I'm test driving a Suzuki Ignis tomorrow.

[PlaneMan]

As the title.

Mum has just informed me that she’s fed up of her Captur and the slightly odd stop-start system and the traffic has got worse so parking the Captur is getting harder almost by the day. Especially if she goes anywhere busy, so she now wants an Ignis. Trouble is she won’t do test drives, too scared of having a bump. It was the same when she decided to get a Captur.

So at 11 tomorrow I’m doing the test drive, not that I mind, any chance to drive another car I’ll take. It has the same engine and transmission as my Swift but is a bit smaller and lighter, also taller and a bit narrower. The interior space is meant to be as good or better than my swift, except for the width.

Also means I can try and get some details about the upcoming new Swift Sport, like price, everything else apart from release date (summer this year) has been confirmed.

Looking forward to giving Android Auto a proper go as well.

[Bob Williams]

Don’t know about the Ignis Nolan, but most cars with that ‘stop start’ carp have a facility to turn it off. I know my Tucson has that feature, read it in the handbook, but I have actually got used to it. On a hill it flashes up a message that it is not available, which makes sense.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

The ignes! id point her towards the new 2 or 4 door Ka, vw up, skodas city go, Or an entry level swift, fiesta or corsa, if she wants  to go up in size slightly. I’m a fan of most of the city cars, though more the sportier offing. At heart i like a small hot (warm) hatch.

I’m a big fan of the outgoing 2 door sport. (Thinking man’s mini). I’m still not sold on the new rounder swift. It’s nice enough, but it takes away from its sporty look.

[PlaneMan]

It was the Ignis because it’s taller than the Up!/Citigo/Mii and easier for mum and (especially) her fella to get in and out of.

The car is a giggle to drive, not as good as a Swift because of the height and sorter setup but it’s still fun. The turning circle is even funnier, it’s tiny, The Twingo is meant to have an even tighter turning circle as there’s nothing up front to get in the way as the engine is in the boot. Everything works well, the touchscreen is responsive, everything works as it should and the ergonomics are great for me. The rear parking camera is a nice touch, there are red lines that act as a guide for when to stop but you can see the edge of the bumper so can literally get within a couple of mm.

Big problem is the width, it’s really narrow and I’m not a big bloke, 66kg and 5′ 10″. 2 large people next to each other would be very good friends very quickly. I honestly doubt that 2 rugby players would fit in side by side. For that reason alone mum said no.

The new Swift is a bit of an odd looker but it grows on you. The test drive of that was brilliant. The little 999c turbo is a beauty, revs like the 1.2 in my car and the Ignis but with lots more torque and about 18 bhp more, the power isn’t that noticeable but the torque is. 10 seconds odd 0-60 isn’t bad but it feels way quicker. Handles better than mine due to the extra width and the suspension tweaks.All I need now is the money for a lightly used one, they have 2 with under 4K on them, less than 4 months old for 10.5K

[The Duke]

10s to sixty in such a small car will feel quick .

I have to ask, how often is tour mum having two rugby players in the car! Lol.

The twing is almost a Porsche ?

[Tippon]

PlaneMan wrote:

Big problem is the width, it’s really narrow and I’m not a big bloke, 66kg and 5′ 10″. 2 large people next to each other would be very good friends very quickly. I honestly doubt that 2 rugby players would fit in side by side. For that reason alone mum said no.

My mother’s got an older Kia, Picanto I think. If I sit in the front, she has to push my leg out of the way to change gear. Funny if it’s me or my brother in the car, kind of embarrassing if she’s giving someone a lift…

[The Duke]

My girl has a mk1 ka and compared to my lads similar sized pug of the same era the ka feels much roomier. It’s when you get out and step back one step to close the door you realise how small it is. To shit it your basically standing opposite the rear bumper.

I actually love the thing, such a silly little car. I also think the design has aged really well. I think they are quite cool in a strange retro kind of way.

The new new on, mk3, come in a 4 door variant. I can hardly tell it apart from the fiesta now, and I’m a car nerd.

[PlaneMan]

Tippon wrote:

My mother’s got an older Kia, Picanto I think. If I sit in the front, she has to push my leg out of the way to change gear. Funny if it’s me or my brother in the car, kind of embarrassing if she’s giving someone a lift…

A bit like a Lancia Stratos then. ?

[Richard]

PlaneMan wrote:

Big problem is the width, it’s really narrow and I’m not a big bloke, 66kg and 5′ 10″. 2 large people next to each other would be very good friends very quickly.

Not a big bloke! Frankly I wish I could win the fight to get anywhere near that weight. I am probably an inch or two less, depending on the rate of vertical shrinkage I am currently enjoying but at and oscillating weight about 88 kg I do consider my self well above the optimum. Laid up over Christmas due to my eye operations and a few other issues I renewed my drive to reduce recently and was pleased when a couple of pounds went. However, then other family health issues once again reared their tiny(?) little, horrid heads and I slipped back a notch or two. Once, many years ago I stayed at 72Kg and it is a dream to get back there ‘one day’ but like other dreams I doubt that it will ever become reality.

[Tippon]

@Planeman That’s one of those cars that should be ugly, but there’s just something about it 🙂

@sawboman If you can, give Slimming World a try. My weight tends to be 100Kg+ these days, but on Slimming World with no additional exercise, it dropped to 93Kg. It was pretty easy to follow too. I borrowed some of the older books rather than signing up and going to weigh ins, and found loads of free recipes online.

[PlaneMan]

@Tippon

The Stratos is one of my all time favourite cars, as you say it just has that something about it, you just know it’s going to be amazing.

[Bob Williams]

One of the twin sons of my old boss, had a Lancia Delta Integrale Evo2. Been trying to find an image of one in the same colour, this is close. It was a damn sight more civilised than the Stratos, and almost as quick.

I really liked that car and so did the twin, until Italian Electrics drove him to sell it. But it was a really good drive, a Hot Hatch with manners.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[PlaneMan]

Another one of my favourite cars.

[Richard]

Tippon, thank you for the thought. What I am now going to say might sound daft but bear with me. The daily food intake is not the issue, but after trying days it is the evening wine or port or maybe even sherry accompanied by sundry nibbled crap that does the harm. The junk boosts a 1500 ~ 1800 calorie day to a 2700 calorie one, or more. The really stupid thing is that the original problems are still there but my desire and ability to cope with them of course get degraded. Still today has not yet seen any issues disrupt the flow, so tonight I might, just might break the drink and nibble cycle.

Up to Christmas I had lost a couple of stone and have ‘only’ put back about 6 or 7 pounds, bad but not the end of the world; yet.

[Bob Williams]

Height is my problem. At 19 on Army entrance, I was 5 feet 7 inches, so no giant then! However, life, age, spinal problems have all combined to reduce that to 5 feet 5½ inches, taken at the last measurement at Castle Hill yesterday. SWMBO asked where the missing 1½ inches went, at which I pointed to my bald spot. I don’t think she believes me, but at 4 feet 9 inches she does not often catch sight of the top of my head. ??

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

That is a proper car BoB, and a sort of a unicorn car these days. My friend, well acquaintance of 10 years, soon to be friend ? just got a 2001 Integra type R. We are gonna be proper bezzies. He doesn’t know yet?

 

I was accepted in to the marines at 5′ 6″, and 8.5stone. 4 years later on discharge I was 5′ 8″ and 14stone. That’s what my discharge papers say

Currently somewhere between 13 and 13.5 stone. Slightly (cough) squdgier than I was back then. Just north of 82kg. First time I’ve looked up my weight in kg’s.

I prerfer Stone, as 13 is smaller than 82 ?

[Richard]

Bob Williams wrote:

Height is my problem. At 19 on Army entrance, I was 5 feet 7 inches, so no giant then! However, life, age, spinal problems have all combined to reduce that to 5 feet 5½ inches, taken at the last measurement at Castle Hill yesterday. SWMBO asked where the missing 1½ inches went, at which I pointed to my bald spot. I don’t think she believes me, but at 4 feet 9 inches she does not often catch sight of the top of my head. ??

My wife has lost at least two inches in a short period and while she has lots of other problems spinal issues as such have not yet been one of them. I understand that the inter vertebra disks can suffer more in some people, though I know many of mine have shrunk, one appears to have left altogether leaving two vertebra fused together, happily they have joined without trapping any essential nerves. That has not been the same case everywhere.

[Bob Williams]

Steve: 13½ stone is 189 pounds. Feel better??

5 feet 8 inches is 1727 millimetres. Is that better? ?

Not telling my weight, “enough” sounds OK to me. Just wish my legs could support it better.

Shortly before I had my spinal Op, an old mate had his top 3 verterbrae fused. He cannot turn his head properly now, and his problem was similar to mine. I was lucky enough to get one of the top 3 Spinal Neurolgists in the UK.

After matey had his neck fused, he hated people calling him from behind, had to turn his whole body. I only do it occasionally, don’t see him often….?

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Author]

Posts