|
Post by Alanović on Nov 10, 2021 12:16:55 GMT
WTF?
BTW, where's the Captur and what's it doing?
|
|
|
Post by EspadaIII on Nov 10, 2021 13:31:36 GMT
Captur is with son #2. He's perfectly happy with it. It lives in Fallowfield now, the student area of Manchester.
and yeah - WTF!
|
|
Rob
Full Member
Posts: 2,722
|
Post by Rob on Nov 10, 2021 14:02:47 GMT
Clearly didn't want your business then - they were having a laugh.
|
|
|
Post by EspadaIII on Nov 10, 2021 14:11:40 GMT
To be fair she was very apologetic and this is the first time I have insured a learner driver with LV=. Previously the boys were on the fleet policy which we no longer have, having finally dispensed with company cars for the staff.
|
|
|
Post by EspadaIII on Dec 7, 2021 12:59:22 GMT
So, I have been driving the Punto since the Merc departed. I have few complaints. It fires up on the button; is reasonably comfortable for hour long journeys, the Bluetooth connection is better than in the Merc (newer kit in the car), is more economical and smaller, and warms up nicely. In reality, perfect for at least 95% of the time I spend in a car. It could be quieter, have a better ride and be more sophisticated but for the majority of my driving I can cope with those deficiences.
I am looking forward to the new car which will change my driving experience significantly and hopefully for the better.
|
|
|
Post by Humph on Dec 7, 2021 14:21:31 GMT
I think similarly when I have occasion to drive either of our other cars. Neither feels like a trial for local to-ing and fro-ing.
Hard to see what motivates people who don’t normally go far in their cars to spend squillions on owning them, other than the ego boost from having a pretty or premium driveway ornament.
|
|
|
Post by EspadaIII on Dec 7, 2021 15:05:11 GMT
When I bought the E350 it was with the specific intention of my doing these long trips that I do around the country and doing them in some comfort and ease. Yes these could be done in lesser cars with barely any difference but as I could afford the car, I thought "Why not?".
Now that the kids have mostly flown the nest and two have their own cars, the need for a large cruiser has gone. If there was no such thing as climate change and pollution the obvious car for me would be something much smaller but with a decent engine to make motorway journeys less tiresome. Something like a 3-series or C-class with a 3.0 engine.
|
|
WDB
Full Member
Posts: 7,354
Member is Online
|
Post by WDB on Dec 7, 2021 15:12:47 GMT
Size does still matter. Our i3 managed the trip to Birmingham well enough, in spite of the headwinds, and saved us maybe £40 in fuel and CAZ charges in the process. But I’ve no doubt that the extra size and waftiness of the CLS would have made the non-urban parts of the trip smoother and more relaxing. Hardly surprising, as that’s pretty much what the car was designed to do.
We’re planning a wildlife-watching trip to East Anglia in late winter. I think the CLS will still get the nod for that.
|
|
|
Post by Humph on Dec 7, 2021 16:46:14 GMT
I’ve been doing a lot more long journeys again these past three months or so and have more or less remembered why I like my car as much as I do.
|
|
|
Post by EspadaIII on Jan 2, 2022 18:36:23 GMT
Funny thing abou the Punto. It has electri power steering and the system is very sensitive to voltage drops. When it does, such as if the car has not been driven for a while, the EPS warning light comes on which if you read the manual is a 'return to dealer immediately' requirement. Reading the internet when this first happened, I realised that this was not a requirement if the steering felt normal and the car simply needed the battery to be charged.
So I took it on a 30 mile trip up and down the M66 to Rawtenstall and all was fine. It happens every so often and as the car has stood unmoved since Wednesday last week, when I took the car out last night the warning light came on. I did the usual trip and although it came on again this morning, another short trip got it all sorted.
I must have a look at the battery. Once the Ioniq comes, the car will not be driven a great deal so I wonder if a battery tender would be a good idea?
|
|
Rob
Full Member
Posts: 2,722
|
Post by Rob on Jan 2, 2022 21:55:52 GMT
Over 19 years of ownership of a Seicento which hardly gets used, the steering light has probably come on twice but went out each time after a restart. Leave the car for too long without driving and it probably runs flat but since a jump start and driving around a few weeks ago it's coped with the cold weather. I suspect it's got a load on the battery that eventually drains it and it does not get driven far usually to top it up. In the last 2 years it had used about a tank and a half of petrol
|
|
|
Post by EspadaIII on Jan 4, 2022 11:37:34 GMT
Wow - why do you keep it?? Is it not worth simply avoiding the MoT, insurance and maintenance costs and use taxis?
|
|
|
Post by Humph on Jan 4, 2022 11:47:09 GMT
I ask the same question of my father in law. He’s 85 and not in the best of health these days. He bought a new Suzuki Ignis back in 2017.
It has done less than 3 thousand miles since then.
But…and I do get where he’s coming from, giving it up would feel like the beginning of the end according to him. Independence and all that.
|
|
bpg
Full Member
Posts: 2,734
|
Post by bpg on Jan 4, 2022 14:08:43 GMT
With the way cars are shooting up in price sometimes better to keep what you know. I've been doing some man maths with our Focus estate. It's the only car we have which can do everything. I could punt it back at the end of the lease and not replace it, hire when I need to. Thing is, I do not want a car with a speed limiter and various other Euro NCAP must haves which are coming. The Focus is one of the last cars which have the safety gizmos I want and some I don't (lane keep assist for example) which can be switched off and the car remembers to leave them off. My wife's car was built around the same time and does not remember what has been switched off. It does my head in EVERY SINGLE TIME the ignition is cycled, switch off the lane keep, switch on auto hold.
|
|
|
Post by Alanović on Jan 4, 2022 14:15:47 GMT
I feel the same way about my Civic as you do about the Focus, BP. But still I'm wondering again about binning it and using the equity to buy something even older, outright. I've got 19 months of PCP remaining, then I have to find the balloon if I want to buy it (i.e. another loan over a few years). So I could save a fair bit if I buy something sensible. I don't really want to, the Civic is an ideal long-termer, but cash flow is tight right now.
|
|