Car on hire ..... modern toys, poor economy !
Discussion
Hello chaps.
I've just has a Vauxhall Astra 1.6 SE 5 door on hire for four days (due to a cockup by my mechanic), for a trip to the Scottish Highlands.
An interesting experience, and a very cheap hire of £112.00 all in.
The first thing that struck me about this car (I normally drive a 2000 BMW E39 5 series with an autobox and a 2.8 litre engine), was the electonic handbrake.
WTF is an electronic handbrake all about ?
You can "turn it on", but you cannot turn it off, you have to drive against it (no wonder my mate needed new rear disks at 15,000 miles on his vauxhall). If you stop the car, then release the brake pedal, the brakes stay engaged for about three seconds for you to select whatever gear without rolling etc, how do people learn to drive with this system ?
It doesn't always want to release either.
Performance, well to be honest it doesn't have any, you need to give written notice if you want to overtake anything.
It has an annoying little display that tells you when it thinks you should change gear, well sorry Mr Vauxhall, you can either change gear for me (as in auto), or shut the fook up, and I'll change gear when I want to, it doesn't like you sitting in 3rd in a 30.
I also now know why hoards or morons sit at the side of the road, at night, with their dipped beam lights dazzling other people, because as soon as you start it, if it thinks it is dark ...... on come the lights, not side lights, but dipped beam headlights.
It has daytime running lights ..... I hate the b
d things, and couldn't find a way of turning them off.
There is a large LCD display dedicated to telling me what radio station is selected, what genre it is, who is presenting it, and what record they are playing ....... why ? (it also refers to the VHF waveband as FM , MW as AM , but gets LW correct ..... but my beemer does that too !)
Nice sounding stereo, but no usb stuff.
It obviously links to a phone somehow, as it has the controls for it.
No ciggy lighter or ashtray ..... loads of crap I don't want, but no ashtray !
It was fwd of course, like most modern crap, it didn't suffer from torque steer as it didn't have any torque, and was suprisingly well balanced.
Ride was a little hard, and wtf is half leather about, is it for half a car ?
The real downside was 38.4 mpg, on a trip to the Highlands, my 2.8 litre BMW will beat that, and be much more comfortable
I wonder how many 5 to 6 year old 5 series beemers you can get for the price of one of these ?
At most 3/10 Mr Vauxhall ...... I had astras years ago, when they seemed to be much nicer cars.
I've just has a Vauxhall Astra 1.6 SE 5 door on hire for four days (due to a cockup by my mechanic), for a trip to the Scottish Highlands.
An interesting experience, and a very cheap hire of £112.00 all in.
The first thing that struck me about this car (I normally drive a 2000 BMW E39 5 series with an autobox and a 2.8 litre engine), was the electonic handbrake.
WTF is an electronic handbrake all about ?
You can "turn it on", but you cannot turn it off, you have to drive against it (no wonder my mate needed new rear disks at 15,000 miles on his vauxhall). If you stop the car, then release the brake pedal, the brakes stay engaged for about three seconds for you to select whatever gear without rolling etc, how do people learn to drive with this system ?
It doesn't always want to release either.
Performance, well to be honest it doesn't have any, you need to give written notice if you want to overtake anything.
It has an annoying little display that tells you when it thinks you should change gear, well sorry Mr Vauxhall, you can either change gear for me (as in auto), or shut the fook up, and I'll change gear when I want to, it doesn't like you sitting in 3rd in a 30.
I also now know why hoards or morons sit at the side of the road, at night, with their dipped beam lights dazzling other people, because as soon as you start it, if it thinks it is dark ...... on come the lights, not side lights, but dipped beam headlights.
It has daytime running lights ..... I hate the b
d things, and couldn't find a way of turning them off.There is a large LCD display dedicated to telling me what radio station is selected, what genre it is, who is presenting it, and what record they are playing ....... why ? (it also refers to the VHF waveband as FM , MW as AM , but gets LW correct ..... but my beemer does that too !)
Nice sounding stereo, but no usb stuff.
It obviously links to a phone somehow, as it has the controls for it.
No ciggy lighter or ashtray ..... loads of crap I don't want, but no ashtray !
It was fwd of course, like most modern crap, it didn't suffer from torque steer as it didn't have any torque, and was suprisingly well balanced.
Ride was a little hard, and wtf is half leather about, is it for half a car ?
The real downside was 38.4 mpg, on a trip to the Highlands, my 2.8 litre BMW will beat that, and be much more comfortable
I wonder how many 5 to 6 year old 5 series beemers you can get for the price of one of these ?
At most 3/10 Mr Vauxhall ...... I had astras years ago, when they seemed to be much nicer cars.
38mpg is good, I hired a 1.6 petrol Megane recently and got 27mpg out of it, 20 miles of slow town work and 200 miles of motorway at no more than 80mph, driving economically, shocking really.
My 2.8 litre BMW (528) would never average 38mpg, 30 was the best I ever got out of it, had an indicated 40 at 60mph, it averaged about the same as a 1.6 petrol Megane coincidentally.
My 2.8 litre BMW (528) would never average 38mpg, 30 was the best I ever got out of it, had an indicated 40 at 60mph, it averaged about the same as a 1.6 petrol Megane coincidentally.
Edited by Jazoli on Saturday 3rd November 19:13
The Spruce goose said:
comparison of a premium car against a non premium is pointless.
compare a 10+ year old vx to the hire car and things have moved a bit.
also I think the 6 cylinder brigade exaggerate the mpg a bit.
I thought the comparison was worthwhile, because it is the choice I face every two or three years, a few grand on a decent car, or twenty grand on a new one.compare a 10+ year old vx to the hire car and things have moved a bit.
also I think the 6 cylinder brigade exaggerate the mpg a bit.
The six cylinder brigade don't exaggerate, when it is the 2.8 litre, it is something fellow 2.8 litre owners normally comment on, around town, it is terrible at about 21 mpg, sit it at 70 on a motorway, and enjoy the 40 mpg, day in, day out ...... it's what they do best.
I expected more from a 1.6 that enjoys being taxed at about half the rate mine is.
So, let me get this straight: You completely ignored the "shift indicator" because you don't like being told how to drive. The same shift indicator that is calibrated to allow the car to be driven in the most economic fashion, and then you are suprised that the cars wasn't very economical? Now, i'm not a rocket scientist, but i think i can see the problem.......... ;-)
Max_Torque said:
So, let me get this straight: You completely ignored the "shift indicator" because you don't like being told how to drive. The same shift indicator that is calibrated to allow the car to be driven in the most economic fashion, and then you are suprised that the cars wasn't very economical? Now, i'm not a rocket scientist, but i think i can see the problem.......... ;-)
Depends who has taught you to drive I guess, this thing was quite happy to ask for 5th in a 30.I also forgot to add, it insists that you depress the clutch before it'll start, that would have to go .... I've had a few bikes like that, they got duffed too.
Nigel Worc's said:
WTF is an electronic handbrake all about ?
get used to them as I doubt they are going away. My new F25 X3 has one, though it can be switched off & on from the switch.Nigel Worc's said:
I also now know why hoards or morons sit at the side of the road, at night, with their dipped beam lights dazzling other people, because as soon as you start it, if it thinks it is dark ...... on come the lights, not side lights, but dipped beam headlights.
I thought my last BMW used to switch lights on too early, the new one is worse - but during the daylight I can't see why you'd think they are dazzling.Nigel Worc's said:
It has daytime running lights ..... I hate the bd things, and couldn't find a way of turning them off.
You can't see them from drivers seat - so why worry about them in a hire car d things, and couldn't find a way of turning them off.
38mpg seems very good. I had the Opel version as a hire car in Croatia. It had a sport button and an auto gearbox, so I drove it everywhere in either second or third with the sport button pressed, which seemed to sharpen things up a bit. It was a woeful car in every possible way. A tank lasted around 180kms
The Spruce goose said:
comparison of a 10 year old premium car against amodern non premium is pointless exercise..
compare a 10+ year old vx to the hire car and things have moved a bit.
also I think the 6 cylinder brigade exaggerate the mpg a bit.
I can confirm at 70mph my 728i can get pretty close to 40mpg. Doing 2050rpm at that helps I think.compare a 10+ year old vx to the hire car and things have moved a bit.
also I think the 6 cylinder brigade exaggerate the mpg a bit.
Edited by The Spruce goose on Saturday 3rd November 19:19
Around town its shocking but on a long steady run they're surprisingly economical.
Perd Hapley said:
Nigel Worc's said:
(it also refers to the VHF waveband as FM , MW as AM , but gets LW correct ..... but my beemer does that too !)
The last time I saw FM referred to as VHF was on my massive 1980s Pye Radio Cassette. Press brake peddle, press down hand brake switch, handbrake releases, simples.
My Insignia has the same system.
You connect your phone via Bluetooth, or on my car (not sure about the Astra) via the USB port under the arm rest between the seats.
My Insignia has the same system.
You connect your phone via Bluetooth, or on my car (not sure about the Astra) via the USB port under the arm rest between the seats.
Edited by englisharcher on Saturday 3rd November 23:36
Nigel Worc's said:
I also forgot to add, it insists that you depress the clutch before it'll start, that would have to go ....
What's wrong with that, Ive always done that in manual cars? I do in case they're in gear, but it's also an old-fashioned thing to do to take the cold gearbox load off the starter in cold weather.I recently had a manual petrol current shape Astra for a day in lieu of a 1.6 diesel Golf (hardly a Bugatti). It was truly horrid. No torque whatsoever (fair enough) but the NVH of a Polonez above 3000rpm and no power to show for it either. I didn't like the interior layout or feel of the plastics either and the stereo was hand built by Alan Sugar circa 1989 but I'm sure these characteristics would be forgiven or forgotten with familiarity. Even my size 8s didn't fit comfortably on the pedals and the left foot footrest was terrible. Steering from the Titanic. Otherwise an amazing car - for someone else.
The electronic handbrake requires you to be on the footbrake to release, btw, presumaby to demonstrate to the nanny you are taking control.
I have never ever had an "issue" with DRLs or a gear shift indicator. Perhaps my enrage-ometer is set too high.
The electronic handbrake requires you to be on the footbrake to release, btw, presumaby to demonstrate to the nanny you are taking control.
I have never ever had an "issue" with DRLs or a gear shift indicator. Perhaps my enrage-ometer is set too high.
The Spruce goose said:
comparison of a 10 year old premium car against amodern non premium is pointless exercise..
compare a 10+ year old vx to the hire car and things have moved a bit.
also I think the 6 cylinder brigade exaggerate the mpg a bit.
Hahha yes but i drive a 530i and reguarly get 45 mpg on a steady runcompare a 10+ year old vx to the hire car and things have moved a bit.
also I think the 6 cylinder brigade exaggerate the mpg a bit.
Edited by The Spruce goose on Saturday 3rd November 19:19
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