- 11,754
- Marin County
Can you do anything about the number plate? I feel like I've seen some euro folks put a vinyl facsimile of the number plate directly on the body. Is that legal?
HFS's car thread | Nearly-5000-miles update
- Thread starter homeforsummer
- 833 comments
- 103,609 views
Can you do anything about the number plate? I feel like I've seen some euro folks put a vinyl facsimile of the number plate directly on the body. Is that legal?
- 27,203
- United Kingdom
It's legal, but I think it looks a bit crap honestly, and ends up looking like a project car rather than a decent vehicle. The plinth isn't ideal, but on the plus side it's not moulded into the bumpers like the facelift cars either.
I guess the compromise might be to have the plate simply screwed into the bumper itself, a bit like the Japanese models had (and I realise this is a show plate):
It looks a bit tidier than the plinth (even if it was still the wider plates we use I suspect rather than a squarer JDM-style one) but it's one of those things that doesn't really bother me enough to find out.
I had this dilemma with the Roadster more so, because it's a physically smaller car so the plate looks more conspicuous. Had I kept the car I'd probably have gone for an offset one on that. That car being an import had a matching square rear plate though too so it would've looked okay, but the RX-7 being a UK car has a wide rear plate too and that probably bothers me more than the front, for the foglights mounted either side.
And then there are those black mudflaps...
But really I'm not bothered enough about any of it. At the moment more than anything I want to drive it and get some use out of it and anything else other than servicing and maintenance is just a bit of a distraction. I faffed around for ages with the Roadster on things that didn't really matter and it ended up sitting unused in my garage for half a year or more, so I don't want this to just turn into another ornament too.
- 27,203
- United Kingdom
Updates! Not that there's much to report. Daily first:
Still just tickin' along. Nothing much to report. Not really driving much at the moment so the only real use it's getting is a drive once a week just to make sure everything is healthy and to enjoy cruising around in something I don't feel compelled to drive like a lunatic. Though I've taken it on a few local twisty roads and it's honestly not that bad. Could do with a touch more power and it's a little under-damped (could be just worn dampers, though given the car feels otherwise tight and settles in steady corners, I'm leaning towards just "that's how it is" rather than worn parts). Of course, if I start fiddling with it then that defeats the purpose of having it, which is that it's meant to be as cheap as possible.
Given my garage is full I'm not managing to tidy it as much as I'd like, so just stealing a bit of time here and there just to make it less... gross. Did the fuel door last weekend which was grimy and mouldy and stiff to open, and now that's tidy I can just wear those gloves they provide at the fuel station for Covid reasons rather than to avoid catching something from the car.
The Mazda meanwhile had some downtime between New Year's and some time in March, as the weather was bad and I didn't feel like spending any more time on salty roads than was absolutely necessary. Naturally the battery was dead when I returned to it, so I revived that, and I've tried to drive it each dry weekend since.
It still needs the attention of a specialist, though increasingly more for my own reassurance than anything. Since I've had it the second turbo doesn't actuate when it should... until recently, when it does intermittently. Maybe it's just enjoying being actually used semi-regularly. Size-wise it's perfect for the local lanes (FDs are way smaller than you expect. Including inside - luckily I'm quite short). Ride quality wise it feels a bit like punishing it, like it did my old Roadster. Definitely a car designed for smoother/faster roads or circuits.
On that note still kinda seeing how the next few months pan out, and the chances of going anywhere abroad in any of the cars this year is looking slim sadly. But I think the priority is to do something in the Peugeot (which has been in storage since buying the Mazda) and then decide what to do with it. In an ideal world I'd love to keep it, but having a car I can't access 24/7 feels like a bit of a waste.
Still just tickin' along. Nothing much to report. Not really driving much at the moment so the only real use it's getting is a drive once a week just to make sure everything is healthy and to enjoy cruising around in something I don't feel compelled to drive like a lunatic. Though I've taken it on a few local twisty roads and it's honestly not that bad. Could do with a touch more power and it's a little under-damped (could be just worn dampers, though given the car feels otherwise tight and settles in steady corners, I'm leaning towards just "that's how it is" rather than worn parts). Of course, if I start fiddling with it then that defeats the purpose of having it, which is that it's meant to be as cheap as possible.
Given my garage is full I'm not managing to tidy it as much as I'd like, so just stealing a bit of time here and there just to make it less... gross. Did the fuel door last weekend which was grimy and mouldy and stiff to open, and now that's tidy I can just wear those gloves they provide at the fuel station for Covid reasons rather than to avoid catching something from the car.
The Mazda meanwhile had some downtime between New Year's and some time in March, as the weather was bad and I didn't feel like spending any more time on salty roads than was absolutely necessary. Naturally the battery was dead when I returned to it, so I revived that, and I've tried to drive it each dry weekend since.
It still needs the attention of a specialist, though increasingly more for my own reassurance than anything. Since I've had it the second turbo doesn't actuate when it should... until recently, when it does intermittently. Maybe it's just enjoying being actually used semi-regularly. Size-wise it's perfect for the local lanes (FDs are way smaller than you expect. Including inside - luckily I'm quite short). Ride quality wise it feels a bit like punishing it, like it did my old Roadster. Definitely a car designed for smoother/faster roads or circuits.
On that note still kinda seeing how the next few months pan out, and the chances of going anywhere abroad in any of the cars this year is looking slim sadly. But I think the priority is to do something in the Peugeot (which has been in storage since buying the Mazda) and then decide what to do with it. In an ideal world I'd love to keep it, but having a car I can't access 24/7 feels like a bit of a waste.
- 27,203
- United Kingdom
2000 miles
I realise 2000 miles (about 2145 since the first fill, to be specific) is not a huge number of miles for any kind of significant update on a car. If you want another measurement though, I've now somehow owned the Toyota for just over six months.
I shouldn't need to explain the ridiculousness of so few miles in such a period of time. Ironically, I ended up with the car in the first place to keep miles off the Peugeot, since I did around 2000 in three months in that last summer. But changing circumstances mean recently at least most miles I've put on it have been just relatively short (no more than 50 miles or so) weekend drives.
Which is kind of a shame, because I actually quite like it. It's just so damn easy to live with and drive, but can still provide a bit of entertainment. I mentioned further up that all it could really do with is a touch more power and a bit of suspension attention.
Some of the facts and figures are interesting anyway. Not including insurance, tax and fuel, I'm still into the thing for less than £400. On the fuel side of things, I'm averaging just over 300 miles on a tank, but I've not yet put more than 35 litres in it and it's got a 45 litre tank, so I could push it to 350 miles pretty easily. And overall it's doing just over 46mpg so far, with a best of just over 50mpg. Generally fairly gentle on it and tend to cruise at 65 which helps, though it's also on old tyres and needs an alignment, so there's some positive wiggle room there too.
Other than the tyres/geo, I'm increasingly keen to sort out the big door dent:
Not my doing, I hasten to add. But beggars can't be choosers and the car was free, so it didn't really bother me. Though it's why if you've been paying attention I basically never take photos of the left side of the car...
Anyway, it is starting to bother me now, because while it stops me being too precious about the rest of the car, there's a nagging part of me that doesn't like driving around with a rough-looking car, and people thinking that I might have done it. Because these things are so rare there aren't many being broken (at least in the correct colour) so a replacement may be tricky, but I'm starting to get to the point where I'm tempted to find a body shop... and have them sort out the rear wing at the same time:
I've considered doing that bit myself, but it all comes back to me not having a garage space free. What I really need is a workshop. Or a new house with a bigger garage. Or just some decent weather so I can concentrate on some of the easier tasks that are on my list, like detailing the engine bay and the interior.
But overall, after six months and 2000 miles, all is pretty good.
- 27,203
- United Kingdom
Milestones
I based my last update off 2000 miles in the Toyota. Well I noticed the other day I'd passed 6000 miles in the Peugeot. Which given I bought it in summer 2017, isn't super impressive, though fully half that mileage has been since summer last year (when it became my daily after being made redundant), which feels a bit better.
Still enjoying every mile though. Compared to the Mazda (currently in storage, so no update), which has a real pleasure/pain thing trading off the styling and driving against its expense and complexity, the Peugeot is just wonderfully simple. It's a car I can get in and have fun with while barely spending any money on fuel or maintenance, but after using it solidly for several months last year, I also really trust it now too and wouldn't think twice about hopping in and doing a big continental road trip. Which is exactly what I intend to do once the 'rona has died down a bit.
The Toyota, meanwhile, is now up to around 4500 miles in my ownership, and is continuing to impress me in its own way. I've jumped into it recently after spending time in a few different cars and just been surprised at how well it drives - which I always take as a good sign of how good a car is. It's a more enthusiastic engine away from being a proper little sports car.
It has had its first "wobble" though. A few months back I noticed the very quickest flicker of the oil level light. A week or so ago, I noticed a couple more prominent flickers. I've neglected to really check the dipstick as at the time it had been serviced under 4000 miles ago, and it's an old Toyota, so I figured, what could go wrong?
This time I checked the stick anyway, and predictably it had the tiniest drizzle of oil right at the very bottom. Since it's not leaking it, it must be burning it, and a bit of sleuthing suggests the valve stem seals can be a weakness on these.
I'm going to do... nothing about it. Other than sticking another litre of oil in last week to keep it happy, and it'll get a bit more soon before being serviced properly again in a few months' time. If I'd paid good money for this car I'd probably bite the bullet and get it fixed, and if I had way more space I'd probably entertain doing the job myself. But this car is far from perfect and much as I've grown to like it, I already have two "toys" so it makes little sense to sink too much money into my "free" car.
Not that I haven't considered it. One of the things I've really begun to appreciate is just how rare these things are, and the unique spec of mine with the leather trim. Given it also drives nicely, and that 80s/90s era cars are getting a following, in a perfect world I'd actually be tempted to put a bit of money into the Toyota to make it perfect. I quite like the idea of some proper 90s splash graphics too
But for the time being, its cheapness is its virtue.
- 14,409
- Wellington
I based my last update off 2000 miles in the Toyota. Well I noticed the other day I'd passed 6000 miles in the Peugeot. Which given I bought it in summer 2017, isn't super impressive, though fully half that mileage has been since summer last year (when it became my daily after being made redundant), which feels a bit better.
Still enjoying every mile though. Compared to the Mazda (currently in storage, so no update), which has a real pleasure/pain thing trading off the styling and driving against its expense and complexity, the Peugeot is just wonderfully simple. It's a car I can get in and have fun with while barely spending any money on fuel or maintenance, but after using it solidly for several months last year, I also really trust it now too and wouldn't think twice about hopping in and doing a big continental road trip. Which is exactly what I intend to do once the 'rona has died down a bit.
The Toyota, meanwhile, is now up to around 4500 miles in my ownership, and is continuing to impress me in its own way. I've jumped into it recently after spending time in a few different cars and just been surprised at how well it drives - which I always take as a good sign of how good a car is. It's a more enthusiastic engine away from being a proper little sports car.
It has had its first "wobble" though. A few months back I noticed the very quickest flicker of the oil level light. A week or so ago, I noticed a couple more prominent flickers. I've neglected to really check the dipstick as at the time it had been serviced under 4000 miles ago, and it's an old Toyota, so I figured, what could go wrong?
This time I checked the stick anyway, and predictably it had the tiniest drizzle of oil right at the very bottom. Since it's not leaking it, it must be burning it, and a bit of sleuthing suggests the valve stem seals can be a weakness on these.
I'm going to do... nothing about it. Other than sticking another litre of oil in last week to keep it happy, and it'll get a bit more soon before being serviced properly again in a few months' time. If I'd paid good money for this car I'd probably bite the bullet and get it fixed, and if I had way more space I'd probably entertain doing the job myself. But this car is far from perfect and much as I've grown to like it, I already have two "toys" so it makes little sense to sink too much money into my "free" car.
Not that I haven't considered it. One of the things I've really begun to appreciate is just how rare these things are, and the unique spec of mine with the leather trim. Given it also drives nicely, and that 80s/90s era cars are getting a following, in a perfect world I'd actually be tempted to put a bit of money into the Toyota to make it perfect. I quite like the idea of some proper 90s splash graphics too
What oil are you putting into the Toyota? Garage might just be doing it to OEM spec which isn't really fit for a high mileage economy car. I'd be putting 15w-40 in it minimum, all Toyotas burn oil unfortunately!
- 27,203
- United Kingdom
Recommended was 5w-30. Hadn't thought of that, but on 92,000 miles or so it's not really what I'd have considered high mileage! My 117k mile Peugeot doesn't use a drop (though it did have its valve stem seals done before my ownership), and my last MX-5 was on similar mileage to the Toyota and again didn't use any. I know cars all use oil differently but it's certainly not some baggy 200k-miler.
- 14,409
- Wellington
It would depend on how it's used though, and a hardly used around town goer might have seen the oil changes not as frequent as required - and at least here 148km would be considered around about the age where they'd be looking to use a bit of oil. 5w30 is quite thin for an old car! Even 10w40 would likely see that consumption come right down. Just my 2c though, I think it's an avenue worth exploring that would at least save the convenience of having to check it every fuel stop as with the light going on, it sounds like its using a large chunk.
My old Corolla was on 10w40 and I think it was around a 1 litre every second fillup...
- 27,203
- United Kingdom
- 27,203
- United Kingdom
And then there were two
After a year and around 5000 miles, I sold the Toyota at the weekend. The simple TL;DR version is that I fancy something different, the longer version is below.
Overall it's been great. Incredibly inexpensive. Ignoring fuel, tax and insurance, the difference between what I've put into it, including the charity donation that "bought" it, and what I sold it for, was just over £26. Which is pretty good I reckon. Even including fuel, tax and insurance, it has cost me 22p/mile.
The RAC reckons a brand new car at the bottom end of the market (something that costs around £7500, and the finance that results) capable of 60mpg is 33p/mile including fuel at 1.20 a litre (the study was done in 2016), and fuel is definitely more than that at the moment. So I don't think there's a single thing I could have bought new today which would have cost me less to run. Including EVs, since the finance cost would've pushed that up. Figures I can find suggest a Zoe is about 68p/mile all things considered...
So, long version of why I'm selling? Wanting to try something else is part of it. Too many cars, too little time etc. Something more economical too. The Toyota's not bad, at 50mpg, but that's also more or less its limit. I know from the Insight I can do better, and while I don't want to spend Insight money now, there are cars out there that can get close to that kind of economy, which is generally something I'm becoming even more conscious of (and unrelated to the Mazda's thirst). I want to turn high mpg into a game again, like I did with the Honda. So I've got a few ideas already on what can replace the Toyota.
But there's also the fringe stuff. A while back I posted the dented side, which I rarely photographed, and I just don't much like driving around in something that looks scruffy - but at the same time, something I didn't want to repair unless I could do it very cheaply indeed, since the whole point of the car was its lack of cost.
And I think the dent also contributed to coming back to the car a month or so ago to find someone had vandalised it, kicking the passenger door mirror off. I'm not excusing their behaviour, but if you're going to pick a car to be a yob to, it's probably going to be the one that already looks broken.
Its replacement will also be a bit more modern. While I'm not the kind of person that feels unsafe driving around in something older, there are always situations you can't account for, so something with ABS (which this doesn't have), ESP, a few more airbags etc is a priority. Also a car where rust might not start becoming as imminent a problem for MOTs. And air conditioning would also be nice. Just the modern conveniences.
But like I said, the Toyota has done me well. Those of you who've been on GTP a while may remember that way back in the day, prior to even my first MX-5, one of these was actually on my shortlist for a time. It's weird how life works, but it's cool to have finally owned one.
I've been somewhat spoiled by my job in recent years, not having to drive my own cars daily, but those of you who have a car that's your daily driver, your show car, your track car, to be used in all weathers and through all seasons, treasure it because it's quite a special thing. Driving my old white MX-5 through winter, and salt, was undoubtedly ruinous to it, but I absolutely loved climbing into that thing every time no matter what the journey was. It was just my car, not a show queen or weekend toy.
The Toyota and whatever will replace it isn't that of course. It's nice using my own car and not a press loan, but those cars will always be the thing I drive instead of driving the cars I really care about, the Peugeot and Mazda. So it'll never be quite the same as the white Mazda, the Panda, the Insight etc.
- 27,203
- United Kingdom
Min size, max mpg
New car time! Well, new to me. Still a decade old, though also the newest car I've ever actually owned - the Fiat was a 2008 and this is a 2011.
So why a Smart? Partly because I've always been interested in them, and partly because it's currently about the most affordable way to get the highest mpg. The advantage over the Toyota is really its modernity - I now have aircon, ABS, a decent stereo etc, which should make regular journeys a little nicer.
And since I already have two fun cars in the fleet, the absolute best thing my daily can be is as inexpensive as possible to run. Mine is one of the diesels, and in theory, they're capable of 80-ish mpg (imperial), with the further benefit of zero-rate vehicle tax. Insurance is pretty cheap too.
I've driven a bunch in the past, with all kinds of power units (from the 100bhp Brabus to the EV) so quite familiar with how they drive, and how best to drive them, which mainly means becoming familiar with that automated manual transmission. A lot of people hate them, I don't mind them - you just drive it in a slightly different way, learn its shortcomings, and work around them. No biggie really.
The engine's kinda interesting. 799cc, three-cylinder turbodiesel. 54bhp, but 96lb ft (the latter just shy of a NA Miata for some context). And only 770kg, so while it's certainly not fast, it gets out of its own way and cruises nicely enough at motorway speeds. The big advantage will obviously be economy, particularly at current fuel prices here. I reckon I'll get 500-600 miles on a £40-ish fill; anyone reading this from the UK will know how good that sounds right now...
It's a top-spec model too, which means it comes with stuff like aircon (which appears to work) and a full glass roof, but the first owner ticked all the good option boxes too, so it has flappy paddles (which only came on the sportier trim lines from the factory), navigation (ten years old now obviously, but I can at least plug in my phone to listen to music), a central fold-down armrest (don't laugh, it makes cruising way more comfortable!), an under-seat sub, and barely visible in the pic, but just near the cupholders in the centre there's a kind of swing-out bin/larger cup holder thing which will inevitably be useful for odds and ends.
Importantly, it's also all in pretty nice condition. The clock on top of the dash is missing its trim ring, and those net door pockets are sagging a bit, but otherwise it's very tidy inside and out. I'll probably find some mats for it to avoid messing up the carpets. I may eventually replace the touchscreen with a modern CarPlay unit.
I considered a few other cars while I was looking - Toyota iQ, some of the VW Group eco models like the Fabia Greenline/Polo Bluemotion, but eventually figured if I'm looking for these particular qualities, economy especially, why not go all-out and min/max it? Got a few longer trips already coming up, so I'm interested to see how it does.
Roo
Premium
- 7,414
- Hampshire, UK
- GTP_Roo
Watching with interest. Having recently changed from doing 300 miles a month to 400 a week, mostly on motorways, fuel economy has become a much higher consideration than ever before.
Sparked by your post, whilst scanning the classifieds this evening, pricing up cars and number crunching, I saw the ad for yours was still up. Looks like an absolute peach, certainly the pick of the bunch that were up for similar money.
Sparked by your post, whilst scanning the classifieds this evening, pricing up cars and number crunching, I saw the ad for yours was still up. Looks like an absolute peach, certainly the pick of the bunch that were up for similar money.
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- 27,203
- United Kingdom
Before I got the Paseo last year I was only vaguely considering one of these, though I did want something that did more than 50mpg (which the Paseo just managed, with some effort), but after the shortages a few months back and the insane prices ever since, it convinced me to look right to the most economical stuff. I could of course have saved far more initially by buying something older/cheaper that wasn't as frugal, but then the other point was to get something more modern in the first place.
But yeah, I'd had my eye on several and this one stood out. I missed another one that looked similarly tidy for a bit less money about a month ago but this one's probably even higher spec and I think the MOT history looked a bit better too.
- 5,060
- Panama City, FL
Reminds me of buying my '99 Miata in 2018. Simultaneously the oldest and newest car I'd ever purchased, being a 1999 model year and 19 years old. It beat out my previous purchase for both oldest and newest, a '98 Aurora in 2015, which was the newest model year I'd ever had, and at 17 years old, the oldest car. I did it with two cars in a row! 😃
- 27,203
- United Kingdom
Got curious and worked out the average year of the 11 cars I've now owned: 1997. Which is actually right between the Toyota (1996) and my Peugeot and the first car I owned, the Fiesta (1998). Definitely a heavy 1990s weighting (six cars), while the 2008 and 2011 cars are somewhat offset by the Beetle (1974).
Honestly, the reason I tend to buy older cars is that I can't afford newer ones (or at least, don't wish to spend umpteen years paying for something I'm not that interested in), but my "new" car being a decade old is a pretty good illustration of my buying habits...
- 1,925
- A field in England
Always been interested in how much MPG you can push out of a car. Always wanted to modify a car to see just how much you can improve it, so I'll be putting a flat floor on my van to see if I can finally hit 60mpg!
Only thing I could never get on with in the Smart car was the brake pedal; from memory it's hinged from the bottom, and every time I drove one, my foot slipped under light braking and I accidentally slammed the brakes on nearly full. Took some getting used to when every other car has the pedal hinged from above.
Only thing I could never get on with in the Smart car was the brake pedal; from memory it's hinged from the bottom, and every time I drove one, my foot slipped under light braking and I accidentally slammed the brakes on nearly full. Took some getting used to when every other car has the pedal hinged from above.
- 27,203
- United Kingdom
Yeah the pedal's basically like an old Beetle or 911. It feels a little odd at first but I've got used to it already from the few drives I've had.
I always quite enjoyed driving in a way to extract maximum mpg from the Insight, and I'm hoping this will be the same. It's daft, but it's something you can do that involves driving skill that you can do basically everywhere and all the time, and without getting close to breaking any laws. I enjoy driving fast but it can be pretty stressful in a world full of speed cameras, dash cams, poor road maintenance, high fuel prices, and generally people that can't wait to rid the world of cars, so anything that lets me drive in a way that avoids all that is a good thing.
- 1,925
- A field in England
I do enjoy hypermiling, though it can drive my road rage through the roof when I get stuck behind idiots doing half the speed limit who use their brakes for no reason. It beggars belief how many people waste fuel unknowingly
- 27,203
- United Kingdom
Yeah, if anything it's more frustrating getting caught behind a bad driver when you're in something slow, than when you're in something fast. Momentum is much harder won in a slow car! I found the Insight a great tool for a lot of techniques that generally make you a better driver, like reading the road, conserving momentum etc. That kind of stuff is just as important for saving fuel as it is for making progress or just being a decent driver full stop.
I do find cars like this quite relaxing though. They don't even really encourage the "slow car fast" style of driving, so I tend to just chill out and drive a bit more sedately. The Paseo was on the borderline, as it could be kinda fun to huck around, but I generally resorted to cruising on motorways at 65-ish. The Smart should be pretty economical at the same kind of speeds. (The Insight was too, that difference between 70 and 65 pretty much meant another 5mpg right away, since the lean burn would kick in all the more frequently.)
- 27,203
- United Kingdom
Decided I'd do a quick update on this:
Covered roughly 1500 miles in it so far. Which is funny, because I've done that in about a month and a half, whereas it took me six months to do 2000 miles in the Toyota. Feeling glad of it already, given fuel prices are still way higher than they were a year ago, and this is using conveniently little of it.
Given it's the reason I bought the Smart it's probably the best thing to start with. I've averaged more or less 70mpg so far. Big picture, that's great. Compared to what I was expecting, probably slightly underachieving, and I can already tell this isn't likely to hit the same heights as the Insight. It's only around 2mpg off the Insight's long-term average, but I'm driving it more conservatively, and I'd say on a like-for-like journey it's maybe 5-10mpg off, on average.
Still, a ~£40 fill for ~400 miles really isn't bad in this day and age, and there's lots of other stuff to like. As a summary of thoughts so far:
Wasn't expecting that, because previous experience of Smarts tells me you're better off finessing the automated manual gearchanges yourself. But I just kinda... don't really care. In auto it behaves predictably enough that I'm rarely caught out by a slow change or unexpected upchange/downchange. On the rare occasions I know I'll need to choose or hold a lower gear for some reason, it's easy enough to do manually with the paddles
The power is proving enough too. It's in the meat of the torque at motorway speeds so if I need to join fast-flowing traffic in the outside lanes it'll do that quickly enough. Gets up to speed okay on slip roads too, though I'll admit I've changed a few regular routes ever so slightly so I don't need to use more "marginal" slip roads where the power might become a problem. If I do feel more is necessary at some point, they do remaps up to around 80hp and 130lb ft anyway...
Overall though, I'm enjoying it. It's interesting and economical and that's basically all I need it to be.
Covered roughly 1500 miles in it so far. Which is funny, because I've done that in about a month and a half, whereas it took me six months to do 2000 miles in the Toyota. Feeling glad of it already, given fuel prices are still way higher than they were a year ago, and this is using conveniently little of it.
Given it's the reason I bought the Smart it's probably the best thing to start with. I've averaged more or less 70mpg so far. Big picture, that's great. Compared to what I was expecting, probably slightly underachieving, and I can already tell this isn't likely to hit the same heights as the Insight. It's only around 2mpg off the Insight's long-term average, but I'm driving it more conservatively, and I'd say on a like-for-like journey it's maybe 5-10mpg off, on average.
Still, a ~£40 fill for ~400 miles really isn't bad in this day and age, and there's lots of other stuff to like. As a summary of thoughts so far:
- I like the size. Still actually getting used to how to park it, as it's so short I'm still underestimating how close I can get to stuff. The narrowness is good too, as every lane basically feels twice as wide, and when you're parked, there's always plenty of space to open doors.
- Weirdly poor turning circle. Mitigated somewhat by the small size, but it's actually another strange aspect of parking it. I need to re-adjust the ratio of size to turning circle in favour of the former, compared to what I'm used to when parking.
- Downside of the shape is that it does get blown about a bit when it's windy. Constant corrections on the motorway.
- Otherwise, it cruises quite nicely at speed. Like the Insight, in some ways it's actually better doing motorway speeds than low speeds - just seems to settle into a cruise. Refinement is decent enough.
- Ride isn't as bad as I remember, probably a sign everything else has become too stiff. Does thump through potholes etc but again on the open road, it's mostly fine.
- Handles better than you'd credit. Surprising grip (probably again because of the firm setup). Steering is actually pretty decent, more so than reviews at the time made out. Even some feedback there. Unassisted in this car - light enough at everything but a standstill.
- Really like the interior. So many cubbies for storage. First car I think I've owned where everything I'm carrying with me - these days phone, wallet, keys, a mask at a minimum - can just be thrown in a cubby and easily accessed. Driving position is upright but comfortable, and the seat armrest is very useful on long trips. Great visibility (loads of glass), but one of the worst cars I've owned for low sun sneaking through gaps around the centre mirror. May trim some vinyl or something as a fix.
Wasn't expecting that, because previous experience of Smarts tells me you're better off finessing the automated manual gearchanges yourself. But I just kinda... don't really care. In auto it behaves predictably enough that I'm rarely caught out by a slow change or unexpected upchange/downchange. On the rare occasions I know I'll need to choose or hold a lower gear for some reason, it's easy enough to do manually with the paddles
The power is proving enough too. It's in the meat of the torque at motorway speeds so if I need to join fast-flowing traffic in the outside lanes it'll do that quickly enough. Gets up to speed okay on slip roads too, though I'll admit I've changed a few regular routes ever so slightly so I don't need to use more "marginal" slip roads where the power might become a problem. If I do feel more is necessary at some point, they do remaps up to around 80hp and 130lb ft anyway...
Overall though, I'm enjoying it. It's interesting and economical and that's basically all I need it to be.
- 5,489
- Druids Bend
- Z4E_Midnight85
Interesting choice. My old workmate had one and he raved about how good it was, even had it above 100mph on the motorway apparently! I'd not want to test that, personally! Which Insight did you have? I've heard the most recent one (EU version anyway) is fairly bland and not worth driving.
- 27,203
- United Kingdom
Insight was the first gen, there's a pic of it in the very first post. The 5dr second gen was decent enough but felt a bit low-effort after the first.
The Smart is definitely an acquired taste, some people hate them, but I've driven several in the past and most of the stuff that bothers other people is neither here nor there for me. Not sure what this one'll do up top, I think officially it's limited to 84mph, but provided it's not too blowy it feels absolutely fine at motorway speeds. I suspect the Brabus version would do 100 fairly easily though again I think officially that's limited to something below that.
- 5,489
- Druids Bend
- Z4E_Midnight85
Ah okay, he may have been spouting nonsense. His wasn't a Brabus version.
I had considered buying a 2nd gen Insight as a daily until I read that the Prius was better in every way. And my wife despises them, sadly...
- 27,203
- United Kingdom
It's a decent enough car, and arguably more fun to drive than a Prius - feels lighter and more agile. I had one for a week in a previous job and it did 60mpg without too much effort in that week.
The biggest problem with any Prius or Insight now is that basically every single one on the used market is an ex-minicab. That and with the Prius you'll probably come back to it at some point to find the catalytic converter's been nicked.
- 27,203
- United Kingdom
Milestones #2
Bit of an update on a couple of the cars. Peugeot first, which is fresh off 2400 miles around France. Had been planning to do a similar trip more or less since I bought it nearly five years ago, but indecision got in the way for three of those years and the err... global situation for another few.
Great fun and the car behaved brilliantly. Soaked up the distance and didn't blink at some fairly hard driving on twisty mountain roads - coolant/oil needles barely moved (and they're proper ones which should move if temperatures actually change rather than just "nominal indicators"), everything worked as it should etc. Even pretty comfortable for the most part despite some long days.
As for the Smart, it's now done just over 5000 miles in just under six months. Somewhat fortuitous getting it shortly before fuel prices went absolutely mad, so while it's not as cheap as it would have been, it's still not costing much to fill up. Average so far has been around 71mpg UK, though the last few tanks have been closer to 76mpg on average. Comfortably does 400+ miles on a tiny tank.
Still enjoy owning/driving it despite its deficiencies. Main demerits are still the crosswind thing (it's not dangerous by any stretch, just requires more attention than most stuff would if it's windy out), and the occasional moment of idiocy from the transmission.
I'm still mostly using it in auto mode, and the gearchange speed generally doesn't bother me as I'm familiar with what it's likely to do at any given time now. But very occasionally it just has an almighty moment of confusion where it decides it wants a lower gear, takes ages to change, slips the clutch like crazy, and then you're revving the balls off it and it changes back up again. I can mostly anticipate those moments so will deliberately knock it into manual sometimes, but it still catches me out occasionally.
Still haven't decided how long I'll keep it, whether it'll just be a year like the Toyota or maybe longer, but we'll see how it goes over summer. I'll be taking it for a service fairly shortly.
The Mazda, incidentally, is in storage at the mo. Will be swapping it with the Peugeot soon.
- 11,754
- Marin County
I still love that Peugeot. I think I might love it (outside looking in) more than the RX-7...and I'm a rotorhead! There is just something so joyous about a small, simple, fwd, 3-door hatch with a peppy transverse engine. It's a shame that this type of vehicle just doesn't exist anymore, at least not in the US Market.
- 27,203
- United Kingdom
Not in the UK market either, sadly. But absolutely agree, it's hard to beat for smiles. So much feedback, and it was absolutely in its element on that trip. Finally feel like I've done some "proper" driving in it on the roads it was designed for, and the best bit is it just soaked up hard use for over a week despite its age and it not really being a vehicle designed for long trips. Arguably it felt better after the trip than before it, everything just a little smoother and the steering in particular felt less tight, after the rack got rebuilt a year or two ago.
- 201
- Mount Pleasant, SC, USA
- Fnord
Man, I'm jealous. My first car was a '79 RX-7. My next was an 88. And I had another 88 after that. The only generation of RX-7 I've never owned was the third. Always lusted after one, though. Unfortunately, they're now either too old (not looking to tinker anymore - though I still have kind of an itch to supercharge the Miata) or entirely too expensive to consider. Hopefully, Mazda can find a way to make one last RX-7 before the entire industry goes electric.
- 27,203
- United Kingdom
Where's the Mazda been?
You might notice that I've not mentioned the Mazda for a while in this thread. No pictures since April '21 in fact, looking further back.
Basically... it's been an interesting couple of years.
In about May '21 I took the car for a compression test, and it was low enough that it warranted a rebuild. That happened that June. I'd more or less budgeted for something like that when I bought the car, and figured it would also solve a few of the other running issues, which made sense too when they found how many hoses and wires had perished.
When you see a picture like that the mind does start to wonder what else you might put in there... anyway, that all happened, and then I spent the next year exactly running it in, during which I covered 1500 miles.
By that time it was due a service and MOT, so I got those done... and it failed the MOT, on emissions and on corrosion. The former required a new cat, the latter gave me the choice to have it patched up, or have the underside done properly.
I went for the latter. Which was probably the better option, but turned into a long and incredibly expensive journey which involved having much of the underside rebuilt and a lot of the topside painted during the blending-in process.
As you can see, it got pretty comprehensive. The only panels not repainted in the end were the bonnet and tailgate, and the two bumpers.
The shot at the top is how it looks now, so despite the non-repainted panels having faded over time, it's a pretty good match - close enough that I've no immediate plans to have those bits done too. The important bit is, as you can see from that painted underside shot (which has since been properly undersealed etc), it's now properly solid underneath.
It's a process I never wish to repeat with any other car though given the cost (and this wasn't even a "full" resto, I can fully understand how people restoring something from scratch can spend tens and tens of thousands), and the slightly frustrating conclusion to everything is that the car still has a few running issues - i.e. the thing that kicked all this off a year and a half ago is still little different (though when it's running right, it does feel like both turbos are now working as they should, which is one issue fixed at least).
Quick updates
Things have been slightly less eventful with the other two. The Peugeot is still running well - after the road trip in April, it did a hillclimb during the summer and was great fun, and while not an official event, fairly competitive - so might give hill climbing a proper go in 2023.
The Smart has also been on track, after @Roo and I went to the Nurburgring in October. It was very silly and very fun. The car's had a bunch of servicing work and some new winter tyres recently, and did almost exactly 10k miles in the first year of ownership. I'd be looking for something else by now out of pure curiosity, but the recent costs were higher than expected so I'll keep it for a bit longer to justify that. Still doing over 70mpg so can't complain too much...
