Courtesy Car Lottery

[Mito Man]

I don’t think you want to try an ID3 for your first EV experience - they’re utterly hateful with so many software bugs that even VW gave up on them and brought out the new model early.

[KevH18]

I quite like aggressive regen whilst peddling on now, quite fun to pull in the nose of the car without using the brakes. I would however like the ability to configure this to my own liking though.

I have our Kona on full regen and it makes it a lot more fun to tuck the nose in. It doesn't have a lot of other redeeming features to make quick driving fun but that definitely helps.

[KevH18]

I quite like aggressive regen whilst peddling on now, quite fun to pull in the nose of the car without using the brakes. I would however like the ability to configure this to my own liking though.

I have our Kona on full regen and it makes it a lot more fun to tuck the nose in. It doesn't have a lot of other redeeming features to make quick driving fun but that definitely helps.

Fucked that up haven't I.

[mik]

[DeskJockey]

Possibly going to Sweden this summer, to do something a bit different to the usual beach holiday.

Car hire rates look fairly reasonable - the question is, should I try hiring an EV? Never driven an EV before, so is it a good chance to test, or a daft idea as trying one for the first time, on foreign roads, is asking for trouble?

Where are you thinking of going?

[MikeHunt]

Took the EQV in to Merc for its first service today.

I asked when booking for a large car capable of transporting a wheel chair and phoned yesterday to check.

Unfortunately the E class earmarked for me was given to someone else and I ended up with a C class coupe.

[nuttinnew]

Ffs

[Jobbo]

That’s frustrating. Reminds me of this lady who was given a Corsa courtesy car by Land Rover: http://www.disco3.co.uk/forum/topic134491.html

[Swervin_Mervin]

Possibly going to Sweden this summer, to do something a bit different to the usual beach holiday.

Car hire rates look fairly reasonable - the question is, should I try hiring an EV? Never driven an EV before, so is it a good chance to test, or a daft idea as trying one for the first time, on foreign roads, is asking for trouble?

Where are you thinking of going?

We're looking around Gothenburg Alex. Wife's been a few times when she worked at AstraZeneca, and has been around some of the areas out to the west on the archipelago. Flying into Copenhagen and then straight up on the train, so we finally get to go across the Øresund Bridge. We'll likely do a couple of days in Copenhagen before flying back.

So if you have any top tips I'm all ears!

[DeskJockey]

Possibly going to Sweden this summer, to do something a bit different to the usual beach holiday.

Car hire rates look fairly reasonable - the question is, should I try hiring an EV? Never driven an EV before, so is it a good chance to test, or a daft idea as trying one for the first time, on foreign roads, is asking for trouble?

Where are you thinking of going?

We're looking around Gothenburg Alex. Wife's been a few times when she worked at AstraZeneca, and has been around some of the areas out to the west on the archipelago. Flying into Copenhagen and then straight up on the train, so we finally get to go across the Øresund Bridge. We'll likely do a couple of days in Copenhagen before flying back.

So if you have any top tips I'm all ears!

Definitely have some tips. We're going over this summer too. Kids are going to Danish summer school for a week while I work from my dad's, then off to Stockholm for a week, then back to somewhere in Southern/Western Denmark(ish) for a week.

Give me an idea of dates, duration, and interests and I'll put my thinking cap on.

[mik]

Don't know about the inconsistent power delivery as not noticed it on mine. Will have play around with the throttle later.

Yeah that was very much feel as opposed to seeing the power meter confirm any inconsistency. Could just be me.

Only had one more shot (slightly longer) before we handed it back, but whilst the power delivery (in this one at least) definitely still felt inconsistent, I got more used to the 1-pedal setting and flowing between bends got a bit smoother.

I didn't gain any love for the instruments or driver interface though.

1. I kept blinding people with my full beams, and realised that whilst it was mainly due to being a dozey bastard, it certainly wasn't helped by the fact that the blue full-beam indicator light is away out of your sightline on the main touchscreen. Stoopid.

2. Wipers. Set to auto were completely inconsistent - sometimes wiping frantically when the screen was almost dry, but twice I had to slow significantly as they just didn't trigger. Dark road, lots of water on screen, car comes from the other direction and light from their headlights scatters all over the place. Very not good. After I got home (!) I discovered that you can manually sweep the wipers with a short press on the left stalk. Therefore this was also mainly user-error, but it seems rather counter-intuitive to control your wipers with the main touchscreen, with an additional control on the stalk. Stoopid.

[Explosive Newt]

2. Wipers. Set to auto were completely inconsistent - sometimes wiping frantically when the screen was almost dry, but twice I had to slow significantly as they just didn't trigger. Dark road, lots of water on screen, car comes from the other direction and light from their headlights scatters all over the place. Very not good. After I got home (!) I discovered that you can manually sweep the wipers with a short press on the left stalk. Therefore this was also mainly user-error, but it seems rather counter-intuitive to control your wipers with the main touchscreen, with an additional control on the stalk. Stoopid.

Massive annoyance of mine too. It's because they work off the forward facing camera rather than using an actual rain sensor.
Bloody Tesla trying to save money.
As far as I can tell, it gets confused when the screen is merely dirty rather than wet.

The only time I have come close to experiencing your power loss thing is trying to put the power down out of a tight corner and the car thinks I am trying to drive into a wall and throttles me back. I think there is a setting somewhere where you can regain your freedom to drive into walls with abandon, as is your god-given right as an Englishman.

[KevH18]

22-plate BMW 320i auto tourer M-sport in white.

Should be here in a few minutes but thought I'd been given a 223i Active Tourer thing as the rental agreement has 2-series, but the online MOT history says it's a 320, with Euro Car Parts saying the same. Read the agreement again and it has tourer listed as well so it should be a 320, just a small typo.

Not sure I'll get be overly pleased getting back into the plastic-fest interior of the Kona when that's fixed

[scotta]

Ive had this 220i GC for 4 weeks



BMW are for the 5th time trying to fix a speed vibration on the X5 which is ruining the ride.

[KevH18]

I'm guessing that you're not too enamoured with it then?

I have now reversed it off the drive onto the street, and then back onto the drive again. Step-off is a little jerky. More to follow...

I have fiddled with the settings and things before I drive it later. Pressed the button for auto high-beam. Doesn't do anything except say function attainable so probably on subscription!

[scotta]

I'm guessing that you're not too enamoured with it then?

I have now reversed it off the drive onto the street, and then back onto the drive again. Step-off is a little jerky. More to follow...

I have fiddled with the settings and things before I drive it later. Pressed the button for auto high-beam. Doesn't do anything except say function attainable so probably on subscription!

Not at all - its actually quite nice. I dont think its nice as in pay my own money for it nice but a 235i would be an interesting shout. I didnt like the looks of it when they launched and its FWD but the looks have grown on me in the 4 weeks ive had it and a 4x4 one with 300+ bhp would probably go well.

The tyre noise is a bit of a strange one though - could be the runflats?

ETA - Just checked and i dont think they are runflats. Bridgestone TOO5.

[Jobbo]

Bumping this for @nuttinnew but also because I have a discourtesy car today; my Allroad is being serviced. It's a brand new Audi Q2 30TSI manual S-line. I may be one of the first people to drive it because switching between menus on the MMI gave me messages about how to zoom the nav map which look like first-time use things.



Conceptually similar to our Yeti I guess, though the platform sharer would have been the previous-generation Q3. This feels smaller, lighter, a bit flimsy and hollow but nippy. Quite fun, and despite being darty it has great directional stability and rides well. A very polished car to drive, though I'd be disappointed with the amount of different plastics and the generally hollow feel, coming from an A6 or even compared to the Yeti - lightness is good but comes at a perceived quality cost.

It's well equipped but being a car launched in 2016 there are some things which are now incongruous:
- Normal key with no push-button start.
- Manual gearbox with a clutch (how very old-fashioned)
- Incongruous electronic handbrake and full digital dash which can be all nav map
- rotary MMI controller rather than touch-screen
It's more the incongruity of all the modern shit alongside the turn key and manual gearbox that gives it a weird vibe. A DSG version would feel much more appropriate.

Other things I'd mention:
- Engine is a 110bhp 1.0 turbo. It sounds fine, very quiet, but compared to the 1.2TSI with 110bhp in the Yeti it feels less strong. It won't fool you into thinking there's a much bigger powerplant than there is.
- The digital dash is fitted angled away from you at the bottom. I'm sure it's to reduce reflections but it makes it much harder to read the map even when it fills the whole screen. I reverted to digital dials; the map is still visible on the centre screen.
- The standard VW/Audi mirror controller is cheaper-feeling than my A6; it feels like moving it presses a microswitch on a 1980s joystick, not the nice satisfying feel I've always encountered before (even in things like my ex-wife's Beetle, 20 years ago).

If you don't mind that I'd probably recommend it - except it's just over £30k new on the road and over £33k if you get the DSG version (which comes with the 1.5 engine and 150bhp, so definitely preferable).

[jamcg]

Having owned Skodas with both the same 1.2tsi in your yeti and the 1.0tsi you’ve got in there I’d agree with your opinion on the engines. On paper the 1.0 is more powerful and has more torque, however it’s all at the top end so it lacks the mid range grunt of the 1.2, which is what gives you that bigger-than-it-actually-is feeling (ooh er mrs. Etc)

The 1.0 is quite revvy though and doesn’t mind spending the time at the top end like some turbo engines

[Mito Man]

And that results in the smaller engine using more fuel in reality despite the only reason of it being downsized being to reduce emissions.

[Jobbo]

Having owned Skodas with both the same 1.2tsi in your yeti and the 1.0tsi you’ve got in there I’d agree with your opinion on the engines. On paper the 1.0 is more powerful and has more torque, however it’s all at the top end so it lacks the mid range grunt of the 1.2, which is what gives you that bigger-than-it-actually-is feeling (ooh er mrs. Etc)

The 1.0 is quite revvy though and doesn’t mind spending the time at the top end like some turbo engines

I'm helping them run it in by exercising it properly