Motoring Discussion > Selective perception	Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Runfer D'Hills	Replies: 27

Sat 6 Sep 14 11:19   Selective perception - Runfer D'Hills

A young lady who works for us was saying the other day that she wants to buy her own ( first ) car. Although she's 25 and has had a driving licence since she was 17 she has always only used her mother's Corsa when she needed a car but has decided it is time she had one of her own. Someone else in the office was coincidentally selling his old but very nicely kept Focus and I innocently mentioned that it might be worth a look. Her response was along the lines of the Ford being 'too big'. Can't say I'd ever thought of a Focus being 'big'. On the contrary actually. Just goes to show how perception starts with what you're used to. Having said that, I used my wife's Qashqai this morning and found it small, particularly the boot space. Odd really given that I used to have one. We do all see the world from where we are currently standing don't we? I've never found any car to be 'too big' but I've found many to be 'too small' Anyway, she ( the girl in the office ) says she fancies getting a Panda. Fair enough, good wee cars. Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 6 Sep 14 11:33   Selective perception - Manatee

Same thoughts as you have - I tend to normalise to the size of the car I'm driving afetr a very short time and it really makes little difference. Handy sometimes to have a smaller car when searching for a parking space, but a Focus is small enough. Boy's 2005 Panda 1.2 Dynamic is still doing 50mpg, and has been no bother, so a sensible car if that what she wants. Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 6 Sep 14 11:35   Selective perception - Bromptonaut

My daughter learned on my Xantia and drove it regularly until its demise last year. Several of her mates commented on her 'bravery' at driving such a big car. Stood her in good stead this summer when she spent a few days supporting her b/f and his Dad on a JoGLe ride using his Passat. Normal drive now is b/f's 107 but she's no fear of getting into anything and taking off. Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 6 Sep 14 11:52   Selective perception - Skip

This is something that I've never understood - that small cars are easier to drive than large ones. It also seems to be a female thing only, have never heard a male saying that he couldn't/wouldn't drive something because it was too big. I had better stop there in case Pat is about :-) Last edited by: Skip on Sat 6 Sep 14 at 11:53 Reply to this message | Report message       1

Sat 6 Sep 14 11:54   Selective perception - R.P.

When the doggie Fiesta went West - I was offered a Focus by a colleague. My wife said it was too big for the purpose - which at the time I suppose was true. Now that we have ditched the V50 - the Ka feels small. We've done a couple of longish trips in it this week... feel a little vulnerable as compared to the V40.... Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 6 Sep 14 12:50   Selective perception - WillDeBeest

The one dimension that does seriously affect drivability is width. Always liked my Saabs for being relatively slim for a big car, and hence easy to place in traffic and to fit into a parking space. The very long Skoda Superb estate has the same placeability for the same reason. On the other hand, while I like the idea of an Audi A7, the sheer width of the thing would become a headache in plenty of the places I have to drive to. Some of today's smaller cars look offputtingly wide too - although probably no wider than the S60, and I seem to have coped with parking that for 12 years. So maybe it doesn't matter at all. Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 6 Sep 14 13:14   Selective perception - Bromptonaut

I can see that one WdB. The new Berlingo is just over 2m wide including mirrors. On the one hand it can be difficult to place in narrow car park slots but on other the caravan is only an inch or so more than car on each side. Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 6 Sep 14 13:45   Selective perception - mikeyb

At work our car hire policy is Focus/ astra if you are travelling on your own, or if there are more of you you can go to mondeo size. There are a few of the ladies in the office who will pick fiesta size even if they are driving a few hundred miles away as they perceive focus to be a bit big Mrs B is not phased by size, and in fact quite likes the size of the Viano. I suggested that she go for a shorter version, but she chose the extra long version for the bigger boot space Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 6 Sep 14 16:26   Selective perception - Armel Coussine

Focus isn't a small car by modern standards. It's quite big, heavy and old-fashioned, and I wouldn't mind a 2 litre petrol one properly sorted, or even one of those day-glo 5 cylinder rockets. On the subject of the OP, an American used to full-sized 1960s Detroit iron would have seen say a Ford Granada as a small car. To us it was a biggish one. Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 6 Sep 14 16:46   Selective perception - ....

The Volvo engined ST and RS disappeared when the new model was introduced a couple of year back. There's talk of a new RS but it will be a 4 cylinder 2.0 I think the biggest non-sporting petrol Focus you can get now is the 1.6 with the Fiesta ST engine. Last edited by: gmac on Sat 6 Sep 14 at 16:46 Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 6 Sep 14 16:46   Selective perception - BiggerBadderDave

Talking of selective perception, I smiled to myself a while ago as I wandered around Tesco. There was a flat screen 32 inch telly for about £130 squid. It's almost 'small change' for telly now. I bought my pride and joy telly back in '97 - a 32 inch wide screen CRT Phillips and it cost me £1300. You should have seen it sitting in the living room, it made everything else look miniscule. It was a monster and I loved it. Put a 32-incher in the living now and I'd be wondering where the hell it is. Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 6 Sep 14 18:14   Selective perception - Runfer D'Hills

And another thing. I genuinely believe that fewer bugs get stuck to my cars now than years ago. I drive just ( well almost ) as fast and certainly as many miles but there are just not as many dead bugs on the car. I have some theories - The bugs are getting smarter or, cars are more aerodynamic now so the bugs get whooshed over the top instead of slam dunking into the car, or there are just fewer bugs. I'm not sure whether to worry about this or not. On balance probably not. Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 6 Sep 14 18:24   Selective perception - John Boy

There are fewer bugs and they're disappearing because of the chemicals we're chucking on the land to kill them. In my opinion, we should be very worried. Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 6 Sep 14 18:27   Selective perception - Armel Coussine

>> There are fewer bugs and they're disappearing because of the chemicals we're chucking on the land to kill them. In my opinion, we should be very worried. Yes. Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 6 Sep 14 18:30   Selective perception - legacylad

When I stay with my US friends I always use their Toyota Tundra 4.7 V8 twin cab. Quite a few years old now, and superseded by a full size twin cab and larger engine. To me Its still pretty large. To them, a mid sized ute. Whilst currently trying to sell my A3 Sportback it seems small to me....I'm more used to a VW CC or insignia, even my 3 series seems large compared to it. Yet a relation, thinking of replacing her Yaris, thought it was too large after a brief drive. Might have to put it on the dreaded AT soon. Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 6 Sep 14 18:57   Selective perception - Runfer D'Hills

Possibly naively, that's sort of what prompted me to start this conversation. As in when someone says a small/ medium sized car is 'too big' I'm thinking 'too big for what exactly' ? It's rarely inconvenient to have a bit more room for people and their stuff I'd have thought. Anyway, I'll not dwell on it. I'm on insects now. Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 6 Sep 14 19:01   Selective perception - legacylad

Yummy I prefer ribeye & roasties Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 6 Sep 14 19:06   Selective perception - Armel Coussine

My eldest daughter and her husband have an A3 diesel. Seems a very good motor, doubling effortlessly as a family saloon and a jazz drummer's hack (swallows the whole kit with the rear seatbacks down). Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 6 Sep 14 19:08   Selective perception - Runfer D'Hills

I think Lud wants your car LL... Not as if he hasn't got the money. ;-) Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 6 Sep 14 19:27   Selective perception - legacylad

I don't think Lud would be impressed by the £30 RFL and 60mpg. Shirley an S6 would be more his cup of Darjeeling? It would me Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 6 Sep 14 19:40   Selective perception - Armel Coussine

>>> S6 would be more his cup of Darjeeling? >>> It would me But only in an ideal world alas. You can appreciate efficiency and excess simultaneously. Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 6 Sep 14 19:50   Selective perception - Zero

This "I prefer small cars" thing makes me laugh. Nicolle is an ardent devote only buying what she calls "small cars" Her Mk 7 Fiesta is, to her, small. Despite the fact its nearly half a metre longer, half a foot wider, half a foot taller than the Mk1 she had back in the day. "Small" really isn't small any more. Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 6 Sep 14 20:50   Selective perception - Runfer D'Hills

I don't mind small cars ( in small doses ) I often hire the 'cheapest one you have please' when abroad and usually thoroughly enjoy zipping about in the thing for a few days, but I wouldn't want one permanently. Too compromised for a lot of purposes. People and stuff take up room and if doing anything other than razzing about locally a larger vehicle is usually more comfortable. Wouldn't want to have a accident either, in any sized vehicle really, but if I was to have one somehow I feel I'd be better off if I did with a larger bit of car around me. Don't buy the the small car is easier to park argument either. My Merc is a doddle to manoeuvre. RWD of course, but that's a whole other soapbox ! ;-) Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 6 Sep 14 21:03   Selective perception - Armel Coussine

Fiesta passes for a decent sized motor these days. We hired a 'small car' some time back. It had an aggressive Chevrolet-badged snout and a cowering little clenched buttock rear end. Silly little skinny small wheels too. It was refined and sort of went all right, a bit breathless. No idea what engine capacity it had. The bumf didn't seem to say. I didn't really take to it. Of course those with the need like Humph can waft around in large executive estates, not snorting monsters exactly but hissing lounge-lizardy white things. They are nice to live in, those. Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 6 Sep 14 21:27   Selective perception - Runfer D'Hills

You need grey reptile print or some form of white shoes to be a proper lounge lizard. Or at the very least, slip on black ones. I've never quite been able to do any of those. Reply to this message | Report message

Sun 7 Sep 14 12:15   Selective perception - Armel Coussine

>> You need grey reptile print or some form of white shoes to be a proper lounge lizard. As you know quite well Humph, I always wear elegantly muddy white shoes, a side-effect of long association with London's Caribbean community. However, no one in their right mind would identify me as a lounge lizard. I'd forgotten about those grey faux-lizard shoes. I liked that sort of thing when I was young, but I'm not so keen these days. Black slip-on shoes are perfectly respectable if made of leather and clean. Only a pampootie huckster would even notice let alone complain. Tchah! My reference to hissing white lounge-lizardy things was to your car. But perhaps it's silver like so many others. Last edited by: Armel Coussine on Sun 7 Sep 14 at 12:18 Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 6 Sep 14 21:30   Selective perception - Fenlander

I have to agree with the young lady at work Runfer... logic or no. When we were looking for daughter (and wife immed after) sitting in a Focus with her I could see why she perceived it as larger compared with the Polo class. And I have to admit I enjoy the terrier like feel to a small car for the run to town (under 10mls windy B-road) so often choose to leave the 5-series in the garage for such a short trip... up that to 20mls and I'll take the BMW... if only because I have more parking money, better sweets and better music. >>>RWD of course, but that's a whole other soapbox ! Still troubling me after 3+mths... I think in truth the 156 with Veloce suspension was too hard an act to follow!! Last edited by: Fenlander on Sat 6 Sep 14 at 21:31 Reply to this message | Report message

Mon 8 Sep 14 08:13   Selective perception - Cliff Pope

In my observation people who have difficulty manoeuvring cars don't make full use of the steering wheel. I often watch people struggling in carparks or trying to do 3-point turns, and they seem scared of using the full steering lock, just passing the top 6" of wheel from hand to hand in the "proper" way. I know I'm talking from the perspective of a driver of traditional RWD cars with better turning circles anyway, but even so, I've always found big cars much easier to handle, and with a more comfortable ride too. Reply to this message | Report message