Controversial Topic - What Car?

[DJ]

Thanks for that sensible answer! how many kids do you have?

Thats alright !!!


3 Boys.


Life is simpler, slower and I no longer waste any of my time sitting in traffic jams!!!!


You should try it.

 

[Wigsie]

How much is a 2nd hand Volvo V50? I had one on demo for a bit and I thought it was better than the A4 avant I had.

Dont think they made them till 2005 so not many around under 8-10k but they are nice...

 

[Wigsie]

Thats alright !!!


3 Boys.


Life is simpler, slower and I no longer waste any of my time sitting in traffic jams!!!!


You should try it.

Whatever!

I can see how in certain situations/locations you can make do without a car but I maintain you can't get by in most parts of the UK without a car and be less stressed transporting the little blighters around.

If dont live in a big city with a good transport system and you want to take them to the zoo, cinema, bowling alley, swimming pool, parks/farms football games, tennis matches visit family that live 50/100 & 300 miles away etc how do you do it?

 

[DJ]

Whatever!

I can see how in certain situations/locations you can make do without a car but I maintain you can't get by in most parts of the UK without a car and be less stressed transporting the little blighters around.

If dont live in a big city with a good transport system and you want to take them to the zoo, cinema, bowling alley, swimming pool, parks/farms football games, tennis matches visit family that live 50/100 & 300 miles away etc how do you do it?

Yes I do agree with all the above, I do live in London and that is the only reason it is possible, We use a car club for short hires as many journeys are just to the local diy shop or something like that, We can get the kids to anywhere we want by public transport and they get alot more exercise than they would do if we had a car.
For longer journeys we often get the train and with a family rail card it make sthe cost reasonable!! We do feel rather smug about all this as we do not have the extra running costs of keeping a car and it no longer sits outside the house for 3 weeks out of 4, most friends are truely shocked when they find out.
I used to get very distraught when sitting in traffic and everyone in the vehicle with me would get very stressed as the atmosphere worsened, I guess it just happened too often and it started getting to me!
My second son was continuously car sick to the point where we could hardly go anywhere without him puking, that is unless we where very carefull to fill him with drugs and make him wear wrist bands look out the window and eat dry biscuits continuously!
It has now been a year and it has been very liberating for us all I believe I spend more time at home with my kids rather than taking them on huge expeditions and expensive days out that I once presumed was nescessarry! We are now thinking of getting a car again but are tentative about it and now we see the benefits of not having one we will use it in moderation.

I do believe the car rules our society and that it has done our society almost as much harm as it has done good.

Everyone should try this exercise for a minimum of one year as it takes that long to change your mind set, if everyone did this then we would have less congestion on our roads communities would be stronger more together, Fathers and Mothers would not waste there time on a long commute but would work from or closer to home and therefore could spend more time with there families.
The benefits for everyone will not out weigh the limitations but it would give people a different perspective which I believe would be beneficial to all, the environment and society in general.

Cheers.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I don't drive. I mean, I know how to, but I don't even hold a license. But if I was to own a car, it'd have to be a Nissan Qashqai. I have a soft spot for that car.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
It's an ugly piece of shoot and an absolute turd to drive... will people please stop thinking this sort of kack is acceptable transport....

 

[Fab Foodie]

Berlingo - and stick the bikes inside

Yep, you could do worst. Even Clarkson liked it

 

[Wigsie]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
It's an ugly piece of shoot and an absolute turd to drive... will people please stop thinking this sort of kack is acceptable transport....

Come on FF don't sit on the fence, tell us how you really feel!

 

[Fab Foodie]

Come on FF don't sit on the fence, tell us how you really feel!

We had a thread dedicated to that nastiness. Quiet motor though.

 

[Piemaster]

I don't drive. I mean, I know how to, but I don't even hold a license. But if I was to own a car, it'd have to be a Nissan Qashqai. I have a soft spot for that car.

Guy I work with bought a new one last September. He liked it that much he has just traded it in for a volvo. 'nuff said.

 

[Mr Pig]

Mazda6.

Jap cars are as well built and reliable as anything else on the road but are usually dull to drive. The Mazda isn't. Built in high enough numbers for parts to be ok and wide choice, favoured by private buyers so lots of well cared for cars out there.

BMW/Audi/Merc hold their value too well so are poor value at that price. Skoda/VW, worthy but dull.

Even the non-turbo Subaru Impreza drinks heavily and are sluggish, Loose-loose situation. Parts are also expensive, as are those for Mitsubishi.

Don't buy anything French or Italian, just don't, I mean it!!

No Nissans that fit the bill, the last Primera was so crap they gave up making saloon cars altogether!

Mondeo and Vectra boring choice but vast numbers out there, mostly fleet hacks though. Not nearly as bad as often suggested, quite solidly built and cheap to fix. Except the dual-mass clutch that is. The Ford drives nicely, the Vauxhall doesn't, none of them do. As good as the Mazda 6? No...

 

[Mr Pig]

My second son was continuously car sick to the point where we could hardly go anywhere without him puking

Unless you're throwing the car around, that is almost 100% down to the suspension set-up of the car. People get less sick in cars these days because their suspension is typically much more sophisticated. As a general rule, the firmer the suspension the less likely people are to get sick.

 

[Velorum]

Why not look at a Volvo 740 estate - circa 88-90?

Its possible to get a good rust free example with FSH and about 150K on the clock (nothing for one of these) for £500 or less. They are very unfashionable and in consequence very cheap.

My current 1990 one was slightly more at £900 but that was from a dealer and it had a load of extras and very low mileage.

Ive owned a number of these and they are about the most reliable old things you can buy - appart from the fuel cost they are cheap to run too - lots of parts available from breakers.

Will carry 5 adults in comfort and has massive load carrying capacity.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Why not look at a Volvo 740 estate - circa 88-90?

Its possible to get a good rust free example with FSH and about 150K on the clock (nothing for one of these) for £500 or less. They are very unfashionable and in consequence very cheap.

My current 1990 one was slightly more at £900 but that was from a dealer and it had a load of extras and very low mileage.

Ive owned a number of these and they are about the most reliable old things you can buy - appart from the fuel cost they are cheap to run too - lots of parts available from breakers.

Will carry 5 adults in comfort and has massive load carrying capacity.

Agreed, I owned one years ago (new) and it was excellent, simply built to withstand armageddon.

 

[Auntie Helen]

We've got both an A4 and an A6. The A4 is a TDI estate and is an S-reg. It's done 225,000 miles and all that's happened is a bit of trim fell off round the handbrake and one of the rubbing strips on the rear passenger doors (which we notice has happened to lots of old Audi A4s). Oh, and when we bought it 9 years ago the turbo wasn't working and we never had it fixed so it's a normally-aspirated TDi.

The A6 estate, an 02 reg, is a petrol automatic and although I think it's lovely and comfortable it's cost me a bit in repairs (had to have a new sun, moon and planets in the gearbox for £1,400 last year!) It's done 105,000 miles and the engine is still going strong, but it definitely doesn't feel as reliable as the old A4 and has occasional electrical gremlins.

I suppose our conclusion as a family is that the reliability has gone downhill a bit, but we still love 'em both.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Guy I work with bought a new one last September. He liked it that much he has just traded it in for a volvo. 'nuff said.

Ahhhhh, I feel much better for hearing those words...