Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

It is a fun little car isn't it. Makes me sad I don't see more around.
 
It was great to drive, it corners flat, and it gives you a great kick in the back when accelerating, yet it's still fantastically quiet and comfortable. And you could hear the turbo whistle all the time, which is brilliant, and the five-pot growl was awesome. And the seats were superb. And the voice control actually works. I was very impressed by this car, I don't think people realise what they're missing out on sometimes. I struggle to see how a GTI could be $10k better than this.

My complaints would be that rear visibility isn't great thanks to the sloping rear window, and the interior maybe felt a bit cheap in places. It's amazing how much of a different animal this is to the Volvo C30 T5 even though they have the same engine and underpinnings.
 
Still driving the electric car and not got stuck at the side of the road (yet)!
Got 75kms far out of a theorethical max of 100 (13 left according to the car itself, but I didn't dare push it further)

Still liking the silentness of it all, the good ride and power is actually quite good
 
My parents bought an 06 Potiac Montana that has radio controls on the steering wheel and I hit them all the damn time. Who thought putting the controls there was a good idea?
 
I like them there but only if there's either an HUD or a display between the gauges that shows the station. otherwise it's too distracting.
 
GRtak said:
My parents bought an 06 Potiac Montana that has radio controls on the steering wheel and I hit them all the damn time. Who thought putting the controls there was a good idea?
Click to expand...

Chrysler's back of wheel audio controls are awesome :D there when you need them but out of the way.
 
NooDle said:
Still driving the electric car and not got stuck at the side of the road (yet)!
Got 75kms far out of a theorethical max of 100 (13 left according to the car itself, but I didn't dare push it further)

Still liking the silentness of it all, the good ride and power is actually quite good
Click to expand...

Wich car? And what do you do when you need to go 105km? (apart from calling someone with a real car obviously) Do we even have charging stations along the way?
 
rickhamilton620 said:
Chrysler's back of wheel audio controls are awesome :D there when you need them but out of the way.
Click to expand...
Didn't know that, does sound like a good idea.
I like them there but only if there's either an HUD or a display between the gauges that shows the station. otherwise it's too distracting.
Click to expand...
Did you see the A7 HUD? That thing is INSANE!!! Damnit can't remember how to hotlink from FB, I figured it out at some point but has since forgotten :(
 
prizrak said:
Didn't know that, does sound like a good idea.
Click to expand...

Except then you either don't know they're there or have no idea what button does what.

Jaguar's pre-XF solution to steering wheel controls:

38535254.jpg


2009-jaguar-xj-4-door-sedan-xj8-l-steering-wheel_100257432_l.jpg


jaguar-xj8-steering-wheel.jpg


I never hit them by accident on the XKR.


Of course, the XF-and-later one, yeah, they lost the plot.
2011-jaguar-xf-4-door-sedan-xf-premium-steering-wheel_100317539_l-4e27e244dc9d0.jpg


Let's see, roller controls on the steering wheel, nobody's EVER going to accidentally hit those while palming the wheel and blast the passenger out of the car with the stereo, right?
 
I like steering wheel radio controls, I use mine all the time. :dunno:
 
I've spent the evening watching videos of North Korea on YouTube and attempting to car-spot.

Not much of interest sadly, just 90s Nissans and Toyotas, Russian military stuff, loads of old Mercedes and the odd Dacia and... wait... that's a Volvo 140! :blink:

How did a 1960s Volvo get to North Korea?! :lol:
 
I find the steering wheel controls that Chrysler uses to be very well thought out and intuitive. I had them in my dad's old Grand Cherokee and in my new Wrangler.
 
captain_70s said:
I've spent the evening watching videos of North Korea on YouTube and attempting to car-spot.

Not much of interest sadly, just 90s Nissans and Toyotas, Russian military stuff, loads of old Mercedes and the odd Dacia and... wait... that's a Volvo 140! :blink:

How did a 1960s Volvo get to North Korea?! :lol:
Click to expand...



East Germany used a lot of Volvos because they needed luxury cars that weren't West German or American. That might explain it. and post the vids please
 
Cowboy said:
Wich car? And what do you do when you need to go 105km? (apart from calling someone with a real car obviously) Do we even have charging stations along the way?
Click to expand...

Mitsubishi i-Miev, which is basically the same car as the Peugeot Ion James tested with a different badge on it
Dunno what you do when you need to go 105 km (or even 101)... don't use it?
There are NO charge stations IIRC, and charging up at work takes around 8 hrs since its a "regular" charge point, not one of those quick load deals

It's just a car for people who do short trips, 20-30 kms at once max....
but it DOES work and it isn't super slow...
 
Latest Zipcar experience: Driving a 2010 Kia Soul for 6 hours.

2010-kia-soul.jpg


Worst car I've ever driven. I think it may have even been worse to drive/sit in/touch than the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight.

First of all, it has the worst engine/transmission imaginable. Needs insane high revs to get anywhere, won't upshift at speed, downshifts at the worst times possible. The suspension was also quite terrible. I can't really put my finger on what was wrong with the steering, but it seemed like the power steering system was just saying "yep, I'm here, but I don't think I'm going to do anything else".

On the inside, the steering wheel felt like the cheapest thing ever. I've driven a beat up beat up 2003 Hyundai Elantra before, and even that thing's steering wheel felt better to touch. The plastics everywhere didn't look as cheap as what American manufactures used to use, but the certainly felt it. It also had a stupid sunglasses box over the radio which was engineered to be near impossible to open. You had to slide the latch to the right, and lift, but the only problem was that you couldn't grip onto the latch because it was tiny, and pyramid shaped. The aux-in usb port was labeled "iPod in" yet it couldn't read the iPod formatting. It would just display the code folder/file name making selecting music a thing of dreams. When I tried to plug my iPhone it, it gave me a read error after about 10 minutes of trying. When I did get the music playing it sounded terrible - even the Scion xB managed to not butcher the highs and lows this much.

All in all, I'll sooner driver a Prius than get back behind the wheel of a Soul.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top