Nice people thread part 3- Nice as pie

michaels

It may suit you, but we had a look at one at a Ford dealers and decided it had no more room inside than an ordinary Focus.

LydiaJ wrote: »

I've spent a bit more time online and am now inclining towards a Ford Focus C-max. Possibly this one.

It wouldn't give me the extra seats, but it would mean only having to borrow an extra £1k instead of £4k.

What do you think?

lostinrates

michaels wrote: »

Funnily enough I would say that with traffic up and speed limits down and more cameras, car journeys now take longer than 10 or 20 years ago.

Most of mine take more than ten years ago. I don't venture out much far afield now, but I'm told that traffic on main routes at weekends coming west is less horrific than normal. wait til thursday afternoon though!

LydiaJ

michaels wrote: »

It may suit you, but we had a look at one at a Ford dealers and decided it had no more room inside than an ordinary Focus.

Thanks. I've looked at the spec. The focus c-max is supposed to have a bit more space than the focus estate, and it's definitely taller but shorter and slightly narrower, which is good for me because I often find myself wanting to fit into small parking spaces. If the estates were cheaper or easier to find, then that would be a point in their favour, but there doesn't seem to be much in it.

Unfortunately, I can't go and look at any today. I've got a friend's two kids as well as my own, and can't go asking to test drive 5 seater cars with 4 kids in tow. It will have to wait for tomorrow.

lostinrates

Lydia, my little car was a Ford and I loved it. It might not have been flash but it was nippy and comfy. The only thing I'd caution is that a day over the six month/miles driven service and it lets you know about it! Also, when you test drive one check steering wheel/drivers seat alignment. Mine felt very slightly out....as if wheel were to the left. Its fine for the daily journeys, on a run to your brothers that might begin to bug you!

Doozergirl

Does anyone know about taking pictures with a DSLR camera and can offer advice?

I'm taking pictures of Casa Doozer and I've got a problem with light from the windows. Despite having 17 windows (that's counting the 5 window bays as one, not five) it's still dark half the time so it's impossible to take a picture without a window screwing it up. I can kind of get a balance by mucking around with the settings, but what's outside the window is too white. My flash seems to do, erm, nothing at all. I get brighter photos without it for some reason.

I need a solution without spending any money preferably

lostinrates

Yikes, relative who we were buying car from has sold it. Need to buy a car now, this week.

PasturesNew

For photos - get up at daybreak when the light's less full on. I worked for a professional photographer, the kind that'd take those alluring lifestyle beach shots... he always shot at about 5-7am when the light was better.

lemonjelly

LydiaJ wrote: »

Thanks. I've looked at the spec. The focus c-max is supposed to have a bit more space than the focus estate, and it's definitely taller but shorter and slightly narrower, which is good for me because I often find myself wanting to fit into small parking spaces. If the estates were cheaper or easier to find, then that would be a point in their favour, but there doesn't seem to be much in it.

Unfortunately, I can't go and look at any today. I've got a friend's two kids as well as my own, and can't go asking to test drive 5 seater cars with 4 kids in tow. It will have to wait for tomorrow.

Whatever you do, test drive one. When I was thinking about buying a car, I did test drive a couple. Years ago, a big thing was to offer a years free insurance. A citroen model got this, & a work colleague bought one. The insurance cover was for any driver & she let me have a little drive. It put me off the car.
I also remember really wanting a particular renault. When I got in to test drive, I knew I wouldn't buy one, because the seatbelts were difficult to reach, & something as small as that would put me off. There were other issues too mind.

lostinrates wrote: »

Lydia, my little car was a Ford and I loved it. It might not have been flash but it was nippy and comfy. The only thing I'd caution is that a day over the six month/miles driven service and it lets you know about it! Also, when you test drive one check steering wheel/drivers seat alignment. Mine felt very slightly out....as if wheel were to the left. Its fine for the daily journeys, on a run to your brothers that might begin to bug you!

I'm a firm believer that little cars are, in general, better.

I had a peugeot 106. Forking great little car it was. Cheap to insure, cheap runner, never had any problems with it. Felt really safe in it too. It was really warm in winter. Worst thing I could say about it, is it had no sunroof & was boiling hot in summer! Great car though - could park it anywhere. Loved that car...

LydiaJ

Thanks everyone. Yes, I'll certainly test drive anything I'm seriously thinking of buying, just not today. Two kids is enough to take on a test drive.

I sympathise with you about the sun roof, lemojelly. I love sun roofs, and I think it's a real shame there are so few of them about nowadays. Air con just isn't the same. I mean, air con is lovely for motorway driving, but for pottering about town, give me a wide open sun roof any day. I don't want to be refrigerated; I want to feel the sun on my skin, and decrease the feeling of being shut inside a metal box on a lovely day.

lir - keep posting on here and the lovely peeps will see you through your car buying decisions. They are making me feel a lot more confident.

lostinrates

I'm so glad you are feeling more confident Lydia.

I know you'll do just fine.