Why can't everything in life be as reliable as my jotul wood burning stove

[Sir Chocolate Teapot]

Morning all

Please see my grump thread on fuel pump for background.

I think the search is on.

As per another post i made, i looked and thought about brand new fabia 1.0 tsi on finance, a max allowed 5 mins test drive confirmed my dislike of turbo'd tinys usable rev range of less than 2000rpm for 5 years of financial burden.

I have a 1986 suzuki sj but it is euro 0.

To go into towns here presently need min petrol euro 1 min, to be safe for few years would like euro 3.

Diesel needs to be euro 4 minimum !!!

Towns have traffic light pollution system, on worst days even euro 4 diesel is banned.

So the question is, i need a car as reliable as a jotul wood burner, small is ok, economical as possible ( petrol here €1.60/ltr. Diesel €1.48/ltr).

Budget here is €3500, which means equivalent uk price of £1500/2000.

What year did euro 3 petrol come in ?

So far thinking yaris 5 door 1.3 petrol or 1.4 diesel.

Help please.

[lesapandre]

Can you go the other way and get a car old enough to be exempt? Here is London pre-80 exempts you from all the bureaucratic fussing.

[skattrd]

I'd forget diesel, to be LEZ friendly in a year or two I think you'd really need a euro 6 diesel.

The simple answer is a Prius, economical, reliable, I think even first gen are euro 4.
Some petrol cars can surprise you on euro rating, my 4l jeep is euro 1 and my C32 Merc is euro 4.

Personally I'd be looking for euro 4 minimum petrol, these started around late 90s, but became more widespread in the 00s.

[UltraWomble]

A suggestion.

 

Keep your current steed. Park outside of any congestion / LEZbian / Similar zone & ride in on a small scooterped. Suitable wet weather gear can be attached to them ( looks like a skirt) and they generally cost buttons now and are:

i) Frugal

ii) Cheap to tax

iii) Piss easy to park

iiia) Piss easy to drive into work on the grounds that you can filter through lines of traffic.

iv) compliant this Euro x bollocks if you buy something reasonably new or even Chinese and new on 3 years interest free hock.

A scooterist DAVROS yesterday...

[Tadhg Tiogar]

9 minutes ago, UltraWomble said:

A suggestion.

 

Keep your current steed...

I have. 

 

[UltraWomble]

4 minutes ago, Tadhg Tiogar said:

I have. 

 

Id say me too but its Mrs Wombles

 

[Sir Chocolate Teapot]

Lesapandre, my 1986 is already classed as classic, only into towns for special events at weekends.

Ultrawomble, i,m already two wheeled up. With 2 kids and wife is a bit of a problem, if i lived in naples the law of max 2 on bike does not apply, here in the rest of italy max 2 people.

Just for interest, euro 0 scooters are now banned  in big towns, no more older 2 stroke vespas around town now.

[lesapandre]

28 minutes ago, Sir Chocolate Teapot said:

Lesapandre, my 1986 is already classed as classic, only into towns for special events at weekends.

Ultrawomble, i,m already two wheeled up. With 2 kids and wife is a bit of a problem, if i lived in naples the law of max 2 on bike does not apply, here in the rest of italy max 2 people.

Just for interest, euro 0 scooters are now banned  in big towns, no more older 2 stroke vespas around town now.

Sounds like Italy is more draconian than London then alas. Any historic vehicle is exempt at the moment for LEZ and ULEZ 24/7. I expect TfL (Transport for London) decided the numbers were so small it  is not worth bothering with any kind of weekend permits given the paperwork involved - it would have meant  reprogramming the APNR computer and programme for short periods or having some paper permit scheme that would have cost ££'s . There are quite a lot of classic events in the city - the  Veteran car run probably being the best known of course  - so old cars in London are accepted which is good. I am soon to end up in the new ULEZ  zone from '21 which is an excuse to get another car...though some I have will have to move out of London because they will not be allowed.

To an extent 'classics' are also seen as helping the London economy - this was recently used to pull people in to the shopping centre and provide a buzz.

Lots of classics used everyday in ritzy Notting Hill etc - old Landrovers a particular favourite.

[somewhatfoolish]

Clearly what you need is a 4 stroke Piaggio Ape with a bench seat on the back for the rugrats.  

[Tadhg Tiogar]

8 hours ago, lesapandre said:

... . I am soon to end up in the new ULEZ  zone from '21 which is an excuse to get another car...though some I have will have to move out of London because they will not be allowed....

Your cars only need to be outside the South Circular, I think.