Medogsfat wrote:

There are massive differences in cars from one manufacturer to the next.

I currently drive a BMW 3 series & cannot wait for the day it blows up & I can go back to driving Audi's. Anyone who has tried to drive a 3 series BMW with 255 wide rear tyres in the snow will know exactly what I mean.

Chris.

You should fit proper winter tyres. All my cars had rear wheel drive and never had any problems in winter conditions with winter tyres. Trading the fine handling for the numbness of an Audi... Think again, if you're a keen driver. 

I was gobsmacked to find the Bentley was amazingly good in the snow.  "550BHP through the rear wheels and it doesn't wheelspin in the snow.. how do they do that?!" i asked the Bentley technician.

"Err..  it's four wheel drive" was the reply (as he inwardly thought 'idiot'..)

I freely admit to doing no research whatsoever before i bought that car. ❓

Lee

As someone else said ...

elephant wrote:

Daniel wrote:

Having a monologue here (as elephant probably gone to sleep down under).

(correct) 😂

re-reading my last post before going to bed I can see I was tired as it is rather obscure ...

elephant wrote:

From Boswell's Life of Johnson ...

... but it took me a long time to appreciate what Dr Johnson had been saying: man has a choice to walk or use a vehicle, and in choosing the vehicle there are consequences ... which after some 300 years we perhaps have a better understanding of the impact of such decisions

I wonder what the good doctor would have made of the choice between an orchestra or a B&O stereo ... 

“Then, Sir, (said Johnson,) what is gained is, the man has his choice whether he will listen alone, or enjoy himself in the company of his friends.”

9 LEE wrote:

Below was my last car.  High on quality (it was like driving a gentlemans club on four wheels) but poor on reliability..  Every time i started it, there was a cacophony of warning bleeps, bells and whistles telling me to get it straight to my nearest Bentley dealer.  I never expected that. 🙁

Lee,

All due respect to you having had yourself a Bentley Continental GT. Very nice car of course.....although having said that...... the Continental GT is not really considered a 'proper' hand built Bentley.

Get yourself one of these...

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The above is a proper hand-built 1999 Bentley (Azure) on sale at £58,500 - new they cost £200k+ and were made in very small numbers. In comparison, a Continental GT is in the 'Bentley Play' range of 'affordable' models.

Even better still, would be to be chauffeur-driven to/from your Lifestyle premises each day in something like this.....

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2005 Rolls~Royce Phantom @ £119,950

😁

Yes, i had a trumped-up VW which all the plonkers drive.. i know.. i know...  😎

As for the cars above, i can safely say 'i cannot afford them' - so that decision has been taken away from me.  However, one day.. the Phantom will be mine..  I'm sure a 2005 model will be affordable in 2032.

🙂

9 LEE wrote:

Yes, i had a trumped-up VW which all the plonkers drive.. i know.. i know...  😎

As for the cars above, i can safely say 'i cannot afford them' - so that decision has been taken away from me.  However, one day.. the Phantom will be mine..  I'm sure a 2005 model will be affordable in 2032.

🙂

Hahaha yes precisely - I have the same thoughts exactly 🤒

😂

beocool wrote:

Medogsfat wrote:

There are massive differences in cars from one manufacturer to the next.

I currently drive a BMW 3 series & cannot wait for the day it blows up & I can go back to driving Audi's. Anyone who has tried to drive a 3 series BMW with 255 wide rear tyres in the snow will know exactly what I mean.

Chris.

You should fit proper winter tyres. All my cars had rear wheel drive and never had any problems in winter conditions with winter tyres. Trading the fine handling for the numbness of an Audi... Think again, if you're a keen driver. 

It really isn't worth the price of fitting winter tyres in the UK for a week of snow per year. To be honest I'd rather crash the BMW & write it off - I really dislike it that much!

being a keen driver doesn't enter the equation for me, a car is a tool to get me from A to B & nothing more which my previous Audis's did in far better comfort & reliably than my BMW.

Currently driving a Mini One Diesel - 65mpg+ on the motorway. Only had a few minor niggles including having a new engine fitted at 70,000. Currently done 160,000miles now and still running strong (where's the block of wood gone!). 

I guess we don't buy cars for 100% reliability or we would be driving around in a Kia or something with 7 year warranty or whatever they are giving away these days! I'm thinking of changing the car for something a little different, maybe a Z4 or TT or something but it's the 3am wake up calls in the middle of January to work that puts me off. 

Also running winter tyres on the MINI - superb and remarkably good - anyone with BMW/ rear wheel drive should go for it without even thinking or at the very least stick some of these in the boot http://www.autosockdirect.co.uk/?gclid=CKfdvJSxsa4CFcYNfAodW3-LPg

Medogsfat wrote:

beocool wrote:

Medogsfat wrote:

There are massive differences in cars from one manufacturer to the next.

I currently drive a BMW 3 series & cannot wait for the day it blows up & I can go back to driving Audi's. Anyone who has tried to drive a 3 series BMW with 255 wide rear tyres in the snow will know exactly what I mean.

Chris.

You should fit proper winter tyres. All my cars had rear wheel drive and never had any problems in winter conditions with winter tyres. Trading the fine handling for the numbness of an Audi... Think again, if you're a keen driver. 

 

 

It really isn't worth the price of fitting winter tyres in the UK for a week of snow per year. To be honest I'd rather crash the BMW & write it off - I really dislike it that much!

being a keen driver doesn't enter the equation for me, a car is a tool to get me from A to B & nothing more which my previous Audis's did in far better comfort & reliably than my BMW.

 

Winter tyres show better results on wet roads when it's below +7 degrees centigrade. Especially the braking distance is a lot better, and when it comes to breaking it doesn't matter if your car is front, rear or four wheeldrive. Can't imagine anyone driving without them in late autumn or winter.

If you're after reliability get I would suggest to get yourself a Toyota. Not sure what the situation in England is but VW and Audi dealers are so bad over here in Holland that alone is reason enough not to buy one of those... And don't get me started on reliability issues on VW or Audi products...

9 LEE wrote:

Below was my last car.  High on quality (it was like driving a gentlemans club on four wheels) but poor on reliability..  Every time i started it, there was a cacophony of warning bleeps, bells and whistles telling me to get it straight to my nearest Bentley dealer.  I never expected that. 🙁 

I always amuse myself thinking how a Bentley GT, fine motor car that it is, would take corners at real speed. A bit like the Professional footballers who buy them I suppose. (you never know until 90 minutes later)😎😎

I have never had any great feeling out of BMW's, Audis, Merc's, Porkers have the engine sound of a nanny-goat p1551ng in a tin. That said, once one commits to spending above X-amount on a car, the principle use of the car (getting reliably and safely from A to B) becomes superflous and transforms into a pleasure device who's purpose (and incremental value) is in the eye of the beholder (or owner).

I still maintain that there are few legal pleasures left in this world whereby one can drive an Aston Martin with a V12 engine, manual gear-box, two seats for you and a fine fair young lady (without any rear-seat distractors) along the fine green English Countryside to a country hotel and fine dinery of your choice.