Car advice

[welshbairn]

6 hours ago, hk blues said:

I'm surprised - you don't see many female mechanics. 

They're usually pretending to work under the cars, on facebook with their pals.

[supermik]

Got a hire van just now. It’s an electric Vauxhall Vivaro lwb. Spent almost an hour last night trying to find a charger that would accept a normal bank/credit card. Finally found one and connected to it. Said it was a Rapid charger. It would only run at half the power output stated. After about an hour sitting there I gave up. It had put a grand total of 90miles on the battery at a cost of £29. Drove it this morning like Miss Daisy for about 15 miles. The gauge said that I had used up 25 miles.

There is no danger that I would ever buy an electric motor. Absolute con job.

P.s.

have been driving for over 40 years and this is the first time that I’ve ever driven an automatic. Love it.

Edited July 21, 2023 by supermik

[Alert Mongoose]

Anyone any experience of door locks failing? The fob stopped working a while back (washing machine incident) so have just been unlocking/locking manually using the key. Suddenly this morning the key won't open the door either - it's turning but not unlocking. Any ideas anyone? Vauxhall Insignia if it helps.

[supermik]

30 minutes ago, Alert Mongoose said:

Anyone any experience of door locks failing? The fob stopped working a while back (washing machine incident) so have just been unlocking/locking manually using the key. Suddenly this morning the key won't open the door either - it's turning but not unlocking. Any ideas anyone? Vauxhall Insignia if it helps.

Don’t know the answer but makes me wonder if the manufacturers are now so reliant on push button key fobs that they maybe use inferior key locking mechanisms and possibly even a small amount of wear on the keys renders them useless.

[TxRover]

40 minutes ago, Alert Mongoose said:

Anyone any experience of door locks failing? The fob stopped working a while back (washing machine incident) so have just been unlocking/locking manually using the key. Suddenly this morning the key won't open the door either - it's turning but not unlocking. Any ideas anyone? Vauxhall Insignia if it helps.

Some cars have/had deadlocks that were activated via double pushes and such. Not sure if a double locking turn would do the same, is there a passenger side keyhole on that model (or a boot/hatch) that you can try the key in? 

[Alert Mongoose]

17 minutes ago, TxRover said:

Some cars have/had deadlocks that were activated via double pushes and such. Not sure if a double locking turn would do the same, is there a passenger side keyhole on that model (or a boot/hatch) that you can try the key in? 

Nah. Only key slot is driver door.

[TxRover]

1 hour ago, Alert Mongoose said:

Nah. Only key slot is driver door.

The fob is probably toast, but have you recently tried a new battery?

[Raidernation]

Is that something like 24hrs without @RH33 breaking a car?

Someone get the Guiness records folk on the line.

[RH33]

It's been ten days......

[alta-pete]

1 hour ago, RH33 said:

It's been ten days......

…Since you been gone, I can do whatever I want

[TxRover]

1 hour ago, RH33 said:

It's been ten days......

What’s that in normal owner years?

[Thistle_do_nicely]

tentatively looking at electric cars; not going into depth on the financial side of it, but I legit really like the look of the Jaguar I-Pace and there's a few that cropped up online which I might be able to stretch to. Interior and exterior look brilliant in the photos, but it nags at me from the horror stories on here with jaguar/land rover models that it'd end up being a money pit...

Am I still generally better off going with a hybrid? Would be a few months away anyway tbh and my petrol is still going strong so will look more in depth at what's out there when I've got a firm idea on how much I can spend. There were a handful of hybrid Cupra Formentors that looked lovely and all which I can maaaybe stretch to.
 

Pal of mine used to work at Toyota and he's said they're a bit pricey for parts but their hybrid/electric tech is generally some of the best out there, seen a handful of Corolla's out and about that look decent imo.

Edited August 6, 2023 by Thistle_do_nicely

[pub car king]

How can I put this diplomatically ? Jags reliability is non existent and you will want to drive it into a wall, if the fucking thing actually drives. 

[Thistle_do_nicely]

16 minutes ago, pub car king said:

How can I put this diplomatically ? Jags reliability is non existent and you will want to drive it into a wall, if the fucking thing actually drives. 

That's gutting, but ty for ramming the point home. They're so purty though. edit: 400 horsepower and all just sounds so good. Suspect there's a good reason theres so many showing up when I filtered that are disconcertingly affordable tbf.

Maybe Polestar but they look out of my price range. Bugger. also seeing Volvo and Lexus electric cars that are tempting...

I'm saying all this and will probably end up just getting a fucking e-corsa or something tbh.

Edited August 6, 2023 by Thistle_do_nicely

[UsedToGoToCentralPark]

1 minute ago, Thistle_do_nicely said:

That's gutting, but ty for ramming the point home. They're so purty though.

Maybe Polestar but they look out of my price range. Bugger.

I'm saying all this and will probably end up just getting a fucking e-corsa or something tbh.

You can get an interest free loan from Home Energy Scotland for a new or used electric car purchased from a dealer in case you weren't aware of that option. 

[alta-pete]

2 hours ago, Thistle_do_nicely said:

tentatively looking at electric cars; not going into depth on the financial side of it, but I legit really like the look of the Jaguar I-Pace and there's a few that cropped up online which I might be able to stretch to. Interior and exterior look brilliant in the photos, but it nags at me from the horror stories on here with jaguar/land rover models that it'd end up being a money pit...

Am I still generally better off going with a hybrid? Would be a few months away anyway tbh and my petrol is still going strong so will look more in depth at what's out there when I've got a firm idea on how much I can spend. There were a handful of hybrid Cupra Formentors that looked lovely and all which I can maaaybe stretch to.
 

Pal of mine used to work at Toyota and he's said they're a bit pricey for parts but their hybrid/electric tech is generally some of the best out there, seen a handful of Corolla's out and about that look decent imo.

I looked at an iPace 4/5 years ago when they first came out (tax dodge on the BIK through my own company). Lovely car but - at that time - wildly expensive. Figured out that for the same lease cost over the 4 year period I could actually buy myself a used Range Rover that might still be worth something at the end of the period rather than just handing it back. 
Im still not convinced on the charging infrastructure that you will 99% never use until that one time that you actually really need it and then find it fails you miserably. 
But if you’re buying used at c.£40k (and some poor sod has absorbed the other £40k in depreciation (ouch)) and don’t do many cross country trips I’d say do it! 

[TxRover]

1 hour ago, Thistle_do_nicely said:

That's gutting, but ty for ramming the point home. They're so purty though. edit: 400 horsepower and all just sounds so good. Suspect there's a good reason theres so many showing up when I filtered that are disconcertingly affordable tbf.

Maybe Polestar but they look out of my price range. Bugger. also seeing Volvo and Lexus electric cars that are tempting...

I'm saying all this and will probably end up just getting a fucking e-corsa or something tbh.

On the Volvo, keep in mind Geely now own Volvo (and thus Polestar). Much like Tata owns Jaguar/Land Rover, this raises questions on quality and reliability for Volvo as well.

Lexus electric models aren’t as highly thought of a the similar Toyota models by technicians that work on them. There’s a channel, “The Car Care Nut”, by a certified Toyota technician that provides good data on Toyota and Lexus models available in the U.S., but much of it might be interesting to you looking at their electric versions, even in the UK.

I have a hybrid Accord I love, excellent mileage and identical to the petrol model for features and comfort. In the UK, either a Honda or Toyota hybrid would tempt me. While I’d love a full electric car, I don’t have easy access to either at home charging or nearby high current charging, so you should always consider what might happen if you need to move if you go fully electric.

[alta-pete]

1 hour ago, pub car king said:

How can I put this diplomatically ? Jags reliability is non existent and you will want to drive it into a wall, if the fucking thing actually drives. 

They certainly come with a reputation but that, I think, is based on the 4-cyl models? The electric drive trains have not much to go wrong surely? 

[Thistle_do_nicely]

4 minutes ago, alta-pete said:

I looked at an iPace 4/5 years ago when they first came out (tax dodge on the BIK through my own company). Lovely car but - at that time - wildly expensive. Figured out that for the same lease cost over the 4 year period I could actually buy myself a used Range Rover that might still be worth something at the end of the period rather than just handing it back. 
Im still not convinced on the charging infrastructure that you will 99% never use until that one time that you actually really need it and then find it fails you miserably. 
But if you’re buying used at c.£40k (and some poor sod has absorbed the other £40k in depreciation (ouch)) and don’t do many cross country trips I’d say do it! 

cheers!

Do you know... the bulk of my commuting is at most about a 44 mile round trip for work, so if I charge the bugger for a bit overnight when leccy is cheaper it might well work out. Are the smaller alloy wheels better for range, think I read or saw something like that when I was googling about.

Had a look through pure #cinch, saw this and its an example of something I might, might, might stretch to in a few months depending on how much they offer on a trade-in for my current car and some other bits and bobs that I'll need to figure out (it might mean forgoing a trip to Germany next year if Scotland qualify for the Euros... nice 1st world problem to have tbf.)

https://www.cinch.co.uk/used-cars/jaguar/i-pace/details/d7f1abb5-f917-4a1f-b58a-6c9033bdde14

preferably aiming to keep it under <£30k but... there's literally only one little imperfection flagged up by them and oh god they're just so gorgeous imo. Top trim line and all.

General reviews for the electric i-pace are actually pretty much all positive and all. Some common problems with the range being inaccurate and it ending up being an expensive run-around car, plus its bumpy over bumps, but... oh god. so purty... SO PURTY.

3 minutes ago, TxRover said:

On the Volvo, keep in mind Geely now own Volvo (and thus Polestar). Much like Tata owns Jaguar/Land Rover, this raises questions on quality and reliability for Volvo as well.

Lexus electric models aren’t as highly thought of a the similar Toyota models by technicians that work on them. There’s a channel, “The Car Care Nut”, by a certified Toyota technician that provides good data on Toyota and Lexus models available in the U.S., but much of it might be interesting to you looking at their electric versions, even in the UK.

I have a hybrid Accord I love, excellent mileage and identical to the petrol model for features and comfort. In the UK, either a Honda or Toyota hybrid would tempt me. While I’d love a full electric car, I don’t have easy access to either at home charging or nearby high current charging, so you should always consider what might happen if you need to move if you go fully electric.

cheers!

Aye, someone in work mentioned they had a 1.8 hybrid CHR that they absolutely loved but had to get rid of after a break up.

Also wonder - might be a silly question but are electric cars a bit more of a worry when there's flooding on the roads? Got visions of going through the multitude of deep puddles that crop up from time to time during commutes and it frying the thing to death.

Didn't realise until I read up that the range is significantly lower in winter due to colder temperatures which could be annoying.

[alta-pete]

Range won’t be an issue for you on that daily usage. Small wheels are better on range but bigger wheels look nicer. A negligible difference, ye pays yer money, ye makes yer choice. 

Cold weather is the issue. Heating all has to be done electrically, thus draining the battery/range. 
The iPace has a quoted >250(I think) mile range so that shouldn’t really ever trouble you based on what you’ve said. 

The big Q (that I don’t know the answer to) - ask the dealer to confirm the battery health/full charge range. On a 4yo car that may be depleted somewhat from the new figures.  

And a final point. Cinch are fine for runabouts (IMO) but if you are looking at something as complex as an iPace I’d prefer to go buy Approved Used from a main dealer - even if older or higher mileage at the same price - simply for the peace of mind.
 

As @pub car king said, there is a nagging reliability issue; the dealer - as best as they can - isn’t going to retail a dog. Those will all have been put out the back door to auction for the likes of cinch to take their chances with. 

Edited August 6, 2023 by alta-pete
Quoted wrong poster! 🤪