Do you drive this car?

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tyred

Legendary Member
Location
Ireland
"but get the Ambience spec" ??
Only had one car ever. A Reliant Kitten Estate it got me from A to B just as any other car would. The only difference was the paint came off when I washed it.

A custom built Mercian and a Tesco full suspension special are just bikes and do the same job but I know which I would prefer.

Drive a car with well sorted dynamics such even a basic VW Golf (of any era) down a twisty road and repeat in an early 1990s Ford Escort with it's rough CVH engine, bouncy but under-damped suspension and slow, vague rack and bungee cord steering and report back.
 

screenman

Squire
A custom built Mercian and a Tesco full suspension special are just bikes and do the same job but I know which I would prefer.

Drive a car with well sorted dynamics such even a basic VW Golf (of any era) down a twisty road and repeat in an early 1990s Ford Escort with it's rough CVH engine, bouncy but under-damped suspension and slow, vague rack and bungee cord steering and report back.

I do not think brand likes cars, any cars that is.

Must say tyred I am with you on this one.
 

marknotgeorge

Hol den Vorschlaghammer!
Location
Derby.
Peugeot make great diesels as do Mercedes.
I wonder what went wrong with the 1.4 HDi engine they shared with Ford (as fitted in my Fusion), then? There a bugger when (not if ) the injector seals go. Hours of work for 4 little copper washers smaller than a penny, mainly chipping off the coal that gets formed around the inlet manifold. Mind you, otherwise it's a lovely car. Sits at 70 all day, and will do 50mpg in urban areas without trying. £30 road tax disc VED too...
 

brand

Guest
A custom built Mercian and a Tesco full suspension special are just bikes and do the same job but I know which I would prefer.
They are not the same, bikes require effort. So it is best have one suited to the purpose you are using it for. A car requires you to press a pedal. That's it.
Next you will be saying car drivers aren't killing the planet, global warming isn't taking place and it's okay to murder trees.
And I do not hate inanimate objects I hate their exploiters (been waiting to use that word for ages)
 

tyred

Legendary Member
Location
Ireland
They are not the same, bikes require effort. So it is best have one suited to the purpose you are using it for. A car requires you to press a pedal. That's it.
Next you will be saying car drivers aren't killing the planet, global warming isn't taking place and it's okay to murder trees.
And I do not hate inanimate objects I hate their exploiters (been waiting to use that word for ages)

What I'm saying is that there is pleasure to be had from using a well engineered machine and that applies whether it's a bike, a car, a chainsaw, a socket set or a toilet roll holder.

And I am not someone who judges something purely on price as there are good and bad examples of everything available at almost any price point and the laws of diminishing returns usually kick in.
 

brand

Guest
Seats, I forgot seats
 

CopperBrompton

Bicycle: a means of transport between cake-stops
Location
London
What I'm saying is that there is pleasure to be had from using a well engineered machine and that applies whether it's a bike, a car, a chainsaw, a socket set or a toilet roll holder.
This.

For cars, there's a world of difference between sitting in a steel box waiting to arrive somewhere, and an enjoyable drive. Granted traffic will generally determine the experience at peak times, but off-peak the car you drive can make a world of difference to the experience. And even sitting in traffic, I'm a happier chap with the roof down.
 
I wonder what went wrong with the 1.4 HDi engine they shared with Ford (as fitted in my Fusion), then? There a bugger when (not if ) the injector seals go. Hours of work for 4 little copper washers smaller than a penny, mainly chipping off the coal that gets formed around the inlet manifold. Mind you, otherwise it's a lovely car. Sits at 70 all day, and will do 50mpg in urban areas without trying. £30 road tax disc VED too...

I would say -
Ford got to it! I am not a fan.
I think you are down at or just over the size limit on diesel cars. They tried to squeeze a bit more go out of the 1.4 and it suffers. The 1.6 is sweet.
Mpg is great. I had a C class merc that was a big car but I got 75mpg out of it on a run and 55mpg on my commute. I really could not afford to run a petrol car.

Years ago our first diesel car was a Pug 205. It had a 1.7 diesel lump under the bonnet. In its day it was quicker than all the petrol versions apart from the GTi and was great fun to drive.
Our one started life as a van. I put back windows in and got a complete interior out of a GTi at the scrappie. We had it for years.
 

brand

Guest
This.

For cars, there's a world of difference between sitting in a steel box waiting to arrive somewhere, and an enjoyable drive. Granted traffic will generally determine the experience at peak times, but off-peak the car you drive can make a world of difference to the experience. And even sitting in traffic, I'm a happier chap with the roof down.
Yes conspicuous consumption is important to some people.
Mine is my Sherwood Gadwell moleskin trousers. I never actually wear them out of the house so that might not count as conspicuous consumption. I also wear them inside out as they feel so nice that way.
 
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