BBC Watchdog. Fiat 500 that has no poke to climb a hill.

[grr666]

Em, rev counters aren't part of the syllabus because BIG HINT not every car has one. 

Of course, I also know this. I was on my 4th car before I had one.

Countersteering technique isn't part of CBT but I was still taught it during my Compulsory Basic Training.

I must have had a good instructor.

But the vast majority of modern cars have them, you must concede that. 

A student is more likely to encounter a vehicle with one than not these days. 

So, if it's there (and it would be in most modern learner cars) and it's a driver aid. Then SURELY it

wouldn't hurt to teach the student what it's for and how to interpret the information on it... 

Especially when it can cure hoppity hop pull aways and hill start stalls overnight with a quick 

5 minutes of instruction on it's proper use. Or perhaps that's why they don't tell you that???

Then they they can't rinse the poor female students for extra lessons and multiple tests which they

probably wouldn't need if they were taught properly. Mrs g had 4 tests before she passed. And a good 

50 odd hours of tuition. That could have been halved if she had been taught what I taught her in 5 minutes flat. 

[moley]

That Stig can't drive,

[Phil-E]

I'm still not convinced there is something really wrong... I dunno... maybe there is but it still didn't seem like they really knew what they were doing with the clutch etc.

 

If I think of how my DSG works on a steep hill like that. If I set off on a really steep hill it basically lets the engine rev a bit (to about 2000rpm) to get some power and slips the clutch.

 

So basically the same principle must apply to the 500. Rev it into it's power band and slip the clutch a bit. That does of course mean your clutch will fry in no time if you live in a hilly area.

 

It seems they have tuned the engine to remove any real power below 3000rpm from what they were saying.

 

Phil

[Guest BigJase88]

My first car was a 44bhp corsa 1.2l 8v

Think 0-60mph was like 17.4 seconds

A 1.2l fiat 500 would probably muller it. As a first car it was hilarious. 80mph (indicated) probably 75mph was its Vmax on a level road.

Hit a hill and by the time you were at the top you'd went from 75mph to sub 50mph and had changed down into 3rd almost bouncing it off the redline.

Funny but crap

[FUBAR]

This thread reminded me of this vid 

 

[moley]

The new 1.2 Fiat 500 will be good fun driving this winter. A bit of ice or snow and over 3000 revs will be a real winner

[grr666]

The new 1.2 Fiat 500 will be good fun driving this winter. A bit of ice or snow and over 3000 revs will be a real winner

Not a problem with a basic understanding of clutch control. 

The throttle just controls engine speed, the clutch does the rest. 

When I did the cone slalom as part of my bike test I was revving the bike at about 4k

but moving at a snails pace feeding in the power with the clutch. And it's how I was instructed to do it.

In the case of a bike the extra revs help to keep the bike stable at low speed, but cars can easily do

this too as I'm sure you already know. 

 

Besides, you would only floor the throttle like that when you want to make good

progress up a hill in good conditions.

You're hardly likely to want to tear up an icy or snow covered hill are you? 

[Aspman]

Typical human attitude these days.

 

Runs a 4.0 V8 diesel 4x4 then changes to a 1.0 3cyl  petrol city car but stills drives in the same manner as the massive 4x4.

Then complains that the new car doesn't work right, is rubbish off road and won't pull a horsebox.

 

 

SWMBO is just like that, doesn't change her driving at all no matter what car she is in so we have to pick cars that suit how she drives.

[Maverick vRS]

My first car was a 899cc Cinquecento. That had 38bhp (raging stallions). It was slow, but had enough to get up any small slope. 

[camelspyyder]

My first car was a 899cc Cinquecento. That had 38bhp (raging stallions). It was slow, but had enough to get up any small slope. 

 

 

LOL!!  Were you in the Inbetweeners? Was it a Hawaii special?

[sigarland1987]

I actually enjoy driving SWMBO's 1.0 Micra, is like a Go Kart.

 

That is pretty good on hills, just have to know when to change gears.

[MickA]

Couldn't help thinking 'The Stig' and all those going before him were just trying to get that poor little car to start on that very steep incline, then turn immediately into an even steeper incline before it had barely got moving. Wheels spinning because the road was wet yes I would guess it would, but they didn't follow it up the hill after 'The Stig' had aborted the left turn and carried on, It seemed to go ok then.

Morale is don't buy a car like this if you have roads where goats fear to go, get something with a bit more poke. If I lived in such an area I wouldn't expecting my little Citigo to be very good at hills, although it has coped well so far where I live, but it isn't like the north face of the Eiger

Edited 14 November, 2014 by MickA

[Ootohere]

The cars are obviously cr4p and people visiting someplace should not need to ask. Where you live is there hills? It is just that I drive a 6 month old Fiat and it does not do hills.! District nurses and care workers be warned. Generations before managed in Morris Minors, Minis. Etc but these days the hills are steeper. The cars are ECO and all drivers are hopeless. but there is less pollution.

Edited 14 November, 2014 by goneoffSKi

[lfc958]

Also the problem is that recommendations are & probably taught that you change up early to save fuel.

 

The gear change indicators seem to be set to annoy you to change up between 2500 - 3000 rpm, but they dont seem to tell you to change down when the engine struggles & is close to stalling.  With all this ' lazy' driving no one is taught any more to listen to the engine.

 

I have tried driving the Yeti to the gear change indicator, and found that if you want to overtake, you have to have a 1-2 mile distance between vehicle in front & the car coming the other way in order to get past.

It makes the car totally gutless & dangerous to try & overtake, without dropping cogs & getting revs up to 4000 - 4500 rpm ( in petrol ) to actually get some power.

 

I am quickly coming to the conclusion that the current reccomended driving methods are actually dangerous, you are always in the highest gear to save fuel, & this does not allow you to access power to overtake, or even get up hills now.

[silver1011]

It's rare for Watchdog to intervene and air an issue live on TV unless there is a real issue.

 

I imagine that there must have been quite a number of complaints for them to look into the concerns of owners.

 

If this was a characteristic of small engined cars I'm sure we'd have seen complaints from owners of cars from other manufacturers?

[silver1011]

For those (like me) that missed it on the television you can view it again on BBC Watchdog's website here...

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02b8935

[Ootohere]

A link to last nights follow up on it would be handy. 13/11/2014

[B33fy]

I wouldn't buy one regardless if its the fault of the driver or car. To have to rag it like that is wrong regardless of the cause. I'd get a 1.nothing fester,.. 3 cylinder turbo 100bhp ish, ragged that rotten and tore it a new harsehole then gave it back, almost had fun doing it if it wasn't for the scratchy plastic interior..

[camelspyyder]

I wouldn't buy one regardless if its the fault of the driver or car. To have to rag it like that is wrong regardless of the cause. I'd get a 1.nothing fester,.. 3 cylinder turbo 100bhp ish, ragged that rotten and tore it a new harsehole then gave it back, almost had fun doing it if it wasn't for the scratchy plastic interior..

 

What mpg did you get beefy?  I think that ecotec fiesta does about half of the eu figure if you cane it.

[silver1011]

What the former STIG thinks...

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02bvl7q

[fabiamk2SE]

Also the problem is that recommendations are & probably taught that you change up early to save fuel.

The gear change indicators seem to be set to annoy you to change up between 2500 - 3000 rpm, but they dont seem to tell you to change down when the engine struggles & is close to stalling. With all this ' lazy' driving no one is taught any more to listen to the engine.

I have tried driving the Yeti to the gear change indicator, and found that if you want to overtake, you have to have a 1-2 mile distance between vehicle in front & the car coming the other way in order to get past.

It makes the car totally gutless & dangerous to try & overtake, without dropping cogs & getting revs up to 4000 - 4500 rpm ( in petrol ) to actually get some power.

I am quickly coming to the conclusion that the current reccomended driving methods are actually dangerous, you are always in the highest gear to save fuel, & this does not allow you to access power to overtake, or even get up hills now.

Although the gear change indicator does come up too early in my fabia, it does kind of work.

It doesnt know you want to overtake though. So you have to use your own noggin for that lol.

Sometimes if i floor it in 4th, itll recommend i change down to third. That isnt economy, thats just for more power, so im not exactly sure where it gets its gear recommendations from tbh.

Youve just got to take it with a pinch of salt. Anybody that actually fails to get up a hill because the car didnt recommend a down change needs to take further driving training IMO haha.

[B33fy]

What mpg did you get beefy?  I think that ecotec fiesta does about half of the eu figure if you cane it.

 

Mid to low 40's.. throttle was a on / off switch..

[vRS Joe]

A friend of mine has one of these. He recently drove my car (modded Fabia with 370lbft Torque at the last check) the 170 miles back from London. He couldn't believe how fast it was, yet he still managed to stall it trying to go up a steep hill at 25mph in 5th.

It's all about being in the right gear!

[blueR36]

What the former STIG thinks...

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02bvl7q

Wow that really is gutless compared to my daughters .Ben did say it is like no previous other hes drove 

[fabiamk2SE]

What the former STIG thinks...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02bvl7q

Hahaha.

Christ.

Well. I guess that means its not the driver then.

Somebody on here should book a test drive and see for themselves

I would. But i dont want all the white van men looking down at me expecting me to be a milf