We were out at a dinner party last week and a not particularly well off childless couple were telling us about their trip to the south of France in the summer. They have booked a ferry and now need to decide which car to take........
1989 Mazda Eunos import with air con; or
2006 Ford Ka without air con.
I think the Eunos will need a little checking over, but I would take the Eunos. Would you?
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Same here no choice to it, give some motoring pleasure to the holiday.
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11yo Mazda. More reliable/fun than a 4yo KA.
AC only useful for demisting when it rains.
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21 year old Mazda, reliability would worry me !
The Ka would be fun on the back roads, on balance aircon (if it works) might swing it the Mazda's way.
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i would not want to go in a 21 year old car unless things like radiator and hoses were A1
I would not want to go in a ka as its ok for a weekend in wales but far too head banging for what will be at least a 1000 mile trip
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A 4-year old KA should be perfectly reliable and if it isn't-at least you'll get parts for it.It's just no A/C which in the South of France in the summer is virtually essential.
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Not much luggage space in an MX5.........!
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>> Not much luggage space in an MX5.........!
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true, but childless couple + sun = few clothes or other bits required, deserted back roads in the baking sun topless motoring at it's best.
I couldn't take a Ka.
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You don't see much topless motoring ine the South of France-it's just too hot.
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HaHa - My friend and his wife have just come back from a three week trip by bike to Croatia - there were some "interesting" discussions about what his wife should and could have taken with her !
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If the Eunos was younger I would definitely take that. But 21 years is a bit old.
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But if there was a 21 year old car you'd trust with a trip like this, it would be an MX-5. They are astonishingly reliable if looked after. Gently tuned, well proven mechanical parts, no excess nonsense to go wrong, and "proper" Japanese build quality.
I know a few people with old mk1s, one of which has done 150,000 miles and is a daily driver, and I can't recall one of them ever reporting a major fault.
I am trying to persuade SWMBO that we need another one. Seriously.
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"Not much luggage space in an MX5.........!'
Swimming trunks, bikini and condoms - the essentials - would probably fit in the door pocket. The cowboy boots and hat would go in the boot.
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When I was young we used to go on holiday without aircon.
That said, my Legacy is unbearable without the aircon on - it doesn't deliver air at anything like the temperature of the outdoors unless on the motorway.
Which one of these? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eunos_(automobile)
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Assuming that I'd got decent breakdown cover (owners club a potential source I would think) then it'd be the Eunos for me too.
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so they didn't have to give a registration plate when they booked the ferry then?
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It was a dinner party - not the interrogation cell! I have no idea.
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I reckon Tesco would be too far in the Ka (though the things my parents drove to Italy in, in the early 60s would no doubt have been much worse; cruising speed of 40mph).
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>> so they didn't have to give a registration plate when they booked the ferry then?
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No - I booked a ferry for last month before my new car arrived and therefore I didn't know the reg. Your car is ANPR'd just before you get to the check in booth.
I too would take the Eunos but I'd get it serviced first by a decent independent mechanic/garage (including a coolant change)and get a good breakdown cover policy.
At least then you can set off with reasonable confidence.
I've done the trip many times, You do need to use the toll motorways (getting more expensive nowadays) or it will take forever. Even on the motorways you need an overnight stop. If they are going anytime from now until the end of August they will find the traffic - especially on the Cote D'Azur coast roads - very heavy with parking in towns like St Raphael, St Maxime, Cavalaire, and of course St Trop. almost impossible. Of course if they are heading to the Languedoc it's less busy but even there the resort towns like Cap d'Agde and Sete will be bursting at the seams!
Espada mentioned they were "not particularly well off" - they will find it very very expensive to eat and drink. If you arn't tied by the school holiday it's much better to go in September.
J
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"Espada mentioned they were "not particularly well off" - they will find it very very expensive to eat and drink. If you arn't tied by the school holiday it's much better to go in September."
Problem - both supply teachers!
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...both supply teachers!...
Not that well off?
I think that says more about the amount of coin Espada has, than the amount they don't. :)
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France is well supplied with municipal campsites, which aren't particularly expensive.
Mrs. H and I did a week over there on two Harley Sportsters, not renowned for voluminous luggage capacity, and were absolutely fine.
I'd suggest one of those boot-lid luggage racks (which actually look very good IMO) for the tent and airbeds etc, then just set off and enjoy.
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We'll be doing 2500 miles camping round France in a smart later this summer. Personally I'd take the KA as the European breakdown cover's probably cheaper and the fuel consumption will be better.
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I would have advised them to fly to Carcassonne or Nice and hire a car. That way they would have saved 2 days of travel each way and would have arrived in paradise without too much stress.
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They would be masochists to take the KA - oh, hang on, yes they are - they're supply teachers!. Imagine driving all that distance with the windows open - essential with no A/C, whereas with the Eunos they will have the luxury of choice: roof down, or up with A/C on.
But it will need a thorough going over before they set off.
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Or Montpellier or Beziers/Vias or Nimes or even Perpignan.Montpellier(Frejorgue) is the biggest airport in Languedoc.
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>I think that says more about the amount of coin Espada has, than the amount they don't. :)
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Hmm not really. Various reasons why they have less disposable income than you would expect. If they had more, she would have a better car than a 2006 Ka.
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>> so they didn't have to give a registration plate when they booked the ferry then?
You have to give one but it's dead simple to advise a change. Frankly, it must happen so often that the ferry company will have an SOP for those who arrive at check in with the wrong vehicle
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As a previous owner (over many years) of a Frog eye'd Sprite, Midget, Spitfire, Moggie 4/4, Elise and now (in approaching old age a 330 Ci ragtop) it would have to be the Ka.
And you can still do the south of France, on the relatively cheap, if camping.
Yours in perjury
LL
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it was only a question about the reg plate. basically if you want to buy so much as a bar of soap these days you need to supply your life history, so was a wee bit surprised.
personally i wouldn't bother going down there at all, its totally over rated, stay in Dorset instead and have a cream tea.
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"so they didn't have to give a registration plate when they booked the ferry then?
You have to give one"
You don't on the Chunnel - do you have to on the ferry??
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>>You don't on the Chunnel <<
You don't have to but they do ask. If you give a registration, the anpr cameras make the automatic check in so much quicker, and seems to deter customs from wanting to ask questions.
Pat
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Agreed on the Chunnel - I went on the RT on my last trip, the GS was a fallback and I knew that the change of registration wouldn't bother them.....the "manifests" are compiled from ANPR data
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I would say that driving 1000 miles in a Ka would not be far away from my definition of hell, so it's got to be the Mazda.
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>> I would say that driving 1000 miles in a Ka would not be far away from my definition of hell..
It's noisy for sure, but a reasonably stable/"planted" and comfortable ride for what is/was a truncated Fiesta.
But the economy drops off with speed and enthusiasm.
Perhaps all it needs is a couple of pairs of earplugs..
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Perhaps all it needs is a couple of pairs of earplugs..
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>>>>>>>>>and 2 axminsters on the floor because as i said earlier these cars just arent nice on a long run,they are indeed fine for a quick afternoon up the dales but not a very long distance of a 1000 miles
did i mention the exceedingly dangerously small overtaking mirrors?
had a near miss or 2 with those on motorways too and i arent an idiot (i asked its confirmed)
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At the risk of being a snob, I'd say that all it needs to be a nice place to be is a different engine, chassis, body and interior. ;)
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Those who dismiss the Ka out of hand probably haven't driven one. They're great to drive and not very stressed at motorway speeds.
The Mazda would be more fun when they got to S. France but how comfortable would it be getting there?
Even so, if I were this couple I'd see if I could afford a budget flight + hiring a Group A car the other end, preferably with AC.
Last edited by: Avant on Thu 8 Jul 10 at 21:16
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avant------- everybodies driven a ka
its the law
just like driving an old mini
its a rights of passage
so later in life you can say been there done that got the holy teeshirt.......
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Where's the romance the fun indeed the sheer joy of being alive gone.
No kids....lovely part of the world to drive to if one avoids the main tourist areas, top down including hers on the back roads, a holiday like this should be viewed as letting your hair down and being young and frivolous even if you're not so young.
Take a Ka in preference to a Eunos for the comfort factor or indeed fly cattle class and rent a tin box?....aaarrrgh...c'mon Avant you're a long time dead.
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37 years ago three of us drove a battered old mini from Bradford to Interlaken for a fortnights camping holiday. We were all about 18yo and I still remember the trip vividly.
How I wished we had the opportunity to drive a ragtop all that way.
Years later we did it in a friends Stag.
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I didn't say I'd prefer the Ka to the Eunos. I'd take my Y-registered Z3 (non-AC) to France in preference to my new Octavia (even though the Octavia has the edge on performance) because of the joy of having the hood down. If I were a long time dead, I'd probably be driving a Vauxhall.
But....how fit is the 21-year-old Eunos? If it's been well-maintained and recently serviced, then yes, take that. I was only saying that a Ka can be good fun to drive.
Last edited by: Avant on Thu 8 Jul 10 at 22:10
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Taking the Z3...
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Good man yourself Avant, see your not dead yet, nice open top car shared with a proper woman tanning the extras under a clear sky on deserted roads what could be nicer.
The old MB coupe will be in mode next week similarly employed, hope we don't feature on a fly on the wall program following the bill around..;)
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Thu 8 Jul 10 at 22:26
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Which one would you choose? - DP
