Love is... a car that just works!
Discussion
..Have you ever formed a strong bond for an ordinary car purely out if its ability to just "get the job done"? I bought my Mazda 6 a year and a half ago as a cheap family runabout. Its not fast, its not particularly sporting, but it just works. Its done over 100,000 miles, the interior and gear shift still feel new and the MOT emissions readout shows hardly anything.....its got a fairly simple n/a engine and I love how nimble it feels due to that light petrol engine and with no turbo diesel turbo lag, driving in urban conditions is a doddle....it cost me £1600 so owes me nothing really and I have no worries about pesky DMFs, DPFs, injectors, cambelts or high pressure oil pumps and the like. sometimes, the feel good factor comes from cars that just get on with the job without any fuss.....in fact its a shame that the race for diesel engine cars has killed off old school 2 litre petrol cars like this which just fit into family life so well. Anyone else got a strong bond for an ordinary car like this?
GreenArrow said:
..Have you ever formed a strong bond for an ordinary car purely out if its ability to just "get the job done"? I bought my Mazda 6 a year and a half ago as a cheap family runabout. Its not fast, its not particularly sporting, but it just works. Its done over 100,000 miles, the interior and gear shift still feel new and the MOT emissions readout shows hardly anything.....its got a fairly simple n/a engine and I love how nimble it feels due to that light petrol engine and with no turbo diesel turbo lag, driving in urban conditions is a doddle....it cost me £1600 so owes me nothing really and I have no worries about pesky DMFs, DPFs, injectors, cambelts or high pressure oil pumps and the like. sometimes, the feel good factor comes from cars that just get on with the job without any fuss.....in fact its a shame that the race for diesel engine cars has killed off old school 2 litre petrol cars like this which just fit into family life so well. Anyone else got a strong bond for an ordinary car like this?
Yep, I'm with you all the way on this one.Ordinary cars that serve me well are much more lovable than fancy stuff.
Skoda Favorit (bought for £550, did 40,000 more miles) was brilliant, along with several middle sized Jap family hatch/saloons.
My 2002 Volvo S60 2.4. Costs normal wear and tear and service items. Leaky AC but that's the norm for an older daily driver. Cruises quietly and comfortably. Great sound from the stereo. Feels like new. In fact I've returned from the UK driving a rental (very new), jumped into the old Volvo and be impressed with the solid feel everything has.
ETA - coming up to 100,000 miles, so still quite a low miler really
ETA - coming up to 100,000 miles, so still quite a low miler really
My Transit. Bought out of necessity but now so bloody useful I struggle to see not having it.
Work horse and lugs bikes and all sorts of stuff about, OK so had a few things done - camchain @ 47k, lower wishbones for MOT and clutch due to me towing 2.8T behind it....now on 82k and as good as ever.
Also my Honda HRV, bought for when we have bad weather kitted with winters, had to do rings when it smoked a bit (£200) but as a general run around and skip estate with the 4wd and 5 doors its difficult to figure what to replace it with when its costs so little and is worth even less!
Work horse and lugs bikes and all sorts of stuff about, OK so had a few things done - camchain @ 47k, lower wishbones for MOT and clutch due to me towing 2.8T behind it....now on 82k and as good as ever.
Also my Honda HRV, bought for when we have bad weather kitted with winters, had to do rings when it smoked a bit (£200) but as a general run around and skip estate with the 4wd and 5 doors its difficult to figure what to replace it with when its costs so little and is worth even less!
GreenArrow said:
..Have you ever formed a strong bond for an ordinary car purely out if its ability to just "get the job done"? I bought my Mazda 6 a year and a half ago as a cheap family runabout. Its not fast, its not particularly sporting, but it just works. Its done over 100,000 miles, the interior and gear shift still feel new and the MOT emissions readout shows hardly anything.....its got a fairly simple n/a engine and I love how nimble it feels due to that light petrol engine and with no turbo diesel turbo lag, driving in urban conditions is a doddle....it cost me £1600 so owes me nothing really and I have no worries about pesky DMFs, DPFs, injectors, cambelts or high pressure oil pumps and the like. sometimes, the feel good factor comes from cars that just get on with the job without any fuss.....in fact its a shame that the race for diesel engine cars has killed off old school 2 litre petrol cars like this which just fit into family life so well. Anyone else got a strong bond for an ordinary car like this?
We've got a 2005 Mazda 6 2.0 petrol as a work car and it's as described. Don't think we've ever had a problem with it, and it's had a hard life!I once needed to shift some old paving slabs, so I looked at hiring a van. Found a Volvo 850 GLE on eBay for £1500, and it was half an hour from home. so I saw it, bought it, and kept it for five years
In that time, I had to replace an exhaust manifold and a top engine mount (which, if you know Volvos, is dead easy), and then I sold it for £1700.
Since that, I've always had a Volvo estate (currently on an XC70) as a third or fourth car, and they have all been fantastic; but nothing bests that first one, for nust doing what I needed it to, whenever I neded it to.
In that time, I had to replace an exhaust manifold and a top engine mount (which, if you know Volvos, is dead easy), and then I sold it for £1700.
Since that, I've always had a Volvo estate (currently on an XC70) as a third or fourth car, and they have all been fantastic; but nothing bests that first one, for nust doing what I needed it to, whenever I neded it to.
My Nissan Primera 1.8 SE estate 47,600 miles.
Just a very faithful old friend and even though I have some money to replace it I just don't see the point.
Have been running it for 2yrs since my Mom passed it on to me doing less that 5k in that time,which again as a 2nd car doing so little work I just don't see the point of having something else more expensive to use on the rainy days and shopping trips etc.
I wrote this 2yrs ago on my blog... " I actually quite enjoy driving it coming out of the TVR as it's just quiet compared to the full on event of the Chim. Great to use when it's raining and a car you can dump anywhere and not worry". And those words still apply today.
It Had an mot a few weeks ago £54.85 was the bill,but it does have a list of advisory's
I'm never in a rush to get anywhere when I drive it so the lack of performance or road handling doesn't come into effect. In fact I'm probably one of those drivers that the powerfully built directors moan about being held up by when they come across an old blue Nissan. It's them that are late or stressed not me 
(I'm not a 35mph on a 50 by the way) just to make that clear.
Just a very faithful old friend and even though I have some money to replace it I just don't see the point.
Have been running it for 2yrs since my Mom passed it on to me doing less that 5k in that time,which again as a 2nd car doing so little work I just don't see the point of having something else more expensive to use on the rainy days and shopping trips etc.
I wrote this 2yrs ago on my blog... " I actually quite enjoy driving it coming out of the TVR as it's just quiet compared to the full on event of the Chim. Great to use when it's raining and a car you can dump anywhere and not worry". And those words still apply today.
It Had an mot a few weeks ago £54.85 was the bill,but it does have a list of advisory's
I'm never in a rush to get anywhere when I drive it so the lack of performance or road handling doesn't come into effect. In fact I'm probably one of those drivers that the powerfully built directors moan about being held up by when they come across an old blue Nissan. It's them that are late or stressed not me (I'm not a 35mph on a 50 by the way) just to make that clear. Yep. I'm gonna hit 100k in my 2004 Honda Accord soon and it really has lived up to Honda's reputation for reliability totally.
As a bonus it still feels bang up to date and modern with touchscreen sat-nav, Bluetooth, dual zone climate, parking sensors, heated leather.
I really can't see how spending £20k+ on a new car would be in any way an upgrade.
As a bonus it still feels bang up to date and modern with touchscreen sat-nav, Bluetooth, dual zone climate, parking sensors, heated leather.
I really can't see how spending £20k+ on a new car would be in any way an upgrade.
mike80 said:
GreenArrow said:
..Have you ever formed a strong bond for an ordinary car purely out if its ability to just "get the job done"? I bought my Mazda 6 a year and a half ago as a cheap family runabout. Its not fast, its not particularly sporting, but it just works. Its done over 100,000 miles, the interior and gear shift still feel new and the MOT emissions readout shows hardly anything.....its got a fairly simple n/a engine and I love how nimble it feels due to that light petrol engine and with no turbo diesel turbo lag, driving in urban conditions is a doddle....it cost me £1600 so owes me nothing really and I have no worries about pesky DMFs, DPFs, injectors, cambelts or high pressure oil pumps and the like. sometimes, the feel good factor comes from cars that just get on with the job without any fuss.....in fact its a shame that the race for diesel engine cars has killed off old school 2 litre petrol cars like this which just fit into family life so well. Anyone else got a strong bond for an ordinary car like this?
We've got a 2005 Mazda 6 2.0 petrol as a work car and it's as described. Don't think we've ever had a problem with it, and it's had a hard life!Cost buttons to buy, run and fix, handles tidily, spacious and feels modern enough and everything works. Climate control, stability control, airbags all round, premium brand tyres at £60 a corner fitted. Bar a front wheel bearing and AC regas, all it has required is routine servicing in our 20k mile tenure. Loads of them about in scrappies to pick up bits as necessary. For example a new colour coded drivers door mirror - £15 delivered, complete doors painted in the right colour ready to bolt on - £50.
Known because said missus is something of a frustrated car redesigner... Just recently it has been written off after some cosmetic damage down the side rendering it beyond economical repair - back to an acceptable condition for £150 for doors and a front wing. With the payout we're break even on what it cost us so we have a free car to continue to run into the ground plus a bit more of the mortgage offset
With you all the way, a few years back I changed job and had to give up a company car, a dreary Laguna diesel in doom blue. I needed a stopgap car pronto, so bought a 1.6 Primera for £500 from a collegue. Looked like a minicab and had the most uninspiring interior ever. But it just worked, other than a new alternator and battery, nothing went wrong, totally dependable, and it rode and handled better than the 16k Laguna it replaced. Sold it for £350 eighteen months later. As PH'ers, we all want to drive sonething with character, something stylish, fast, well handling etc. But there's a lot to be said for something which you just know isn't going to leave you stranded by the wayside and get you there. I wouldn't say I missed it, but as I watched its new owner drive it away I did wonder if I'd done the right thing.
An old Pug 406. Bought 3 year old at 50k miles, and about £5000. Bought it just before getting married in 2003. Now 2015, it's been to Bristol nearly every day between 2003 and 2011. We regularly use it for towing. Remapped it in 2005.
It's had oil changes every 5k miles, just had it's 3rd cam belt, and it's had 2 suspension replacements as part of a maintenance routine. It broke down once in 2006 with a faulty fuel pressure regulating valve.
Now today on 267,414 miles.
And I still get in it, and think how well it drives, and how good the lights are, and what a great car it is.
I can't help feeling I am it's last owner though - who would ever buy one of these at this age and mileage, even though it has been faultlessly reliable, and looks as if it will continue to be in the future.
It's had oil changes every 5k miles, just had it's 3rd cam belt, and it's had 2 suspension replacements as part of a maintenance routine. It broke down once in 2006 with a faulty fuel pressure regulating valve.
Now today on 267,414 miles.
And I still get in it, and think how well it drives, and how good the lights are, and what a great car it is.
I can't help feeling I am it's last owner though - who would ever buy one of these at this age and mileage, even though it has been faultlessly reliable, and looks as if it will continue to be in the future.
Yes, it's great!
Bought a 325ti Compact last year for just under £2,000 and I love it! It even has a bit of performance and RWD tail-out entertainment as a bonus factor. I know looks are a bit marmite but it's even practical being a hatch.
OK it did get a £450+ cooling system refresh in April but now I should get years more out of it and it isn't depreciating - happy days! Can't see anything I would want to replace it with either.
To keep the theme of the thread, it replaced a Mazda 323f that I had for 6 months but it was only a 1500cc model (for cheap tax
) and while totally reliable it was just so slow and dull - handling was a bit spongy too so it had to go!
Bought a 325ti Compact last year for just under £2,000 and I love it! It even has a bit of performance and RWD tail-out entertainment as a bonus factor. I know looks are a bit marmite but it's even practical being a hatch.
OK it did get a £450+ cooling system refresh in April but now I should get years more out of it and it isn't depreciating - happy days!
Can't see anything I would want to replace it with either.To keep the theme of the thread, it replaced a Mazda 323f that I had for 6 months but it was only a 1500cc model (for cheap tax
) and while totally reliable it was just so slow and dull - handling was a bit spongy too so it had to go!Edited by Mr Tidy on Thursday 2nd July 01:02
Love my little diesel golf for this, its a 02 plate gt tdi, gave 1500 quid for it last september as i realised my various old 4x4s werent ideal to use at university, its reasonably nippy being the 130 horse version, never drops below 35mpg and if your sat on the motorway at 70 will easily do 60+ mpg. Servicing is cheap, so far apart from consumables all its cost me is hundred quid and a couple of hours to swap out a smashed sump.
Oh and the best bit that has come to light in the past couple of sweltering days, the aircon works brilliantly!
Oh and the best bit that has come to light in the past couple of sweltering days, the aircon works brilliantly!
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