What do you think of your car??

[terranosaurusdoug]

Well...what do you think of your Terrano/Trol/Maverick or any other vehicle you drive frequently or in frequently?

Rustic set me off on this little tangent when he said recently he drove his Mav for the first time in a few weeks, and that got me wondering what he thinks of it now compared to when he first got it and compared to his other car, a Skoda I believe. I know our trucks are not new anymore but rustics may as well be.
I haven't driven mine in months!!!... and I'm wondering what I will make of it after driving a brand new all singing and dancing van that feels more like a car! Is there anyone else that doesn't use theirs often?, are you pleasantly surprised when you get in it or just surprised?
Those of you that use yours often, do you get tired of driving an older vehicle or revel in it?
When you drive other vehicles do you think they are better or not?, not just thinking about technology either, style and "character" and anything else you can think of.

Cheers, Mark.

 

[jims-terrano]

OK I'll get the ball rolling.

Loved my first Terrano that was recently written off. Towards the end it was rather noisy and rattling but that's often just the dog cage. Went like the clappers to be fair.

Project truck dam great to drive, love the automatic. Still nice and smooth vehicle to drive. Love the look of these trucks too.

Skoda Roomster, great little car and in fairness I can't really fault it at all. BUT! When I had the choice of the project truck or the Skoda, for work the Skoda was easier but for just running around for me or going anywhere I picked up the keys for the project truck.

Can't wait for the finances to come through and get another truck, hope theres a nice 3litre. Even though I'm tempted to keep the project truck for me and let the wife take the replacement Terrano. I'm not 100% sure what's going on with ym job at the moment but who is these days. If it came to it the Skoda would go to pay the mortgage and the Terrano would stay I'm sure.

If I'm lucky I'll find out what the MG is like to drive later this year so who knows my opinion may change.

 

[Banshee]

Nice thread

I personally love driving my truck, I know all of it's characteristics. I've been out of mine for a few weeks now and I know I'm going to love getting back into it.

I'm driving a '61 plate 1.2 Fiesta at the moment and while I can say it was a nice change for the first few days, I'm really not enjoying it now as it's slow as balls and I HATE being so low, weirdly it's just as good as the Terrano on juice just because I have to rag it to get it moving at a good speed :doh

I personally don't mind driving an old truck, I know every damn inch of that truck and if something goes wrong, I'm pretty sure I'm well equipped enough now to either fix it there and then or at least identify the exact cause, for anything else, I have you guys :naughty

 

[Blocky10]

I drive mine regular. I love driving it. I love it being auto. I love the fact although I'm upset when I scratch it I secretly get a semi. I love working on it, not always improving it though. I love the height and soon to be higher. I love this forum and I love you guys and girls (in a brothers and sisters way).
Wifey had a 08 Ford focus 1.6 petrol auto. Now I'm not a Ford fan, never had been, probably cause I've never had a maverick but it's a reasonably sized comfortable car. Like banshee, it's not much better mpg than the turdano but if the purse strings were squeezed enough I'd stand the truck up and use the focus. Can't say I love it though:naughty

 

[rustic]

My truck looks nearly the same as when it came out of the showroom. The pic below was taken on Monday. Yes, she is nearly 22 years old, genuine 98 k miles.
nicknamed "Mav" of course.

I love the driving position, it has a lot of grunt when towing my boat on the trailer, ( nearly 2ton) in fact the drive I did on monday was to return the empty trailer from storage to home, prior to cleaning it up and selling it on.

The trailer is attached to a front tow bar on the Maverick, see other pic, on next post made it easy to push it up the drive, like steering a wheel barrow lol.

Gears slip in and out a treat, gearbox is silent, clutch, which is original is still nice and smooth.

 

[rustic]

Our boat trailer. Attached to front hitch.

 

[macabethiel]

Our 4 x 4 is always first choice when we go out !

My wife and I fell in love with AWD motoring when we bought an old one owner G plated Merceded 300TE (Estate) 4-matic for £900. The car had been owned by a doctor in Scotland and although it had no service history one look under the bonnet told me it had been cared for. All the water hoses were new and the fluids were clean on the dipstick. It had immaculate red velour trim with an orthopedic pneumatic drivers seat that still worked!


001 by Ted Bagshaw, on Flickr

I bought her in 2006 from an "Arthur Daley" used car pitch in Bolton where a salesman had been using it as a daily drive so. it was cheap motoring for 3 years until the self leveling rear suspension failed due to a failed rear suspension unit. After much agonizing decided to get rid and managed to recoup about £400 from the sale of the vehicle and some of its contents such as the Mercedes petrol can that was built into the rear spare wheel holder and a rather splendid German Becker Radio Unit.

Then came the Nissan r3mR with a slight overlap from 2007 until 2013 a proper 4x4 with a great driving position she was without doubt our favorite 4x4. Parted with as the front wings were quite rusty and being an import replacement parts would have cost more than we paid for her.

Our next 4x4 was the Santa Fe 2.7 V6 petrol we gave the Trader our r3mR and £1200 for the deal. Great to drive very car like but pretty thirsty we had her from 2013 until written off in January 2015.

mobile pics 005 by Ted Bagshaw, on Flickr

Now we have the Jeep Grand Cherokee who after an initial iffy start due to its poor rear end ride has won us over. She has now done 25k miles in 2 years and is a keeper until she becomes too costly to repair. We hope to get another 3 years motoring out of her at least.

We use it for pretty much everything I only drive the BMW when the Wife is out in the Jeep and I need to do a couple of days at work. The Sl is for summer use only but as the wife has a bad hip the only car she can get in and out of is the Jeep.
20170323_094842 by Ted Bagshaw, on Flickr

 

[Wheelie]

Hi all
I currently drive a Isuzu DMax for work, a 66 plate, I can honestly say it is by far the worst 4x4 that I have even driven the suspension is woolly, the gearbox is like waving a stick in a bowl of custard, it's poorly equipt, I know it's a base model but it doesn't even have a air temperature display.
I love to drive my patrol even though it's a bit juicy, it's nice and high which helps with my dodgy hips, it's all leather and drives pretty well for a 13 year old motor. My only issue is I don't like the auto box on it, previous to the patrol I had a 1998 Mercedes E55 AMG AUTO. the gear change was seamless and enjoyed driving an auto hence why I got a patrol auto but in hindsight maybe I should have gone for a manual but nevertheless I still would rather drive the trol than the dmax. I will be taking it for a good test in June across the Pyrenees as my Portugal trip has been cancelled.

 

[macabethiel]

Hi all
I currently drive a Isuzu DMax for work, a 66 plate, I can honestly say it is by far the worst 4x4 that I have even driven the suspension is woolly, the gearbox is like waving a stick in a bowl of custard, it's poorly equipt, I know it's a base model but it doesn't even have a air temperature display.
I love to drive my patrol even though it's a bit juicy, it's nice and high which helps with my dodgy hips, it's all leather and drives pretty well for a 13 year old motor. My only issue is I don't like the auto box on it, previous to the patrol I had a 1998 Mercedes E55 AMG AUTO. the gear change was seamless and enjoyed driving an auto hence why I got a patrol auto but in hindsight maybe I should have gone for a manual but nevertheless I still would rather drive the trol than the dmax. I will be taking it for a good test in June across the Pyrenees as my Portugal trip has been cancelled.

Mercedes E55 AMG Auto now there is a car that just wants to be driven it just does not like slow. I preferred that model to the later normally aspirated E63 version that although faster on paper just did not have the urge to go that the E55 engine had. Probably due to the E55 being turbo charged. Luckily for me as I still work on a casual basis for a MB dealer I get to drive virtually every model going. I particularly like the V8 Diesel ML 420 that they used to sell here in the UK for a brief period.

 

[Wheelie]

Mercedes E55 AMG Auto now there is a car that just wants to be driven it just does not like slow. I preferred that model to the later normally aspirated E63 version that although faster on paper just did not have the urge to go that the E55 engine had. Probably due to the E55 being turbo charged. Luckily for me as I still work on a casual basis for a MB dealer I get to drive virtually every model going. I particularly like the V8 Diesel ML 420 that they used to sell here in the UK for a brief period.

Mine was normally aspirated, 5.4 V8 it was awesome but due to being low I struggled to get in and out, I was originally looking for a CL 55 AMG but due to the active suspension cost if it went wrong I was advised by my son who worked for MB to have the E55 W210 as it was as good but more cost friendly to keep and repair. If I'm honest out of all the cars I've owned the one I miss the most was my Dodge Ram pickup 5.7 V8 Hemi, I loved that truck

 

[don simon]

Blimey, over the last couple of years I've had 2x Peugeot 208s, a Honda Jazz, 2x Hyundai i30s, a Ford Kuga, Vauxhall Astra and acurrently an Audi A3.
The A3 is nippy and quite good fun, but not quite as nice to drive as the cars that I'm looking at replacing it with (either a BMW 330e or Alfa Giulia- the 50/50 distribution is wicked). The i30s were quite good fun too.
The rest are quite bland with the eception of the Astra which I thought was downright dangerous and got rid of within a week,
Every time, and I mean everytime I drive the Terrano I grin like an idiot.
Along with a Spitfire I had years ago where 40mph felt like 100mph, the Terrano is probably the best car I've ever driven. The 4x4 is a passion that was born from taking a Range Rover around the Solihull testing ground and was probably the most impressive car that I'd ever seen at the time.
I heart my Terrano.

 

[Jay666d]

Mine was normally aspirated, 5.4 V8 it was awesome but due to being low I struggled to get in and out, I was originally looking for a CL 55 AMG but due to the active suspension cost if it went wrong I was advised by my son who worked for MB to have the E55 W210 as it was as good but more cost friendly to keep and repair. If I'm honest out of all the cars I've owned the one I miss the most was my Dodge Ram pickup 5.7 V8 Hemi, I loved that truck

You've had some trucks! :clap

I'd love to own some American metal! :naughty

I'm sorry to hear about your Portugal trip....

I hear what your saying about the Auto box in the Trol, but I still love driving her. Mine being the way it looks gets a lot of attention. People slow down to look at it as they pass. (Rarely good looking girls tho... :doh)

 

[Banshee]

People slow down to look at it as they pass. (Rarely good looking girls tho... :doh)

It's because they are all money grabbing cowbags and they know that you've spent all your money on the truck so there's none for them to siphon off so they pass on by :doh

 

[Lazy-Ferret]

Currently our other car is another T2...

I prefer driving my 1999 one, even with the lifts it corners at speed far better than Suz's 2001 model. Mine also seems less skittish if I hit a bump or hole going round a corner. Hers is quicker on pull away, and feels quite nippy in the town, where as mine is more steady. Mine is also happier to sit at 70Mph on the motorway and if you don't watch her, will happily creep up to 80, where as Suz's needs to be held at 60 and pushed to 70.

While mine has done 50% more miles, it is a lot quieter than Suz's, I guess that is where Nissan penny pinched and stopped fitting a lot of the sound deadening panels, like under the bonnet, and I definitely prefer my dashboard layout, the slider heater controls are so much easier to move, and it only takes a quick glance to work out what the setting are, than the rotary ones on Suz's car. Why they swapped the Tacho and Speedo positions over is beyond me, and that awful pretend wood is an abomination.

If I ever think my car is getting tired, I like to drive someone else's car for a while, as I always get back into my car and find I suddenly appreciate it a lot more... the Bumps and Bangs I thought were my car, turn out to actually be a lot less than the car I was just driving, and it turns out it really is just the quality of the roads getting worse, and not my car.

Over my life I have had the privilege to drive a lot of cars from low end Minis up to some pretty prestigious Directors luxury cars, and while many were great fun to belt around in for a weekend, I have yet to find any other car I would want to own long term to my T2, other than maybe another one of my 2002 Volvo V70 automatics, which was approaching being the perfect car for me. You could drive from my house in Sevenoaks, up to Manchester, without stopping, and still climb out without any cracks of joints, or aching limbs. For comfort, it really was up there with the best. It had all the creature comforts factory fitted as standard, with cruise control, climate control, and even the standard sound system was fantastic, with a big base speaker in the centre of the dash. I know a few ICE fanatics that could not believe just how good the standard system was. It towed the caravan like a dream, and had way more space than the T2. The only things that stop me getting another, is I like the high up driving positions of the T2, and the 4wd, plus after 2002, once Ford took over Volvo they gradually ruied it more and more, and you could see the quality falling away big time. Newer Volvo's are no better then buying a dreaded "Fix Or Repair Daily" piece of junk with all of the reliability issues, where as Nissan do seem to produce nice reliable cars still.

 

[Mav96]

Im really happy with my Maverick :clap(part from the fuel economy) which is the same as my last motor a Bongo auto high roof also great to drive, although im a little on the short side being only 5`4 I dont like small cars never felt comfortable in them, my mav only had 1 previous owner, it has quite a few dents especially on the roof but after all the work I have done on it thanks mostly to this great forum its in pretty good condition for a 20 year old motor, has all 7 seats which sometimes gets used, and I even got an american style samsung fridge freezer in the back :thumbs so a very useful truck & of course it should virtually go anywhere.

 

[macabethiel]

Ford V8's

Mine was normally aspirated, 5.4 V8 it was awesome but due to being low I struggled to get in and out, I was originally looking for a CL 55 AMG but due to the active suspension cost if it went wrong I was advised by my son who worked for MB to have the E55 W210 as it was as good but more cost friendly to keep and repair. If I'm honest out of all the cars I've owned the one I miss the most was my Dodge Ram pickup 5.7 V8 Hemi, I loved that truck

Back in the 1970's my boss at Burton on Trent had an Australian Ford Fairlane pick up a V8 5 litre or thereabouts. He used to move bales of hay for his horses with it! It was a bit back end happy but boy did it go and it was RHD ! It replaced his LHD Ford Gran Torino complete with the sidewinder stripe as in Starsky & Hutch. I often collected the Rice Twin Horse Box with the Torino from Chasewater Trotting Stadium to take his Pacers back home near Burton on Trent. The Torino was not particularly fast at the top end but back in the day at 1.00 am you could cruise along the A38 in the Torino pulling the loaded horse box at a cool 90 mph with no tail wag or effort just gently deceleration as you approached the roundabouts out of consideration for the horses. Happy days !

 

[macabethiel]

W210 & w211

Mine was normally aspirated, 5.4 V8 it was awesome but due to being low I struggled to get in and out, I was originally looking for a CL 55 AMG but due to the active suspension cost if it went wrong I was advised by my son who worked for MB to have the E55 W210 as it was as good but more cost friendly to keep and repair. If I'm honest out of all the cars I've owned the one I miss the most was my Dodge Ram pickup 5.7 V8 Hemi, I loved that truck

I think it was the W211 version that had the E55 turbo engine. I agree with your views on air suspension - very expensive to fix !

 

[perelaar]

Love driving my T2, although she is starting to show her age (1997, about to reach 200K miles). Performance and brakes are rubbish, no comfort at all, but then I'm spoiled with the daily driver.
That is a Seat Leon ST FR, with the 2.0 TDI. Sports suspension, nice wheels, fully equipped incl leather and satnav.

Next cars would probably be a Suzuki Jimny petrol to replace the T2 (within a few years I will not be able to drive a diesel to work anymore I think...) and the new 4wheel drive Seat Leon ST Cupra with 300bhp

 

[macabethiel]

Love driving my T2, although she is starting to show her age (1997, about to reach 200K miles). Performance and brakes are rubbish, no comfort at all, but then I'm spoiled with the daily driver.
That is a Seat Leon ST FR, with the 2.0 TDI. Sports suspension, nice wheels, fully equipped incl leather and satnav.

Next cars would probably be a Suzuki Jimny petrol to replace the T2 (within a few years I will not be able to drive a diesel to work anymore I think...) and the new 4wheel drive Seat Leon ST Cupra with 300bhp

You are probably right about diesel cars being unwanted in the future. In the long term I fancy a Mercedes Ml or GLE as they now badge them.

I like the ML 500 & the ML 350 petrol and its not much thirstier than the diesel version in real world motoring. With a bit of luck by the time the Jeep comes up for replacement they might be building some nice 2 litre petrol engines in 4x4's with turbos or Kompressors etc

 

[Jay666d]

It's because they are all money grabbing cowbags and they know that you've spent all your money on the truck so there's none for them to siphon off so they pass on by :doh

Sounds about right! :lol