[Closed] What car do you drive, and why?

Mk2 Vectra Diesel because:-

A)I've given up.

I don't have a car. Made a choice to live close to work and the shops etc. Woo hoo save loads of money to spend on bikes.... well to tell you the truth children and the wife.

Bright yellow Fiat 500 Sport. 8) Why? Because it looks great, is mighty quick, and fairly economical. Downside - absolutely NO use for transporting bikes - there's barely enough room for the dog! So, hoping to add a VW Kombi at some point soon.

What: Honda Jazz 1.2
Why: My daughter turned 17 at the end of last year so I needed something she could easily be insured for, as the Accord I had at the time would have been too expensive. It's a great little car though - lots of space, comfortable, reliable and ok to drive. We have another Jazz as well, but it's an automatic so no use for my daughter to learn to drive.

Seat Ibiza 1.9TDi Sport.

Because:
- needed diesel for 100 mile/day commute (now 120 miles)
- wanted something quick & economical
- cheaper than Fabia VRS, but is the same car & doesn't have white seat inserts.
- comes with plenty of standard kit
- didn't want a bigger car

Bought it with 24k miles on 3yrs ago. Now has 102k miles on - only problem so far was a boost pipe connection failing. £45 to repair.
I get between 55 & 58mpg from it, servicing costs between £80 and £120.
And it's plenty quick enough to surprise rep-mobile tail-gaters.

Car - VW Golf 5 TDI

Why - Company Car, my choice though. Great car, never any problems, solid build quality, comfy, roomy, loads of extras etc. Could have got a 1 series BMW but would have felt like a ****t tbh.

Really wanted an Alpha 159 but it was over budget.

Corrado VR6

Because I do bike most places I can afford to have a rediculous 3.0L V6 engined small coupe.

Plus it is incredibly good looking and sounds like a bear with its nads caught in a door....

[IMG] [/IMG]

Car: Honda CRB600

Why?: I have not passed my driving test.

Could have got a 1 series BMW but would have felt like a ****t tbh.

BMW 120d SE with pretty much all the toys, company car. Had a certain budget, had to be diesel, had no need for space so went for the fastest, best specced car I could get. Oh, and most importantly of all its rear wheel drive, like all proper cars...I must confess to liking the look of the 1 series, particularly the 2 door hatch.

Rover 216 r reg, as it was cheap and all i could find at short notice a few years ago, engine is reliable and sound, looks tatty as hell but it holds 2 bikes and all the gear for a weekends riding away 😀

Car: Honda CRB600

Now if we're talking bikes:

What: Honda CBR600F
Why: For trackdays and fun, although it's also quite comfortable for long distance trips. Very poor fuel consumption though.
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What: Honda CBF1000GT
Why: For general purpose touring, commuting and 2-up use.
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What: Honda XBR500SJ
Why: Always wanted one and it doubles as a bike for my wife.
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What: Gas Gas Pampera 250
Why: Bought for trail riding and the occasional enduro or trail bike rally. Not been used much recently though - mountain bike instead.
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53 plate vauxhall astra 1.7 deisel hatch eco model.

Why? Cheap to run for a a medium sized car.

- Great Fuel economy (50 - 60mpg)
- low emissions = low tax band = £35 per year

2005 Passat 1.9TDI 130 Highline estate as I am a middle aged man with responsibilities and no imagination.

Subaru Forester.

I was sat in a cafe yesterday looking at a Multipla outside studying it thinking how gopping it looks and it started appealing to me. FFS.

Dusty Lilac, I could only get the 118D with no alloys and zero kit.
Oh and it must be 4 door.

On he Golf I have Alloys, heated seats, dual zone climate control, fog lamps blah blah blah.

Oh and I took an Autmatic (again) if that makes you feel any better 😆

Mondeo 2.0 Zetec.

Because it does everything I need it to, does it really well and is very nice to drive.

Audi Allroad (old shape) - cos we wanted a family car with 7 seats but didn't want a people carrier.

Honda Civic Type R (new shape) - cos I like hot hatchbacks and I can fit 3 bikes plus kit in the back when the back seats are folded.

chakaping, I bet in towns/cities you have to auto-lock your car incase anyone tries getting in for a 'fare'? 8)

Mondeo est 2.0 Ghix x should have held out and got a diesel but was in a rush, road tax £215!!, 27mpg on stop/start short work trips better on long trips 35mpg+ should have come with a 6th gear when on motorway etc feels like it's in pain!! wanted it to get 3 baby/child seats across the back and bike in the boot failed to find 3 kids seats that would do that.... so one always in front andwife squeezed in middle.

on plus side loads of kit, space for bikes even came with TV mounted head rests and video system, shame we use the Galexy TDI for long trips

Want my old XR2 back....

Mk V Golf R32 with a serious stereo in it.

1) It's pretty quick
2) Handling is great
3) 4WD so perfect for Scottish highland winters
4) Bike and clobber will fit in the back just by taking front wheel off

Whenever possible though I use the wife's Navarra double cab if me and the bike are going to get really muddy

Seat Leon Cupra (Mk1, but thinking of trading in for the newer FR)

It's swift with Audi/VW technology but isn't an Audi.
Can fit 2 bikes in the back with seats down and luggage for a week, or skis/snowboard and luggage for a week.

Mister P - Member

2005 Passat 1.9TDI 130 Highline estate as I am a middle aged man with responsibilities and no imagination.

Same here, but could not afford a second had Passat, so bought a boring old battered Golf TDI Estate, because:

Even if I tried I cannot get excited any more about cars.

Need a car with a reasonable tip sized boot to lug crap about with.

Don't earn enough to but a nice new car and even if I did, I am not sure I would?

Seat Ibiza FR TDi, it has had a few tweaks and is running at 190 bhp whith loads of torque.

Vauxhall Frontera 2.2 DTi Limited.

Because it was 600 quid and _still_ keeps running, even after 200k miles came and went

idontlikechips...who did you get that remapped with? Any problems? New clutch? I seem to remember you have a few other bits & pieces too?
Must be a belter - mine is quick 'enough' as stock.

Keep toying with the idea of a standard remap, but am put off by tales of clutch dying very quickly, and people keep saying it won't run as well as standard.

dialled mike- still got it? Whats the mileage now?

A transit connect, because I can fit the bikes in without taking the wheels off, I can kip in the back in bad weather instead of camping, and my daily commute is only 6 miles :o)

My missus still has a 'real' car for when we have to look respectable!

Pug 206SW

Why: Because i was in the garage when my dad was buying a new car, and said jokingly to the dealer "got any diesel 206s going?"

"No" he said, "but weve got a 206 estate back with a stupidly low mileage and the best* engine in the range over there."

"for 5k beer tokens its yours sir"

*best reviewed by parkers and whatcar etc, not quickest.

YOINK!

Advantages?

ITS AWESOME.

perfect shape for bikes, while maintaining hatchback driving and size.
great engine, not massivly quick, but fun to drive and strong.
ticks EVERY practicality box.

Lashing eyes in the boot to tie bikes down with,
seats fold flat to make it like a van back (which is how it lives)
no Sill in the boot
power point in the boot.
engine pulls the same empty or full of kit. (230ish Torque)
its "sahara yellow" which i hated at first, but turns out is the same colour as road dirt, so never needs cleaning and it has grown on me 🙂
it gets 55mpg, which is pretty good for a 5yr old car if you ask me 🙂

group 4 insurance
band B tax

What: M plate Vauxhall Astra.
Why: It was cheap. It's in phenominally good condition for it's age. It's very economical to run. Oh, and I like Astras of that vintage. 8)

Nissan D22 because it's big! Can fit 5 bikes with wheels on and 4 people (legally) in it. Real reason for needing it is for the farm and the need to pull heavy trailers (if I ever manage to pass the damn trailer test!).

XC90 because it fits me, wifey, 3 x girls, 2 x spaniels (and 2 x girls' school pals) and loads of gear when we go away for weekends. I can also put the seats down and fit 20 archive boxes inside for work.
Averages 30mpg on country roads and is supremely comfy. Had it for 7 years and no intention of changing.

Also got a V70 T5 that used to be main car (when daughter #1 arrived) but is now wifeys. Might be changing it for a used Golf TDi (from a mate who's company are selling 2) as it's going to be better for the school run.

Vectra because I needed a car & that's what this is.Wife's got a Fiesta because she needed a car & that was one too...

I have no interest in cars,I couldn't even tell you what the spec or reg No of my car is.I just need to them to get me from a to b in relative comfort,they have to be reliable too.

stumpy01, it was remapped by revotechnik (calibrated for high cetane fuel) if i use regular diesel there is a flat spot at about 2100 rpm but mpg is still around the 48 to 52 mark, it is surprisingly ok on clutches so far (with 42k on it) but i don't really do fast starts that often and rev match most of my shifts to be kind to it, but when the clutch does go it will be getting a high load race clutch, it does eat tyres though.

It does torque steer like mofo though (nigh on 300 ft/lb will do that). The heavy lump in the front helps with the fun stuff like lift-off oversteer.

The remap is the best £400 i have spent on that car.

Why do I drive a Forester? It keeps me out of trouble- the low gearing stops me from going too fast on the motorway. Perfect 🙂

51 Octy 1.9 TDi. Had to find a cheap to run replacement for my Puma. Octy saved me around £170 tax/insurance, and I get 64/per on a steady motorway run. Lovely and comfy, nice to drive, loads of room.

Nissan Qashqai 2.0d 57 Plate 62k miles with no problems at all

Company car and this had more gadgets as standard (comfort cooling,bluetooth phone etc) compared to noraml passat etc

Great car and with seats down can fit bike in for those cheeky trails on way home from meetings etc and kids like being that bit higher up

this is my car:

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why? deathwish.

Zafira - persuaded by my wife (away from a more bike-friendly estate) for all the same practical reasons above...

once I had the dull car she went and bought a old sports car with Pininfarina bodywork 🙁

Mazda MX5 - can fit two bikes on the back, tent and all kit for long weekends away inside. Cat sits on the passenger seat if I need to take him anywhere.

'01 Rover 75 2.0cdt tourer.

why:
when I got it 3 years ago it only had 55K on the clock(now 105).
it's extremely comfortable to drive.
enough poke to show an indicated 135mph(private road 😉 ).
45mpg urban , 54mpg on a run.
luxurious leather interior.
can get 2 bikes and a weeks kit in the boot(6 bikes with seats down).
almost bombproof BMW diesel engine.
dual zone climate control/heated seats
it's really nice to drive.

'99 Fiat Siecento.

why:
it was only £500 with less than 3K on the clock at 6 years old.
it's ridiculous fun to drive despit only having 900cc and 39bhp.
dirt cheap to tax and run.

What: '96 Mk3 Golf
Why: was only £500 cheap to run I can fix all the bits the wear out. I can get 3 bikes in the back or 2 bikes and a load of kit.

Hora, yep, still got the Allroad and no intentions of getting rid. 83k on the clock now.

Might be getting my old E-Class back next year as my dad says he hardly drives nowadays. That would be cool as it only has 45k on the clock and it would be a good medium/long term customising project.

I forgot to add a pic in my previous post.....could probably also post this in the stealth bike thread as well.

Or maybe not.

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imported mitsubishi rvr in black.
can fit two bikes and a load of camping gear in the back.bought it 5 years ago and its cost me nowt since....sailed thru its last five mot's and goes like a friggin rocket.looks like a pimp mobile with its blacked out windows and alloy wheels. lovely to drive,the power steering puts some modern cars to shame (its a 1991 model)just a pity it drinks petrol.

DialledMike...nooooooooooooo keep it 'factory'. Old E-classes should look crisp/clean 😀