mender

Miele hoovers are superb, they go the distance and last forever; gadget hoovers seem to work for a while but break or wear out in the long run. I'd buy any Miele cylinder, just go for the best deal on the day. Our solution is a cheap wet/dry hoover for £55 for occasional abuse/car/spills/fabric spills and the Mieles for the donkey work. Our current red cat&dog Miele is now 11 years old and still ferocious plus has no issues like worn cables, still as new. YGWYPF

Well, that was a result, parked said Myvi in the works yard and a colleague has bought it; all it got was a 30 min wash, an hour of body tlc and a battery swap (had the old one off my Kelisa topped up and charged) and it was sold. Three Peroduas in our yard now, three happy owners!! My wife likes the diesel Getz and loves the mpg, not keen on fiddly (old-school standard din size) stereo buttons on the Getz though after the much better unique-fit Clarion stereo set-up on the Myvi.

and we're not talking Gary.. Anyone else share my utter hatred for this stuff? God, I hate it and wonder why when micro plastics such as facial scrub particles are likely to be banned for polluting the oceans, why no-one has got onto glitter. Apparently we are now in the "anthropocene (human era)" after the end of the holocene and our legacy will be a sediment of plastic particles. It is everywhere; cards, gift wrap, kids toys, christmas decs and so on Glitter in drinks? Are you mad? I HATE IT AAAAGH

Update Took the Hyundai Amica home, did the cambelt and a service at a mate's garage, glued a blind-spot mirror to the cracked base which covered the missing bit perfectly and looked amazing, bought a genuine Hyundai bootliner for £22 delivered and then.....the neighbour fell in love with it for being as literally new, a great colour, mint condition, fully serviced/cambelted and 20k miles, so a deal was made....!! I then sold his car on eBay for him. Purchased a '58 Hyundai Getz diesel, negotiated ace deal as no cambelt history-took it to mate who then told me it is chain driven!! It has had a service, valet, pair of fresh number plates, a £5 gearstick gaiter and some mats and wheel trims from an old car that were in my truck and now looks new, my wife likes it so happy days. It is off my formula for simple cars though, being diesel, turbo etc-give me a simple base petrol any day. Just bought another Perodua Myvi......awaiting collection! Will probably be sorted out and go to one mate or other; they are really good cars My old 2004 built 55 registered Kelisa soldiers on and is a delight; it is going nowhere! This month I have driven, amongst others, an X6, X5, new A4, new A6, new 3 series, Range Rover and none of them impressed me much at all; I was impressed by a little Peugeot 208 1.0 Active though; soft little car with a tiny well shaped steering wheel, great stereo and decent comfort, plus cruise on a basic model. I was staggered when the owner informed me it was only a one litre, I had thought it was the bigger engine. Funnily enough, on the way back from taking that to the shop, I drove the X6 3.0 diesel auto back home 25 miles behind a 208 (possibly a GT) and it left me for dead; down the b-roads it was like chasing a rabbit with a slightly drunk and very fat rhino. Just can't see the point in these uber-monsters, they only make sense over 100mph on a wide, smooth, un-rutted, dry road; on a wet and rutted b-road they are utterly horrid, especially when the ridiculously big wheels aquaplane on standing water...... I'm just happy to get happy free motoring, I suppose..!

Looks fresher, cleaner-great stuff

Saves you hundreds a month on a new one and less likely to get nicked or broken into!

Well, the Amica is home and what a splendid thing it is for the money; literally like new having been owned by a recently deceased elderly affluent lady with a garage and done only a verifed 20,000 miles with FSH. Apart from a couple of touch-ups and a cracked mirror case (on ebay £25), it has just been serviced and only needs a cambelt, c.£100 all in. The son was trying to find the second key, if not I'll need to get one done. Only issue is the seat does not go far back enough for me and I can't see an easy way of modifying this; my wife finds it perfect for her though. Honestly, this is a bit "posh" for "banger"nomics but I know it will give us loads of use then a profit when sold on. I am warming to its looks too!

Down the scrap yard then.....to buy those bits!

Well the searching paid off and I'm due to pick up the latest one on Sunday, another "pensioner special" as per the normal formula. Gone for a (yes it is super ugly!) mint Hyundai Amica 1.1 CDX with air-con: 20k-miler, one well-off 85yo owner, garaged from new, serviced yearly and looks new. It is a flawed and gawky motor so they are a tough sell-on, but I slowly fell for then loved the Atoz's I've owned prior-the Amica is a facelifted Atos/Atoz and called the Atos Prime in other markets...and it was too good to miss at the money. My mate's single day spend on his 65 BMW 3 series last week, comprising a dealer service, 2 tyres and a tank of fuel was around the same money! Will I get used to this version though? The relaunch/facelift spoiled further an already odd looking car....James May described it as designed by sledgehammer :D

Cheap vanning! Respect...!

My mate was saying he gets charged £45 per change of car....I've got a trade policy as part of my business, takes 10 seconds online and is free!

Just a quick return to this oldie My own Perodua Kelisa has done another year of short stop start journeys, the odd backroad thrash and a few long distance motorway events and passed the MOT no advisories, no costs again. So this year the cost has been 2 tyres (£22 each fitted/balanced) and I put a £38 (540cca total overkill!) battery on it as the original battery, although perfect was 12 years old. With £110 tax, 50-55mpg and no depreciation (I was bought so cheap I could sell at a profit) it has been another very cheap year of really enjoyable motoring. My wife's Perodua Myvi just sold for £2k, giving zero costs, even a decent profit after 5 months of use, a great car but a colleague took a fancy to it so off it went. The Myvi needs replacing now; we are on the lookout. It'll be another Myvi probably, our 7th. We'd have another 05-13 Sirion but the electronic power steering is notorious for issues and this writes the car off when it goes. On the shortlist of £750-1250 cars with air-con that will be nice to own and reliable: 09-13 Perodua Myvi; just finding a decent one at the right money (had 7) 08-12 Daihatsu Sirion; if one felt right I'd risk the EPS (had 3) 06- Hyundai Getz; stupid cambelt put me off one great deal (had 1) 07- Chevrolet Kalos; poor economy, high tax, flawed but a lot of car for sub-£1k and they ride so well (supplied a 55 1.4SX for a neighbour and they adore it) (had 2) 06-09 Hyundai Amica; oddball but painless and endearing in their own strange way, we'd get a mint 20k miler for the budget, only 4 seats though (had 3 Atoz) 04-07 Suzuki Ignis GLX; getting old now but after a few fixes (ABS rings, strut mounts etc) these are bomb-proof but high tax and lower mpg (had around 8) We source low-mile, full history, pensioner specials that no youth would be seen dead in and get 100% reliable motoring for peanuts or free. There's a certain joy in driving an underdog and having fun for beans. Anyone spotted a must-buy? Cash waiting!

Saw one briefly in Poland, didn't take a view on it...! Someone else want to post one?

Kia Niro

Must be, fits!