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hire car
Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2005 4:14 pm
by mikegti
I've been driving around in this little beast for a week while the polo gets fixed.
It's a 1.6 LX and doesnt seem to have much 'urge' to get anywhere! Its comfortable to drive long distances in, just feels sorta wobbly through the corners

throttle response is a bit slow too.
It's also got flat spots around 4-5000rpm.
It does have one nice feature - there's a little red arrow that appears when I need to change up a gear!!
ok I'm comparing a base level car to a gti, but why would anyone want to buy a new car like this? Just doesn't turn me on somehow ... I want my own car back!
Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2005 7:19 pm
by SpikeyG40
i had a company car for four days. was a renualt senic! top of the range one at that, half leather, cd changer, climate control, desiel!
was nice at first, having all the gadgets and it did seem to have a fair amount of oomph! but i got bored of it and couldn't wait to get back into my own car! (this was before i have the g40 on the road so it was the 1ltr i am talking about)
Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 10:33 am
by 13twelve
i often wonder who buys base model cars
like who bought my, now written off, 1.4 L 1997 polo?
why didnt they buy a 1.4 CL ?
Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 10:51 am
by dino
13twelve wrote:i often wonder who buys base model cars
People who dont want or cant afford top of the range models or the insurance on a top of the range car.
Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 11:40 am
by GroovyCarrot
Yeah, but if you're strapped for cash then why buy a new car? Buy a nearly new car, get a higher spec or get some money left over for insurance..
Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 11:45 am
by dino
Why not buy new? Some people like having a new car rather then second hand.
Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 3:33 pm
by 13twelve
lol the same debate i have in my head when i wonder what i wonder on this
Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 4:35 pm
by stuart_hatch
dino wrote:Why not buy new? Some people like having a new car rather then second hand.
Some people prefer to yes, but for what reason, best reason i have has so far is "just because it is"
Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 4:48 pm
by dino
stuart_hatch wrote:dino wrote:Why not buy new? Some people like having a new car rather then second hand.
Some people prefer to yes, but for what reason, best reason i have has so far is "just because it is"
They like new cars having the newest reg, Warranty (if 2nd hand car is brought private)
Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 5:56 pm
by BLACK6N_POLO
some people dnt like the thought of some thing being used they have to be the first to use it -- bit snobish
Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 6:15 pm
by GroovyCarrot
Personally I'd much rather have a nearly new car that I'm really going to enjoy owning than a sub standard new car which has a newer registration number.. why make sacrifices just so you can say you have a newer car than someone else? I guess warrenty is a reasonable reason, but that can be arranged anyway if you're not buying privately.
Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 6:35 pm
by SpikeyG40
i wouldn't buy a new car! you just loose so much money off it as soon as u drive it off the forcourt!
ok so u get a warrenty and you don't have to get an MOT for three years and its a car that u can garantee hasn't been missused and thrashed! but personally, i wouldn't buy a new car, nearly new maybe, but i like the older cars!

Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 8:38 pm
by Tahrey1043
Does make me wonder too.......
Who bought that Fox I cast an idle eye over, whilst browsing for a "new" car in a forecourt, when it was new at the dealer? Someone so desperate for a brand spanking new motor, and prepared to buy a VW, but not to shell out the extra hundred pounds or so for a clock, centre binnacle and some decent seats (etc)?
Who goes and spends even £7500 on a base spec car when I got one loaded with air con, power steering, metallic paint, alloys and the like, with a good engine, for less than a third of that - fully dealer serviced for all of it's 30k miles (no warranty, but has stayed the course of recalls and early failures etc to not really need it - rust free - and just nicely run in so you dont have to baby it)...???
Wierd.
Mind you some of the very, very cheap bargain basement brand-new cars (Kias, Peroduas etc - not the "big brand" jobs like Ford Ka's) actually look alright for the money

Lets see what the Renault Dacia is like.
Oh and Ford 1.6s? Bobbins, insofar as i've experienced, not much admittedly but enough. The 1.8s seem alright though. (test driving a 1.6 zetec escort vs a mate's old tub-of-lard sierra 1.8, quite a difference... in how slow the escort seemed!)
Hell even the 1.4 seems perkier! Maybe they're just super efficient or something.
Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 9:57 pm
by mikegti
Economy wise, it cost me £40 at 86.9ppl to fill it once the fuel light came on, and I'd done about 300 miles (M-way and A-roads).
One of the things that makes a car 'good' in my eyes is the driver involvement and feedback you get when driving it. Thats why I liked my old mini so much, even though it was 998cc, and also why the '94 1.6i fiesta I had afterwards just wasn't so much fun.
I've heard the 1.8 focus is much better, but beggars can't be choosers and I'm glad they didn't send me a corsa or something equally horrid!
Would be nice to try an RS version though!
Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 10:39 pm
by dxg
I bought my 9n new 3 years ago just because I wanted the "new car experience" and the warranty (and, boy, have I needed that!).
It does not make financial sense. My car has only covered about 13.5k miles and has therefore lost about 40p / mile in depreciation
Deek.