What do you drive?

[Guest av1]

58 minutes ago, BOF said:

My old man always converts to LPG so I would definitely say go for it. You have the petrol tank aswell anyway. But the LPG is way cheaper and you only need to fill it up when you're passing by a station that has it. You'll soon know every LPG garage in your area once you own the car. The saving is huge. You just use the petrol tank as a safety net for if you do ever let the LPG run out. And you can run on it for a bit if you fear the petrol will go stale. He's actually thinking of getting one of the Dacias because it's very rare to have a factory LPG installation. He's only ever had conversions.  You can also find LPG being sold in industrial parks, the kind where the 40 foots fill up. Not necessarily forecourt stations.

Thanks. I went ahead and ordered it on Saturday. Sadly there is a 5 month wait so not likely to get it till September. 
 

Fortunately I have a garage on my route to work so that’s handy. I’ve had it on PCP which is £229pm. Petrol/LPG prices fluctuate of course, but I’ve roughly worked out (at current prices) that I’ll be saving about £120/130pm. Which is practically half the price of the car. 
 

Seemed like a no brainer. 

[DCJonah]

Ordered a new car in September with the understanding it would be built start of March and delivered 5 weeks later. 

They currently can't give me a date on when it will even start to be built. 

No wonder the used car market is exploding. 

[chrisp65]

I extended my current lease deal because there was very little choice of new cars that could actually be delivered and the prices were crazy.

I’ve had an email yesterday, saying if I want a new lease in January 2023, I need to pick something now!

I’m going to risk it and let the clock run down and hope it all gets a bit better in the next 9 months.

Worst case, I can fall back on one of the pool cars for a few months.

[Genie]

6 minutes ago, chrisp65 said:

I extended my current lease deal because there was very little choice of new cars that could actually be delivered and the prices were crazy.

I’ve had an email yesterday, saying if I want a new lease in January 2023, I need to pick something now!

I’m going to risk it and let the clock run down and hope it all gets a bit better in the next 9 months.

Worst case, I can fall back on one of the pool cars for a few months.

We’re hearing that semi-conductor shortages are easing so more cars should be getting built. Plus the orders for delivery to Russia will be on the back burner.

[Xela]

The only cars I seem to be seeing across my desk at the moment are Kias, Hyundais and for some reason Skodas (but no other VW Group cars).

I'd say i've signed off 500 this month so far. 

[villa4europe]

5 minutes ago, Xela said:

The only cars I seem to be seeing across my desk at the moment are Kias, Hyundais and for some reason Skodas (but no other VW Group cars).

I'd say i've signed off 500 this month so far. 

From the roads I'd say vauxhall seem to be doing OK too but yeah those 3 are doing really well, hyundai in particular seem to have grown massively and a wider range of cars now

Edit - I'm back in the UK for the week, hire car this time is a 21 plate astra, previous cars this year have been a kia xceed and a mini, the astra is shite in comparison, the cab is really badly dated, xceed was the best cab mini was a beeter drive though, the xceed I'm sure had a load of driver assist features that I didn't like made it feel a bit skatey

Edited April 21, 2022 by villa4europe

[jackbauer24]

5 hours ago, chrisp65 said:

I extended my current lease deal because there was very little choice of new cars that could actually be delivered and the prices were crazy.

I’ve had an email yesterday, saying if I want a new lease in January 2023, I need to pick something now!

I’m going to risk it and let the clock run down and hope it all gets a bit better in the next 9 months.

Worst case, I can fall back on one of the pool cars for a few months.

My lease is up in August. So I started looking in Feb (6 months before) and quickly found most the cars I was interested in were never going to be ready in time.

So in March I ordered a Kia EV6. Due late Jan 2023!

Will have to figure out what to do in the gap at some point but very few viable options; three month car subscription (onto type company) or cheap run around. Extending current lease is pointless as minimum term is 6 months and I'd be liable for big service cost.

[Xela]

7 hours ago, jackbauer24 said:

Will have to figure out what to do in the gap at some point but very few viable options; three month car subscription (onto type company) or cheap run around. Extending current lease is pointless as minimum term is 6 months and I'd be liable for big service cost.

Thats the problem now, they're not so cheap! The days of picking up a reasonable motor for sub £1k to do a bit of bangernomic motoring seems long gone. People want strong money for complete dreck.

I'm sure it'll balance back out when supply chain issues are resolved but when will that be? The conflict in Ukraine is causing issues as a lot of manufacturers get wiring looms from there. BMW are in the proverbial because of it. 

[Lichfield Dean]

Continued on to Newton Abbot via a non motorway route, and with a detour to a play park, and *still* have 31% battery left.

And to think I wasn't sure we could do Sutton to Devon in one stint. Easy peasy.

[Lichfield Dean]

Ok, here's a two-part conundrum for you.

I drove from Brum to Devon and had 31% battery remaining, having started at 100%.

The return drive, again starting from 100%, used up more battery - I have 21% left.

Questions:

1) Why? Weather conditions were similar, I drove the same style wise. I know Brum is on a plateau and is therefore higher than the coastal towns of Devon, but can that really explain such a discrepancy?

2) On the way back (and this isn't the first time I've noticed this) the range estimate tracked my mileage pretty accurately from Devon to Bristol. The run from Bristol to Brum though was noticeably less efficient. Again, why. Is it more hilly and has more up-and-down-ness? Is there a difference in the road surface? Or is it windier?

I find it quite curious, because it does affect how confident I am in the available mileage in the car, especially if (as in the Bristol to home run) it overestimates the range.

[Genie]

1 hour ago, Lichfield Dean said:

Ok, here's a two-part conundrum for you.

I drove from Brum to Devon and had 31% battery remaining, having started at 100%.

The return drive, again starting from 100%, used up more battery - I have 21% left.

Questions:

1) Why? Weather conditions were similar, I drove the same style wise. I know Brum is on a plateau and is therefore higher than the coastal towns of Devon, but can that really explain such a discrepancy?

2) On the way back (and this isn't the first time I've noticed this) the range estimate tracked my mileage pretty accurately from Devon to Bristol. The run from Bristol to Brum though was noticeably less efficient. Again, why. Is it more hilly and has more up-and-down-ness? Is there a difference in the road surface? Or is it windier?

I find it quite curious, because it does affect how confident I am in the available mileage in the car, especially if (as in the Bristol to home run) it overestimates the range.

Might be the wind. Headwind versus tail win will make a big difference.

Edited April 24, 2022 by Genie

[Xela]

Yeah could be wind, slightly more aggressive driving pattern, more traffic, more red lights, air con on longer and colder, longer journey, etc

I can do the same journey in my car five time and have a different mpg every time

[Lichfield Dean]

It was a motorway journey and pretty clear each way, but it could be a combination of all those things.

Still, can't complain, I did both the outward trip and the return trip without having to recharge during the drive, so I'm happy with that.

[Xela]

A Harry's Garage road trip is always a treat 

 

 

[Phil Silvers]

2 hours ago, Lichfield Dean said:

Ok, here's a two-part conundrum for you.

I drove from Brum to Devon and had 31% battery remaining, having started at 100%.

The return drive, again starting from 100%, used up more battery - I have 21% left.

Questions:

1) Why? Weather conditions were similar, I drove the same style wise. I know Brum is on a plateau and is therefore higher than the coastal towns of Devon, but can that really explain such a discrepancy?

2) On the way back (and this isn't the first time I've noticed this) the range estimate tracked my mileage pretty accurately from Devon to Bristol. The run from Bristol to Brum though was noticeably less efficient. Again, why. Is it more hilly and has more up-and-down-ness? Is there a difference in the road surface? Or is it windier?

I find it quite curious, because it does affect how confident I am in the available mileage in the car, especially if (as in the Bristol to home run) it overestimates the range.

Did you buy any presents to bring home, anything heavy, were you listening to planet rock?

[Lichfield Dean]

4 minutes ago, Phil Silvers said:

Did you buy any presents to bring home, anything heavy, were you listening to planet rock?

How did you know I was listening to Planet Rock?

[Phil Silvers]

1 minute ago, Lichfield Dean said:

How did you know I was listening to Planet Rock?

Just logic, it's heavy, the extra weight is your problem 

[Mr_Dogg]

2 hours ago, Lichfield Dean said:

Ok, here's a two-part conundrum for you.

I drove from Brum to Devon and had 31% battery remaining, having started at 100%.

The return drive, again starting from 100%, used up more battery - I have 21% left.

Questions:

1) Why? Weather conditions were similar, I drove the same style wise. I know Brum is on a plateau and is therefore higher than the coastal towns of Devon, but can that really explain such a discrepancy?

2) On the way back (and this isn't the first time I've noticed this) the range estimate tracked my mileage pretty accurately from Devon to Bristol. The run from Bristol to Brum though was noticeably less efficient. Again, why. Is it more hilly and has more up-and-down-ness? Is there a difference in the road surface? Or is it windier?

I find it quite curious, because it does affect how confident I am in the available mileage in the car, especially if (as in the Bristol to home run) it overestimates the range.

Elevation is the answer with weather/wind also a factor.

Use a better route planner app, very helpful.

[sidcow]

This LPG thing is amazing. Can't believe this isn't more popular. Seems Dacia put the LPG fuel tank in the spare wheel recess so you don't even lose boot space. 

With the cost of petrol as it is you would think they would clean up. As  @av1says for high milers it's almost like getting a free car. Only thing I would say as a caution is that with the Russian Gas situation a lot of countries are looking to replace with LPG so there may be a big price increase as demand rockets. 

Edited April 24, 2022 by sidcow

[MellbergsBeard]

Which is the best company to lease from? Not looking yet will be waiting about 6 months