The Car thread

[adam1]

On 14/04/2026 at 13:14, Tommy G said:

Chipsaway are good

 

https://www.chipsaway.co.uk/local-car-body-repairs/leicestershire/hinckley/

They did a very good job. Highly recommend.

 

Does anyone know of a reputable firm who do replacement [smart] car keys? Ideally not the dealer (VW).

[The Bear]

Anyone used Chips away for alloy wheel refurb? Wondered what they are like and how pricey they are. 

[Raj]

On 14/04/2026 at 13:14, Tommy G said:

Chipsaway are good

 

https://www.chipsaway.co.uk/local-car-body-repairs/leicestershire/hinckley/

I got a quote from them and it was circa £320 +VAT.

 

Russells Smart Repairs

 

The above quoted £180.

 

[moore_94]

Anyone used a BYD Sealion 5 at all?

 

Looking to swap my car at the start of next year (personal not company) and have started looking around at hybrids and full electrics

 

I can charge a car at work or can easily sort a charger for at home

 

Currently drive a Renault Kadjar and I don’t think I would want to go much smaller

[JonnyBoy]

3 hours ago, moore_94 said:

Anyone used a BYD Sealion 5 at all?

 

Looking to swap my car at the start of next year (personal not company) and have started looking around at hybrids and full electrics

 

I can charge a car at work or can easily sort a charger for at home

 

Currently drive a Renault Kadjar and I don’t think I would want to go much smaller

 

Haven't driven the 5 but have driven the Sealion 7 - excellence version is a really solid car, really nice drive and full of tech. I really rate the BYD's 

[Legend_in_blue]

Anyone on here have any experience of driving the BMW iX1 or Audi Q4?  Second hand they are looking well priced, deciding on whether or not to go EV as I've had enough of £30 of diesel in the tank per week and the fact that it stinks.

 

Thought of hybrid but not convinced.  A decent spec PHEV Sportage for example is equivalent to an iX1 on price more or less.

[Grebfromgrebland]

38 minutes ago, Legend_in_blue said:

Anyone on here have any experience of driving the BMW iX1 or Audi Q4?  Second hand they are looking well priced, deciding on whether or not to go EV as I've had enough of £30 of diesel in the tank per week and the fact that it stinks.

 

Thought of hybrid but not convinced.  A decent spec PHEV Sportage for example is equivalent to an iX1 on price more or less.

If you can charge at home and do less than 200 miles on normal day get an EV and never set foot in a petrol station again.

[Robo61]

22 minutes ago, Grebfromgrebland said:

If you can charge at home and do less than 200 miles on normal day get an EV and never set foot in a petrol station again.

Agree 100% with this you won't look back

[fox_favourite]

29 minutes ago, Grebfromgrebland said:

If you can charge at home and do less than 200 miles on normal day get an EV and never set foot in a petrol station again.

Definitely agree. I have an VW ID.3 which I got when it was just under 3  years old and a home charger. I do mainly runs around the county/city for work and I have never looked back. £2-3 changing which lasts 1 week/10 days pending on mileage. Nimble around town and smooth and hassle free. I do the odd run to Oxfordshire and it gets there and back even in the winter. I came from a diesel Sportage and the silence from that is something I enjoy.

 

Yes, I do wish it had more mileage in the winter months but you adapt. But it really depends on your use case. If you do a lot motorway, but always go home a q4 has decent range from what I know, so you'll be all good. Only use public charging as an emergency and even that isn't too bad. Sainsbury's is the easiest I've found out of all options.

 

I genuinely don't think I'll go back to ICE car again, but that's just me others maybe different 

 

 

Edited Monday at 20:43 by fox_favourite

[Legend_in_blue]

I think it's the feeling of, what if you turn up and there's no chargers available.  I've read the infrastructure is better abroad and cheaper so Im thinking if I'm driving abroad then I'll need to top up over here first.  How easy is that?  Longest trip would probably be from here to central France and back.  

 

Im happy with week by week daily driving, and the setup at home is not an issue, but have these question marks over longer holiday trips 3 or 4 times a year whether in this country or abroad.

[Tommy G]

The bonus of an EV is advanced climate cooling conditions in this heat. 

[fox_favourite]

18 minutes ago, Legend_in_blue said:

I think it's the feeling of, what if you turn up and there's no chargers available.  I've read the infrastructure is better abroad and cheaper so Im thinking if I'm driving abroad then I'll need to top up over here first.  How easy is that?  Longest trip would probably be from here to central France and back.  

 

Im happy with week by week daily driving, and the setup at home is not an issue, but have these question marks over longer holiday trips 3 or 4 times a year whether in this country or abroad.

To be fair, some EVs have some great range now, especially the bigger ones. 

 

If you're not entirely sure, then get a hybrid. But you can plan your route via a charging place. Supermarkets like Sainsbury's and Tesco do fast charging cheaper than service stations. But I've used one to top up on a long drive, so as long as you plan then no biggy. 

 

I can't comment on charging abroad as I have never driven abroad, someone else might the of help there. 

 

How often will you do those trips? Like I say EV isn't for everyone and doing longer journeys might be more suited to hybrid.

Edited 9 hours ago by fox_favourite

[danny.]

20 minutes ago, Tommy G said:

The bonus of an EV is advanced climate cooling conditions in this heat. 

Yea so nice. Just whack the climate control on 15 mins before you get back in, game changer. Same in the winter too. 

[The Bear]

In 5 years of EV ownership and public charging only, I've never once turned up to a set of chargers and they've all been busy. 

[Robo61]

2 hours ago, The Bear said:

In 5 years of EV ownership and public charging only, I've never once turned up to a set of chargers and they've all been busy. 

Ditto though only 4 years for me. Charging infrastructure is improving daily and there are now significantly more public chargers than there are petrol stations. 

[Zear0]

On 22/06/2026 at 09:47, moore_94 said:

Anyone used a BYD Sealion 5 at all?

 

Looking to swap my car at the start of next year (personal not company) and have started looking around at hybrids and full electrics

 

I can charge a car at work or can easily sort a charger for at home

 

Currently drive a Renault Kadjar and I don’t think I would want to go much smaller

Not a Sealion, but I’m driving a Seal U-dmi and it’s great.