[Archived] Cars

[pg]

Which is why it's more reliable than the equivalent Audi/VW. Same platform and mechanical but less electronic frills and fruit-salad to drive you crazy.

[Cheeky Sidders]

My last car was a Mazda 323 and my current is a Mazda 3. Safe as houses if the worst happens, very reliable, fantastic on the open road but a bit thirsty if you have to do stop-start-stop-start all the time, pretty stylish and great stereo. My last one needed minor repairs and just kept going. Love the new one and it goes like stink. Mind you, in the snow the traction control has to be switched off or it is a bit ponderous.

Some good deals at many garages lately and Mrs Sidders was offered many bells and whistles at the Ford garage at Whitebirk... before she went to the Mazda garage and they threw loads of stuff in including free breakdown cover with RAC and a free Parrot doodah for her ipod because she seemed to be having second thoughts. She has a Mazda 2 and it's fantastic in town, good on the motorway, very economical and it goes like a rocket.

French cars and Fiats always seem to be fine unless they develop an electrical fault and then they cost a fortune to put right.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

We paid £7,500 for a 3 year old Megane 1.9 Diesel. Had it 18 months, spent about £3k in various repairs in that time

WTF!!

Make sure that any second hand car has been well serviced regularly,that's 95% of any potential future problems solved in most cases.

Vauxhall Astra 1.4 -1.8..... you wont go too far wrong.

[SAS]

I got a new corsa , very neat and tidy, quite like the new shape, it's a 5 door and is so big it could be used as a family car.

[pg]

Mazda 3 is often the top selling privately-owned car in Australia these days.

Here are some information (most of it sourced from Australian statistics) on why Japanese cars are great and European cars aren't.

Drive.com article on the problems with the Golf Mark V and why the Mark VI should be better

Volkswagen has admitted that the current generation Golf missed the mark on quality and reliability.

The company’s executive vice president of sales, Detlef Wittig, says the company invited leading quality research company JD Power to be part of the development process of the new sixth-generation Golf in an attempt to iron out reliability and quality gremlins that plagued the previous model.

He admits the previous car suffered from an over-complicated design, which made it hard to build and prone to problems.

“In a sense the design of the Golf Mark V was rather complicated. It was designed by development engineers without taking into account the construction process,” he says.

“If you have a complicated build process then you are more vulnerable to [problems].”

Most of those engineers are no longer with the company.

Wittig claims the less complicated design of the new Golf will make it less prone to quality glitches.

Volkswagen has fared poorly in independent quality surveys and Wittig says the company is determined to regain its reputation for quality.

“We want to be at the top leading group [for quality]. We used to be in it and we have to return,” he says.

Some more independent results

Drive.com link to industry AC Nielsen data

[Paul]

For the land of Top Gear and Car Magazine you lot aren't very well informed!

Year after year, the brands that top the Top Gear customer satisfaction survey are

a) Lexus

Skoda

c) Honda

d) Toyota

The order often changes but nothing can match them for guaranteed reliability. Mazda are also good.

If I wanted something with a bit more driver appeal, I'd also consider an old BMW but make sure its a manual transmission with little-to-no electronic frills. German cars over the past decade became so obsessed with electronic wizardry and chicanery that their reliability suffered as a result..and intermittent automotive electronic faults are horrible to diagnose and are often beyond the capabilities of your local mechanic.

I've always regarded Audis as expensive Volkwagens. If you want a reliable front-wheel drive German car, buy a Skoda.

I recently bought a new car and prior to this did a huge amount of research into a whole range of models / manufacturers. My wife also did the same when she bought her new car in April 09. This is not because we are car people but there seemed to have been a significant change in many vehicles/brands since we last did this.

My wife, who wanted a short commute / run around, got a Fiat 500 Pop which after 18 months is still proving to be a great little car. Dirt cheap to run, very low insurance, servicing, RFT and fuel seems to be rasonable for a vehicle which does a lot of short journeys. I have to admit to scoffing when I was told we were going to look at Fiats but having seen the cars performance and the pleasure my wife gets from owning it I would say the Fiat 500 is very highly recommended. The only drawback is acceleration is not great but this is 1.2 engine!! As my wife says it's a car that makes people smile, something else I scoffed at till I saw passersby react to it.

I have a Peugeot 3008 which I'm very pleased with. I'm not actually interested in cars but do drive 30 -35,000 miles per annum so need something decent and I'm really enjoying this vehicle - something I haven't felt since we owned an Espace. Anyway that's not the point. I spent ages researching manufacturer's and would advise the following:

Audi / Volkswagen seem heavily overpriced and are low speced compared with other brands. Poor value for money and trading on name rather than quality. Especially true of the Golf and A3

Honda didn't like the cars at all. Seemed boring, low specced and plasticy

Toyota, hugely impressed by the dealers I visited. Truely professional and head and shoulders above the rest. Would have loved a Toyota Prius but had to go with the Peugeot in the end. The smaller vehicle below it in the range looked very good.

Mazda, also very impressed. The Mazda 3 is excellent and very good deals available. Ride was hard for me and image a bit "boy racer" (sorry Cheeky) for my business purposes. Great car though and was our second choice.

Skoda, again impressed but felt the cars were quite low specced but very good VFM. I know several people who speak very highly of them

Seat, seem to have good vehicles at very realistic prices but none that fitted our needs. Thought the Altea and Ibiza looked good. Drove an Altea out of interest and it was OK.

Peugeot. Over the years we have had several Peugeots. They are very good cars but in my experience very expensive to maintain once the mileage hits 100,000. My wife had two 205s and we had no trouble with either of these, both low mileage. One was in the family through three users for about 15 years and it was fine, but I stress low mileage. I've had larger Peugeots for work and they are good for three years, once you hit 100,000+ very expensive bits start to go wrong.

So why did I get a Peugeot 3008? (It was third choice) First choice was the Toyota Prius, second probaby Mazda 3 but as I said a bit "boy racer" for me but the deal from Peugeot, 35,000 pa, full servicing, maintenance, tyres, RFT etc. was so good it could not be ignored..............and the 3008 is proving to be the best Peugeot I've driven.

[Al]

I suppose it all depends on how much of a Jeremy Clarkson you are really.

I have a bog-standard Corsa which gets me around and about from here to Ewood and back and from here to wherever I want to go. It does 70mpg and the insurance is cheap.

No doubt Jeremy would laugh at it, but he's no doubt never seen us lose to Grimsby Town in December.

It gets me to Ewood with Grinderman on the CD just fine so why would I want to get anything better? It does the job of getting me from here to there.

But if you want something to reflect your perceived status in the world, and you need some kind of special wheels and little blue lights & some engine "grunt" then go ahead. It's just a car. It's just a pair of shoes.

Have you ever seen anyone in a Bentley and not thought "What a pompous self-centred ....ahem cough?

The bigger the car the smaller the p3n15

Cheers eveyone

Does the same apply to mobile phones or are they just phones? I prefer to have a bit of car around me in case of an accident and my Avensis(whatever is the plural)have run for about 10 years with only services, MOT's and tyres. They are one of the safest cars on the road and they will do for me.

[colin]

Does the same apply to mobile phones or are they just phones?

Al, Definately.

A mobile phone is something you speak to people with. It's got a rubbish camera on it? Wooooo.You just take hundreds of photos with is and send them to your mates who look at them once and then delete them.

Same with cars really. I don't care if your car has an exhaust pipe the diameter of a dustbin; nor some lights that illumimate the road beneath; nor some wheel trims that twinkle to impress passers-by.

If I said I've got a £1,000 lawn-mower that takes pictures; deters rodents; and emits a high pitch noise to deter pigeons from roosting on your roof you'd think I was bonkers.

Don't worry. Someone somewhere will be selling them soon.

Which has got nothing to do with cars, so apologies.

[Al]

Al, Definately.

A mobile phone is something you speak to people with. It's got a rubbish camera on it? Wooooo.You just take hundreds of photos with is and send them to your mates who look at them once and then delete them.

Same with cars really. I don't care if your car has an exhaust pipe the diameter of a dustbin; nor some lights that illumimate the road beneath; nor some wheel trims that twinkle to impress passers-by.

If I said I've got a £1,000 lawn-mower that takes pictures; deters rodents; and emits a high pitch noise to deter pigeons from roosting on your roof you'd think I was bonkers.

Don't worry. Someone somewhere will be selling them soon.

Which has got nothing to do with cars, so apologies.

I'm with you on phones but I need a bit of car around me if I'm going to do 70mph on a motorway.

[pg]

But if you want something to reflect your perceived status in the world, and you need some kind of special wheels and little blue lights & some engine "grunt" then go ahead. It's just a car. It's just a pair of shoes.

The funny thing is that after working as an engineer for over a decade in the aerospace, defence, motorsport and automotive industries..I get more excited about the idea of buying a nice pair of Crockett and Jones tan brogues than a new BMW.

Or will Colin tell me that a calf-leather goodyear-welted shoe made in Northampton with a life expectancy of decades is the same as a rubbersoled glued-leather sole 20 pound special made in Bangladesh?

[Ste B]

No as Colin doesn't hate shoes but has previous for hating all motorists. Id have to dig out some posts but sure he worked in traffic management... ie bus lanes etc.

Actually. Probably a sandal wearer..

[thenodrog]

Hows this for value? Prob depreciated at 5$ per annum.

............ No wait! I'm wrong it's probably appreciated at about 1000$ per annum!!!!

http://crossbonesracing.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=1795&page=1

Now that is cool personified.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Does the same apply to mobile phones or are they just phones? I prefer to have a bit of car around me in case of an accident and my Avensis(whatever is the plural)have run for about 10 years with only services, MOT's and tyres. They are one of the safest cars on the road and they will do for me.

Yeh and if you ever need a second income- you've already got a taxi.

[Al]

The Toyota Avensis is the most reliable car on the road and will go on for ever. Just look how many taxi drivers use them. Never let you down.

Yeh and if you ever need a second income- you've already got a taxi.

I think you will find that I already made that point Tyrone.

[philipl]

I'd back everything Paul has said about the Fiat 500. Fiat have really got their act together with that vehicle.

[roversWASmylife]

I've got a Vauxhall Corsa and had it for nearly four years.

Not been a bad car at all, i've just over 30,000 miles in it and has never been a problem for me. Fuel isn't too bad on it if you take it steady.

Would I like a better car? Yes but with the prices of cars and fuel it isn't worth it. Insurance is good on it.

[jim mk2]

I get more excited about the idea of buying a nice pair of Crockett and Jones tan brogues than a new BMW.

Or will Colin tell me that a calf-leather goodyear-welted shoe made in Northampton with a life expectancy of decades is the same as a rubbersoled glued-leather sole 20 pound special made in Bangladesh?

Crockett and Jones = taste and class. A gentleman should always wear hand-made Northamptonshire shoes.

If I'm travelling down south I sometimes divert to the factory shops in Northants. Cheneys at Desborough sell £300 shoes at less than half price - my last pair from there lasted 18 years. Church's at Northampton and Grensons of Rushden are excellent quality too although Grensons don't have a factory shop. Barker's at Earls Barton have gone downhill since they were taken over by an Indian family - sound familiar ?

As for cars - my 20-year old Datsun Sunny is still going strong with 200,000 miles on the clock and costs pennies to run. To be honest, I always travel by train if possible - far more civilised even if the cost of fares is ludicrous thanks to the Tory 1990s privatisation.

[Glenn]

Crockett and Jones = taste and class. A gentleman should always wear hand-made Northamptonshire shoes.

Cobblers !

(Sorry, I'll get my coat and send a royalty check to Tim Lovejoy)

[colin]

No as Colin doesn't hate shoes but has previous for hating all motorists.

Actually. Probably a sandal wearer..

You, sir, are a cad and a bounder of the first water.

I am currently wearing my 20-year-old Blackburn Rovers slippers. Bought when the club shop was in that terrace house in Nuttall Street.

Has anyone else still got a pair?

15 year old Doc Martens on for work tomorrow. I still haven't broken them in. Rather they have broken me.

Got to go now, & cook some lentils

Sorry, nothing about cars in this one

[Neil Weaver]

Crockett and Jones = taste and class. A gentleman should always wear hand-made Northamptonshire shoes.

If I'm travelling down south I sometimes divert to the factory shops in Northants. Cheneys at Desborough sell £300 shoes at less than half price - my last pair from there lasted 18 years. Church's at Northampton and Grensons of Rushden are excellent quality too although Grensons don't have a factory shop. Barker's at Earls Barton have gone downhill since they were taken over by an Indian family - sound familiar ?

As for cars - my 20-year old Datsun Sunny is still going strong with 200,000 miles on the clock and costs pennies to run. To be honest, I always travel by train if possible - far more civilised even if the cost of fares is ludicrous thanks to the Tory 1990s privatisation.

There are trains into the factory shops around Northants? Come back Dr Beeching, you have more work to do..........

[cletus]

The Toyota Avensis is the most reliable car on the road and will go on for ever. Just look how many taxi drivers use them. Never let you down.

True Al. A lot of taxi drivers choose the Avensis. Good reliable vehicles.

I was talking to somebody the other day who told me Skoda do a very low spec Octavia aimed at trying to get a foothold in the taxi market. The cars are VERY cheap, have almost no electric gadgets (windows etc...) & no engine management system. The cars are said to be very reliable, easy to maintain, hard working & extreme value for money. Parts are supposed to be readily available & cheap. A large taxi firm in Preston has apparently bought a small fleet of them. Not everybody`s cup of tea, but if you want to make driving as cheap as possible.....

[only2garners]

True Al. A lot of taxi drivers choose the Avensis. Good reliable vehicles.

I was talking to somebody the other day who told me Skoda do a very low spec Octavia aimed at trying to get a foothold in the taxi market. The cars are VERY cheap, have almost no electric gadgets (windows etc...) & no engine management system. The cars are said to be very reliable, easy to maintain, hard working & extreme value for money. Parts are supposed to be readily available & cheap. A large taxi firm in Preston has apparently bought a small fleet of them. Not everybody`s cup of tea, but if you want to make driving as cheap as possible.....

I, like Paul and Colin, have very little interest in cars other than as a boring necessity to get from A to B - there are far more interesting things to spend money on. I have had a diesel Skoda Octavia for the last four years and it's been perfect. Cheap to insure and tax, gets 50+mpg, carries 5 people and their luggage with ease and also presumably completely anonymous to the average car thief.

Anyway, I'm off out for a ride on my new bike, which is a real thing of beauty - perhaps a new thread?

[Paul]

Anyway, I'm off out for a ride on my new bike, which is a real thing of beauty - perhaps a new thread?

Oh yes please. What have you got John? I'm busy saving for one but the good lady is decorating faster than I can save!!

[cletus]

I, like Paul and Colin, have very little interest in cars other than as a boring necessity to get from A to B - there are far more interesting things to spend money on. I have had a diesel Skoda Octavia for the last four years and it's been perfect. Cheap to insure and tax, gets 50+mpg, carries 5 people and their luggage with ease and also presumably completely anonymous to the average car thief.

Anyway, I'm off out for a ride on my new bike, which is a real thing of beauty - perhaps a new thread?

....i`ll get me Grifter!!

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Crockett and Jones = taste and class. A gentleman should always wear hand-made Northamptonshire shoes.

If I'm travelling down south I sometimes divert to the factory shops in Northants. Cheneys at Desborough sell £300 shoes at less than half price - my last pair from there lasted 18 years. Church's at Northampton and Grensons of Rushden are excellent quality too although Grensons don't have a factory shop. Barker's at Earls Barton have gone downhill since they were taken over by an Indian family - sound familiar ?

As for cars - my 20-year old Datsun Sunny is still going strong with 200,000 miles on the clock and costs pennies to run. To be honest, I always travel by train if possible - far more civilised even if the cost of fares is ludicrous thanks to the Tory 1990s privatisation.

Got myself a pair of " Alfred Sargent " brogues with " Itside" Commando soles, an unwanted present for a mate of mine. Gave him the £40 he was asking,the very best pair of shoes I've ever had. As to cars The Fiat 500 is a good little car, we have an Alfa Romeo 147 Lusso- Great car - touches lots of wood.