Iaind1
02-06-2008, 09:29 AM
I've read a few threads here... and I feel a lot of people are missing what I feel is important I want a good car just a car with a couple of add-ons! Yes I can make some mutterings about Big soft comfy Heated Leathers seats, cruise control and HID headlights... But I will walk straight out ANY dealership because of a 'simple' problem (Driver foot room springs to mind) and it things like that which make a great car NOT every toy under the sun and electric everything!
Now a little about me, 22 year old, male, living in Scotland, Motor Sport Design Engineering Student…might explain the big product design specification, Hopeless Addicted Petrol-Head.
My Requirements:
"A car to help me through November" –Ok so winter here isn't exactly hell on earth… but short daylight, wet and cold and frost/rare light dusting of snow conspire against the average driver making the task of getting you where you need to be and on time just a little more difficult than in the summer. Creating a summer car is easy big engine, big power, and lots of noise, sharp handling two doors, tiny boot and enough buttons to keep your single passenger assumed? It's all about image and the motoring presses love these cars so the reviews are guaranteed to be great! Creating that day to day car is of course
a lot harder! (And the presses are sure to ignore it.)
My View of Cars:
Fundamentally a car is just a means to an end, I like cars …. I've worked for a nation car magazine and I love most forms of motor racing (I even hope to work in that field soon) but fundamentally a car is just transportation, it is expendable. And it may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice! Cars these days seem to be getting heavier and heavier (Something to do with crash safety and too many toys?) and more and more powerful –It's this recent quest for power I really don't understand Along with the blind belief that POWER and SPORT and CORNERING all the only things that are important in a vehicle.
With the above in mind that cars are bloated and disposable I start to write a simple specification for what I'd look for in ANY CAR there really is nothing specific -Ok I'm only look a certain types of cars but there is nothing new in what I'm asking!!! In my opinion all the following points I raise HAVE BEEN SOLVED! But I keep seeing these
short coming in current generation/mark vehicles. I will not buy a car just because it has a couple of toys. The car has to suit me.
Quality, Reliability, Comfortable ride, Low down Torque.
I must confess I have not read the spec of any car recently (CRV or otherwise) and I know some points seem trivial if not maybe even a little funny… but it's what I think, If you have any questions about any point I have raised I will try to explain/justify it further.
Of course it is going to hard to rate the relative importance of some items and a few are just means to an end for the creation of what I perceive to be a quality product for example:
“Memory functions on diagnostic tool socket?” –I don’t want the car to break… but if I go to the garage I want to find that intermittent problem and not waste my time!
AND
“Grab handle above door to be spring loaded and padded (To maximize head room).”
–Give me the head room and I’ll forget about it –It’s just I’ve hit my head off a couple hard plastic types!
So in no particular order here is a list of what I look for in ANY car:
Boot
A proper spare wheel.
A real jack with positive location.
Safe tools.
Rear seats fold flat. (I WANT THIS).
Back of Rear seats near vertical so no overhangs please.
Boot access as large and square as possible (I WANT THIS).
Boot has No steps or lips –I want to slide boxes in and out. (I WANT THIS).
662 liters volume.
Visibility unaffected by above items in boot. (I.e. the boot is only half full.)
Door/Access
Child locks on other 3 doors.
All door handles (inside and out) that I can get me fingers and thumbs around… not a flap!
Door handles to be near edge of door not hinge.
Grab handle above door to be spring loaded and padded (To maximize head room).
Dead locks all round (I feel the risk of thief to be higher than even MY chances of an accident).
Remote central locking –With a loop to put a key ring through.
Lights
Indicators on the OUTER CORNERS of vehicle NOT ON THE MIRRORS!
Day time running lights (normal dipped beam please.)
Car can't drive with parking lights only.
Good head lights –This is really just optics build the damn things right! HID is also welcome.
Headlights are adjustable –Including (naughty) up a bit as well as tail heavy compensation.
Two reversing lights.
Two rear fog lights.
Three rear braking lights (top may be LED cluster.)
All lights correct colour –Both indicators and rear clusters No "Lexus style".
Now a little about me, 22 year old, male, living in Scotland, Motor Sport Design Engineering Student…might explain the big product design specification, Hopeless Addicted Petrol-Head.
My Requirements:
"A car to help me through November" –Ok so winter here isn't exactly hell on earth… but short daylight, wet and cold and frost/rare light dusting of snow conspire against the average driver making the task of getting you where you need to be and on time just a little more difficult than in the summer. Creating a summer car is easy big engine, big power, and lots of noise, sharp handling two doors, tiny boot and enough buttons to keep your single passenger assumed? It's all about image and the motoring presses love these cars so the reviews are guaranteed to be great! Creating that day to day car is of course
a lot harder! (And the presses are sure to ignore it.)
My View of Cars:
Fundamentally a car is just a means to an end, I like cars …. I've worked for a nation car magazine and I love most forms of motor racing (I even hope to work in that field soon) but fundamentally a car is just transportation, it is expendable. And it may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice! Cars these days seem to be getting heavier and heavier (Something to do with crash safety and too many toys?) and more and more powerful –It's this recent quest for power I really don't understand Along with the blind belief that POWER and SPORT and CORNERING all the only things that are important in a vehicle.
With the above in mind that cars are bloated and disposable I start to write a simple specification for what I'd look for in ANY CAR there really is nothing specific -Ok I'm only look a certain types of cars but there is nothing new in what I'm asking!!! In my opinion all the following points I raise HAVE BEEN SOLVED! But I keep seeing these
short coming in current generation/mark vehicles. I will not buy a car just because it has a couple of toys. The car has to suit me.
Quality, Reliability, Comfortable ride, Low down Torque.
I must confess I have not read the spec of any car recently (CRV or otherwise) and I know some points seem trivial if not maybe even a little funny… but it's what I think, If you have any questions about any point I have raised I will try to explain/justify it further.
Of course it is going to hard to rate the relative importance of some items and a few are just means to an end for the creation of what I perceive to be a quality product for example:
“Memory functions on diagnostic tool socket?” –I don’t want the car to break… but if I go to the garage I want to find that intermittent problem and not waste my time!
AND
“Grab handle above door to be spring loaded and padded (To maximize head room).”
–Give me the head room and I’ll forget about it –It’s just I’ve hit my head off a couple hard plastic types!
So in no particular order here is a list of what I look for in ANY car:
Boot
A proper spare wheel.
A real jack with positive location.
Safe tools.
Rear seats fold flat. (I WANT THIS).
Back of Rear seats near vertical so no overhangs please.
Boot access as large and square as possible (I WANT THIS).
Boot has No steps or lips –I want to slide boxes in and out. (I WANT THIS).
662 liters volume.
Visibility unaffected by above items in boot. (I.e. the boot is only half full.)
Door/Access
Child locks on other 3 doors.
All door handles (inside and out) that I can get me fingers and thumbs around… not a flap!
Door handles to be near edge of door not hinge.
Grab handle above door to be spring loaded and padded (To maximize head room).
Dead locks all round (I feel the risk of thief to be higher than even MY chances of an accident).
Remote central locking –With a loop to put a key ring through.
Lights
Indicators on the OUTER CORNERS of vehicle NOT ON THE MIRRORS!
Day time running lights (normal dipped beam please.)
Car can't drive with parking lights only.
Good head lights –This is really just optics build the damn things right! HID is also welcome.
Headlights are adjustable –Including (naughty) up a bit as well as tail heavy compensation.
Two reversing lights.
Two rear fog lights.
Three rear braking lights (top may be LED cluster.)
All lights correct colour –Both indicators and rear clusters No "Lexus style".