Live collection - Suzuki Baleno GSR

[garethj]

Getting from the office in Northampton to the Suzuki in Peterborough is tricky, by train it's several hours and either a trip to Birmingham or London.

 

A taxi all the way is actually cheaper so that's where I am right now. I walked up to the taxi driver who was just inspecting the most recent dent and said I'd like to go to Peterborough.

 

"Peterborough, hmmm, Peterborough... Peterborough" he said, like it's in the back streets of Rio Dr Janeiro. We got in and before we left the A45 the air freshener was getting to me. I don't know what the aroma is but I think it's starting to induce some sort of hallucinogenic episode.

 

Number of times the ABS has kicked in:2

[vulgalour]

Out of morbid curiosity I do wonder what a cab smells like if you don't fill it with air fresheners so strong you can see the fragrance.

[Craig the Princess]

Vomit.

 

Good luck with the collection. What trusty cab stead did you get?

[Andrew353w]

The Peterborough to Northampton railway service closed in 1964. I don't know quite why I needed to inform you of that, but I just did.......

[loserone]

Car: Yes. Just; yes.

[dollywobbler]

We haven't heard from him for hours. I hope the minicab driver hasn't murdered him.

[garethj]

No murder, we arrived after only one more ABS episode so his driving definitely got better.

 

Seller was honest, car was too so I handed over the cash and drove home with no problems.

 

Pictures later, but it's a nice little car, quite speedy and steers well.

[vulgalour]

Worst. Live Update. EVAR.

[garethj]

To be honest I was a lot more bored in the taxi, once I'd got to the Suzuki I could:

1. Uncurl my toes.

2. Concentrate on buying a car that I'd never seen another before.

 

The basis of this is that it's got the Mazda MX5 1.8 litre engine, a bit stiffer ride and a nicer interior in Suzuki's unloved Baleno bodyshell. Not really a hot hatch with 119 bhp but definitely not the same as their dull 1.6 either.

 

The seats are nice, even the door cards are trimmed in smart fabric, other than white dials the dashboard is very typical Japanese 1990s.

 

Where are the pictures?

[garethj]

[garethj]

 

[garethj]

The drive home was completely uneventful; some traffic around Peterborough, it cruises nicely on the motorway, engine is smooth but when you hoof it the car takes off very well.

 

Perhaps because my last two cars have been diesels and Mrs_garethj's car is an auto with 240 bhp I'd sort of forgotten the power delivery of a good petrol engine. Don't change up early, let the revs build and it keeps on pulling. The fact that it weighs just under a tonne probably helps too.

 

There's 54,000 miles on the clock and it seems genuine so things that we never take for granted like the heater and windows all work. Official fuel economy is 37mpg so I'll have a crack at beating 40, I'm looking forward to the drive to work tomorrow.

[vulgalour]

I don't think I'd look twice at that, certainly wouldn't expect it to be quick.  Sneaky.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Nice work, these are a very discreet little thing, I'd love a shot in one

[trigger]

I quite like that in a boring, plain kind of way, it reminds me of one of those Proton things. I didn't know they were Mazda Mx5 powered.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

WHY IS A TAXI QUICKER AND CHEAPER THAN A TRAIN, the flipping world's gone mad.

[bigfella2]

If they are mx5 powered. I would be surprised if you could get 40mpg out of it. Good call though.

[garethj]

It's quite high compression so should be efficient and on my commute I mostly drive like Miss Daisy is with me. The Porsche 924 was doing 37mpg so I'd hope 40 is possible with this.

[holbeck]

That's nice! You'll deffo be the grey man in that one though.

[dollywobbler]

WHY IS A TAXI QUICKER AND CHEAPER THAN A TRAIN, the flipping world's gone mad.

 

Tell me about it. I'm struggling to comprehend how the 107 miles from Aberystwyth to Wolverhampton is going to take FOUR BLEEDIN' HOURS on the train on Thursday. What the bloody hell has gone wrong with our country?

 

I digress. That looks a handy Q car. Gosh it's dreary to look at - especially from the rear! I certainly can't remember ever seeing one as I'm not sure my brain would even register it. Therefore, great buy.

[Pillock]

Wow, 119bhp? That sounds like a hoot with proper reliability. It's basically a 90s GTI or XR without all the half-arsed built quality.

 

WHY IS A TAXI QUICKER AND CHEAPER THAN A TRAIN, the flipping world's gone mad.

Because unless he thinks he can get away with it, the taxi driver won't go via London, make you get out, let you get back in after an hour and pay a complicated system of what basically amounts to tolls for each different road he uses.

 

Oor lass has to go to Leeds (North of here) on Thursday. The only way she can get a train that doesn't have three changes and take three hours to do 92 miles is to drive twenty five miles south first, park at Tamworth, and head back pretty much past our house. Great.

[hairnet]

trains have always been like that north south east or west no problem

 

cross country and relatively local - fucked

[UmBongo]

The drive home was completely uneventful; some traffic around Peterborough, it cruises nicely on the motorway, engine is smooth but when you hoof it the car takes off very well.

 

Perhaps because my last two cars have been diesels and Mrs_garethj's car is an auto with 240 bhp I'd sort of forgotten the power delivery of a good petrol engine. Don't change up early, let the revs build and it keeps on pulling. The fact that it weighs just under a tonne probably helps too.

 

There's 54,000 miles on the clock and it seems genuine so things that we never take for granted like the heater and windows all work. Official fuel economy is 37mpg so I'll have a crack at beating 40, I'm looking forward to the drive to work tomorrow.

 

It's a Suzuki so while the build kwality is nicht so gut, it will run and run.....................................

................................and run.

[holbeck]

Tell me about it. I'm struggling to comprehend how the 107 miles from Aberystwyth to Wolverhampton is going to take FOUR BLEEDIN' HOURS on the train on Thursday. What the bloody hell has gone wrong with our country?

Is it steam?

[garethj]

It's a Suzuki so while the build kwality is nicht so gut, it will run and run.....................................

................................and run.

I've had two Suzuki Whizzkids and a newish Cappuccino, I think I'd agree with that.  But all of them were quite fun to drive.

 

However my recent base line is a Land Rover, so this will be the strongest vault in Fort Knox by comparison.

[KruJoe]

This week I have mostly been battling with mid-90's Subaru Justys. They're basically cheapo Suzuki Swifts built in Hungary. The metal is crap, and I'm sick up to the back teeth with shitty little seized, shearing M6 bolts in captive nuts. Grr.

 

I quite like the look of this Baleno, especially the back. The front's a bit dopey.

The 1.6 lump is almost a bolt-in conversion for these little Justys. Maybe one day, for a bit more grunt. The Mazda-based 1.8 was news to me. Interesting.

[garethj]

I'm hoping that the thing that makes this car a bit more robust is that it's low mileage, it's been reasonably well cared for and they were pretty reliable when new.

 

It's still going to be the oldest car in the company car park by some margin so I'm not completely delusional, just cheerily optimistic.  Having said that the starter motor was sluggish when I bought it earlier so it might not even start tomorrow morning without jump leads

[Ghosty]

Hm. Old Man would love that - nice.

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Mx5 turbo kit would be interesting in this.....

[garethj]

I think I grew out of making cars faster a long time ago.  To go fast you need a motorbike, 0-60 in less than 3 seconds is something that most supercars dream of, but you can get a bike this quick for less than 2 grand.

 

I quite like driving a car within its own limits, I didn't get disappointed as the Land Rover didn't corner like the Ginetta, you just enjoy the character of each car as it is.  Having said that I do swap cars quite often...