Off Topic Something I've noticed about the 500 Lardy

[RobinPJ]

Does it come with a crate for your guide dog?

 

[MJG]

Does it come with a crate for your guide dog?

Beauty, as they say is in the eye of the beholder....

It doesn't of course but it comes with a huge back seat which our Jack Russell can spread out on with out waiting for something badly stowed to fall on his head, it all goes in the boot now and not partly on the back seat as it it did in the 500..

 

[scout]

Does it come with a crate for your guide dog?

No, but they do conveniently mount a white stick on the roof at the back

 

[Ulpian]

I know the Pop comes well equipped, but does it have satnav, a great stereo and does it have a fully adjustable, including lumbar support, front seat?

Seat comfort is essential for me, as is a proper satnav, and I wouldn't consider a new car without a good in-built system since all the newest cars have them and I wouldn't want one without.

I'd want the folding front passenger seat too.

And this is the problem, if somebody gave me the basic car I'd be very happy, but if I was paying I'd want the bits I need, and suddenly the price begins to rise. In fact the Trekking, with the crash protection, is the best value, even at the horrendous price.

I'd also want the forthcoming 120hp Diesel, and how much will that cost I wonder.... :devil:

I expect that come next year and all the new models from competitors entering the market we will find the 500L prices and specifications settling somewhat.

 

[MJG]

I know the Pop comes well equipped, but does it have satnav, a great stereo and does it have a fully adjustable, including lumbar support, front seat?

Seat comfort is essential for me, as is a proper satnav, and I wouldn't consider a new car without a good in-built system since all the newest cars have them and I wouldn't want one without.

I'd want the folding front passenger seat too.

And this is the problem, if somebody gave me the basic car I'd be very happy, but if I was paying I'd want the bits I need, and suddenly the price begins to rise. In fact the Trekking, with the crash protection, is the best value, even at the horrendous price.

I'd also want the forthcoming 120hp Diesel, and how much will that cost I wonder.... :devil:

I expect that come next year and all the new models from competitors entering the market we will find the 500L prices and specifications settling somewhat.

Built in Sat Nav is eye wateringly expensive,(£500 springs to mind but it adds DAB too) electric lumbar adjustment on the drivers seat is an option across all three, not sure what the cost of that is. The drivers seat is height and reach adjustable though.

 

[RobinPJ]

Built in Sat Nav is eye wateringly expensive,(£500 springs to mind but it adds other stuff too from memory)

You've obviously never specced up a BMW or Mercedes if you think that is expensive for SatNav.

 

[MJG]

You've obviously never specced up a BMW or Mercedes if you think that is expensive for SatNav.

Probably not I have never ordered a Sat Nav for one of those - I just think £500 (and I could be even overstating that) is a silly amount.

I just think it's extremely expensive compared to the one I already had which covers Western Europe (for when we go to France) and the UK which I got for under £70. OK it might not look as elegant sat on the dash top but it is only used for holidays and journeys to unfamiliar places so it's not in use anywhere near all the time.

The only concern I had was that there would be an issue caused by the thermic windscreen blocking the GPS signal but my Garmin seems completely un-phased by it.

 

[Ulpian]

Why does lumbar support need to be electric?

I set it once, and there it remains, so all the cost of electrics is totally unnecessary.

And that's just the sort of expensive but necessary option - that should be standard - that I get cross about.

It's interesting that Dacia offers a very good touchscreen multimedia system, shared with Renault, for peanuts.

 

[MJG]

Why does lumbar support need to be electric?

I set it once, and there it remains, so all the cost of electrics is totally unnecessary.

it does seem unnecessary I agree, more to go wrong too.

 

[RobinPJ]

Probably not I have never ordered a Sat Nav for one of those - I just think £500 (and I could be even overstating that) is a silly amount.

I just think it's extremely expensive compared to the one I already had which covers Western Europe (for when we go to France) and the UK which I got for under £70. OK it might not look as elegant sat on the dash top but it is only used for holidays and journeys to unfamiliar places so it's not in use anywhere near all the time.

The only concern I had was that there would be an issue caused by the thermic windscreen blocking the GPS signal but my Garmin seems completely un-phased by it.

I just looked on the Mercedes website - COMAND (their integrated satnav) costs at least £2,100 on a B Class.

 

[MJG]

I just looked on the Mercedes website - COMAND (their integrated satnav) costs at least £2,100 on a B Class.

Indeed shocking I wouldn't have bought that or the FIAT one though either.

 

[Ulpian]

A decent domestic stereo isn't cheap, and I listen to the radio in the car more than at home, so I suppose a few hundred for something that gives pleasure over time isn't a lot. But over £2000 is silly money.

And when I looked inside the new Merc A Class I found a very cramped, dark and rather charmless place to sit.

In fact the 500L is far more attractive inside, and lighter and airier too. Better ride by all accounts as well. A Merc owner wouldn't agree of course

 

[RobinPJ]

My abiding memory of the 500L interior is really horribly cheap looking and naff designed seats. The dash is indeed quite nice and interesting.

 

[MJG]

My abiding memory of the 500L interior is really horribly cheap looking and naff designed seats. The dash is indeed quite nice and interesting.

We love the interior of ours, red and black trim and chosen because it looks easier to keep looking smart.

Our 500 with it's chequered cream and black cloth trip looked superb when it was new but my over riding memory of that was after just a week or so looked grubby and was a pain to keep clean throughout the life of the car..

Water marks were a constant bind to remove.

Having one again I would Defo. choose leather or similar to what we have now in the L.

 

[Ulpian]

Certainly the L seats with 'writing' on them are pretty awful, but the colourful ones, and the Trekking ones in particular, are great.

I like the colourful seats in the 500 a lot, and I agree that the check ones don't appear to wear well. And the leather ones in the Abarth are indeed very lovely.

 

[MJG]

A decent domestic stereo isn't cheap, and I listen to the radio in the car more than at home, so I suppose a few hundred for something that gives pleasure over time isn't a lot. But over £2000 is silly money.

And when I looked inside the new Merc A Class I found a very cramped, dark and rather charmless place to sit.

In fact the 500L is far more attractive inside, and lighter and airier too. Better ride by all accounts as well. A Merc owner wouldn't agree of course

AFAIK the stereo system whether you add sat nav or not is fundamentally the same in terms of sound quality, though you do get DAB of course.

One other reason I didn't go this route was that I have an unlimited data plan on 3 on my iPhone meaning I can stream digital radio from my phone to the sound system.

 

[Ulpian]

Sounds reasonable