Looking for my mum's next motor...

[Metric1]

NOT OURS. OUR TOWN&COUNTRY SUCKED

[danzooo]

Wee update.

Got my mum's car back from the garage and it's good as new (quick look under the hood and there's some yummy new shiny bits). The decision for now is to leave things how they are (although my dad keeps contemplating a Clio 200, don't you dare!) and wait. The Zaf's warranty runs out around September time as well as it be needing it's first MOT this year so my dad definitely wants to replace it before this forthcoming financially heavy hoo-ha comes about.

[tdi]

is it just the cat that was clogged up? usually a bit of spirited driving will shift the dirty diesel reap from the system, as i'm presuming your mum won't take it over 1.5k rpm

[danzooo]

Another wee update.

So my mum picked the car up on Saturday and it was good as gold. It is now Tuesday and the dreaded engine management light is back, along with its ridiculous throttle problem. My mum's had it with the stupid thing and definitely wants a new car right this second.

is it just the cat that was clogged up? usually a bit of spirited driving will shift the dirty diesel reap from the system, as i'm presuming your mum won't take it over 1.5k rpm

Your totally right here - she only travels a few miles a day up to her work and back dropping off/picking up the kids from school on the way there/back. And that's exactly what it needs - the arse booted off it and that's what my dad has been doing recently by taking it to his work and doing ridiculous stuff like revving it to about 4-5k rpm before shifting up. But to be honest, can you really expect my middle-aged mother with two daughters aged 8 and 9 to be crucifying a car like that every day? A seven seat MPV like the Zafira is surely aimed at a typical school run mum who does the minimum of miles a day, and a high powered diesel engine like that is surely fit for high-miling sales exec Ken from Romford's diesel Laguna? It's a bit of an unfitting engine for the car's purpose, it's like putting the 0.8 litre engine from the Chevrolet Matiz into a Porsche GT3 racecar - completely unsuitable.

So the search continues... for a petrol.

[tdi]

if it's just your mum driving it and you want something economical rather than performance based, you could get a smaller engine derv, 1.4 or 1.5, i've no idea who makes them because i've never wanted one.. but i'm sure it's worth looking, although a petrol won't be TOO uneconomical if it's not being driven hard..

[danzooo]

if it's just your mum driving it and you want something economical rather than performance based, you could get a smaller engine derv, 1.4 or 1.5, i've no idea who makes them because i've never wanted one.. but i'm sure it's worth looking, although a petrol won't be TOO uneconomical if it's not being driven hard..

Yeah we're definitely leaning towards a petrol now. My mum still wants another Zafira though so we're looking out one with the 1.8 that my dad has in his Vectra. He wants a Toyota Auris SR180 now!!