Vauxhall Corsa Ecoflex
Feb 6th
A change is often good, and certainly exchanging my husband John’s battered old Micra for my parent’s redundant Vauxhall Corsa a year ago was a very welcome one.
It had spent most of its life in the garage, had very low milage, was always spotlessly clean both inside and out and was serviced with alarming regularity. It came at a great time, just when John’s car, which he used every day, came to a standstill.
Now the poor thing has to cope with all weathers, its mileage has doubled within a year, it’s filthy outside and the inside is a health hazard, but worst of all I have to drive it. The cars of today are just such a joy to drive (with the odd exception), whereas this is just awkward by comparison.
Even my mum commented that it must be a shock having to drive it. I protested with rather too much vigour – she saw right through my white lie. I always feel as if I’m driving with my bum inches from the ground and while I’m fighting with gravity and increasing my sessions at the gym I’m only just winning…
Volkswagon Golf GTi
Feb 6th
Not sure what sort of boy could afford such a car (£23,015), but the Golf GTI must be the ultimate ‘boy-racer’. The term has derogatory undertones these days, but I was driving an all-new three-door Mk6 in white with black tartan trim and striking red stitching throughout, finished off with blacked-out rear windows – surely the definitive description of the breed? Very smart though, and all topped off with a leather steering wheel and gear knob. This must be every boy’s dream, especially when you step inside the classy cabin with seats that are so comfortable and supportive, and all the gadgets a lad could want?…
Chevrolet Spark Launch
Feb 6th
I’ve finally realised my problem – every new car I drive, I love.
In all fairness, I do believe there are hardly any really bad cars on the market these days. However, we can still be discerning and separate the sheep from the goats – something my old biology teacher used to say in every lesson. Too late, I finally think I understand the meaning, especially when it comes to cars; they all look good and drive well, but which one stands out from the crowd? I still don’t know which one it’s best to be. Sheep are cuddly and cute, tow the line and follow the crowd. Now goats seem rather wicked to me with that slightly malevolent look, rebellious nature and agile manner…
Peugeot 207s
Feb 5th
We owned a Peugeot 205 many years ago, courtesy of a dear friend. He kindly donated it to us when he became too old to drive safely, only for it promptly to be written off by my husband who drove it into a wall to avoid hitting a sheep!
So now, years later I found myself in the 205’s upgraded self – a 2009 Peugeot 207 courtesy of a Peugeot Service Department as my 807 was dispatched for some repairs. I should add that this isn’t the car featured in Debby’s video above, which was lent to us by the nice people at Peugeot UK…
Chevrolet Spark Berlin
Feb 4th
There are tried and tested ways to launch a new car. Take a load of journalists to a hot and sunny place, put them up in the best hotel in town and offer them an endless supply of food and drink seems to be the established route, but hardly the most imaginative perhaps? After all, you can just see the world-weary hacks being unable to remember one launch from the next, blurring people-carriers in Cannes with supercars in Sardinia.
So you have to hand it to Chevrolet trying something a bit different with their soon-to-be-launched Spark. It’s a cheeky-looking car, sure enough, and along with the equally new but much larger Cruze marks a new face of Chevrolet in the UK; still good-value, but now good-looking as well. And there’s clearly something in the water that Chevrolet’s European team drink…