Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

Did the crash push you onto the yellow lines?

Top parking from VW SUV guy at the end of my road this morning. Leaking his rad all over the pavement now. 🤦🏻‍♂️

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It’s not my car, but yeah, that’s what has happened. Several cars in a row were smashed into. One thing I noticed was that another of the cars had a burst tyre. Didn’t realise how vulnerable they were to that from a scrape.

The look on the kid’s face tells it all.

Is there a better thread to recommend me a sensible good value family car, or is this where all the car folk hang out?

With a baby on the way we need to replace at least one of our cars. We’re thinking about an estate for the extra space and think we’d like a hybrid, mainly for the reduced environmental impact (hopefully). It seems our main option is a Toyota Auris estate and there are at least two local to us... one is an 2018 “icon” at ~£10k and 36k miles the other is an 2018 “excel” at ~£13k and 20k miles. This is several times more than we’ve ever previously spent on a car and I’ve no idea what we should be looking for. I know low mileage is better but not sure if 20k miles is worth 3k. Also when I was a kid people always used to tell me to avoid cars with >100k miles... how does this apply now with modern cars, how well do they age? I don’t want to buy something expensive (for us) and then find the battery has done too many cycles and has lost it’s capacity. What are the other important things to consider?

Quite a few Auris estates being used as minicabs, which suggests they're reliable. The only cabbie I've asked about hers was very happy with it for space and fuel consumption, but said that some of the interior plastics were a bit flimsy.

From next April that thing will be tax, MOT and ULEZ exempt. Hmmm.

Suspect it is stuck on those bow Bell things.

Remember @BRM restored MG....

How much is bodging and how much is different standards or ability.

In the mid 90's/00 you could pick these up low mileage one or two owner cars sun faded for little more that the gargantuan mileage cars and no one wanted then as they were old peoples cars.

Yup

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You're right, I think I do! Haven't seen it in person yet. It's a real beauty

I have never seen the appeal of the Volvo 145 /24o. Even in their day they were old and mechanically primitive and people only bought them because there was nothing else with the cargo space until you could afford the Mercedes E class estate at a much much higher price.

These days though the E class is just as cheap, and a much much nicer car in every way. I’d have that. I did. It was lovely.

there was nothing else with the cargo space until you could afford the Mercedes E class estate at a much much higher price.

Citroën DS/CX? Peugeot 504/505?

Lovejoy effect ;)

Was the Merc W123 estate more expensive than the volvo?

Is a 2002 w211 Merc E500 a bad idea? 140,000 kays. Australia, so rusty suspension unlikely.

Is there anything more boring than taking vehicles for MOT? Especially as you can't pre book.

Isn't the northern bit of Australia seasonal between rainy and dry? So would that mean it depends on where the car was from also how near the sea it was.

Two further options for @Dammit:
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1333989
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1316154

The Scimitar is very cool

The Twin Air is on the ropes.

Coolant seems to be pissing from somewhere.

Only 40k miles but that's what u get for Parmesan.

Today, seen twice, on the way into Walton, then Hampton, just past the waterworks:
very unbadged, much Tron,
(when brake lights illuminated).
Bottom of drivers door: Polestar 2.

This is what appeals about them. Slick design, low key. So much more appealing than Tesla, they should do well. Too low key? I suspect most Tesla owners want to advertise what they can afford and their pseudo eco considerations.

I suspect most Tesla owners want to advertise what they can afford and their pseudo eco considerations.

Projection much?

The polestar 2 is more expensive than the Model 3 and with poorer range per kWh. They’re also definitely more aggressively styled, larger and more ‘in your face’ than the Tesla.

I had a £1,000 (refundable) deposit on a polestar 2 for 6 months before going for a model 3 because of the poorer economy, cost and the initial reviews of the bugs, poor OS and initial recalls.

Speak to me about the Taycan estate, electric car people.