Bought a new car, need some help.

Herzlos

Gemini1963 wrote: »

1.2 small car for a 600 mile commute a week? Wow. I do around 25k a year on my car and I can barely manage that!

Of course you can't. 25k/year is only 480/week.

You could do with spending more time in classes and less making up stuff on the internet.

bigjl

Gemini1963 wrote: »

1.2 small car for a 600 mile commute a week? Wow. I do around 25k a year on my car and I can barely manage that!

What difference does the engine size actually make?

There is pretty much the same room in the back of a current Picanto as in a Clio mk3.

Small car engines are not that new.

I learned to drive in a mix of a Pug 305 1.3 GL, Volvo 340 DL (1.4) and Renault 14 TS with if I remember correctly a 1.3 or 1.4 engine.

I drove thousands of miles in a Renault 5 Event and 5 TR both fitted with a 1237cc engine and many more in a 19 GTS and 19 TSE both fitted with a 1360 Energy engine.

You can buy a Captur or Clio with a 0.9 engine these days and neither is greatly disadvantaged by the small capacity.

You may have to adjust your driving style, better anticipation due to lacking power, not that different to a learner motorcyclist on a 125cc, the same arguments where made when the 250cc learner laws where changed.

But it has been something like 20 odd years since they made the change and few really think the change should be reversed.

Yes it is not as nice to ride a 125cc bike on a motorway for reasons very similar to a small city car, but you can do it, I did it several times rising joke to Scotland from London, not on my CG125 but I did it on my MTX125.

I think that as cars have become more refined people's expectations have been raised accordingly.

It makes me remember the epsiode of TopGear when they hammered the small cars across the Ukraine.

It is sometimes quite satisfying to drive a car at 90% or its capability, but still not be travelling particularly fast.

I couldn't drive my Jag anywhere close to its limits as it could crack 60 in 6 secs and had huge midrange punch. You really couldn't wring its neck as you would be driven far too fast for modern congested roads, would have been nice to drive it round the Nurburgring though or on a track day in the UK.

It could also be that as we get older we gradually turn into our parents day by day.......

bigjl

Gemini1963 wrote: »

6.8 seconds isn't that bad. You should test drive my car and then you'll know what a true sports car feels like

Hi DM.

How's things?

Just to add, the Picanto just went over 10k yesterday, so nearly 3000 miles since purchase, no problems to report, sits a 70mph quietly, maybe not as sure footed when overtaking an LGV as something like a Focus but the old phrase of Keep It Simple Stupid comes to minds, the less bits attached to an engine the less things to go wrong.

Gemini1963

Engine size and small cars certainly make a difference. Smaller cars typically have less comfortable seats - a significant thing if you're stuck in a car for extended periods of time. Revving at 4K rpm is noisy and tiresome. Simple put, small cars with small engines aren't designed for motorway driving, they are designed for City driving. I'd rather drive a more powerful, comfortable and luxury sedan on a long motorway drive than a 1 litre Eco box.

neilmcl

Gemini1963 wrote: »

Engine size and small cars certainly make a difference. Smaller cars typically have less comfortable seats - a significant thing if you're stuck in a car for extended periods of time. Revving at 4K rpm is noisy and tiresome. Simple put, small cars with small engines aren't designed for motorway driving, they are designed for City driving. I'd rather drive a more powerful, comfortable and luxury sedan on a long motorway drive than a 1 litre Eco box.

The difference in what you'd "rather" drive and what you actually drive is a million miles apart. Give up on the fantasies DM, no one cares!

Herzlos

Gemini1963 wrote: »

Engine size and small cars certainly make a difference. Smaller cars typically have less comfortable seats - a significant thing if you're stuck in a car for extended periods of time. Revving at 4K rpm is noisy and tiresome. Simple put, small cars with small engines aren't designed for motorway driving, they are designed for City driving. I'd rather drive a more powerful, comfortable and luxury sedan on a long motorway drive than a 1 litre Eco box.

Many people would, but that's not what we're talking about here are we?

I used to, but I'm as happy in a small hatchback as an old luxobarge.

bigjl

Gemini1963 wrote: »

Engine size and small cars certainly make a difference. Smaller cars typically have less comfortable seats - a significant thing if you're stuck in a car for extended periods of time. Revving at 4K rpm is noisy and tiresome. Simple put, small cars with small engines aren't designed for motorway driving, they are designed for City driving. I'd rather drive a more powerful, comfortable and luxury sedan on a long motorway drive than a 1 litre Eco box.

When you get your driving licence you will find that with modern cars you are invariably wrong.

If you drive any car towards the higher end of its capabilities then noise and vibration will be evident.

Put simply if you do 90mph in a car with a top speed of 100mph you are driving the car very near its limits, as a result it will be noisier than a slightly larger car with a top speed of 135mph doing the same speed.

But up to the legal limit, and probably just beyond, very few modern cars are in anyway out of their depth.

You may have to drop a gear for hills or to overtake, but that is to be expected in a less powerful car.

Turbo diesels are popular due to the fuel economy, but they are also popular because they are torquey and very easy to drive, less gearchanges, no need to rev the engine hard very often etc.

It will be easier to explain these kind of things to DM when he has a licence and a real car of course.

On the comfort part, look at the cars used by Security Companies or London based Couriers.

All bought for running costs first and foremost.

In London you see i10's, C1's, Aygo's, Fiat 500's etc. Home Care workers and Community Nurses all drive small economical cars aswell.

Some of these people will spend all day in their cars going from place to place. When I worked in Security in the early 90's we had a mix of Fiesta hatchbacks and Fiesta Courier vans. We then moved up to Seat Ibizas, the mileages being covered where often as high as 70/80k miles for some vehicles, on one particular duty I would do 300 miles a night, the dayshift did around 100miles.

That is big miles any way you slice it.

I did an MOT check on the two Fiestas and both have not had an MOT since 2002.

J85CYU and J814RBW.

The drivers seats in both looked like a Hazmat incident!

bigjl

Herzlos wrote: »

Many people would, but that's not what we're talking about here are we?

I used to, but I'm as happy in a small hatchback as an old luxobarge.

Agreed.

I don't think the amount of space in the drivers seats is that different to my previous XJL. Driving position is not as adjustable of course but it isn't a horrible place to sit, seats are supportive with lots of adjustment.

Ride comfort is a little knobbly in the Picanto but what do you expect in a car that is not far off half the length.

From a ride comfort perspective the Berlingo is not far off many luxury cars, speed bumps don't really require slowing down for, it leans a lot in turns and there is a lot of dive under braking, it's also fairly slow and a bit noisy. But then it is a van with Windows and seats bolted in!

BeenThroughItAll

Gemini1963 wrote: »

Engine size and small cars certainly make a difference. Smaller cars typically have less comfortable seats - a significant thing if you're stuck in a car for extended periods of time. Revving at 4K rpm is noisy and tiresome. Simple put, small cars with small engines aren't designed for motorway driving, they are designed for City driving. I'd rather drive a more powerful, comfortable and luxury sedan on a long motorway drive than a 1 litre Eco box.

I see you've moved on from the first 'silly question/ridiculous scenario thread' phase and into the 'demonstrate total lack of knowledge in other threads whilst avoiding engaging with any direct questions or accusations of being Darkmatter101' phase.

If you want to upset us all, try being a bit less predictable, we will all be way more bothered if we find out after days or weeks of wasting our time on you.

Gemini1963

Whichever way you cut it, and irrespective of cost, a Porsche 911 Carerra S will be a lot more satisfying to drive up and down motorway, than say a Citreon C1. The Porsche will have more power and can easily overtake most cars on the road, it will feel a lot more grounded and secure at higher speeds, inspiring more confidence to the drive and the interior is a lot nice place to sit in.