As mentioned in the Tired thread my Roomster has been written off as beyond economical repair. I'd no intention of replacing it, was quite happy to keep it until 150k miles (it was a whisker short of 100k) or until some expensive bit went pop. Now looking for a replacement in reasonably short order.
Use has changed a bit since I bought it. I'm still commuting 14 miles round trip 3 times a week. Present contract ends 31-03-20 but likely it'll either continue or I'll find another niche in CA. Since my Mother died in 2017 I've considerably less domestic shunting about and no longer need a car a 90yo with v limited mobility can enter/exit. Both kids have now graduated and are in steady jobs with own homes but some distance away in (a) Flintshire and (b) Liverpool so visits up there are common.
The Berlingo tows the caravan but we do a fair few other trips, including Western Isles most years and airport runs. Can make sure 'new' car gets a run out regularly enough that we needn't rule out diesel. It will probably do 8-10k/year.
Would prefer something a bit taller than ordinary saloon/hatch/estate. A more upright driving position suits Mrs B who is lack of height is mostly in her legs. Too close to wheel in some cars including our old Xantia, a Passat we drove while supporting SiL on JoGLE and Nissan we hired in US. Probably a small MPV/SUV (what is the difference?).
Haven't ruled out another Roomster - there are still a few in the Skoda approved used network. Ford B-MAx is another possible - sliding door is a big attraction. The Hyundai i-20 I had as a hire car grew on me over time too though that's a conventional hatchback. Pug 2008 is another I like look of and it will presumably have a Citroen sibling.
Tried to go round the town's dealerships today (at least half of them are at Riverside) but activity was curtailed by heavy rain. Will try again tomorrow including closer look at a B-Max - this one is a eco-boost petrol but there are diesels in the dealer's system too.
Thought about an electric but concluded it's too big a change when this is a distress purchase. Not keen on hybrids as balance of town v open road use may not be right.
What does the panel suggest?
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Assuming you have somewhere to charge it, a plug-in hybrid would work very well on your 14 mile round trip commute - our A3 would cope with that easily enough, even when cold, especially if you pre-heat the car while plugged in. But. I don’t know if any of the plug-in hybrids are actually rated for towing. One would assume the MINI Countryman PHEV is, but...
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Yeti? Karoq? Mazda CX-3? Nissan Juke/Qashqai?
That's just a brainstorm (sorry, thought shower) I haven't vetted them in any way!
P.S. - a Fabia estate is the same back to the A-pillar as a Roomie, isn't it? Would that do it?
Last edited by: Manatee on Fri 18 Oct 19 at 18:50
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Budget?
The Citroen equivalent of the Pug2008 is the (roomier) C3 Picasso or C3 Aircross.
IIRC the 1.0 In the B-Max has been problematic? See HJ for more!
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>> Budget?
Flexible.
Late build Roomsters (2014)are £6-7k (asking) but I'd spend more on a larger or later car.
Maybe £10-12k absolute tops.
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>> The Citroen equivalent of the Pug2008 is the (roomier) C3 Picasso or C3 Aircross.
Just to answer this suggestion.
I'd have liked another Citroen but there's no dealer in Northampton - have to go to either Kettering or MK.
Had a C3 aircross for day a couple of weeks ago while Berlingo was being serviced. Another 3 cylinder lump with tell tale buzz/lumpy idle. Nice enough to drive and while I didn't explore them seemed to have quite a few toys.
Everything for audio, H&V and no doubt above mentioned toys was on a touchscreen. I do not like touch screens (i do not like them Sam I Am!!). Dangerously distracting, doubly so when not familiar with menu, and inevitably covered in finger marks. This one also had a shiny black bezel that constantly caught light and distracted.
It did at least have a manual handbrake and not an electric monstrosity like a small Peugeot Perrys gave me on a previous visit. But then some design whizzkid decided it needed to be 'stylish'. So instead of having a release button on the end, just like Mum's Mini did in 1966 - and ever car I've known since, there's a paddle grip like an Autobox gear selector. There is a release trigger underneath. My fingers are barely long enough to operate it and i found myself applying parking brake over the ratchet which (IIRC) is a driving test 'fail'.
Note Pug 2008 has same (no surprise there!!)
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>> a paddle grip like an Autobox gear selector. There is a release trigger underneath. My
>> fingers are barely long enough to operate it and i found myself applying parking brake
>> over the ratchet which (IIRC) is a driving test 'fail'.
Is it? was it ever?
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>> Is it? was it ever?
Sure one of my kids told me it was.
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>> Sure one of my kids told me it was.
Or perhaps it just got the a telling off from the instructor. I know they've commented adversely when I've pulled on or another of ours over the ratchet.
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I was told on my advanced driving course (albeit in the 80s) that the ratchet was only there to effect the release of the handbrake that it wasn't worth worrying about when applying and that it was safer to apply the brake with the ratchet not being overcome. How many handbrake ratchets has anyone ever replaced on a car..
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I was about to post that link ! :-)
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If you check out this thread, Brompt .....
www.car4play.com/forum/post/index.htm?t=26579&v=f
You will see why it is still not a good idea to buy a VAG vehicle with the 1.5tsi engine, though there are fewer complaints when it is coupled with a dsg gearbox. My (manual) Karoq isn't nearly as bad as it was, but they are STILL trying to sort out the engine software.
On the same thread, you will also find comments from those who have knowledge of more recent Fords with the 1L Ecoboost 3-cylinder engine, including me. We still think that my wife's B-max is a super little car.
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The Ford 1.0 3cyl eco boost has been around for quite a few years now. I have no doubt it is a good engine now, I would buy one. Oh I did! Yes its sweet.
If i was buying a VAG it would be a diesel.
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Sitty uppy transport and the possibility of a diesel ....mmmm
Here goes. My local dealer, Parkers in Kendal, who by the way are excellent, have a 2018MY, diesel, 18k miles in that lovely Carmine Red colour. And that all important pano roof.
If you can put up with Runfers girlie car jibes, and I can, then go on spoil yourself. You know it makes sense.
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>> Sitty uppy transport and the possibility of a diesel ....mmmm
>> Here goes. My local dealer, Parkers in Kendal, who by the way are excellent, have
>> a 2018MY, diesel, 18k miles in that lovely Carmine Red colour. And that all important
>> pano roof.
Is this a Porsche?
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>> What about a jazz?
Possibly on my list. Might be a bit small.
{tic}Mrs B's already convinced I'm turning into my Dad - a Honda would be another step on the road.......{/tic}
His were Accords but even so.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Fri 18 Oct 19 at 21:02
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Possibly on my list. Might be a bit small.
Still a good size inside, what do you need to transport?
>> {tic}Mrs B's already convinced I'm turning into my Dad - a Honda would be another
>> step on the road.......{/tic}
>>
>> His were Accords but even so.
>>
I wouldn't worry too much about that, you've got a roomster and berlingo, you're pretty much there already ;)
Hondas are great cars we bought a crv earlier this year. I wasn't much convinced by the extra they cost. No doubts no, they really are well screwed together.
I had it up on the ramp the other week. Built to last.
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>> {tic}Mrs B's already convinced I'm turning into my Dad
Lady Duncan has been saying this to me for years...
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>> Is this a Porsche?
This one?
finder.porsche.com/gb/en_GB/Macan-S-Diesel-103171
Not my price. Not my image.
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Si senor. Fair play, but I’m not image conscious in the least. It’s all about build quality and driving dynamics ( for an SUV it’s still top perro) for me, and the Macan excels in those departments. Shame as I was going to offer to test drive it for you.
Hope you find a replacement soon
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>> Si senor. Fair play, but I’m not image conscious in the least. It’s all about
>> build quality and driving dynamics ( for an SUV it’s still top perro)
Except of course it falls down on the U part.
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Also it's quite a lot of money for an old, previous model Audi Q5 with a Porsche Engine.
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S’pose so.
That’s why I got a petrol one.
Slightly off topic but when mine was in for its first service recently, the loaner was a new facelift model with the 2.0 engine. Only 245 ponies and it showed. Why would you, unless image was all ?
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I have no idea. You can by a 2WD Landcruiser here. WTF is that about?
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>> I have no idea. You can by a 2WD Landcruiser here. WTF is that about?
Same as poverty spec BMW 3 series were in UK in eighties?
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>> >> I have no idea. You can by a 2WD Landcruiser here. WTF is that
>> about?
>>
>> Same as poverty spec BMW 3 series were in UK in eighties?
>>
At least then you were still getting a fully functional vehicle, albeit with plastic seats.
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>Same as poverty spec BMW 3 series were in UK in eighties?
I think you misunderstood that Bromp. The tell-tale of a poverty spec 3-Series in the 80s (Bracknell Cortinas) was that they were two door. Almost all of them were 316s although you could order a 318, 320 or 323 with two doors.
We had quite a few 316s on our company fleet chosen by junior sales folks in preference to Cavalier CDi or Granada 2.0GL.
They were also allowed to add items from the options list to bring the leasing cost up to their allowance. The badge delete option was free and the only other two options that fell below the allowance were the winter pack which included heated mirrors and windscreen washers or alternatively fog-lights. Guess which they chose?
Last edited by: Kevin on Fri 18 Oct 19 at 23:23
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>> I think you misunderstood that Bromp. The tell-tale of a poverty spec 3-Series in the
>> 80s (Bracknell Cortinas) was that they were two door. Almost all of them were 316s
Same motivation I think - cheapest route to prestige badge/model even if it barely meets, or even misses by a mile, the characteristics that actually make the model desirable.
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Why does it fall down on the U bit Zeddo ? I find it incredibly useful. Easy to load in my petrol lawn mower and 2 builders bags of garden rubbish when pruning. Recently whilst lifting and re laying my patios I loaded in 20 + bags of concrete.
Admittedly the cement mixer wouldn’t fit in but a pal brought that on his trailer. Much easier to load and unload than my old Defender.
I go off roading all the time. It’s called walking, or limping if the weather is less clement.
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>> Why does it fall down on the U bit Zeddo ?
If it was U, there would be one on my drive and Fifi would be in her pink cage in one off to dog shows in it. Neither fit.
To be fair, your barbie mobile is not the only so called U that isnt.
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>>
>>
>> To be fair, your barbie mobile is not the only so called U that isnt.
>>
>>
....it is decidedly non-U (in the 50's sense).
;-)
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>> Not my price. Not my image.
Love the colour though. I'm fed up of black, white or silver.
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Likewise. I declined that colour because it was the most expensive colour option, but more than happy with my metallic Volcano Grey with standard black 20” rims.
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I may have missed it but has no-one mentioned the Skoda Yeti? Probably more of them around than Roomsters, and I think there should be some with the excellent 2.0 TDI engine.
If you decide not to go diesel, apparently the 1.2 petrol has more oomph than you might expect. But a 2.0 diesel Yeti could probaby tow your caravan if the Berlingo can.
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Stretch to a 6 month old 190bhp auto for just over £17.5k ?
www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201909172336638
The PHEV variant isn't rated for towing but the diesel and petrol ones are.
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Golf SV. Bigger and taller than standard Golf but drives as well with easy access and upright driving position.
Lots iof space in back and with read seats folded has huge amount of storage.
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You don’t need this car for towing Brompt do you?
Re B Max, friend had one. She has a steep drive and found the sliding doors were very heavy when being moved against the gradient. Other than that, great car.
What is your price range?
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>> You don’t need this car for towing Brompt do you?
No. The Berlingo tows
>> Re B Max, friend had one. She has a steep drive and found the sliding
>> doors were very heavy when being moved against the gradient. Other than that, great car.
So are Berlingo's sliding doors so we've a measure of that.
Anyway deed is done.
Tested the BMax this morning in eco boost 125 form with most of toys including climate and a panoramic roof. Nice enough to drive and with adequate power. Bit of road noise but acceptably quiet at 70 on the A45 Nene Valley way. Pricey at 13k for a 2017 model. There was a 2015 diesel elsewhere on Allen Ford's network under £9k and might have explored that but....
VW dealership were hopeless - just acres of Golfs and Tiguans with odd T-Roc and Scirrocco. Honda had a couple of Jazzs but pricey for what they were. Tried a Toyota Yaris petrol. OK but another case of if it were a sandwich it'd be processed cheese slice on sliced white. More than a hint of the 3 cylinder buzz/thrum that's present in the Pug 107 both 'kids' have.
Asked at Skoda whether they could exchange stock with other dealers but apparently not which closed off a very late model Roomster Scout in Mansfield as an option. Moved on to look at Fabias.
Salesman was sufficiently 'on the ball' to recognise the one of their stock was a Fabia Estate and ticked Roomster sized boxes for load carrying. Furthermore it's 'Monte Carlo' trim included a panoramic roof which, having had it in Roomie, I'm quite attached to. Test drive round town, down the Nene Valley Way and in the lanes round Brafield - every car dealer in Northampton uses that combo.....
It's a 1.2 petrol, handles well and and goes through the lanes like Cameron's greased pig. Quiet and still nippy enough for overtakes on the A45. Cockpit wise would have a common rating with the Roomie. Trim also includes cruise, blue tooth pairing with phone and some sort of anti-collision radar. Triggered a proximity alert from latter when a numpty in front stalled approaching lights in town.
Paid £250 more than I wanted to but hey ho.
Pick it up after work on Tuesday...
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A friend who is PDS ( pretty damn senior) at Bentley, has a Fabia Monte Carlo estate as his personal car.
He loves it as a runaround, and given that he has access to more or less anything VAG, it must be pretty good.
Hope it serves you well !
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>>Fabia Estate...
Just looked at one on line. Very nice!
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Very Nice? Are you mad?
Cheap practical sensible maybe, but very nice? definitely therapy called for.
Last edited by: Zero on Sun 20 Oct 19 at 09:07
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Small, relatively basic cars can be very nice. In their own way they can be more fun than a luxo barge in the right circumstances.
Think of it as a perfect portion of fish and chips versus a Michelin star restaurant meal. Each has its merits.
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>> Small, relatively basic cars can be very nice. In their own way they can be
>> more fun than a luxo barge in the right circumstances.
Its not small enough to fit that bill. As I said its a very sensible very practical choice.
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>> Cheap practical sensible maybe, but very nice? definitely therapy called for.
The basic model I also looked at ticked those boxes.
The Monte-Carlo trim adds a bit extra making it very nice indeed. Not a Beemer (and I wouldn't want one of those anyway) but pretty sure it'll be comfortable enough to drive to/from NW Scotland without undue stress.
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A side note to this.
The sales rep in the Ford dealership was a young woman I'd guess same age as my daughter so mid twenties. Just as competent at explaining the car to me as her male compatriot of same age at Skoda and rather better than the older guy at Toyota.
Did make me think about her safety jumping in cars with all sorts of guys over whom there's little scope for any sort of background checks and being driven round a route at least half of which was rural lanes. Case of Suzy Lamplugh and others down the years hi-light danger to women who are lone workers.
Probably had a phone with a tracker in her pocket but I wonder how else the employer manages the risk.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Mon 21 Oct 19 at 14:24
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Same way he manages it for all staff, I hope.
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When I test drove my car I initially sat in the passenger seat for 15 mins as I wanted to poke and prod stuff. I then drove it back to the dealership. At that point, they had already copied my driving licence, I was free to drive it on my own, leaving behind my £2k Focus diesel ! Bring it back when you’re ready they told me. We close at 18:00. So I had a few afternoon hours to drive around the Lake District if I had felt the need.
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Heaven forbid their RAs discriminate on the grounds of gender.
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>> Heaven forbid their RAs discriminate on the grounds of gender.
I'm assuming that's posted ironically?
For many years, decades in fact, I've been responsible for the management of teams of sales reps both male and female.
In the course of their daily lives, they are often in unsupervised, out of public view situations with clients/customers. Meeting rooms, client offices etc.
I could list many ( too many sadly ) instances where the girls have reported that they have been inappropriately propositioned, or indeed worse, by men who temporarily believe they have some status advantage over them, I have always taken a view that such behaviour, proven or otherwise, is intolerable and have least ensured that they do not personally have to deal with that particular customer ever again.
These things are incredibly complex and subject to interpretation, but I simply couldn't countenance being in any way contributory to the worst potential outcome of such situations.
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Totally ironically Humph. I actually had some flack over a "discriminatory" RA a few years ago.
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When I first started work I actually had colleagues with calling cards that "humorously" invited the female recipient "out" (and if so to keep the card) and asking them, if they declined, to return the card as they only had the one card left.
Last edited by: R.P. on Mon 21 Oct 19 at 20:18
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>> Totally ironically Humph. I actually had some flack over a "discriminatory" RA a few years ago
I know if one company where a "RA" is company speak for redundancy, they were hoping the term Resource Action would disguise it
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>> Totally ironically Humph. I actually had some flack over a "discriminatory" RA a few years
>> ago.
Lone working has risks one of which is unwanted sexual attention. The reality is undoubtedly that the probability of such attention is hugely higher for women than for men.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Mon 21 Oct 19 at 20:51
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>The reality is undoubtedly that the probability of such attention is hugely higher for women than for men.
But not exclusively so.
Many years ago I was working on a project to replace the in-branch IT equipment for a major bank. After the guys had installed the actual hardware I had to go in and install and customise the software after the branch had closed for the evening. That usually needed an overnight stay. At the same time a group of girls from the bank's training dept. would be in the hotel to assist the branch staff the next day. One of the girls took a shine to me and made it obvious that she was available, much to the amusement of her colleagues. The worst occasion was when she sat down uncomfortably close to me in the hotel bar one evening touched her nose to my cheek and said:
"That aftershave smells nice. What's it called?"
"Can't remember, my wife bought it for me."
Luckily, she later found what she wanted with one of our installation engineers.
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>> Luckily, she later found what she wanted with one of our installation engineers.
Yeah we always had to finish off half completed work.
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>>
>> Yeah we always had to finish off half completed work.
>>
...and usually left the customer undissatisfied......
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of course, so you have to go back
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>> Heaven forbid their RAs discriminate on the grounds of gender.
>>
RAs?
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>> RAs?
Risk Assessments I think.
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Is a large, robust female martial arts fighter more at risk than a small, delicate male?
To have RAs applicable only to women is ridiculous.
*ALL* should be covered by the company's assessment of risk, not just the girlies.
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>> To have RAs applicable only to women is ridiculous.
Of course it is.
But the generic assessment may be different once you have a mixed workforce from how it was if they were all blokes.
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>> To have RAs applicable only to women is ridiculous.
>>
>> *ALL* should be covered by the company's assessment of risk, not just the girlies.
Yer.
but risk to men is low. sow low its not a risk Sexual harassment wise*
*it was in the Prudential london punch room, all of the girls were sexual predators. Ditto the typing pool, lord knows what they put in the drinking fountain.
Last edited by: Zero on Mon 21 Oct 19 at 21:33
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>> but risk to men is low. sow low its not a risk
Doesn't matter.
Everybody is issued with a tracked phone and briefed on how to deal with customer who crosses a line.
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I might need to check my ground but I don't think I'd have a legal problem if I'm dealing with:
(a) A man who has a brain injury as result of which they display disinhibited behaviour toward women or:
(b) A woman who's history leads her to be very wary of men
And allocate male and female staff members respectively.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Mon 21 Oct 19 at 21:44
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Ditto the Sun Alliance typing pool.
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...in my early days of employment, I worked at a (BR) Centralised Accounts Office and Data Input Centre.
At the end of the day, having encoded a large amount of data, we used to draw straws as to who would take the stuff down to the punch room.
80 girls/women between the ages of 16 and 30.
I know it sound jokey, but you really didn't want to be the one to lose the draw.
At Christmas, you really really really wouldn't want to be the one.
.....and even that paled into insignificance compare to the SR Gent machinists in the local pub (but I think we've been there already).
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>> Ditto the Sun Alliance typing pool.
Or, guess we're talking seventies here, the card registry (or typing pool) in a large County Court...
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And of course all this stuff is 'whataboutery' when it comes to the workplace of today.
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>> >> Ditto the Sun Alliance typing pool.
>>
>> Or, guess we're talking seventies here, the card registry (or typing pool) in a large
>> County Court...
>>
To which you can add, 1977-1981 at least mending / maintaining data entry devices in the dhss at Longbenton in Newcastle, the women there had a fearsome reputation. 'All in fun of course' like many other things in the 70s
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Used to visit a client regularly in Yate. Small family business.
One visit the husband was away and the Mrs turned up at the hotel gym sauna! Scared the ******* out of me!
Also had a client deliberately drive their truck in to my car which was off site!
Had clients trying to find out where I live - both to threaten or to deliver (unacceptable) gifts.
Then you get nice clients, both M or F that chat, go to lunch with you, share a coffee etc and want nothing more than to be polite / friendly.
Mid 80's typing pool with 30 or so females was a right mare to have to visit.
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Late 80s it was a treat to have to attend an IT problem in the call centre of the major ferry company I worked at in Kent. Most of the call girls (??) were genuinely Miss Dover competitors (no, not missed over). The supervisor was really strict about any "visitors" keeping strictly to the task in hand (so to speak)
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>>major ferry company I worked at in Kent.
Visited there for business reasons in about 2008. Still good.
Best though was a major kitchens manufacturer in Nottingham.
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>Most of the call girls (??) were genuinely Miss Dover competitors..
Oh, the bank training girls were all recent grads who spent most of their time in hotels on expenses so it was like a permanent frat party on tour for them. They were quite attractive too.
BUT
The bank organised a Christmas party to celebrate a successful start to the project and Mrs K and I were invited.
It was made perfectly clear to me that anything other than a business relationship with them would result in emasculation.
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So, how’s the Fabia shaping up Mr B Naut?
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Roomster Replacement - PeterS
