New Disastray

[pogweasel]

Whatever it is designed to do, it doesn't.

I'd rather a single line of dribble than a screen that I can't see through and have to repeat the process.

 

Also, remember the other week we were talking about those little rubber blocks on the passenger window frames?

Wash your screen whilst moving , and see where most of the water goes to - comes off that little block, so you can have the window open half an inch and not get wet. Is that what it is for??

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I cant believe anything is called 'dribble wipe', that is ridiculous.

[Tayne]

.

[pogweasel]

Don't google it!

Not with safe-search turned off anyway.

[FredTransit]

All of those boons to modern motoring sound like a way of avoiding the need to develop any skills behind the wheel what so ever. People should learn to drive FFS! Like you say, can't see what's so bad about pulling a handbrake lever. Also, I wonder how long these gadgets last.

 

Oh is this not the grumpy thread then?

[Futuramic]

the missus drives a 06 plate mk5/h badermatic astra with a 1.8 engine.

 

as much as i moan about it, its been a very reliable car over the last few years, and plenty of poke. akthough i wasnt very impressed witht the manual version when i drove it.

 

i find the lane change indicators quite useful

 

am i alone here in thinking the mk5's were ok?

They handle well. No they really do, on limit cornering is spot on for a normal family hatch; though I nearly had an early meeting with St Peter after finding the edge of the envelope and pushing it too far.

 

Terminal understeer off a roundabout towards the oncoming traffic on the main road out of Basildon was not fun.

 

I digress. The 1.7 diesel is a funny thing. It is much more revvy and refined than the old Ford lumps; but at the same time completely gutless. I could eat my lunch before the turbo does anything; and even on boost torque is lacking.

 

The seats are uncomfotable, the steering is heavy and dead at the same time and the gearchange is the worst I've come across. It is imprecise in a way not seen since BL put 5 speeds in the Maxi. The knob is too short and stubby; I prefer something longer and thinner in my left hand (ooh sir). The trigger actuated reverse is frankly ridiculous. Everything is Chinese toy factory shoddy.

 

However I like driving it. It somehow has more character than a Focus, and if treated as nothing more than a device to enable the movement of people in an unobtrusive way then it's fine.

 

It's also reliable and everything still works. A mixed bag.

 

The funny indicators are, in fact, alright with practice.

[Pete-M]

What weighs more?

 

 

or

 

 

Scary innit?

 

As for the funny indicators, much as it galls me to say it, Vauxhall seem to have got it more right than a lot of other companies.

 

In the Vauxhalls, if you want to stop the fucking things, you click as if to switch the indicator on properly, and then cancel straight away and the indicators stop flashing. In a Skoda / VW / Audi you get three flashes whether you want 'em or not.

 

After driving new cars as often as I do nowadays, I've actually considered fitting the silly ones to the SD1. I find myself far too often going to change lane on the motorway, flicking the indicator switch lightly and then remembering that all that happens in the Rover when I do that is the indicators flash once...

[Tayne]

.

[Pete-M]

I'm glad you said "might".

 

I was gonna put a pic of a Golf / A3 / Nimitz class warship...

[Albert Ross]

1990 Sierra Sapphire 1.8 CVH 1150kg approx

2006 Focus 1.6 Ghia with all aluminium engine. 1450kg approx....

 

OK, do I NEED the Aircon, fat chunky seats, wide rubber, 9 layers of sound deadening, heated screens, airbags etc?? It doesn't even have a full size spare wheel for fuck's sake!

 

The Sierra has all I need and more (except tax and test) but I like the Wife in a safe reliable car, just in case! (Not her driving, the other numpties out there) Does all the weight go into strengthening the shell?

[warren t claim]

Do Jaguar still fit those wanky Vauxhall style indicators? I remember my XJ40 had them.

[Formula Autos]

The Transit indicators will give three flashes if you flick them but otherwise they work as normal. I do find it quite useful, except it's difficult to do the thing you're meant to do when lorry drivers flash you in after overtaking.

 

The thing that annoys me on the Transit is the washers. You get the few sweeps as normal when you wash the screen, then it waits a bit and gives another sweep- which always makes the screen dirty again. You can stop it doing that by doing a flick wipe immediately after the first lot but it's still annoying.

My Mk 3 (04 plate) Mondeo has both these systems - the indicators seem to work fine, and I would guess that Vauxhall were aiming for the same thing with their new indicator set-up. The difference between the Ford and the Vauxhall set-ups is that you can 'feel' what the indicator stalk has done on the Ford, whereas with the Vauxhalls you can't. No doubt you'd get used to it if you owned a Vauxhall for a while, but I used to get a hire car once a week for a few years (to go on training for work) and whenever I got a Vauxhall they had THOSE indicators, which drove me mad.

 

As for the extra sweep of the wipers, new blades usually fixes the problem - old or juddery blades do seem to drag muck across the 'screen. Failing that, a coating of Rain-X seems to help, beading any water on the 'screen - meaning the blades don't have to work as hard to shift the water, and so can shift muck more easily.

[Volksy]

Well the Disastra is going back on Monday, to be swapped for something different.

To be honest, if it wasn't so bloody slow, i'd like it. It rides really well, and handles quite good too. It's very well screwed together, and does feel like a quality piece of kit.

 

But the lack of any sort of oomph has killed it for me, it really is almost dangerous, getting into the outside lane on a motorway is quite a hairy experience, i even had to change down to fourth to get it to accelerate. Which it did, very slowly.

I used a Brand Spanker Ford Galaxy Diesel over the weekend at Heathrow, even 7 up, with a 2.0 TDCi up front it wiped the floor with the Astra.

 

I wonder what they'll give me next.

[Pete-M]

I don't know what the choices are, but if you can blag a new Skoda Superb diesel you'll not regret it.

 

I use them most days of the week and do a couple of hundred mile trips in them. Hyuuuge inside, even the base spec ones are well equipped (with nothing silly other than the indicators, which I'm used to). Comfy, quiet (unless over 3000 rpm when the 1.9 diesel makes its presence felt) and the handling isn't bad. I average between 45-65 mpg from the ones I drive. Stereo isn't brilliant, but it's good enough to handle most things without cracking up badly.

 

Not something to hustle, but painless to drive and it is possible to do quite high average speeds without really pushing 'em. Capable of doing moderately silly things, but they encourage a smooth relaxed driving style. Not quick off the mark, but they're happy enough at 90.

[ProgRocker]

I've read that the Ford 1.8 TDCi is another variation on the old 1753cc diesel that's been going since prehistory, is that right?

(as the owner of a gutless Ford 1.8 diesel)

 

Fords don't update their engines too frequently, do they? The 1.3 Ka engine dates back to the days of ye olde Ford Anglia,

[Formula Autos]

I've read that the Ford 1.8 TDCi is another variation on the old 1753cc diesel that's been going since prehistory, is that right?

(as the owner of a gutless Ford 1.8 diesel)

 

Fords don't update their engines too frequently, do they? The 1.3 Ka engine dates back to the days of ye olde Ford Anglia,

Eventually it was replaced by the Endura (in about 2003), which was still a 1.3, so most people assumed the original engine was still being fitted until the original Ka ceased production.

 

Basically though, the original Ka engine was the Kent lump, albeit modified over the years. I don't think the block itself was quite the specification that appeared in the Anglia, though it would have been in Mk I Escorts - so concievably the same basic engine from '68 to '03.

 

You could say they'd got their money's worth out of it.

 

Not a bad engine though, if a bit 'tappety'.

 

Way, way OT here though - not a mention of Astras.

[Volksy]

The Disastray has been returned, thankfully. My account manager at enterprise said that they had been getting lots of complaints about the 1.6 The 1.4 Turbos are far better apparently as they actually produce some torque.

I had a choice of a 1.6 Petrol Focus, or a Golf TDi BlueMotion. I opted for the Golf as it's a diesel, although the quality of it is not a patch on the Astra. Vauxhall have really got the Astra's plastics and quality feel spot on. The Golf is pretty poor in comparison.

For an Ultra Eco car the Golf's engine is about 70% more responsive than the Astra, although oddly only a 5 speeder.

I would have gone for the Focus, but the latest ones really do look like some Chavling has got hold of the car before you, with the clear rear lights and bright alloys.