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Post by tyrednexited on Jun 23, 2019 6:49:28 GMT
Wouldn’t buy one with my own money, but they seem to be everywhere here so I guess the Danes do..! ...and, unless the Danish car market has recently changed, with an awful lot of their own money! (Which probably accounts for "entry level" vehicles being popular). |
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Post by dixinormus on Jun 23, 2019 10:40:41 GMT
Correct on both counts Tyred. Kia & Renault seem prevalent here too as a result. Hardly ever see a Renault in NZ...
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Jun 24, 2019 5:09:01 GMT
Yes, wasn’t Denmark a favourite destination in the days of ‘Rip-off Britain’ for people who bought RHD cars on the continent and ferried them home — in some cases complete with Opel badges? The manufacturers there had to price low to keep their cars affordable once the 100 percent new car tax was applied, but that wasn’t payable on cars not staying in Denmark.
That all seems a very long time ago. It’s ages since I last found any major consumer item selling for less in mainland Europe than it would in the UK. And yet I don’t remember any changes in rules or policy; it just stopped by itself.
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Post by dixinormus on Jun 27, 2019 14:04:09 GMT
I guess that the manufacturers quietly harmonised their prices across different European markets? (Or trimmed their UK pricing).
Several new cars here in DK being advertised around the GBP16 grand mark (special edition 208, special edition Corsa, special edition Ibiza,...). Those prices aren’t double the UK equivalent any more are they?
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Post by tyrednexited on Jun 27, 2019 19:27:27 GMT
After 3 nights in Vancouver, picked up the hire car today to head out to Vancouver Island for a week, and then a trip round the Rockies.
Requested an intermediate SUV (Xtrail/Escape(Kuga)), told at the desk it would be a standard SUV as that was the biggest they had.
Down at despatch I was, however, given a Santa Fe, ostensibly as a favour, but it's an Alberta car, and I'm dropping off in Calgary so it's going home. Got a refund because it wasn't full of fuel as well (suspect I might have won on that one given the reading).
A wide car that I'm having fun lane-positioning given I'm sat on the wrong side. (I'm quite used to driving on the wrong side, just not whilst also sitting on the wrong side).
Experience so far indicates I'm going to have to RTFM. (Couldn't lock the tailgate until, after inspiration, I got SWMBO to walk away with the keys - other doors don't seem to need that!)
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Post by Humph on Jun 28, 2019 8:38:17 GMT
An Irish friend of mine has a Santa Fe van, it's majorly cheaper to run a van in Ireland than the equivalent car, and like me, he carries a lot of stuff around on a daily basis. He rather likes it and says he prefers driving it to his wife's Audi A6 avant.
I've been in his Santa Fe and I'd have to say it's a pleasant enough place to be.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 28, 2019 10:49:01 GMT
A wide car that I'm having fun lane-positioning given I'm sat on the wrong side. (I'm quite used to driving on the wrong side, just not whilst also sitting on the wrong side). For me it's the reverse. Drive LHD cars several time a year without a problem. Seems very natural, even when driving manual. But RHD in a LHD country - did it once and would feel very vulnerable without an experienced driver as my passenger. |
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Post by Humph on Jun 28, 2019 11:10:16 GMT
I guess like most things, it's what you get used to, I've had to switch between autos and manuals, LHD and RHD, large or small cars and driving on the left or the right all my life, and can't say it bothers me at all what combination of car, gearbox, steering wheel position, or traffic direction convention/jurisdiction I'm in.
Not claiming any particular skill set, but if you do things often enough, they just become normal I suppose. Never think about it too hard to be honest.
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Post by tyrednexited on Jun 28, 2019 14:49:36 GMT
A wide car that I'm having fun lane-positioning given I'm sat on the wrong side. (I'm quite used to driving on the wrong side, just not whilst also sitting on the wrong side). For me it's the reverse. Drive LHD cars several time a year without a problem. Seems very natural, even when driving manual. But RHD in a LHD country - did it once and would feel very vulnerable without an experienced driver as my passenger. I do thousands of miles every year in the 'van driving on the wrong side but RHD, and that's what affects the positioning when driving a large LHD vehicle. (That and relatively narrow lanes in some of Urban Vancouver. |
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Post by tyrednexited on Jun 28, 2019 14:54:12 GMT
I've been in his Santa Fe and I'd have to say it's a pleasant enough place to be. Haven't had it long enough to judge. It's certainly an OK drive (2.4GDI I think). Canadian speed limits mean performance is no great issue. Controls for all the 'toys' are a bit 'fussy' though. |
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Post by tyrednexited on Jun 30, 2019 5:42:13 GMT
It's an interesting one, this. In it's obligatory 7-seat, diesel guise in the UK, the Sante Fe would be of little interest to me. In 5-seat, petrol guise in Canada, it's a nice place to be. Big, comfortable, decent ride, and quiet. Still not entirely intuitive to control all the toys, but the basics at least work well. Still not had a speed limit above 90 kmh, though, and no real opportunity to make rapid progress, so the jury's out; petrol at about 75p per litre (equivalent) helps, though. A bit like driving a large comfy chair (and nobody expects that). The bloody thing won't play my USB music in track order, though.  |
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WDB
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Post by WDB on Jun 30, 2019 6:52:48 GMT
It's an interesting one, this. In it's obligatory 7-seat, diesel guise in the UK, the Sante Fe would be of little interest to me. In 5-seat, petrol guise in Canada, it's a nice place to be. Big, comfortable, decent ride, and quiet... This plays into a discussion we had en route yesterday. We covered 550 miles in 9.5 hours (including breaks) and there were the inevitable grumbles from the back seat about lack of space and comfort. (I — still the tallest member of the party — took my turn back there and was fine, but that’s another story.) MrsB1 sided with them, so I’ve invited them all to find candidate vehicles that would suit them better, starting with those passing us on the Autoroute du Soleil (which, to judge by the matrix boards, has been temporarily renamed Autoroute du Canicule.) Anyway, most of MrsB1’s candidates were vans, and I really don’t want one. And this may be our last long four-up road trip anyway. And yes, it is hot here — in one of the Rhône’s tributary valleys, near Montélimar. We saw 41°C yesterday, but it’s going to be more like high-30s this week. We have a big old house with thick walls and shutters, and a great big fridge to fill, so don’t worry about us — or the occasional little scorpion. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2019 7:15:43 GMT
I am flying down to Southampton this afternnon for a two day trip into Cornwall on business. Returning the car to Newquay. Espadrille was going to join me but in the end children stuff is taking precidence. Anyway for the two of us for two days the smallest car will do and I don't think the weather is going to cause me any problems with heat....
One thing I do hope I get is a car with Bluetooth. The last three trips I made down I had a Polo, Corsa and Picanto. The first two were filled with toys of various descriptions including Bluetooth. The Picanto was more basic, and not Bluetooth which was a pain. I think I need to ask at the desk for a car with that in.
Will report back.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2019 18:56:52 GMT
Ordered a Picanto, got a Vauxhall Crossland. Think it's a Peugeot 2008 clone? Tall, narrow, dull looking and dull inside. Some form of diesel under the hood. Too many controls controlled from a big central screen.
Done 40 miles tonight. Will do 240 tomorrow so let's see how it performs. Not overly impressed by Android Auto but maybe I need to RTFM...
Comfortable mind.
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Post by dixinormus on Jun 30, 2019 20:34:41 GMT
I picked up a Seat Arona FR from Heathrow late on Friday night. Garish 2-tone paint scheme and naff digital speedo among other features suggests to me that this pseudo SUV is aimed at the blingy yummy mummy brigade. Same 1.0 petrol turbo engine as last week’s Danish Skoda, but with a 6-speed manual box.
Think I preferred the grey Skoda Fabia wagon in Denmark.... gee I guess I must be getting old!
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