A bit of a strange working day! (Moderns)

[warren t claim]

Due to the DVLA managing to delay sending out my digital tachograph card I was at a bit of a loose end on Friday so I rang my agent asking if there was any van work going. What they offered me was the chance to become Warren T Kowalski for the day working for a vehicle delivery company. Needless to say I jumped at the chance to drive a few moderns and have some kind of insight into how far the motor car has developed since 1993.

 

First stop was to collect a new BMW 320d auto from the main agents to deliver to Derbyshire.

After a quick inspection to make sure all is well I head off via the showroom to collect the tax and make my merry way via some of the more twisty roads, namely the A623 and 629. The first thing that surprises is me is how nippy it seems, not at all the turgid compression ignition powered car I was expecting. The drive was pretty uneventful in traffic and due to the fact it only had 4 miles on the clock I was somewhat reluctant to thrash it. Even at almost legal speeds you can tell that BMW have managed to develop a pretty sorted chassis with amazing steering, sadly BMW still seem to spec their cars like Transits and if it was my money buying it I'd be pissed off to find no cruise control and having to bring my own sat nav. To its credit though the fuel economy was amazing! The gauge didn't budge from the halfway point for the entire journey.

When I arrived at the company who'd leased it just about all the members off staff left their desks to come and see it. The IT manager guy who's going to be its custodian for the next four years seemed ecstatic and he's probably still smiling now. Five minutes later the 3.5t recovery truck turn up to unload another 320d and to take me to our next job of the day.

 

Now it's the long drive to an airfield in Newark to collect an Astra stopping briefly here....

...for a spot of lunch. Apparently the cafe was built ninety years ago and it's due to be demolished in the next six months or so. Nice lunch though!

 

After arriving at Newark there was a bit of confusion as to which Astra I was collecting as there were hundreds there but eventually it was found and here it is...

A pre-registered 60 plate 1.6 SXi that was off to its new owner in Swansea about 250 miles away. Needless to say the tank contained a rats bladders worth of petrol so my colleague had to follow me about six slow miles to the nearest petrol station. I lobbed £40 in the tank and wished my driver goodbye and set off with the instruction to give the Astras new owner a ring when I was half an hour away. En-route I decided to stop for a coffee and smoke and saw this in the service station car park...

Somewhat surprisingly the owner of this had resisted the temptation to paint it candy red and grow a Setright beard. Coffee and smoke finished it was back to the journey. The Astra was not as fun to drive as the BMW but it liked to drink fuel at an alarming rate. I'd of expected it to be capable of more than 33mpg on a long motorway trip. Are all modern petrols this thirsty? It's not as if it was very quick or refined either. There seemed to be some sort of historic saloon car race going on in South Wales this weekend because I kept encountering stuff like this all the way...

After a quick phone call to the Astras new owner we arraigned to meet up at his place of work to do the hand over and sort the paperwork out.

Everything went as planned and he gave me the keys to his part ex to drive back to base in South Manchester where it'll be picked up by the finance company that sold him the Astra. The Astra had cost him £9000 with a part ex value of £5700 for this...

A 57 plate RAV 4 diesel. I had to list all the wear and tear of the Toyota on my sheet and as it had been used off road the owner was terrified that I'd refuse to take it as there were several faults that he'd not bothered to tell them about, namely the ABS light was on and the battery was a bit shit. I noted down as much as I could and told him not to worry. Now it was time to ring base and head home. The owner of the delivery company suggested that I'd probably prefer to take the scenic route back through Wales and avoid the motorways on a Friday night and I was inclined to agree. The RAV handled the twisty roads better that I expected and it's actually quite fun to drive and quicker than I expected a soft roader to be. It didn't seem very heavy on fuel either and had quite a sweet gearchange that made the journey back along the A483 and 485 something of a pleasure.

 

So what is it like being a delivery driver then? Well, my day started at 8am and finished at midnight so it was quite profitable as my agency paid me proper HGV rates but apparently the regular drivers earn £10 a car plus 10p a mile so I wouldn't fancy doing this full time on their rates but as a one off on proper money it wasn't too bad and somewhat enjoyable. No hitch hiking was involved, nor was I left waiting around anywhere for a lift so I was always busy and now I can finally bust the myth that cars become 25% more powerful when they're running on trade plates!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Jeezus, £10 plus 10p a mile? So if by some miracle you manage to maintain a 50 mph average over a long trip you'll get an eye-popping £5/HOUR, gordon bennett.

[warren t claim]

Jeezus, £10 plus 10p a mile? So if by some miracle you manage to maintain a 50 mph average over a long trip you'll get an eye-popping £5/HOUR, gordon bennett.

 

That's what I thought! They're all self employed as well. No wonder they drive quickly to each drop.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Fuggin wars, I presume if you become a shit-hot driver who knows all the shortcuts and traffic dodges and the like, you can just about expect to creep above the national minimum wage!

 

an 8-hour day spent driving a single car at a constant 70 mph (so 560 miles) will net you £66, presumaby its down to you to then find your own way home. Amazing.

[warren t claim]

Fuggin wars, I presume if you become a shit-hot driver who knows all the shortcuts and traffic dodges and the like, you can just about expect to creep above the national minimum wage!

 

an 8-hour day spent driving a single car at a constant 70 mph (so 560 miles) will net you £66, presumaby its down to you to then find your own way home. Amazing.

 

They do always provide transport home although I should imagine that there's some waiting involved and they pay £6ph waiting time AFTER the first hour.

 

I was paid standard agency rates of £8ph plus £1ph self employed surcharge for the first 8 hours and time and a half after that so it was quite profitable for me as I didn't have to worry about hours regs or tacho breaks.

[r.welfare]

Once upon a time, Vauxhalls had fifth gears with interstellar ratios and were therefore very economical at motorway speeds, not any more as you've also found Warren.

 

I struggled to get 35mpg out of Astras and Zafiras in 1.8 flavour, or 40mpg out of 1.4 Astras and Corsas on long (400+ mile) motorway trips when I had the misfortune of being allocated one by National Car Rental for work trips in the past, all of them doing 4,000rpm at the legal limit and not making particularly nice noises while doing it.

[cobblers]

Like thye say, a change is probably as good as a rest, and all that. Fupping crap pay for the plebians doing that daily, surely there's some dodge they have going that bumps the wages up a bit? combining it with doing drug runs or something would make sense if you were enterprising like that.

 

Thats some proper shite mpg for a new car. What has it got going for it? Looks pants, probably not going to be very reliable,not fast or comfy either.

 

We got better than that at work out of a loaded VW transporter dragging a volvo v70 on an A frame. at 75mph.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I imagine the mpg of that astra will improve somewhat when its got a few more miles on, but it'll never be great thanks to being fat and low geared.

[warren t claim]

By sheer coincidence the new owner of the Astra has just called me up to enquire about the dismal MPG he's getting. I should of withheld my number! I told him pretty much what you've all said about the engine needs time to run in. He's not happy about the pronounced wheel wobble at 70mph either. IIRC it was pretty bad as well. New cars eh?

[andrew e]

I'm suprised at that, the Zafira auto we have does that... tis abit worring as I'm on the cusp of buying a bader-matic Astra estate for 4.5 large off motability, purely because its a 3 year old motor that should require no major servicing for the next 100k.

[warren t claim]

It almost kills me to say it but I think diesel is the future, they just need to find a way to make them reliable by getting on top of the particulate filter/DMF/Chocolate injection pump problems. The BMW was probably the best all rounder I've ever driven. I very much doubt a 2CV would be capable of as many MPG.

[andrew e]

Bugger. I'm replacing a BMW. This is not quite what I want to hear

[r.welfare]

Those 320ds are meant to be the cat's pyjamas, a guy I used to work with got an Efficient Dynamics one recently as a company car in his new job and reckons he can get over a thousand miles out of a tank.

 

Down at the prole end I'd have to say 308HDI FTW - I got 68MPG under the same conditions as the Astras et al (compare/contrast with 48MPG out of my 405TD and 36MPG out of my Accord for the same route), and that's a proper brim-to-brim calc rather than trip computer fallacies. Shame it looks so bloody ugly, not a bad motor in other respects.

[warren t claim]

Bugger. I'm replacing a BMW. This is not quite what I want to hear

 

I honestly don't think the petrol engine has a future other than in supercars and maybe the odd Korean supermini.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

It almost kills me to say it but I think diesel is the future, they just need to find a way to make them reliable by getting on top of the particulate filter/DMF/Chocolate injection pump problems. The BMW was probably the best all rounder I've ever driven. I very much doubt a 2CV would be capable of as many MPG.

 

I think you're right, NA petrol engines are rubbish really in comparison to a modern diesel. A modern NA petrol, running at a steady speed, is little or no more efficient than an A-series or even somethign older. It will last longer, and stay in tune longer, and run better from cold, and be a bit quieter and what have you, but that stuff is all peripheral and is really down to computer controls on the fuel and ignition systems. The actual base product, the suck squeeze bang blow bit, is exactly the fuggin same. However, diesels have advanced amazingly, thanks to more and more capable turbochargers and mega high injection pressures, which have changed enormously the actual explosion happening in the cylinder and thus the useful output of the engine. Diesels are just a much better solution full stop.

[warren t claim]

Does anyone here have any experience of the new breed of VAG petrol engines? Don't they have something tiny like a turbocharged 1.4 in a Passat or Superb? Are they the saviour of the petrol engined family car?

[andrew e]

Mr Welfare, I'm not brave enough to take on a french diesel with my own money (I did in 94 however with a new AX). In my price range, I'm scared of running something that will implode, and everything seems to have an 8 speed gearbox with stupidly short ratios. Warren the other car on the drive is a Korean supermini, and it is fabulous except I'm the wrong shape for motorway driving it, I'm not tall, but the pedals need to go back a bit.

 

Shite. I will probally be hounded of autoshite now, unless I hit something "with the stick"

[andrew e]

I think you're right, NA petrol engines are rubbish really in comparison to a modern diesel. A modern NA petrol, running at a steady speed, is little or no more efficient than an A-series or even somethign older. It will last longer, and stay in tune longer, and run better from cold, and be a bit quieter and what have you, but that stuff is all peripheral and is really down to computer controls on the fuel and ignition systems. The actual base product, the suck squeeze bang blow bit, is exactly the fuggin same. However, diesels have advanced amazingly, thanks to more and more capable turbochargers and mega high injection pressures, which have changed enormously the actual explosion happening in the cylinder and thus the useful output of the engine. Diesels are just a much better solution full stop.

 

I drove (by chance it must be said) a new nissan, that was, smooth, had really good accelaeration, tidy handling and packaging. It was electric. No apolgies it worked as a "real" car. I was embarrassed having rubbished electric cars, but mark my words the diesels finished. O.K. so a Leaf is an arm and a leg, but probally 5 grand over a diesel. And because of the tax fiddle benefit in kind (that provides the UK with a fresh supply of used cars) there will be loads on the road.

 

Is the 100 mile range a killer for most people 95% of the time?

[tonedepear]

become Warren T Kowalski for the day working for a vehicle delivery company.

 

That does sound wank money, but would literally be the best job in the universe imho.

[warren t claim]

become Warren T Kowalski for the day working for a vehicle delivery company.

 

That does sound wank money, but would literally be the best job in the universe imho.

 

A couple of the drivers were running a fleet of the new 6 series BMWs up to Stranraer (I think) in Scotland to take the ferry to Ireland and deliver them to the main agents before being flown back. After a night in a hotel of course.

I should always carry my passport with me.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

 

Is the 100 mile range a killer for most people 95% of the time?

 

For anyone buying a private car, yes it is, cos no-one wants to spend big money on their car, knowing that they'll always have to hire a different car when they want to go on holiday or rush off to deal with a family issue or whatever.

 

Those things are alright, but when you can buy a golf Bluemotion that will drive you and 3 friends right across europe doing 75mpg all the way, totally autonomous, stop and start where you like, the electric car still seems a bit spurious. Although i dont doubt that theyre great for blezzing round town, use as company vehicles and whatnot

[dollywobbler]

I'm quite keen to see how the Vauxhall Ampera/Chevy Volt does when launched here next year. Works like a diesel-electric loco. Engine is purely for generating electricity. An electric car, but one with its own powerplant.

 

Of course, the biggest problem with all these electric cars is the batteries. Horrid, nasty, REALLY nasty chemicals that make a large oil spill seem like a minor triviality really.

[mk1_4dr]

We've just got a Leaf as the pool car at work. Ive yet to see anyone drive the chuffing thing and I know its cost them a fortune.

[andrew e]

Go and ragg it, has suprising umpth. If you want to piss off the gaffer download that app that let's you operate it with a smart phone

[warren t claim]

Like this one?

Scary!

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Does anyone here have any experience of the new breed of VAG petrol engines? Don't they have something tiny like a turbocharged 1.4 in a Passat or Superb? Are they the saviour of the petrol engined family car?

 

My dad bought a Golf 1.4 TSI 122, that's the one with a turbo but no supercharger. I was skeptical, but I've driven it in town and on the motorway and it never feels underpowered. Despite the Golf's bloat it moves well enough and it's quiet too. Hasn't bettered 45mpg though. That's decent enough but hardly earth shattering.

 

They've reduced the capacity to 1.2 on the latest ones. That must be pushing it a bit?

[warren t claim]

Does anyone here have any experience of the new breed of VAG petrol engines? Don't they have something tiny like a turbocharged 1.4 in a Passat or Superb? Are they the saviour of the petrol engined family car?

 

My dad bought a Golf 1.4 TSI 122, that's the one with a turbo but no supercharger. I was skeptical, but I've driven it in town and on the motorway and it never feels underpowered. Despite the Golf's bloat it moves well enough and it's quiet too. Hasn't bettered 45mpg though. That's decent enough but hardly earth shattering.

 

They've reduced the capacity to 1.2 on the latest ones. That must be pushing it a bit?

 

How much heavier is the latest Golf compared to the 1976 version with the 1.1 engine?

[mk1_4dr]

We have been offered the chance to take it for a blast and I was planning on taking them up on it.

If I had a smartphone I might give it a whirl, although Im sure the bastards that I work for have probably been told about and prepared for it.

[andrew e]

The worrying thing about these electric cars is once they take off (not if) the future cost of electricity is gonna be phenomenal.....

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Like this one?

Scary!

 

Hey i never noticed that, whats going on with the reg number?

 

 

Here's 'The Saint'

 

 

And here's Goldeneye: