Our "own" car reviews

I have no beef with self-centering stalks in general, but I do have a beef with these. As with all other controls in the car, they lack feedback, the point where you push the indicators past indicate 3x into on is just too vague. This is not helped by the fact that the stalks are short and fat stubby ones.

EDIT: Image for clarification
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Hmmm still the same as the one I reviewed about 100 years ago then... (First or second page of this thread). Atleast you got one with the good engine instead of an asthmatic 1,2 with 75 hp
 
I must admit I don't know what those are like, I haven't driven a modern Opel.

You flick the indicator on and feel it spring back to the center position. This makes you think that you failed to push the stalk all the way, so you push it again. Of course the indicators did come on, but there's no tactical feedback that this happened because the fucking stalk went back to the center position for no reason. There's a sensor in the steering column (I guess) that cancels the indicators whenever the wheels are pointing straight again.

On the plus side, I guess it's easier to make an indicator that doesn't self-cancel when you don't want it to. We've probably all had it happen - you have to make a correction while turning and the indicator cancels mid-turn.
 
So, something like modern BMWs.

Yes but at the same time infinitely worse because like the rest of the car, you get zero feedback. Which means you're inadvertantly blinking all over the place when all you wanna do is turn left
 
I did the same when I first drove Thomas's 1 series. I had no idea what was going on.
 
Opel introduced a new model of self-cancelling stalk with the Astra F and it's contemporaries. It has brought fear and hatred to motorists ever since.

Oh no it was the H (2004), the F (92) and G (98) had regular indicators. Oooold models ;)
Also the Corsa is a Fiat-GM-hybrid, so it had a hard childhood. It's cousin is the Grande Punto.
 
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Oh no it was the H (2004), the F (92) and G (98) had regular indicators. Oooold models ;)
Also the Corsa is a Fiat-GM-hybrid, so it had a hard childhood. It's cousin is the Grande Punto.

I wonder if the Saturn Astra had the self canceling stalks....:hmm:
 
I wonder if the Saturn Astra had the self canceling stalks....:hmm:

Unless they did a special version for the US (which does BONG BONG BONG happen DOOR AJAR every now and then CHECK ENGINE) then yes, it did.

 
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Well they did all those things you said but the indicator is the same :)
Never noticed they blacked out the lower plastic trim on the wheel over there before.
 
Last week's Friday, my Beetle developed a weird ticking noise when engaging and releasing the clutch. On Saturday morning I dropped by my VW dealer. A service technician checked the car, immediately stated that the clutch release bearing was damaged and strongly suggested that I don't drive any further. Yesterday I got my car back with a completely new clutch and a new gearbox (they said that a spring fell out of the clutch into the gearbox and did some damage). Needless to say that after only 22k-ish km and 10 months, this swap was entirely covered by VW. I truly hope this wasn't a glimpse of things to come in the future but a one time event.

So anyway, let's get to the reason I'm posting in this thread: the car they gave me on the interim. The lady first offered me a Beetle Cabriolet, but I asked for "something different, maybe a Polo or so". So they gave me a Polo:

(click for bigger)

The image is generic, but it looked exactly like this. It is a Volkswagen Polo Blue GT. The name gives it away, it is a car with two faces.

Face #1 features a start-stop-automatic, aerodynamical optimizations, cylinder cutoff on the turndown, a long gearbox to lower the revs and brake energy recuperation - that's the Blue part. The other face, the GT part, comes with a lowered and stiffened chassis, sport seats and steering wheel from the Polo GTI and a 140hp 1.4l turbo engine meeting 1,220 kgs of car.
This car is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide. It goes like stink, I easily hit 200 kph on the Autobahn. Surprisingly, at this speed it still is reasonably silent and very surefooted, more so than my larger and heavier Beetle. VW claims it maxes out at 210 kph, I tend to believe that.
Needless to say, when you push it there's not a lot of fuel-saving business going on. Only if you stroke the accelerator you can see the Blue part come to life. The display informs you about switching to 2-cylinder-mode, and the fuel efficiency rises significantly. However, the total average will not leave you in awe. When you're in Blue mode you may manage 5l/100km (47 US mpg), but if you push it you're rather looking at 7.5 to 8l/100km (31-33 US mpg). That's still reasonable, but other compact hatches without all the fuel-saving nonsense can return similar figures when driven in the same way. In the end, it really is the way you drive which gives you the mpg you deserve. For comparison: my 2.0l diesel Beetle with the same hp returns 4l/100km (58 US mpg) when driven lightly and 6l/100km (39 US mpg) when you're in a hurry, and it is a significantly bigger and heavier car.

As for the actual car, I was quite happy when I got my Beetle back. You'd think that the difference between these similarly sized current-gen Volkswagens wouldn't be too big, but it actually is. There is a number of things which bugged me about the Polo:

- despite the impressive power of the small turbo engine, this car has a serious rev-drop when you go from a standstill (I don't know if there is an English word for this, the German word is "Anfahrschw?che"). For a completely normal start from a traffic light in the city, you have to bring the revs at least up to 1,500, and even then they will drop so far that the car may fall into a little "HOLY SHIT IT'S GONNA STALL!!!" hiccup before it gets moving. However, when you push the pedal just that little further you will inadvertently storm away like a maniac.

- the bulky and chunky GTI steering wheel looks very cool, but it is quite annoying during daily use, especially when manoeuvring the car at lower speeds. The wheel is so jagged that you will have difficulties letting it glide through your hands or grabbing over.

- in accordance with my first gripe, I must criticise the characteristic of the loud pedal. Together with the fuel saving techniques (cylinder cut and brake recuperation) and the uneven torque delivery of the small high-power turbo, you will have serious difficulties to drive this car smoothly. Something interfers with your inputs all the time, so you will find yourself having to take countermeasures to achieve a smooth drive. Examples? When you let the car coast, at first it doesn't slow down at all, then it suddenly slows down too much. When you want to accelerate very lightly, first there's nothing happening, then you accelerate too hard. Thus, you constantly have to apply tiny corrections to the pedals to make the car do what you want.

- the above, combined with a quite well damped cabin, decouples you nicely from the outside world. It's good if you want that, but I prefer move involvement when driving a car. The Beetle is much more direct and predictable without being less comfortable or less fun


But not everything is bad, here are some good things I noticed:

- the steering is very direct and precise
- the lowered chassis is quite well set up, it is firm but not harsh
- the engine has plenty of power even in 6th gear (when you get the rev range right)
- the car feels quite agile and light on the go
- due to the boxy (yet arguably attractive) shape, it has quite good visibility
- the color is awesome
EDIT: forgot the seats. A bit too narrow for me, but firmly gripping and also comfortable


Let's talk about money. The Blue GT starts at 19,650 Euros. Swap 6 speed manual for the 7 gear double clutch automatic and you're looking at 21k Euros flat. At this pricepoint, the even more powerful, twincharged GTI (which only comes with the same 7 speed automatic) is just a whiff away. If you want to save fuel, try a diesel Polo for less money.

Overall, I have mixed feelings about this car. It is a well made and modern compact hatch, but the fuel-saving nonsense is more annoying than it is efficient. The car actually manages quite well to be quite efficient and quite sporty, but a compromise is a compromise: you can buy sportier and more frugal Polos for similar or even less money. Only if you deliberately want a car which has these two faces and you can live with the attached shortcomings, this is the car for you.
 
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Well they did all those things you said but the indicator is the same :)
Never noticed they blacked out the lower plastic trim on the wheel over there before.
Ooh yeah, I was wondering why that wheel looked different. Our Astra bongs but not in the same for no reason American way as my brother's Jeep. Like the Jeep will bong if you just start the car, like "oh god man, look out, you have just started your motor vehicle!!!! Be careful!!" The Astra just bongs if you leave the lights on, or drive off without your seatbelt, or open a door while moving, or try to do a handbrake turn...
 
Unless they did a special version for the US (which does BONG BONG BONG happen DOOR AJAR every now and then CHECK ENGINE) then yes, it did.

Nice. I am surprised no one mentioned it in a review..perhaps they got used to BMW's stalks by then?

Ooh yeah, I was wondering why that wheel looked different. Our Astra bongs but not in the same for no reason American way as my brother's Jeep. Like the Jeep will bong if you just start the car, like "oh god man, look out, you have just started your motor vehicle!!!! Be careful!!" The Astra just bongs if you leave the lights on, or drive off without your seatbelt, or open a door while moving, or try to do a handbrake turn...

The startup chime is a US federal safety standards requirement: It's a fasten seat belts reminder. If you start it up with the seatbelt fastened, the chime shouldn't sound.
 
The startup chime is a US federal safety standards requirement: It's a fasten seat belts reminder. If you start it up with the seatbelt fastened, the chime shouldn't sound.

The seatbelt reminder bong/chime/noise is also the only one required by law in the US.
 
Nice. I am surprised no one mentioned it in a review..perhaps they got used to BMW's stalks by then?



The startup chime is a US federal safety standards requirement: It's a fasten seat belts reminder. If you start it up with the seatbelt fastened, the chime shouldn't sound.

My stupid cheap car only beeps if you forget your seatbelt. Which is never, or always if you're my wife :dunno:

Also, from my BMW 316 review

One little detail that annoyed me to no end was the indicator stalk : it's one of those that don't click down, so you end up indicating forever, or try to cancel it and then indicate the other way by mistake. I realize this is mostly my fault and that many cars have this feature, but I just don't like it.
 
Tesla Model S 60

110 years of electric vehicle development brings us the Tesla Model S. Which, with a gentle grin no less, shoves a well deserved middle finger towards every fuel driven vehicle on the road today. I was expecting something glorious, and it delivered.

An incredibly manageable electric vehicle with an adequate range and nice oomph to keep you on top of traffic. Great build quality, nice interior, excellent finish in every aspect. Cute small touches that make it feel less of an engineer's wet dream and more like an everyday car for anyone. And unlike a Toyota Hybrid or whatever crapheap a 90's ecomentalist would choose, it actually feels built for this purpose, rather than retrofitted with some kludge EV-technology to keep emissions in check.

But, like any electric vehicle, it suffers from having to lug that pile of batteries around. Even though them being located under the floor gives the car a low centre of mass and incredible cornering ability, it still is quite the heffalump to throw around. So, fun car it ain't. Not in that sense. And for 90k?, not for me. :(

Sadly. Because I really want this thing in my garage. The idea of a car driven by something as crude as petrol or diesel.. feels so dated now.

But for anyone considering a CLS, a 6-series, an A7, or even a Panamera.. well. The Tesla starts to look like a bargain. And frankly, I can't see why the hell anyone would buy anything else. :lol:

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edit: Yeah. I just learned of a material called graphene. It's light and as tough as carbon fibre. Oh and it works as a capacitor. Building a car body out of this material would effectively turn the whole car into one huge supercapacitor, removing the need to carry around huge amounts of batteries. And while capacitors (in their current form) can't hold a charge like an array of lithium batteries can, their recharging time is a fraction of a battery array. So when graphene or similar materials become cheaper, modern EVs lugging around huge amounts of dead weight will be rendered obsolete pretty much overnight.

So forget the Tesla, that's what I want. :)
 
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I like it, but that huge lcd screen is just not for me. I know it has to be all digital and futuristic, but it's done badly. Maybe a curved oled screen in the future that conforms to a flowing shape of the centre console, but that just looks too much like a cheap ass ricer aftermarket addition. Too bad, because the rest of the car is really neat.
 
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