A Luta Continua - My Merc E class

One internet pint goes to EIII for being first to get it right. It's the red Civic I posted. Well, sort of orangey browny type of red. So brown, really.

I showed the brown Astra to wife and daughter and I thought they were going to put me on the barbecue.

It is far more money than planned, yes. I think they call it scope creep. But ok. In for a penny, right? It buys an end to constant niggles and repair bills and future proofs us against ULEZ stuff. The dealer was good also, completely non-pushy, but well informed and helpful.

Concerns? Well leg room in the back if son gets WDB type tall. At 14 he's not far off my 5'10". Power? Hmm, 140bhp in this size car should be ok. Will give it a run on the M4 tomorrow.

17" wheels look a bit OTT to me, hope they don't ruin the ride. But this is a non-sport spec, dealer assures me ride is good. We'll see.

Car has just been fitted with 4 brand new Bridgestone tyres, which is about 4-500 quid worth I expect so happy with that. First MOT shows tyres as an advisory, also front brake pads so I'll ask if those have been replaced too.

Relieved to hear from dealer it's a TC box, not the i-shift automated manual. Dealer says they are hated and known as i-shit in the business. Flappy paddles on it, doubt they'll get much use but it is a petrol VTEC, so will have to get used to revving again rather than riding the 6 cylinder torque wave.

Really like the dash, speedo is a digital one located higher up than the other dials, similar to the Leaf. Like that. Cruise and limiter fitted. Reversing camera. Built in sat nav but doubt I'll use it. Prefer Google traffic on phone because I usually know where I'm going, it's jams I like to avoid. Lots of USB and 12v sockets which pleased daughter. Also an HDMI input. Why I'd want that I've no idea.

Good comfy huggy seats, feels a bit SAAB like on that score.

Proof of the pudding will be in the driving.

Hope the test goes well - I don't think I can face another 100 pages.

Should be a decent buy if you find you like it.

Whilst it's no measure of an individual car, I've run three Hondas, an Accord Estate and a CRV as company cars, and a first-gen Jazz for SWMBO. All were unfailingly reliable during their time with me (seven plus years for the Jazz), and pleasant enough cars if somewhat (entirely?) unengaging. I suspect, at this point, that would suit you.

I think alloys in that type of (diamond cut - which I hate with a vengeance) pattern look bigger than they really are - I would think the ride is unlikely to suffer unduly (though I don't think they suit the car - the looks of which itself are, well, at best Marmite - though you will have come to terms with that already).

Wouldn't have thought rear legroom or headroom would be a great issue - and those "magic seats" are more useful than you might think.

I would have thought the main thing to check out on test is the engine/transmission characteristics. I suspect they will be very different to what you currently have access to. Those i-VTEC engines are very top-end, and you'll have to rev it to get performance - how that works with the auto gearbox (which, as you say, should be TC on that model) is something I'd want to find out before buying.

Good luck

And, they could be the last of a kind...
🤔

Gotta do the test drive yet.

...ou adiadiadiadiada.

I take the pint thanks.

Its the sort of car I would have bought was well. There is a soft spot in the family for Hondas although we haven't actually had one for a long time. Our first was a rental Cvic Mk1 in Malta (1976?) which was so good that we bought the first Mk2 Hondamatic in the North West. That lasted a long time until it rusted away, replaced by a Mk1 Civic Shuttle, which itslef was replaced by a Mk2 Civic Shuttle. This last one was in the family for 10 years I think. At the same time we had three Accords, two with four wheel steering. The standard one was acquired at 72,000 miles in three years and taken to over 109,000 in the next five years. Trying to think if we had any major disasters in any of them and I can only think of a water pump in the Mk1 Shuttle.

So the Civic estate has the right DNA and space if I was in Vic's dilemma situation.

Hope you enjoy the test drive. Be prepared for the totally strange power characteristic compared to the Merc. Don't let it put you off.