Ok.
I can’t afford that luxury and any car would be boring in comparison.
I’m happy with mine, especially the fuel consumption.
We’ll have to agree to disagree then.

Really? I’ve driven a Fiat Panda (as a rental car in the Alps) and it was far more fun to drive than the A1. Cars don’t have to be expensive or powerful to be fun and involving. A friend picked up a 2 year old Renaultsport Clio 200 recently with years warranty remaining (no nothing’s gone wrong with it at all) for £11k (or half the list price of your A1) and that’s an absolutely amazing drive – a real hoot.

We have two, an Audi RS4 for the day to day and a little 205 Gti for weekend fun. I love older Audi’s – just a shame that recently they seem to be making pretty dull cars, trading off some of their past glories.

Excellent. I’ve got a 2.0tdi sline.
Such fun to drive.

I like the A1, nice to drive

Test drove Fabia,Polo,Golf. A1 was most fun

God you people haven’t really lived have you if you think the A1 is a ‘fun’ car to drive? I drove an S Line version and it was dull dull dull, and in almost every way inferior to almost every other small car out there (less fun, less practical, less space, more expensive etc).

The A1 had firm crashy suspension, completely numb steering, and little sense of dynamic fluidity or adjustability.

Two friends had one. The first an S Line, which bored him to tears after 6 months and he now is much happier driving a Fiat Punto. A girl at work swapped her 09 Mini company car for the new A1 and now desperately wants her old Mini back.

Sure if you don’t really enjoy driving, value VAG group badge snobbery over a good product, and perhaps have never driven a proper fun car then you won’t know any different and you’ll probably absolutely love the A1.

If you actually enjoy driving though steer well clear and for the same (or less) money (a very nice to drive) BMW 1 series can be had, or a Citroen DS3, Fiat Punto, or whole multitude of other far more interesting, far more practical and far better cars.

Surprisingly too Fiat now rank well above Audi and VW in the car reliability surveys so Audi can’t even claim to be the best built cars any more.

Has it been the faulty DSG that’s been limiting your overtaking performance Molegrips 😉

Nice car but not a great car. Friend used to have one and he got bored of it very quickly (perhaps because I kept teasing him about it being a poor mans Audi S3). After a drive though I was left feeling rather numb. Yes it was quick and sounded nice but the steering was not great and the thing just felt a little lifeless and un-involving.

Driven a MK5 Gti and it was a million miles better – not quite as quick, given, but loads more fun. The Mk5 Gti is the car I’d go for every time, a much better drive in every respect – or if you insist on a V6, pay 6k for the best low mileage Corrado VR6 that you can find and every drive will put a smile on your face.

I’m with Molgrips here. I buy nice cars since I really like driving. Simple really.

I thought that it was comprehensively proved in a previous thread that Molgrips doesn’t like driving . . . . or overtaking ???

Why someone would want to waste 40k plus on a car is beyond me – particularly on some sort of useless tasteless SUV (chav chariot) that’s not even any good offroad (e.g. Audi Q3/5/7, BMW X6, X1/3/5, etc).

The lives of these people really must be devoid of any sort of interest yet full of inflated self importance.

Private plates added to these things just add to the ‘I’m a absolute c**t’ factor. Point proved the other day by seeing a white Audi Q5 being driven badly, with personalised number plate who’se numbers and letters had been badly moved to read i think something like ‘Sexy Mel’. Guess who was driving – yes a wrinkled lady in her late 50’s. Not my idea of sexy that’s for sure.

By the way the average scrappage age for a car in the UK is currently 14 years.

An ex work colleague of mine works at the BBC and despite being classed as ‘full time’ gets paid £35k + to do seemingly the best part of bug*er all. Often tips into work after a lie in at 10am and normally seems to be at home again by mid afternoon, or out for ‘drinks’ at an internal meeting. From the way he describes it there’s so much money wasted within the organisation (his salary for starters) it’s untrue.

We’re remortgaging our existing house to rent out with a buy to let.
We’re using the capital to buy a new house that we’ll be moving into.
Seems simple enough.

Or you could just not be greedy, sell your old place and free up a house for a FTB young family struggling to get on the property ladder due to BTL parasites blocking up the housing market? Just a thought and probably far less hastle in the long run?

Hope you make a speedy recovery but surely if filtering you should expect the unexpected? Very few car drivers seem to check their mirrors these days so I presume that you were filtering at a speed where you’d be able to stop easily if the unexpected happened in front?

Gary_M – Member

Anyway, how stupid to people have to be to not work out how they are going to repay the capital?

You don’t have much of a clue do you?

I bought a flat in Aberdeeen in 1996 for £25k, lived there a year and rented it out ever since and in that time I’ve earned over £80k in rental income. At the moment the interest only mortgage costs me £52.99 a month and I earn more than 10 times that in rent.

Its now worth at least 5 times what I paid for it.

Yep I’m an idiot.

Not an idiot I would say, more of a big problem for society. It’s partly because of greedy landlords and leaches that house prices have bubbled, making them unaffordable for families with young children simply trying to put a secure roof over their head.

Hi Hora, I hear you. I looked into joining a few years back. Think it was the same group through some meet up website. Before I’d even been to a meeting got death by a thousand emails. Must have been 20-30 emails a day from the Meetup Group. Then, after a little while and again before I’d even been to a ride, got a snotty email from the organisers asking for me to either pay up or leave. Didn’t seem like a very friendly way to run a club to me so I didn’t bother with all the hassle in the end. Sorry guys.

Why not look at Autotrader to see how much other similar vans sell for? Plus I wouldn’t mention in any advert that you can’t afford to fix stuff. As a potential buyer I would wonder what other servicing items had been scrimped on.

What I really hate is when I’m second in line behind a slower rider on a narrow twisting bit of single track. As soon as the trail widens for a few metres I’m looking like I want to overtake, but then some inconsiderate Speedy Arse overtakes me from behind and slots into the queue between me and the rider directly behind the slow rider, stealing my place in the queue.

The trail then opens out again for a short stretch and the first rider and Mr Speedy Arse overtake the slow rider but because there’s only space for two to overtake there’s not room for me. So Mr Speedy Arse has selfishly stolen my overtaking spot from me. It’s another 5 mins before the trail widens again and I can finally overtake.

Totally NOT FAIR! 😉

Northwind – Member

rebel12 – Member

Can’t see why this is a problem. People whining that there’s no work in their area? Bloody well move somewhere there is work then

Yup, because it’s dead easy to sell a house just now too. That’s the best thing about recessions.

The vast majority of people who claim this sort of benefit are in rental accommodation so your argument is not really valid is it?

Can’t see why this is a problem. People whining that there’s no work in their area? Bloody well move somewhere there is work then rather than sit on your arses complaining. That’s what I’ve had to do on numerous occasions to get the right job and it hasn’t killed me.

Or how about make your own work? Something like valeting cars or gardening is not rocket science. We struggled for years to find a reliable gardener who turned up when he said he would. The less easy it is to sit on benefits for these people the better. That way more benefits can be given to people who really need them like the disabled for example.

No, because you don’t really have an argument

I’ve made my argument clear in the past – particularly about the queue or not a queue thing and highway code reccomendations. Just because you choose to ignore every reasonable scenario I’ve put forward because it does not suit your argument to respond to it then that’s not my fault is it?

molgrips – Member

You really are being a prize pillock, rebel12.

Cheers 😉 Because I don’t agree with you?

So to Molgrips’ point 80% of drivers probably do want to overtake a slower car but 90% of them never will

Exactly, they’ll just sit there like impotent lemons at 40mph and whinge and flash when any ‘totally selfish hooligan’ dares to make progress past their mobile roadblock, or dares to steal their rightful opportunity to overtake 1st (the opportunity that they would probably never ever take anyway).

Thing is maybe they are onto something? 40mph on a NSL road followed by the same 40mph through 30mph villages en-route. So any time they loose on the open road is made up when they gain a significant amount of time past the gates of the local primary school. Cunning!

Outa my doggone way – I’m going for an overtake . . .

You should try India. I was in a mini bus which was being overtaken by a 4×4 as the same time we were overtaking a truck which was overtaking a tractor which was overtaking a rickshaw.

Looking closely ahead down the road exactly the same thing was happening but coming towards us in the opposite direction. Somehow the traffic all merged and we all lived.

To add molegrips, if you were second in line behind a slow moving truck, how would you feel if the first driver just infront of you slowed and flashed his lights to kindly let another driver enter ahead of him from a side road. You are now sent back to third in line behind the truck.

An overtaking oppertunity comes up but only enough for two cars. The two cars infront of you go but you are left stuck behind the truck. There are no more overtaking oppertunities for another 5 miles.

How would you feel in this instance? Did the other drivers act of kindness and consideration steal your oppertunity to overtake from you?

But the whole point of this thread is flawed because a line of flowing traffic is not a queue is it? A queue is defined as a line of people waiting – most usually for the same thing.

A line of traffic behind say a slow moving truck will have all sort of intensions. Some are driving long distance, some just to the shops, some want to overtake, some are happy to sit there, some are a big group of friends split between two cars wanting to stay close to each other, some will be turning off at the next junction, some at the second junction, some at the third, some have been let into the line of traffic at the midway point from a side road, some may not even know where they are or where they’re going.

So it’s not a queue in the true definition of the word – more a random collection of vehicles each with completely different intensions who happen to be at the same part of the road network at roughly the same time.

glenp – Member

As 40mph is just over 17mps, the recommended 2 second rule would leave a distance of 35meters, or nearly double what you are implying is hanging back and not overtaking…

And yet, that is the gap that Mr Important is going to force his way into when he fails to overtake the entire line of traffic.

35 Meters. That’s about 9 car lengths! Looks like plenty of room to me – unless as the first driver in the queue (current rights owner of first dibs at overtaking) you were following much closer than this?

In the situation where I am first in line behind the lorry, I am doing the usual things like looking down the road etc.

In the situation where I am second, then I am not doing anything.

Pray tell how the driver behind can tell that you’re looking to overtake? Can he see the front of your eyes from behind perhaps? You’ve just admitted that if you’re in second place then you’re not doing anything, so that makes a speedy driver overtake from behind whilst your in second okay then doesn’t it?

One morning, three overtakes, at least one illegal, two dangerous and none effective.

I bet they had fun though . . .

Go for it, nurses are not afraid to get their hands dirty. One I went out with banged like a belt fed machine gun. Happy days 🙂

No, that’s not what I’m saying.

What I begrudge is because of speedy man, I can not take the opportunity that I WOULD have been able to take had he waited his turn.

The end result is that you’ll probably have to wait a little longer to overtake, then overtake and you have a nice clear road ahead of you since speedy man has already gone.

The other option is that you overtake before speedy man and after the car who was first in the queue meaning that you’ll still be behind someone else and then speedy man behind will probably just overtake you again anyway further down the road anyway, meaning that the result is roughly the same either way.

Isn’t this whole thing to do with you just don’t like being passed by speedy drivers?

thegreatape – Member

Speedy man comes from behind in his fast car, passes me in a small space and waits behind 1st. The next gap comes, there’s space for only two cars, they both go. I’m left behind, when I should have been through. That’s the last overtaking spot for 5 miles.

But this is correct, as you are now the third car, so one and two get through where there is space for two to do so, you are third in line so must wait your turn, not expect one and two to give up what is now rightfully their turn(s) in order that you, car three, can do an overtake when it’s not your go.

Pure genius 😆

molgrips – Member

This is completely impossible since you come round the bend first, you see the straight clear road and overtaking opportunity first, and you have a chance to react first.

No it’s not. I come round the bend, see a short straight that my car can’t use, but his can, so he takes it.

Then the next time there’s space for two cars, they both go (at the speed of the first one) and I can’t.

Oh so you’re saying that just because you can’t or won’t go in a certain situation then you begrudge someone else for taking the opportunity. Don’t you see how selfish that sounds?

What’s your reaction when this happens?

Maybe you could mount one of these on the side of your car that you could raise and lower as required? That would stop them in their tracks and make them aware that it’s not yet their turn!

I’m objecting to the guy who overtakes ME, long before there’s any gap I can use.

This is completely impossible since you come round the bend first, you see the straight clear road and overtaking opportunity first, and you have a chance to react first.

Assuming that this guy has been following at a safe distance then that’s at least 2 seconds advantage you have but probably much more than that, particularly as you’ve described the fast car is coming from a few cars back.

Sorry but the only possible solution must be that you’re late or hesitant to react, or that you’ve been positioning your car to give nowhere near enough visibility of what’s ahead. Either way you can’t really blame your frustrations on the guy behind?

Unlike in Molegrips Britain, he rest of Europe just will not queue like the British? Try getting an Italian driver to do as Molegrips is suggesting.

Does this mean that the whole of Europe populated by the worst kind of selfish bast**ds?

Are we perhaps here in England perhaps superior to the rest of the world because we like to queue?

What does ‘teabagging’ have to do with overtaking anyway? I’d have thought that combining the two could be deadly?

molgrips – Member

Very strange! What makes it ‘YOUR’ opportunity? Do you own the road perhaps?

No, I’m first in the queue, which is my point.

Ah so you don’t own the road, just the right to always be first on it if you want then?

maxtorque – Member

To be honest, unless we are comparing a Micra with a Veyron, having a “fast” car makes much less difference than A) you would think and more importantly B) the drivers skill set.

Even cooking family cars are quite fast enough to overtake in pretty much any sensibly safe situation. (and i’m not talking about some mad kamakazi style runup that we all did as kids in our first crappy car!)

Look at some numbers:
Cooking car:0-60 8sec
Sports car: 0-60 5sec

The sports car looks a lot “faster”, yet when the sports car reaches 60, the cooking car will still be doing about 50!

0-60 times only tell half of the story and isn’t really that relevant to everyday driving. The 30-70 acceleration of a car is much more relevant to everyday driving. Here there really can be a huge difference between a normal ‘cooking’ car and a truly fast car.

I’m sure we’ve all been in a badly judged overtake at some point? I’ve had a couple in my driving past when I was less experienced. Having a faster car is the difference between being able to squeeze on a bit more power knowing that you will safely get through to the other side, or having to brake and return to the queue behind the slow moving vehicle (not a nice situation).

Not condoning marginal overtaking in any way, but no-ones perfect and sometimes we all get things wrong so in the odd situation when the unexpected happens having a powerful car will give you many more options to escape the situation safely.

the guy behind me knew i wanted to overtake, but took ‘my’* opportunity

Very strange! What makes it ‘YOUR’ opportunity? Do you own the road perhaps?

molgrips – Member

It’s been covered in the thread, but here’s a recap of the main issue:

Let’s say I’m 2nd in the queue. 1st place is looking to overtake but can’t yet, because he’s driving a normal car and the straights are too small.

Speedy man comes from behind in his fast car, passes me in a small space and waits behind 1st. The next gap comes, there’s space for only two cars, they both go. I’m left behind, when I should have been through. That’s the last overtaking spot for 5 miles.

You’re totally right molegrips – the driver in the fast car really should have been a mind reader and predicted that you have the moral right to be ahead.

Sometimes an overtake is stages is the only way if you’re going to pass a big queue of traffic to a clear road ahead. Many people will dawdle and not get on with overtaking so if you sat at the back and waited your turn then you’d never pass. A staged overtake allows you to overtake safely and quickly. I do this when necessary and if it makes your piss boil then I really couldn’t give two hoots I’m afraid.

Very unlikely situation in reality though isn’t it? Only once ever happened to me in almost 350,000 miles of driving. Not really worth getting your knickers in a twist about. I guess the only solution like we have said before is perhaps to either chill out and accept it as a normal part of driving, or buy a faster car.

Molegrips, your argument is totally flawed.

If rules or politeness dictated that everyone (by everyone I mean everyone in the queue who is harbouring intensions to overtake at some point) must overtake in their turn then how is that fair on the hesitant driver who is feeling pressured by the weight of others behind waiting for him to complete his overtake.

No doubt in this situation the less confident driver in a less powerful car would feel obliged overtake at the earliest opportunity (so as not to hold up those behind itching to get past) and may feel pressured into overtaking in a situation when really it’s not safe to do so, putting lives at risk.

To compare with biking do you remember when you were learning to MTB and had a much faster rider behind you waiting to get past on a section of rocky downhill. Not a nice feeling is it? Often less confident riders get into accidents because they feel morally pushed to go faster than they are able due to this sort of situation.

Far better to let each driver assess the situation and overtake when they believe it is safe for them to go whether 1st in the queue or 10th in the queue, don’t you agree.

Your other argument that you were starting to pull out when someone came at you from behind is also flawed. The highway code (not that you believe it is relevant) states that you always need to check behind before starting your overtake. So if you pulled out into someone coming at you from behind then it would be your fault if it ended up in a big mess.

If you are denying it happens like that, then please say so.

In 18 years of driving at around 20k miles per year I can only remember one occasion where what you have described has happened – one occasion!

This was between Shrewsbury and Chester on the A41 and the driver was driving like an idiot overtaking a line of traffic by darting in and out where it really wasn’t safe to do so because of junctions, traffic conditions an upcoming blind bends. Other traffic wasn’t waiting to overtake though so slightly different to your situation.

I don’t know where you drive and maybe you are just very unlucky but that’s not my experience of the UK roads.

Please don’t ever go to Italy and get in a car or you’ll be in for a heart attack!

hels – Member

So rebe12, would you say that overtaking is like making love to a beautiful women ?

No, both are much fun but I prefer to take my time with a beautiful woman 😉

What I am saying is that the instructions contained within the highway code, whilst valid, do not extend towards human courtesy and decency, in this case.

It would sound as though human courtesy might be to allow people who want to travel faster and might be in a hurry to make progress and do so, not selfishly impede their progress just because you’re high and mightily first in the queue hogging the oppertunity by moving out to have a look all the time but never actually overtaking. The solution is simple – if you want to overtake just get on with it and do it. No one is stopping you. Either that or get a faster car so many more oppertunities are possible. Honestly you wouldn’t believe the difference in overtaking ability my Porsche 911 has compared to an average repmobile.