Watching an old Top Gear DVD with my mate. God, things used to be so much better: cars used to be so much nicer, music used to be better, etc.

Gradually moving all my stuff to my flat. Happy and excited to be starting my new life, but at the same time, a little bit sad to be emptying the room at my parents' house that has been my home for the last 25 years.

Considering replacing the Mazda with a Peugeot 308..

StevenRB45 said:

Considering replacing the Mazda with a Peugeot 308..

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Shouldn't such a statement be in the grumpy thread?

Moving from Mazda to Peugeot is likely to bring disappointment.

portland_bill said:

Shouldn't such a statement be in the grumpy thread?

Moving from Mazda to Peugeot is likely to bring disappointment.

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I initially had the same thoughts and didn't even look at them. But first off a new Mazda 3 requires a spare wheel to be bought at circa 300 quid. Also the design of the boot means that if I do that the new car is smaller than the old one.

That and the end result of some fairly significant internet digging into likely faults on the Peugeot turned up one recurring fault of cracking welds on rear beams which are replaced f.o.c. and some minor none show-stopping electrics.

Also because it's french and not a Golf they aren't in demand so a year old one with a glass roof, climate alloys e.t.c. with 8000 miles is 11k up. Oh and they actually won JD power this year(!?).

Money versus what you get..well a 308, and 3 year old leggy Golf or a poverty spec one which is just as likely to break down or an ecoboom Focus.

Not entirely decided yet, need to drive one for a start and might hate it...but looking into them I was surprised.

Ah, now a choice between Focus and Peugeot, I'd go with the Peugeot.
At least the Peugeot is an honest proposition. It delivers on its promises, whereas the Ford promises a lot and will always disappoint as it is all show but weak substance underneath. Peugeot, like most manufacturers, try to do the best they can with the budget they've got. Ford however, do as little as possible, but make it look better than it is.

Mazda to Peugeot will be different.
Mazda to Ford will be disappointing.

Astra?

Tipo?

Giulietta?

andydiver said:

Tipo?

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Not a car sector Ive shown great intetest in of late.

Had a 307hdi for a few years..
Nice feel.. put together ok.. but some of the electrics put fiat in a different light.

Not sure the 308 is THAT MUCH better.

Tipo.
Turkish built to an OK standard..

Should be CHEAPER though.
Dealer support would be my biggest concern.

portland_bill said:

Mazda to Peugeot will be different.
Mazda to Ford will be disappointing.

Astra?

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As well as the Mazda has served me, the current one is bit too far off the sporty end of the spectrum for the use it currently finds itself doing. Great at backroad hooning, not so great at providing a quiet, smooth environment for my sons days out which is the only thing it does other than my short commute.

Idea with the 308 would be to get something a bit less tightly wound, with a bigger boot. Also I like the 1.2 turbo engine they are economical, have proved reliable since launch and have a good wedge of torque for relaxed use.

Much as I know I should look at the Astra..I just can't get up any interest.

puntofan01 said:

Giulietta?

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Has the same issues as my current car, I.e. Small interior and boot.

varesecrazy said:

Not a car sector Ive shown great intetest in of late.

Had a 307hdi for a few years..
Nice feel.. put together ok.. but some of the electrics put fiat in a different light.

Not sure the 308 is THAT MUCH better.

Tipo.
Turkish built to an OK standard..

Should be CHEAPER though.
Dealer support would be my biggest concern.

Click to expand...

Tipo is a bit too cheap and cheerful for me and I do like the modern gadgets which you can't get on it like adaptive cruise, and L.e.d. headlamps.

My Dad has a 307 for 4 years, it actually never went wrong and they were renowned for being terrible. We've had 4 years of PSA cars now with the 2 Citroens and no electrical issues have occurred. That and the plan is buy it at 1 year to 18 months old, get any weirdness warrantied out and keep it to 5 or 6 years old where it's still new enough not to be a basket case.

StevenRB45 said:

ecoboom Focus.

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I saw the BBC video about the fragility of their turbo engines. It did rather make me chuckle.

A crashed car, sitting neatly in an unfenced field, at least 20m from the road. With its hazard lights on?
A warning to badgers and rabbits perhaps?

Strange to think there's a good chance he'll never drive an I.c.e. car..and a decent chance any car he gets would drive itself..

Or the world may have imploded..who knows!

Very cute picture! But goodness me, how many buttons have you got to play with on that steering wheel?!

Re your implosion musings - My news feed ran an article by someone claiming to be in the know a few days ago that they were worried that this new monster mega sized particle accelerator that the Chinese are building (twice the size and 7 times more powerful than Cern's Large Hadron Collider!) Might just create a mini black hole which would then consume the earth! I seem to remember the same concerns regarding the one at Cern - Maybe they just realised they didn't make it big enough so they're going to have another go at it?

Pugglt Auld Jock said:

Very cute picture! But goodness me, how many buttons have you got to play with on that steering wheel?!

Re your implosion musings - My news feed ran an article by someone claiming to be in the know a few days ago that they were worried that this new monster mega sized particle accelerator that the Chinese are building (twice the size and 7 times more powerful than Cern's Large Hadron Collider!) Might just create a mini black hole which would then consume the earth! I seem to remember the same concerns regarding the one at Cern - Maybe they just realised they didn't make it big enough so they're going to have another go at it?

Click to expand...

No idea what you mean about the buttons..there's only 12..plus a rocker switch..and 3 toggles one of which is also a button..simplicity itself!

My dad always said I was wasting my time on Gran Turismo but seems the controller was a very handy trainer!


I'm sure the people have been saying the end of the world is nigh ever since people had the concept of language and the idea that the world could end..

Reminds me of when I bought my Grande: going from a mk2 Active to my top spec Eleganza took some getting used to!

If anything it's a decent argument for a touch screen. Some of the things on it you use daily, so stereo, phone and cruise, maybe trip computer mode, possibly speed warning but I never use it. But pretty much everything on the right hand spoke is mainly stuff you'd may be look at once a month maximum if that.

You aren't going to be driving along and think..."hmm I need to increase the volume of the indicators, I shall do it now!" Or "I've got a burning need to know how many days to my next service" Or "I need to set myself a reminder to rotate my tyres next October!" Possibly even "Today I shall have metric units!"

In a new car all that stuff would be on the touchscreen and as a result be a lot tidier to look at.

I am in work all weekend..

Wheras I am normally in Another Country..

BUT I get all week to myself.!!

Aaand.. I am fiddling with stuff the forum will be discussing @2020 :/

It being December already: where the hell has 2018 gone?!?! [emoji33]

Last day at work Friday.

Start my new job tomorrow and have (statutory minimum but it's better than nothing) redundancy cheque coming in time for the festive period.