So... what car do you guys drive when not flying?

Did you ever drive a Honda S2000? I haven't owned one but have driven and thought it was great. Problem for me was the doors seemed a bit short to get my not so agile body in and out.
"Fraid not. In the late 60s Honda had the S600 and the S800 in Australia. They were high-revving screaming motorbike engines really, and nowhere near as pretty as the MGB, which remains my favourite car. BMC had a strike at Zetland in 1967, so I was unable to buy a B, so I bought my first Cooper S.
 
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Getting ot, but a mate and I tried some rallies in the 70's… At that time his Cooper S was breathing through a huge weber where the speedo had once been.
I was an abject failure as a navigator ( would have rather been driving) , but still remember the wonderful sound and light show out of the corner of my eye as the car was flung around on the bush tracks.
As Legend goes it ended up so hot that he was touching the handbrake to tighten it up while on full noise and full lock at 160k + on the bitumen twisties

memories…….
 
Im finding that my ‘67 MGB MK 1 is getting too difficult to get in and out of. (Hip issues I may need to re think my situation.
 
Hire car is Toyota Camry - it feels so big to drive!

If you happen to drive south on the Monaro Highway past Hume there is a huge "car park" on the left just before Rose Cottage roundabout, I'm guessing your old car is one of the hundreds of damaged cars there. Puts the hail storm in perspective!
 
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Got a new company car. Despite my extensive campaign for a Rav 4 I ended up with another Corolla. Blasted thing beeps when I speed, turns the handbrake on automatically, tries to tell me to slow down (managed to turn that function off). I want my old Corolla back... the one that let ME drive the car.

end rant. ;)
 
With regard to the hail...

I had a brand new Land Rover Discovery 4 that was caught in the Melbourne storm in 2011. When we went to the assessment centre, basically any car worth less than $30,000 was being written off. The damage to the LR was interesting. The glass was all good. A couple of plastic external items were broken. The bonnet and roof were lunar landscapes. The bonnet was aluminium. The roof on the other hand was a high strength steel. The overall repair bill was very close to $40,000.

The vehicle was sent to one of the specialist repairers. Nevertheless, I was prepared for the worst and planned on selling it once it was returned. When it came back it was at least as good as new, and had no repaired panels. Everything had been replaced. The entire car had also been painted. Ended up keeping it for another six years.

I am very twitchy about hail now though, especially as I've got a car with a glass roof!
 
Car replacement. It's very rare that I buy a car without a couple of years of test driving and vacillation. I expect that I'm the sort of buyer who is hated by sales people, especially as I'll never react to any "deals" that may be time limited.

So, I'm looking at things at the moment. Basically, my wife really doesn't like my S3 (too firm, not great seats), and I don't want to have to use the RRS for everything. I wouldn't mind a second car that's perhaps a little more versatile. But, I may come to the conclusion that she doesn't need to ride in my car. I don't know.

It throws up an interesting range of cars.

Firstly it must have decent seats. Most cars do not, and the cars which do or don't, aren't necessarily at any particular price point.

I'd like it to have a decent level of get up and go. Some personality would also be nice. Black...I do not want black, inside or out. If it only comes with a black interior, then it's probably out.

Petrol. Diesel. Electric. All will be considered, but as I live in the country, the options are not the same as they would be for a city dweller.

We end up with a somewhat strange list of possibles. At one end, Tesla 3. Jag XE P300. Smaller SUVs, perhaps Jag E-Pace. New Evoque seems priced by the fairies. MB, new GLB perhaps. RS Q3, though I suspect that it would be seat and ride challenged. And at the far end of the scale, maybe the new Defender 90.

Of course, living in the country means that the spare tyre isn't just there for good looks. Very few vehicles come with a real one these days (but some do). Many allow you to carry one if you wish (like my current S3). But, I'm being surprised to find a large number of vehicles that don't even have sufficient space for that. Run flats aren't a good option.
 
Car rego is due tomorrow and car insurance is due on Sunday - my car must be four years old! Getting close to 30,000km on it, too. All the fancy Lexus benefits are over now (free servicing, free auto club), so back to paying for that myself.

Happy to keep the car for a few more years - my old CR-V was 10years old when Mr Katie wrote it off. There are only two things that really annoy me with the car - the voice recognition to make calls is woeful; I'm better off having my phone connected by blue tooth and using Siri to make calls. And the amount of luggage space in the boot. We spent a couple of nights at Surfers between Christmas and New Years, and we could only just fit everything for four people in it. I had hoped to take my dirty laundry to wash (fewer jobs to do when we got home), but it just couldn't fit.
 
Car replacement. We end up with a somewhat strange list of possibles.

consider the soon to be released VW T-Roc.
Same bracket as Audi Q2 and also the SUV version of VW Golf. Slightly smaller than Tiguan. Apparently a full size spare is a dealer option and only in petrol - engine a slightly detuned version of same one in the Golf GTi
 
With regard to the hail...

I had a brand new Land Rover Discovery 4 that was caught...

LC200 v Big Grey.

DS A pillar, DS both front and rear door and all DS windows, DS fender front and rear , DS electric side mirror, bonnet, bull bar, DS headlight, roof, sunroof, windscreen and rain wiper sensors, both front wiper assemblies.

Total repair $30k (insured $75). They had to remove the entire roof, pull out entire dash, cut off the A Pillar at the base. Weld a new A pillar.

Big Grey hit bull bar, bounced on bonnet windscreen, roof and entire right side of car. The APillar was a structural repair and required Toyota to approve the repair.
The sunroof is less squeaky now when I go over uneven terrain.
As it is the non DPF LC200, I’m not planning on selling it.
 
Does it matter? The speed limit are so so so low in Aussie and road discipline on the roads the worst i observed and encountered you are luck if you ever get to 120km an hour. Awful place to drive!! No ping in having a big engine!
 
No ping in having a big engine!
I guess you mean point. Either that, or you need a higher octane fuel.

You don't need to drive fast to enjoy a decent engine.

consider the soon to be released VW T-Roc.
Same bracket as Audi Q2 and also the SUV version of VW Golf. Slightly smaller than Tiguan. Apparently a full size spare is a dealer option and only in petrol - engine a slightly detuned version of same one in the Golf GTi

Probably too small. I've seen them in Europe. "2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder with 140kW and 320Nm"...not really GTI specs, even derated.

And the interior is any colour you like. As long as it's black.
 
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