The Car thread

[Tommy G]

2 hours ago, JonnyBoy said:

Looking at test driving a few EV's, lease on company car coming to and end (Tesla M3) so far going to test drive the Audi A6 etron, MG IM6, Tesla Model Y performance, would test drive a polestar 4 but nearest is Solihull so CBA. May test drive the mercedes CLA electric for the ridiculous range on offer. Anybody own a larger EV than a model 3 that they absolutely love and would recommend? 

You better not get the A6 etron I have my eyes on that! 

[fox_favourite]

2 hours ago, JonnyBoy said:

Looking at test driving a few EV's, lease on company car coming to and end (Tesla M3) so far going to test drive the Audi A6 etron, MG IM6, Tesla Model Y performance, would test drive a polestar 4 but nearest is Solihull so CBA. May test drive the mercedes CLA electric for the ridiculous range on offer. Anybody own a larger EV than a model 3 that they absolutely love and would recommend? 

I personally would stay away from MG, some seem to have reliability issues and one car review site (I think it was What car) put them quite low for reliability. 

 

Audi ones are nice and would be one i would go for I budget allows 

[Bellend Sebastian]

3 hours ago, JonnyBoy said:

Looking at test driving a few EV's, lease on company car coming to and end (Tesla M3) so far going to test drive the Audi A6 etron, MG IM6, Tesla Model Y performance, would test drive a polestar 4 but nearest is Solihull so CBA. May test drive the mercedes CLA electric for the ridiculous range on offer. Anybody own a larger EV than a model 3 that they absolutely love and would recommend? 

I've driven an IONIQ 5 for two years and it's been brilliant overall

[fox_favourite]

1 minute ago, Bellend Sebastian said:

I've driven an IONIQ 5 for two years and it's been brilliant overall

Does it feel as big as it looks?

[Bellend Sebastian]

35 minutes ago, fox_favourite said:

Does it feel as big as it looks?

 In most situations, no. 

 

If you're taking a roundabout at speed you're aware you're driving a tall and heavy car but I imagine that's the same in any SUV of any size.

 

Otherwise it's really, really easy. You just sort of waft about effortlessly and I even find parking it really easy thanks to the camera, sensors etc, none of which I had on my previous vehicle

 

[The Bear]

SUVs are the worst invention in the history of cars. Massive wide transit van sized vehicles driven by people dropping their kids off or doing the weekly shop. 

 

[The Bear]

The government are looking at banning cars parking on pavements, but the roads in this country are so narrow you'd just end up blocking emergency vehicles or bin lorries. 

 

I understand that pedestrians and disabled people are the ones that suffer but you can't just ban it outright. It needs to be that you leave a certain width gap for pedestrians or you risk getting ticketed. 

Edited 17 September 2025 by The Bear

[Bellend Sebastian]

36 minutes ago, The Bear said:

SUVs are the worst invention in the history of cars. Massive wide transit van sized vehicles driven by people dropping their kids off or doing the weekly shop. 

 

I do feel a bit self conscious about my car sometimes, in that although it's an EV and not an SUV it's as big and heavy as one, and it takes up a lot of space, although I'm lucky in that I've got a drive to put it on. I also don't insist on driving up to the door of everywhere I want to go, which is a modern phenomenon I'm very aware of, living next to a school

 

4 hours ago, BKLFox said:

I'm always wary about these types of so called "quick wins" to claw in funds because whilst the the headline states "UK could raise nearly 2bn....." who will then buy these vehicles thus missing out on the larger than normal car tax from original purchase along with potential closures of Land Rover & like minded plants in the UK due to lack of sales & lost investment in the UK.

But what's really happening here which they have hidden in plain sight is they are aware that with electric cars they are going to be losing huges sums of funds through fuel & emission taxes & notice in the report they are saying these SUVs harm the roads more because they are heavier than a 'standard' car & therefore should pay more....well surprise surprise an electric car is heavier than its equivalent petrol/diesel car due to its battery size which will probably only get heavier in the near future before there is a break-thru in tech & thus are they spinning it as a SUV heavy tax to set up the same thing for all new electric cars?

I'm all for taxation based on negative impact, and as the driver of an EV that weighs two tons it's only fair that this is reflected in how it's taxed.

 

It's a weird situation though isn't it? EVs are heavy by their very nature but that so many people have decided to drive massive, heavy vehicles isn't what I would've predicted.  There are more vehicles on the road, we're struggling to find the space to put them, the cost of living has rocketed, the environment increasingly seems to be f**ked so the public says: let's all get SUVs

[fox_favourite]

1 hour ago, The Bear said:

SUVs are the worst invention in the history of cars. Massive wide transit van sized vehicles driven by people dropping their kids off or doing the weekly shop. 

 

I had a Sportage previously and it was great for when the kids were little and swallowing up the stuff we always needed. But as they have got older my need dwindled. I found it annoying with city driving, parking etc...

 

I swapped for a hatchback EV (iD3) and it love it. Same room in the back as my Sportage for the kids (and I'm a tall driver) but so easy to drive and manoeuvre around Leicester/towns. Best decision I made. 

 

I'm over SUVs and highly doubt I'll go back. 

[fox_favourite]

1 hour ago, Bellend Sebastian said:

 In most situations, no. 

 

If you're taking a roundabout at speed you're aware you're driving a tall and heavy car but I imagine that's the same in any SUV of any size.

 

Otherwise it's really, really easy. You just sort of waft about effortlessly and I even find parking it really easy thanks to the camera, sensors etc, none of which I had on my previous vehicle

 

Interesting as whenever I see one it always looks oversized. But I do like the style of it. When I first saw pictures of it, I thought it was like a normal hatch back 

[The Bear]

The best thing about throwing EVs around corners is that the weight is all really low down on the floor of the car so they handle really well. 

[Bellend Sebastian]

14 minutes ago, fox_favourite said:

Interesting as whenever I see one it always looks oversized. But I do like the style of it. When I first saw pictures of it, I thought it was like a normal hatch back 

And when you see one in the flesh you think you're stood closer to it than you actually are!

 

I had an old Mazda 6 before, and the footprint was actually about the same, but the IONIQ just seems so FAT in comparison. The good thing about it though is it does translate into a ton of interior space, which was important to me as I'm not small and my son is growing very quickly so I need space front and back

[Tommy G]

1 hour ago, The Bear said:

The government are looking at banning cars parking on pavements, but the roads in this country are so narrow you'd just end up blocking emergency vehicles or bin lorries. 

 

I understand that pedestrians and disabled people are the ones that suffer but you can't just ban it outright. It needs to be that you leave a certain width gap for pedestrians or you risk getting ticketed. 

Going after all the important stuff eh 

[FoyleFox]

17 hours ago, JonnyBoy said:

Looking at test driving a few EV's, lease on company car coming to and end (Tesla M3) so far going to test drive the Audi A6 etron, MG IM6, Tesla Model Y performance, would test drive a polestar 4 but nearest is Solihull so CBA. May test drive the mercedes CLA electric for the ridiculous range on offer. Anybody own a larger EV than a model 3 that they absolutely love and would recommend? 

I'd make the effort to test drive the polestar. Out of the Tesla, MG, Kia and Hyundai I had a test drive in, at an event last year, the Polestar was far superior. It wasn't the 4 but if that's anything like the others, it'll be a great drive. 

[JonnyBoy]

27 minutes ago, FoyleFox said:

I'd make the effort to test drive the polestar. Out of the Tesla, MG, Kia and Hyundai I had a test drive in, at an event last year, the Polestar was far superior. It wasn't the 4 but if that's anything like the others, it'll be a great drive. 

 

Having been a passenger in a polestar I am leaning towards one. The MG IM (IM is the Chinese superior brand of the group) with how good the BYD is doing over here i am intrigued. it is packed full of tech so will see if the tech is user friendly and not laggy. 

[Grebfromgrebland]

18 hours ago, JonnyBoy said:

Looking at test driving a few EV's, lease on company car coming to and end (Tesla M3) so far going to test drive the Audi A6 etron, MG IM6, Tesla Model Y performance, would test drive a polestar 4 but nearest is Solihull so CBA. May test drive the mercedes CLA electric for the ridiculous range on offer. Anybody own a larger EV than a model 3 that they absolutely love and would recommend? 

I have a Tesla model X and can't imagine having another car. Don't think they do a right hand drive version anymore but it's a bit like the Fabergé egg version of cars.

[JonnyBoy]

1 hour ago, Grebfromgrebland said:

I have a Tesla model X and can't imagine having another car. Don't think they do a right hand drive version anymore but it's a bit like the Fabergé egg version of cars.

 

would love an X, is it the one with the batman doors? I am tempted with the model y - BUT i hate the turning circle on tesla's and the fact everything is on the screen i find it really distracting and no heads up display. 

[The Bear]

The Model X is really expensive. You can get pretty much the same car in a Model Y for much less. 

[BKLFox]

17 hours ago, The Bear said:

SUVs are the worst invention in the history of cars. Massive wide transit van sized vehicles driven by people dropping their kids off or doing the weekly shop. 

 

i think if you go down the luxury route of Range Rover etc that size but a BMW X3 is no bigger in chassis size as a 3 series & smaller than a 5+ series, a Kia sportage is smaller than a Kia Stinger & a Tesla model S is bigger than all of them 

[Raj]

Any folks with daahcams?

Easy to set up etc?

Recommendations?

 

Thanks  in advance  👍🏾

 

[Tommy G]

On 20/09/2025 at 21:03, Raj said:

Any folks with daahcams?

Easy to set up etc?

Recommendations?

 

Thanks  in advance  👍🏾

 

What are you aiming to record mate?  

[Wycombe Fox]

On 17/09/2025 at 18:49, fox_favourite said:

Does it feel as big as it looks?

Said the actress to the...oh wait...wrong thread

[Greg2607]

On 17/09/2025 at 15:44, JonnyBoy said:

Looking at test driving a few EV's, lease on company car coming to and end (Tesla M3) so far going to test drive the Audi A6 etron, MG IM6, Tesla Model Y performance, would test drive a polestar 4 but nearest is Solihull so CBA. May test drive the mercedes CLA electric for the ridiculous range on offer. Anybody own a larger EV than a model 3 that they absolutely love and would recommend? 

if you have included the NEW iX3 on your list, then I would.   looks like a phenomenal car.

 

We have the BMW i4 currently, which is a fantastic car to drive.... technically, that's my wife's company car. 

 

I'm due to get a new company car early next year and the ix3 will be the one I pick.... I am likely to do a lot of miles and it's WLTP range of 500 miles is a real step change... I appreciate i'm only likely to get say 400 - 420.....   but that's as much as a lot of Petrol cars with the kind of performance you get in an EV. 

[Bellend Sebastian]

A story about a Tesla crash and fire in Germany popped up on Facebook so I've just been enjoying all the comments from people who "wouldn't buy an EV if it was the last car on earth" and "I wouldn't drive one if you paid me", "I'll stick to my 25 year old diesel forever, thanks!" etc etc etc etc etc

 

Has sir or madam been tricked into becoming an unwitting participant in a culture war?

 

You could really have fun on the internet if you had the time, couldn't you? I don't, sadly

[JonnyBoy]

18 hours ago, Greg2607 said:

if you have included the NEW iX3 on your list, then I would.   looks like a phenomenal car.

 

We have the BMW i4 currently, which is a fantastic car to drive.... technically, that's my wife's company car. 

 

I'm due to get a new company car early next year and the ix3 will be the one I pick.... I am likely to do a lot of miles and it's WLTP range of 500 miles is a real step change... I appreciate i'm only likely to get say 400 - 420.....   but that's as much as a lot of Petrol cars with the kind of performance you get in an EV. 

 

have looked at he IX3 and on the list, however depends on release date as need to get it sorted early next year latest so we will see. Range on it is a massive plus point!