Just driving on the M25 without ACC would be annoying on its own,
I spend a fair chunk of my working day on the M25 or Motorways in general. Does active cruise not mean you end up speeding up and slowing down with the nodders on Facebook/texting etc?
Not tried it myself. Is it as much of a revelation as a decent Auto box?
I spend a fair chunk of my working day on the M25 or Motorways in general. Does active cruise not mean you end up speeding up and slowing down with the nodders on Facebook/texting etc?
Not tried it myself. Is it as much of a revelation as a decent Auto box?
It does, just means you have to notice when your speed has dropped to 50mph, but it saves the constant speed adjustment on normal CC due to the heavy traffic.
As big a change as an auto box, for sure. I'd never go back to a manual now. Constantly having to feather the clutch or depress it in heavy traffic? Nope.
And with an auto box, if the ACC is one that can stop the car completely, it's utterly brilliant.
On my Skoda, it will bring the car down to a complete stop, feet fully off the pedals (the first time it does this your butt will be gripping the seat, trust me! 🤣) and then the stop start kicks in. When the car in front moves off the engine starts again and if you've been stopped more than 5 seconds the cruise just needs either a tap on the accelerator pedal or a pull of the cruise stalk towards you and it'll resume itself, again no feet on the pedals required.
Honestly (IMO) ACC is as big an improvement to driving as an auto box, or built in android auto, or climate control. I mean, setting temperature by the means of 'somewhere between roasting hot and Antarctic'? Nah, if I'm a little chilly I'll turn it up from 20.5 degrees to 21 degrees, thank you. 😉😁
I don’t think you want a Transit Auto though. Couple of mates have them and get mid 20s… 23-26mpg regularly…. which lets face it, isn’t great.
Hmm, good to know – having owned an auto since 2018 there’s no chance I’m going back to a manual.
For the Caravelle it seems around 35mpg is doable on a long run – figures on the forums are all over the shop, thanks to people with stupid 20″ wheels, or fully loaded camper set ups adding several hundred kg. Most of the caravelles seem to be the 204bhp BiTdi engine too, although not a huge difference to the 150bhp – they’re the same base engine.
I know I’ll have a sizable mpg drop from the easy 50+ mpg I can get with my Superb, I’ve accepted that – but dropping to half that would be a big no. On a long run up to Scotland with the wind behind me and cruising at 65mph I can get 55mpg without any trouble.
I've had a Transit Custom auto 130ps 2.0 since new in 2018 (assume we're talking about Custom rather than bigger Transit here).
It does more long trips than local running around. It's never dropped below 36mpg and will do 40 on a run. I am light on the throttle though and will do 60 rather than 70 on motorway/DC.
It's a bit thirstier than equivalent manual I think. I believe 6th gear in the auto is a bit lower than the manual which probably contributes to this.
I managed to have a look inside/take some measurements of a 2019 caravelle today, the step up in interior quality over the stellantis group cars (Traveller/Proace verso/Spacetourer) is, quite frankly, massive. Silly little things like the armrests not having 3 inches of play in them when you have them a waggle. Just a much much nicer place to be, equivalent to my Skoda I'd say, maybe even a bit nicer.
The wires on the heated screen are almost invisible, unless you really focus on them so a non issue over mine without the wires. I swear the 64 plate ford van I drove with one a few years back had much bigger wires.
Size-wise, inside: my Geometron will only go in wheels on with both 2nd and 3rd row out, I knew that already. Front wheel off it'll go in with the 2nd row slid all the way forward, meaning I can have 3 rear seats in permanently if I'm ok with removing the front wheel each time I want to put it inside (which isn't exactly a hardship, takes all of 30 seconds).
In case they're of any use to anyone (all in cm):
2nd row slid fully forwards to boot: 175
2nd row in seating position to boot: 160
2nd & 3rd row removed to boot: 230
Interior Height: 130
Boot width behind seats: 125
Width of one rear captains chair: 50
Width one seat removed plus table width: 75
Even with both rows removed, wheels on it only leaves 20cm behind the driver/passenger seat, so not enough room for a camping pod which are typically around 30-40cm deep. Might be room in front of the 2 seats left in though...
There's enough room to get 2 bikes in, front wheel off, side by side with the bars turned slightly so that's ideal for trips when I'd be taking both bikes and sleeping in the van.
I swear the 64 plate ford van I drove with one a few years back had much bigger wires
Not all screens are equal. I’ve had 4 screens in a year and the fitters put a different make screen in each time. They also did varying amounts of damage each time to the bodywork and dash. Also varying degrees of success getting the wipers set correctly.
Vans just don’t seem to get the same respect despite being £30-40k in commercial spec. One of the reasons I’ve never entertained owning a van.
Thread revival time!!
Went to look at a 2018 Caravelle today, had a test drive and I've put down a deposit. 😬😮
Should hopefully be able to pick it up in just over a week, next Monday or Tuesday. Just in time for me to go on holiday to the Alps for 11 days!! 🤣
2018 with 43k on the clock, 150bhp TDI, DSG. It has some factory options I was after, including the 2nd leisure battery and air parking heater, electric folding mirrors, app connect. It's a standard 'executive' spec so has the half alcantara/half leather interior, plus the multiflex board and window black out blinds, plus the laminated glass option (which deletes the heated screen, but not needed with the parking heater). It also has a 3 pin plug, and usb/12v sockets fitted running off the 2nd battery, and a camping hookup plug, all professionally fitted, and a Fiamma wind out awning. All in, about £2500 worth of stuff if I wanted to retro fit it mydelf. Oh and a swivel passenger front seat and sliding side windows (yes, I know thay can leak, these look ok, drain holes clear and no signs of any leaks). Its got the LED headlights too.
It's missing adaptive cruise control BUT after some digging it can be coded back in for £500 so I'll be getting that done asap. It's also missing the reversing camera, I'll get that done soonish.
Test drive: It's a big old girl, isn't it! 😮 But quiet as you like, plenty of poke even with the 150 version, and such a comfortable driving position, arms on the arm rests, just cruising along! Takes a decent bit more input on the wheel to get it to go around corners, I won't be taking roundabouts as fast as in my Superb, that's for sure.
The only thing I'd possibly want changing is the colour, as it's in deep pearl black - but tbh I'd have probably ended up with a grey one anyway. I'll decide over winter whether to get it detailed and ceramic coated, or maybe get it wrapped with a full colour change...
Sounds awesome. Parking heater is superb, particularly at school run time in the winter: blip of the remote at breakfast and it’s all warm and toasty ready to go. It’ll have a thermotop to heat the engine too.
Got mine serviced today. I’m currently in the “I love it” camp, though it eats tyres quicker than the Giulia, despite being tracked by at least 4 garages. </p>
Yeah the parking heater be was the big sell for me, I'll need to get a remote bought and coded though as the original owner lost it and didn't ever replace it as they never used it.
Also, it only had the 'eberspacher' sticker on the driver's door, not the webasto one so it may only have the parking heater - either that or the sticker has fallen off!
Looking through some brochures I think there was a few options for the parking heater, I did see the spec list but can't remember if it said 'both'. I'll see when I pick it up!
The awning is £700 new as well so that's a bonus.
One of our riding group has a Toyota Hilux pickup. I love it when it is his turn to drive as it is an easy set up with no faff. It has been designed around biking though. It has no rear canopy but a metal flat 'boot' that the bikes are secured to. 3 full bikes with wheels on and the option of more on a towbar carrier. There are long slide out drawers in the bed for equipment storage. I like how all the dirt stays out the cab. Generally there is just three of us though so in the cab we travel in comfort in the leather interior. I think this set up is best suited to a max of 3 people and it works very well in this capacity., It is a biking focused set up though. He was a previous van owner and was fed up wondering if he was going to get out of wet camping fields/event parking. He says when the Transit Custom Trail combi becomes more affordable he may change back. I have a LRD4 with a tow ball carrier, but this is a work/other duties requirement before biking, it suffices though, I consider it just a large car with the pros/cons thereof. Due to be replaced hence looking at this thread. Hope this little insight helps.
a car that goes zoom and can go round corners, but fits a roof racks
@hot_fiat do you have any more pictures or details of the Elise rack please. Been designed one for mine but keen to see any details of one that worked. Looks like the rear window is out and there is a brace onto the rollbar.
This is the beastie. The rear screen is removed (s1, so easy, trickier on s2+/vx220) and replaced with an equivalent piece of acrylic that has holes in it allowing the framework pass through it and be attached to a separate roll hoop framework by a set of thumb wheels. This lets you remove it quickly (it’s a lotus, you inevitably need to tinker). At the back end clamps just hook over the spoiler lip and the whole thing operates in tension over the rear clam.
Thanks, that's an impressive bit of engineering, I'm assuming lots of custom parts? It's by far the most thought out solution I've seen. Wish someone sold them like that as I'd jump at the chance to have one. I'm in a S1 and am also heading down the perspex/acrylic replacement screen path.
It’s not mine, my mate built it. He is a proper makes-metal-smaller engineer. It’s probably for sale as he binned the Elise into a lamppost quite a while ago in the rain (240brake clockwisemotion k20, inevitable).
Ouch, hope he was ok. K20 in an S1 is scary (brother has one with similar power and that is a handful in the dry). I'll pm you as I'd definitely be interested if he did want to move it on.
@ta11pau1 Nice one, been looking at Caravelles lately, but also need a later model for ulez, but prices are bonkers. £33-36k+ for a 16 plate.
It’s not often you can say it’s better value to buy a LR Discovery or RR than a VW !
Thread revival time!!
Went to look at a 2018 Caravelle today, had a test drive and I’ve put down a deposit
Yeah prices are crazy, but you only live once! 🤣
The fact that this one is basically ready to go for camping in, with the heater, bed board, extra battery, awning, and window blinds, means it's saved me several thousand ££ of kit that I'd probably end up adding later on, the only thing it's missing is a solar panel and charger, which I'll probably add on later to take away any issues of leisure battery charging when not on hook up. I'd rather the battery be getting topped up constantly every day rather than just when I'm driving.
I'll get it booked in for the ACC upgrade once I'm back off holiday, and will probably get the reversing camera done fairly quickly too. It's only 10cm longer than my Skoda Superb but the back of the van feels like it's in another county!! I guess because you're sitting so much more forward in the van than in a car.
