Been using my wife's Qashqai this morning. Dog transport reasons. He's not allowed in my car because I won't pay a million pounds for an MB bootliner and sometimes he gets a bit pukey. The Nissan has a bootliner so...( By the way he didn't chuck up this morning so whoopee, progress ! )
Anyway, I got to thinking while driving the Qq. It's the cooking model, a simple 1.6 petrol manual with the lowest toy count.
I really enjoyed the drive. I decided when the wipers should come on, when the lights should be lit, which gear was best and turned the knob on the heater until I was comfortable. I'd quite forgotten how empowering all that was !
Totally convinced now though that I prefer RWD. Just need to think of a simple, non-interfered with RWD to buy next time !
|
>> I really enjoyed the drive. I decided when the wipers should come on, when the
>> lights should be lit, which gear was best and turned the knob on the heater
>> until I was comfortable. I'd quite forgotten how empowering all that was !
>>
>> Totally convinced now though that I prefer RWD. Just need to think of a simple,
>> non-interfered with RWD to buy next time !
>>
See what you miss with all the carp fitted? - real driving!
I can see an Escort Mexico with your name on it.... or have you ever thought about a Westfield?
Last edited by: swiss tony on Sun 4 Mar 12 at 11:18
|
Do you know, that's not a bad idea ST...
Maybe a wee bit more comfort needed these days...an old MX5 looks favourite for the Summer...
:-)
|
>> Do you know, that's not a bad idea ST...
>>
>> Maybe a wee bit more comfort needed these days...an old MX5 looks favourite for the
>> Summer...
I was about to suggest that. Much more involving drive than the Outlander. Shame the carrying capacity is...limited.
Need to get my ABS sorted - after the head went back on, it stayed on occasionally. I fiddled with it a bit and now it's on all the time :-( On the flip side, I've learned to brake sensitively again - it definitely doesn't work when the light's on!
|
|
I reckon a base model BMW 116i is probably the simplest RWD car with some practicality; an MX5 tops it for simplicity, but no room for a dog!! There's even a RWD only version of the X1 :-)
|
|
Agree with you to a certain extent, although the only automatic bits about my car are the gears and the windscreen wipers, the second of which is in the main a definite plus. The really irritating automation is the extra single wipe of the rear screen some 15 seconds or so after the last sequence of sweeps when it's been washed. You just get it clean and then...this extra wipe comes and smears it again!
Last edited by: Mike H on Sun 4 Mar 12 at 11:22
|
|
....oh, and another thing, my car is the low-slung allegedly "sport" version, body kit, watchstrap tyres and so on, looks kinda mean but utterly crap for speed humps. Have to almost stop for them. Qashqai on 16 inchers just floats over them. Had to unstick the dog from the roof lining mind...
|
>> Qashqai on 16 inchers just floats over them. Had to unstick
>> the dog from the roof lining mind...
There you go, you have found the cure to car sickness. Knock the thing unconcious.
|
Presumably new or nearly new?, too niche a market, you want a bespoke car, i doubt you'll find what you want outside the pick up market.
Ford have a complete new Ranger now with a 3.2 5 cyl Diesel...nice.
Few new car buyers would want a car without every toy available within the budget, amazingly that need/desire continues when buying cars out of warranty despite the inevitable faults.
edit, beg pardon i assumed this was a full time car purchase not a car for pleasure.
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Sun 4 Mar 12 at 11:32
|
|
No, it is GB. Just that ST was leading me astray...
|
|
Shame you didn't mention it sooner Humph - My wife's 59 plate 2.0 Sportech went for a good price, should have gone to a proper home - cracking little motor.
|
Probably for the best. I have to keep reminding myself of the life lesson which teaches the differences between need, want, head and heart etc ! A two seater would be utterly useless to me at the moment however much I might fancy one again.
|
|
My Panda is mostly manual although the rear wipers come on when you select reverse and it does at least have central locking and electric windows. I like it because it is so basic though no silly displays either. My dads Hyundai for example tells you when to change gear, that would just annoy me.
|
>> My Panda is mostly manual .................
Yes - but its power goes to the wrong wheels!
|
>> My Panda is mostly manual although the rear wipers come on when you select reverse
Cor blimey, typical Italians, someone's got the reversing light and the wiper wires crossed
|
|
This was touched upon yesterday here. The MX5 was an indulgence, Mrs RP chopped it for what she calls a "grown up" car (V50) - A three year old 328 petrol has recently become er...available...very low miles, beautifully maintained and kept in pristine condition - the maths stacked up, I even have a potential customer waiting for the X1....I WANT was the flag up, dogs were a consideration as she said (sadly) we have the Volvo for that now...:-(. Anyway head has prevailed and keeping the X1.
|
>> No, it is GB. Just that ST was leading me astray...
>>
Me? lead you astray? perish the thought!!!!!
tinyurl.com/79c85oy
tinyurl.com/74tqnho
tinyurl.com/7exflpg
|
Simple is good?
Yes please. Ill take a practical, comfortable, well designed car over an overtly complex one any day. I have an increasing aversion to anything which has features which answer a question ive not asked.
|
|
That last one looks more or less identical to my old one Tony. It was also red but had a black hood. The hoods don't work by the way ! They just channel the rain to specific places rather than allow it to be distributed evenly.
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Sun 4 Mar 12 at 12:12
|
Not a bad thought Roger, but wouldn't I have to change the dog's name to something totally non-PC and start wearing a flat cap?
:-)
|
|
A flat hat, with a pair of knitted yellow back, leather palmed, driving gloves are de rigeur for driving a Moggie!
|
Yeah bring it on !
Seriously though, I didn't buy my Westie for any knd of retro experience I just loved it for its visceral simplicity and indeed where we lived in a very rural part of the Scottish Borders with some of the quietest but best driving roads going. Loads of twisty winding, empty hill routes. Used to get up very early on summer Sundays just for the hell of going for a blast.
Took it through the Alps three years running too. About the best fun I've had on four wheels . I fear I'm too soft for that now and indeed living in the wrong place.
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Sun 4 Mar 12 at 12:33
|
Anyway, having royally drifted my own thread ( as per ) :-)
I guess the motion is - Sometimes beans on toast is preferable to nouvelle cuisine.
|
|
Now and again europecar provide something very basic like an i10. I quite like having something that you really have to drive from time to time
|
Been thinking about this one, and i can only suggest one particular make and not too sure if they haven't gone fully down the road of auto everything.
So suggest Subaru Forester, OK its 4WD but they don't suffer the FWD driving displeasure penalty.
|
>> I guess the motion is - Sometimes beans on toast is preferable to nouvelle cuisine.
Herself shovelled down the muesli and went off promptly this morning to a spinning workshop or something.
I did myself some Heinz Curry Beans on toast :-)
|
Curried beans? Now y'see, that's just going to give you airs...
:-)
|
>> Now y'see, that's just going to give you airs...
Without the graces...
|
|
Nothing wrong with beans on toast and a nice cup of tea.
|
Did you buy the dog from Niger? Or is it nee gere now?
Total carp the lot of it.
|
>> Anyway, I got to thinking while driving the Qq. It's the cooking model, a simple
>> 1.6 petrol manual with the lowest toy count.
>>
>> I really enjoyed the drive. I decided when the wipers should come on, when the
>> lights should be lit, which gear was best and turned the knob on the heater
>> until I was comfortable. I'd quite forgotten how empowering all that was !
What you need is a nice Mitsubishi Lancer estate.
|
|
Never seen one of those. Where do you find them then?
|
>> Never seen one of those. Where do you find them then?
>>
Dunno, but I get the impression there must be at least two of them in the UK... ;-)
Last edited by: AnotherJohnH on Sun 4 Mar 12 at 16:40
|
>>Where do you find them then?
Zero chance of finding one unless you are doggedly committed to an arduous search.
|
Simple, practical RWD?
That'll be my 330Ci then. No turbo's or intercoolers to go wrong.The Border Collie & Lakeland sit happily in their individual rear seats, held securely in place with a harness through the belts. Very useful for when the roof is down!
The auto dipping mirror, dipping NS mirror and auto lights I could live without, but the latter two can be turned off should one's Luddite tendencies prevail.
And 330s are getting cheaper by the minute. Good uns available circa £8k.
|
Used to have a VW Lupo 1.0E - something very honest and hardworking about a basic car. Less is more, and all that. Also maybe it's because your expectations are lower, so the car often exceeds them and makes you feel good...
Similarly, when you're travelling in some remote part of a distant third world country and the car that picks you up is an 8-year old Corolla, you start to appreciate the Corolla more, when compared to the other dross on the roads...
|
>>What you need is a nice Mitsubishi Lancer estate<<
Good cars m8, well built, go quite well, a bit hairy on the bendy bits though (not un-like 'the wife' actually)
|
"hairy on the bendy bits though (not un-like 'the wife' actually) "
Too much information!
|
It's worth being a member of this forum just to learn about all the modern car features I don't want.
I have hardly ever driven a front wheel drive car, but when I do (Peugeot 306) I am immediately struck by how tiring the steering is. It has an over-powerful self-centring effect except over the middle 3 inches, when it has none at all. I've become used to cars that steer in a straight line if I let go of the steering wheel, and spin gently back to centre if I let the wheel run through my fingers.
It's also nice having a large wheel close enough to rest my elbows on without needing my knees jammed underneath.
|
Simple is good? - swiss tony
