Exactly as expected to drive. The 2019 1.4 manual copes fine with motorway traffic and overtaking, despite only 140 horse, but it’s light weight circa 1250 kg helps.
Very light steering, certainly not what I’m used to, and the infotainment screen is small, laggy and previous generation. A moderate amount of wind and road noise, but not uncomfortably so...once out of the 50 average speed cameras it cruised fine at an indicated 80/85, and the trip computer showed 56 mpg on the 145 mile drive home.
My past 3 cars have had a HUD, displaying current speed, speed limits, directions, so it’s like stepping back in time. No option in the menu of a digital speed display on the dashboard...I think new models do. I may well buy a digital speedo and mount it on the RHS of the dashboard, wiring it to the USB...the old school dials are not the best, and it would be a useful tool driving across Spain.
A small SUV, good visibility out, economical, practical, does what it says on the tin.
What’s not to like,...given the price.
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Sounds ideal for the purpose you bought it for.
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The Fabia has an option for a digital speed reading on the main display. Don't use it much in the UK but it was useful in France and set to Kp/h.
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I like a digital speedo too. I even like digital watches, but you’re not supposed to admit to such things I believe. OCD can actually be quite enjoyable if you embrace it.
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Then you’d love a digital Head Up Display showing your speed.....one where you can change the font size, and when you go over the posted limit, heaven forbid, the font changes from white to red.
One day I’ll have a car with that option, such as a Focus Active:-)
Last edited by: VxFan on Wed 23 Aug 23 at 13:17
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I’d love to know what the f is that I could change?
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>> I’d love to know what the f is that I could change?
Font size. Put into the filter ages ago because people misused the html code.
Last edited by: VxFan on Wed 23 Aug 23 at 13:21
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Apologies if I’ve missed a post or something!
But, has the Suzuki made it to Spain?
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Made it to Plymouth yesterday evening. 352 miles…56.9 mpg at a decent motorway speed, 75/80 when conditions allowed.
Sunbathing on top deck of Pont Aven. Departure imminent.
A dry voyage..€5.95 for 50cl Moretti, so tea & water until tomorrow night. All the bikers have pints in their hands…
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Safe and enjoyable travels to you and your new pal Suzy!
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... shouldn't that be Suzaye...?
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…because it’s from Birmingham?
Yeah, fair point.
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>>56.9 mpg at a decent motorway speed
Don't believe the computer - told big fat whoppers on my Swift - 46mpg = 38 real mpg
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He’s going to be on a ferry for 20+ hours poor soul. Don’t depress him any more Doc!
;-)
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He'll never last out without a beer.
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>> He'll never last out without a beer.
>>
I did. Ye of little faith.
You know you’re in Spain when a decent 3 course evening meal, with 1.5 litres of water, is €16.
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> 1.5 litres of water???
>>
Or a half litre of vino.
My alcohol intake on holiday is negligible....high of 28C today, plenty of sightseeing, water is my choice of rehydration.
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I try and drink my 2 litres of water a day and more if abroad, but I don’t think I would ever order water with a meal unless it was in addition to wine/beer.
In Gran Canaria last month there were lots of signs saying that the tap water was drinking water but I still stuck to the bottled type.
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Well, y’see, I only ever drink water with a meal.
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>> Well, y’see, I only ever drink water with a meal.
>>
I’ve eaten curries for probably 50 years. Rarely had anything but water with them.
Just had a large beer with my menu del dia, but after a 15km circular around the Mallos de Aguero thought I’d earned it. Also a large glass of local tinto, but that was included in the meal deal.
Edit: Runfer...great mountain biking country. Several hard core types on the trail.
Last edited by: legacylad on Fri 15 Sep 23 at 15:46
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You don’t need to drink 2 litres of water as such a day. That water can be in the form of tea, coffee, beer wine or whatever. Most food contains a lot of water, an apple is 80% water, cucumber 95%
Can’t really remember when I drank a whole glass of water.
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>>
>> Can’t really remember when I drank a whole glass of water.
>>
...or ate a whole cucumber. .
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"or ate a whole cucumber"
Even a grilled steak is mostly water
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>Can't really remember when I drank a whole glass of water.
probably because your are pi'd or hi on caffeine
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But seriously do people really drink 2 litres of water a day in addition to their other liquid consumption? I was just trying to work out my usual liquid intake.
Say:-
Cup of tea when I get up 200 ml
Fruit juice with breakfast 300 ml
Cup of coffee after breakfast 200ml
mid morning coffee 200 ml
Lunch tea 200 ml
Afternoon drink 200 ml
Dinner - glass of wine normally 200 ml
after dinner coffee 200 ml
Cup of tea in evening 200 ml
So that's 1.9 litres which is evidently enough to keep me going and not a drop of unadulterated H20 passed my lips
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I suppose I do drink a lot of water every day. I’m fairly active I suppose, so that might create or add to some of the demand, but mostly, I just like it.
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Yes but if that 2 litres of water in addition to other refreshments? That is a hell of a lot of water. You must have a bladder the size of a football. Perhaps you don't drink tea coffee etc.
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No, that too I’m afraid. Not big on alcohol though. Not totally abstemious, but I often go months without it. Slows me down I feel.
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>> Slows me down I feel.
Might have been useful when you had your big bike prang.
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Oh I confess to having pretty much lived on a diet of paracetamol and whisky for the three days after that until my wife made me go to A&E to get it checked. I was convinced I’d just badly sprained my arm and bumped my head a bit!
Erm, I’d actually fractured an orbital bone in my skull and broken my arm, hand and wrist in four different places.
:-(
Last edited by: Runfer D'Hills on Fri 15 Sep 23 at 20:18
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...it should improve his mpg, though... ;-)
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End of my walking group week based in Vielha. Daily trips up single track mountain roads, both tarmac & loose surface. So far so good. Performs ok 4 up with 140 bhp, up n over 7000’ passes..best quality is the sitty up forward visibility.
640 Kms SE to Costa Blanca tomorrow for sea, snorkelling and curry.
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Probably best if you don’t try to do the snorkelling and the curry at the same time. Although I did once see a fellow diver drink a bottle of beer underwater. He was an ex-Norwegian Navy diver so that may have been a contributing factor. Mad as a box of frogs. Nice enough chap when sober as I recall.
Safe travels.
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>> Probably best if you don’t try to do the snorkelling and the curry at the
>> same time.
Fine, as long as you keep the snorkel upwind (IYSWIM).
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I’m struggling with conjuring up the image, but you might be right. Certainly in the northern hemisphere. Goes the other way round south of the equator doesn’t it?
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23C & cloudless when I arrived at my usual Moraira rental 19:00 yesterday.
Painless journey..ended up being 680km because I took the scenic routes, before joining the AP7 north of Valencia.
A great vehicle in the mountains, small enough to negotiate narrow roads and tracks, and for parking where space is at a premium.
Less good on a 300km late afternoon non stop motorway journey, where something quieter and more refined would have been appreciated, and I was only cruising at 110kph to keep fatigue levels low after 3 very long mountain days.
I fell a little ‘out of love’ with it on that stint.
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Vitara now suitably named Sofía…
I’m only just here to tell the tale after a 50metre scramble up a 45degree rock slab 2 days ago. Returned to join a climbing and scrambling club and found myself several divisions beyond my comfort zone in 30C heat.
I recorded the route, pointless really, I ain’t ever going back there.
I’ll stick to walking in future, or take a rope, slings and climbing helmet
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>> in 30C heat
37C in Los Cris yesterday.
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Forecast is for 25C and sunny on Saturday in London so don't put your barbecue away yet
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Anorak time.
Overall mpg since leaving Settle is 40.39.
Steady motorway and fast A roads to Plymouth…late leaving as usual so cracked on. 3 days dawdling in Basque countryside once off the motorway, then 7 days with passengers up n down daily in the Pyrenees.
Mixed motoring to the C Blanca and again up n down in the mountains.
Trip computer shows 41.2 mpg
Cheapest 95 ron in Spain was today @ €1.644…Sainsburys in Plymouth was cheaper.
MPG should improve as I’m planning a 3 day dawdle to Santander, leaving the motorway at Valencia to discover the delights of inland Spain via minor roads. Don’t care if I get too lost !
Got my tent.
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Just totally ignore the above mpg figures quoted....
It had been a long hard days recce in the mountains, cairn building for my future walk leading ( no discernible footpaths first 6 kms up a scary mountain) and I’d rehydrated rather too quickly on Estrella Galicia, Lidl’s finest gin and Albariño.
I included the first full tank of gasoline, so mpg 52.24...trip computer 51.2 mpg when I checked yesterday whilst en route to another day avoiding falling off a hill.
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Lucky to get 42 MPG out of our 21 Vitara 1.4T auto Allgrip mild (and bitter) hybrid.
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Dog…I’m driving very sedately out here…trying to avoid motorways and visit the ‘real Spain’, and when I do use motorways it’s a steady 100/110 kph.
Hence why I had doubts about the mpg, and realised my mistake when sober the following morning.
But vino, even half decent stuff, is disgustingly cheap compared to uk.
As is lager type stuff, which I’m quite enjoying served cold after a hot day doing silly things ( for my age).
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That’s very good LL. We got 38mpg from our (her) wee Jeep on our recent trip to and from the South of France. 1.4 petrol manual. Bikes on top though which of course rips the fuel consumption and it was fully laden and spent a lot of those 2000 or so miles at 130kph. All in all, that seemed ok.
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Out of curiosity, is the motorway speed limit 120 kph as in Spain ?
With hire cars I rag them hard, often 135/140 cruising on the coastal autopista, my own car very differently cruising on lightly trafficked motorways covering longer distances enjoying the changing scenery.
Mind you Sofia Suzuki isn’t at its best munching motorway miles at speed...best on rough tracks going up hill fully laden with 4 passengers. Glad I bought two new front tyres.
It’s looking filthy now. Covered in thick Spanish dust you could write in. Which I may well do.
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>>
>> It’s looking filthy now. Covered in thick Spanish dust you could write in. Which I
>> may well do.
>>
..."Ojalá mi novia fuera tan sucia como esta"...?
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Do you think you will keep it and use it again for similar purposes LL?
If you have the time and the energy, you could go the long way home via some of the more scenic bits of France I suppose.
Edit - yes 120kph is the limit on Spanish motorways.
Last edited by: Runfer D'Hills on Sun 15 Oct 23 at 23:05
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Booked on Sunday afternoon ferry from Santander...arrive Portsmouth early evening the following day, overnight just outside Newbury.
I’m thinking I’ll be keeping it...already planning an extended Picos & Spanish Pyrenees trip late Spring. Snow will prevent reaching most summits without extra gear, the Spring flowers should be lovely, and I’m happy with lower level walks in mountain scenery.
French friends live just SW of Foix so potentially another trip, this time to Andorra with them.
Running costs seem very reasonable and the cars positives far outweigh its negatives.
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Sounds great.
Meanwhile Portsmouth to Newbury is a regular, easy trip of mine. Just beware a couple of fixed speed cameras at either end, depending on your exact route. There is one in Portsmouth in the dual carriageway, soon after you leave the ferry terminal. You may know it from previous trips. The Newbury one is more hidden, soon after you turn off the A34 if you are heading into Newbury itself. It’s a 30 limit on a good road and easy to get caught out after miles of 70.
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Good to hear you're keeping hydrated LL :)
Wifey drives the Vitara mostly, and she's a world-class mimser, so should get more than 42 MPG really.
I prefer driving it to the 2 litre XV as it has a *proper* auto gearbox + all the toys.
Interesting article in today's Telegraph Re: walking, worth a read:
www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/body/i-walked-off-five-stone-and-beat-my-sugar-cravings/
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It does seem like the Suzuki has worked out well for you LL. I wouldn’t know what to get if I was changing my car now. The estate car I have is fine, despite its advanced mileage and the easy decision is to do nothing for now, but one day I suppose I’ll have to sort something out as a replacement.
Trouble is I can’t think of what I’d really want. Budget is reasonably flexible and my only real criteria would be versatility and reliability.
Sometimes I think I’d like a little sporty thing but I imagine the novelty would soon wear off.
Having been forced by circumstance to use the little Renegade for our last long trip it surprised me by being more than adequate and actually quite good fun, so maybe something in that category might work.
I expect inertia will continue to win out for now!
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>> Having been forced by circumstance to use the little Renegade for our last long trip
>> it surprised me by being more than adequate and actually quite good fun, so maybe
>> something in that category might work.
>> I expect inertia will continue to win out for now!
I've probably said this before but being forced to have the 'second' car step up into the shoes of the 'first' can surprise in a nice way.
Around 2005 my HDi/110 Xantia Estate threw a massive wobble about a week before the annual 3 weeks French camping was booked, this time in Provence. Rough running, dashboard like Blackpool illuminations. Garage thought they'd cured it but....
Took the Berlingo, IDI diesel around 70PS and no aircon. Thought it might be slow and uncomfortable but actually, guess what, at 110kph on the Autoroute it's just as fast as everything else. Good forced air ventilation and rigorous adherence to a sunshade in the screen when parked routine and it was perfectly comfortable. Way more storage for teenage kids stuff too.
The Xantia never left the UK again.
Nowadays we try and split long trips between current 'lingo (HDI/115) and my petrol Fabia Estate.
As long it's just the two of us the Fabia is fine but the rear seats are pretty cramped for adults unless they're midgets with short legs.
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Well, I’m sort of smitten with the Renegade in truth. I really like it to drive, it has more usable loadspace than I’d have imagined and it has a bit of ground clearance which is handy on occasion. I’ve even thought about getting a second one because my wife is also fond of it and wouldn’t want to part with it. It’s a petrol anyway which wouldn’t really be ideal for me as I still do in excess of 20,000 miles a year, but a diesel one could work.
Only thing holding me back from doing that really is the feeling that it might be a bit odd having matching cars! Not sure why that bothers me, but it does a bit.
Then there’s the retirement thing, my employers keep crossing my palm with silver and other incentives to stay, but I’m still not sure I want to keep working for much longer.
If I wasn’t working, then fuel economy wouldn’t be as much of a concern.
Having said that of course, it might be as I’d be living on a reduced income.
Hard isn’t it, the whole thing?
;-)
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...don't think you can get a new Renegade in diesel...might have to go back a few years...
Having run diesel company cars (for BIK reasons) for years, I continued the practice post retirement until I realised that my mileage (along with other day-to-day costs) had dropped off a cliff.
That, combined with the fact that the petrol X1 I bought was significantly cheaper than the diesel equivalent (enough to offset a good few years fuel cost difference) meant I went petrol, and have remained there. (A shift - pun intended - to auto also helped compensate for the lack of diesel driving characteristics).
Get yourself retired, man. There's only so many times you can recover, even partly, from falling off your bike, and you need to get some free time in first ;-)
I've now been out of employment for best part of 15 years, and whilst a bit apprehensive at the time of my decision, I haven't, in retrospect, regretted a minute.
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>> I've now been out of employment for best part of 15 years, and whilst a
>> bit apprehensive at the time of my decision, I haven't, in retrospect, regretted a minute.
nearly 14 years now for me. Best career I have ever had.
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>> nearly 14 years now for me. Best career I have ever had.
>>
And long may it continue Z.
I’m doing stuff (68 yo now, strewth) whilst I have the health and mental faculties. Out today with the ‘Monday Explorers’, well off the beaten path, only saw 2 mountain runners, and had an absolutely epic day with great company ably led by a Swedish friend. It won’t last forever, the body will fail at some point, but in the meantime I’m going for it big time.
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>> I've now been out of employment for best part of 15 years, and whilst a
>> bit apprehensive at the time of my decision, I haven't, in retrospect, regretted a minute.
Twenty years for me (sort of). Got a two day a week job for a few years, before volunteering at a museum and then got this bungalow. At the right time, as it's turned out. The work required lost me a couple of stone and I'm resting now, before attempting the one room left. I know so many people who say they'd love to move to a bungalow, but it would now take too much effort to clear their house.
They sew no pockets in shrouds!
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That’s kind of what bothers me BT. I’m 65 and in pretty good fettle I suppose apart from “that” injury.
I sort of think if I retire now or soon anyway, there’s a good chance of having a some fun adventures for a few years, but if I leave it too late, I might end up with a couple more quid in the bank but also might not have the opportunity to spend them.
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As stated elsewhere, my dad is 91, still lives on his own, still has all his faculties and is surrounded by wifi gadgets galore including his robot hoover!
He took early retirement/ redundancy at 58 and pretty much volunteered for the local hospice for the next 20 years almost full time, and then still volunteering there in a “one morning a week” basis just now. Still drives to and from the hospice, church and Aldi. Anything further afield we take him.
I have no doubt his longevity and alertness is to do with keeping active from the minute he retired.
We were just discussing last week actually that he has been receiving a pension from his last employer (Bass) longer now that he worked for them. He is probably listed as a financial liability on their annual accounts :)
I have 4 older siblings, they are all retired and the oldest is 61. Sadly my financial circumstances and pension funds don’t look like I will be able to retire early when I get to that age. And having a wife who is a nurse in the said hospice, who have a pathetic pension, isn’t helping matters!
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>> Only thing holding me back from doing that really is the feeling that it might
>> be a bit odd having matching cars! Not sure why that bothers me, but it
>> does a bit.
It should bother you, a lot, its a real no no, unthinkable to hunky fearless mountain bike men
Next step would be a faux elizabethan housing estate.
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Yeah about that…:-(
You’re right of course, I agree. I’m not sure why it matters, but it sort of does doesn’t it.
The other alternative is to do a Duncan and buy a small Japanese hatchback and just use that when I’m not able to use the Jeep.
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Wot I’ve done. Reliable little Japanese hatch with a 10 year warranty, and a cheap ish Hungarian built eminently practical Japanese marque vehicle with no image.
Works for me
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Oh come now, your small Japanese hatchback is a tad unique. ;-)
Took the wee Jeep out tonight actually to and from my swim for no reason whatsoever. 8 miles round trip on twisty country roads. Always surprises me when I’ve not used it for a while how nimble and nippy it is. Headlights are a bit worse than the Merc, but way better than the Aygo ones.
First world problems alert…with a manual 6 speed gearbox and manual beam dip and manual wipers there seems like quite a lot to do when your left hand is a bit wonky. ;-)
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>> First world problems alert…with a manual 6 speed gearbox and manual beam dip and manual
>> wipers there seems like quite a lot to do when your left hand is a
>> bit wonky. ;-)
Couldn't you have cycled there?
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Too dark, too dangerous. Lots of blind bends and fast traffic.
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>> Too dark, too dangerous. Lots of blind bends and fast traffic.
>>
You wouldn't want to fall off, would you?
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No hiding places on that road, quite narrow but NSL and not lit.
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>> Too dark, too dangerous. Lots of blind bends and fast traffic.
Too many one handed guys who cant handle manual wipers, gear lever, and dip lever.
Thought about having a knob on the wheel? Hold on tho.....
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Checked fluid levels, cleaned glass areas, tyre pressures…now ready for my ‘avoid all motorways’ trip NW to Santander. 2.5 days, route sorted but flexible, no accommodation booked as I always prefer to wing it in these circumstances.
I anticipate lots of stopping and staring at lovely scenery en route, wandering around hill top villages, cheap tasty menu del dia food and a general wind down as my trip ends.
Completely different circumstances to my normal return to the uk on a cheap carrier airline, so I’m going to savour it.
Hope Sofia Suzuki lives up to expectations.
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Take your time LL. Storm Babet is coming into the North East tonight. Not much improvement until Sunday.
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>> Take your time LL. Storm Babet is coming into the North East tonight. Not much
>> improvement until Sunday.
>>
May have dropped lucky with my Sunday afternoon sailing…Biscay conditions should be much improved by then, although there may be knock on delays.
Friends due to sail ex Portsmouth > Santander on the same vessel as me (Santona) have delayrf their sailing until Monday evening. I’ll look out for them when I arrive…they live half mile from me.
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cheap tasty menu del dia food
Remember seeing 'oeuf bourguignon' on a menu in Paris. Had to try it, although SWMBO avoided it - delicious. Just like the 'steak au poivre' I ordered another day. I was aware it wasn't 'bif steak', but very tasty, just the same (despite neigh sayers).
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Reminds me of when I droved from Los Cris to Bodmin Moor via Portugal, Santander, Plymouth on my own in a LHD diseasel Citroen AX during August holiday season. Busy on the frog and toads, but in the other direction thank gawd.
Have a good farht.
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2478 miles door to door. Less than anticipated as 4 of us car shared in the Pyrenees on our daily walks for 7 days, then once on the C Blanca car shared every walk for 4 weeks.
Overall mpg 51.5, trip computer 51.3. Surprisingly accurate.
2019 1.4 ( non hybrid) manual petrol with 140 horse. Sufficient power for day to day running, even uphill on long fast A road ascents up to 1200 metres.
A very expensive trip travelling solo on Brittany Ferries, but the logistics of a cheap flight, car rental, exploring Basque Country, then into the Pyrenees, drive to coast, and 3 days leisurely exploring the hinterland on my return drive to Santander made it nigh on impossible to do so otherwise.
It’s wet my appetite for future driving trips....Picos, Andorra and French Pyrenees next. Central Spain another time, and friends just returned from following Spain/Portugal border north to south.
Vitara was a good choice....very capable, plenty room for 2 or 3 folks and their gear, excellent visibility, large opening pano roof. Comfortable ride on 17” rims and 215/55 profile tyres.
Weakness is its motorways manners...not a comfortable place to sit for 400kms+ at 120/130kph, so my speed was adjusted accordingly and I only had one day in Spain when I had to cover 620kms.
Keeping it.
Last edited by: legacylad on Sat 28 Oct 23 at 13:10
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Sounds great! It’d be much cheaper using a short crossing and driving down through France next time. French autoroutes can be dull, particularly in the north, but they don’t tend to be overly busy except in peak holiday seasons at weekends. Or, if you are not in a hurry, you wouldn’t need to use them at all and just meander across country, stopping wherever you feel like it.
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Some friends use Newhaven > Dieppe , but that’s a long slog to point of departure.
I’ll include it in the equation next year, but Santander, Basque Country, Picos, Pyrenees is so much more convenient.
Although my French is so much better than my Spanish..a few places I stayed spoke no English whatsoever, but my ski slope French got me through.
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>> Some friends use Newhaven > Dieppe
...it gets quite a thumbs-up from the motorhoming community. Cheap to begin with, and if you book by 'phone a discount for over 60's (20% I believe). (I've used the route in the dim and distant past, but it's too far West for my usual destinations).
The drive down through France from there to the Pyrenees could be quite enjoyable, though I'd personally avoid the Autoroutes (that's partially influenced by the cost for a motorcaravan). Rural France can be very enjoyable (if you're careful of the speed cameras).
Traversing the Pyrenees West to East (with the aid of the car to access walks) is, or at least was, a rewarding trip. Andorra is (IMO) a dump on the main (La Vella) drag, but there are some good walks up above Ordino.
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Our mild-hybrid Vitara has dropped to under 40 MPH lately, and it's mainly driven by a mimser.
The automatic gearbox and the 4-wheel drive system doesn't help there of course, but it's a beaut of an automatic trans, unlike the automated manual fitted to some later models.
The other good thing about the Vitara is it fits snugly in my new build garage, although I had to bin the new up and over door and replace it with a roller door (more blimmin' money!)
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LL what’s the problem you’re having at motorway speeds? We’ve had our 2020 Vitara for a few weeks and have found it fine. We do stick to an indicated 70 but even the occasional true 70+ has not been an issue.
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>> LL what’s the problem you’re having at motorway speeds?
Probably just me, but I’m more used to more comfortable mile munchers...Newer Passat, VW Passat CC, A4,, and I certainly feel a bit of swaying when in close proximity to HGVs.
Possibly the light weight of the Vitara, but I normally cruise on the motorway,when traffic allows, at an indicated 80/ 85mph which in reality is mid to high 70s. In Spain, on necessary motorway sections (Santander >Bilbao, Tortosa > C Blanca 350kms) it just didn’t feel relaxed at 130 kph....but then it’s a small SUV so I’m being churlish ! Can’t expect it to be good at everything.
Very happy overall, which is the main thing.
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Yes you’re probably going a true 10mph faster than me which will make a difference. I’m comparing it to our other current car, a 1.4 Golf estate, which is a well reviewed long distance option. The Vitara is a tad noisier and the seats are a bit less supportive but it was fine for a 200 mile stint up to Leeds last week.
I’m still finding my way through the car’s set up. I found the tyres are set at the comfort psi of 33. I see the ECO setting is 38/41 which might explain some reviews mentioning light steering.
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Interesting, I was pleasantly surprised/impressed with the manners of our wee 1.4 petrol Renegade on its trip to and from the south of France this summer. Even with bikes on top creating extra drag it happily bowled along at 130kph for hours on end.
Fully laden too. However, the fuel consumption like that was a rather less pleasant 38mpg. At French fuel prices that stung a bit.
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60 miles in GRY yesterday. After 7 weeks driving the Vitara, the contrast was amazing.
Chalk & cheese. Couldn’t stop grinning, and still showing 34mpg.
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>> Fully laden too. However, the fuel consumption like that was a rather less pleasant 38mpg.
>> At French fuel prices that stung a bit.
>>
...makes my 2000+ miles round Europe in my 3.5 tonne brick look mildly respectable at 34.1mpg overall. (I do tend to cruise at a real 60mph, though, or the fuel gauge tends to drop rather more quickly).
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That sounds ok T&E, as you say for a large vehicle. Presumably a diesel I guess? 2.0 or similar is it?
My brother in law reckons he gets about 17mpg from his 3.0 Touareg when pulling the medium sized bungalow of a caravan they have.
In fairness to the Jeep, I’d expect the Merc to have done little better with bikes in the airflow over the same journey. Diesel though which would have worked out cheaper in France than sans plomb.
The bikes make a huge difference to drag/fuel economy, I got 57.7 mpg the other day from the E220 on a 300 mile round trip at motorway speeds without the bikes on top.
Keep meaning to get a tow bar and rear mounted rack set up, but inertia continues to prevail. Sadly, I get regular bouts of CBA syndrome, had it all my life I’m afraid, but one learns to live with it.
;-)
Last edited by: Runfer D'Hills on Sun 29 Oct 23 at 13:20
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...2.3 diesel 150bhp with lots of torque (and the bikes are in the garage at the back).
TBF, the 34.1 is "off the meter" which is mildly optimistic, but only very mildly. It's at the top-end of what is reported by others for similar vehicles, and is always better on our Continental travels.
I'm reasonably light-footed (both in the car and the 'van), but I don't dawdle.
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...don't fancy that (and neither do the neighbours).
I have found something for Runfer's impending retirement, though.....
tinyurl.com/rvferrunfer
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> I have found something for Runfer's impending retirement, though.....
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHUL1ZnLZ-c
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Quick update on the 1.4 Vitara....still got the car, alternate days hospital visiting and average 45 mpg on a fast A road when conditions allow. About 50 mile round trip.
Does what it says on the tin, reasonably comfy, good visibility, poor stereo and laggy screen. Very low rent interior, gearbox not the best by a long way, very light steering with no feel, but it is what it is. I covered quite a few miles in Spain pre Christmas with a friend who lives there and has a 1.5 Skoda Karoq, which is on a different level altogether.
If keeping it I need to fit better speakers x 4.
The other days I hospital visit in the Yaris. Which is nice.
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Watched Harry’s Garage review of his cars for the year. He has the Yaris.
Would need to watch it back but says something about the tyres being almost impossible to get hold of, and the alloy wheels are about £2k a pop so dealers very wary about doing any tyre work on them in case of damage?
Not sure if he has the standard wheels or had picked upgrades?
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>> the alloy wheels are about £2k a pop so dealers
>> very wary about doing any tyre work on them in case of damage?
>> Not sure if he has the standard wheels or had picked upgrades?
>>
Review of the Yaris here
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHPtRwwLVhQ&ab_channel=Harry%27sgarage
Without watching it through again, I thought he said there were different wheels on it? No?
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Way too late for the edit.
p.s. What is the logic behind spending a lot of money buying non-standard wheels - and tyres, which then give you no end of problems?
Eh? Why do that? Have they just got too much money?
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>> Review of the Yaris here
>>
>> www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHPtRwwLVhQ&ab_channel=Harry%27sgarage
>>
>> Without watching it through again, I thought he said there were different wheels on it?
>> No?
There were two versions of the GR Yaris.
95% + were the Circuit Pack. This had very light forged alloy rims, shod with super sticky Michelin rubber. Extra diffs, and a different suspension set up. Cost about £3k more at list.
My version is the Convenience Pack. Heavier alloys of a different design with Dunlop Sport tyres. Same wheel size (18”) and tyre profile. No tricks diffs, but has a better sound system, head up display, sat nav and slightly softer suspension. I’d no intention of taking it on a circuit or making a fool of myself on the ‘Ring so I thought what’s the point ?
Pretty much identical otherwise...
In reality, and on the public road, no one, apart from a professional racing driver, is going to notice the difference between the better handling Circuit and the Convenience Packs.
From memory, Harry’s Garage was Pearl effect Scarlet Flare with gold coloured wheels. Looks lovely, but I’m more than happy with mine in metallic ‘Precious Black’.
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Thanks for the update which for some reason is appearing between 29 October posts. We bought our Vitara soon after you. Our stereo was awful at first too but once I found the right sound menu I was able to adjust it to be OK. We have no problem with the gears other than an occasional noise in reverse which may just be gear whine which some reviews mention. Selection is fine. The interior quality doesn’t bother me at all and the satnav is better than that in our 2018 Golf (ironically the satnav model). It also links better to our smart phone than the Golf.
Since getting the Vitara we use it a lot more than the Golf. It’s got more character somehow.
I suspect what might spoil it for you is the comparison with your Yaris. A different beast altogether.
If you do chop the Vitara in you may be in for a shock. Dealer asking prices are down about 10% since we bought it in October and it’s trade in value has gone down by an even bigger percentage. I watched prices very carefully in the weeks before buying and it wasn’t overpriced in the market at that time. Maybe a bit of normality is coming back.
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>>Since getting the Vitara we use it a lot more than the Golf. It's got more character somehow.
Can’t tell you why really, but we’re the same with the Renegade. The Merc is a better car in any and every measurable way, but there’s always a bit of a fight for the keys to the Jeep!
It’s just more fun I suppose.
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>> Thanks for the update which for some reason is appearing between 29 October posts.
Now sorted (hopefully)
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My very wealthy mate* has a 2015 1.6 petrol Vitara. I agree the interior and display are from an older generation of car, the plastic is very hard and scratchy.
But considering how reliable it has been, I can't see him changing it any time soon. I wonder if the Skoda will be as reliable - I have a colleague who has an Octavia estate 3 1/2 years old and 50k miles, and needs new suspension and ECU and no goodwill from Skoda.
*He's an electronics engineer and not paid a particularly well, but his employer, a listed PLC, have given him share options that are like golden handcuffs.
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Wife's Suzy is an automatic (TC) Allgrip hybrid so a different beast - I pre fur it to my Scooby doo.
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Suzuki - Initial impressions - Runfer D'Hills
