What do you drive?

[TheMelvillan]

17 hours ago, A'Villan said:

I blew up my Dad's one when I was 16 or 17. Wish I still had the pictures of the burnt out frame. Wasn't rear engine though.

Friend and I took it out for a spin after Dad had gone to bed and little did we know he'd been charging the battery and connections weren't back in place as they should be.

About 15km from home another cars passengers are manically trying to get our attention saying there's sparks and flame underneath the car.

We pull over and within a minute there's a 2-3 metre high fire ablaze over the bonnet. We start to leg it and I realise I've left the key in the ignition.

Being the dumbass teenager I was I decided it was more important that a key not be found in the ignition by police and consequently my Dad than it was for me to stay well clear of a car engulfed in flame. I can't remember if I was able to get the key or not but I do remember the 15km walk home and the dread I felt as I prepared myself to admit to my Dad what I'd done on a school night.

He was legendary about it, his initial reaction was to laugh and treated it like a rite of passage. Then when the detectives got involved and had footage of me at a petrol station that we'd stopped at, he defended me staunchly and possibly even didn't make an insurance claim so that the detectives would not charge me.

I've had a few cars of my own since. Nothing special. Subaru Liberty was ever reliable though.

 I enjoyed that . Your dad sounds like a legend!

[Spoony]

So I’m looking at buying a Land Rover Defender 90 (which would basically be tying into a move up to Scotland) and I’ve always wanted one. I know they can be a bit of a pain and require a bit of tinkering, but has anyone ever owned one?

I’d like to hear some first hand experience but I don’t like modern Land Rovers too much but Defeders are so expensive!

[Si.]

Need some advice guys.

I brought a car (BMW 3 Series) from a car delearship the end of March this year. After a week of having it, it started having a very rough idle, loss of power and it eventually broke down. 

I reported it to the car dealership who in turn sent it to various independent garages over a 2 month period. It has had various parts changed including spark plugs, fuel injectors, Vanos solonoids and a new coil pack.  It ran fine for a few months but the symptoms have returned and today it has broken down again.

I called the car dealership complaining and they said once again they will look to repair the vehicle. After discussing with the missus we came to the conclusion we are fed up with the ongoing issues and decided we wanted our money back. I called the dealership and they refused this request. The exchange got heated and now I doubt they will even look to repair the vehicle..

What rights do I have in regards to this? The dealership is a small independent company ran by one person, so it's not a massive chain where I would probably have more chance of getting a refund.

Edited September 27, 2018 by Si.

[Xela]

How old is the vehicle @Si.

[BillyShears]

On 26/09/2018 at 23:52, Spoony said:

So I’m looking at buying a Land Rover Defender 90 (which would basically be tying into a move up to Scotland) and I’ve always wanted one. I know they can be a bit of a pain and require a bit of tinkering, but has anyone ever owned one?

I’d like to hear some first hand experience but I don’t like modern Land Rovers too much but Defeders are so expensive!

I had a 1983 County Station Wagon. That thing was indestructible. Never let me down, was a beast off road. I did a lot of mild tinkering on it but rather out of choice than necessity, I am no mechanic but I could understand what was going on and keep it on the road. Parts are cheap and they are like meccano to work on. I had a 3.5L V8 and had it converted to LPG, so it was very economical to run. They have a unique driving style, I found mine easiest to drive in wellies, no kidding! If you buy one you will fall in love with it, wish I still had mine.

I got a Discovery a few years ago. POS thing. Came home on a flat bed more than once, build quality was crap. Never again. I would buy a REAL Landy again though.

 

[LillisGotUsUp]

@SI. Within 6 months they have one chance to repair it then it’s money back time. Was it off a main dealer?

Edited October 1, 2018 by LillisGotUsUp

[chrisp65]

Just a sort of update on my 15 month old Hyundai hybrid.

Two long motorway trips last week with city driving at either end. On both I went the full nerd. Filled the tank until the trigger clicked, did my return journey and went back to the same pump in the same petrol station and filled the tank until the trigger clicked.

So a mixed bag of driving through commuter congestion, to get on the motorway, then queue up the M5 and the horror show between the Dudley turn off and West Brom junction, then a good motorway run, then town traffic at the destination and a couple of laps of a multi storey car park. So all pretty typical conditions, with air con on, media playing, phone charging, stops at services for coffee and a waz, all that real life stuff.

In round numbers, 680 miles driven and decimal points under 75 mpg in a petrol automatic family sized car. Stated fuel figures in the owner’s manual is 72.5 so this might be the first case of a manufacturer under stating their stats? 

Expecting those figures to drop off now as the weather gets colder. The batteries don’t perform as well in the cold. It dropped to low 60’s mpg when commuting in the snow for a few weeks last winter.

But yeah, for me, fuel economy is the new sexy. 18 months before the contract is up, if the range is there and the price is right I’d happily go full electric next time.
 

[Dom_Wren]

The Boss is in the shop having some little things done, i know the dealer so he gave me this beast as a loaner. 2019 fully loaded Ford F-150 Raptor.

 

[Davkaus]

Damn, that's a beast.

I went to test drive an MX-5 today. I reckon it'd fit in the footwell of that thing. 

[Dom_Wren]

Bought myself a lovely 98 Ford F-150. Single cab. Has the reliable (fingers crossed) 4.6 v8. 65,000 miles on it.

Strange thing is. I love it!!! It’s got a massive bed I can fit anything in(ooooh er) and I just toddle around with the windows down cruising low rider style. 

Got nearly a month out of a tank of gas. 

Which has led to the boss being garaged and taken out once a week or so.....my god this car is phenomenal. I had it serviced and the dealer said it was impeccable.

I’ve been taking out for a few miles when dry and it just puts a massive smile on my face. Again windows down. Trac key in. The exhaust sound. Jaysus!!!

I down shift just to hear it. The wife just shakes her head when she’s with me. I couldn’t imagine a more balanced package. And I wouldn’t need any more than the 444bhp it packs.

In fact spun the wheels pulling out on to highway today. “No need for that” the ball and chain said. “Every need for that” was my reply.

That will learn her. 

[blandy]

5 hours ago, Dom_Wren said:

Bought myself a lovely 98 Ford F-150

There’s one just round the corner from me. Mahoosive. Must be interesting to park or to drive on narrow roads and tight corners. Incongruous in a Lancashire town, great in the sunshine and desert, no doubt.

[Dom_Wren]

On 23/10/2018 at 02:51, blandy said:

There’s one just round the corner from me. Mahoosive. Must be interesting to park or to drive on narrow roads and tight corners. Incongruous in a Lancashire town, great in the sunshine and desert, no doubt.

Sorry @blandy only just seeing this as i was coming back to post in this thread. My used truck i bought is an old barge, 98 ford f-150 single cab, but i dont go over 50mph in it and it hauls all my footballs and trash etc.. when i go to the dump.

Now, its in the shop having a service and fix a problem, so my dealer mate, has only gone and given me the raptor for the last couple of days and till its fixed......

MY GOD. I want one, i know i said i loved my 98 ford, but this thing is different level. absolutely love it!!, looks like a tank and drives like a caddy. its stacked with more technology than the starship enterprise. If i could afford one, it would be a no brainer......I read you can import them from oz or states (LHD) and they are super expensive and super impractical for European roads, but, and you knew a but was coming........its effing unreal!!

[mottaloo]

On seeing the pics of trucks and cars american VTers post on here, I can't help but notice how much wider the parking lines seem to be. The only place I can relate to over here is the car park at Costco. 

Yeah, I get that American cars can be bigger but I wish we had their parking space sizes over here. I also used to think it would be great if all UK roads were as wide as the bit of jockey road between boldmere and leading up to Tesco.

.....this really should be for the boring thread, right ?

[Stevo985]

Bit of advice needed.

 

The other half is due to pickup her new car next week.

However, they've just called her to say they've checked the car and it's missing one of the extras she ordered. So they're giving her this car for 3 months and then she'll swap it for her proper car when it arrives.

I think we're ok with that. We've ironed out little things like making sure the deal runs from the original pickup and not the pickup of the second car, and we're working on compensation for the insurance admin fees and 3 months of paying for an option she doesn't have.

 

What we're confused about is GAP insurance. She was going to get it, sensibly. But if we get it for the car she's picking up next week, and then she has to change it for a new one, would she have to get out a second GAP insurance policy for the new one? I assume you can't change the car on a gap insurance policy like you can with a normal car?

I suggested asking the dealership for free gap insurance for the 3 months that she'll have the temporary "new" car, but not sure if they'd do something like that as GAP is usually for the life of a vehicle isn't it?

 

Any ideas?

Edited November 22, 2018 by Stevo985

[mottaloo]

I took gap insurance from the dealer....well, it was the salesman's pushy lil git mate in a shiny suit who flogged it to me. In my excitement about picking up a new car, I gladly signed not realising I could've shopped around most probably for a cheaper price. 

You could do worse than heavily hint to the dealer that you've gone cool on his gap offer and that you're searching elsewhere for it. You might get a better offer from Swiss Tony then. 

Edited November 22, 2018 by mottaloo

[AlwaysAVFC]

1 hour ago, Stevo985 said:

Bit of advice needed.

 

The other half is due to pickup her new car next week.

However, they've just called her to say they've checked the car and it's missing one of the extras she ordered. So they're giving her this car for 3 months and then she'll swap it for her proper car when it arrives.

I think we're ok with that. We've ironed out little things like making sure the deal runs from the original pickup and not the pickup of the second car, and we're working on compensation for the insurance admin fees and 3 months of paying for an option she doesn't have.

 

What we're confused about is GAP insurance. She was going to get it, sensibly. But if we get it for the car she's picking up next week, and then she has to change it for a new one, would she have to get out a second GAP insurance policy for the new one? I assume you can't change the car on a gap insurance policy like you can with a normal car?

I suggested asking the dealership for free gap insurance for the 3 months that she'll have the temporary "new" car, but not sure if they'd do something like that as GAP is usually for the life of a vehicle isn't it?

 

Any ideas?

Could well be wrong but I think insurance companies, replace for new in the first 12 months so technically GAP isn't needed initially. Not sure how that works with changing cars though. Could sort GAP after the change. Maybe speak to insurance company? 

I don't know much about it, so don't go by my word.

[Stevo985]

23 minutes ago, mottaloo said:

I took gap insurance from the dealer....well, it was the salesman's pushy lil git mate in a shiny suit who flogged it to me. In my excitement about picking up a new car, I gladly signed not realising I could've shopped around most probably for a cheaper price. 

You could do worse than heavily hint to the dealer that you've gone cool on his gap offer and that you're searching elsewhere for it. You might get a better offer from Swiss Tony then. 

Oh she wont be taking GAP from the dealer. Not a chance. She just doesn't want to take GAP on a car that she'll only own for 3 months. The only way she'd take it from the dealer is if they covered the temporary car

[Stevo985]

18 minutes ago, AlwaysAVFC said:

Could well be wrong but I think insurance companies, replace for new in the first 12 months so technically GAP isn't needed initially. Not sure how that works with changing cars though. Could sort GAP after the change. Maybe speak to insurance company? 

I don't know much about it, so don't go by my word.

Yeah obviously the temptation is to not bother getting GAP on the temporary car and just waiting for the new car. But then if she bins the temporary car into a wall in a month's time will she lose out because she doesn't have GAP?

I'll probably just get her to ring her insurance company and ask their advice

 

[Chindie]

An Evoque cabriolet went past my house yesterday.

**** absurd looking thing. I'm not a fan of the standard Evoque, it looks like what you'd get if you asked comic book artist to design a Range Rover of the future and then shrunk it to half size. But cutting the roof off of it makes it look absolutely ridiculous.

[Genie]

2 hours ago, Chindie said:

An Evoque cabriolet went past my house yesterday.

**** absurd looking thing. I'm not a fan of the standard Evoque, it looks like what you'd get if you asked comic book artist to design a Range Rover of the future and then shrunk it to half size. But cutting the roof off of it makes it look absolutely ridiculous.

I had the use of one for a few weeks last summer and absolutely loved it (but understand it’s not everyone’s taste). Kids and wife loved it too.

It was always a vanity project for one of the JLR chiefs, worlds first compact luxury SUV cabriolet. I don’t think it sold well. Finished now song with the old Evoque.