Thoughts on new cars

Zelandeth · Post by **Zelandeth** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 10:58 pm

Had a shot of the new Panda when searching for cars - wasn't that fond of it though - and it was too big/expensive. Would have been the 500 I'd had to have looked at - and again, preffered the 107.

Amased that out of the five fleet cars, so far the only thing to have fallen off any of them is in 6049, the little plastic thingie on the seatbelt which stops the buckle from disappearing down to the bottom of the belt when you take it off - which is bloody annoying, but not really that serious. Fingers crossed mine will prove to be as durable.

It's no Riva, that's for sure, nor is it a Jag XJ40 (using my flatmates one until my new car arrives), but it's fun to drive and ticks all the boxes for what I need in a car. Hence me keeping hold of the Riva for when I want to have real fun driving. As a day to day runner though, it makes a lot of sense - from a security point of view too, bearing in mind that I stay in the middle of the city! Something with an immobiliser gets points there as far as my insurance company and nerves about whether the car will still be there when I next go to it!

crb247 · Post by **crb247** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 11:18 pm

Never understood the whole immobilizer thing... if they want it.. they'll take it.

Then again in the small town where i grew up we never even locked the car doors. Up here in the soo's a bit different though. The hooligans would rather steal un-traceable small electronics and pocket change rather than vehicles. But we do lock the doors here.

Zelandeth · Post by **Zelandeth** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 7:40 pm

A modern immobiliser will do a pretty good job of deterring all but the most high-tech of car thieves - unless they've already nicked your keys of course! - as it's well beyond a simple matter of twisting a few wires together to get the car going. Not to say it won't happen, but they've at least made things difficult enough for the theives that they may think twice and look for an older car to nick.

Lada, they'd be in and off down the road in it in a matter of seconds. Well - assuming it decided to start anyway, but that's another story!

It won't stop them breaking into the car and nicking anything in it mind you - but as I never leave anything of value in the car anyway, so hopefully all I'd be looking at would be a new window glass and spending the next year finding little cubes of glass in the car...

Bottom line is - it seems that when putting down a city-located address, having the tick box for factory fitted alarm and immobiliser seems to make quite a difference to insurance quotes.

crb247 · Post by **crb247** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 8:51 pm

A car doesn't need to be running to get stolen

That's what i had meant. Insurance companies are funny as they are concerned about only the things that would allow them not to do their job.... like pay out insurance claims for example

Try and figure out the rough figure of what you've payed into the system.. then how much you've got back after all the years which is a pretty nasty ratio if you ask me. Plus you always seem to get wacked by people that don't have it... go figure

Zelandeth · Post by **Zelandeth** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 8:55 pm

True I guess!

Think between the glass cover and the breakdown cover which came with my insurance I've not done too badly so far though!

I've only been involved in one accident so far, and thankfully the other party WAS insured, and didn't make any attempt - despite being a company driver - to dispute the fact that he was at fault. Admittedly, the fact that he'd been completely convinced that I was dead until I got out of the car may have had a lot to do with that!

Zelandeth · Post by **Zelandeth** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 9:09 pm

Well, as of Friday, picked it up!

So here's the obligatory photos taken the day after I picked it up.

Could of dealer-fit cosmetics to go on at the 1 month service, but nothing major!

Need to get some mudflaps, floormats (though I think they should actually come with the car...will query the dealer tomorrow).

Overall though, I'm dead pleased with it. Still being very gentle at the moment until it's run in, and generally being completely paranoid of scratching, denting, chipping or otherwise damaging it...but really enjoying driving it.

So...any guesses what the first gremlin to raise its head will be?

GadgetBoy · Post by **GadgetBoy** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 9:16 pm

Nice. Noir.

Zelandeth · Post by **Zelandeth** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 8:28 pm

I'd put my money on something electrical too I reckon - though most of that stuff's done by Toyota...so how much Peugeot have managed to mess up remains to be seen.

Only one which turned up on any of the C1's at work was that for the first couple of months, the fuel guage lost its marbles when the tank was filled until 10 miles or so had been covered. Reckon it must be a bit of residue on the potentiometer it uses to sense the level of fuel in the tank, as in the case of both of the two cars which did it, it disappeared in due course.

It's under full warranty for the first three years, so I'm not really worrying about it anyway though!

Black (metallic black I might add), might not have been the most sensible choice as far as my having to keep it spotlessly clean is concerned...but it really does suit the car I reckon.

GadgetBoy · Post by **GadgetBoy** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 9:17 pm

Throw a grenade in the engine bay. Look back after the bang. All unnecessary plastic bits gone!

Zelandeth · Post by **Zelandeth** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 9:19 pm

Hehe, it does look that way doesn't it...engine really is about the size of a couple of shoe boxes put together!

The "cover" in that engine bay is actually the airbox though - and access is actually not as bad as most modern cars, doesn't look like there's a huge amount holding it on. Of course, this weekend I'll be having a rather more detailed nose around under there now that I don't have guests staying! The only thing I can see being a possible pain to get to from a routine service point of view would be the spark plug on number two cylinder (out of three!) which is buried right under the airbox...

Chaunticleer · Post by **Chaunticleer** » Sat May 02, 2009 12:53 am

Let us know how you get on with the Peugeot. I grew up with rear drive Peugeots and still run a 1949 model 203. The front drive models are fairly popular in Australia but aren't really suitable for the rough and tumble of agricultural life. The 107 isn't sold here. Is it made in Slovakia? The main issues Peugeot owners here seem to have is indifferent service and a few electrical problems.