Aspman

No Polestar options, the Volvos are 500-1100 a month. If we were doing it would be way down the price range or we're as well to keep what we have and pay the petrol. Or we might just look for a 1.9td Polo 😁

We're not paying at all for cars right now so it making the choice a bit harder. We keep what we have and only pay fuel service (JCW so parts are a bit eyewatering) or start to cough 300-500 for a lease car but have little to pay for fuel. JCW probably worth £16-17k on Motorway.

Work had just released a new EV car scheme to us with some option that are even making me consider it. I've little interest in EVs tbh other than as potentially cheap transport so I have little knowledge of the cars or the tech these days. However we're getting offered salary sacrifice on EVs plus 4000 free chargin miles plus ev rates (it's with octopus so 5p kwh ev rate over night). Little 'un about to start school full time needing a daily commute of about 75mi a day total (cripes never noticed it was that much). Currently using some fairly petrol heavy cars so 32mpg ish. So couple of questions - any decent cost calculators online to see if it's worth it? I've looked at a few and they are terrible Need some direction re cars, looking for <40k, I guess about 200mi range (couple of days + spare), 5 seats that will take adults in the back, comfortable and not made of the same plastic that toys on kids magazines are made from. Octopus doesn't have all that many brands tbh. Not too bother about looks, it's a dishwasher on wheels after all.

Dear lord that is lovely. Not my fav colour but the XK120 and XK150 (and D-type) are some of the prettiest cars ever made

I looked at a Rubicon about 5yr ago, good fun but my word build quality was some of the worst I've ever seen

I know of one local authority that has large diesel generators for backup, proudly filled with eco biodiesel. The guys forgot that biodiesel goes off, and turns to jelly. Fired up the gennies for a test, putt putt caputt. Thousands of pounds of rotten diesel had to be removed and the engines cleaned out.

the data centres will have been fine, it's the network connectivity between them and the ATMs that will have gone down. Cellular base stations only have hours of capacity. The DLAMs in the street have a few hours maybe. But if the ATM relies on a local router it will have gone down.

It's AI design, there you go keep prodding and eventually you get the same thing -

After much arguing, I got the banana in. It was fixated on having a banana next to a 1960a Lotus or GT40 but after a few prods got this... With this I humbly suggest I'm better at designing cars than most manufactrers. I'd rather buy this one.

I wonder where designers get all their ideas from... CoPilot draw me a childish picture of a car.... 10min with a free AI and I am a car designer Admittedly it refuses to include a banana for scale

Aand just today

Is it just me or does every new car now seem to have been designed in Minecraft? I used to be able to identify a car in seconds from a flash of one corner or a small part, now...nope I have no idea everything looks the same.

Subaru XV? Bit more clearance than your average car and they generally don't use low profile tyres which smooths out the ride a bit. Will be a bit gutless compaired to a GTI. My MiL has a bad back and loves the ride quailty in my Scoob.

If they meet the required standard then the cheaper fluid is likely to do everything you need. You just have trust it has me the standards. If you are buying from a reputable supplier then it's probably ok. If you're buying from Facebook your DOT4 brake fluit is probable made of jam or Bisto.

Didn't get a pic but was passed the street by an AM [I think] DB11 or Vanquish. It was pretty, not old school AM pretty, but sounded like god gargling granite.

How badly designed is the ****panzer if you cannot get it type approved but soemthing like this can be done easily https://tanks-alot.co.uk/product/diesel-sultan-cvrt-just-56-miles-sul191/

The politics will kick in before that with tariffs etc, it'll just mean higher forecourt prices, the established brands will put up their prices as well. I think for me cars will be the equivalent of a washing machine, I'll buy (probably lease) the cheapest thing that does the job. If they all look cheap and nasty why pay a premium? We'll inevitably get an electric but it'll be nothing special as I will no longer care. If it autodrives so much the better. I'll get a classic for the garage as something to enjoy.

Neighbour just signed up to get solar plus batteries. Not DIY. He got 6 quotes but didn't take the cheapest. He went with a firm that has an accreditation, effectively ones of their jobs was also to check other peoples work (sorry can't recall the cert). He was also able to access a cheap loan from his mortgage provider. Apparently it's not advertised but most lender have 0% mortgage top ups for green projects so it is worth asking if you have a mortgage. interesting things - solar panels are very cheap now, not much more than glass panels. Batteries are expensive making up about 40% of the cost. Installation is also expensive another 40%. You deal with the energy company matters as you actually won't use what you generate. If your deal is good you will charge the battery on cheap rate to use through the day. Your solar is sold back to the grid. There is an argument for not bothering with the solar and just having battery storage to pull down cheap rate electric.

Saw one of them when they came out. I thought they looked like a cheap Chinese toy with the plastic grill, then I saw the price. Also had a very brief shot of an iX3, basically to move it out the way. Was shocked by how cheap and nasty the interior was. Really awful. I'm kindof done with cars right now. I don't find much appealing at all, it's all very monotonous dull and cheap looking for high prices.

Revolutions in Perth is a little like this. They're a Morgan dealer but have lots of odd things coming in and out. I was at a loose end and wandered in one day and ended up shooting the breeze with the sales/owner chap for about 45min. https://www.revolutions.uk.com/ That XJ13 is agonisingly pretty

Stumbled across this today. Related and sums it up for me quite well https://www.countrylife.co.uk/comment-opinion/sensory-overload-if-the-modern-car-is-all-about-safety-then-why-dont-i-feel-safe-273169

Yep had a cube for a few years on the main telly. Got it because at that time it was the only device which was supporting 4k streaming. We've firesticks as well but tey can be a bit laggy, the cube is significantly snappier but you'd have to consider if it's worth the extra money.

Our Mini Countryman has some sort of similar feature and a small numberof times (only 2 or 3) it has randomly triggered with it somehow imagining that there is an object in front of us. Same as you, brown trouser WTF moments. More often that not the radar cruise option switches itself off for reasons unknown and switch back on (even as normal manual CC) unless the ignition is switches off, a bit of a PITA in a 100mi motorway stretch. TBH radar 'active' cruise has been a massive disappointment and I'd never spec it on another car. The Eye-Sight system on the Subaru has been far superior to the radar based mini.

BMW/Mini system is a bit of a PITA. There are reminders you can clear yourself (MOT), alerts you can clear with an ODB reader and some stuff that you need to go to them for. I had to pay the robbing barstewards £175 to clear a sensor alert caused by going through some heavy rain.

I think I've seen that Porche in town before. Not usually a fan of white cars but that pearl white on the porker looks good. Must be slumming it if they're shopping at the Factory Store there.