25-09-2015, 08:36 PM
1
New car...
We've started looking for a new car and were attracted to the Seat 'Ibiza' range. We tried 3 cars....The 1.4 diesel wouldn't pull the skin off rice pudding.
The 1.4 petrol car was OK, but an uninspiring drive. The motoring equivalent of magnolia paint.
The 1.2 Tsi petrol went like s**t off a shovel, but being a 3 door, it was just about impossible to get in or out of the rear seats.
Off to look at some more cars tomorrow.
25-09-2015, 09:32 PM
3
Re: New car...
Our current Golf plus has the 1.9 TDi engine, but as we mainly do short journeys, I want to avoid DPF problems associated with modern diesels.I can't get a modern Golf because some idiot has forgotten to fit them with handbrakes. Bad enough no spare wheel, but at least I can insist on one as part of the deal.
26-09-2015, 07:16 PM
6
Re: New car...
Have to sympathise with you Grumble. I hate these new electronic handbrakes that are appearing. Currently living with one though in my wife's car. What surprised me when I was first introduced to them was that they don't operate like an automatic which can sit in gear on a hill without any effort on your part.With a manual car we were of course all taught how to do hill starts. You put the car in gear, lift the clutch slowly till you get to that "bite" point which you know from seeing when the front of the car lifts up. Then it's safe to take the handbrake off and hey presto you don't roll backwards.
With the electronic handbrake all of this goes to pot and quite frankly this appears to be a technology that hasn't yet been properly designed and bottomed out.
Reason I say this is that the handbrake is designed to release itself automatically at a certain point which I suspect is lined to the revolutions of the clutch or other element.
Unfortunately it releases too early. On a hill if you lift the clutch slowly to find the bite point, the handbrake invariably releases itself before you get there and the result is you roll backwards. It's really frustrating. So what you have to do is learn to do what I would call a "launch control" where you ensure there's nothing in front and you floor the accelerator and lift the clutch up quickly to ensure you don't roll back.
It's all a bit silly.
Interesting that you've chosen a VW in the current climate with all the criminal actions going on from the emissions fixing. In theory you ought to be able to demand a big discount because the brand is now damaged and prices will likely plummet over the next year (imo). The share price was hit hard I believe so the company has an uphill struggle to recover. They won't be the only company of course.
I read that the Seat Ibiza was very much the top car on one website. The VW Golf of course is "safe as 'ouses" being a perpetually iconic and well loved car.
Good luck with your purchase.
26-09-2015, 08:55 PM
8
Re: New car...
The "problems" with the VWs apply to diesels, so petrol engined cars will probably become more popular. The modern small turbo petrol engines are now almost as economical as diesels and don't have issues with a DPF.At least, we've got a 3 year warranty on this car and no need to worry about MoTs for a while.
26-09-2015, 10:01 PM
10
Re: New car...
Originally Posted by Grumblewagon
->
The "problems" with the VWs apply to diesels, so petrol engined cars will probably become more popular.
What I'm suggesting is that the company may struggle generally and on that basis their cars could become massively cheaper as they try to win back their market share. Buying now just as the scandal is unfolding might be disadvantageous.
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