H |
ow does one replace the
irreplaceable? That’s a bad way to start
this CruiseControl entry and certainly not the most positive outlook on matters
but you know, right about now I’m not feeling especially positive anyway. I’ll live with it. Time can heal things even doctors can’t,
which is good news because my back is still a little sore.
Starting with a clean sheet of
paper gives me the opportunity to get something that can be suited for my
commute by design rather than by modifiKation. That means standard fit cruise control, ABS
and air conditioning. The rest?
Well that’s partially academic.
My preference is for something Mondeo
sized, comfortable, diesel or at least reasonably economical and in that order.
Thoughts turns to stuff like the Ford Focus. I like the Focus, it’s available with an
engine to suit everybody from a modest 1·4 to the 2·0 versions. The 1·6 petrol, 1·8 petrol and TDCi are the
favourites but sadly none of these come with cruise control, only the 2·0
Ghia. As much as I like the Focus, I
need my cruise control and although the 2·0 Zetec-E isn’t a bad engine, it doesn’t sparkle like
it should.
Mondeo? That would suit. Even Charlie preferred the Mondeo over the
Focus. An early mark three Ghia or Ghia
X has cruise control and a diesel engine.
But... prices are too high for what you get. The Mondeo TDCi has an excellent reputation
in the trade and although I know why (they’re a good machine) I’m not
prepared to pay that much for a four year old example with missing
history and slightly tatty bodywork.
Older Mondeos with missing history are not as reliable as their petrol
cousins. Lets add “reliability” to the
above list and put it in front of everything else heh.
Another Ka?
Yes. Another Ka would be ideal save for the fact
it doesn’t have cruise control. What engine?
Endura-E, 1·3 Duratec 8v or 1·6 Duratec 8v? Or a Zetec-SE conversion?
Any but none. None of them are
ideal really. How about a Ka TDCi conversion? Okay now I’m getting silly.
I’d
have another Ka in a snap except for the fact that I’m probably not going to
find another example as well kept as Kermy nor with cruise control.
It’s the same story for something like the Fiesta TDCi.
Reliability. That tends to mean some brands I’ve never
seriously considered in the past, like Nissan, Honda, Toyota. Actually I don’t have anything against these
three, indeed I have admired the Mondeo-sized cars from these three for many
years (just never owned one).
Then add to the list the Mitsubishi Charisma.
To
cut a long story short I won’t bore you with the test drives we did,
encompassing the above, a bunch of Volkswagen products (the favourite being
the Skôda, the
least being the genuine overpriced and lardy Volkswagen),
several Vauxhalls and some totally off-the-wall ideas too. Many I could discount for a few reasons,
typically a horrid interior or a drive about as inspired as a Vauxhall Corsa on oversized alloy wheels.
Then
we say the Accord. Okay, in a metallic
red. It had all of the right items on
the specification list so covers the basics.
1·8 petrol, the baby of the range, although went well enough during the
test drive. Honda, so ought to be
reliable and had a full Honda service history.
Tatty bodywork... and some accident repairs at the back too. But the price reflects this.
I
did some calculations. The discount to
buy it would pay for somewhere close to two years in fuel against the
equivalent Mondeo. I would know if I
liked it well inside two years so we bought it.