Motoring Discussion > Did your car surprise and delight?	Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Iffy	Replies: 125

New Fri 30 Apr 10 16:06   Did your car surprise and delight? - Iffy

This thread is inspired by forum member Espada who made a remark about 'surprise and delight' features on his S-Max. He mentioned the spot lights, one of which turns on when you turn in that direction in the dark. The marketing men call it 'surprise and delight' - a feature which is not writ large in the brochure, but one which the owner will appreciate. In my case, I like the way the CC3 automatically turns on the heated screens when it's cold. And I also like the decent map reading lights, even though I've only used one, once or twice in 12 months. So what tasty gadgets, gimmicks or gizmos does your car have? Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 30 Apr 10 16:25   Did your car surprise and delight? - Badwolf

My Megane has an auto-dimming rear view mirror that I didn't know about until I drove it in the dark. Very useful. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 30 Apr 10 16:31   Did your car surprise and delight? - diddy1234

The Rio has mp3 support. I know nothing ground breaking but with my previous car I had to use a cassette adapter to listen to mp3's and it was useless. I put up with it for seven years ! The Rio also has auto off everything (lights etc) the moment the drivers door is opened without the ignition keys present. quite handy. Ability to turn off passengers air bag (if no one is present), is quite nice. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 30 Apr 10 16:31   Did your car surprise and delight? - WillDeBeest

I like the way my Volvo puts on the interior lights when I take out the key. And that the main lights go off with the ignition - although that wasn't a surprise since my Saabs did the same thing. It's what all cars should do. And Volvo's self-positioning upper mounts for the seat belts are a masterstroke of functional elegance. I've had the car seven years, so it holds few surprises these days, but I'm still delighted with it. Our Toyota Verso, on the other hand, feels as if nothing will ever fall off it, but is full of ergonomic features that might have been designed by a blind baboon on a bad day. It all works, but it's a chore rather than a pleasure to travel in. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 30 Apr 10 16:45   Did your car surprise and delight? - Zero

Nothing on any car I have had in the past 10 years has suprised or delighted me. Mostly because I have known exactly what they come with before they arrive. I was suprised and dispointed by a Kia Ceed I had on hire. Everyone had said what a good car it was, and it turned out to be less than that. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 30 Apr 10 16:55   Did your car surprise and delight? - Redviper

My Vectra C has loads of “surprise and delight” - Auto Dimming Rear view mirror and Drivers door mirror (much to the dismay of SWMBO’s C4 who’s is only the rear view mirror. - Number plate lights illuminate when you unlock the car so you don’t step in puddles - Information display tells you if its icy/ key fob battery is flat/ low on screen wash / range left in fuel amongst a whole range of other things - The display tells you when and which bulb is about to stop working and then when it has actually failed (very clever) - if one of the brake lights failes, the rear tail lights take over the job. - Dash all illuminates when you open the doors. - Drivers door unlocks only on the 1st click whole car for the second on the fob - windows auto close when it starts raining and the ignition is off - opening and closing of the windows using the key fob. - passenger door mirror operates in opposite unison to the drivers door mirror so you don’t have to adjust both of them separately. -DAB Radio and FM -Interior lights come on when the ignition key comes out, and if you leave your headlamps on (not in auto mode) it switches them onto dip to prevent battery drainage – ignore this and then it flashes the light symbol on the dash and “bongs” at you, It also “bongs” at you when you leave the keys in and open the doors -I don’t care what people say about the Vectra it looks great rides, well and I love it all of the above adds to the experience. Last edited by: Redviper on Fri 30 Apr 10 at 16:57 Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 30 Apr 10 17:15   Did your car surprise and delight? - Zero

>> - Number plate lights illuminate when you unlock the car so you don’t step in >> puddles you have to enter via the boot? dont the doors work? >> - Drivers door unlocks only on the 1st click whole car for the second on >> the fob this is a PITA feature. >> - windows auto close when it starts raining and the ignition is off Some of them had another feature, the windows open whens it started raining. >> It also “bongs” at you when you leave the keys in and open the doors this is a " i want to kick you in the radiator you annoying bleeping thing" feature Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 30 Apr 10 17:19   Did your car surprise and delight? - Redviper

>> you have to enter via the boot? dont the doors work? No Never had a issue, with the doors >> >> this is a PITA feature. it can be switched off if needed, and 99% of the time im in the car by myself, with the thieving people that live near me im quite glad of having the doors locked thankyou >> >> >> Some of them had another feature the windows open whens it started raining. Never had a issue, and if i do then i will disable the sensor - no big thing really >> >> this is a " i want to kick you in the radiator you annoying bleeping >> thing" feature > i take the keys out before i open the doors anyway so rarely hear it, and i like the fact that my car takes a interest in my general slopyness by leaving the keys in the ignition. Last edited by: Redviper on Fri 30 Apr 10 at 17:21 Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 30 Apr 10 16:51   Did your car surprise and delight? - idle_chatterer

The automatic activation of the heated screens has less to do with convenience (although that's a nice corollary) and more to do with engine warm-up on many modern diesels, I'll bet petrol CCs don't have this feature. the idea being to increase engine load and so aid warm-up of your thermally-efficient engine which otherwise might take quite a while. SWMBO's previous Civic CTDi had the same feature - activating the heated screen and mirrors below 4DegC IIRC, as (I understand) do Diesel Mondeos. My 330d has some other kind of independent heater which burns diesel (I think) so delivers warm air to the vents very quickly. Sorry if this spoils your surprise and delight..... Last edited by: idle_chatterer on Fri 30 Apr 10 at 16:51 Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 30 Apr 10 17:17   Did your car surprise and delight? - Zero

>> My 330d has some other kind of independent heater which burns diesel (I think) so >> delivers warm air to the vents very quickly. Yes my touran had that. An aux heater that worked at under 5c to warm the car up quicker It gave out a suprising and delightful cloud of white noxious fumes from under the drivers door, suprising and delighting pedestrians who thought it was on fire. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 30 Apr 10 18:04   Did your car surprise and delight? - Crankcase

The delight on an Aygo is that a little overhead light in the middle comes on when you open the driver's door. The surprise is that when you open the passenger's door, it doesn't. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 30 Apr 10 18:14   Did your car surprise and delight? - Iffy

Zero, Stop acting now - you've passed the audition. You are the official forum curmudgeon. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 30 Apr 10 18:19   Did your car surprise and delight? - Zero

>> Zero >> >> Stop acting now - you've passed the audition. >> >> You are the official forum curmudgeon. You are joking? I am merely scratching the surface of my curmudgeonly skills! Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 30 Apr 10 18:22   Did your car surprise and delight? - Iffy

...You are joking? I am merely scratching the surface of my curmudgeonly skills!... I believe you, but please don't dig too deep. It's the start of a Bank Holiday weekend - means something to us artisans - and the sun is shining on my caravan in leafy North Yorkshire. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 30 Apr 10 18:28   Did your car surprise and delight? - Zero

>> and the sun is shining Its temporary. The forecast is carp for the weekend in leafy North Yorkshire. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 30 Apr 10 18:44   Did your car surprise and delight? - Iffy

...Its temporary. The forecast is carp for the weekend in leafy North Yorkshire... Thank you. Glad to see you are keeping in character. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 30 Apr 10 18:17   Did your car surprise and delight? - mikeyb

Quite a few nice little features I have discovered on my C5 main ones being:- The climate control can blow out warm air within a few hundred yards of setting off - being diesel I assume it has some aux heater to achieve this. Puddle lights under the doors - when you open the doors a light shines down onto the floor to light the ground as you exit Interior lights come on when you pull the key out of the ignition. If the rain fall is sufficent for the auto wipers to run at constant (rather than intermitent) speed then the headlights are turned on If you leave the lights on (rather than in auto) and forget they are turned off when you exit the car (as I found last week when I couldnt remember if I had turned them off) Cornering lights that shine as you turn left or right - I thought it a little gimiky, but they really make a difference button on the key fob that allows me to turn the headlights on and off - useful in dark carparks The graphic display in the middle of the speedo that states "risk of ice" when the temperaturs drops to about 2 degrees - not a new idea, but the picture of a road with wheels on it is nice The false floor / storage area in the boot thats big enough to hold a couple of shopping bags so that they are secure and not left lose. Mirrors that fold in / out when you lock / unlock - the C5 is a pretty large car so it makes it easier to get past in tight parking spaces Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 30 Apr 10 18:44   Did your car surprise and delight? - Fenlander

mikey has beaten me to it with the New C5. I'd echo everything he says really. The ECU auto control of headlights, interior lights (like the puddle & footwell lights too) and wipers is seamless and impressive. Also there are some orange/red LEDs (I think) in the headlining just above the gear lever position... these give a faint but comforting glow to light coloured objects and the whole console area... hard to explain but the effect is good. In the Tourer there is a rechargeable torch in the estate compartment that clips into place acting as a second boot light but with a proper torch beam when you take it out of the car. Like the option to have a large characters digital display of speed inside the regular dial speedo.... I find it is easier to keep to speed in town with this. But for me the most impressive thing is the integrated Nav/Music/Phone system. I really like the nav system having traffic warning info added to the menu and mapping so you can call it up and see all the major holdups within the radius you select way before they appear on the map. Integrated Bluetooth works well with my phone too. Turns out the music system has a sub somewhere in the dash and on the kids dance type music bass sounds like a sledge hammer on the floor. Yep lots of delights. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 30 Apr 10 18:49   Did your car surprise and delight? - Iffy

Reading Mikey and Fenlander's posts, I think Citroen is currently leading the field in the Surprise and Delight Stakes. Speaking of lights in the headlining, my CC3 has a soft blue lamp in the interior light binnacle. I'm not sure what it does - other than give off a barely visible glow in the dark. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 30 Apr 10 19:41   Did your car surprise and delight? - Dog

I'm surprised that I still like my Metallic Black Nissan Almera 1.8SE auto after 3 years of ownership. I'm delighted that I can nudge 45 MPG (when I try) from a decent (for these days) sized petrol engine. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 30 Apr 10 19:49   Did your car surprise and delight? - Badwolf

I have to say that, if I could afford a new car, it would definitely be a C5. I just love the look of them and, in dark metallic blue they look really quite menacing. Reading some of the posts, it's amazing how far we have come. I can clearly recall being thoroughly amazed (surprised and delighted, even) at the electric aerial on my Dad's 1984 Vauxhall Cavalier - and it was only an 'L'! I used to demostrate it to my friends. Some of them even had the good grace to look impressed... Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 30 Apr 10 19:57   Did your car surprise and delight? - Fenlander

>>>in dark metallic blue they look really quite menacing From stock I had the choice of met dark grey (almost black) or a mid grey met. We toyed with the idea of waiting for a dark blue met one because they do look very nice. There's a dark met red one in the local dealers and that looks very good too with its Exclusive trim leather interior. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 30 Apr 10 20:38   Did your car surprise and delight? - DP

Our old Grand Scenic had some lovely touches: Useable stowage space under the floor and the seats. Keyless entry/locking/start. Worked flawlessly, and makes faffing around with keys seem so last century, darling. Would also close all the windows and sunroof automatically if you pressed the little button on the exterior door handle twice. Automatic parking brake which, despite the bad press, did 100% perfect hill starts every time, and worked a treat. Rear seats that could be independently moved fore and aft to vary the rear legroom to boot capacity ratio, or independently tumbled, or removed altogether. Pop up third row rear seats with proper three point belts, and which folded unobtrusively into the floor. They'd even designed the boot carpet so you could pop the seats up without removing it. Integral rear sunblinds and picnic tables for the kids. Full length glass panoramic roof made the interior so much lighter and airier. Background noise compensation on the stereo, and the most logical fingertip steering column controls I've ever come across. Automatic folding mirrors that could be enabled / disabled by simply rotating the mirror adjustment joystick to a certain position. Suspension that could actually suppress bumps - German manufacturers take note. Automatic dipstick reading on the computer panel at every startup. And loads more. It surprised and delighted, until it started springing four figure bills past 60k. As a family car though, it was just brilliant. So well thought out, and so painless to live with. If it had stayed reliable, we'd still have it now. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 1 May 10 21:34   Did your car surprise and delight? - mikeyb

>> >>>in dark metallic blue they look really quite menacing >> >> From stock I had the choice of met dark grey (almost black) or a mid >> grey met. We toyed with the idea of waiting for a dark blue met one >> because they do look very nice. There's a dark met red one in the local >> dealers and that looks very good too with its Exclusive trim leather interior. >> I wanted the bluetooth and parking sensors, so as it was a factory build anyway I could have any colour. I opted for Thorium grey - thats the lighter grey. Just as well really as my neighbour a few doors down the road has the dark grey - when we moved in a neighbour had an almost identical A4 Cabriolet to mine and my other half was always waving at him mistaking us for each other! Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 30 Apr 10 21:38   Did your car surprise and delight? - Avant

Just a little thing, but it qualifies here. As far as I know only Skoda provide a little clip at the base of the windscreen on the driver's side for car park tickets. So many nowadays aren't sticky, and can blow away from the top of the dashboard when you shut the door....and the little peaked-cap prune comes and slaps a penalty notice on the car. Last edited by: Avant on Fri 30 Apr 10 at 21:38 Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 30 Apr 10 21:40   Did your car surprise and delight? - Zero

>> Just a little thing but it qualifies here. As far as I know only Skoda >> provide a little clip at the base of the windscreen on the driver's side for >> car park tickets. And SAAB Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 1 May 10 12:51   Did your car surprise and delight? - Bazzabear

And my parents 1990 Volvo 740. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 5 May 10 16:37   Did your car surprise and delight? - Bromptonaut

>> >> provide a little clip at the base of the windscreen on the driver's side >> for >> >> car park tickets. >> >> And SAAB And Citroen (at least in the Xantia) Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 30 Apr 10 21:41   Did your car surprise and delight? - Badwolf

>> Just a little thing but it qualifies here. As far as I know only Skoda >> provide a little clip at the base of the windscreen on the driver's side for >> car park tickets. >> >> So many nowadays aren't sticky and can blow away from the top of the dashboard >> when you shut the door....and the little peaked-cap prune comes and slaps a penalty notice >> on the car. That's why, not having a Skoda, I keep a clothes peg in the car. No little 'Itler is going to get money out of me that cheaply... Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 30 Apr 10 21:42   Did your car surprise and delight? - Iffy

..Just a little thing, but it qualifies here... It certainly does, and if there was an aftermarket one, I'd stick it on the CC3. I keep a bit of Blu-tack in the door shut for this purpose. How sad is that? Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 30 Apr 10 21:44   Did your car surprise and delight? - Zero

I lay it face up on the dash, who needs a clip? Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 30 Apr 10 21:51   Did your car surprise and delight? - Skoda

But it's on the wrong side avant :-( the trim unclips though and can be switched over Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 30 Apr 10 22:13   Did your car surprise and delight? - Lygonos

Subaru Forester - hill-hold clutch - holds the brakes while you keep the clutch depressed if car is pointing more than a few degrees uphill - no need for using the handbrake/smoking the clutch when waiting to pull out of a junction or in a line of traffic crawling up to a T-junction. - none of yer VAG electrickery push-button handbrake nonsense. Mechanically it is a ball bearing in a tube of brake fluid that can be adjusted with a screw if the bite point on the clutch changes with wear. Simples. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 30 Apr 10 22:16   Did your car surprise and delight? - DP

Hi Avant, Volvo have them too, or at least the S60 does. I agree it's a brilliant idea. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 1 May 10 10:05   Did your car surprise and delight? - Mike Hannon

>>>> My 330d has some other kind of independent heater which burns diesel (I think) so >> delivers warm air to the vents very quickly.<< My uncle's Volkswagen 411 had one of those in 1970. It even had a programmer to warm the car on cold mornings. My old Jaguar has lights that illuminate the ground when the doors are opened. The 1989 Skoda Favorit had a boot light that doubled as a torch. If I want to be 'surprised and delighted' I'd think it was pretty sad if I had to rely on my car for fulfilment. I'd take the bus to see what happened to me. I think these gizmos should be re-dubbed 'surprise and delight for the duration of the first three-year lease contract', then 'surprise and delight if they go on working' after that. Signed: the former forum curmudgeon. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 1 May 10 10:15   Did your car surprise and delight? - Iffy

...Signed: the former forum curmudgeon... Making a bid for re-election by the sound of it. And I thought we'd left the 'manual windows is best and what do you want power steering for' brigade behind at the other place. :) Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 1 May 10 10:25   Did your car surprise and delight? - R.P.

Not my car but the Mustang we hired.... The words Mustang were written on the sill kick plates - they lit up at night, the instrument lights changed from white with the lights off to blue with the lights on, the stereo switched off when you opened the door, nice little touches on as cheapish car....ohh forgot one - the Mustang has a retro three red lens cluster at the rear (as near the original as I remember on the Matchbox Mustang I had as a kid) when you indicated they all three lit up sequentially when you operated them - very noticeable and smart that. PS Unbelievable You Tube has a clip ! www.youtube.com/watch?v=wglfICsfcdU&feature=related Last edited by: Pugugly on Sat 1 May 10 at 10:27 Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 1 May 10 10:32   Did your car surprise and delight? - Iffy

Excellent, proper, absolutely pointless, toys. And it's a Ford and I bet they do a convertible. I want one. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 1 May 10 10:56   Did your car surprise and delight? - R.P.

It was a convertible - electric roof - not as efficient as Mazda's manual roof but hey it was cool enough for me. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 1 May 10 11:03   Did your car surprise and delight? - Runfer D'Hills

>> I want one. Oooh yes please me too......V8, slushbox, Pacific Coast Highway, Pink Floyd, flask of strong Italian black coffee, carton of Marlboro reds........sigh..... What's the reality ? Four pot diesels, Shavington By-Pass in the hissing rain, a flask of Nescafe and Chris blinkin' Evans.........sigh Last edited by: Humph D'bout on Sat 1 May 10 at 11:03 Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 1 May 10 10:44   Did your car surprise and delight? - -

>> And I thought we'd left the 'manual windows is best and what do you want >> power steering for' brigade behind at the other place. :) Not a chance some of us sensible ones came over, though power steering is a must these days...have you seen just how awful some peoples manoeuvering is..if they had non power steering we'd be waiting all day for them to perform the 13 point reverse OUT of a parking bay. The pick up continues to satisfy as against delight, just does everything that's asked of it without drama but simply. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 1 May 10 12:22   Did your car surprise and delight? - Old Navy

>> OUT of a parking bay. >> I take it the pickup is easy to load having reversed into a tight parking bay. :-) Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 1 May 10 13:16   Did your car surprise and delight? - Bagpuss

On my BMW, when you press the remote key button to open the doors, various jewel like LEDs in the Day Running Lights, under the mirrors and in the indicators and rear light clusters light up gradually. They also switch off gradually when you lock the doors. The resulting light show is subtle but effective in impressing big kids like me, and truly surprise and delight in that I only discovered it when I picked up the car, I found it so intriguing I tried it several times, and it fulfills no useful purpose whatsoever. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 1 May 10 15:00   Did your car surprise and delight? - -

>> I take it the pickup is easy to load having reversed into a tight parking >> bay. :-) Funnily enough no one parks close enough to cause a problem, though as the rear seat squab lifts up and clips to the back window it leaves a very handy huge loading space just right for piling grocery shopping in through the back doors...dead things likely to bleed get chucked in the tub though..;) swmbo has a full width steel rail across the same section at roof height to use as clothes hanging rail too for her differing interests. Handy old things pick ups, to be fair it's too long for most back to back parking bays as are most large cars. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sat 1 May 10 18:56   Did your car surprise and delight? - WobblyDog

Over 10 years ago now but: Surprise that my company leased Laguna was still going after 3 years Delight when the leasing company came to take it back. With most recent cars it has been more a case of Expected Disappointment... Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 2 May 10 07:32   Did your car surprise and delight? - L'escargot

My 2 litre petrol Focus Ghia didn't surprise me because it was the same (but updated) model as my previous car. But it delighted me as much as (in fact more than) my previous car. Last edited by: L'escargot on Sun 2 May 10 at 07:34 Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 2 May 10 08:05   Did your car surprise and delight? - Zhukov

Another C5 delight type thing is the ability to switch off the less important dash lights at night. I know that Saab cars have this feature too but it does come in handy although given he C5's driving set up, it is rather hard to imagine that you are in a Eurofighter.......more like a Hercules. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 2 May 10 08:42   Did your car surprise and delight? - Zero

>> Another C5 delight type thing is the ability to switch off the less important dash >> lights at night. >> >> I know that Saab cars have this feature too but it does come in handy >> although given he C5's driving set up it is rather hard to imagine that you >> are in a Eurofighter.......more like a Hercules. this has always struck me as a pointless and useless feature, its neverthat dark that you get blinded by dash lights. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 2 May 10 09:50   Did your car surprise and delight? - Fenlander

>>>Another C5 delight type thing is the ability to switch off the less important dash lights at night. I tried this feature once on mine and thought how daft... it turns off the nav screen and lighting so you can't see the temp or fuel gauges! Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 2 May 10 11:01   Did your car surprise and delight? - R.P.

this has always struck me as a pointless and useless feature, its neverthat dark that you get blinded by dash lights Handy for nightime tactical landings at Waitrose though. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 2 May 10 11:07   Did your car surprise and delight? - Runfer D'Hills

I like my dash lights on bright. How else am I going to find my fags, coffee, phone etc when it's dark ? Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 2 May 10 11:12   Did your car surprise and delight? - R.P.

Thought of using a Headtorch Humph ? Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 2 May 10 11:23   Did your car surprise and delight? - Runfer D'Hills

Not a bad suggestion PU. I've always thought of buying one when in Aldi. They look sort of useful. Trouble is, whenever I've seen anyone wearing one I get this primeval desire to slap them. Not sure why. Bit like leather cowboy hats. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 2 May 10 11:45   Did your car surprise and delight? - Fenlander

>>>Bit like leather cowboy hats Straw ones are OK though... aren't they? Don't say that's another thing I've got to chuck. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 2 May 10 11:48   Did your car surprise and delight? - Runfer D'Hills

No, they are fine. :-) Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 2 May 10 11:51   Did your car surprise and delight? - DP

The dash lighting is one of the mk4 Golf's most striking features. Dig that blue glow, man. I keep it as bright as possible :-) Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 2 May 10 12:28   Did your car surprise and delight? - Iffy

The odo/trip/temp display on the CC3 is not wired through the dash dimmer and can be a bit bright. I'm off to start another thread.... Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 2 May 10 14:10   Did your car surprise and delight? - Dr_Rubber

Everytime I need to fit in lots of stuff (the rear seats in the C4 GP are much easier to deal with than the touran) The fixed steering wheel controls The fast heating in cold conditions without the "Cloud Touran" effect mentioned by zero. Joe Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 2 May 10 14:37   Did your car surprise and delight? - BiggerBadderDave

"Bit like leather cowboy hats." I've got a leather cowboy hat. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 2 May 10 14:43   Did your car surprise and delight? - Runfer D'Hills

Probably a fashion statement in Poland is it? Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 2 May 10 17:25   Did your car surprise and delight? - Iffy

Probably passes as a gazebo in Poland. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 2 May 10 18:18   Did your car surprise and delight? - Zero

I have a leather aussie bush hat, so thats ok. Not like Bad Taste Dave's hat at all, no sir. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 2 May 10 18:24   Did your car surprise and delight? - R.P.

With the corks ? Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 3 May 10 07:51   Did your car surprise and delight? - L'escargot

>> I have a leather aussie bush hat .......... Cool. I'm thinking about getting one myself. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 3 May 10 08:36   Did your car surprise and delight? - Zhukov

re C5 Dash light thing. "this has always struck me as a pointless and useless feature, its neverthat dark that you get blinded by dash lights." It depends how much time you spend behind the wheel at night in larger rural areas. I drive the A9 from Perth to Inverness regularly and it is maybe just in my mind but the lack of dash ights helps your vision and makes it easier to see to overtake in the dark. There is also the Homer Simpson type of surprise and delight where "lights go on ...... lights go off ...... lights go on ........" As for the sat nav not dimming very well, I do not suffer from that as whilst Citroen very kindly supplied the manual for it they did not see fit to put it in the car :o( Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 3 May 10 09:07   Did your car surprise and delight? - Fenlander

>>>Homer Simpson type of surprise and delight where "lights go on ...... lights go off ...... lights go on ........" I think that was the whole reason they put the feature on :-) Re the nav screen on the C5... this can be dimmed in the menu but at night you can select the *night vision* mode which comes into play with the headlamps and changes the screen colours to a black background with greys and muted reds so it is 100% dazzle free. Compare that with the Tom Tom folks I pass with the sat nav screen glowing brightly in their faces at night on the top of the dash. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 3 May 10 09:08   Did your car surprise and delight? - R.P.

My old TT700 dims after dark (bit like its owner) Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 3 May 10 10:53   Did your car surprise and delight? - Zero

>changes the screen colours to a black background with greys and muted reds so it is 100% dazzle free. thats exactly what my TT720 does. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 4 May 10 12:35   Did your car surprise and delight? - Fenlander

>>>>changes the screen colours to a black background with greys and muted reds so it is 100% dazzle free. thats exactly what my TT720 does. Ahh I wasn't sure... seem logical but on every night motorway journey I'm amazed how far back you can see folks satnavs glowing at them like a TV seemingly the same colour/brilliance as in the day. BTW by Tomtom I just meant satnav. Last edited by: Fenlander on Tue 4 May 10 at 12:36 Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 4 May 10 19:10   Did your car surprise and delight? - ....

>> re C5 Dash light thing. >> >> "this has always struck me as a pointless and useless feature its neverthat dark that >> you get blinded by dash lights." >> It's handy to be able to switch off the climate control panels at the end of the dash in the C4. They reflect in the door windows and appear as though they are in the door mirrors. Very distracting when trying to judge something approaching from behind at three figures. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 5 May 10 16:41   Did your car surprise and delight? - Bromptonaut

>> this has always struck me as a pointless and useless feature its neverthat dark that >> you get blinded by dash lights. They used to caal it the dark cockpit; if anything lit up it signified a problem. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 3 May 10 16:44   Did your car surprise and delight? - Oldgit

My nine month old Golf MK6 does delight in many respects but the old spectre of squeaks and rattles are only just below the surface (literally, sometimes). It is a pity that such a nice car and a second iteration of the Golf MK5 can still have its problems with qualtiy control but perhaps I have been naive in thinking that VW was a quality car rather than just another mass-produced German car. It is even worse, now that my car would cost practically £20 grand to buy now but so would a half decent Ford Focus. I think my next car, if there is one, will be sourced from Korea thus reducing my expectations of ownership. Hopefully, for less money, I'll get a car which will surprise me! Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 4 May 10 11:55   Did your car surprise and delight? - Mike Hannon

I take it all back. I went out this morning in the Prelude with the lights on because of the filthy weather - snow forecast! - and when I opened the ashtray to dump a bit of rubbish I discovered there's a light in it! Now I know what 'surprised and delighted' means. Only thing is, who needs a light in the ashtray? Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 4 May 10 12:19   Did your car surprise and delight? - crocks

But surely a light and an ashtray have always gone together? Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 4 May 10 18:55   Did your car surprise and delight? - Londoner

My car held no pleasant surprises for me, but what does give me great pleasure about it is the fact that the cabin feels light and airy with its pale grey and silver trim. I hate those cars that look like they have been designed for Hotblack Desiato - black everywhere! Last edited by: Londoner on Tue 4 May 10 at 18:55 Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 4 May 10 22:25   Did your car surprise and delight? - Oldgit

>> My car held no pleasant surprises for me but what does give me great pleasure >> about it is the fact that the cabin feels light and airy with its pale >> grey and silver trim. I hate those cars that look like they have been designed >> for Hotblack Desiato - black everywhere! >> That's my main gripe with modern cars. So many have funereal interiors with black everywhere and show every hair and dandruff! My car's interior colour was described as 'Titan Black' which, thankfully, it's not but is rather a classy Charcoal Grey and so I don't know why it has that description in the car's brochure (VW Golf MK6). Had it been black then I wouldn't be the owner of such a car,now. Last edited by: Oldgit on Tue 4 May 10 at 22:28 Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 5 May 10 16:17   Did your car surprise and delight? - Boxsterboy

The Bluetooth on my E-class is so quick that if I'm walking towards the car whilst on the phone, and unlock the car, it immediately transfers the call to the in-car set-up. When this first happened it surprised me, but didn't delight my caller. No other surprise or delights, because like Zero I read the brochure before buying the car! Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 5 May 10 17:26   Did your car surprise and delight? - Herr Sandwichmann

I thought that I was going to hate the parking sensors on my car, but they are very useful indeed, particularly in the dark. After a 60hp petrol engine, a diesel with over twice that power and many times the torque really is a delight, especially when it comes to overtaking... Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 15:44   Did your car surprise and delight? - Mike Hannon

I posted further up this thread about finding a light in the ashtray of the Prelude. The voyage of discovery continues. For the past five and a half years and 65,000 miles I've been wondering why a car that was supposed to be 'top of the range' doesn't have heated mirrors, even though they adjust by the wonder of electrickery. Yesterday morning we had to go out at an unearthly hour because French hospitals start work before dawn, and I noticed that the mirrors had misted over as I drove through a dip. I suddenly thought 'I wonder if the back window demister works on them as well?' I pressed the switch and 'eh voila!' - working heated mirrors. I was surprised and delighted... Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 15:46   Did your car surprise and delight? - Zero

Wow, feature that's been wasted for 65k miles..... Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 15:49   Did your car surprise and delight? - Mike Hannon

;-) Well, I always wound the windows down (by electricity) and wiped 'em off - but, hey, I'm getting older... And I thought I had RTFM. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 16:26   Did your car surprise and delight? - BiggerBadderDave

The Lexus continues to surprise and delight after three months I discovered two new features this week. The power button (how did I not notice it?). That was a delight. And if I'm carrying the master key, the doors will lock and unlock by just touching the handle. That was a surprise. I also found out after finally RTF 510-page M, that what I thought was a fixable glitch in the cruise control was actually programmed in; i.e. if you deviate above or below the pre-set speed by more than 10 mph the cruise cancels itself. What a thoroughly pointless, irritating and annoying feature and one that I've never encountered on any other auto I've ever driven. Surprised and delighted. Not. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 16:31   Did your car surprise and delight? - Crankcase

Which model of Lexus is that, remind me? None of mine ever did that. It sounds like a right pain, I agree. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 16:36   Did your car surprise and delight? - BiggerBadderDave

It's the LS430. Funny how a little thing can really spoil a car, but cruise is a deal-breaker for me, it's up there with aircon and a steering wheel. Grrrr. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 16:41   Did your car surprise and delight? - Crankcase

I wonder if it's one of the tweaks you can do (in the hidden menu on the satnav, not that I can recall immediately how you bring it up. Something to do with press top left, lower left, hold down info and turn the sidelights on and off three times, or some such nonsense). Or there are all the tweaks your dealer can do, like alter the auto light sensitivity etc, could be in there perhaps. Might be worth a googlette. Either my LS430 didn't do that or it never kicked in if it did. Mine was a 2003 model and I miss it. Or is yours a funky post 2005 one with the adaptive cruise? Last edited by: Crankcase on Thu 21 Oct 10 at 16:43 Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 16:52   Did your car surprise and delight? - BiggerBadderDave

Mine's a 2003, pre face-lift. I keep meaning to post on the Lexus Owners Club forum to see if it can be rubbed out. I notice a lot of guys on there are irritated by the default warning screen which says "reading this screen while driving is dangerous" and someone has found a way to cancel it. So maybe it can be done. It is a great car, but I'm a bit "love-hate" with it, I think my expectations for it were stratospheric. However, I suspect the next car will be a Lexus too... Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 16:43   Did your car surprise and delight? - Bagpuss

Maybe I'm missing something. How can the speed deviate so much when the cruise control is set? Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 16:49   Did your car surprise and delight? - Zero

>> Maybe I'm missing something. How can the speed deviate so much when the cruise control >> is set? You want to try a 2010 Chrysler Sebring convertible. Uphill and downhill it had variances of +/- 10mph. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 16:53   Did your car surprise and delight? - Redviper

>> >> Maybe I'm missing something. How can the speed deviate so much when the cruise >> control >> >> is set? I think to control speed properly (and correct me if im wrong here) that cars have to be fitted with a system that actually applies the brakes slightly, and i think its Mercs that do this. On my Vectra if you go down a steep incline the cruise cannot control it and it will deviate, however it has to be pretty steep, normally it controlls it very well, and since i only use the cruise on a motorway generally its not really a issue Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 16:59   Did your car surprise and delight? - Bagpuss

>> I think to control speed properly (and correct me if im wrong here) that cars have to be fitted with a system >> that actually applies the brakes slightly, and i think its Mercs that do this. Yes, my 530d does that. That's why I would have expected a Lexus to do it. My old Merc doesn't but the speed doesn't deviate by that much except, like you say, on a steep downwards slope. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 17:03   Did your car surprise and delight? - BiggerBadderDave

"That's why I would have expected a Lexus to do it." It does, I meant when you manually adjust your speed... Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 16:59   Did your car surprise and delight? - Zero

Diesel engined cars a pretty effective at controlling speed on the downhill. The Altea was excellent on cruise in this respect. To be fair, it was the engine/gearbox combination on the Sebring at fault. 2.7 litres, 24 Valve DOHC really didn't want to show you its supposed 185 horses, and the gearbox was a lazy blighter who really didn't like changing down and gave you little manual control. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 17:04   Did your car surprise and delight? - Redviper

>> Diesel engined cars a pretty effective at controlling speed on the downhill. The Altea was >> excellent on cruise in this respect. Yes fully agree, my partners Citreon C4 Diesel is excellent in this respect, as you say. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 16:56   Did your car surprise and delight? - BiggerBadderDave

By kicking down to overtake or braking. In my last car I could cruise at 70, stop for a set of lights then flick "resume" once it was doing 20 mph and it would race back up to it's pre-set speed. In the Lexus, if you drop down to 60 for example, it won't resume it's pre-set speed you have to do it yourself, then re-set the cruise. Pointless. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 17:00   Did your car surprise and delight? - Zero

I can see that would irritate. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 17:03   Did your car surprise and delight? - Bagpuss

>> By kicking down to overtake or braking. In my last car I could cruise at 70, stop for a set of lights then >> flick "resume" once it was doing 20 mph and it would race back up to it's pre-set speed. In the Lexus, >> if you drop down to 60 for example, it won't resume it's pre-set speed you have to do it yourself, >> then re-set the cruise. Pointless. Ah yes, that is a bit naff. I guess Lexus are mainly intended for the US market and quite a number of US cars don't have a "Resume" button for the cruise control. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 18:11   Did your car surprise and delight? - Crankcase

Nah, the Lex has resume. Let me shut my eyes a minute and see if muscle memory will tell me how...um..press to arm, up or down for minor adjust, pull towards for resume? Or perhaps pull towards for cancel. Push away for resume. It's certainly there though. Had just the same on my older GS from 1997, and it's the same on the LS460 (now there's a car), so it's always been a feature. Last edited by: Crankcase on Thu 21 Oct 10 at 18:14 Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 19:33   Did your car surprise and delight? - Collos

I always enjoy driving the BMW and look forward to a long drive alone so I can listen to my entertainment in a nice warm quiet enviroment. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 19:47   Did your car surprise and delight? - R.P.

Just found I can get an Apple app - to pre-warm the car from the comfort of my bed - now that is clever. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 20:18   Did your car surprise and delight? - Iffy

...to pre-warm the car from the comfort of my bed - now that is clever... Some CC3s have this feature - there's a page on it in the handbook. I'm guessing Ford offer it as an option in cold climates. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 20:24   Did your car surprise and delight? - R.P.

....from an iPhone ? Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 20:36   Did your car surprise and delight? - Iffy

...from an iPhone ?... Hold on, I'll just nip outside to get the handbook. Here we are: Programmable Auxiliary Heater. Looks like it's set via the trip computer, one day a week, five days, that sort of thing. It must start the engine because it says it won't work with fewer than 7.5ltrs of fuel, and you must not set it if the vehicle is in a confined space. You set it for 70 minutes before you want the vehicle warmed and ready to drive. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 20:43   Did your car surprise and delight? - Bagpuss

>> Here we are: Programmable Auxiliary Heater. I have one of these on my old Merc. It doesn't use the engine, it's a sort of mini-boiler which heats up and circulates the engine coolant prior to starting the engine. The ECU also operates the heater fan and ventilation controls in the car to defrost the windows and warm up the interior. The advantage in a cold climate is that the car interior is toasty warm and the engine has also been preheated. They are absolutely brilliant things, but sadly the one on my Merc has died. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 20:51   Did your car surprise and delight? - Iffy

...It doesn't use the engine, it's a sort of mini-boiler... The Ford one uses fuel, although it doesn't say how. There's mention of fumes coming from 'under the sides of the vehicle'. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 20:59   Did your car surprise and delight? - Zero

If its like the VAG one, it is a kinda separate boiler that uses the car fuel to pre heat the water. Its made by webasto. The Touran had one, with a small exhaust pipe under the side. I doubt Ford would build one, but buy the off the shelf system Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 21:18   Did your car surprise and delight? - Bagpuss

Yep, it's exactly how Zero describes it. The main suppliers of these things are Webasto and Eberspächer. They use the car fuel, whether petrol or diesel and there is a small exhaust pipe with an even smaller non-regulated catalytic converter. On my car, when it was working, you would see smoke coming from the front right hand side wheel arch because that's where the little beastie lives. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 20:43   Did your car surprise and delight? - R.P.

But not from an iPhone - the app controls it from your iPhone from your (or someone else's) bed ! Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 23:39   Did your car surprise and delight? - bathtub tom

IIRC BL did something similar on the Princess models in the '70s. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 23:55   Did your car surprise and delight? - legacylad

I bought my 330Ci convertible when it was under 6" of snow earlier this year, without even driving it! My plan was to garage it until the warmer months, then sell it to pay for my holiday. Running it has proved surprisingly economical. Obviously my age, and NCD, helps with the insurance, yet brim to brim it still returns almost 34mpg whilst being driven briskly on the open road. Everything works as it should. The controls are tactile, the handling sublime, the stereo excellent, a gorgeous straight six, and it far exceeds ALL my expectations. I do get strange looks pulling my trailer, roof down, with a cement mixer aboard, but I can live with that! Maybe I shall keep it through the summer of 2011. Tis a nice antidote to impending older age. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 22 Oct 10 00:50   Did your car surprise and delight? - Londoner

Reading your post makes me very envious. (in a respectful way) Quite a while ago, my car simply became another appliance to me, just like a washing machine or vacuum cleaner. You, on the other hand, genuinely enjoy owning and using your car. I don't know about the rest of your life, but I envy you that fact. (Memo to self: Don't post when under the influence, you sentimental beggar!) Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 22 Oct 10 09:00   Did your car surprise and delight? - R.P.

There weren't any iPhones in the 70s ;-) Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 22 Oct 10 10:16   Did your car surprise and delight? - Mike Hannon

Neither of my '70s Princesses had any sort of programmable heater. They did have switches for onoff that usually worked. My uncle had a Volkswagen 411LE in about 1970 that had a programmable auxiliary heater. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 22 Oct 10 12:16   Did your car surprise and delight? - BobbyG

So how does the iphone control your car? I can see there being an app etc but there also needs to be something at your car to receive? Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 22 Oct 10 15:32   Did your car surprise and delight? - Iffy

...So how does the iphone control your car?... An extra on MINIs allowed the car to be remotely controlled in some ways by a mobile. That was available several years ago, and I can't remember what the benefit was supposed to be. Last edited by: Iffy on Fri 22 Oct 10 at 15:33 Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 22 Oct 10 15:59   Did your car surprise and delight? - ....

It was so James Bond could drive his 7 series out of a multi-storey car park while being shot at. Not on everyones wishlist I should imagine. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 22 Oct 10 16:07   Did your car surprise and delight? - RattleandSmoke

My car suddenly feels very under speced now, but it does have a gearsick on the dashboard and has a really nice heater. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 8 Feb 11 19:10   Did your car surprise and delight? - Skoda

One of these moments today. Was giving the bm a quick clean and while doing the boot I figured I'd give the tools a wipe. Never used, carry my own essentials anyway but being a BMW the factory toolkit's surprisingly comprehensive. Screwdriver, spanners, water pump pliers, spark plug wrench, Allen keys, couple of other things I've forgotten... But the one that got me was a rubber ended long steel stud. Slide it into the wheel bolt hole on the hub face and put the wheel on over it. Perfect line up every time! Wish I'd known that was there! Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 8 Feb 11 19:52   Did your car surprise and delight? - corax

The Germans, they think of everything :) Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 8 Feb 11 19:56   Did your car surprise and delight? - DP

That stud is a really nice touch. With the Golf you get a double ended screwdriver and that's pretty much your lot. Different budget I suppose. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 8 Feb 11 22:25   Did your car surprise and delight? - legacylad

When I bought my '04 330Ci a year ago I knew all about the performance, its tactility and the turbine smoothness of a wonderful engine. I was delighted to find a near side mirror that dipped when reverse gear was engaged, the nice toolkit (still pristine) and far better than expected mpg. Nothing else surprised me. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 9 Feb 11 12:45   Did your car surprise and delight? - apm

We pick up the E220 on sat- and with a good spec (inc comand- the integrated nav, sound & comms system) I'm looking forward to a number of 'surprise and delights'. One small thing I noticed was that on the rotary heater controls, there is a little light at the end of the control itself. When you rotate to the cold end it turns blue; at hot red and in the middle stays orange. No need for that, but I like it anyway. Will update when I've read the (no doubt enormous) manual! Yours quite excited, Alex. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 9 Feb 11 12:53   Did your car surprise and delight? - tyro

Holiday Inn once used the slogan "no surprises" in their advertising. When it comes to cars, that is often a good things. Things that surprise me usually don't delight me. In my newly acquired Berlingo, there was, however, one "surprise and delight" feature. It was possible to remove the armrests. That about sums it up for me. The ability to remove, disable, or turn off something on the car is, for me, the most likely thing to provide surprise and delight. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 9 Feb 11 12:56   Did your car surprise and delight? - Iffy

...When you rotate to the cold end it turns blue; at hot red and in the middle stays orange. No need for that, but I like it anyway... Alex, A proper surprise and delight feature. I would be excited, too. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 9 Feb 11 13:21   Did your car surprise and delight? - Boxsterboy

>> We pick up the E220 on sat- >> Have you found your CD changer yet? Or the cubby for the handbook? Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 9 Feb 11 13:25   Did your car surprise and delight? - PeterS

The CD changer (or cubby if not specified) is not too bad, but the handbook is in a ludicrous place IIRC! Peter Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 10 Feb 11 15:58   Did your car surprise and delight? - apm

It's like Christmas and birthday at once! Reply to this message | Report message