Hi There - C4 Vts

[dave&trace]

We have covered over 20000 miles in our VTS 180 no major prob`s apart from the usual new car niggals!

Engine is very smooth and when you hit 4000 RPM and the rest of the valves join in,revcounter goes red it still feels a quick car after a year of driving it. There`s a 90 degree tight corner by us you can hit it at 60mph slight flicker from tration control light but no drama!

Very funny watching other cars try to follow and coming out of corner on opp side pavement.

Sat Nav/Phone/Jbl are very good but lane departure is a waste of time.

The 180 is an every day run about but if you fancy a boy/girl racer session it can do that too.

A good car 9/10. :rolleyes:

[Z3M Roadster]

yeah true, might drive 225 prices down a bit and if they cn make it 250 im sure a 225 could be made into a 250 lol

I saw a Megane 250 yesterday at Donny South on the "strip," didn't appear that quick but always difficult to tell in a straight line and when you aren't up against it.

[Welshguy]

There`s a 90 degree tight corner by us you can hit it at 60mph slight flicker from tration control light but no drama!

Very funny watching other cars try to follow and coming out of corner on opp side pavement.

 

Lol I do this on the way home from work every day - with my added stiffened suspension I fly round a 90degree cover..fun watching all the other cars (its a two laner) disapear to my rear view mirror!) :D

[C4VTS]

I am just starting to get brave enough to take high speed corners without braking in the C4, and I am very impressed with the way the car corners like it is on rails. :)

 

Obviously if you are doing silly speeds way over the safe speed limit for the corner, then you will eventually find yourself losing grip and the car! :D

[Ciaran2903]

Obviously if you are doing silly speeds way over the safe speed limit for the corner, then you will eventually find yourself losing grip and the car! 

 

Very true!

Im not sure if anyone saw the newspaper a week ago, but there was an article about country roads, and the fact that the 60mph is actually unsafe in places.

 

A month ago i would have said that was rubbish, but after having written off my C4( :D ), i believe this to be correct.

 

The police that came to my accident said that they get called out there all the time and that it is a very dangerous piece of road!

I am not saying that the speed limit needs to be put down in all these dangerous places, but there should be some indication of the severity of danger.

 

p.s. I was not breaking the "safe" speed limit at the time.

[Stuey]

but after having written off my C4( :D ), i believe this to be correct.

 

when did that happen?? u didnt mention anything!!

[Rich_Eason]

Obviously if you are doing silly speeds way over the safe speed limit for the corner, then you will eventually find yourself losing grip and the car! 

 

Very true!

Im not sure if anyone saw the newspaper a week ago, but there was an article about country roads, and the fact that the 60mph is actually unsafe in places.

 

A month ago i would have said that was rubbish, but after having written off my C4( :D ), i believe this to be correct.

 

The police that came to my accident said that they get called out there all the time and that it is a very dangerous piece of road!

I am not saying that the speed limit needs to be put down in all these dangerous places, but there should be some indication of the severity of danger.

 

p.s. I was not breaking the "safe" speed limit at the time.

So is that bye bye to the Oriental Blue 1.4 VTR then? Sorry to hear that if that is the case. :)

 

Road, weather conditions, surrounding vehicles, road surfaces, junctions, the idiot overtaking the car coming the other way in your lane, Johnny running behind the creamer van, visiblity, are only a few of the factors that dictate your speed not the sign on the road telling you what speed you can legally drive at. If it says 60mph that doesnt mean drive at 60mph.

 

The majority of drivers think they are good drivers but are we all really that "Good"?

[Ciaran2903]

So is that bye bye to the Oriental Blue 1.4 VTR then?

 

Sadly yes! :( I was not even allowed to see it!! :D ) They are going to send some pics of the car soon. I will post them in a NEW thread!

I loved that car so much!

The insurance company are still sorting everything out at the moment.

We found out that i did over £8500 worth of damage!

 

Not hard when you realise that ONE headlight is £850!!!! :o (Both of which were in perfect nic! :) Something is fishy about this!)

 

I am a good driver, but have yet to learn the car control skills that i would like to! I would like to do a skid-pan session, advanced drivers course, ect ect.

I am a good driver in the sence of everyday driving, but admit that i could not get a car out of the sort of spin that happened. Not sure many people could! Scary really!

 

u didnt mention anything!!

 

I did let it out in a previous thread, but as you could imagine, i was quite sheepish about it! :unsure:

 

Guess there are positives:

1. I know that a C4 is rediculously safe!

 

2. I know that i NEED to learn more car control in the event of something bad happening (hopefully i will never need to use them!).

 

3. I know that this particular road is very dangerous, and so are many other country roads.

 

4. You're never too young to die! (I know, I Know :ph34r: ..... very sad, but true)

 

.....and yes that quote is from a movie! :D Stormbreaker.

[Welshguy]

Sorry m8.

 

Country lanes can be dangerous..they is a prime example leading into Cardiff from Llantrisant..there are sections where you can do 100 easily (straight line) but some nasty bends and blind corners. In fact recently one corner has been resurfaced in a more "grippy" material because of the number of cars crashing in that section of road. Not sure if it encourages the brave ones to go faster or slow down though :D

[Stuey]

gutted mate!! I am sorry for you

 

mine was very nearly wrote off when the woman ran into the back of it a few months ago so I know what it feels like...you gonna get another one??

[Ciaran2903]

you gonna get another one??

 

Sooner or later.

I now am thankfull of the cars safety, and so are my parents, so we will have to wait untill the insurance company's settlement, then work out the difference, and work from there.

 

It looks like the insurance quote for next year will be about £1200, which is not as bad as we were expecting, so all depends on the insurance company's offer.

1.4 VTR's seem to be the cheapest on the second hand market anyway, which is good, there is a black one (early 2005) for around £7995, so at least there are some out there!

 

Just worried about what my friends parents are going to think about me and my driving!

[Stuey]

was it you running out of talent or was there something else involved??

 

I would give it a while and shop around and you should be able to pick one up 8K...didnt you take the VRI that the dealerships offered when you bought it??

[Ciaran2903]

was it you running out of talent or was there something else involved??

 

Not knowing how to get the car out of a sideways orientation!

I was coming up a hill, there was a mild turn at the top, came round the corner at 55-60MPH, and there was a dip in the road surface mid corner, therefore the turning wheels lost traction, therefore the whole car went sideways, i got the back end back, but it just went the other way, THEN i got the car to go straight,............. straight into a bush/tree, the front end dug in, the car dipped onto the passenger side (setting off the passenger side curtain airbags and the airbag in the passenger side. Luckily the car ended up with all four wheels on the ground!

Basically, by the time i managed to sort out the back end............it was all way too late!

 

didnt you take the VRI that the dealerships offered when you bought it??

My father was the one who bought it, and no he didnt.

 

Not sure i could handle a car sales at the moment, havent had any experience and would have no confidence at a main dealer! Also it was not my money to spend in the first place!

[Z3M Roadster]

So is that bye bye to the Oriental Blue 1.4 VTR then?

 

Sadly yes! :( I was not even allowed to see it!! :D ) They are going to send some pics of the car soon. I will post them in a NEW thread!

I loved that car so much!

The insurance company are still sorting everything out at the moment.

We found out that i did over £8500 worth of damage!

 

Not hard when you realise that ONE headlight is £850!!!! :o (Both of which were in perfect nic! :) Something is fishy about this!)

 

I am a good driver, but have yet to learn the car control skills that i would like to! I would like to do a skid-pan session, advanced drivers course, ect ect.

I am a good driver in the sence of everyday driving, but admit that i could not get a car out of the sort of spin that happened. Not sure many people could! Scary really!

 

u didnt mention anything!!

 

I did let it out in a previous thread, but as you could imagine, i was quite sheepish about it! :unsure:

 

Guess there are positives:

1. I know that a C4 is rediculously safe!

 

2. I know that i NEED to learn more car control in the event of something bad happening (hopefully i will never need to use them!).

 

3. I know that this particular road is very dangerous, and so are many other country roads.

 

4. You're never too young to die! (I know, I Know :ph34r: ..... very sad, but true)

 

.....and yes that quote is from a movie! :D Stormbreaker.

I wouldn't call anyone who has recently passed their test a "good driver." Also roads are only as dangerous as the people who drive on them, as someone else mentioned 60mph is not a benchmark, you should drive within the conditions of the road/weather etc.

 

New headlights are £350inc fitting for non xenon as I had mine replaced when I hit a pheasant at 60mph.

 

The important thing is that you are ok, but obviously a lesson learnt

[lab44]

Was your car brand new? If so you should get a brand new car though depends not all policys offer this - i know i checked mine did when i brought my car.

[Rich_Eason]

I always remember my uncles "sound advice"

 

"You've not experienced proper driving until you had a prang..."

 

I think about three months later my Mini Cooper was t-boned by an Artic that didnt stop at a red light comming off Jct 15 of the M5 motorway slip road.

 

Unfortunatly Ciaran2903 there are hard ways to learn and this experience will be etched in the back of your mind for the rest of your driving life. For me I can vividly recall seeing the Mercedes Badge on the front of the Christan Salvestian lorry and the sound of skidding rubber.

 

It makes you stop and think...Cars can be replaced.

 

Your experiences will certainly influence the way you drive for the rest of your life

[Ciaran2903]

I wouldn't call anyone who has recently passed their test a "good driver."

So when does some one become a "good driver"?

One year?, two years?, three years?, ect ect ect

When is the benchmark???

Or maybe it is the amount of mileage after your test??

1k? 2k? 5k? 10k? 20k? 50k? 100k ect ect ect

What is your assumption of a "good driver"?

How long is "recently"?

 

Who would the better driver be in this situation:?

 

1. Someone who has "recently" passed their test, but do 100 miles a day.

 

2. Someone who has had a lisence for 20 years but has only driven once a week for that period?

 

What driving does this driver need to do before they become a "good" driver?

In town?

Country?

motorway?

 

No one does a "actual" mixture of all.

Which one prepares someone to be a "good" driver?

 

When did you become a "good" driver? and what happened for you to think that you were a "good" driver?

 

Why do you have such a prejudice against people who have "recently" passed there test? ..........people are different, there are people out there who are bad drivers and have had there licenses for ages, and visa versa.

 

I think you need to learn not to pre-judge someone for something that they are not!

May i lead you to this page............

how do you like prejudice now???

[Ciaran2903]

Was your car brand new?

No, my parents believe that you should never buy a brand new car, and i guess that it has passed down onto me. That is, in this country. My mind can change though, when i start spending my own money! :D

[wozza]

My family has had brand new cars for the last 10+ years change them every 2 - 3 years usually and it works out better buying new most of the time for us.

 

And about passing the test when you pass your driving test you have just met the minimum needed to drive legally. Most people dont know what to do in a skid what to do when the back end slips what to do when there aquaplaning etc etc. These things you need to learn and experiance.

 

You generally need to work on your observation its all things that come with time and practice a person who just passes the test usually cant judge the best entrance speed of a corner etc. Theres a reason insurance is higher for our age group. Lack of experiance results in them pushing too much and going out of control or going too fast etc etc.

 

Trust me in a year or so you will look back and realise you were a bad driver after just passing your test.

 

I thought i was an alright driver when i first passed i was pretty much a natural behind the wheel but i can say now after having more than 2 years behind the wheel i am a much better driver than i was at first.

[Ciaran2903]

My family has had brand new cars for the last 10+ years change them every 2 - 3 years usually and it works out better buying new most of the time for us.

Intresting, my parents always go second hand (from a main dealer), just find if you buy a car, say, a year old, you get a broken in car that is the same as new, but cheaper. All to there own though!

 

Most people dont know what to do in a skid

I dont think that the average motorist would, not just people who have recently passed (obviously, people on this forum love driving more than the AVERAGE motorist, therefore that probably cant be applied in the same way)

 

Trust me in a year or so you will look back and realise you were a bad driver after just passing your test.

Will be interesting to see. Keep a look out for the answer this time next year!

I dont think that anyone should ever stop trying to be a better driver, no matter how old!

[wozza]

If your going to buy a year old car why buy from a dealer. Its still under warranty etc if you buy it privately from someone else buying from a dealer just means its gonna cost more etc.

 

See buying my clio new was the best thing i could do free insurance for the 3 years bought it for £8800 got £6000 for it 3 years later. Cant complain really then would have lost more money buying an older car and insuring it myself.

[Ciaran2903]

See buying my clio new was the best thing i could do free insurance for the 3 years bought it for £8800 got £6000 for it 3 years later. Cant complain really then would have lost more money buying an older car and insuring it myself.

 

Of course, in that case, buying new has an advantage.

but 3 litre jags dont come with free insurance! :lol:

 

I am too young to get free insurace anyway.

 

My mothers car was an ex-demo landrover dicovery, one year old at purchase, on a "S"

My sisters Renault (Rubbish) megane cabrio is on a "03"

My dads jag is on a "Y"

 

Overall, we have a nice selection of cars, for a fraction of the cost they would of been new.

[kfk]

What makes a good driver?.........could it be respect:

 

- Respect, in relation to the ability of the vehicle

- Respect, for the maintenance of the vehicle

- Respect, in relation to road conditions

- Respect, in relation to other road users

- Respect, in relation to your own ability

[Ciaran2903]

What makes a good driver?.........could it be respect:

 

- Respect, in relation to the ability of the vehicle

- Respect, for the maintenance of the vehicle

- Respect, in relation to road conditions

- Respect, in relation to other road users

- Respect, in relation to your own ability

 

 

That makes 100% sense! Could not agree more!

 

Having had moment to think..... driving skills, reaction times ect come into it aswell!

 

I dont think that you can be a "good" driver without respect! but you can be a "good" driver without lightning reactions, you just need the respect in relation to your own ability! as you said! :lol:

[Z3M Roadster]

A good driver is someone who has had considerable experience on the road, and that is not someone who has just passed their test.

 

I drive circa 40k a year in my company car and around 5k in my private car and have taken part in a number of track days but wouldn't call myself a "good driver." I am competent and *touch wood* have never had an accident which was my fault.

 

Generally those who think they are good drivers, are not, as they are overly confident. Why do you think insurance companies have such high premiums for 17-21s, because in general they are high risk, inexperienced road users.

 

In response to your link, no doubt posted by someone who can't afford a BMW. I didn't buy the car for the brand, purely the rarity and performance.

 

By the way it is "etc" and not "ect" abbreviated from the latin Et Cetera