'Bombproof' 'Solid' 'Tough' 'Never Missed A Beat'
Discussion
The Winter Warriors thread, particularly the comments on the Outback, made me wonder if these phrases actually mean anything other than a subjective feeling of appreciation that your car works the way it should?
I like Subarus - used to own a Legacy, but my 12 year old Yaris on winter tyres copes equally well in snow.
Do bits start dropping off other cars when the temperature drops? Do they suddenly 'miss a beat' (what does that mean?)
I like Subarus - used to own a Legacy, but my 12 year old Yaris on winter tyres copes equally well in snow.
Do bits start dropping off other cars when the temperature drops? Do they suddenly 'miss a beat' (what does that mean?)
My Nissan GTR was rubbish in the cold. The small battery lasted barely a couple of weeks in winter without a trickle charger. Door handle design resulted in them being unable to open when frozen, same with the window drop on the frameless doors, needed 2 litres of hot water just to get in the thing. The gearbox and drivetrain made all kinds of crunches and noises and took even longer to get up to temp along with the tyres. Even the clever 4WD system used to s
t the bed when it came across large pools of water on the motorway - almost like it wasn’t programmed to deal with the type of grip loss a small aquaplane generated at speed. Winter #2 of ownership and I just put it under a cover until early spring. I’d say it did miss a beat in winter.
The 2001 A3 Quattro I had was a peach in winter. Foot to the floor and it just dealt with snow, ice - anything. Plus, the heated seats were scalding hot.
t the bed when it came across large pools of water on the motorway - almost like it wasn’t programmed to deal with the type of grip loss a small aquaplane generated at speed. Winter #2 of ownership and I just put it under a cover until early spring. I’d say it did miss a beat in winter.The 2001 A3 Quattro I had was a peach in winter. Foot to the floor and it just dealt with snow, ice - anything. Plus, the heated seats were scalding hot.
Cliches from a by gone era.
The Volvo boys love them... everything is bombproof, runs forever and built like a tank. They never rot either, ever. Icing on the cake is the "250k... just run in" but it's just part and parcel of motoring,just like those cars with short tests that the seller reckons it'll breeze through.
Everything is solid, bombproof and will run forever... right up until the point where it isn't and won't.
The Volvo boys love them... everything is bombproof, runs forever and built like a tank. They never rot either, ever. Icing on the cake is the "250k... just run in" but it's just part and parcel of motoring,just like those cars with short tests that the seller reckons it'll breeze through.
Everything is solid, bombproof and will run forever... right up until the point where it isn't and won't.
Hoofy said:
Paft Dunk said:
Door handle design resulted in them being unable to open when frozen
I learnt that if I couldn't get into my old Chimaera without having to defrost the door buttons then it was probably better to take the other car.
Paft Dunk said:
My Nissan GTR was rubbish in the cold. The small battery lasted barely a couple of weeks in winter without a trickle charger. Door handle design resulted in them being unable to open when frozen, same with the window drop on the frameless doors, needed 2 litres of hot water just to get in the thing. The gearbox and drivetrain made all kinds of crunches and noises and took even longer to get up to temp along with the tyres. Even the clever 4WD system used to st the bed when it came across large pools of water on the motorway - almost like it wasn’t programmed to deal with the type of grip loss a small aquaplane generated at speed. Winter #2 of ownership and I just put it under a cover until early spring. I’d say it did miss a beat in winter.
The 2001 A3 Quattro I had was a peach in winter. Foot to the floor and it just dealt with snow, ice - anything. Plus, the heated seats were scalding hot.
Yep, evo battery dies every winter..collecting a new one tomorrow t the bed when it came across large pools of water on the motorway - almost like it wasn’t programmed to deal with the type of grip loss a small aquaplane generated at speed. Winter #2 of ownership and I just put it under a cover until early spring. I’d say it did miss a beat in winter.The 2001 A3 Quattro I had was a peach in winter. Foot to the floor and it just dealt with snow, ice - anything. Plus, the heated seats were scalding hot.
Door was frozen on our runabout site Fiesta. Completely ripped the door handle off after giving it another gentle tug to laughing from the guys at The Bathroom Centre then coming into work.They know me as 'The Forklift' next door but didn't pull it that hard.
Fiesta door handles are NOT bombproof...
Fiesta door handles are NOT bombproof...
Slowboathome said:
Hoofy said:
Paft Dunk said:
Door handle design resulted in them being unable to open when frozen
I learnt that if I couldn't get into my old Chimaera without having to defrost the door buttons then it was probably better to take the other car.My wife’s 2 year old Discovery sport tends to have various electrical wobbles when the temperatures drop. The most recent of which being unable to go into 4wd, plus loads of warning messages.
Not ideal living in Aberdeenshire when it’s icy everywhere.
In comparison my 7 year old Mitsubishi L200 just keeps going the same as always.
It’s not as comfortable and certainly doesn’t have the tech that the land rover has but I know I can trust that it will work!
Not ideal living in Aberdeenshire when it’s icy everywhere.
In comparison my 7 year old Mitsubishi L200 just keeps going the same as always.
It’s not as comfortable and certainly doesn’t have the tech that the land rover has but I know I can trust that it will work!
I've experienced the opposite of "bombproof" with cars, it's what some would call "not fit for purpose".
To me, a "bombproof, never skips a beat" car is one where things that should last the life of the car actually last the life of the car. For example, the W211 Mercedes E-Class, much as I love it and would say it's generally reliable, the SBC and Airmatic stop it from being bombproof... The brake master should not have a programmed service life. The suspension compressor should be serviceable (I seem to recall it was the air drier that gave up the ghost in mine, requiring a whole new compressor).
Owners of cars with coilovers shouldn't get too cocky either, so many modern cars snap springs, and there is NO excuse for a coil spring to have a short service life.
I'd argue few ICE cars these days are bombproof; DMF in manuals, filled for life ATF in autos. Fuel filters often in the tank itself. TPMS sensors that require a tyre fitter to change (how long have self-winding watches existed?!). Non-serviceable lamps.
To me, a "bombproof, never skips a beat" car is one where things that should last the life of the car actually last the life of the car. For example, the W211 Mercedes E-Class, much as I love it and would say it's generally reliable, the SBC and Airmatic stop it from being bombproof... The brake master should not have a programmed service life. The suspension compressor should be serviceable (I seem to recall it was the air drier that gave up the ghost in mine, requiring a whole new compressor).
Owners of cars with coilovers shouldn't get too cocky either, so many modern cars snap springs, and there is NO excuse for a coil spring to have a short service life.
I'd argue few ICE cars these days are bombproof; DMF in manuals, filled for life ATF in autos. Fuel filters often in the tank itself. TPMS sensors that require a tyre fitter to change (how long have self-winding watches existed?!). Non-serviceable lamps.
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