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

What kind of l/100km do you get from yours?

Our alltrack seems to be capable of the quoted 5.7l/100km if it’s not too hilly

Hmm, it's a 2 litre petrol, turbo... Last tank was 14l/100km. Eek!

Haha in fairness mine is TDi

That was my understanding.

However, I think one of the big issues for areas where the vehicles don't get up to decent speeds regularly is that all the various pollution reduction devices cease to function properly.

That's why things like ULEZs are important imo. So hopefully soon commercial vehicles in urban areas will all be electric and diesel will just be for motorways and fast A-roads.

wouldn’t buy a Volkswagen let alone a diesel Volkswagen for personal use.

Other sources are available but their corruption in the emissions scandal should not be rewarded.

100 percent agree. Also the accusation fact that they colluded in a cartel with BMW etc to not introduce NOx elimination technology.

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_21_3581

Fuck those guys into the sea and back.

Well volvo is a bust. A good coat of oil
under the engine.

I just want a more definitive answer.
To me, it sounds like having a small petrol/electric/hybrid for short urban journeys, and a diesel for long journeys is what you want. Driving a big diesel estate or van around for short trips is clearly a bad idea. But I also can’t pack loads of stuff into a Nissan Leaf and drive up to Scotland in it. I can just about manage this in the Jazz, but it’s no mile muncher, especially when fully laden.

I’m never going to be able to afford a car from new, but I’d quite like to try and make fairly conscious decisions about vehicle usage. My e46 2l diesel is clearly a big dirty lump, and our 1.4l petrol jazz is pretty good for urban usage. Looking forward, the Jazz will probably be replaced in the next 5 years, and same goes for the e46 if we get hit with ULEZ. We need a family car that can haul lots of stuff and is happy on the motorway, and my wife needs something for getting around during the daytime.

So while everyone just flat out says “diesel, no matter how modern, is bad” it makes me wonder what a sensible choice is, especially if you factor in usage. Ie is diesel still seen as awful if it only gets used for long distance driving.
It feels like current models on the market are fairly lean on petrol estates (which is what I imagine I’ll be replacing my e46 with 5 years from now).

While on the flip side, I’m hoping I can cycle my new commute if I get the job.

Might just be camshaft seals, they are (I believe) made from cobwebs and wishes.

I replaced them 3 times on my 850, NH may have replaced them some more.

They lead to oil leaking down the block and it can get around a fair amount.

In T6.1 news:

204PS 2WD is an extra £3325 PLUS VAT

204PS 4WD is an extra £6100 PLUS VAT

18” Amarok steels with winter tyres, is my thinking.

Yeah, I didn't want to buy into something that I need to take to the shop right away, unless it was cheaper.

To me, it sounds like having a small petrol/electric/hybrid for short urban journeys, and a diesel for long journeys is what you want.

To me, using a car for short urban journeys makes no sense at all, regardless of how it's powered.

How else do you do a weekly shop with a baby? 4 miles each way (2.5 each way on a bike I think). We could go to a more local supermarket but they’re smaller and more expensive, or go the nearer Waitrose, which would really be an expensive way to shop.

Might be doable with a cargo bike, but would need to be electric if my wife wanted to stand a chance getting around Leeds’ hills.

But I also can’t pack loads of stuff into a Nissan Leaf and drive up to Scotland in it

I've just arrived in Edinburgh with 4 suitcases, a cool bag, three rucksacks, 6 wetsuits, two basketballs and 4 humans.

In a full electric eNiro.

Is that London - Edinburgh? Fair play. Deffo makes me think that in 5 years a second hand electric estate may be the answer then vs diesel. But that also relies on how well EVs fair over time.

Definitely couldn’t afford it new or on lease at the moment. But that’s kinda what I’m wondering about, what will the affordable option be in 5 years time.

How else do you do a weekly shop with a baby?

Buy big things you know you'll need weekly online. Then walk with the buggy to pick up smaller things as and when through the week. Also good for exercise.

On the smaller shops, actually you'd be surprised at how much less you spend when you're not bombarded with all the offers and encouraged to buy extra.

The thing is all EV and hybrids are comparatively expensive.

Last time I looked they were about 50-100% more than the petrol equivalent.

Yeah, we’ve not quite cracked online shopping yet tbh. Seems like another layer of admin, but I guess deliveries are a more efficient way of doing it.
But I’ll be honest, once winter comes, I can’t see us giving up our reliance on a small car.

I bought the (admittedly big and dirty) e46 for £2600. I can happily service it myself, parts are available, and I don’t have to worry too much about resale value. At the moment, I very much doubt I could afford an EV or hybrid. But maybe we’ll be better off by the time we need to replace it.

We actually found late night click and collect really convenient.

Also we've been doing Gusto while there's a ~30% promotion for 4 meals a week. It's ~£3 p/person p/meal. Despite being more expensive than us buying the same ingredients from the supermarket ourselves, it's brought our shopping bill down because their focused and planned.

My dad does the equivalent himself for him and my mum. But he's retired rather than drowning looking after two kids under 3yo.

All that said where we live you need a car to take a shit (as my mate who just moved here so neatly put it).

So I can't really talk.

Buy big things you know you'll need weekly online. Then walk with the buggy to pick up smaller things as and when through the week. Also good for exercise.

This. And not having to buy an EV, cover the depreciation, the insurance and the rest should cover an awful lot of extra shopping bills.

Wonder how parents did this before cars and some still do it now.

on the petrol diesel van chat. been driving a lot of vans recently. and the Peugoet Partner petrol powered one has been a joy.

i love my E46 dude. as you know. and jump in the little Fiat or on the bike for most of the short stuff.

don't feel bad at all.

the environmental cost of producing a new car is massively fucked

Is that London - Edinburgh?

Yeah although we had a trip to Belton Park NT, stopped over in York and had the afternoon on Cheswick Sands beach.

Could do it in a day with two rapid charge stops, easy enough.

I'm the only driver in the household so don't really want to do 8 hours plus behind the wheel in a single day.

the environmental cost of producing a new car is massively fucked

This is the bit I don't quite get - how does one find out whether keeping their/an older car on the road and reducing demand for new cars is more or less beneficial than buying a new hybrid?

I drive a 2006 transporter at the mo and while I've no plans or ability to change it to something cleaner I often get stuck in this dilemma