Uncomfortable motorway cruisers
Discussion
Just picked up a little SEAT Arosa 1.0S to use a run around and for my short commute to work. Paid £1.5K for an 03 model which isn't a bad price when compared with others on the market. The mileage is a bit high but it runs fine.
I checked the service book to find 10 stamps in there. The first 6 are all from a SEAT main dealer.
On checking the dates and milages in the service book, it seems this car was doing over 20K miles per year for it's first 3 years. I feel very sorry for the poor sod who was driving it up and down the motorways of this country all that time. My 20 mile journey back home from picking it up showed that 70mph = 4000rpm.
The car is noisy at these speeds, it gets blown around by corsswinds and venturing in to the outside lane needs a lot of planning as acceleration is almost none existent above 70mph.
However, for driving round town it's great, and it's absolutely tiny so can be parked in the smallest spaces.
Can anyone think of a worse motorway car?
edit: actually i'm probably being too hard on the car. I'm sure it's no worse than any other car of the same size and power
I checked the service book to find 10 stamps in there. The first 6 are all from a SEAT main dealer.
On checking the dates and milages in the service book, it seems this car was doing over 20K miles per year for it's first 3 years. I feel very sorry for the poor sod who was driving it up and down the motorways of this country all that time. My 20 mile journey back home from picking it up showed that 70mph = 4000rpm.
The car is noisy at these speeds, it gets blown around by corsswinds and venturing in to the outside lane needs a lot of planning as acceleration is almost none existent above 70mph.
However, for driving round town it's great, and it's absolutely tiny so can be parked in the smallest spaces.
Can anyone think of a worse motorway car?
edit: actually i'm probably being too hard on the car. I'm sure it's no worse than any other car of the same size and power
My Seat Arosa with the 1.4 Tdi is brilliant in comparison 70mph is about 2k rpm with plenty of go after that. Not noticed crosswinds being a problem yet.
It's now my main car for daily running about & would happily drive it to the Alps tomorrow, assuming I get the cruise control fitted of course.
It's now my main car for daily running about & would happily drive it to the Alps tomorrow, assuming I get the cruise control fitted of course.
I had 2 examples - when as a student, I had a beetle that I had lowered. Very uncomfortable, not recommended.
Second was when I was doing some manhole surveys in West Scotland, I unfortunately ended up with a mouthful of flow. That night, I was pretty spectacularly also in full flow from both ends!
Next morning, too sick to work set off for home but still suffering. Got from Glasgow to Manchester in an x reg escort "55" (Bhp?) diesekl van. The most miserable gutless rubbish vehicle I have ever had to drive. Made worse by driving white as a sheet, sweating profusely and desparately counting down the miles to the next services so I could dash back to the bog!
Second was when I was doing some manhole surveys in West Scotland, I unfortunately ended up with a mouthful of flow. That night, I was pretty spectacularly also in full flow from both ends!
Next morning, too sick to work set off for home but still suffering. Got from Glasgow to Manchester in an x reg escort "55" (Bhp?) diesekl van. The most miserable gutless rubbish vehicle I have ever had to drive. Made worse by driving white as a sheet, sweating profusely and desparately counting down the miles to the next services so I could dash back to the bog!
cptsideways said:
My Seat Arosa with the 1.4 Tdi is brilliant in comparison 70mph is about 2k rpm with plenty of go after that. Not noticed crosswinds being a problem yet.
It's now my main car for daily running about & would happily drive it to the Alps tomorrow, assuming I get the cruise control fitted of course.
I really wanted a 1.4tdi but they hold their value very well so it was out of my budget. Also, there's hardly any Lupo's or Arosa's for sale with this engine.It's now my main car for daily running about & would happily drive it to the Alps tomorrow, assuming I get the cruise control fitted of course.
Doesn't the 1.4TDi come with 'sport' suspension, which might make it handle crosswinds a bit better.
mnkiboy said:
cptsideways said:
My Seat Arosa with the 1.4 Tdi is brilliant in comparison 70mph is about 2k rpm with plenty of go after that. Not noticed crosswinds being a problem yet.
It's now my main car for daily running about & would happily drive it to the Alps tomorrow, assuming I get the cruise control fitted of course.
I really wanted a 1.4tdi but they hold their value very well so it was out of my budget. Also, there's hardly any Lupo's or Arosa's for sale with this engine.It's now my main car for daily running about & would happily drive it to the Alps tomorrow, assuming I get the cruise control fitted of course.
Doesn't the 1.4TDi come with 'sport' suspension, which might make it handle crosswinds a bit better.
its quite roly poly when pushed but not blomange wobbly, it's not not sportingly stiff in any way. It handles well, grips well & is very chuckable. Which to be honest is 10 x better than my Old Audi A2 Tdi which was a worse ride than my race car on the road! the reason I sold the A2 was ride was just plain awful in every respect. The Seat is comfortable & fun to drive at the same time. They certainly hold value well, mine was a bit of bargain to be honest, its a mint condition one with 100k on it in that nice metallic blue.
A hastily bought emergency car,of which the test drive consisted of a 30 second drive around the block, my beautiful 1.0 mk3 fiesta in baby blue & rust. Purchased for the princly sum of £125 with 11 months MOT & 4 months tax 
.... I bought it from the local free rag, as my Escos was in for upgrades, so was going to be off the road for a few weeks. All seemed fine, basic but reliable.
The fun started as I got onto the motorway to travel the 80 miles back to work on a Sunday night. As I (accelerated?) down the slip road, I got to 70ish Mph, and went for 5th gear. Fail.... Wouldn't go in. So I tried a few more times, then gave up, and drove to and from work in 4th gear
... On returning home, I visited my mechanic mate, and asked him to have a quick look, to see if there was anything obviously wrong with it. The answer was, although the gearstick proudly claimed R-1-2-3-4-5, it was infact a FOUR speed box, with a cheeky addition of a five speed gearknob 
... The car actually lasted 7 months before being stolen & burnt out! Possibly the noisiest car in the world, ever at 11,500 Rpm in 4th gear!!
.... I bought it from the local free rag, as my Escos was in for upgrades, so was going to be off the road for a few weeks. All seemed fine, basic but reliable.The fun started as I got onto the motorway to travel the 80 miles back to work on a Sunday night. As I (accelerated?) down the slip road, I got to 70ish Mph, and went for 5th gear. Fail.... Wouldn't go in. So I tried a few more times, then gave up, and drove to and from work in 4th gear
... On returning home, I visited my mechanic mate, and asked him to have a quick look, to see if there was anything obviously wrong with it. The answer was, although the gearstick proudly claimed R-1-2-3-4-5, it was infact a FOUR speed box, with a cheeky addition of a five speed gearknob ... The car actually lasted 7 months before being stolen & burnt out! Possibly the noisiest car in the world, ever at 11,500 Rpm in 4th gear!! Edited by RWD cossie wil on Sunday 9th January 12:05
I had an Aixam 500 diesel. Got on the motorway - and came off at the next junction as so frightening seeing max speed was only around 50 mph. Did nearly 100mpg though and ran on veg oil whenn it was 1/2 price of diesel so used to get around 200 miles for the price of one gallon pump diesel.
Never again though - now have a Smart
Paul H
Never again though - now have a Smart
Paul H
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