Another MOT Pass

[Ninanina]

Just had the Prius serviced and MOT'd at my local Toyota dealer

It only failed on a split anti roll bar gaiter which I had them do and with a full annual service & new wipers, was just £300 which I think was a bit of a bargain

The original bill was nearer £360 but Lee, the service manager, always does a good deal for us

Colin has a huge Toyota Land Cruiser V8 4x4 (Amazon) which is about 19 years old and used to tow our caravan and last year had to have the front brake/discs/calipers replaced at a cost of nearly £2,500 but Toyota UK has some sort of scheme to keep 'older' Toyota's on the road so did a massive discount and we only paid about £600, bargain. The last, non Toyota dealer, lost the alloy wheel locking nut key so Toyota had to get a welder in to remove the nuts :doh:

I've done a calculation of fuel used on the Prius vs my old Merc and I've saved about £280 on fuel and about £250 on tax so £500 odd saved per year which can't be bad

I do still miss my Merc for it's comfort but the Prius has saved me loads of money

[walpurgis]

I bought my Suzuki Alto SZ to save money four years ago. Seems to be working. A claimed 74 mpg (more like 65 mpg in reality) and zero road tax fee. I bought it new and only pay around £12 monthly for the maintenance plan, which covers everything including an annual MOT. I'd be lucky to run a motorbike for less. It's a nippy little thing, even decent on motorways for a such small motor, it cruises happily at 80/90 mph and isn't slowed by gradients like most sub 1000cc cars. No doubt I'll need to replace it one day, but as I'm only doing 3500 miles a year, that could be quite a while away. :)

[Ninanina]

That sounds good Geoff. Zero tax is great, mine costs a tenner per year :doh:

The Japs certainly do make a very reliable car indeed

The only Suzuki I have experience of was the Swift and that was a real hoot to drive..

[walpurgis]

The only Suzuki I have experience of was the Swift and that was a real hoot to drive..

My mate has the sport version. Seems impressed with it. Might be a bit shaded by his Merc 350 SLK though. :D

[struth]

mine costs a fortune and its not fair. I only do about 2000 miles a year but need it .

[Ninanina]

That's a shame Grant

I only do about 4,000 a year these days so cheap motoring is a must for me

[struth]

should just be on the petrol tax.

[Ninanina]

Geoff what is the latest Alto equivalent from Suzuki ?

[Ninanina]

I have to have an auto now though..

I know it's lazy but I can't be bothered to change gear these days and Portsmouth traffic is a nightmare without an auto box...

[Ian7633]

The only Japanese car I've ever owned was an original Nissan Micra. Bearing in mind that I'm 6'2" and 24 stone it was a source of great amusement among my friends but I found it extremely comfortable and dirt cheap to run. It was more a case of putting it on rather than getting in.

[Ninanina]

The only Japanese car I've ever owned was an original Nissan Micra. Bearing in mind that I'm 6'2" and 24 stone it was a source of great amusement among my friends but I found it extremely comfortable and dirt cheap to run. It was more a case of putting it on rather than getting in.

:eek: :doh:

I bet is was relialble though Ian...

[Ian7633]

It just went on and on Bev, it was only bought as a stop gap between bigger cars but I kept it for ages. I was seduced back to the German market and haven't had anything else for years, I think my favourite was my Audi S6, amazingly comfortable and went like stink. I did over 200,000 miles in it. I really wanted the RS6 but just couldn't afford one. My current car is a BMW 325ci which has just passed it's MOT after not being used for over a year due to illness, not bad for an old car.

[Ninanina]

It just went on and on Bev, it was only bought as a stop gap between bigger cars but I kept it for ages. I was seduced back to the German market and haven't had anything else for years, I think my favourite was my Audi S6, amazingly comfortable and went like stink. I did over 200,000 miles in it. I really wanted the RS6 but just couldn't afford one. My current car is a BMW 325ci which has just passed it's MOT after not being used for over a year due to illness, not bad for an old car.

My local friend mechanic says for reliability there are the Jap's and then everything else... so I know what you mean

The Jap stuff is not the most comfortable and not the best handling of cars but for pure reliability they can't be touched

Many years ago I used to drive a BMW 325 which was absolutley lovely, we then had a 735 which was also very nice but definitely not that reliable

When I sold my Merc it had about 320,000 miles on it and the chap that purchased it drove to Switzerland and back!.. I seriously doubt whether the Prius will do that sort of mileage but certainly it will probably do in excess of 250,000 with little trouble

I've got about 114,000 on the Prius and to be honest it still feels like a new car to me

[Ian7633]

Do the Prius batteries have a limited life?, being a hybrid I guess there isn't quite the work load on them that a purely battery powered car has. I just can't get passed nice big engines.....now what might that say about me :scratch:

[Ninanina]

Do the Prius batteries have a limited life?, being a hybrid I guess there isn't quite the work load on them that a purely battery powered car has. I just can't get passed nice big engines.....now what might that say about me :scratch:

It is a bit of a myth about battery life on the Prius.... those not in the 'know' say they have a limited life but Toyota dealers very rarely have to replace them. I purchased my Prius from a Toyota dealer and I have it in writing that if the hybrid battery ever fails that Toyota UK will pay for 90% of the cost of replacement, which I thought was pretty good. To be honest it's not something I worry about. Each year I have it serviced they do what is called a "Hybrid Health Check" and it's always passed with no problems

When we had the BMW 735 and took it to Germany in 1989/90, when the wall was coming down, we broke down on Glienicke Bridge... nightmare. We had to 'nurse' it back to the UK... everytime we had to stop for fuel we couldn't switch it off otherwise we couldn't get it started again..

Don't get me wrong I love German cars, both BMW's and Mercs, but for pure reliablity it has to be the Jap's

[Ian7633]

I've had 3 E class Mercs and loved driving them, trouble was they rusted very badly. VW Passat was good, that did 390,000 miles. As I said I loved the Audi, I went through a very bad patch a few years ago and the Audi was my home for 3 months so it has a special memory for me.
I guess we will all be driving electric cars eventually and they are definitely getting better. I quite fancied a Segway just for fun but would probably break it if I stood on it lol :doh:

[Ninanina]

I've had 3 E class Mercs and loved driving them, trouble was they rusted very badly. VW Passat was good, that did 390,000 miles. As I said I loved the Audi, I went through a very bad patch a few years ago and the Audi was my home for 3 months so it has a special memory for me.
I guess we will all be driving electric cars eventually and they are definitely getting better. I quite fancied a Segway just for fun but would probably break it if I stood on it lol :doh:

Sorry to hear about the Audi being your home Ian... :(

My Merc was an E class as well, a 26 year old E 300D auto W124 with no rust . The E Class W210 that followed was a lovely car but rust was definitley the problem, Colin had one for a while which was rust free but that was an exception

The Segway appeals to me as well... But I would probably break it as well...:doh:

[Ian7633]

I always wanted a Jag but the driving position is all wrong for me and just generally too small for my ample physique. I think my next car will be a Volvo XC90 or something similar.

[Ninanina]

I always wanted a Jag but the driving position is all wrong for me and just generally too small for my ample physique. I think my next car will be a Volvo XC90 or something similar.

I always hankered after the old XJ6, I did own one for a few months years ago and even though it had seen better days it still did 120mph with ease, a lovely car

We looked at the XC90 before purchasing the Land Cruiser for towing the caravan. It's a lovely vehicle but reading up on them they were not as reliable as the big Toyota. I think the auto box can give some major issues on the Volvo and needs to be carefully checked. I do like Volvo's in general though; I had a couple of the old 240's and Colin had a 760 which was very nice apart from the French derived V6 engine which was a nightmare

[Ian7633]

I do like big cars, mainly because of my size but also the comfort level and equipment is appealing, gotta love a gadget. My sister has recently bought a Porsche Boxter S, lovely thing but I couldn't get in it without the aid of Vasaline and warm spoons.

[Ninanina]

The Porsche Boxter is my dream car.... one day I will own one even if it's only for a few months...

[Ian7633]

I'd love a Jensen Interceptor, pretty old and full of problems but what the hell, oh, and I'd really like a hovercraft too.....:D

[Ninanina]

I also love the Jensen... as you say old and problematic but British and lovely...

Hovercraft, now that's another thing entirely... what about a jet pack ?

Apparently you are not a petrol head unless you've owned an Alfa Romeo... and my second car was an Alfasud... I loved it to bits and the sound of the exhaust was to die for... :D

[struth]

Used to have a Nissan micra It was auto and a great wee motor. Plenty room for a big un too. Surprisingly so

[Ninanina]

Another great Jap car Grant and auto... lovely...

[Ian7633]

Never had an Alpha, came close to a GTV6 years ago but the seller changed his mind and decided to keep it. Just imagine driving through the south of France in an Alpha Spyder, super cool.
It's funny but I've reached a point with my hifi where I'm very happy with the way it plays music and I've no real plans for it at present so my interest in cars has reawoken. Having said that there will probably be some piece of hifi come along that I will medically need and the whole circus will kick off again.

[Ninanina]

Never had an Alpha, came close to a GTV6 years ago but the seller changed his mind and decided to keep it. Just imagine driving through the south of France in an Alpha Spyder, super cool.
It's funny but I've reached a point with my hifi where I'm very happy with the way it plays music and I've no real plans for it at present so my interest in cars has reawoken. Having said that there will probably be some piece of hifi come along that I will medically need and the whole circus will kick off again.

I know the feeling Ian

This is exactly what my Alfasud looked like...same colour as well..

http://i.imgur.com/xJj3N0K.jpg (https://imgur.com/xJj3N0K)

I drove it through a very nasty winter with snow drifts higher than the car and it had a non working heater :doh:

In fact most things never worked on the Alfa apart from the engine and gearbox but I loved it to bits..

[struth]

Another great Jap car Grant and auto... lovely...

Only jap car Ive had. No comfort but a nice reliable motor. Only small car Ive had I think.

Liked driving my old Saab

[Ninanina]

I also owned a Saab 900 and it was very good.. also had a 9-3 turbo convertible auto which was super fast... Saab's are very well built cars..

[struth]

Had a big Volvo too. It was nice inside. Lovely leather interior and huge armchairs lol

[struth]

Was like sitting at home. Good stereo and a proper phone in it Scandinavian motors then were well made

[Ninanina]

Yes Colin's Volvo 760 had huge leather seats which were super comfy and I'm sure the metal used was thicker than most cars of the day..

[walpurgis]

Geoff what is the latest Alto equivalent from Suzuki ?

It's the Celerio. Largely similar, but more expensive. Comes in auto, but as with most small cars, the auto drains performance a bit.

[argyle]

I've never been as comfortable as I am in the Monaro. Slightly less comfortable is the 18mpg, but every Prius driver makes it more socially acceptable.....cheers Ninanina!

[willbewill]

I always hankered after the old XJ6, I did own one for a few months years ago and even though it had seen better days it still did 120mph with ease, a lovely car

We looked at the XC90 before purchasing the Land Cruiser for towing the caravan. It's a lovely vehicle but reading up on them they were not as reliable as the big Toyota. I think the auto box can give some major issues on the Volvo and needs to be carefully checked. I do like Volvo's in general though; I had a couple of the old 240's and Colin had a 760 which was very nice apart from the French derived V6 engine which was a nightmare

I have a Volvo xc70 2.5 turbo petrol 2007, I love it, give me comfort, speed and is a real workhorse. But tax is about £550 due to emissions and it only does 24 mpg.

[Audio Al]

Bev , do people try and flag you down when you are driving ? Every other car where I live is a Prius mini cab :)

[Pigmy Pony]

If it was up me (and it isn't) I would buy an Alfa like a shot. And I wouldn't be put off by any reputation for unreliability. Some cars 'treat you mean to keep you keen'. Look at Gazjam's Brera (page 124, car (or bike) chat), a future classic I think.

However, we (she) buy with our heads, so it's a Honda Civic. but it's comfortable, roomy in the front, 47mpg, quick enough to surprise most of the other road users (they expect Civic drivers to dawdle) and in the 5 and a half years we've had it, never missed a beat, and it's been all round Scotland and Europe.

Oh but those little Alfas.....

I too quite like those Segways, but they could do with a roof to keep you dry, maybe another 3 wheels for stability, and a petrol engine to back up the electric one and recharge the batteries. Bev, you've been driving an evolved Segway all along!:D

[walpurgis]

I really liked my Peugeot Partner 2.0 HDi. Comfy, good pulling power, bags of character, surprisingly roomy and great on juice. Gave it to my daughter, she needed something to cart the kids around in. Which is why I'm down to a little tiddler now. Mind you there's only me to cart about (plus dog :)).

[Ninanina]

Bev , do people try and flag you down when you are driving ? Every other car where I live is a Prius mini cab :)


:rfl:..............actually no ;)

From what I read many Prius mini cabs have over 400,000 miles on them which does bode well though..

[Ninanina]

It's the Celerio. Largely similar, but more expensive. Comes in auto, but as with most small cars, the auto drains performance a bit.

I've checked out the reviews on the Celerio Geoff and while they seem to like it they say it's a bit unrefined on motorway's which would put me off a bit... even the Swift is supposed to be noisy on the motorway

The Prius is pretty good both around town and on the motorway and the best mpg I had was 65mpg on a long journey

Perhaps the best thing we've found about owning Toyota's is their dealers... Colin also has the Amazon 4x4... our local Toyota dealer is just fantastic, faultless to be honest, and we've never felt like we are being 'ripped off'..

[walpurgis]

I personally prefer the Alto to the Celerio. Can't say it's any bother on the motorway. In fact it's the best sub 1000cc car I've used for long runs, it's a pretty quiet little motor, not noticeably noisier at a steady 70 mph than at 30mph and it will cruise at higher speeds. Take a second hand one for a test drive, I reckon you'd be surprised.

[Ninanina]

I personally prefer the Alto to the Celerio. Can't say it's any bother on the motorway. In fact it's the best sub 1000cc car I've used for long runs, it's a pretty quiet little motor, not noticeably noisier at a steady 70 mph than at 30mph and it will cruise at higher speeds. Take a second hand one for a test drive, I reckon you'd be surprised.

I may do that Geoff...

How much is an annual service approximately ?

[walpurgis]

You'd need to ask. As I bought mine new, I still have the service plan going, which costs me about £12 monthly and covers all maintenance.

It should be cheap enough. There's not much to check on them. No timing belt to worry about either, it's chain and should last the life of the car.

I put two new tyres on mine last year as the sidewalls were cracking a bit. Only cost me £60. A tank of juice is just over £30 too and lasts me about a month.

The Celerio is just a slightly blinged up Alto really, but costs quite a bit more. If you do try an Alto, you'll probably find it quicker than you were expecting, handling is decent too. The little three cylinder engine sounds like a quieter Porsche 911 when you rev it, I quite like that. Not that you really need to rev it, the engine is remarkably flexible.

[Ninanina]

The only three cylinder I tried was a courtesy car, a Toyota Aygo, and that was impressive on the motorway, very refined to be honest

At £12 a month for service that makes £144 which doesn't sound too bad. I just had the Prius annual service for £120 which I guess was pretty good

The Prius is also chain driven and it has no starter motor or alternator as such as the electric motor/traction battery/inverter takes care of that

[walpurgis]

The annual service cost includes the MOT.

[Ninanina]

That's very good Geoff

[walpurgis]

I toy with the idea of a change occasionally, then after pondering I realise there's not much point, 'cos it does everything I need. :)

[Ninanina]

I toy with the idea of a change occasionally, then after pondering I realise there's not much point, 'cos it does everything I need. :)

I know exactly what you mean Geoff as I've been thinking about changing the Prius but to be honest it has been so cheap and 100% reliable/faultless to run. It's also massive in the back, big enough to take a bike with room to spare ;) and big enough to pick up some Maggies when I decide to purchase....

It's been as cheap to run as a small car, just bigger and probably more comfortable..

[walpurgis]

Well, If I buy Maggies, they can go on the roof rack (which I've never used yet :)).

[Ninanina]

Well, If I buy Maggies, they can go on the roof rack (which I've never used yet :)).

A bit breezy though Geoff... :eek:

[Ninanina]

The Toyota service also included a free courtesy car which was a lovely new Yaris auto with only 800 miles on it... a really nice car, smaller than the Prius but it drove very nice and quite nippy... I'd have one in a heartbeat...

[Pigmy Pony]

If you angle them right, you could get home by wind power. Can't get cheaper than that :)