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It seems here on HEXUS, considering a car outside of the official Permitted Cars List will get you shouted at. Buying a small Japanese car practically involved turning in my penis and being evicted from maleness. So I have now decided to expand my giving other peoples' cars a play, partly in an effort to abuse the "drive others' cars" clause in my insurance policy, and partly to expand my horizons.
For those now in the know, I drive a 53-plate Honda Jazz SE Sport 1.4. In brief, that's 1339 cc (not sure why it's rounded up instead of down); 4 cylinder/16 valve; 82 horsepower, insurance group 3, and gets a theoretical combined mileage of 49 MPG. In practice, given the driving I do (mostly short-trip city driving, some A-roads and the occasional motorway), that ends up at ~44.5. And it looks a lot like this:
I've been driving the Jazz since I got it about 9 months ago, and have grown used to it. It's not a performance motor, it's not "interesting", but it does what I need it to do (go from A to B without ever going wrong).
So. On with other peoples' cars. The first port of call is, as always, the parents. I did a lot of my learning in my mum's 1.4 Clio so I think I'm too used to it to make an objective post on here. My dad's car, on the other hand, I drove for the first time last weekend.
So, car number 1: Toyota Avensis Hatchback 1.8 VVT-i 5d
The Avensis in question is a little newer than my Jazz (04 plate), and has a few more horses under the bonnet (127). It was also serviced the week before. Sitting down in it, a couple of thoughts come to mind:
- Climate Control rocks. I wish I had it. (It's in the Jazz Sport, but not the SE Sport)
- Good lord, the bonnet sticks out a lot. (As you can tell from the Jazz pics, my car's front is a little on the stubby side)
Actually pulling away, the main distraction is that the biting point is higher than I'm used to - but otherwise, it's smooth enough. From my parents' village, I took a short drive to the nearest supermarket, which involves a short stretch on national speed limit single-carriageway roads. Another two observations at this point:
- The added horsepower is largely canceled out by the added weight. Whilst acceleration is a little quicker than the Jazz, most power transfer seems missing at lower revs. It seems to be happiest when driven much as I drive the Jazz, but at 500 revs lower.
- There seems to be a really annoying lip preventing me from pushing the clutch all the way down unless I shift my foot position. I've experienced worse clutches, but it's annoying for my toes to be catching all the time. And yes, my seat is otherwise in the correct place
And then, to the car park. Good GOD I dislike the Avensis at this point - larger cars are not meant to be parked, it seems. Especially not in the cramped overflow section of the local Waitrose. Getting out of the overflow car park involves a multi-point turn to avoid hitting either other parked cars or the thoughtfully placed wall in the middle of the parking area. In the end I give up with trying to get the thing into a bay, and let my Dad do it. Horrible.
So. Overall? For the single added benefit I could see in the Avensis (CC) which I could have gotten in a smaller car anyway, versus niggles (clutch issues) and more fundamental problems (poor maneuverability, high fuel consumption), I reckon I'm happier with my Jazz.
This weekend should hopefully provide a few more interesting entries, as I'm visiting the Fiancee's parents - and they have multiple cars (including an RX8)
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Originally Posted by directhex
I've passengered porsches and such, but like Kaillum I like to drive/experience other cars and compare them, etc, and yes this forum is far too pro-certain cars, although mainly the suggestions are well-justified
