Car you currently drive?

[Joe.]

On 15/03/2016 at 12:33, Animal is a Ram said:

Can anyone recommend me a car? I've started driving more as part of my job, want something a bit more efficient than my current car. Got a people carrier at the moment, which seems daft considering its me in the car most of the time. Do want some practicality though, being a scout leader..

No such luck for a company car, too young for the insurance.

Ideally a 5dr hatch or smaller saloon, not French (not racist, just bad experience with a family Renault), manual, and probably diesel.

I've a 207, I know you said no French cars, 1.6hdi had it for 3 years & done 40k in it can't fault it get 650miles to a tank of diesel and the tax is £30 cruise control at 80 on the motorway and it sits there comfortably. Had my mum's 62plate golf last week which is also a 1.6tdi and it was shockingly poor

[RicME85]

1 hour ago, Highgate said:

 

Trying to get the funds together for this little beauty.

 

[RicME85]

@Animal is a Ram Get down to a Nissan dealer and have a test drive of a Qashqai. Highly practical but not as big as your people carrier. Has pretty much the same wheelbase as a Focus but is higher which gives the impression its much larger. As mentioned in this thread, I have the 1.6 petrol and its a great motorway cruiser as it has cruise control but has enough grunt that it doesnt get bogged down. Mine is due to go back in a few months as have had it nearly three years and I would happily go and get another as it has been that good (wife wants a Kuga next ). Get 400 miles out of a tank of fuel just driving between Findern and Derby city centre once or twice a week and the odd supermarket plus home matches at the iPro, on the motorway that can easily go to 500 and over. 

[Wolfie]

14 hours ago, LesterRam said:

Yes but from 3.0% to 9.5% in twelve months is bordering on insanity, your just driving insurance companies to tax havens en masse, I can't compete with foreign based insurers .larger insurers will use pointless add on cover to maintain profits or lose employees.

I thought it was a tax on policies - i.e. payable on policies sold in the UK. Do foreign Insurers not have to charge it then?. That's one big loophole if true.

[Animal is a Ram]

10 hours ago, Joe. said:

I've a 207, I know you said no French cars, 1.6hdi had it for 3 years & done 40k in it can't fault it get 650miles to a tank of diesel and the tax is £30 cruise control at 80 on the motorway and it sits there comfortably. Had my mum's 62plate golf last week which is also a 1.6tdi and it was shockingly poor

My grandma's always had little Peugeot's through Motability, never caused her any issues. Think it'd be the only French manufacturer I'd possibly consider, but it would be the 307/8, I think. Thanks though!

[Stive Pesley]

French cars: I've never known anyone who bought a Renault where the gearbox didn't fall to bits after ~5 years. Ramsfan Francophiles please feel free to tell me otherwise!

[RicME85]

I hada Citroen C2 Furio on Motability, it caught fire. I got an Astra as a replacement.

[Animal is a Ram]

@RicME85 Unfortunately my budget doesn't quite stretch to the new Qashqai, and I'm not such a fan of the older ones on the inside, but it does have a place on my shortlist..

[Wolfie]

3 hours ago, RicME85 said:

I hada Citroen C2 Furio on Motability, it caught fire.

Sounds like a little known IDS operation to weed out the benefit cheats, along the same lines of witch-drownings:

Burn to death = not a benefit cheat.

[LesterRam]

2 hours ago, Animal is a Ram said:

@RicME85 Unfortunately my budget doesn't quite stretch to the new Qashqai, and I'm not such a fan of the older ones on the inside, but it does have a place on my shortlist..

if your not bothered about the badge why not try a Dacia, its a rebadged Renault but made in Romania, you can have your Qashqai but comes in the form of Dacia Duster, I think the nicest looking Dacia is the Stepway.

[Animal is a Ram]

3 hours ago, StivePesley said:

French cars: I've never known anyone who bought a Renault where the gearbox didn't fall to bits after ~5 years. Ramsfan Francophiles please feel free to tell me otherwise!

It took a year for my parents' Renault Scenic to need 3 steering columns, and for even numbered fan speeds to not work..

[rynny]

On 17/03/2016 at 09:56, StivePesley said:

French cars: I've never known anyone who bought a Renault where the gearbox didn't fall to bits after ~5 years. Ramsfan Francophiles please feel free to tell me otherwise!

The Mrs has had 2 Scenics (told her not to buy the 2nd!!! ) Both have cost loads in repairs but never the gear box. The 2nd just had electrical fault after electrical fault not good when the hand break is electric and it didn't want to work, had to pull the emergency release then leave it in 1st whenever we went out in it. **%@#&% French cars

[Wolfie]

In the 3 months that I've had my BMW, I've come to the conclusion that BMW drivers are persecuted minority and our plight should be recognised.

For the previous couple of years I drove a very sensible, large and boring family saloon and other drivers were courteous. They used to let me out and thank me when I let them out.

I then buy a BMW and suddenly everyone is being an arse.

This is most noticeable with lorry drivers on my daily commute on the A1, who not only no longer wave or flash thanks when I let them out in front of me and subsequently overtake them - but now deliberately pull out and cut me up at every opportunity. This never happened with my KIA and I'm confident that any hostility people feel from BMW drivers is purely from our hurt from being misunderstood victims.

When chellenged about this, my (lorry driver) brother said: "Well, you're a BMW driver aren't you?"

Anyone got Bono's phone number for a charity record idea I have?

[EnigmaRam]

46 minutes ago, Wolfie said:

In the 3 months that I've had my BMW, I've come to the conclusion that BMW drivers are persecuted minority and our plight should be recognised.

For the previous couple of years I drove a very sensible, large and boring family saloon and other drivers were courteous. They used to let me out and thank me when I let them out.

I then buy a BMW and suddenly everyone is being an arse.

This is most noticeable with lorry drivers on my daily commute on the A1, who not only no longer wave or flash thanks when I let them out in front of me and subsequently overtake them - but now deliberately pull out and cut me up at every opportunity. This never happened with my KIA and I'm confident that any hostility people feel from BMW drivers is purely from our hurt from being misunderstood victims.

When chellenged about this, my (lorry driver) brother said: "Well, you're a BMW driver aren't you?"

Anyone got Bono's phone number for a charity record idea I have?

Perfectly justified, all BMW drivers are arses, but same can be said for lorry drivers, cabbies and bus drivers!! ?

[Animal is a Ram]

5 minutes ago, EnigmaRam said:

Perfectly justified, all BMW drivers are arses, but same can be said for lorry drivers, cabbies and bus drivers!! ?

you forgot white van men..

[King Kevin]

16 minutes ago, EnigmaRam said:

Perfectly justified, all BMW drivers are arses, but same can be said for lorry drivers, cabbies and bus drivers!! ?

Audi drivers are supposed to have the most hated tag now ,BMW relegated to second place apparently.

[King Kevin]

On 3/17/2016 at 17:05, rynny said:

The Mrs has had 2 Scenics (told her not to buy the 2nd!!! ) Both have cost loads in repairs but never the gear box. The 2nd just had electrical fault after electrical fault not good when the hand break is electric and it didn't want to work, had to pull the emergency release then leave it in 1st whenever we went out in it. **%@#&% French cars

A friend had a Renault the wipers would only work if the fan was on number 4 setting . Googled it and lo and behold there is an earth strap that corrodes under the dash.

Ran a separate earth to the wiper motor and the job's a good un. Only a French car would rust under the dash. 

[Carl Sagan]

Reserved a Tesla Model 3 in the showroom this morning. Should get me near the front of the queue for UK deliveries, but I shouldn't think before 2019 at the earliest. Sure it'll be worth the wait!

The big unveil by Elon Musk at 20.30 Pacific time tonight which is 4.30 tomorrow morning UK time. I'll watch if I'm awake...

[Animal is a Ram]

1 hour ago, Carl Sagan said:

Reserved a Tesla Model 3 in the showroom this morning. Should get me near the front of the queue for UK deliveries, but I shouldn't think before 2019 at the earliest. Sure it'll be worth the wait!

The big unveil by Elon Musk at 20.30 Pacific time tonight which is 4.30 tomorrow morning UK time. I'll watch if I'm awake...

Have you seen anything of the Model 3 yet?

I work as IT support in a conferencing centre alongside the IT company I work for (boss owns both) - there was a conference run by NW Leics Council where they were extolling the virtues of electric cars. They had a demo Model S hanging around. Gorgeous inside and out. Drives beautifully too.. 

Now where did I leave that spare £60k...

 

[Carl Sagan]

23 minutes ago, Animal is a Ram said:

Have you seen anything of the Model 3 yet?

I work as IT support in a conferencing centre alongside the IT company I work for (boss owns both) - there was a conference run by NW Leics Council where they were extolling the virtues of electric cars. They had a demo Model S hanging around. Gorgeous inside and out. Drives beautifully too.. 

Now where did I leave that spare £60k...

 

I think the Model S is wonderful, with the added bonus of being created to save the planet.

Model 3 is still totally secret, but I trust the Tesla guys to come up with something great. And the advantage of cars with over-the-air updates is they continue to improve after you take delivery! Things like "ludicrous mode", autopilot and "summon your car" all came after release. And the superchargers mean free fuel for ever.

£50k would get you a very nice reconditioned Model S direct from Tesla with 4 year guarantee (so they were telling me earlier). I'm hoping I'll have enough time to try to save £30k or so by the time the Model 3 is out!