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What do you drive?


StefanAVFC

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1 hour ago, chrisp65 said:

We sit at home watching the news of global warming and countries arguing over oil and our kids getting asthma because of the pollution outside school. We tut at the tv screen because Brazil is burning its forest.

Then we jump in the car and burn extra fuel to get to work 3 minutes quicker.

The advert for the electric hybrid Golf sells it as having a battery boost so it can accelerate quicker.

We’re all complete dickheads really.

I've found this all odd too, like the Jaguar I Pace which has about 300 mile real world range which is fantastic, it's also ludicrously fast. Wouldn't people who by an EV rather have more range than 400bhp? 150bhp is plenty, I wonder how many more miles it would achieve.

I just find it weird that some car makers seem to have misunderstood what people want. 

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On 09/09/2019 at 10:51, lapal_fan said:

We take the piss, but @chrisp65 is absolutely right.  People need to chill out when driving.  The amount of people who "cruise" down the motorway at 85+ is crazy. 

I work with a bunch of mechanical engineers who drive anything from Merc A classes to Peugeot 308 convertibles, I see them sprint off the car park, stop for the first island, sprint round the island, to stop in traffic for the motorway junction, to sprint down the merging lane, to slow to down 60 when they get stuck behind a lorry, to sprinting off at 90+ until I lose them from sight after about 2 miles. 

I stick my cruise control at 70 mph once I've hit the motorway and rarely have to press a pedal until I get off the motorway, and I get home about 10 minutes later than they do.

They were even bragging with each other the other day that one of them got cut up by a BMW, so the other cut him up in return.

If that maneuver goes tits up, one of you is injured or dead, and 10,000 cars behind you are now going to be 2-6 hours home slower - so that's pretty hilarious innit? 

Meanwhile I only have to put £100 worth of diesel (I know..) whilst they're shoving £200 worth of petrol in a month, plus increase wear and tear. 

People are strange. 

I took it easy on the way down to Herefordshire. Cruise control on the M5/M50 and just listened to some tunes and tried to relax as much as possible. Arrived at my destination chilled out.

I know my car can go like stink but finding myself less likely to put my foot down now. 

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I expect the usual pisstaking about hairdressing, etc, but swapping from my old shitbox hatchback to my MX-5 has chilled out my driving considerably. Far more powerful (still not very, admittedly) than my old car, but there's not that much compulsion to thrash it past the speed limit, much more relaxing taking it slow instead of inviting gale force winds around my ears. Plus it gives people around me more time to take in my banging tunes so they can reflect on how cool I am :D 

Edited by Davkaus
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On 09/09/2019 at 18:21, Spoony said:

A 2 door 2013 Jeep Wrangler soft top. And before you have a go, SOMETIMES it isn’t broken so YOU’RE the idiot.

Update: I took the roof down and I can’t get it back up. It has rained for three consecutive days (and this is Caribbean rain, not UK rain). Luckily, the floor has plug holes. Unluckily, the seats are super absorbent. So I’m now using dry cleaning bags as seat covers and periodically bailing out my cup holders.

BUT, a bald eagle sheds a single tear and whispers “freedom” every time I get in. So that’s something. 

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On 09/09/2019 at 23:02, Genie said:

I've found this all odd too, like the Jaguar I Pace which has about 300 mile real world range which is fantastic, it's also ludicrously fast. Wouldn't people who by an EV rather have more range than 400bhp? 150bhp is plenty, I wonder how many more miles it would achieve.

I just find it weird that some car makers seem to have misunderstood what people want. 

I love electric cars at this point. In Norway it's been a big deal for a number of years now and it's been heavily subsidized by the government. In Oslo especially, where air pollution has been a big concern, the amount of electric cars is staggering. I just can't imagine any where else in the world having the same amount of electric cars relatively speaking. We even have started dropping diesel cars in delivery businesses for electric. If I remember correctly it's also a fair few new electric trucks. 

It's a bit of a wake up call being in Italy atm. and after 2 weeks here I can't recall having seen a single electric car. 

Obviously ethically you can argue you remove a local air pollution issue and push it back to the production countries, but it's fascinating how quickly the E car revolution has moved on. 

The only negative thing I can think of atm, is they move up on you incredibly quiet. I am sure a lot of people have been hit while jaywalking cause they can't hear the cars at all. 

I've driven a lot of them, and while Tesla and the bigger more luxuries cars are excellent, I think the E golf is pretty nice. And the BMW I3. Rapid acceleration for sure. 

Currently put myself up in the que for a new Chinese E car called Byton. Not sure I will exercise the right to buy, but it's looking a very decent car on paper. 

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13 hours ago, Xela said:

I took it easy on the way down to Herefordshire. Cruise control on the M5/M50 and just listened to some tunes and tried to relax as much as possible. Arrived at my destination chilled out.

I know my car can go like stink but finding myself less likely to put my foot down 

@Xela liked nothing more than burbling along, waving at the honeys as he went by :

 

112436d1103274337-so-i-continue-down-a1a

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  • 2 weeks later...

Saw a fantastic 2CV in the supermarket this market. Its cheery form a stark contrast to the white/grey/black teutonic boring boxes surrounding it (mine included!)

 

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I’ve had an E-Pace for a couple of days as a hire car. Anybody got one?

Whilst it was a 19 plate it had done a good few miles and didn’t turn up in 100% super condition. It had a photo sheet of a dozen dings and scuffs already logged.

It was fine as a car other than its the first thing I’ve driven in a good while that had wind noise, I kept thinking maybe the window wasn’t fully closed. I also suspect it was very ready for a service too, ‘cos a drive from Cardiff to Swansea to Manchester and back cost me £110 in diesel. Not that I’m in the market for a Jag, but I couldn’t be paying out that sort of money too often. I know I was paying motorway prices, but I wasn’t exactly driving it like I stole it, great swathes of that journey are av speed camera 50mph.

Nice enough, I can see why people like the high position of an SUV type car.

Firmly in the category of I’d be delighted to win one but wouldn’t buy one. 

 

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My missus has changed her car today, we’re just back from the garage.

She did have a Toyota Aygo, she’s now got.... a Toyota Aygo.

One of those cases of it being at the end of the 3 year deal so it was either buy it, re finance it, or get a new one. Basically because of a 0% finance offer it was a better deal to have a new one than keep the old one.

Paying less for the new one than the old one. The optimist in me thinks we just drove a really good deal, the pessimist thinks we must have got spanked last time.

Has anybody else noticed there is less choice in the small car market now? No more twingo, no more smart, no more mii, no more viva. Struggling to make them for the prices peeps will pay for them, apparently.

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On 09/09/2019 at 23:37, Ingram85 said:

Hopefully, in a couple of weeks or so, I'll be riding a ASJ Modena 125cc in either white, orange, grey or aqua. 

Took a little while longer than expected and went for a different scooter but I'm back on the road riding this:

13280-21132-full-tweet-2-172.jpg

Got my gear and a bit of extra security. Just need to buy my padded jeans, a handle/brake lock and a weather proof cover for storage and I'm all set. Ive added a tall windscreen as I'm a lanky bugger and also popped a top box on the back. The ride home after picking it up was both exhilarating and terrifying in equal measure.

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2 hours ago, chrisp65 said:

I don’t know too much about scooters anymore, but I suspect you’re on to a better bet with Peugeot rather than ASJ.

But that’s based on experience that’s 35 years out of date.

 

You are bang on tbf. The cheap rebadged chinese imports that AJS or Lexmoto do are absolutely fine now and not the rickety flimsy deathtraps they were a few years ago but still aren't the best put together compared to brands/models just a few hundred more but as long as you maintain and look after it as you go along they will be fine but wont last as long as others.

I've got the Peugeot on finance from a reputable local dealer for 4 years and they do all the mot, servicing etc... then the plan is once I've got a few years experience and paid it off I'll sell it and then its hipster rocket polisher Vespa Primavera time!

Edited by Ingram85
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3 hours ago, chrisp65 said:

Distant Echo Scooter Club, still got the 1982 membership sew on patch!

You probably won’t believe this but I was a smug sarcastic bastard back then.

I am tempted to join a brummie scooter club if such a thing exists - not to be confused with a gang of bag snatching chav twonks - but I'll pass on the sew on badge 😃.  There are some videos of 80's scooter clubs on youtube meeting up at various seaside haunts which are fascinating to watch. 

I've gone the dorky 'high vis everywhere, look like a xmas tree/Las Vegas light show' route so no one can say "Well I didnt see you". But I have bought a vespa cap just so people know I'm a word removed when I'm not in all the gear. 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 12/08/2019 at 18:35, Xela said:

I love cars.

Its driving I hate! 

I can now expand on this. I loved driving around the rural and quiet roads of Rutland, Northants and Lincs in the last week. 

I should revise my last comment to the following - "Its driving in the West Midlands I hate"

Far too many words removed driving like words removed around Birmingham. 

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Just the west Midlands in general

Making a living driving from kiddy to Warwick every day compared to the holiday I made 3 weeks ago driving around skye

I **** hated my daily commute, the stress of traffic is massively underrated, it drains you in a way that's hard to explain 

Deep down driving is fun, our roads kill that enjoyment, driving round the Highlands in my normal car would have been incredible 

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On 13/10/2019 at 00:08, villa4europe said:

Making a living driving from kiddy to Warwick every day compared to the holiday I made 3 weeks ago driving around skye

You weren't caught up in the M40 nonsense this morning were you?

I was staying in Brum last night. First time in years. Presumed it'd take me 90 minutes into Oxford this morning. Not a bit of it. Three and a half hours :bang:

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