"Jake" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 2 Mar 2012 17:00:59 +0000, Sacha wrote:


Thick

fog here. I can see to the end of the Nursery and only a little beyond
that. It ws the same first thing this morning and then we had a really
brilliant day until about 4-ish when the fog rolled in while the
Grandson was 'helping' me clean out the chickens! It's got a lot
colder, too.

Luvly sunny day at the east of Swansea Bay. Currently edging up
towards 17C here.

I could go right off you Jake!
It's turned cold and dank here on the east coast.
I have tomorrow off. I am going on a pre-arranged tour of Cambridge with
the local archeological group.

I also have Monday and Wednesday off. According to the local weather
forecast, it's going to rain all three days :-{

--
Kathy

"Janet Tweedy" wrote ,
Bob Hobden writes
cars with their own Sim Cards that call the emergency services themselves
if they sense a serious accident.....



I'd settle for one that beeps to remind you to lock the doors, are very
easy to refill water for screens, easy to charge batteries, tell you where
the nearest OPEN garage is if you are running low, has a proper slot to put
the car tax disc instead of the thing falling off after a few years driving
and plenty of room with a hard plastic shell (like the Volvo has) to line
the boot so plants and pots and tools and dogs don't make too much mess!

I like the Skoda idea of parking in a tight space for you and also the
beeping to let you know how near you are front and back to obstacles!

I thought all cars had open door warnings as well as lights on warnings and
blown bulb warnings and you can specify front and back parking sensors on
most too, some even park for you. Mine does tell you how to get to the
nearest garage if you ask it. The Tax Disc holders I use are magnetic and
last for years and only cost a couple of £s, and you can buy those plastic
shell boot liners for most cars.

-- Regards
Bob Hobden
Posting to this Newsgroup
from the W.of London. UK

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHwwwJ83oWo

On 03/02/2012 02:53 PM, Janet Tweedy wrote:
In article ,
Janet writes
In article ,
says...

I'm looking at purchasing a Volvo, anything good or bad to say about it?

Spare parts are hideously expensive

Janet.


Everything that could go wrong with a car has gone wrong with mine
bought from brand new, hydraulic system bled out, starter motor thing
went wrong after 3 years and had to hit it with small hammer to start it
every time I stopped, air con went wrong, suspension went wrong, washer
on back folded, window on passenger side broke so kept falling down,
have had about 16 new tyres since new (2002 reg,|) at amazing prices,
exhaust redone twice, but on the plus side it is very safe to drive,
very comfortable for passengers etc., plenty of room for tools etc. in
back plus passengers and room for lots of plants.


That's a dire tale. Oddly the quality is meant to be quite good now. I
think it does depend on luck to some extent; a friend has been having
lots of troubles with VW, whereas I've driven them for 20 years almost
trouble free.

Don't see why the tyres would be more expensive than on any other car,
unless they're very large. Smaller tyres give a more comfortable ride
and are less dear.
very thirsty around town poss. 15 mpg and about 30 on motorways.

Got V70 estate


We're considering the XC60 as we need a four wheel drive that seats 5
comfortably, has a large boot and is not too long (as are most estates
unfortunately). It's rated at around 54 mpg on the motorway, although
those numbers are impossible to achieve anywhere but a test track.

If I could afford it i would get a new car more economical on petrol.
Son says Skodas are really good now with lots of extras etc. and he's
worked for both Volvo and Audi/Skoda/VW

Another one we're looking at is the VW Tiguan, which is even better on
gas (although with a less powerful engine) than the Volvo. But the boot
is less practical, there's a big lip which the dog will have trouble
with (especially as he gets on a bit) and it's smaller.

It has a fun feature where it parks itself and can get into tiny spaces.
A bit frightening at first! But all in all the Volvo has fantastic
safety features, better than the VW. And we have a friend who rolled
her Volvo 7 times, then walked away. That's a pretty good advertisement.

-E

On 03/02/2012 08:02 PM, Bob Hobden wrote:

OT I know but son scared on the cars with no handbrake, Says it gives
him the heeby jeebys on hill starts!


Yes, the Electronic Parking Brake that is replacing the old manual
handbrake in a lot of cars (including mine!) is a dreadful invention
especially if you try to keep to the Highway Code so don't want to keep
your foot on the brake when you stop (Rule 114?) to blind others behind.
You do get used to it's slowness eventually but it is no substitute for
a proper handbrake.

I couldn't figure this out initially during test drives as it was the
first I'd seen it, and the seller neglected to mention it. Turns out it
shuts off automatically when you step on the foot brake. Your right
about the practicality for sitting in traffic.

On 03/03/2012 10:51 AM, Martin wrote:
On Fri, 2 Mar 2012 19:22:11 +0000, Janet
wrote:

In , Bob Hobden
writes
cars with their own Sim Cards that call the emergency services
themselves if they sense a serious accident.....



I'd settle for one that beeps to remind you to lock the doors, are very
easy to refill water for screens, easy to charge batteries, tell you
where the nearest OPEN garage is if you are running low, has a proper
slot to put the car tax disc instead of the thing falling off after a
few years driving and plenty of room with a hard plastic shell (like the
Volvo has) to line the boot so plants and pots and tools and dogs don't
make too much mess!

I like the Skoda idea of parking in a tight space for you and also the
beeping to let you know how near you are front and back to obstacles!

Nissan's idea of a rear view camera that uses the GPS display is even
better. We do our own beeping.

The Volvo does this with a rear camera also.

We drove a Nissan but didn't like it, I'm afraid. To each his own!

On 03/02/2012 03:27 PM, Janet wrote:
centre (possibly the worst servicing garage we ever encountered). We had
Volvos for the safety aspect when the children were learning to drive/new
drivers but would never buy one again.

Service is an issue, and the Volvo garage is quite far away. But
otherwise you describe our situation, this car has to get through
teenagers and young drivers. The safety is a powerful argument, both
for those in the car and on foot in front of it!

In article ,
says...

On 03/02/2012 03:27 PM, Janet wrote:
centre (possibly the worst servicing garage we ever encountered). We had
Volvos for the safety aspect when the children were learning to drive/new
drivers but would never buy one again.

Service is an issue, and the Volvo garage is quite far away. But
otherwise you describe our situation, this car has to get through
teenagers and young drivers.

and I imagine yours are like our kids, rural dwellers for whom a driving
license means A)social independence, B) they have been driving offroad for
years so think they know it all and C) are going to be let loose on narrow
windy potholed unlit rural roads with a 60 mph speed limit.

EEK. I remember it well:-)

The safety is a powerful argument, both
for those in the car and on foot in front of it!

I agree. The other advantage of a Volvo is that in the minds of teen
boys it has zero sporty racer image. Get the oldest ugliest dullest one
you can find :-)

Janet

On 03/03/2012 02:17 PM, Janet wrote:
EEK. I remember it well:-)

I'm encouraged to be reminded that the experience is survivable.

After passing on one tumultuous episode to my GP a few months ago, he
rolled his eyes and said "Take some aspirin and call me in 5 years."

cheers,

-E

"Emery Davis" wrote ...

We're considering the XC60 as we need a four wheel drive that seats 5
comfortably, has a large boot and is not too long (as are most estates
unfortunately). It's rated at around 54 mpg on the motorway, although
those numbers are impossible to achieve anywhere but a test track.

If I could afford it i would get a new car more economical on petrol.
Son says Skodas are really good now with lots of extras etc. and he's
worked for both Volvo and Audi/Skoda/VW

Another one we're looking at is the VW Tiguan, which is even better on gas
(although with a less powerful engine) than the Volvo. But the boot is
less practical, there's a big lip which the dog will have trouble with
(especially as he gets on a bit) and it's smaller.

It has a fun feature where it parks itself and can get into tiny spaces. A
bit frightening at first! But all in all the Volvo has fantastic safety
features, better than the VW. And we have a friend who rolled her Volvo 7
times, then walked away. That's a pretty good advertisement.

Both the Volvo XC60 and the Tiguan come with a range of engines, have you
configured the cars you might like on the net. Just go to the manufacturers
site and play with the options, good sites actually build the car in front
of you so you can check colour of interiors with the exteriors, change
wheels, add Sat Nav, parking sensors, DSG gearbox, etc, until you have your
perfect car. Then you look at the price!
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

On 03/03/2012 07:32 PM, Bob Hobden wrote:
"Emery Davis" wrote ...

[]
Both the Volvo XC60 and the Tiguan come with a range of engines, have
you configured the cars you might like on the net. Just go to the
manufacturers site and play with the options, good sites actually build
the car in front of you so you can check colour of interiors with the
exteriors, change wheels, add Sat Nav, parking sensors, DSG gearbox,
etc, until you have your perfect car. Then you look at the price!

DSG gearboxes diminish fuel economy and increase carbon. Both these
cars have recuperation of braking energy and "stop & start" systems
(which turn off the engine at a stop, then turn in on when you put in
the clutch) on the manual gearbox but not the DSG. The only feature the
DSG gets on the Volvo is "traffic cruise control" where the car simply
follows the car in front, you steer but don't touch the pedals. But I
thought the DSG on the Volvo was very slow even if I were willing to
give on the ecology aspect, which I'm not (and the wife even less!)
Still my bad knee may regret that choice!

I have played with the sites of course, but those are list prices, not
actual offers. Volvo offers 12% off list out the gate, and VW has
offered 10% off the Tiguan. I can probably squeeze another couple of
points out of them...

-E

In article , Bob Hobden
writes
The Tax Disc holders I use are magnetic and last for years and only
cost a couple of £s, and you can buy those plastic shell boot liners
for most cars.


No you can't buy the shells for cars, many of my friends have seen
mine and tried but all they get is silly soft plastic blanket type
things where mine is premoulded so it lifts out as one complete shell.
The tax disc holder on my car if the 3rd i have had all magnetic and all
end up falling off in the end.
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

In article , Emery Davis
writes
The Volvo does this with a rear camera also.

We drove a Nissan but didn't like it, I'm afraid. To each his own!



Mine's 2002 and doesn't have a rear camera or detector!! Hopeless at
spatial awareness hence often buying shrubs that look perfect in the
nursery but are either too large or too small when i get them home
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

In article , Emery Davis
writes
Don't see why the tyres would be more expensive than on any other car,
unless they're very large. Smaller tyres give a more comfortable ride
and are less dear.



Mine happened to come as low profile I'm afraid so they do work out as
expensive!
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

In article , Bob Hobden
writes
Then you look at the price!

At which point i go back to writing out some plant labels instead

--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

"Janet Tweedy" wrote

Bob Hobden writes
The Tax Disc holders I use are magnetic and last for years and only cost a
couple of £s, and you can buy those plastic shell boot liners for most
cars.


No you can't buy the shells for cars, many of my friends have seen mine
and tried but all they get is silly soft plastic blanket type things where
mine is premoulded so it lifts out as one complete shell.
The tax disc holder on my car if the 3rd i have had all magnetic and all
end up falling off in the end.

"Janet Tweedy" wrote

Bob Hobden writes
The Tax Disc holders I use are magnetic and last for years and only cost a
couple of £s, and you can buy those plastic shell boot liners for most
cars.


No you can't buy the shells for cars, many of my friends have seen mine
and tried but all they get is silly soft plastic blanket type things where
mine is premoulded so it lifts out as one complete shell.
The tax disc holder on my car if the 3rd i have had all magnetic and all
end up falling off in the end.


I thought this was the sort of thing you were talking about.....
http://www.roofbox.co.uk/car-boot-liners-mats/
http://www.boot-buddy.com/
http://www.carbootliners.com/

and these are the Tax Disc holders I use, still on my last car when I sold
it after 6 years, goodness knows how many years on my Landrover.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MAGNETAX-M...ht_1342wt_1139


--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK