57 GMT
Yes, we did feel we were taking a risk by replacing something we’d been so thoroughly pleased with before we absolutely had to. The last time we did a similar like-for-like was getting one of the first Saab 9-3s to replace my company 900 — but that was rather forced on us by the 1998 Easter flood that wrecked the old car. That had a similar outcome, though: an updated car that dealt with some shortcomings of the original without losing what first made us choose it.
A heat pump depends on evaporation, so works best when it’s chilly (4°C or more) rather than seriously cold, which should make it ideal for a damp British winter. Below that temperature, the car still has resistance heating but the heat pump should mean that’s used a lot less.
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bpg
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Post by bpg on May 18, 2021 17:23:24 GMT
We weren't lucky.
9 years ago we swapped a 2009 Citroën C4 Grand Picasso for a 2012 car. Same 1.6HDi diesel and automated manual, the newer car came with stop/start that made the drive thoroughly unpleasant. Manoeuvring in small spaces switching between drive and reverse with the engine cutting out then jerking in to drive, engine coasting then cutting out on approach to roundabouts, the gearbox electronics crashing requiring a reflash with the car off the road for three weeks.
It was a shame because the 2009 car was so good at what it did and what we needed it for.
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bpg
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Post by bpg on May 18, 2021 18:13:50 GMT
A thought, if you have wool seats and dry winter air will the build up of static electricity stop the car from moving?
I'll get my coat...
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WDB
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Post by WDB on May 18, 2021 20:14:45 GMT
No problem. If the charge is strong enough to prevent forward motion, it just means I can travel faster in reverse.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on May 19, 2021 15:36:29 GMT
Would be very interested to give your new motor the once over one day, Dubya. Well, it’s in Reading right now while I wait for Boy2 to emerge from the Royal Berks. (Now he’s an adult, the receptionist was quick to point out, I have to wait outside and hope we’ve had all the rain we’re getting today.) |
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WDB
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Post by WDB on May 19, 2021 18:21:28 GMT
 We all made it there and back unscathed. And Boy2 doesn’t have the potentially serious problem that caused NHS 111 to refer him there, which is the real result here. First outing for me when I actually had somewhere to go. Still feels like a change for the better: in Reading traffic it felt just like the old car, but it feels noticeably more composed at open-road speeds. (Well, 50!) Getting some New Car Smell today too, which I didn’t notice on Monday. |
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Post by Humph on May 20, 2021 7:11:53 GMT
Those wheels are quite similar to the ones on my car. Nice car though, very "Jetsons".
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2021 7:58:17 GMT
Glad to hear it turned out OK for your lad. Mine had an emergency surgery completely out of theblue this year, he calles NHS 111 int eh night off his own bat and they advised a visit to A&E - only then did he come and wake us up. ended up in surgery that day. Anyway, glad yours is OK, it's a bloody shick when these things happen.
Regarding the car, I hope you don't mind my saying, but to my eye the wheels are just a bit too big for it. Other than that it looks a right little ripper. Enjoy.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on May 20, 2021 10:08:25 GMT
Thanks Vić. Yes, similar thing here. He managed the whole thing himself, and came very calmly to me when he realised he needed some support. Then had two hours to enjoy the spectacle of an A&E waiting room on his own.
The wheels comment is fair enough. i3 wheels are slim for aerodynamic reasons, so increasing the diameter (19 inches on the standard i3) restores the area of the contact patch for braking grip. The S gets 20-inchers too, but sits lower on them, which exaggerates the impression.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2021 10:14:25 GMT
Ah well at least there's some functional point to them then. I do fancy an i3, just can't justify the cost over a Leaf.
My typing isn't getting any better, is it? Not much time to proofread, sadly.
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Post by Humph on May 20, 2021 10:31:22 GMT
I sometimes think it's not all that useful to ponder too much or too long on the cost versus usefulness of car choice equation. It almost never adds up well.
All of us could almost certainly manage very well with much more basic and less expensive choices, but I suppose there's an intrinsic value in having something you actually want and enjoy having, instead of something you just need.
Just have to be grateful while you are in a position to have the options I suppose.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on May 20, 2021 10:43:51 GMT
MrsB1 said something similar when we agreed to buy the Aygo. For a couple of thousand, we get something that will carry two people and a bit of shopping, and do so reliably over the distances we’re likely to cover in it. Why would we spend fifteen times as much on a runabout?
Well, as Humph says, there’s more to this than mere utility.
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Post by Humph on May 20, 2021 10:48:59 GMT
I could manage quite well with a second hand diesel Duster, and in truth, I don't think I'd feel all that short changed if I did, but while I can have something that pleases me more, then I probably will.
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Post by EspadaIII on May 20, 2021 11:27:38 GMT
Same for all of us. Especially me. For 95% of my time in the car a two seter would suit me and for 99% any old four seater capable of doing 70mph in some comfort for 40 miles would be more than sufficient. Only for a few long trips would I really need something more comfortable.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2021 11:29:31 GMT
What I'm buying, when paying more than would appear strictly necessary for a car, is, hopefully, reliability. I've learned my lesson on that one...
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