rotavator wrote:I guess that Ford saleswoman is serving her notice.
Nope still there and at the time was employee of the month! She did say they'll still sell well despite the issues she raised. Ppl just like the SUV look of the ford range so they'll sell well. Estates don't these days so they never get them in to the branch.
NUKe wrote:Nissan Elgrand, I fold up the rear seat push the middle row left forward and I can get the grasshopper in . Plus anther couple of bikes and still have four seats .
Love that van. Saw one at my local train station so took photos to convince the other half how nice they look. What was her reply?
Ateam! She told me. Looks like their van to her. They certainly look decent vans too me. Heard they're more car like than most vans with all the extras. Much better than European spec vans except the expensive transporter. Low enough for car parks and about the size of transporters. Reliable too. Get a wax oil treatment it'll last well too.
They're higher spec than a T5 if you get the Ryder or highway star spec vehicles. I did a personal import, cost me 3300 all in for a car that looked new. Funnily enough I was after an American Dodge day van when I came across an Elgrand. ITS 3.3 V6 petrol engine so very smooth and quite. Auto transmission, leather twin aircon, it did come with twin TV and high end hifi But I just replaced with a radio.
NUKe wrote:Nissan Elgrand, I fold up the rear seat push the middle row left forward and I can get the grasshopper in . Plus anther couple of bikes and still have four seats .
The newer ones look nice but what are the mpg/emissions? A 1.6tdi vw caddy maxi life is 152g/km and the av. economy should be well over 40mpg. 40k Miles 2013 Caddy can be had for £9k, room for at least 3 plus bikes inside without much hassle. The 2.0l bluemotion tech variant is slightly more frugal and one VED band lower. IF I was after a regular fam+bikes drive that was easy to load it'd certainly be a serious consideration.
Tangled Metal wrote:How old when you brought it over? They're a lot more over here from importers/dealers.
It is a 99 and it was 15 years old . But it had 45k km on the clock. Most of the 300k to be honest was shipping and tax. I paid an agent 350 pounds to organise shipping etc.it's an e50 highway star. Would has cost 5k Plus if I had bought once imported http://www.algysautos.com/Import_Scheme.html They source cars you buy it and they then organise shipping you pay that then they take care of registration. You pay a lot of money before you see the car.
NUKe wrote:Nissan Elgrand, I fold up the rear seat push the middle row left forward and I can get the grasshopper in . Plus anther couple of bikes and still have four seats .
The newer ones look nice but what are the mpg/emissions? A 1.6tdi vw caddy maxi life is 152g/km and the av. economy should be well over 40mpg. 40k Miles 2013 Caddy can be had for £9k, room for at least 3 plus bikes inside without much hassle. The 2.0l bluemotion tech variant is slightly more frugal and one VED band lower. IF I was after a regular fam+bikes drive that was easy to load it'd certainly be a serious consideration.
Not good I can get into the low 30s on long run, but its low 20s around town. I don't drive much so I am not too concerned about the mpg.I wouldn't trust VW figures, a friend reckon he gets a lot less from hisT5 THAN VW quotes.
NUKe wrote:Nissan Elgrand, I fold up the rear seat push the middle row left forward and I can get the grasshopper in . Plus anther couple of bikes and still have four seats .
The newer ones look nice but what are the mpg/emissions? A 1.6tdi vw caddy maxi life is 152g/km and the av. economy should be well over 40mpg. 40k Miles 2013 Caddy can be had for £9k, room for at least 3 plus bikes inside without much hassle. The 2.0l bluemotion tech variant is slightly more frugal and one VED band lower. IF I was after a regular fam+bikes drive that was easy to load it'd certainly be a serious consideration.
Not good I can get into the low 30s on long run, but its low 20s around town. I don't drive much so I am not too concerned about the mpg.I wouldn't trust VW figures, a friend reckon he gets a lot less from hisT5 THAN VW quotes.
As I said upthread I got a total trip 37mpg out of a T6, 60,000ft ascent and being driven with gusto in the mountains and the to/from journeys (Bucks to Geneva and back from Nice) were both done at over 80 on the long stretches and that was six up, 5 bikes and luggage(7 nights in hotels), spare wheels and misc. extras.
Last edited by The utility cyclist on 14 Feb 2018, 11:08pm, edited 1 time in total.
NUKe wrote:They're higher spec than a T5 if you get the Ryder or highway star spec vehicles. I did a personal import, cost me 3300 all in for a car that looked new. Funnily enough I was after an American Dodge day van when I came across an Elgrand. ITS 3.3 V6 petrol engine so very smooth and quite. Auto transmission, leather twin aircon, it did come with twin TV and high end hifi But I just replaced with a radio.
Lhd?
Entertainer, juvenile, curmudgeon, PoB, 30120 Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
Japanese import, they drive on the same side as us so the driving seat is the same side.
The Japanese tend to have a lot of gadgets in their cars. What's a low spec there is high spec here, kind of like the late model deals they do on new cars just before a new version is due out.
The other advantage of Japanese cars is on at least pay the shaken test. Just like here after a few years Japanese cars have an mot test called the shaken test. It's similar but a lot more severe by all accounts. I doubt a lot of our older cars would pass it so in general they're really top notch cars despite their age. Low mileage is very common too. I doubt you'd get a 50,000 mile car dating from 2003 over here that often.
They're big vehicles the likes of Nissan Elgrand or Toyota alphard. Engine size typically starts at 2.5 litres and 3.5 litres is common. They'll drive more car like than UK spec vans, a bit like vw transporters. Auto, 4wd, gizmos galore. In fact they often have all the carlike features like climate control (often dual zone), electric seats / heated, rear and side cameras, sat nav built in, drop down monitors, rear key operated electric sliding doors, etc.
I think you might get good mileage from a vw caddy but it's not the same type of car. It's a van, Elgrand seems to be more aimed at mpv use and high end user at that. Of course you pay one way or another for luxury and mpg figures look like the way you pay, import price isn't.
Having said that I have just seen a 2013 vw caddy life 5 seater for £4995. A 2011 version exactly same spec and more mileage for £7995. Then you'll pay a lot more for a 2013 Elgrand. One I saw was £38,000 UK price!!
I think if the caddy life is big enough to fit a three bikes in plus seating for three people then it's looking a decent option. Only it's basic, diesel and looks like a hearse!
One more negative, vw group cars are expensive for parts. Certainly my experience with a seat that's based on the same floor plan as vw golf plus. You even have to go to main dealer to get windscreen wipers. Halfords don't stock them and most motor factors will only offer you a bodge to fit. We bought it with a bodge fit wiper and it doesn't work as well as proper SEAT wipers.
NUKe wrote:They're higher spec than a T5 if you get the Ryder or highway star spec vehicles. I did a personal import, cost me 3300 all in for a car that looked new. Funnily enough I was after an American Dodge day van when I came across an Elgrand. ITS 3.3 V6 petrol engine so very smooth and quite. Auto transmission, leather twin aircon, it did come with twin TV and high end hifi But I just replaced with a radio.
Lhd?
Right hand drive all Japanese cars are they drive on the same side.
Last edited by NUKe on 14 Feb 2018, 11:38pm, edited 1 time in total.
Honda FR-V the older model upto I think 2009,three seats up front and with the rear seats folded it'll swallow three bikes and luggage,Honda reliability and a choice of engines.
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"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
