Everyone seems to want a 1 litre car !

keithclancy

PaintDoctor wrote: »

She's noisy alright - you should hear it now with all the gear inside! Like being inside a child's rattle

2 Stroke or 4 stroke ?

Mr Benevolent

I'm upgrading from 1l to 1.6. 1l is just too crap.

Matt Simis

LIGHTNING wrote: »

Whats with all the people thinking that if you bring a 1 litre car onto a motorway you are suddenly taking a big risk? I have driven a number of 1 litre (and sub 1 litre) cars on motorways and they are fine.

Me thinks there is a large amount of cubic snobbery going on here..

You say this every time?! And the answer is always the same, virtually all cars with this engine size are designed as short-haul urban run-abouts. Motorways are not urban commutes. Their gearing and braking are unsuited to motorway speeds (unless like some people admitted they stick to 90-100kph on a motorway and get in my way), its not their element. Only in Ireland is this question even asked, taking a step back and looking at the mechanics of the product, its clear these are purely low-end pieces forced on us due to taxation of engines, emissions and fuel. In a world without these barriers, these likely wouldnt exist.

Just cos they can physically drive on a motorway doesnt mean they should.

keithclancy

I'm thinking next time to go bigger,

I'm spending 1246 a year on motor tax on a 2 Liter Diesel.
May as well spend 1726 on a 3.2 Liter Petrol and convert to LPG

Owen

keithclancy wrote: »

2 Stroke or 4 stroke ?

5! 4 in the engine bay, and me in the drivers seat listening to the engine noise

sellerbarry

Wife loves her little 1 ltr. 10 euro/week to work and back 5 days. Finglas to swords.:D 1 ltrs are not for gombeen boy racers and middle aged wannabees. They are for sensible people.

Merch

PaintDoctor wrote: »

5! 4 in the engine bay, and me in the drivers seat listening to the engine noise

??

Owen

Merch wrote: »

??

Merch

I see, I thought u didnt know what the difference was between 2 and 4 stroke and were trying to answer but cover by being vague.

Matt Simis

LIGHTNING wrote: »

So using your logic big luxury saloon cars like A8/7/Maybach`s shouldnt be allowed in city centres as they are designed for motorway cruising. Just because they can drive around narrow city street doesnt mean they should.

If A8s had gearing that made it hard to drive at city speeds and brakes that couldnt cope with slow speeds that statement would make sense.
Otherwise I dunno what parallel you are drawing.. there are more narrow roads outside Dublin (for example) than inside it.

Normal sizes cars can slow down and are over equipped for city driving, intra-city runabouts cannot sprout more CC, better gearing and bigger brakes on demand when driving from Dublin to Galway. They are at best noisy and slow on motorways.

And btw, Im only responding as you asked specifically why people were down on taking a supermini on cross country trips!

keithclancy

LIGHTNING wrote: »

So using your logic big luxury saloon cars like A8/7/Maybach`s shouldnt be allowed in city centres as they are designed for motorway cruising. Just because they can drive around narrow city street doesnt mean they should.

heh .. It'll be the reverse of the Motorway Sign

CITY

---

No L Drivers
No Stag Partys
No Germans
No Cars Over 1998CC


Most 1 Liter cars will do 120km/h just fine !!.

Matt Simis

Matt Simis wrote: »

Their gearing and braking are unsuited to motorway speeds

The gearing may not be ideal in most 1l cars but it more than does the job safely up to the motorway speed limit. Its not like a yaris doing 120 is redlining or anywhere near it.... Brakes not suitable??!! Thats just laughable.

professore

RoverJames wrote: »

6 years 740i tax will be 6 x €1566 = €9396

200 miles/week @ 25 mpg (1.50/litre) = €54.48/week
over 6 years that's €17,000

total tax and fuel = €26,396


Yaris
6 years Band B tax will be 6 x €156 = €936

200 miles/week @ 25 mpg (1.50/litre) = €34.05/week
over 6 years that's €10,625

total tax and fuel = €11,561

Guts of €15,000 over 6 years difference in motor tax and fuel, I'd hazard a guess a 10 to 16 year old 740i would be more expensive to maintain than a 0 to 6 year old Yaris.

The 740i would cost €2000 and the Yaris would cost €15,000.

Calculations indicate the Yaris would indeed save money as in 6 years time the 60K mile odd Yaris would be worth maybe €4000

I'd sooner have the 740i personally but over the 6 years some hefty maintenance bills will come along.

25 mpg is very low for a Yaris.

Antikythera

In the same way men are being brainwashed into believing they need face creams and cosmetics, they are also being told it's cool to drive a Micra or a Yaris or such like.

Midnight_EG

Antikythera wrote: »

In the same way men are being brainwashed into believing they need face creams and cosmetics, they are also being told it's cool to drive a Micra or a Yaris or such like.

When it comes to cars, we don't listen to women.

BostonB

Generally a bigger car especially a sportier one has better brakes. So it will stop quicker. Which is useful on a motorway where with high speed its takes longer to stop than if at slow speeds. Obviously a heavier car takes longer, than a lighter car. But it really shouldn't be an issue in normal driving in the city or on the motorway.

The only issue I've found with a 1L on the motorway, is it tend to move around more with wind, or trucks, or bumps on the road. A bigger car is more stable at higher speeds.

Around town though I prefer the 1L. Its lighter to drive, and just as quick as bigger car. Depends on the car, some heavier one 1L are very dull, and others some have quite free rev'ing 16v. Of course if you rev the nuts of it, MPG is going to suffer.

BostonB

Antikythera wrote: »

In the same way men are being brainwashed into believing they need face creams and cosmetics, they are also being told it's cool to drive a Micra or a Yaris or such like.

Never really heard that. The world according to top gear seems to constantly rubbish anything if its not 4 litres, RWD and a hard top. Other sources like EVO seem to find joy in squeezing a good drive out of almost anything.

Antikythera

What's the deal with needing loads of braking on motorways? I reckon I could drive the motorway stretch from Cork to Dublin in moving traffic without even touching the brakes! (And not exceed the speed limit.)

BostonB

By that logic, you don't need an airbag either.

flash1080

I have a 1.2 litre car which I've driven on motorways, but recently drove a 2 litre diesel on a motorway which is about 2-2.5 times as powerful. The difference is huge. More powerful cars are far better suited to motorway driving. Even on dual carriage-ways at 100km/h I'd prefer the more powerful car, there's far less ability to overtake and there's no reserve of power in small-engined cars at 100km/h. Pushing small engines up to 100km/h, probably around 3000rpm, sacrifices fuel economy in them too.

Owen

It's not about engine size Flash. My last car a 1.6 would out perform most 2.5 litre cars at motorway speeds. It's down to the technology in the engine and how the power's developed.

Why do you need overtaking speed on a motorway anyway? It's not like there's anything coming towards you (Except the odd drunk politician) - just wait for the faster cars to go first, spot a gap and use it.

flash1080

PaintDoctor wrote: »

It's not about engine size Flash. My last car a 1.6 would out perform most 2.5 litre cars at motorway speeds. It's down to the technology in the engine and how the power's developed.

Why do you need overtaking speed on a motorway anyway? It's not like there's anything coming towards you (Except the odd drunk politician) - just wait for the faster cars to go first, spot a gap and use it.

I know it's not purely about size, that's why I mentioned power in my post. It's brutal trying to overtake at speed in weaker cars, you put your foot down and nothing happens, if there's an upwards slope you end up losing speed because the car just can't manage it. I was driving on some motorways there with the more powerful car, tbh I would've been stuck for ages trying to overtake in a weaker car.

Antikythera

BostonB wrote: »

By that logic, you don't need an airbag either.

If you are braking a lot on the motorway, then you are doing it wrong.

BostonB

Antikythera wrote: »

If you are braking a lot on the motorway, then you are doing it wrong.

Ditto an airbag.

P.C.

Antikythera wrote: »

What's the deal with needing loads of braking on motorways? I reckon I could drive the motorway stretch from Cork to Dublin in moving traffic without even touching the brakes! (And not exceed the speed limit.)

BostonB wrote: »

By that logic, you don't need an airbag either.

Antikythera wrote: »

If you are braking a lot on the motorway, then you are doing it wrong.

BostonB wrote: »

Ditto an airbag.

Airbags and brakes are very different.

On a motorway you should be looking ahead, and paying attention to what traffic is doing.
You should not just be focused on the one car in front of you, you should also look past that car every now and then, to see what traffic ahead of that car is up to, and what traffic in other lanes is up to.
What would you do if the vehicle in front of you did an emergency stop? Are you maintaining a two second gap? Do you have an 'escape route'? OR, are you going to rely on your reactions and brakes to stop in time?

You should not have to use your brakes very much on a motorway, engine braking should be enough to slow you. You should just touch the brakes to let vehicles behind you know that you are slowing down.

Now, airbags...

different topic alltogether.

sentient_6

Antikythera wrote: »

What's the deal with needing loads of braking on motorways? I reckon I could drive the motorway stretch from Cork to Dublin in moving traffic without even touching the brakes! (And not exceed the speed limit.)

& if all was right & well with the world you'd probably be right. But it isn't. The M7 regularly, or used to regularly when i was driving it awhile back, come to a complete stop some mornings. I didnt know this for awhile cos id always be getting off at Newbridge, but Id one particularly morning i decided to go to naas & circle around & i didnt notice the build up in front of me after passing the newbridge exit......70% due to me, 30% due to the lack of a view ahead cos of the road & cars ahead, lets just say my brakes got put through their paces & they did well thank jasus. 140 to near 0 in a few seconds.

Motorway traffic can & does come to a complete stop, & it can easily happen your not paying full attention due to the monotony of the journey, if your lucky like i was you'll be out kissing your brakes.

& just another point about what you said, would you not agree good brakes would be handy should there be a sudden accident ahead even?

BostonB

Yes engine braking....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMz1rCNt-QE

It was a simple point, regardless if you use them or not, (like airbags) bigger cars and sportier cars (that I've driven), have better brakes than the 1L cars (in my experience).

At least in recent cars. Older cars its a different story. Mrk III vento. OMG please stop....please....

Antikythera

sentient_6 wrote: »

& just another point about what you said, would you not agree good brakes would be handy should there be a sudden accident ahead even?

Any car with brakes would do.

In my original post I did say "in moving traffic", and in these conditions I would take the challenge!

Midnight_EG

Antikythera wrote: »

Any car with brakes would do.

Not really no, not all cars have the same braking system thanks to weight difference, speed and so many more factors. I've upgraded my braking system to 'track-spec', the only thing I have to worry about is the person behind me and if they're able to stop before me

Antikythera

BostonB wrote: »

Yes engine braking....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMz1rCNt-QE

Lol that fella is STANDING on his brakes!

You are using your engine for braking simply by coming off the gas.