locost_bryan

Yep, follow the UK lead with company car taxes based on CO2 emissions. 

Roll up! Roll up! Your chance to compare MG, VW, Audi and Polestar!

Giltrap EV Sale

2 hours ago, Bling said:

Pretty sure I voted in that to go in the draw to win a prize.

So clearly any fuckwit can vote. Probably about as reliable as the "most stolen cars" list they release. Which is actually "most stolen cars WE INSURE" list.

You voted for the Peoples Choice award, which went to the RAV4. The other winners were chosen by a panel of "experts". The judges and class winners are listed here :-

https://www.nzme.co.nz/news/historic-first-as-mg4-named-2023-aa-driven-car-guide-nz-car-of-the-year/

AA DRIVEN Car Guide NZ COTY 2023 overall winner: MG4 EV is the best new vehicle of the year - Driven Car Guide

2 hours ago, Bling said:

I think if it's offset enough to be quite noticeable and mentioned in a drive test, it's a bit shit. No matter how many cars it's the case in.  Mine could be offset too, but I've never noticed as it can't be much if so. Sounds like the steering wheel department and seat department don't talk lol.

Perhaps they modelled it on a Mercedes?

This is from WhatCar's review of the current E-class :- 

It's a pity that every E-Class has two big flaws: a steering wheel that's offset to the left and a bulge in the transmission tunnel. The bulge pushes against your left leg and offsets the pedals to the right. The Audi A6 Avant and BMW 5 Series Touring have offset pedals, too, but they're not as skewed.

Used to be a thing with LC/LJ Toranas, according to one Holden forum It offsets your body more to the drivers side so it's more comfortable when you've got your arm out the window while perving at sheilas. 

Used to be a common thing with Italian cars to have the pedals offset and the steering wheel too far away, Aussie motoring writers used to refer to it as the Ape driving position for people with long arms and short legs. 

6 hours ago, Bling said:

I live in NZ, so my comments will be based on our market. No idea what they have there and it's pricing.

I just imagined Kia / Hyundai might hold their value more than MG here. Better reputation and all that. Kind of like great wall ute vs the typical ute you see on the road here.

Going by that last link, they couldn't even manage to line the steering wheel up with the driver's seat... How on earth.

Offset steering wheel or pedals seems to happen in quite a few cars, gets mentioned in quite a few road tests. Father in laws Spark had it.

41 minutes ago, Bling said:

Shock horror.

If you think reliability is the main problem for someone buying a cheap Chinese car new, check out the depreciation lol. Warranty doesn't cover your investment tanking.

It's not as if the Japanese brands are drowning in margin. Not the case at all. Yet their vehicles cost a lot more than the likes of MG. 

Interestingly, the WhatCar review claimed UK depreciation was lower for the MG than the Euro competitors like Cupra Born and Renault Zoe.

https://www.whatcar.com/mg-motor-uk/mg4/hatchback/review/n24916

‘The quotes were £5,000 or more’: electric vehicle owners face soaring insurance costs | Car insurance | The Guardian

With expensive features and upgrades now standard for electric cars, the cost of repairs is higher, too, which is having a knock-on effect on premiums, she adds.

Analysts say claims costs are 25% higher for electric cars, and that they also take about 14% longer to repair than a diesel or petrol equivalent. The cost and availability of parts is a factor, explains Paul Baxter, the chief executive of the new brand the Green Insurer. There is also concern around the batteries, and that damage, especially to the underside, can be expensive to fix.

“There’s also an issue around technology and skills in the repair networks,” Baxter says. Indeed, the Institute of the Motor Industry has predicted a shortage of about 16,000 electric vehicle-qualified mechanics come 2032. “They’ve not got to the stage they are with traditional cars in terms of expertise. If you dent a door, that’s straightforward, but if something has damaged the battery, in particular, they haven’t caught up with that.”

3 hours ago, BlownCorona said:

 

the two MGs ive driven. one EV and one petrol have been the two worst cars ive ever driven. mostly for build quality, ergonomics as they arnt old enough to start showing up their mechanical failings yet. 

i noticed the other day that the door tread plate on the MILs mg was just a sticker with a (poorly masked) mg logo spray painted onto it. shits not gonna last. many examples of extreme cost cutting in order to pay for the battery and keep the sticker price low. 

Reliability for the MG4 does appear to be a concern.

MG didn't do too well in the 2023 What Car? Reliability Survey, finishing 25th (out of 32 brands) in the overall league table. The MG4 itself was reported to be one of the least dependable electric cars in the survey.

10 hours ago, BlownCorona said:

im happy for you to like them if you do, but do you actually like them?
gotta be the ugliest car since the fiat multipla for me, good thing they painted them neon orange so you dont go looking too closely 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...

 or  or 

BMC stuff seemed to have been designed around  80C-90C.  MGB forums claim 90C-100C is fine with modern fuels and oils, and gives the lower emissions and better fuel economy that modern engines (like the 3Y) are designed for anyway.

This thread suggests 180F-220F (82C-104C).  95C (203F) is the midpoint, so sounds about right?

Normal Van temp gauge reading (toyotavantech.com)

On 26/11/2023 at 18:59, SOHC said:

Is the bolt pattern for the flywheel flange on a 305 Chevrolet the same as a 308 Holde? 

This thread says close but no cigar Holden - Chev flywheel - Engine - GMH-Torana

Arty farty pic of MG4 parked outside work. 

Looks so good in the flesh. 

Might be a new Triumph? I wouldn't leave a classic Triumph on a downtown footpath.

A colleague spotted this in Christchurch.

27 minutes ago, RUNAMUCK said:

But wsit, theres more!

Oh you drive a supercharged big block? (I wish i did) 

Your electronic rucs are three times the price too......

That's your LEZ charge...

Pay to drive in London

You may need to pay the Congestion Charge, Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and/or the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) charges to drive in London. Your number plate (Vehicle Registration Mark) will tell us which charges you need to pay.

Nissan to invest US$1.4b to make EV versions of its best-selling cars | Stuff.co.nz

Road test: LDV eT60, New Zealand's only electric ute | Stuff.co.nz

1 hour ago, myk00l said:

Forget your electric cars. I know it's for Heavy Traffic, but cars won't be far behind.

This is being built in Te Rapa. That's Mitre 10 Mega at The Base in the background.

https://www.hiringaenergy.com/hydrogen-refuelling-network

 

 

 

At last, somewhere for AT to refuel their hydrogen bus.

42 minutes ago, cletus said:

Because poms are used to cars that are pieces of shit? 

That's no way to talk about German cars. Opel did most of the design work on the Cavalier and Astra.

22 hours ago, Pee Dubs said:

Oooh yes such a treat, that interior is to die for. Vacuum economy gauge is also a nice touch. What's the waterline on one of them boats? Should be able to squeeze into a teeny park, and the wag life is tempting! I have to be able to make it to work in good time however...

Don't know why the Aussies bagged the Camira when the Poms loved its cousin the Cavalier.

Gap in tax balance sheet to be fixed by increasing ciggie tax income (by rolling back smoke free laws that were too effective) and increasing petrol tax and ruc incomes by removing ute tax.