What's made you not grumpy but not smile either today?

[StevenRB45]

Actually there's a bit of a story to that too - the umbrella I mean. As I've mentioned before my Scala has the "Technology" trim pack, not that I wanted it, but it was the only 110hp they had which was pre-reg. It's a version specifically aimed at the traveling sales reps, not many people have heard of it. Basically an SE trim but with a number of "desirable" extras - the Amundsen screen and computer system (couldn't give a monkeys about it) Front and rear parking sensors (those I do find very useful) and some other stuff I'm pretty indifferent to. Oh, and a fancy bit of stainless trim along the bottom of the windows and half way up the rear 3/4 which I'm strangely pleased with? Haven't seen another one with this trim so far. However, one of the things Mrs J noticed when we were looking at the brochures was that it has an umbrella in the drivers door. She thought this was wonderful. When we went in to collect the car she, of course, checked to see if the umbrella was there. Disaster! No umbrella! Oh dear, end of world nigh! The very nice salesman promised he'd get one for her and then took me aside and said, you do realise the Technology pack does not include the umbrella? However I can see it's important to your wife and I'll get one at no charge to you - and he did, although it took a few days for it to arrive. Doubt if we'll ever use it and I'll not be putting it back in the door when it's wet, but I thought it was very nice of him to do that. So far I've taken it out just to check it's Ok and put it back.

Mine is a similar spec... although the name is a bit more on the nose "business edition". Basically all the stuff a travelling rep might want, i.e. cruise control, upgraded drivers seat with power lumbar support and heating for both, auto lights, sat nav. Then everything the fleet manager might want, the smaller wheels so cheaper tyres with lower CO2 for taxing and fuel consumption and a spare wheel. Then the exterior largely looks like a base spec..but with fog lamps.

Missing very few none decorative things compared to top spec "excel" one of those is a variable height boot floor.. however given this robs about 2 inches if not more depth across the whole load floor it technically reduces the boot space by 50l so no great loss.

Of course being a car my wife uses it comes with About 5 umbrellas in the boot, 3 of which are usually broken.

 

[StevenRB45]

That 11 mcould be criticalif loading gold bullion aftera bank robbery

To be fair could have came in handy when I was hand bombing 6 bags of sand into it...

 

[ZaphodB]

Oh, and a fancy bit of stainless trim along the bottom of the windows and half way up the rear 3/4

I'm sold

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Mine is a similar spec... although the name is a bit more on the nose "business edition". Basically all the stuff a travelling rep might want, i.e. cruise control, upgraded drivers seat with power lumbar support and heating for both, auto lights, sat nav. Then everything the fleet manager might want, the smaller wheels so cheaper tyres with lower CO2 for taxing and fuel consumption and a spare wheel. Then the exterior largely looks like a base spec..but with fog lamps.

Missing very few none decorative things compared to top spec "excel" one of those is a variable height boot floor.. however given this robs about 2 inches if not more depth across the whole load floor it technically reduces the boot space by 50l so no great loss.

Of course being a car my wife uses it comes with About 5 umbrellas in the boot, 3 of which are usually broken.

Much the same concept as mine although yours sounds a bit "posher" with power lumber support. Mine has it on both front seats but you have to work it manually. Mrs J with her back problems really loves having it on the passenger seat. (something slightly "wrong sounding" about that?) - no seat heating though, it is a Skoda after all! Smaller diameter wheels and 205/55 R15 tyres with a nice depth of sidewall were an attraction too (I believe that's the most common tyre size in Britain today?) Couldn't live without cruise. Still getting used to auto lights, wipers and other weird stuff.

 

[ZaphodB]

Mrs J with her back problems really loves having it on the passenger seat. (something slightly "wrong sounding" about that?)

- no seat heating though,

Couldn't live without cruise.

I love cruise, I paid out £300 for a retrofit kit and fitted it myself on my 'new' 595

Still getting used to auto lights, wipers and other weird stuff.

I love auto lights and rain sensing wipers , just select once and forget

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

I'm sold

Here it is.

It's the way it curls up at the back but stops without going all the way round. Can't explain the fascination with it but I just think it looks great!

 

[ZaphodB]

It's the way it curls up at the back but stops without going all the way round.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

I love cruise, I paid out £300 for a retrofit kit and fitted it myself on my 'new' 595

Yes. I use it in town to stop me exceeding the new 20mph limits as well as the more usual situations like on the motorway.

I love auto lights and rain sensing wipers , just select once and forget

Definitely getting used to the auto lights but not so convinced about the auto wipers. I'm trying to work out whether the rain turns on the lights or whether it's just that the drop in light levels when it's raining is what does it.

 

[ZaphodB]

Yes. I use it in town to stop me exceeding the new 20mph limits as well as the more usual situations like on the motorway.

Definitely getting used to the auto lights but not so convinced about the auto wipers. I'm trying to work out whether the rain turns on the lights or whether it's just that the drop in light levels when it's raining is what does it.

If you look central and top of the windscreen , you'll see the rain sensor.

When screen is dry infra red beams reflect back into sensors (total internal reflection in the glass) , when a rain drop (or drops) is sat over the sensor some IR light leaves , so the sensor receives less , this reduced signal is what triggers the wipers, it can pick up on levels of rain drops , because the larger the rain drop over the area the more IR light is lost to the outside world.

So it's nothing to do the (ambient) light levels , just actual raindrops and IR optics within and behind the glass.

 

[PuntoHowTo]

Doubt if we'll ever use it and I'll not be putting it back in the door when it's wet,

when Rolls Royce came up with the umbrella in the door thing people thought it was a gimick that would be easily fitted to any car. The difference with the rolls was that not only did it store the umbrella but it would also dry it as well with heat and and airflow over it while stored.

I have an umbrella in my golf drivers door…. (Pocket)

 

[StevenRB45]

Much the same concept as mine although yours sounds a bit "posher" with power lumber support. Mine has it on both front seats but you have to work it manually. Mrs J with her back problems really loves having it on the passenger seat. (something slightly "wrong sounding" about that?) - no seat heating though, it is a Skoda after all! Smaller diameter wheels and 205/55 R15 tyres with a nice depth of sidewall were an attraction too (I believe that's the most common tyre size in Britain today?) Couldn't live without cruise. Still getting used to auto lights, wipers and other weird stuff.

Of course we share a tyre size...fleet manager friendly .

That means it's also the tyre used on the most popular taxis given they continued using it on the Corrolla so it's on Auris and that...and also Taxi spec Octavias.

Cruise control is a deal breaker for me unless I'm literally desperate for a car I would not buy one without it. Makes long journeys so much nicer.

To be fair all the other 1.2 manuals I saw were icon spec..which has no cruise, no rear view camera, no electric rear windows so I'd discounted actually buying one. Electric rear windows may seem a bit lah di dah but being able to stop a 6 year old opening the back window in the pissing rain is desirable.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Cruise control is a deal breaker for me unless I'm literally desperate for a car I would not buy one without it. Makes long journeys so much nicer.

Me too. Doesn't worry me in the Panda doing local trips. Also I find her normally aspirated engine is easier to hold a constant speed with - I've noticed that with the Jazz and Mazda too. Much harder with the wee turbo engines.

Electric rear windows may seem a bit lah di dah but being able to stop a 6 year old opening the back window in the pissing rain is desirable.

Yes the Scala has electric rear windows - the Ibiza didn't - and she has a wee button, Illuminated of course! - behind the 4 switches on the driver door arm rest which lets you disable the rear electric windows. I like it because at any speed over about 25 mph if the rear windows are open you get a horrible fluctuating compression of the air in the car which affects my ears. The wee lad likes to have the window down and being able to just push that button lets me kid him on that it's probably stuck or broken!

 

[portland_bill]

Yes. I use it in town to stop me exceeding the new 20mph limits as well as the more usual situations like on the motorway.

Definitely getting used to the auto lights but not so convinced about the auto wipers. I'm trying to work out whether the rain turns on the lights or whether it's just that the drop in light levels when it's raining is what does it.

Many later cars do turn the lights on if the wipers have been on for a short time.
You'll see many cars in rain or fog without lights, because they have abdicated responsibility to the quality control department of a chineses light sensor manufacturer. To go some way to prevent this silliness, the rain sensor and lights are now linked.

 

[PuntoHowTo]

My 1993 Mondeo had 205/55/15 tires on it, and back in the early 2000s when I bought the car (it was 8 years old when I got it) they were considered to be big wheels on a standard car. They used to cost me a bloody fortune to replace the tires. I pay less for a 225/40/18 inch bridgestone now, than I did for a budget Nankang or Kumo back in 2002.

Cruise control is a deal breaker for me unless I'm literally desperate for a car I would not buy one without it. Makes long journeys so much nicer.

Aircon is my deal breaker these days. I get that the Punto doesn't have aircon, but it also doesn't have a roof when the sun comes out.... even then I may have been looking for aircon parts for a mk1 Punto and wondered if I could adapt a Mk3 Panda aircon system to fit and work...

cruise control I can live without. maybe if I had radar controlled cruise control that maintains the speed and distance from the car in front, but it seems these days you put the cruise control on, on a normal straight flat 10 mile piece of road and you'll have 7 speed limit changes and the car in front of you will drive at with in the range of 30 - 70mph, rarely ever within the speed limit of that stretch. which means they accelerate off, you then catch them doing when you're doing the speed limit and they're 10mph under it, conversely you'll go into a 30mph limit and they will drive through it at 55mph. so you adjust the cruise control down, then up again at the end of the 30 limit, and then catch them within a few hundred yards again and you're changing the Cruise control yet again.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Many later cars do turn the lights on if the wipers have been on for a short time.
You'll see many cars in rain or fog without lights, because they have abdicated responsibility to the quality control department of a chineses light sensor manufacturer. To go some way to prevent this silliness, the rain sensor and lights are now linked.

Ah, that explains a lot. I think that's exactly what mine is doing. I don't trust it so find myself frequently checking the display on the light switch - probably easier just to used the light switch to manually select whether they are on or not?

 

[StevenRB45]

My 1993 Mondeo had 205/55/15 tires on it, and back in the early 2000s when I bought the car (it was 8 years old when I got it) they were considered to be big wheels on a standard car. They used to cost me a bloody fortune to replace the tires. I pay less for a 225/40/18 inch bridgestone now, than I did for a budget Nankang or Kumo back in 2002.


Aircon is my deal breaker these days. I get that the Punto doesn't have aircon, but it also doesn't have a roof when the sun comes out.... even then I may have been looking for aircon parts for a mk1 Punto and wondered if I could adapt a Mk3 Panda aircon system to fit and work...

cruise control I can live without. maybe if I had radar controlled cruise control that maintains the speed and distance from the car in front, but it seems these days you put the cruise control on, on a normal straight flat 10 mile piece of road and you'll have 7 speed limit changes and the car in front of you will drive at with in the range of 30 - 70mph, rarely ever within the speed limit of that stretch. which means they accelerate off, you then catch them doing when you're doing the speed limit and they're 10mph under it, conversely you'll go into a 30mph limit and they will drive through it at 55mph. so you adjust the cruise control down, then up again at the end of the 30 limit, and then catch them within a few hundred yards again and you're changing the Cruise control yet again.

Wait they make cars without Aircon? I've not owned a car without Climate control for a decade..so I'd forgotten people do without.

Cruise depends where you are and where you're using it, did an hour 30 today up and back to Hamsterly in the moors. Lots of up and down and lots of hills and limit changes didn't use it all. But for standard, get on the A1 and do a few hours it's good although yes you do have to be proactive with forward planning if it's busier. That and it's usually reasonably efficient...as I don't end up accidentally doing 90. It's easier when you've got a button to send the current speed limit to the cruise. Though only the Citroën has that.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Aircon is my deal breaker these days. I get that the Punto doesn't have aircon, but it also doesn't have a roof when the sun comes out.... even then I may have been looking for aircon parts for a mk1 Punto and wondered if I could adapt a Mk3 Panda aircon system to fit and work...

cruise control I can live without. maybe if I had radar controlled cruise control that maintains the speed and distance from the car in front, but it seems these days you put the cruise control on, on a normal straight flat 10 mile piece of road and you'll have 7 speed limit changes and the car in front of you will drive at with in the range of 30 - 70mph, rarely ever within the speed limit of that stretch. which means they accelerate off, you then catch them doing when you're doing the speed limit and they're 10mph under it, conversely you'll go into a 30mph limit and they will drive through it at 55mph. so you adjust the cruise control down, then up again at the end of the 30 limit, and then catch them within a few hundred yards again and you're changing the Cruise control yet again.

Aircon is "nice" but there's not that many days when I could truely say it's indispensable? Nearly everything has it now though so that's fine by me. Remember though that if you've got it you must turn it on regularly or the compressor seals etc will dry out and the refrigerant will leak away. If you let this happen you'll likely need a new compressor as there's not many who will entertain trying to repair them. it'll eat up a good few weeks pocket money!

Cruise? I agree it's not much good in heavy traffic unless it's the "posh" adaptive type. However I do find it works well in 20 zones because almost noone is actually going at 20 so you rarely catch them up! It's wonderful on those long traffic sparse stretches of the more northern sections of the M6 where I can go for literally hours at a time with the cruise on 70. Without the cruise I find it's very easy to suddenly find you're doing well over the limit without intending too. Mostly, I think, because the engines are so quiet these days that you get no indication via the noise. Tyre/chassis running noises are louder.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Here it is.

View attachment 470789

It's the way it curls up at the back but stops without going all the way round. Can't explain the fascination with it but I just think it looks great!

Huh! T'aint no Panda tho!! MASSIVE. Lol

 

[The Panda Nut]

Here it is.

View attachment 470789

It's the way it curls up at the back but stops without going all the way round. Can't explain the fascination with it but I just think it looks great!

Huh! T'aint no Panda tho!!

Yes. I use it in town to stop me exceeding the new 20mph limits as well as the more usual situations like on the motorway.

Definitely getting used to the auto lights but not so convinced about the auto wipers. I'm trying to work out whether the rain turns on the lights or whether it's just that the drop in light levels when it's raining is what does it.

One of my mates went through a big puddle on a back road. The water and mud thrown onto the screen meant he could ot seeand by the time he got the wipers on he was off the road with a very bad result.

Ive had times when water thrown over the central reservation barrier by HGV's would ahve been very scarey indeed without auto wipers. I think they are a good safery feature and would love a retro kit for the Panda if there were one.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Here it is.

View attachment 470789

It's the way it curls up at the back but stops without going all the way round. Can't explain the fascination with it but I just think it looks great!

Huh! T'aint no Panda tho!!

Ah, that explains a lot. I think that's exactly what mine is doing. I don't trust it so find myself frequently checking the display on the light switch - probably easier just to used the light switch to manually select whether they are on or not?

Then you will only have yourself to blame for forgetting the lights one night. Relax and trust it its one system Ive always found works.

Of course, If you just had Pandas you would not need to worry about this and would be happier and more fulfilled which would mean you lived longer LOL