I change my rental every two weeks, a simple enough procedure on a Sunday morning.
The current 208, and previous Yaris, both have simple heater/air con controls, dials and switches. My own car back in the U.K. has a toggle switch for temp and fan speed, and push buttons for the direction of flow. Simplicity itself and so easy to regulate on the move...friends who live here have bought a Volvo and were telling me yesterday that all heating/ cooling has to be done via a touch screen and it’s a PiTA.
I think that could deter me from purchasing such a vehicle...does anyone have such a vehicle and if so does it become second nature ?
My Luddite tendencies to the fore again..
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I've had PSA models with cabin ventilation on a touch screen as courtesy cars.
I guess if a potential purchase ticked all my other boxes, the ability to pull the caravan is obviously a clincher, I'd live with it. Definitely a negative point though.
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Wouldn't bother me, I can't say I've used one but I don't think it would be a negative. Most people are happy with using touch screens on tablets and mobiles. How often do you need to adjust the heating settings in a single journey?
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Yip I couldn’t tell you the last time I touched the cars heating controls. Possibly some point during the summer .
Climate control is just set to 20 degrees and left on auto.
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>> Yip I couldn’t tell you the last time I touched the cars heating controls. Possibly
>> some point during the summer .
>> Climate control is just set to 20 degrees and left on auto.
We are however approaching winter, the time you need to defrost the car quickly in the morning.
My Beemer stays on climate control, I might tweak the temp button up or down a notch at times in normal use. However it has two extra useful buttons. "Max Defrost" "Max Cooling". Both do exactly what they say on the tin, and you use them at the times you need them with a single finger push.
I do wish tho that BMW had changed the cabin controls round for R/H drive. All the useful buttons are on the other side.
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Working from home, I don’t envisage having to take the car out in any frosty mornings!!
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>> I've had PSA models with cabin ventilation on a touch screen as courtesy cars.
>>
Did they still work?
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>> Did they still work?
Yes but it involved a deal of faffing about to find the demist setting I needed on a cold October morning and again to find settings and a comfortable cabin temperature once under way. I was driving back to Northampton from Perrys in Bletchley so not just round the corner (20 miles or so).
Worse because the screen was badly finger marked.
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>> Worse because the screen was badly finger marked.
I would imagine most would have a demist screen as a single button, but it's French so probably not. Although at least it was working, probably won't be for long.
Last edited by: VxFan on Tue 10 Nov 20 at 11:58
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>> I would imagine most would have a demist screen as a single button, but it's
>> French so probably not. Although at least it was working, probably won't be for long.
It was pretty much a brand new car so everything worked.
I cannot remember the details just that getting ventilation set and Radio 4 playing was far more faff than on the Berlingo with a radio and three rotary controls for the heating etc.
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>> It was pretty much a brand new car so everything worked.
For the moment.
Last edited by: VxFan on Tue 10 Nov 20 at 11:58
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We've got a MK2 C4 Picasso with touch screen. It's no bother really - just leave it in Auto. You can shortcut to the temperature controls by a touch on the bar at the top of the screen, and then they appear in big numbers and are easy to adjust. Demist is on a separate 'button' - away from the main screen, but it's just a touch sensitive location on the dash panel, no actual switch.
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As in the V60 - the rear screen is a traditional switch (also works with voice control) as is the fron t screen, never tried that with voice control. Telling the system that you're cold increases the heat in the cabin - the controls can be linked. One of the "screens" on the touch screens displays all the soft switches for the car's various systems. It looks quite smart in that mode.
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New Volvos have voice control of many tasks. Manual access to many functions is a series of button presses on the 8" screen which is dangerous when driving IMHO.
My Honda has voice control and buttons.
Voice control does not like my Scottish accent so I use the buttons.
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My V60 has touch screen and voice control - voice control is fine e.g. "set heating to 19 degrees" is sufficient, heated seats come on automatically when outside temp is below 10 degrees. The G30 has voice control, may be marginally better than the Volvo's ins everyday. BMW have changed the design of the manual set-up, their lovely tactile buttons (which operated "horizontally") and easily found "heads up" have been replaced by chromed "vertical" buttons, which aren't half as good as the the old F model or as easy to "find" heads up. The voice control is quite easy. It's the way ahead.
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Old folks didn't like the touch screen on the higher end mk3 Jazz as it didn't work when they had their driving gloves on. :)
I monitor a Tiguan forum as the wife has one and there's much upset that the latest Tiguan has touch screen heating controls.
I suppose how often you need to adjust things depends how good it is - Tiguan is fine in auto but my old Mercedes is hopeless as it drops the fan speed right down.
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I thought I would not like touch screen controls.
I have since come to the conclusion that it really is just a set it and leave it system. It may need changing as the seasons change, but if 20C is OK today it will probably be pretty good tomorrow and next week.
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When an old fashioned rotary switch / push button switch fails it might be £10 to £50 for a new one.
When the touch screen on a modern car fails ....................the touchscreen on a newish car goes on the blink you cannot just buy a 3rd party screen unit - it will be available only from the manufacturer!
When the radio/satnav on an older car goes the manufacturer replacement is megabucks. Replace with a new Sony etc is much less.
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Radio functions seem just as precarious. I drive various models , and all I want to do is turn the radio off . Once I’ve mastered this operation, I turn ignition off , get out of the car . On re entry , turn ignition on , to find the radio has switched itself back on . Why does it need to be like this?
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I never feel the need to alter the climate control, so no problem at all for me. However, I hate screens covered in finger prints, so I’m not a fan of touchscreens in cars on aesthetic grounds :)
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>> I never feel the need to alter the climate control, so no problem at all
>> for me. However, I hate screens covered in finger prints, so I’m not a fan
>> of touchscreens in cars on aesthetic grounds :)
Thinking back the last car I had with climate, or at least thermostatically controlled heating/cooling, was the Xantia which could be set at 18/20 and forgotten other than to demist. Except when Mrs B was in the car and insisted on turning it down...
The current Berlingo and the Fabia just have manual aircon so I've probably become adjusted to having to 'fiddle' a bit. In a courtesy car I'm also fiddling because it always takes a bit of experimentation to get heating set OK.
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Voice control. I’d never heard of that controlling the heating.. Phone contacts yes. Sounds impressive. I’ll keep fiddling with my Pug 208 rental car blue to red temperature dial. And sometimes open the windows!
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My WiFi doesn't understand me...
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>> Thinking back the last car I had with climate, or at least thermostatically controlled heating/cooling,
>> was the Xantia which could be set at 18/20 and forgotten other than to demist.
>> Except when Mrs B was in the car and insisted on turning it down...
>>
Is that turn down in the way that turning up the heating will make the house warm up quicker.... ;)
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My wife repeatedly takes the climate control off automatic because "it makes it too cold".
Sometimes I just cry.
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>> My wife repeatedly takes the climate control off automatic because "it makes it too cold".
The exact opposite of my problem.
I'd blame 'the change' but it started before we even had kids.
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I've tried to explain thermostats and automatic settings. It never gets me anywhere.
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Replace heating system in house with app on your own phone. Leave old controls disconnected on wall. Do not inform wife.
Everyone happy.
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Yep. Did that a year ago. Works a treat. It took a while to fine tune each radiator in the house but now the system works with the occasional boost if I want nice warm towels after a shower.
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Car rental changeover day today. The past 2 week rental they let me retain the 208, but this time on arrival at OKCars Alicante airport they wrote on the screen with white marker and off it goes to the sale rooms tomorrow. Only 12k kms on the clock.
I quite liked driving it up and down the mountains. Very underpowered, rubbish music sound but the rear camera was a bonus when doing a 9 point turn on dirt roads with vertiginous drops.
C3 now. Touch screen heater controls so we’ll see how we get on in the next two weeks. The first thing I check when collecting a rental is a spare wheel...a can of gunk up a mountain with no phone signal is worse than useless. Fortunately they found me a C3 with a spare wheel...diesel to boot. Pretty awful to drive compared to the 208...rolly poly, large plastic steering wheel, overlight steering and far, far more wind noise on the motorway. Rubbish interior plastics. I’ve got better on my toothbrush handle.
Mustn’t complain. €34 for 15 days.
Off now to tune in the radio..Bay Radio, Bikini FM, Gold FM and pair with my olde Iphone 5S. I may even check the oil and water early tomorrow after kicking the tyres ( tread depth seems fine).
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You know what'd be nice on those mountain roads if only there was a way of getting one?
A Porsche, even one of the sitty uppy girly ones would be lovely. But I guess that would be tricky to find. Especially one that cost nothing to rent eh??
;-)
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I know you mean well, best intentions etc etc and I’m most grateful for that. However, after 6 weeks driving both up, and down, some of the most awful dirt roads, potholes which almost swallowed my friends Twingo ( even after the sole passenger got out) there was a fair amount of undercarriage damage. And on mainly single track unmade roads, a widish near 2 ton girly car is the very last thing I need. Especially when meeting some local inbred granjero hurtling down the hillside in his battered Peugeot Partner wondering WTF is a gringo doing up here.
Not going to happen. Ever. My French walking pal Bernard had a very lucky escape earlier this year in his Pug 2008 when forced off the road by a local farmer. Substantial damage. The farmer didn’t stop. We cautiously drove past the spot earlier this week and he visibly paled remembering it.
An old Vitara or Daihatsu FourTrak seem the perfect vehicles.
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Car changeover day again. Two weeks and 940kms in the diesel powered C3. Admittedly I’m getting used to the touch screen heater controls...it’s often sub 10C when I leave early AM en route to the hills, collect passengers along the way, sun comes out ( most mornings) constant fiddling with demisting but I’m still not comfortable poking a finger at the screen. Up in the mountains at 09:30 it’s maybe 3C so heater turned up.
So glad I’ve got a small rental car as some of our ‘parking places’ at the end of narrow single track roads only have room for 3 cars tucked up against a rock wall, or between trees and bushes. Now I know why my walking friends all have small beaten up cars !
Last edited by: legacylad on Sun 6 Dec 20 at 08:08
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You could, sell the Porsche, buy a Panda 4x4 and, as a bonus, have loads of beer vouchers left over. It'd still look a bit, well, y'know, but you'd be having top fun. Alternatively, get a Duster, never wash it, again, have fun with it, and if anyone accused you of being a tightwad, you can just explain that you're from Yorkshire and its normal and acceptable behaviour there.
I'm more than possibly heading in one of those directions soon I think. Maybe...
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>> and if anyone accused you of being a tightwad, you can just explain that you're
>> from Yorkshire and its normal and acceptable behaviour there.
>>
>> I'm more than possibly heading in one of those directions soon I think. Maybe...
>>
...being Scotch, you've already achieved the first part. You just need to move to Yorkshire now and you can tick both...
;-)
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>> I'm more than possibly heading in one of those directions soon I think. Maybe...
Well if you are only leaving 4/6th of a car behind its no real loss is it.
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Oh no, I'd keep the Merc, too useful. But I might be tempted to get a wee rufty tufty thing too. For the hell of it mostly.
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>> But I might be tempted to get
>> a wee rufty tufty thing too. For the hell of it mostly.
>>
...is the current Mrs D going, then.....
;-)
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Showing no signs of taking any hints yet...
;-)
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>> You could, sell the Porsche,
If it's manual, petrol, silver or black and at mates' rates, give me a shout.
;)
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Manual ? FFS. Have you no idea how darned good the PDK box is. It does have manual override should you so wish.
And it’s the wrong colour. Volcano Grey, albeit with black leather & alcantara upholstery with red stitching. Carbon trim and steering wheel, so quite contemporary. No wood I’m afraid Clk Sec but I rather like it.
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That didn’t go well.
Returned the car to ALC and lo and behold someone has scratched the plastic trim on the near side below the rear door. As I never walk round that side I hadn’t spotted it. Not that it would have made any difference, but it wasn’t there two weeks ago on collection.
It’s a fair cop. I honestly don’t remember causing it as I’m paranoid about parking rental cars, even on dirt roads.....far end of supermarket car parks for me etc etc.
€360 thank you very much deducted from my c card. I’ll reclaim it (hopefully)from my CDW policy, but it’s hassle, as I found out previously.
Maybe I should buy a reliable old banger in Spain, tax & insure it, leave it here...€200/300pa to leave with a company at the airport. It will save a fortnightly drive to ALC when I’m here for 8/10 weeks twice a year. Plus other times.
Hey ho.
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That’s a little pricey...a colleague scuffed a brand new Audi Q3 against a pillar in an underground car park in Alicante, dentingthe rear wheel arch and making some unsightly black marks. We were only charged a couple of hundred euros for that!
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I was so surprised i didn’t query it. Out of the ( probably) 35+ rental periods I’ve had at ALC it was the first time I’d returned a car with damage not noted upon collection.
The previous damage was at TFS last year when I was robbed by an offshoot of Goldcar.
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Ours was from Avis...the iPad they used to mark the damage spat out the bill at the time...it was a very precise number...something like €188.54, rather than a nice round €200. Presumably to make it appear more ‘real’ and less made up!
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>> Returned the car to ALC and lo and behold someone has scratched the plastic trim
>> on the near side below the rear door. As I never walk round that side
>> I hadn’t spotted it. Not that it would have made any difference, but it wasn’t
>> there two weeks ago on collection.
>> It’s a fair cop. I honestly don’t remember causing it as I’m paranoid about parking
>> rental cars,
Why not ask your friends which one has done the scratch on the side of the car?
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>> I don’t have any friends
>>
I'll buy you a pint next time we visit KL...
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>> >> I don’t have any friends
>> >>
>>
>> I'll buy you a pint next time we visit KL...
>>
I won’t be visiting KL anytime soon. Mid July, my birthday celebrations, first time on a bus since lockdown, I didn’t like the social distancing rigmarole in the Barn and Orange Tree, my favourite watering holes. I’ve spent many an afternoon propping up the bar, midweek, at the OT. Home on the 16:45 bus!
Thanks anyway.
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>> I don’t have any friends
Aw, I'll be your friend LL ! In fact, just to prove how much of a friend I could be, next time you're going away for 10 weeks, I'll tell you what I'd do, for no reason other than to be friendly, I'd look after your Porsche for you. Take it out for runs in the country and so on, just to keep everything ticking over etc. I'd be more than prepared to overlook it's sitty uppiness and slightly feminine appeal just out of the kindness of my heart.
See, there are genuine people out there !
;-)
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Gracias senor. You’re kind as a fish. Apreciado.
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>> Aw, I'll be your friend LL ! In fact, just to prove how much of
>> a friend I could be, next time you're going away for 10 weeks, I'll tell
>> you what I'd do, for no reason other than to be friendly, I'd look after
>> your Porsche for you.
>> See, there are genuine people out there !
And I will stay in your house in Settle while (I can say 'while', can't I?) you are away. I will make sure the freezer, wine and beer is nicely cleared out.
That's what friends are for.
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>> Returned the car to ALC and lo and behold someone has scratched the plastic trim
>> on the near side below the rear door. As I never walk round that side
>> I hadn’t spotted it. Not that it would have made any difference, but it wasn’t
>> there two weeks ago on collection.
>> It’s a fair cop. I honestly don’t remember causing it as I’m paranoid about parking
>> rental cars, even on dirt roads.....far end of supermarket car parks for me etc etc.
>> €360 thank you very much deducted from my c card. I’ll reclaim it (hopefully)from my
>> CDW policy, but it’s hassle, as I found out.
Hassle indeed. insurance4carhire with whom I have the CDW policy state on their website that they aim to settle claims within 12/15 working days. I submitted the claim online 11/12/20. Sent them an email a few days ago to query the delay, and their reply was that I need to phone them. 90 minutes Thursday I got passed from pillar to post until the line eventually went dead. Friday, after 40 mins I finally got through to someone in the Claims Dept. Gave all relevant details for the 4th time in 2 days..policy number, claim reference, name, address etc. Person I spoke to said she would forward my claim to an assessor and they’d be in touch by email. Good job I asked her to confirm the email address as she quoted an unknown Spanish one !
I did receive an email later in the day. Can I submit the claim again....gggrrrrrr.
Ruddy hopeless inefficient bunch.
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Hard to beat the type of rotary control that became ubiquitous for a reason. Aggravating factor is designers wanting to convert them to full electronic control.
The Outlander is electronic but push-button which to me is much simpler than touch screen. I don't think it is quite as handy as 3 knobs - instead of a knob with pictures, there is a mode button to toggle round the different distribution modes. I like that it has a single button for defogging that just aims maximum blast and heat at the windscreen.
All quite nerdy and nearly as exciting as a discussion on floor mats, but what is really remarkable is that so many people seem unable to use the heating and ventilation controls to any useful effect.
The boss's best friend has a newish Ford that was always fogged up. The boss had made tactful suggestions as to how to fix this, to no avail so one day she just switched on the AC, turned down the fan, and turned off recirculation. Within two minutes all the windows were clear. Friend still has reservations because it can't be right to use AC unless she's too hot.
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My X1 had very poor windscreen demisting.
There is only one vent and it is positioned in the middle of the screen so on a right cold day you need to wait till it has spread the air to the corners of the screen.
Why any designer thought that was better than individually placed vents along the screen! Or one much longer vent that you see in some cars.
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Probably cheaper to build it that way.
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>>so many people seem unable to use the heating and ventilation controls to any useful effect.
A friend insists on putting maximum heat to face level vents, frying the eyeballs while the feet freeze. They cannot be convinced otherwise, even though the car's got climate. They had the car for over a year before I pointed out it had A/C! One journey in the Summer caused the windscreen to collect condensate on the outside necessitating the wipers. I did manage to convince them to re-direct the air from the 'screen vents.
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>> My wife repeatedly takes the climate control off automatic because "it makes it too cold".
>>
>>
>> Sometimes I just cry.
>>
Woman and Thermostat. A recipe for all out WAR.
Same in this house with the room stat. I've all but given up. Talking to the dogs now I feel so much more relaxed.
Yes Dear, I'm coming...........................
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I see that for the latest C4, Citroen have reverted back to conventional HVAC controls. Hurray!
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As an aside...a 17km strenuous walk today under cloudless skies from the mountain village of Tárbena. Bitterly cold start at 09:30...midway round we came upon a stranded leccy company van. Midway up a narrow vertiginous track to a remote finca. NS front wheel hanging over a substantial drop. No phone signal. The two leccy workers were resigned to a long walk to get some form of assistance. Several of us manhandled their small van back onto the mountain track and left them to reverse down. Rather them than me.
Good deed for the day. Tick. It could all have gone horribly wrong.
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If you had been really decent whlie manhandling it, you would at least have turned it to face the right way.....
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Ha. If they were brave ( or stupid) enough to drive it up there....it was so tight up against the rock wall we could only walk past on one side. Sideways. Focused the mind somewhat.
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>>NS front wheel
Would that be the left or right. I always considered the N/S to be closest to the kerb, but on a recent police interceptors program they thought otherwise.
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>> >>NS front wheel
>>
>> Would that be the left or right. I always considered the N/S to be closest to the kerb,
I agree with you.
>> but on a recent police interceptors program they thought otherwise.
Maybe nearest to the driver ???
Both my adult offspring had never come across the N/S O/S expressions.
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NS = passenger side = the side nearest the kerb when you park next to it.
Presumably to reduce ambiguity of right/left sidedness - is the right side of the engine on you right as you peer at it under the bonnet, or the right side from the driver's seat for example?
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The terms nearside and offside predate cars. Horses have an offside and a nearside too. A horse is invariably mounted from the nearside or the horse’ left. The reason, I believe, dates back to men carrying swords which, for a right handed man, are worn on the left and the sword would get in the way if mounting from the right.
In practical terms horses get used to always being mounted from the nearside so might get jumpy if you tried to mount it from the right.
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Similarly for aircraft, very rare to enter from the right hand side. Although I don't think they really mind :-)
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When Myself and friends take me ol mum to Spain she always enters at the rear on the RHS. Preferential treatment on the hoist. It doesn’t half sway in a high wind at LBA!
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>>Presumably to reduce ambiguity of right/left sidedness - I've never understood the ambiguity.
Surely just about everybody can answer "Is your car RHD or LHD?"
But "which is the right hand front wheel?" seems to cause confusion. If nothing else you'd think the word "front" would be a clue as to which way you should be facing.
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I can't bring myself to get on a bike from its right side. Has to be the left. Don't ask me why. Probably the same reason I have to put my left shoe on first and take it off first. It's not a superstitious thing, it just doesn't "feel" right to do it any other way. Left trouser leg first too.
.
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You have just made me realise I’m the same!
I’m right handed off it’s relevant.
Bike- as a mainly road cyclist I am wondering if it’s to do with the kerb and putting left foot down first on kerb when stopping. And standing on the kerb singing my right leg over.
Shoes- I genuinely never realised but when I read your note, yip, always left shoe first.
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I can't even claim to be a left fitter Bobby... ;-) But, yeah, I'm right handed too, but for some reason, I kick a ball with my left foot in preference and ski left biased ( those who ski will care )
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I spent a bit of just checking, but indeed I have no preference. I ski, board and surf either way round also. Ditto on the scooter.
Must be a scotch thing.
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The Welsh have always been non-committal...
Last edited by: Runfer D'Hills on Sun 17 Jan 21 at 19:59
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Actually we're often committed. Usually against our will.
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Ach, to be fair, they are not bad at Rugby, singing, mining and eating seaweed, wearing pointy hats and "attending" to sheep. But, that's about it really...
;-)
Last edited by: Runfer D'Hills on Sun 17 Jan 21 at 20:17
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Our flag is better than yours.
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>> Our flag is better than yours.
>>
...well, the dragon is definitely right handed....
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>> Our flag is better than yours.
Aye well, our mountains are bigger than yours.
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>> >> Our flag is better than yours.
>>
>> Aye well, our mountains are bigger than yours.
And your midges.
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>> And your midges.
They only bite foreigners.
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>> They only bite foreigners.
Because we taste better.
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>> Because we taste better.
If true, that would be kind of ironic, in that in order to taste better, it would be logical to think that one would have to have better taste...
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No, no no. The midges have better taste, we taste better.
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I could go off on a tangent and tell you about the side effects of wearing a kilt (in the traditional manner) in midge country. But, it's earlier in the day in South America and you are most probably yet to eat...
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>> tell you about the side effects of wearing a kilt (in the traditional manner) in midge country.
Oh good God, that had never previously occurred to me.
Is *that* why you were speedos under your kilt? I thought it was for another reason entirely.
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...the Rugby thing's debatable.... ;-)
I'm very left handed and footed, but, though I played cricket (badly) left handed, racket sports were always (equally badly) right handed.
Knife and fork right handed, spoon left handed.
Confused I am (and largely sinister).
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>> Confused I am (and largely sinister).
I knew there must be something, that and the Yorkshireman thing of course.
;-)
Last edited by: Runfer D'Hills on Sun 17 Jan 21 at 20:32
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...oh, I agree that I'm (slightly) odd, but I'm not obsessed by which foot I put my clog on first......
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You should be, it's a sort of spiritual thing.
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It is natural to get on from the kerb side - the left. Plus the chain and all the mucky derailleur gear is on the right.
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Agreed Duncan. But, it all gets a bit confusing if you're French doesn't it?
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Bicycles aren't "handed" are they? Brakes the other way and gears the other side?
I'm going to go check......
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...as discussed on here, several times, and recently, UK standard for bicycle brakes is different side from EU (and possibly other LHD countries).
Drive train, otoh, does not differ.
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>>..as discussed on here, several times,
I clearly should pay more attention.
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Well how about that, I did not know.
We have a British bike, a Chilean bike and an Italian bike. Or at least, bikes bought in those countries.
And the British bike has the brakes the other way around to the other two.
Gears are all on the right though.
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..to repeat; the jury is out on the reason, but the favourite theory is that the layout allows for controlled rear-wheel braking, whilst (hand-)signalling to go across oncoming traffic.
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I wonder why I've never noticed. It's not that long ago I switched my own from a UK bike to a Chilean bike and even then I occasionally ride the girls if I've done something to them.
Actually, it was probably a couple of years, but even so.
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...it was unknown to me until I had a "brake crisis" in Germany, and had to have the hydraulics bled as an emergency.
"Someone has switched your brakes round......!". Mind you, it was a UK-bought German branded e-bike.
I've ridden hired bikes in various countries abroad in the dim and distant past, but they were all back-pedal rear brake, and that alone would have been enough variance and confusion for me not to really notice which side the single brake lever was for the front brake.
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Peugeot - Modern heating controls - Bromptonaut
