I am confused

[colinm]

Yeah cos thats such and advancement over simply opening the glove box in 1 second with its handle or turning the heater nob to red in about 1 second. Without I might add taking your eyes off the road for that 1 second.

The glovebox I agree, but the heater controls on BYD are just as easy, if not easier to use than a knob, you just put three fingers anywhere on the screen and swipe. And of cause the BYD Atto 2 has something which every car should have, a Karaoke machine build into screen, something which has been sadly lacking in the automotive world.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

This MG drive me crackers, the heating controls are hidden, there are two star toggle buttons on the wheel, so I have the basic temp and fan on one, and the 360 camera (need it to park at home as it's wider than the Fiesta) on the other, no actual knobs unless you count me, there are +&- volume buttons, front and rear screen buttons, a home button to bring more detail on the screen to get at the fecking nanny software to turn the fecker OFF, and a main HVAC button, they should be illegal for any functions you need whilst driving, plus you cannot help but get finger marks on the and the sun kills it altogether just before it dazzles you, the worst things are the Adaptive Cruise Control, and the Lane assist which you need to turn off before you go near a country lane.

 

[colinm]

This MG drive me crackers, the heating controls are hidden, there are two star toggle buttons on the wheel, so I have the basic temp and fan on one, and the 360 camera (need it to park at home as it's wider than the Fiesta) on the other, no actual knobs unless you count me, there are +&- volume buttons, front and rear screen buttons, a home button to bring more detail on the screen to get at the fecking nanny software to turn the fecker OFF, and a main HVAC button, they should be illegal for any functions you need whilst driving, plus you cannot help but get finger marks on the and the sun kills it altogether just before it dazzles you, the worst things are the Adaptive Cruise Control, and the Lane assist which you need to turn off before you go near a country lane.

Unfortunately to get a 5* NCAP rating Lane Keep Assist has to be on the car and enabled every time you start up, some cars have a single button to switch off LKA, and I could understand if there developed a aftermarket 'remap' which permanently switched it off LKA.
Funny enough when driving the MG4 I had no problems whatsoever with the LKA, but I swear the one in the Volvo EX30 was trying to kill me.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

We were up in the lakes not long after we got it (2024 MG3)on a narrow road, and a Range Rover was coming the other way and the car decided it was better to go off road than stay on it despite there being plenty of room although the RR was too far over, I'd forgotten to swipe down after we'd been out of the car for a while, Liz normally does it for me if we're moving but she thought I'd done it, as for the ACC it's a real scaredy cat and brakes for fun, I would prefer plain old CC.

What is going to happen if you have a crash and the nanny crap is off, it could affect your insurance at some point, and sooner or later it is not inconceivable that "normal" cars will not be allowed on the road as they do not have any nanny software to avoid a collision.

 

[barryd]

The glovebox I agree, but the heater controls on BYD are just as easy, if not easier to use than a knob, you just put three fingers anywhere on the screen and swipe. And of cause the BYD Atto 2 has something which every car should have, a Karaoke machine build into screen, something which has been sadly lacking in the automotive world.

Ill take your word for it. What the hell is a BYD? What happens when the screen packs up on these new fangled cars? Ill just bet its cheaper to replace a knob than one of them. Bring back the model T!

 

[colinm]

Ill take your word for it. What the hell is a BYD? What happens when the screen packs up on these new fangled cars? Ill just bet its cheaper to replace a knob than one of them. Bring back the model T!

BYD is the 9th biggest car maker in the world just behind Ford, last year they made 4.3million vehicles including busses and trucks. they are also one of, if not the biggest, battery makers in the world, odds are your phone has one of their batteries in it as well as several other components from them, they employ nearly 1million people.
The simple reason car companies use screens is they allow many more options than could be done with buttons and at a cheaper price. As for replacing a screen, I suspect an entire assembly would cost quite a lot, but I bet replacing just the screen wouldn't be too much, just like a mobile phone screen.

 

[barryd]

BYD is the 9th biggest car maker in the world just behind Ford, last year they made 4.3million vehicles including busses and trucks. they are also one of, if not the biggest, battery makers in the world, odds are your phone has one of their batteries in it as well as several other components from them, they employ nearly 1million people.
The simple reason car companies use screens is they allow many more options than could be done with buttons and at a cheaper price. As for replacing a screen, I suspect an entire assembly would cost quite a lot, but I bet replacing just the screen wouldn't be too much, just like a mobile phone screen.

Never heard of them. I want a JAG!! An E Type Jag!! Convertible. And a curly moustache. With a Harrods hamper in the back and a couple of little Fillies! A proper Cad and Bounders car wot wot!! Bollox to all this new crap.

 

[Martin P]

Lol. All this swiping business is ok but I can't be doing with it. It just seems so meaningless. I mean you grab a heater control slide and you immediately know if its in the middle or one end or another. Ots positive whereas.a swipe is just arbitrary. I can never remember whether to swipe up down or left or right. Without looking you just dont know where you are. I know I am old fashioned but I like some nice chrome bezel dials and some good chunky switches. And I would rather do without modern driving aids. I no more want the damn thing steering itself than I want my old lady grabbing the steering wheel. Im blo@dy glad Im old and wont have to put up with this stuff too much longer

 

[barryd]

Lol. All this swiping business is ok but I can't be doing with it. It just seems so meaningless. I mean you grab a heater control slide and you immediately know if its in the middle or one end or another. Ots positive whereas.a swipe is just arbitrary. I can never remember whether to swipe up down or left or right. Without looking you just dont know where you are. I know I am old fashioned but I like some nice chrome bezel dials and some good chunky switches. And I would rather do without modern driving aids. I no more want the damn thing steering itself than I want my old lady grabbing the steering wheel. Im blo@dy glad Im old and wont have to put up with this stuff too much longer

Spot on that man!! I was just saying this to Michelle this afternoon. Our old Hyundai run around is on borrowed time I think. Ill have to start looking for something else soon but despite us only needing literally another run around I fancy something a bit old school that you can actually feel the road in and enjoy driving not some soulless big fat box full of computers and driving aids. I do want something reliable though as I can't be doing with stuff breaking. Michelle always wanted an MX5 but I always wanted a Honda S2000. Ill probably have to crawl in and out of either though. So be it.

 

[colinm]

Lol. All this swiping business is ok but I can't be doing with it. It just seems so meaningless. I mean you grab a heater control slide and you immediately know if its in the middle or one end or another.

TBH it's a waste of time, most modern cars have thermostatic heater controls, you set them to the desired temperature and never need to bother with them anymore.

 

[Martin P]

TBH it's a waste of time, most modern cars have thermostatic heater controls, you set them to the desired temperature and never need to bother with them anymore.

Not mine but then I could never afford or justify buying a new car. My daily drive is a Vito van, not even the latest model but I prefer the shape of it, not a fan of the angular bonnet shape of the new one. Anyway I digress. I like Merc vans, very little frills and fol de rolls but what they do have is generally quite solid. The temp control is a good round knob. Get in in the morning and whack it to max. When it gets too hot turn it round a bit anticlockwise. What could be simpler

 

[colinm]

Not mine but then I could never afford or justify buying a new car. My daily drive is a Vito van, not even the latest model but I prefer the shape of it, not a fan of the angular bonnet shape of the new one. Anyway I digress. I like Merc vans, very little frills and fol de rolls but what they do have is generally quite solid. The temp control is a good round knob. Get in in the morning and whack it to max. When it gets too hot turn it round a bit anticlockwise. What could be simpler

My 12 y.o. Suzuki needs no adjustment of temperature, get in drive off, don't need to touch the temperature controls at all.

 

[Martin P]

My 12 y.o. Suzuki needs no adjustment of temperature, get in drive off, don't need to touch the temperature controls at all.

You probably warm yourself up using the kickstarter

 

[colinm]

You probably warm yourself up using the kickstarter

I realise the concept of a thermostat might confuse those born over 200 years ago before they where invented, but believe me these new fangled devises are ingenious.
p.s. I've had a look can't find any kickstarter on either of my 4x4 Suzuki's.

 

[Martin P]

Actually I had one of the very first 800cc Suzuki 4x4 jeeps and it was a great little car. Only did about 65 though

 

[colinm]

Actually I had one of the very first 800cc Suzuki 4x4 jeeps and it was a great little car. Only did about 65 though

Gf's brother had a SJ410 van, he brought it with a knackered engine, as he had a Kubota engine 'lying around' he fitted that, 65 was an unobtainable dream.

 

[TeamRienza]

Michelle always wanted an MX5 but I always wanted a Honda S2000. Ill probably have to crawl in and out of either though. So be it.

Always fancied a Honda 2000, but they were a bit scarce and pricey, so I settled for an MX5. A Mark 2 Phoenix edition with a removable hard top in matching titanium colour. So hard top in winter and integral soft top up or down in summer. I got it when it was about 18 months old from a woman who was pregnant and having difficulty getting in and out. No space for baby seat or pram.

I owned it until it was about 14 year old. It never put a foot wrong, and a broken front spring was the biggest maintenance required. Loved it but it eventually was beginning to rot underneath and the mot guys suggested moving it on. The body was still in pristine condition.

You won’t believe me but I sold it around 2016 and soon after bought a 3 year old................................
Hyundai i10 in grey. Goes like a wee dinger as we say here, and pretty bomb proof as you have found with your own.

Highly recommend an MX5, but don’t like the shape of the mark 3 and onward.

Davy

 

[Robmac]

Always fancied a Honda 2000, but they were a bit scarce and pricey, so I settled for an MX5. A Mark 2 Phoenix edition with a removable hard top in matching titanium colour. So hard top in winter and integral soft top up or down in summer. I got it when it was about 18 months old from a woman who was pregnant and having difficulty getting in and out. No space for baby seat or pram.

I owned it until it was about 14 year old. It never put a foot wrong, and a broken front spring was the biggest maintenance required. Loved it but it eventually was beginning to rot underneath and the mot guys suggested moving it on. The body was still in pristine condition.

You won’t believe me but I sold it around 2016 and soon after bought a 3 year old................................
Hyundai i10 in grey. Goes like a wee dinger as we say here, and pretty bomb proof as you have found with your own.

Highly recommend an MX5, but don’t like the shape of the mark 3 and onward.

Davy

I always thought that the early MX5's were way ahead of their time.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

We've had 2 MX5s, great cars but beware the leaky soft tops.

 

[barryd]

Always fancied a Honda 2000, but they were a bit scarce and pricey, so I settled for an MX5. A Mark 2 Phoenix edition with a removable hard top in matching titanium colour. So hard top in winter and integral soft top up or down in summer. I got it when it was about 18 months old from a woman who was pregnant and having difficulty getting in and out. No space for baby seat or pram.

I owned it until it was about 14 year old. It never put a foot wrong, and a broken front spring was the biggest maintenance required. Loved it but it eventually was beginning to rot underneath and the mot guys suggested moving it on. The body was still in pristine condition.

You won’t believe me but I sold it around 2016 and soon after bought a 3 year old................................
Hyundai i10 in grey. Goes like a wee dinger as we say here, and pretty bomb proof as you have found with your own.

Highly recommend an MX5, but don’t like the shape of the mark 3 and onward.

Davy

I started looking yesterday and it seems S2000s must have become a bit of a rare collectors item as last time I looked about 10 to 15 years ago they were nowhere near the prices some are asking now so Im binning that idea off. Plenty of MX5s about though at reasonable prices.

Two other contenders are the Suzuki Swift Sport and the Peugeot 208 GTi. I might not have to crawl in and out of those.

I would have another newer i10 though. Pity they dont do a hot or even warm hatch version though. Thing is for the cost of a crap run around you can get something as cheap or cheaper that will put a smile on your face. I could just bite the bullet and buy something new but that would break my heart spending tens of grands on a car just to go to Barney, Richmond and the lake District!