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

Think the EU rating scheme for tyres gives you a good idea on how to compare tyres.

Could always sell the spare tyre ;)

Same sizes as the Z4, after reading shitloads of reviews and a bit of shopping about I got a set of Falken for £405. As they were replacing godawful runflats I can't compare with premium brands, but they are a huge and welcome improvement. They consistently performed in the top few overall on the Z4 forums, but, y'know, Internet forum.

Mk1 Kangoo

Take this with a pinch of salt as its a long time since I've driven one, but I remember it being fine. Sort of like a Fiat 500. Obviously not super refined, but not bad. That was also on French motorways which are slower and smoother.

That said its an old French car, so likely to rattle a lot more than it would have done new.

cheaper tires

If you're not fussed about performance tyres / having the best, and don't need one changed immediately, then like most things you can find good deals online for decent ones.

So I wouldn't go "cheap", but you don't necessarily have to spend lots.

I ended up getting a decent deal at KwkiFit of all places. They had a deal on conti tires +10% off and then used Quidco to get another 2% cash back.

It's a bit of a funny one really because 'premium' tires once you shop about cost only a little bit more than cheaper branded tires. The outlier is just getting the cheapest tires you can find in your size which are about half the price.

Key thing to bear in mind is age- if a tyre is very cheap is it also very old, and will therefore have the friction coefficient of a vinyl record sleeve?

Common problem with old Porsche’s is that the tyres have almost complete tread, but they’re ten years old and fit only for the bin as they’re so dry and hard, but the owner drove the car slowly to the pub for two months over summer so never noticed, and never wore them down.

The rally tyres I got with the Ignis I found out were 14yrs old.

Can vouch for old tyres are shit

Any recommendations for a garage around N15 to do an MOT?

You can check the age of a tyre from its (US) DOT code a string of numbers and letters on the sidewall the last 4 of which look different to the rest , they are the week and year of manufacture.

if you only have 3 or one is a triangle the tyre is very old.

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Yes. If you want a decent honest garage that will do a decent job Terry's on seven sisters road is excellent.

If you just want a cheapo just get the ticket job then Veekay motors on Belfast road n16

Cheers. It's a car that does 400 miles a year and probably hasn't been above 40mph in the past ten years so I'm not too fussed. Terry's is more convenient for me though so it may well get the vote.

Collective hive mind. You want a cheap, chic, simple runabout you can leave at a station for a week. You don't want to spend more than €1500 on it, and you're in the South West of France so it won't be rusty. Would you choose

1. Renault Twingo
   
2. Fiat Panda (modern)
   
3. Fiat Panda (old)
   
4. Peugeot 205
   
5. Renault 5
   
6. Renault Clio mk1
   

1. Honda Jazz.
   

Yep. Honda Jazz defo. About the most reliable car you can buy. Cheap parts. It was easier to transport my bike in my Jazz than in the much larger estate car I have now.

Jazz is a lot of things, but not chic. I'd quite fancy the Twingo, if it's 1st gen.

Old Fiat Panda 4x4 all day

Mk1 Twingo
Mk 1 Clio
Any R5
Knackered R4

Mk1 Twingo all day

I had a 2010 Twingo and absolutely hated that car. The constantly failing airbag was annoying and expensive, but the clutch pedal linkage snapping on Euston Road was plain dangerous.

Just looked up the latest MOT out of curiosity and am not in the least bit surprised.

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Yes, the one to have is the one they never sold in the UK.

I’d say arriving at your destination is more chic than standing around for a recovery truck

The 1st gen was pretty good AFAIK, partly due to its simplicity and also decent engines. And when it does go wrong, well, you're in a French car in France.

This looks like fun.

https://youtu.be/tQ4pZQltoW0

And when it does go wrong, well, you're in a French car in France

This is true. Everyone drives a French car in France.

Not entirely true

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