The future is electric………….

[Grahamm]

Apparently the increased changeover from smaller cars to SUVs, with their extra weight, worse fuel consumption and additional pollution, has more than outweighed the move to nil pollution electric cars.

A lot of that has been due to lobbying by the US car industry who have done things like geting SUVs defined as "Light Trucks" to avoid extra taxes, regulations and emission standards being imposed on cars.

Of course that keeps prices down and their profits up and screw the planet...

[YamFazFan]

Also there was a quote from someone saying "Why should I get an automobile and risk running out of gasoline when I can get hay for my horse at any farm?"

Similarly, wasn't the ERF truck company started up from the result of a division within the Foden family in the 1920's/30's over whether the future of road haulage lay in steam or diesel powered vehicles.

[YamFazFan]

I have often thought this with emergency vehicles. How often have youbeen in a car and an hear ne but cant fire out what where its coming from - even the blue lights are s bright they get reflected off every window and street sign

The most irritating one is when the siren is in some rap song on the radio and you're looking around for a non existent emergency vehicle.


Ditto phone ringtones

[Fazerider]

I’d be more enthusiastic about electric vehicles powered by fuel cells.
Can’t see hydrogen being much use as it’s not very energy dense and is a bugger to handle and transport, but ethanol would be ideal. And sure, you’ve got carbon in there so it’s going to emit CO2, but so long as that’s sourced renewably it doesn’t matter… the exhaust is clean, no nasty particulates or nitrogen oxides and you can refuel as fast as you do now.

[agricola]

Anyone know what the heaters are like in fully electric cars?. You've not got any hot water have you?.

Here

My first old banger never had a heater. Or wind up windows. Or a radio. I kept it on the road for 6 years before it rusted away

[Dudeofrude]

Well all of this (along with the supposed speed limiter tech that's coming to new cars in the next few years) just makes it more important to buy a new car/bike in the next year or two.
These next few years might see the last of the 'old fashioned' restriction free fossil fuel "fun" vehicles in history so buy one while you still have chance and if they do end up being the last then their value will rocket among those of us that still want that freedom.
I know a lot of you will keep your Fazers but me personally will be upgrading to a more or less brand new bike within the next 2 years and that hopefully will see me through to a point where petrol wont be on sale anymore

[VNA - BMW Wank]

I know a lot of you will keep your Fazers but me personally will be upgrading to a more or less brand new bike within the next 2 years and that hopefully will see me through to a point where petrol wont be on sale anymore

What's on the shopping list then Dude?

[Dudeofrude]

Bike wise? More than likely a Kawasaki Ninja1000sx (the new one) unless I can get a good deal on an old stock current model (z1000sx)

Its everything I need in a bike, fast and sporty when you want but comfy and practical when you dont. The 2020 one has the fancy full LCD dash and all the rider aids etc
The 2019 one is still more than good enough but if I'm going new(ish) then may aswell get the facelift version

Car wise itll be some kind of small SUV. Either the Kia Sportage or Hyundai Tuscon as the main family car. Then I'll be looking at leasing a small city car (i10, aygo, KA etc) so that I can start being a summertime biker 😎😎

[VNA - BMW Wank]

 Could I persuade you to go and try something a little left field?


Go and try an R1250R or R1250RS


Last year I test rode an MT10 and the new CB1000R.  I wasn’t really convinced by either.  So then I decided to try the R1250R.  I was only trying it because I was disappointed with the MT10 and CB1000R.  I didn’t expect to like it, but it blew me away.  Fantastic bike.  And it’s seriously and effortlessly quick.  The low-down grunt is just outrageous, and unlike the old air cooled boxers it’s got plenty up top too.


You might surprise yourself. 



Car?  I’ve had my Yeti 4x4 for almost 4 years now.  The primary reason was getting a car I could get my late mother in and back out of.  It wasn’t really what I wanted, but I’ve really grown to like it.  And I love 4wd, bring on the snow!
 

[Dudeofrude]

Could I persuade you to go and try something a little left field?


Go and try an R1250R or R1250RS


Last year I test rode an MT10 and the new CB1000R.  I wasn’t really convinced by either.  So then I decided to try the R1250R.  I was only trying it because I was disappointed with the MT10 and CB1000R.  I didn’t expect to like it, but it blew me away.  Fantastic bike.  And it’s seriously and effortlessly quick.  The low-down grunt is just outrageous, and unlike the old air cooled boxers it’s got plenty up top too.


You might surprise yourself. 



Car?  I’ve had my Yeti 4x4 for almost 4 years now.  The primary reason was getting a car I could get my late mother in and back out of.  It wasn’t really what I wanted, but I’ve really grown to like it.  And I love 4wd, bring on the snow!

Haha yes I remember the thread and while they are nice looking bikes (especially the new one with matching headlights) they just aren't my cup of tea. Really not a fan of boxer or twin engines. I'm a sucker for a good old inline 4 plus I'm a big believer in Japanese build quality over euro bikes. I know it doesn't make much difference these days but I hear of a lot less problems with jap bikes than I do of beemers (cars included)

I've ridden loads of different bikes to try and figure what I wanted next and nothing has really impressed me. All I could work out is that I want my bike but with more practicality, I cant bring myself to buy the FZ1-S then do all the mods again so the Kwak is the next best (better) thing. I will more than likely mod the engine again to eek some more BP out of it but leave the rest standard to make insurance a lot simpler

I'm actually a fan of the yeti, ever since I got back on the bikes I've started liking practical cars more and more Haha
We need a slightly bigger vehicle now the kids are growing, I'd love an estate but it's a joint car with the missus so we have to compromise. We both like the Hyundai and Kia so unless anything new comes out I'd think itll be one of them

[YamFazFan]

Mazda best cars I've ever had.
Obviously you have to desire the retro styling, but a mate who's in the trade went to the Birmingham show mainly to have a look at the 2020 Z900rs. He said the build quality and attention to detail is superb. He reckons it's better than Honda. I think it looks great, especially in the green/yellow.

[VNA - BMW Wank]

 I tried to buy one at the end of August.  But they couldn’t get me a new one until the end of October.  So might as well get one for the spring.  They offered me the demo model, but it was fully loaded with tat, and I don’t want to pay for crap like rider modes, quick shifter, keyless ignition, alarm, emergency call etc etc.  The sales staff didn’t seem impressed with me slagging off the extras – I mean keyless ignition – I told them I would pay extra not to have it. 



BMW were the best for test rides.  Got 2hrs, and only a 250 quid excess on the insurance.   



The BWM’s are still odd-looking bikes, but that 1250 shift cam boxer engine blew me away.  Yeah I still want one.


I’d agree with you that the Japanese stuff is still the most reliable, but I think the Euro stuff is catching up.
 

[F4celess]

Talking to a friendly RAC man, last time our family vehicle broke down (that we sold not long after), he said he hardly ever gets called out for mechanical breakdowns with Japanese cars (if he did, it would be down to an owner error, such as running out of fuel, flat battery etc)......

[VNA - BMW Wank]

 I wouldn’t argue with that F4celess.


I just find a lot of Japanese motors, well, uninspiring.  And lots of em look really weird.



I do like VAG stuff.  My last car was a VW Bora, had it for ten years with very few issues.  Well other than the engine management light being on for 7 years.    Did try initially to figure out what was wrong with it, but gave up and just kept driving it.    Boys at work slagged me for keeping it so long and called it the Boring Bora, but stone me it was a decent motor.


Had the Yeti for almost 4 years now from very nearly new (pre reg job).  Great spec, decent 150hp diesel engine so it’s nippy enough, and 4wd.  And I love my leather heated seats.  Had the horn fail – common fault, but that’s the only issue I can think of that I’ve had so far – again fingers crossed.
 

[YamFazFan]

Also there was a quote from someone saying "Why should I get an automobile and risk running out of gasoline when I can get hay for my horse at any farm?"

Just been reading a copy of The Vintage Motorcycle club journal from Dec 1996 and came across this quote...


"If the horse hadn't been invented first, there wouldn't have been anything for the automobile to replace"


- Groucho Marx

[F4celess]

I wouldn’t argue with that F4celess.


I just find a lot of Japanese motors, well, uninspiring.  And lots of em look really weird.



I do like VAG stuff.  My last car was a VW Bora, had it for ten years with very few issues.  Well other than the engine management light being on for 7 years.    Did try initially to figure out what was wrong with it, but gave up and just kept driving it.    Boys at work slagged me for keeping it so long and called it the Boring Bora, but stone me it was a decent motor.


Had the Yeti for almost 4 years now from very nearly new (pre reg job).  Great spec, decent 150hp diesel engine so it’s nippy enough, and 4wd.  And I love my leather heated seats.  Had the horn fail – common fault, but that’s the only issue I can think of that I’ve had so far – again fingers crossed.

The thing with European cars, German in particular, they are ALL bland shapes, hence there's not a lot there for people to grumble about. "Safe" styling.
Plus alot is about the influence of the BADGE / reputation... If it has VW or AUDI on it, it could be a polished turd on wheels, it'll still sell like hotcakes!

One of my previous cars was a 5 series BMW (I thought I'd give it a try ). Rust was soon springing up all over it (particularly sills and wheel arches which were expensive to fix economically), so I ended up giving it away as Scrap! Also paid a small fortune on various mechanical parts in the engine bay that chose to give up, at the most inconvenient times. Certainly "paid" dearly driving that premium brand!

At least the Japanese think outside the box with their car designs, rather than starting their design AS a box or rectangle, just with a few sharp edges curved off - " That'll be a Golf ".

[mtread]

Japanese cars used to be terrible rust buckets in the 70s of course, until they worked it out.
My old Ford keeps running along. Turns 15 next year.
However what really old family cars do I regularly see on the road? Volvos. They know something about rust proofing!

[F4celess]

Japanese cars used to be terrible rust buckets in the 70s of course, until they worked it out.
My old Ford keeps running along. Turns 15 next year.
However what really old family cars do I regularly see on the road? Volvos. They know something about rust proofing!

We actually do have a Volvo as our family car. 

We took that in to a Volvo MAIN DEALER last year, as it was going into Limp mode randomly (plus on the motorway, a vehicle dropping to 40mph by itself for no good reason, becomes not funny  ).

Volvo had it for a day and after a SECOND "test drive" by one of their service staff, they actually told us while we sat in their showroom, "sell this vehicle as soon as you can - honestly - its seriously underpowered - theres some major engine issue going on!" plus "we cant guarantee it wont blow up at some point".  "Which will cost a couple of grand for us to strip down the engine to begin some diagnosis!.... another option is to buy a replacement engine?"

Agreed though, no rust issues, plus actually built like a Tank.
So based on all of the above. I'd welcome an electric vehicle - MUCH less to go wrong! At least I've got my trusty Fazer for my 'happy motoring'.  

[YamFazFan]

Japanese cars used to be terrible rust buckets in the 70s of course, until they worked it out.

Was there any cars that weren't rust buckets in the 1970's? .


They've all cracked that issue now haven't they. You don't see rusty cars on the road any more really do you.


They're all much of a muchness nowadays I reckon, but those reliability surveys are worth reading. Usually the Japanese brands leading the way and it's often surprising how low down some of the 'Trendy Badge' cars come.

[VNA - BMW Wank]

 

They're all much of a muchness nowadays I reckon, but those reliability surveys are worth reading. Usually the Japanese brands leading the way and it's often surprising how low down some of the 'Trendy Badge' cars come.

Not necessarily.  Skoda is just about always in the top ten, if not sitting on the no.1 spot in any given category.  The Japanese no longer dominate the reliability results.
https://www.whatcar.com/news/2019-what-car-reliability-survey-family-cars/n20053

I think the truth is it’s hard to buy an unreliable car these days.


Though there are still lemons out there.  My pal bought a brand new Ford Transit (OK not a car – but hey) for his business.  In the first year he had 8 trips to the dealer to fix faults, and a further 7 the next year.  He absolutely hates the thing with a vengeance, has complained bitterly about it, and eventually decided to bite the bullet and trade it in for a Merc van.
 

[YamFazFan]

The Japanese no longer dominate the reliability results.

If you keep going through all the different sections of car types/sizes in your link you come to a brand reliability chart on page 11. That's an overall reliability list I guess. The top 3 in that are all Japanese although I'm pretty impressed with Kia's results all the way through. Surprised Honda isn't nearer the top also.

https://www.whatcar.com/news/2019-what-car-reliability-survey-brands/n20069


The mystery to me is why so many people lust after the trendy 'prestige' brands when some of them seem to score so poorly

[VNA - BMW Wank]

The mystery to me is why so many people lust after the trendy 'prestige' brands when some of them seem to score so poorly

Cos they are nice.
Not sure what to get next.  Quite a fancy a BMW with the 3.0 twin turbo diesel.
But the SUV has surpised me, I quite like my little Skoda YETI.  Don't like the BMW SUVs
Maybe Tiguan biturbo diesel.
Though need to run the Skoda another couple of years - so who knows what electic stuff might appear in 24mnths.

[ogri48]

They're all much of a muchness nowadays I reckon, but those reliability surveys are worth reading. Usually the Japanese brands leading the way and it's often surprising how low down some of the 'Trendy Badge' cars come.

Not necessarily.  Skoda is just about always in the top ten, if not sitting on the no.1 spot in any given category.  The Japanese no longer dominate the reliability results.
https://www.whatcar.com/news/2019-what-car-reliability-survey-family-cars/n20053

I think the truth is it’s hard to buy an unreliable car these days.


Though there are still lemons out there.  My pal bought a brand new Ford Transit (OK not a car – but hey) for his business.  In the first year he had 8 trips to the dealer to fix faults, and a further 7 the next year.  He absolutely hates the thing with a vengeance, has complained bitterly about it, and eventually decided to bite the bullet and trade it in for a Merc van.

a good building mate bought a new tranny two years back. he had two engines replaced under warranty, then gave up and went for a Peugeot. My old mk7 transit has 170k up now, still runs good. I read once that small ends generally go in the engine ive got, and its getting more rattly running as it gets older... I just turn the raddy-o up...;-)

[mtread]

I think many/most cars are mongrels now anyway. Sharing engines and other components across brands. Difficult to work out who to blame!

[VNA - BMW Wank]

a good building mate bought a new tranny two years back. he had two engines replaced under warranty, then gave up

My pal had the injectors out, cleaned, then replaced, then replaced again, and again.  The thing kept going into limp mode and showed multiple errors.  It was a disaster.