The 508

[sirwiggum]

Saw an estate demonstrator, looked very Merc from the rear.

1.6 HDis and 1.5 DCis are very popular with fleets because of the low tax band.
As said earlier by others, wouldn't fancy a high mileage ex-fleet one though

[waue1978]

After having a new car for the past few days now, I think I'll happily stick with old school for the next few years. The Scenic hasn't gone wrong, but it isn't as economical as they claim, I can't find the bloody dipstick to check the oil (& the engine is a good half mile behind the bumper) & it hasn't even got dials! They've been replaced by a TFT screen in the middle of the dash with a virtual rev counter & fuel guage from a computer game, a digital speedo & a temperature guage that disappears when the cruise control is on! At least if a dial stops working in my 406 the other 3 will still be there. If something goes wrong on the Scenic's Gran Turismo screen you're flying blind!

& sorry if it's a bit off topic, but what the hell is going on in ToddM's avatar? The last time I saw women like that playing with big balls, they weren't fully clothed.

[FarmerPug]

]sorry if it's a bit off topic, but what the hell is going on in ToddM's avatar? The last time I saw women like that playing with big balls, they weren't fully clothed.

i like the new avatar its very watchable.

[ToddM]

After having a new car for the past few days now, I think I'll happily stick with old school for the next few years. The Scenic hasn't gone wrong, but it isn't as economical as they claim, I can't find the bloody dipstick to check the oil (& the engine is a good half mile behind the bumper) & it hasn't even got dials! They've been replaced by a TFT screen in the middle of the dash with a virtual rev counter & fuel guage from a computer game, a digital speedo & a temperature guage that disappears when the cruise control is on! At least if a dial stops working in my 406 the other 3 will still be there. If something goes wrong on the Scenic's Gran Turismo screen you're flying blind!

Yeah, I know where you're coming from. Seriously sucks where the world's headed - everything that was once fun exists no longer..

& sorry if it's a bit off topic, but what the hell is going on in ToddM's avatar? The last time I saw women like that playing with big balls, they weren't fully clothed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YUuyzQDmjY

Video related

[steve_earwig]

There's lots of cars floating about now without dipsticks and loads of other stuff you'd expect - even my fully multihexed D9 doesn't even have an oil pressure light (!!) (which piššes me off because I like to see how quickly it goes off after it's started to judge how knackered the engine is...). I've got a Top Gear mag somewhere here where they almost killed an X something (it's a bimmer, who cares which one it is?) on a track day 'cos they ran it low on oil. Sealed bonnets are coming, with the MFD telling you to take it to the nearest dealer to top the oil up/check tyre pressures/change a bulb/empty the ashtray.

[ToddM]

There's lots of cars floating about now without dipsticks and loads of other stuff you'd expect - even my fully multihexed D9 doesn't even have an oil pressure light (!!) (which piššes me off because I like to see how quickly it goes off after it's started to judge how knackered the engine is...). I've got a Top Gear mag somewhere here where they almost killed an X something (it's a bimmer, who cares which one it is?) on a track day 'cos they ran it low on oil. Sealed bonnets are coming, with the MFD telling you to take it to the nearest dealer to top the oil up/check tyre pressures/change a bulb/empty the ashtray.

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Just another way to rip you off. The 508 however looks less mechanised

[FarmerPug]

they expect us to not be able to do anything, look at the extent new engines are covered up. the toyota avensis was completley covered there was just the dipstick, oil and the water caps you couldnt see anything else.

[ToddM]

they expect us to not be able to do anything, look at the extent new engines are covered up. the toyota avensis was completley covered there was just the dipstick, oil and the water caps you couldnt see anything else.

A friend of mine's dad bought an Avensis from Germany, as he was going to Bulgaria it broke down in Poland and it had to be towed back to Germany cos they couldn't fix it there..

[FarmerPug]

japanese reliability being too optimistic

[sirwiggum]

japanese reliability being too optimistic

Ack I hope not. RHonda feels very well put together, took taking apart the dash and 4 bolts to get the old tape deck out to fit a CD player!

I remember at uni, an American student in my class had an Audi A2. It was the one where you had no bonnet, it had a plastic flap instead of a grille that opened up and had level checks for coolant, oil, power steering etc.
Took a lift in it once, was surprisingly roomy because you sat upright, with your feet under the seat in front.

[ToddM]

japanese reliability being too optimistic

Ack I hope not. RHonda feels very well put together, took taking apart the dash and 4 bolts to get the old tape deck out to fit a CD player!

I remember at uni, an American student in my class had an Audi A2. It was the one where you had no bonnet, it had a plastic flap instead of a grille that opened up and had level checks for coolant, oil, power steering etc.
Took a lift in it once, was surprisingly roomy because you sat upright, with your feet under the seat in front.

Them Audis used to shake when you put the windscreen wipers on, mate.. even worse than my Granddad's Agila considering it's coming from a "reputable" company. Such a joke of a car..

[sirwiggum]

Audis not usually my cup of tea.
Any top heavy car is bound to have stability issues. Remember the A-Class elk incident? The next A Class looks more like a Golf than a Matiz.

They used A2s in iRobot as future taxis.

But then in Back to the Future 2 they used DSs.

[FarmerPug]

i mind being in wilsons of portadown there was 2 a2s they are quite nice, although the bog standard model is a bit german and boring the other bells and whistles model was quite nice inside, the battery is in the boot. And there is reliability troubles with eletrics, but they are at least slightly interesting and better looking than a toyota yaris verso.

[steve_earwig]

Guess what I've just been sitting in We've just been to ZG to visit my friendly Peugeot franchise to find a) the service department isn't open on Saturdays anymore and b) Ivan the parts dept. manager I got on well with has moved on anyway (to Hi und die ). The new guy doesn't speak any English apparently. Damn.

So, not to waste the time I had a look over a 508.

Up close and personal the front end is too much like a Volvo (can't remember which one though), possibly an improvement over the blobfish clones but, nah, me no likey. The rest of the car is rather nice though, I was looking over a saloon which had economy mode going so not much worked However, on the way out I spotted the estate and, while it's an improvement over the 407, I didn't think too much of the boot. The back seats in the estate fold flat with levers on the top of the seats uprights or towards the back of the side panels in the rear (so you can lower them from the tailgate), the seats are sprung so they go down on their own, clear the front seats (so long as the headrests are lowered) and it's all flat. The seat base is fixed. The front seats on both were half leather electric and had 2-way adjustable lumbar (nice!), shame the electrics weren't going on either car for me to try them out. Felt comfy as they were anyway, even if they were all the way back... The dash is fairly plasticky but quite smart to look at, it doesn't look like it's half way along the car like the 407. The cruise and stereo controls are now on the steering wheel. I managed to get the bonnet open (after feeling for the lever for a while I found it was a slider you push up) and spotted the latest in the ram air scoop thingies - looks better than the 407/C5 etc but it's just as flimsy, it'll probably resonate at certain revs and I'm sure it won't take long before it falls off

I note with interest the 2.2 HDi is now 190 horses

I'd still prefer a C5 but the Allroad might be more interesting when it appears.

[Doggy]

I note with interest the 2.2 HDi is now 190 horses

Yes, yes, but can you get one with a gearbox?