More Gripes with Hire Cars

[Murphyv310]

Fiats are rubbish, the only thing they do well is rust.

Sam you sadly are living in the past. Modern Fiat's DO NOT rust. The current Panda is Italy's top selling car and and one of the top 10 In Europe. I got this attitude from folk that slated rear engined Skoda who never ever sat in them nor drove them. The 500 is suited to young people mostly female drivers not us old fuddy duddys.
My Hyundai i10 tells me to change up at 1200rpm on light throttle, I totally ignore it as it's useless.

[ppppenguin]

The 500 is suited to young people mostly female drivers not us old fuddy duddys.

I have friends in their 80s (a married couple) who have bought a Fiat 500 recently and love it.

[Refugee]

Most car manufacturers have been through a rusty phase.
The Ford Anglia used to be pretty bad.
I have found a more modern Ford being fixed at an accident repair facility after "accidentally" going rusty.
https://amsbodyrepairs.co.uk/ford-ka-pet...corrosion/
The rustiest fiat must surely be the Strada from the late 1970s.
The ugliest Fiat must surely be the early shape Multipla.

[Pye Man]

No modern car will rust as bad or as quickly as many used to. ... Having said that I don't think we keep cars as long as we did.

I’ve always driven old cars. Once I’d learned basic maintenance and knew how to pick a good banger I realised I could go a lot of miles for not much money. I had numerous 60s and 70s cars when they were towards the end of their life, the span of which for most never reached double figures. Eighties ones fared a little better but not much.

Today it is common to see cars in their teens and beyond on the road and they don’t stand out like brush-painted primer-panel bangers of years ago. My current runabout is 21 years old. Unless someone is up on their makes and models they will not notice – it is just yet another average anonymous family car with silver (rust free) paintwork. In the bad old days (London) Mayor Khan’s ULEZ restrictions would affect few because fifteen year old cars would be few. (I remember when a fifteen year old car could be insured under a Sun Alliance classic car policy.)

Unfortunately, the maintenance I am able to do on my current car is far less than that on my Escort Mk1 of yore but OTOH it requires far less attention. It won’t be the tin worm that sees it off but some electronic part that requires replacing that will be more than the car is worth. The locking system sometimes has a mind of its own – oh for mechanical locks.

I loathe and detest all these in-car nags, gizmos and ‘help’. I know if my engine is happy and when to change up and down by its note – and also when to do the latter by reading the road ahead. My current car is the same model as my previous one though the previous one was ‘deluxe’ specification. I told a friend only yesterday that I went for an upgrade: the basic version without all the whistles and bells. The more basic it is the less there is to go wrong.

[Murphyv310]

Hi
My old Audi 80 Avant went off the road I think 3 years ago. It lasted 25 years, it was rot free when I parted company with it in 2011. Perhaps accident damage or mechanical failure.
   
   

[PerdioPal]

Good old motorcycle (with a slight oil leak) no rust and bodywork is ones jacket (no rust again). And not hauling around a ton or so of steel for no good reason I do wish kickstarts were compulsory though because the insey weeny tiny weeny batteries on electric (only) start bikes are far too small. I think all modern motorcycles are designed for summer riding just for fun, not all year commuting.

[Murphyv310]

Hi.
Each to their own I'd say. I'd rather be in a vehicle with a ton of steel around me than being on a motorcycle and vulnerable. There are numerous fatalities in Scotland and I've seen absolutely horrendous driving standards by some irresponsible motorcycle riders, I'm not saying car drivers are perfect which they are not. I've been overtaken on "A" roads with motorcycles travelling over 100mph at 40 mph in a car that's a vehicle coming up behind you with a 60 mph difference just think of looking in your mirror every five seconds and the distance covered. Sorry but often the level of speed is criminal.

[peter scott]

Well I took the Fiat 500 Hybrid back this morning having covered 399 km. I handed it back with a full tank after filling it until the pump clicked and it took 20.07 litres so consumption was pretty good at 5.03 litres/100km or 56.16 mpg on a fairly even mix of motorway and A class and town running.

Peter

[Murphyv310]

Hi.
I got 60.3 mpg tank to tank in my 1242cc 2014 Fiat Panda Lounge on a trip to Newcastle and back. The 2015 Hyundai i10 998 cc I have now is returning 51mpg on mixed driving, it has done nearly 114,00 miles though.