My new baby ;)

[Fat Tone]

Horses for courses Brian.

I would dearly love to be driving a Jaguar XF 2.2 to satisfy my mid-life crisis, but I have kids etc so I am driving a sensible Vauxhall Zafira - its a 7 seater mini MPV with all the toys that averages 48MPG and only cost me £14k nearly new.

[UtwigMU]

Horses for courses Brian.

I would dearly love to be driving a Jaguar XF 2.2 to satisfy my mid-life crisis, but I have kids etc so I am driving a sensible Vauxhall Zafira - its a 7 seater mini MPV with all the toys that averages 48MPG and only cost me £14k nearly new.

There's an estate version of XF. My friend had it as a replacement car for a day last week - very nice car and huge - ought to be enough for family.

FatTone, didn't you hear what Clarkson said on people carriers?

[Fat Tone]

You mean the 'Sportbrake' version. Yes indeed, and I have often had estate cars. I always thought my MK IV Mondeo Estate was far nicer looking than the hatch variants.

What did JC say? Probably quite disparaging I can't blame him. At first I thought the Zafira was very soul-less. I still do but it has coped with my use very well, no aching legs on long journeys etc. The extra seats have been useful from time to time.

[Brian Ellis]

Yea Brian, but I promise yer little toy car is not nearly as fun!
And this is my mid-life crisis, and I'm gonna enjoy it, if you approve or not

Strangely, my toy (mid-sized) can be fun, but not in the same way as yours, It is more intellectual, working out how to keep the battery at optimum charge for the type of road and topography. My crisis is more end-of-life

[VJ]

To me it is this mixed feeling... I like nice cars, don't get me wrong. And I like driving, but at the same time, when driving in everyday city traffic, how much difference does it all make? In those situations, mileage will be poor, hp and torque don't matter at all, all you want is to be comfortable: nice seat, good quality music, interior that is not repulsing you and have a very good view of the surrounds, to be able to foresee and avoid stupid actions by other drivers. And that is it... It changes slightly on highways, where high speed comfort starts to matter. But handling? Of course it should handle fine, but driving on normal roads at legal speeds (or speeds adjusted to the circumstances) will virtually never let you reach points where the handling will make it different. Just my 2c!

Kruzin: looks like a nice ride! (not really my style, but style is personal ) Enjoy it!

[UtwigMU]

"If you drive 'round in one of these with your nuclear children fastened to their individual seats what are you saying about yourself? I'm not interested in style or performance or looks or excitement. I've done my breeding. I've served my biological purpose, and now I'm waiting to die."

- Jeremy Clarkson on the Renault Espace (Minivan)

[cjolley]

"If you drive 'round in one of these with your nuclear children fastened to their individual seats what are you saying about yourself? I'm not interested in style or performance or looks or excitement. I've done my breeding. I've served my biological purpose, and now I'm waiting to die."

- Jeremy Clarkson on the Renault Espace (Minivan)

Boy, I'm in trouble.
We just replaced our Civic Hybrid with a Subaru Forester. And the Hybrid replaced a Lexus GS300.
I'm going backwards in the excitement department.


PS. So far I'm very pleased with the Forester.

[Umfriend]

I Drive a Volvo V70. Nuff said (although, it is a very comfortable drive, way better than the Reneault Megane I haid prior).

[Brian Ellis]

Boy, I'm in trouble.
We just replaced our Civic Hybrid with a Subaru Forester. And the Hybrid replaced a Lexus GS300.
I'm going backwards in the excitement department.


PS. So far I'm very pleased with the Forester.

You sure are; bet you are making your gas station a lot happier!

I have one major problem with my Civic Hybrid. Since spinal compression fractures have compressed nerves, reducing my mobility, I've hell's own difficulty getting out of it. However, at 81, I don't know how many years I have left for driving so I think this inconvenience is not worth looking for a different car which may be marginally easier, unless I'm condemned to a wheelchair (I'm already classified as a disabled driver with a blue parking card. This is a good compensation; the other day, I parked for 2 h on a double yellow line and as I was limping back to it, I was delighted to see a traffic warden approach it with pen on his pad. He noted down the number and then looked at the car, saw the blue card, and shrugged his shoulders and walked on! I emphasise I was not causing an obstruction!)

[Nowhere]

Yea Brian, but I promise yer little toy car is not nearly as fun!

Wait a sec, which one of your cars is more about playing with it? ;P

But handling? Of course it should handle fine, but driving on normal roads at legal speeds (or speeds adjusted to the circumstances) will virtually never let you reach points where the handling will make it different.

Try Polonez, it should be still quite easy to find in PL ;P (or: I think Top Gear did a ~review of it...)

[UtwigMU]

Boy, I'm in trouble.
We just replaced our Civic Hybrid with a Subaru Forester. And the Hybrid replaced a Lexus GS300.
I'm going backwards in the excitement department.


PS. So far I'm very pleased with the Forester.

Forester is another matter entirely. You guys should sometimes skip a sci-fi flick for a TopGear episode. Forester is driven by English nobility because it's practical for fox hunting and is basically a ticket to toff town.

[Elie]

I still drive my BMW 545i with a V8 4.4 liter engine producing 325HP
Now thats a fun car to drive! My 1987 Maserati Biturbo SI is still in the garage, needs some work. One day I will spend the money on her.

[Kruzin]

None of 'em look as good as my real Detroit steel.
Also....there is NO REPLACEMENT FOR DISPLACEMENT!!
*Mopar or NO CAR*

[cjolley]

You sure are; bet you are making your gas station a lot happier!

99% of days I drive this to work:

Not sure our gas station owner is making much on me

Forester is another matter entirely. You guys should sometimes skip a sci-fi flick for a TopGear episode. Forester is driven by English nobility because it's practical for fox hunting and is basically a ticket to toff town.

Oh, did I not mention that we are English nobility somehow consigned to central Oklahoma by a cruel fate?
Seriously, I don't have the faintest clue what "toff town" means.


PS Kruzin, sweet ride!

[UtwigMU]

n British English slang, a toff is a mildly derogatory term for someone with an aristocratic background or belonging to the landed gentry, particularly someone who exudes an air of superiority. For instance, The Toff, a character from the series of adventure novels by John Creasey, is an upper-class crime sleuth who uses a common caricature of a toff - a line drawing with a top hat, monocle, bow-tie and cigarette with a holder - as his calling card.

Speaking of new toys, my brother got Alfa Romeo GT yesterday. Black, black wheels, red-black seats. It's 1,9 JTD (diesel) with 150 HP. Good torque and good fuel economy. Very good seats, drives very nicely - I tried it out yesterday.