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Post by Humph on Jun 9, 2018 7:36:32 GMT
If you were really wanting to display your gonads, you had a 2.0 iS. They had rubber boot spoilers.
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Post by tyrednexited on Jun 9, 2018 9:11:19 GMT
If you were really wanting to display your gonads, you had a 2.0 iS. They had rubber boot spoilers. I can spoil my own rubber boots, thank you! ☺️
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2018 22:16:14 GMT
I am the master as this stuff...as I drove a Cortina GLS.
The S was simply an L with some sporty trim and a rev counter. The GL was an L with some comfort trim and bright bits. Possibly better seats and a clock. BUt the GLS was more than an S and a GL. The Cortina GLS was a very rare car. It had some of the trim of a GL, a better trim than the S (so had a rev counter, sports steering wheel and extra driving lights) and the seats from Ghia. Great car. It got written off when the wheels were stolen from off the car outside my house.
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Rob
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Post by Rob on Jun 10, 2018 1:00:43 GMT
So the car was worth less than a new set of wheels and tyres?
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Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2018 8:43:00 GMT
Yes. This was in about 1984. The Cortina was a W reg (XKF 144W) and had done about 90,000 miles if I recall. The wheels were fancy ones and the replacement cost was about the value of the car. The thieves also stole to spare, the steering wheel and the gearknob - all fancy items for the GLS model, not standard on any other model.
It was a real shame, as it was very reliable, had been properly serviced and had no rust. It had been a company car and my father bought it for me for £256 at four years and 72,000 miles. I was a student at the time. The insurance company wrote it off which was a real bummer.
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Post by Humph on Jun 10, 2018 8:51:11 GMT
Incidentally, on checking when I got back, I don't think Renault offer the Clio estate in the UK. Pity really as it was quite a practical little wagon and maybe if I'd got the seating position worked out better it would have been ok. Here's a photo of one identical to the one I was using last week, same colour too, which I think suited it...
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2018 10:46:08 GMT
I had a Clio estate in Easter/Passover 2017. A very nice car, although compared to the Captur I know well, I think that the more upright body and driving position gave it that little bit more room. Certainly from a luggage perspective, the Captur boot is that little bit more square and useful. I do like the shape of the Clio estate; it looks very classy.
I know I keep harping on about this, but I am just surprised that the UK market is so different to the European market with its obvious dislike of small saloons and estates.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Jun 10, 2018 10:55:56 GMT
I know I keep harping on about this, but I am just surprised that the UK market is so different to the European market with its obvious dislike of small saloons and estates. I'd qualify that a little and say that the UK is different from the Southern European market. In Germany, the Netherlands and Scandinavia - Belgium and France too - the spread of body styles is much the same as you'd see here. It's only as you go south and east that the small hatches give way to saloons.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2018 19:55:44 GMT
More conservative lifestyles I suppose.
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Post by Humph on Jun 10, 2018 20:02:49 GMT
I remember years ago regularly visiting a a shoe factory in Israel ( you know exactly which one Espada ! ) They had a small fleet of pool cars which were all Astra saloons. I think they were badged as Belmonts in the UK. Anyway, they/we always used to struggle to get luggage and cartons etc into them and I remember asking them why they didn't buy hatchbacks or estates. No one seemed to know.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 10, 2018 20:39:16 GMT
Indeed I do. The Belmont had a huge boot, although an estate would probably be more useful.
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Avant
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Post by Avant on Jun 10, 2018 22:16:32 GMT
We haven't owned a saloon for 40 years, but one time when they are useful is hiring a car at an airport on holiday. If you're going for any length of time you tend to have a large case each plus cabin baggage, and it'll all go in the boot of a medium saloon and be reasonably secure there.
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Rob
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Post by Rob on Jun 10, 2018 22:58:20 GMT
I doubt Audi would have an A3 saloon if it was not for the Chinese market.
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Jun 11, 2018 9:26:38 GMT
But we still see a lot of four-door A3s on UK roads. It's also allowed Audi to push the A4 up a half-size, so making it more useful as a family car.
I've had two saloons and enjoyed them both, especially for solo travel. It somehow seemed more elegant, when my only luggage was a laptop bag, to lift a little lid rather than a great tailgate to get at it. But I no longer drive to work and, in any case, the i3, in its whirry, electric way, is more elegant even than the smart 325.
But we can probably blame the A3 saloon for the Mercedes CLA. 🤢
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Post by Deleted on Jun 11, 2018 10:45:24 GMT
But we can probably blame the A3 saloon for the Mercedes CLA. 🤢 I am sure we see more A3 saloons than CLAs? Probably with good reason. The A3 is a seriously good looking car. The CLA just ugly.
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