Epoq
Active Member
That was a serious review actually, I just like getting straight to the point.
Funny though. :lol:
Our "own" car reviews
- Thread starter NooDle
- Start date
Davetouch
is un-Stoppable
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2006
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- 8,543
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- Longbridge, Birminghamland
- Car(s)
- '00 9-3 2.0 Turbo Vert, Various MGs, '99 Ringoo
2010 Vauxhall Zafira 1.8 Design
Now the first thing that I should say is that this (in the UK at least) is a very popular car. A lot of people are more than willing to spend over ?20,000 of their own money to own what is possible the most popular people carrier on the market at the moment. And having now driven one I would not for the life of me ever buy one myself.
The first thing I will say is regarding size. This is a vehicle designed to be useful. And by god is it not. The interior is very cramped, and with all 7 seats in use you have enough space in the 'boot' for maybe 3 small rucksacks. Nothing more. As it was being used as a people carrier, this was its standard set up. In addition to this getting in and out of the back seats was a huge mess if you were taller than 5 feet. Perfect for children then, which is a plus considering its a family car, but don't expect to have easy access to your kids while they're back there. So if these boot seats are acceptable under their given conditions, why does the rest of the car have to be so cramped?
Yes I'm 6ft 2in, so not tiny, but I constantly had someone's knees in my back while driving. And then there's the driving position. Its utter shite. When I finally got relatively comfortable I was still way too high up, the pedals were much too close, and I had to sarifice easy access to the wheel to be able to see how much fuel we had and what the indicators were doing.
Ah yes, the indicators. What was wrong with a simple stalk that you push and lock up or down to turn the signals on, Vauxhall? These were a two notch system (two notches up, two down; push up a bit for 3 flashes, all the way for continuous) which in order to cancel you had to push it the opposite way slightly. Too far and you're indicating the other way too. The wiper stalk was also the same except you pushed it up or down a notch to increase or decrease the speed of the wipers. Again returning to centre each time. Confusing but maybe you'd get used to it if you never drove another car. I am nitpicking here, but don't worry, there are much worse things wrong with this car.
The drivetrain. The engine we had in this, I have since discovered, is the larger petrol engine. There is a diesel, which I would recommend trying first. Let me put it this way; I cannot comprehend how the 1.6 petrol could even get this thing moving. The 1.8 supposedly has 140PS, and 175Nm of Torque. I can believe the power, but the Torque I can't. This thing would not get going well, despite the clearly acceleration biased gearbox. The very notchy gearbox also meant that once you passed 70 the revs climbed faster than the speed, and you'd end up cruising at 90mph with 5000rpm on the clocks.
I can compare it to another rival car I've driven; the Peugeot 5008. That thing seems godly now. It came with a 2.0 turbo diesel and just about enough space to fit 7 people in. It went when you wanted it to, and felt both better quality and a nicer, brighter place to be. So if I were to suggest the best MPV you can possibly buy, I would of course suggest you get a Renault Kangoo. A true MPV. And if you need 7 seats, you don't. But if you do go get a minibus.
So all in all, a much too small, seriously underpowered 'multipurpose' vehicle with not enough uses, a terrible interior and a cramped everything. And thanks to the gearbox it drank like my Saab. The Tonka toy handbrake lever was kind of cool though.
Awesome Rating: 3/10.
Now the first thing that I should say is that this (in the UK at least) is a very popular car. A lot of people are more than willing to spend over ?20,000 of their own money to own what is possible the most popular people carrier on the market at the moment. And having now driven one I would not for the life of me ever buy one myself.
The first thing I will say is regarding size. This is a vehicle designed to be useful. And by god is it not. The interior is very cramped, and with all 7 seats in use you have enough space in the 'boot' for maybe 3 small rucksacks. Nothing more. As it was being used as a people carrier, this was its standard set up. In addition to this getting in and out of the back seats was a huge mess if you were taller than 5 feet. Perfect for children then, which is a plus considering its a family car, but don't expect to have easy access to your kids while they're back there. So if these boot seats are acceptable under their given conditions, why does the rest of the car have to be so cramped?
Yes I'm 6ft 2in, so not tiny, but I constantly had someone's knees in my back while driving. And then there's the driving position. Its utter shite. When I finally got relatively comfortable I was still way too high up, the pedals were much too close, and I had to sarifice easy access to the wheel to be able to see how much fuel we had and what the indicators were doing.
Ah yes, the indicators. What was wrong with a simple stalk that you push and lock up or down to turn the signals on, Vauxhall? These were a two notch system (two notches up, two down; push up a bit for 3 flashes, all the way for continuous) which in order to cancel you had to push it the opposite way slightly. Too far and you're indicating the other way too. The wiper stalk was also the same except you pushed it up or down a notch to increase or decrease the speed of the wipers. Again returning to centre each time. Confusing but maybe you'd get used to it if you never drove another car. I am nitpicking here, but don't worry, there are much worse things wrong with this car.
The drivetrain. The engine we had in this, I have since discovered, is the larger petrol engine. There is a diesel, which I would recommend trying first. Let me put it this way; I cannot comprehend how the 1.6 petrol could even get this thing moving. The 1.8 supposedly has 140PS, and 175Nm of Torque. I can believe the power, but the Torque I can't. This thing would not get going well, despite the clearly acceleration biased gearbox. The very notchy gearbox also meant that once you passed 70 the revs climbed faster than the speed, and you'd end up cruising at 90mph with 5000rpm on the clocks.
I can compare it to another rival car I've driven; the Peugeot 5008. That thing seems godly now. It came with a 2.0 turbo diesel and just about enough space to fit 7 people in. It went when you wanted it to, and felt both better quality and a nicer, brighter place to be. So if I were to suggest the best MPV you can possibly buy, I would of course suggest you get a Renault Kangoo. A true MPV. And if you need 7 seats, you don't. But if you do go get a minibus.
So all in all, a much too small, seriously underpowered 'multipurpose' vehicle with not enough uses, a terrible interior and a cramped everything. And thanks to the gearbox it drank like my Saab. The Tonka toy handbrake lever was kind of cool though.
Awesome Rating: 3/10.
MacGuffin
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I would still recommend the Ford S-Max with the 2.0 diesel engine to anybody, who was looking for a spacious, versatile, comfortable, nice to drive, reasonably fast yet still economical MPV. And it also looks rather good as well.
Davetouch
is un-Stoppable
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- '00 9-3 2.0 Turbo Vert, Various MGs, '99 Ringoo
Well lets hope we get S-Maxes next time we rent a couple of people carriers 
(unlikely though). I think 'NO PETROL' will be top of our list. Doubt the rental company will have 4 identical Zafiras; 2 petrol and 2 diesel. Either way we don't want them again. Interestingly another club I know got a Galaxy when they rented one; maybe they have another one...?
And I've just looked at the rental company's website; the people carrier example car is a Galaxy diesel with alternatives listed as 'Seat Alhambra or similar'. Where did they get 2 petrol Zafiras from then...?
And despite the fact I've never driven one; I would probably recommend an S-Max as well, simply from what I've seen of it.
(unlikely though). I think 'NO PETROL' will be top of our list. Doubt the rental company will have 4 identical Zafiras; 2 petrol and 2 diesel. Either way we don't want them again. Interestingly another club I know got a Galaxy when they rented one; maybe they have another one...?And I've just looked at the rental company's website; the people carrier example car is a Galaxy diesel with alternatives listed as 'Seat Alhambra or similar'. Where did they get 2 petrol Zafiras from then...?
And despite the fact I've never driven one; I would probably recommend an S-Max as well, simply from what I've seen of it.
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rickhamilton620
has a fetish for terrible cars
Great review Speedtouch. I've always wondered why those shorter wheelbase mpv's did so well over there compared to larger stuff like the Voyager, Galaxy, Sedona (which for a while was the UK's favorite MPV) and the PSA/Fiat "Eurovans" due to the compromises people have to deal with in terms of space. I can see people making the sacrifice for better MPG though.
I'm still a fan of the Sedona. While it's showing its age a bit, it's still an excellent value and drives very well for what it is.
I'm still a fan of the Sedona. While it's showing its age a bit, it's still an excellent value and drives very well for what it is.
Hbriz
Ballroom Blitz
I'm still a fan of the Honda Odyssey. Looks great and although it is low, still has plenty of space inside. Boot space with all seats up isn't great, but still better than a seven seat 4x4. I preferred the last model but the looks of the new one are growing on me, as long as it's not in the mumsy purple I always see them in.
If I needed something bigger than that, I'd go all the way and get a Multivan. Go hard or go home, that's what I always say.
If I needed something bigger than that, I'd go all the way and get a Multivan. Go hard or go home, that's what I always say.
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rickhamilton620
has a fetish for terrible cars
I'm still a fan of the Honda Odyssey. Looks great and although it is low, still has plenty of space inside. Boot space with all seats up isn't great, but still better than a seven seat 4x4. I preferred the last model but the looks of the new one are growing on me, as long as it's not in the mumsy purple I always see them in.
If I needed something bigger than that, I'd go all the way and get a Multivan. Go hard or go home, that's what I always say.
I always wished that Honda was able to stick with that formula here in the states. The 1st gen's i see on the road are ususally in immaculate condition and look like they've been babied by their owners. I'd love to see one with the alloys from a 94 to 97 Accord.
I also agree with the MultiVan....love those things.
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AiR
Forum Addict
Nice writeup, the problem with your Zaffy B is that it is, well, old.
It's close to 7 years old design, and the new model is right around the corner. It's only natural a the 5008, a 1? year old design, is a better vehicle. You get used to the indicators, nobody in their right mind buys a petrol engine and the diesel gearbox is much better. MPV's are tricky to make, because it needs to fit everyone, especially children, which tend to have funny dimensions. One can also assume the drivers area was designed primarily for women, who tend to be shorter...
Honda doesnt want us to have that one. Weird I think, because hey, practical box on wheels! We LOVE those!
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NooDle
Ik ben niet alleen lekker met kaas!
^yup the old Zafira is mighty old compared to the 5008.
My mum has one,and I can't find anything you say to be wrong (we even have the measly 1.6 petrol engine so just about enoug power to park it). I once drove it with 7 people and it was just ridiculous, no torque at all and the brakes were having a hard time too...
The only big upshot about this car is the price : it's in a different league alltogether, and if you need to move 7 people (or 5 people and luggage), not even a Citroen C4 Picasso can beat it for price
IIRC the S Max is half a size up from the Zaffy, so the real rival is the C Max....which i've also driven... It had bucketloads of torque (I had the 130 hp diesel one), but the chassis could not cope and it was wobbling around in the corners a lot...
I actually prefer the Zafira since it doesn't go fast enough to show you it's chassis is shit. The Ford does....
My mum has one,and I can't find anything you say to be wrong (we even have the measly 1.6 petrol engine so just about enoug power to park it). I once drove it with 7 people and it was just ridiculous, no torque at all and the brakes were having a hard time too...
The only big upshot about this car is the price : it's in a different league alltogether, and if you need to move 7 people (or 5 people and luggage), not even a Citroen C4 Picasso can beat it for price
IIRC the S Max is half a size up from the Zaffy, so the real rival is the C Max....which i've also driven... It had bucketloads of torque (I had the 130 hp diesel one), but the chassis could not cope and it was wobbling around in the corners a lot...
I actually prefer the Zafira since it doesn't go fast enough to show you it's chassis is shit. The Ford does....
Lastsoul
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2005
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- 2,180
- Location
- Finland
- Car(s)
- MX5, 406 Coup?, 106 Rallye, Porsche 924, X300 Six
Peugeot 508 1.6 THP 156 Wagon Automatic.
By European standards it's a big car. 18" wheels wouldn't hurt. These are 16" by the way, not 14".
In the last few years I've become much less interested in ordinaly family cars. I don't need the space and practicality they offer. They've also grown so heavy and big that the whole idea of actually enjoying the drive behind the wheel has become almost extinct if we forget rare exceptions like BMW 3-series.
On the other hand I've just put the MX-5 to hibernation to preserve the already flaky paintwork and sheetmetal from corrosive salt. That means I'm now back on the wheel of my trusty 406 and it hasn't been that bad actually. I've enjoyed the comfortable and quiet ride during these dark and cold days of Finnish autumn. And now I can even listen to music, because the Pug has way more than half a speaker fitted to the Mazda.
That brought my mind to the relatively new 508. Truth to be told, I've no experience of the 407 apart from hearing from many sources how crap it was. At least it was heavier, bigger but more cramped than the 406 it replaced. It had mostly the same engines so performance was down also. Apparently it also was one of the first cars in the world where they had almost skipped the whole suspension design and fixed the failures with ESP parameters. And I hated the looks. Actually it symbolized really well the whole last decade for the more sane part of the PSA group. Gone were the hot hatches and comfy cruisers that the once created their reputation. Instead we had why-so-serious grilles and front overhangs longer than Sarkozy's nose.
Grille is still too big but it kinda works. I generally dislike how all modern cars look because of the pedestrian safety standards, and the bulging nose of the 508 is no exception, but at least it's not the worst. That price belongs to current Subaru Legacy.
We haven't yet seen proper hot hatch yet but the RCZ coup? was already a welcome change. Then I read Evo Magazine's review of the 508 GT where it got 4/5, which is pretty well from that magazine. The GT has 205bhp turbo diesel, much nicer front seats and double-wishbone front suspension instead of the MacPherson installed in cheaper variants. Sadly that puts the price up to 55 000 euros in Finland, which is ridiculous amount for a FWD family saloon with a badge as interesting as the color options available for the 508.
No, it wasn't a joke. These are all the colours I managed to find on Peugeot.co.uk. I miss my Rouge Lucifer metallic red.
So I went to drive a normal one. 1.6 turbo petrol with 156bhp and traditional six speed slushbox. The example had 8 kilometers on the odo when I fired it up, which made it the newest car I've ever driven. And how was it? Well, surprisingly good. Winter tires meant I've no idea how good steering feel it could provide and because the car floats on the soft tires designed to find grip from solid ice and not to deliver feedback from the hard tarmac I didn't even try to test more dynamic driving. It was easy to place on the road and didn't need too much steering.
1.6 turbo pulled the big and heavy body effortlessly and the six speed auto changed smoothly and seemed to respond rapidly even when used in manual mode. I didn't try WOT acceleration because I didn't want to push the 8km driven powertrain, but I'd guess that despite almost exactly the same output as it's period correctly bodykitted 405 Mi16 ancestor the 156bhp strong 508 won't provide any thrills no matter how much you rev it. Effortless, but not a bit sporty and in a family car it's all fine.
If there is one thing to complain, it was a strange vibration when the car was standing still and drive was engaged. You could avoid this by switching the gearbox to neutral, but if you have to use the gearstick it ruins the point of the automatic. I know how all torque converted automatics want to creep, but I'vent found this kind of vibration before. If it was not a problem of this particular car but a design feature I'd seriously think about getting the manual.
Sorry about the crappy iPhone 3G pictures. I don't own point'n shoot and didn't want to carry DSLR. Here you can see the glass roof a bit.
That's a shame, because when moving the smooth changing auto was perfect combination with incredibly quiet cabin. It's easy to notice a noisy car is, but you don't pay often attention to how little you can hear and that's exactly what happened with the 508. It's worth to mention the car was running "standard Finnish equipment" which meant normal 16 inch alloys, but nevertheless you could barely hear a whisper from the very harsh Finnish tarmac, which is designed to withstand the abuse form studded winter tires.
Compared to the utter silence the suspension was maybe not a let down, but a bit different than I had hoped. It didn't waft over the road while absorbing imperfections like even my old 406 does, but it felt a bit more German. It wasn't bad by all means, but I missed the combination of relatively soft springs and strong shock absorbers (which at least in the 90s and earlier were designed and made by Peugeot themselves, which is pretty unique for a car manufacturer) that kept the body in control even over larger bumps. French can make really comfortable yet well handling vehicles, especially in smaller segments, so it's a bit useless to make it feel more German. That's a battle they can never win.
Another bright surprise was the interior. Indeed, the car had a huge glass roof which started maybe 20cm after windscreen and went over rear seats making the interior extremely airy place to sit if you didn't want to hide the view with electric curtain. Cabin full of light revealed surprisingly high quality switchgear from a French car. It wasn't on the Audi levels of course, but I'd say way above Mondeo and probably pretty good match for the E90 generation 3-series. My test car didn't have navigation/multimedia gizmos so I can't comment how intuitive the PSA system is, but hopefully it's a more successful design than the jungle of buttons on the slightly too thickly spoked steering wheel. Oh, and they had also removed all the fake wood they had so generously used in the cabin of my 406. That's always a big plus.
Pretty standard spec meant no color screen and navi etc, but everything was well put together. I'd expect the gloss black around gear stick scratch easily.
It was nice to see Peugeot back in the business with the 508. While I wouldn't buy one new due to the astonishing depreciation of French cars, I could imagine myself buying one used for quite reasonable amount of money to have some nice place to travel during the cold winter when my driving car is in the garage. That's probably the biggest compliment I can give for a large FWD
family saloon at the moment.
You don't often see water temp gauge anymore, even less one fitted with actual scale and one that seems to be somehow related to coolant temperature. Even less often you find oil temp gauge too. I like gauges.
By European standards it's a big car. 18" wheels wouldn't hurt. These are 16" by the way, not 14".
In the last few years I've become much less interested in ordinaly family cars. I don't need the space and practicality they offer. They've also grown so heavy and big that the whole idea of actually enjoying the drive behind the wheel has become almost extinct if we forget rare exceptions like BMW 3-series.
On the other hand I've just put the MX-5 to hibernation to preserve the already flaky paintwork and sheetmetal from corrosive salt. That means I'm now back on the wheel of my trusty 406 and it hasn't been that bad actually. I've enjoyed the comfortable and quiet ride during these dark and cold days of Finnish autumn. And now I can even listen to music, because the Pug has way more than half a speaker fitted to the Mazda.
That brought my mind to the relatively new 508. Truth to be told, I've no experience of the 407 apart from hearing from many sources how crap it was. At least it was heavier, bigger but more cramped than the 406 it replaced. It had mostly the same engines so performance was down also. Apparently it also was one of the first cars in the world where they had almost skipped the whole suspension design and fixed the failures with ESP parameters. And I hated the looks. Actually it symbolized really well the whole last decade for the more sane part of the PSA group. Gone were the hot hatches and comfy cruisers that the once created their reputation. Instead we had why-so-serious grilles and front overhangs longer than Sarkozy's nose.
Grille is still too big but it kinda works. I generally dislike how all modern cars look because of the pedestrian safety standards, and the bulging nose of the 508 is no exception, but at least it's not the worst. That price belongs to current Subaru Legacy.
We haven't yet seen proper hot hatch yet but the RCZ coup? was already a welcome change. Then I read Evo Magazine's review of the 508 GT where it got 4/5, which is pretty well from that magazine. The GT has 205bhp turbo diesel, much nicer front seats and double-wishbone front suspension instead of the MacPherson installed in cheaper variants. Sadly that puts the price up to 55 000 euros in Finland, which is ridiculous amount for a FWD family saloon with a badge as interesting as the color options available for the 508.
No, it wasn't a joke. These are all the colours I managed to find on Peugeot.co.uk. I miss my Rouge Lucifer metallic red.
So I went to drive a normal one. 1.6 turbo petrol with 156bhp and traditional six speed slushbox. The example had 8 kilometers on the odo when I fired it up, which made it the newest car I've ever driven. And how was it? Well, surprisingly good. Winter tires meant I've no idea how good steering feel it could provide and because the car floats on the soft tires designed to find grip from solid ice and not to deliver feedback from the hard tarmac I didn't even try to test more dynamic driving. It was easy to place on the road and didn't need too much steering.
1.6 turbo pulled the big and heavy body effortlessly and the six speed auto changed smoothly and seemed to respond rapidly even when used in manual mode. I didn't try WOT acceleration because I didn't want to push the 8km driven powertrain, but I'd guess that despite almost exactly the same output as it's period correctly bodykitted 405 Mi16 ancestor the 156bhp strong 508 won't provide any thrills no matter how much you rev it. Effortless, but not a bit sporty and in a family car it's all fine.
If there is one thing to complain, it was a strange vibration when the car was standing still and drive was engaged. You could avoid this by switching the gearbox to neutral, but if you have to use the gearstick it ruins the point of the automatic. I know how all torque converted automatics want to creep, but I'vent found this kind of vibration before. If it was not a problem of this particular car but a design feature I'd seriously think about getting the manual.
Sorry about the crappy iPhone 3G pictures. I don't own point'n shoot and didn't want to carry DSLR. Here you can see the glass roof a bit.
That's a shame, because when moving the smooth changing auto was perfect combination with incredibly quiet cabin. It's easy to notice a noisy car is, but you don't pay often attention to how little you can hear and that's exactly what happened with the 508. It's worth to mention the car was running "standard Finnish equipment" which meant normal 16 inch alloys, but nevertheless you could barely hear a whisper from the very harsh Finnish tarmac, which is designed to withstand the abuse form studded winter tires.
Compared to the utter silence the suspension was maybe not a let down, but a bit different than I had hoped. It didn't waft over the road while absorbing imperfections like even my old 406 does, but it felt a bit more German. It wasn't bad by all means, but I missed the combination of relatively soft springs and strong shock absorbers (which at least in the 90s and earlier were designed and made by Peugeot themselves, which is pretty unique for a car manufacturer) that kept the body in control even over larger bumps. French can make really comfortable yet well handling vehicles, especially in smaller segments, so it's a bit useless to make it feel more German. That's a battle they can never win.
Another bright surprise was the interior. Indeed, the car had a huge glass roof which started maybe 20cm after windscreen and went over rear seats making the interior extremely airy place to sit if you didn't want to hide the view with electric curtain. Cabin full of light revealed surprisingly high quality switchgear from a French car. It wasn't on the Audi levels of course, but I'd say way above Mondeo and probably pretty good match for the E90 generation 3-series. My test car didn't have navigation/multimedia gizmos so I can't comment how intuitive the PSA system is, but hopefully it's a more successful design than the jungle of buttons on the slightly too thickly spoked steering wheel. Oh, and they had also removed all the fake wood they had so generously used in the cabin of my 406. That's always a big plus.
Pretty standard spec meant no color screen and navi etc, but everything was well put together. I'd expect the gloss black around gear stick scratch easily.
It was nice to see Peugeot back in the business with the 508. While I wouldn't buy one new due to the astonishing depreciation of French cars, I could imagine myself buying one used for quite reasonable amount of money to have some nice place to travel during the cold winter when my driving car is in the garage. That's probably the biggest compliment I can give for a large FWD
family saloon at the moment.
You don't often see water temp gauge anymore, even less one fitted with actual scale and one that seems to be somehow related to coolant temperature. Even less often you find oil temp gauge too. I like gauges.
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NooDle
Ik ben niet alleen lekker met kaas!
interesting. I have driven the 406 but not the 407
The 406 was forgettable at best (and horrid at worst) but it's good to see that they sort of have their mojo back.
No idiotic big mouth - check
classy interior - check
Firmer ride than the wallowing old ones - check
Only trouble IMO is the size.... it's bigger than the 407 but smaller than the 607, so it's kinda replacing both. The estate version is positively massive, and given the price I think it will give something like a Mondeo a run for its money...
edit : also 55k? is insane, over here it's in the 25-30k bracket, where it should be
The 406 was forgettable at best (and horrid at worst) but it's good to see that they sort of have their mojo back.
No idiotic big mouth - check
classy interior - check
Firmer ride than the wallowing old ones - check
Only trouble IMO is the size.... it's bigger than the 407 but smaller than the 607, so it's kinda replacing both. The estate version is positively massive, and given the price I think it will give something like a Mondeo a run for its money...
edit : also 55k? is insane, over here it's in the 25-30k bracket, where it should be
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Hbriz
Ballroom Blitz
A local publication summed it up well I think, "It's not quite a 406 but it's no 407 either." I like the looks and they are well priced here, I really should have a look at one. I'd like to see how it compares to the Mondeo, Passat and Hyundai i40.
public
Captain Slow Charging
55ke is for the loaded GT version, that 1.6 turbo is in the 25-30k range.
Lastsoul
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2005
- Messages
- 2,180
- Location
- Finland
- Car(s)
- MX5, 406 Coup?, 106 Rallye, Porsche 924, X300 Six
Thanks for correcting, I should've mentioned that
NooDle: interesting that you mentioned the harder ride as a plus, for me it was negative. What I was trying to say with the "can't beat the Germans" comment was, that I'd like them to make proper French suspension because after all it's a French. I don't think they could beat the Mondeo on the handling department, so why not sacrifice a bit for comforts sake? Or maybe they've done it (it certainly wasn't uncomfortable), but at about 1570kg it becomes pretty hard to have softer springs and you end up in a more "German feeling" car.
Anyway, when I checked the weights (the range topping 204bhp GT Wagon is 1780kg) I realized how heavy these cars currently are. 1780kg is only 140kg away from two MX5s
NooDle: interesting that you mentioned the harder ride as a plus, for me it was negative. What I was trying to say with the "can't beat the Germans" comment was, that I'd like them to make proper French suspension because after all it's a French. I don't think they could beat the Mondeo on the handling department, so why not sacrifice a bit for comforts sake? Or maybe they've done it (it certainly wasn't uncomfortable), but at about 1570kg it becomes pretty hard to have softer springs and you end up in a more "German feeling" car.
Anyway, when I checked the weights (the range topping 204bhp GT Wagon is 1780kg) I realized how heavy these cars currently are. 1780kg is only 140kg away from two MX5s
AiR
Forum Addict
I love the lightsaber needles! Very good looking overall, altough I do not like any buttons in the instrument cluster, especially not in the middle.
You don't often see water temp gauge anymore, even less one fitted with actual scale and one that seems to be somehow related to coolant temperature. Even less often you find oil temp gauge too. I like gauges.
frankiess
Wankel Wanker
To drive off the impending boredom and blackness of the Finnish winter and get my mind off my asshole roommate and insane work schedule, I arranged a rendezvous with one of the only modern cars I could imagine owning: the Z4 Coup?.
Too bad they only had a roadster, so that would have to do. This one has 80tkm on the clock, and only 230hp compared to the coup?'s more beefy 260hp. A keen eye will notice the salt damage on the alloys, an aftermarket sport-chassis and aggressively small studded winter tyres.
http://www.nettiauto.com/bmw/z4/4377038
Disclaimer: I expect a lot from cars. And even more so from cars I could see myself owning. This car is a "suomiauto", so it's expected to have wear in strange places, body-damage from the salty roads, etc. So a lot of my observations can be accounted for by a negligent previous owner or mere climate conditions.
..But not all of them.
First impressions
The roadster looks horrible with the hardtop on. I want my coup?.
I sit down and it feels unfamiliar, even distant. This car doesn't want me here. I can't get the seat arranged properly - my knees hang in the air. Which means pain for the long rides. In a sense I'm relieved to see the seats don't sport an M-badge, since it would be a rather poor display of M-power. But then again, I'm disappointed to not see M-Sport seats in a car of this caliber.
Getting it moving
I turn the key and the 3.0l straight six fires up in an unpretentious manner. Rolling off is ultimately civilized, even though I can feel the stiffness of the chassis through the wobbly winter tyres, which make up for a combination that's both unstable and wonky to drive. The car basically felt like it was balancing on a huge block of jell-o.
.. Yeah, it would've definitely needed some low profile-(studless) winter tyres. Turning sharply into a corner and you get a sense of what the chassis is capable of, and yes, it definitely has potential. I'd need to drive one with real summer tyres on to get a clearer picture, though.
The plastic cover broke off the bottom of the steering wheel. What the fuck.
A button labeled Sport
Now, I'm not gonna go all Jeremy Clarkson on the meaning of a Sport-button, since all it did was improve the accelerator-response a tad. But holy hell what an engine. Rev this thing to 5500rpm + and you're sure to smile. Comparing a straight six to a symphony orchestra hitting the high note is not unseemly. This, if anything will give you that fizzy feeling behind your penis. Kick it into a corner and give it some boot, expecting the sporty chassis to kick in once the winter tyres are at their limit of wobble and FFFFFFUUUUU WHO LEFT THE ESP ON?!? Well. Nevermind then. I guess we'll just wobble on home.
Strange error lights
Oh, and what's that light? Check tyre pressures? .. Oh kay. So we stopped at a service station and one tyre was missing 0,1bar of air. Fair enough. Kindly noted, car, but .. I could've done that, thank you. Also, why is the hood not aligned properly? Seriously, the hood and fender weren't entirely at the same level. Either this thing had been crashed, or some BMW-servicer had been careless. Considering that I'd just reattached a bit off the steering wheel, it didn't exactly leave me with a sense of quality motoring.
Conclusion
I'm glad I took the one with the 3l engine, because without it, it'd be mush. Interior falling apart, panel gaps not aligned, strange warning lights, bad wheel choices, alloys taking salt damage, ugly roof, annoying nanny-traction control.. Yeah. They didn't make a sale this time. I can't believe this thing is more expensive than an Audi TT.
I had a quick sit in one of the Porsche Boxsters at the store and wow, I felt right at home. Perhaps next time?
A friend drove me home in his E36 318is with damaged front suspension, and it felt more fun than the Z4.
Too bad they only had a roadster, so that would have to do. This one has 80tkm on the clock, and only 230hp compared to the coup?'s more beefy 260hp. A keen eye will notice the salt damage on the alloys, an aftermarket sport-chassis and aggressively small studded winter tyres.
http://www.nettiauto.com/bmw/z4/4377038
Disclaimer: I expect a lot from cars. And even more so from cars I could see myself owning. This car is a "suomiauto", so it's expected to have wear in strange places, body-damage from the salty roads, etc. So a lot of my observations can be accounted for by a negligent previous owner or mere climate conditions.
..But not all of them.
First impressions
The roadster looks horrible with the hardtop on. I want my coup?.
I sit down and it feels unfamiliar, even distant. This car doesn't want me here. I can't get the seat arranged properly - my knees hang in the air. Which means pain for the long rides. In a sense I'm relieved to see the seats don't sport an M-badge, since it would be a rather poor display of M-power. But then again, I'm disappointed to not see M-Sport seats in a car of this caliber.
Getting it moving
I turn the key and the 3.0l straight six fires up in an unpretentious manner. Rolling off is ultimately civilized, even though I can feel the stiffness of the chassis through the wobbly winter tyres, which make up for a combination that's both unstable and wonky to drive. The car basically felt like it was balancing on a huge block of jell-o.
.. Yeah, it would've definitely needed some low profile-(studless) winter tyres. Turning sharply into a corner and you get a sense of what the chassis is capable of, and yes, it definitely has potential. I'd need to drive one with real summer tyres on to get a clearer picture, though.
The plastic cover broke off the bottom of the steering wheel. What the fuck.
A button labeled Sport
Now, I'm not gonna go all Jeremy Clarkson on the meaning of a Sport-button, since all it did was improve the accelerator-response a tad. But holy hell what an engine. Rev this thing to 5500rpm + and you're sure to smile. Comparing a straight six to a symphony orchestra hitting the high note is not unseemly. This, if anything will give you that fizzy feeling behind your penis. Kick it into a corner and give it some boot, expecting the sporty chassis to kick in once the winter tyres are at their limit of wobble and FFFFFFUUUUU WHO LEFT THE ESP ON?!? Well. Nevermind then. I guess we'll just wobble on home.
Strange error lights
Oh, and what's that light? Check tyre pressures? .. Oh kay. So we stopped at a service station and one tyre was missing 0,1bar of air. Fair enough. Kindly noted, car, but .. I could've done that, thank you. Also, why is the hood not aligned properly? Seriously, the hood and fender weren't entirely at the same level. Either this thing had been crashed, or some BMW-servicer had been careless. Considering that I'd just reattached a bit off the steering wheel, it didn't exactly leave me with a sense of quality motoring.
Conclusion
I'm glad I took the one with the 3l engine, because without it, it'd be mush. Interior falling apart, panel gaps not aligned, strange warning lights, bad wheel choices, alloys taking salt damage, ugly roof, annoying nanny-traction control.. Yeah. They didn't make a sale this time. I can't believe this thing is more expensive than an Audi TT.
I had a quick sit in one of the Porsche Boxsters at the store and wow, I felt right at home. Perhaps next time?
A friend drove me home in his E36 318is with damaged front suspension, and it felt more fun than the Z4.
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maxtortheone
Chicken Fiddler
So you're saying it really is a US built car.
maxtortheone
Chicken Fiddler
Guessing those are the winter alloys.
thevictor390
Teen Wankeler
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2007
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- '17 Mazda MX-5 RF, '89 Toyota Blizzard SX5
Having driven Boxsters and Z4s in various conditions, I would recommend to give a better Z4 a shot. I really liked both cars.