So, the Mercedes-Benz 300E has found a new home. As I write, it’s wafting its way to Staffordshire and I’m looking at a fairly small pile of cash. Large saloons really can be almost worthless.

Cash with a tea bonus seems a fair exchange! Thanks David. Merc has departed the fleet.

Happily, I didn’t pay very much for it in the first place, negotiating a very healthy discount on the £700 that the previous owner was hoping for. I still feel I paid a little too much, which tells you just how much metal it’s possible to get for your money.

I bought the Mercedes purely because I wanted a bit of a treat. I think it was a rebellion against the feeble power of the 2CV and the gruff, rattling soundtrack of the diesel BX. I wanted a car with actual power and the sort of refinement that makes a journey a pleasure rather than a chore. On this count, the Mercedes certainly delivered. Driving long distance was very much its forte, where it would sit at motorway speeds in incredible serenity. Spending six hours at the wheel genuinely did feel like no more than an hour. It even made the M25 darned near bearable!

It didn’t take long to scratch that itch though, as long distance journeys are not something we often undertake. Good as it undoubtedly was, it was a thirsty ol’ Herbert that couldn’t match anything else on the fleet for practicality. A point proved when the Golf happily swallowed a mountain bike this morning. If anything, it was a bit too smooth as well. Unless you were really giving it the beans, which could easily result in 16mpg, it was a bit too muted – a bit too refined. I prefer the growl of a Xantia V6, which sounds menacing and loaded with potential even when pottering around a car park.

There’s also the fact that it is huge and hefty. For the endless, twisting roads of mid-Wales, it’s about as ideal as a front door made of wafers. I’m sure it’ll be happier pounding the motorways and highways of the English midlands.

In other news, I now have some funds to spend on the other cars. The Discovery needs two new tyres, the 2CV still needs its brake overhaul and the Golf needs rear shoes and handbrake cables. I’m desperately (and perhaps optimistically) hoping that the expenditure on the fleet will then ease a bit. Whenever you buy a new car, you can expect to shell out on bringing it up to your standards. What I’m really hoping (as I’ve hoped before!) is that the fleet will settle down now.

The signs are good at the moment. Rachel drove the Golf for the first time this morning and described it as very likeable – though she found the steering a bit vague in the dead-ahead. She has a point. She does agree that it is nice and responsive in the bends though, and the low-down torque of the engine was certainly a good thing – reminding her of the Mini. I am surprised at how much I like that engine. It isn’t particularly joyous to listen to and doesn’t deliver anything approaching excitement – it’s just smooth and effective.

Anyway, place bets now for how long this ‘happy’ fleet will last…

I haven’t yet clocked up 200 miles in the Golf – in fact, I’ve done more miles in the Discovery since Sunday morning than I have in the Golf in total. That’ll soon change, with a trip to Devon planned later this month.

Eager and ready to go!

I did get to indulge in some town driving in said Golf this morning though, which really was thoroughly pleasant. The controls are light and even the unassisted steering is not the hardship you might expect, though I do have to remember to drive properly! You need both hands – something I do occasionally forget. The clutch is smooth and pick-up is instant. In these two regards, it’s a world away from my previous BX, and most BXs I’ve ever owned if I’m honest.

Visibility isn’t too bad – probably far better than most modern cars, though the pillars do have a certain heft to them. It’s a good size too, so slotting into parking spaces is not much of a challenge. Gleaming as it does, it’s a car I feel proud to drive around in. Not because of what it is necessarily, but just because it’s an older car that looks well cared for. This is an unusual experience for me!

I’ve had the subframe welded this week as a certain amount of crustiness was discovered. This is probably an interim measure and eventually I’ll replace it. £100 seems to be the going rate for a brand new one – you can’t really argue with that sort of price. It’s currently away to have the cambelt replaced while I’m on minibus duty tomorrow. Swapping a 1990 Volkswagen Golf for a 2010 Volkswagen Crafter is an unusual experience!

After a somewhat laggy turbo diesel, it’s nice that the Golf has a wonderful spread of torque. It’s happy at anything from about 1000rpm and there’s so much low down grunt that you rarely need to take it beyond 3000rpm. It’s very relaxing. I was cruising along earlier with the sunroof back (during a rare dry moment!) thinking that really, the Golf has almost everything you should need.

It isn’t all good news though. The ride isn’t too bad most of the time, but it crashes around horribly over broken terrain. Thankfully, there’s not much of that here, but it’s not pleasant when you find it. I’m afraid that the rear wiper is annoying me too. I think someone got a bit carried away with the stalk design. You push it away from you slightly to turn it on – to an intermittent setting – or a bit further and hold to operate the screenwash. To turn it off, you have to push it away again. If you want just a single wipe – which I often do – you have to quickly press the stalk twice. A bit unnecessary really.

Another grumble is that like most 1980s-onward cars, it’s impossible to get fresh air to the face when you’ve got the heater involved in demisting action. On a wet day, this is very frustrating as opening a window for fresh air results in sogginess. Here, I’m afraid to say that I began to miss the convenience of electric windows, which make it easier to open a window you’re not sitting next to for a bit of fresh air!

Frustratingly inflexible heating apperatus

Overall, it’s all good though. The next thing awaiting the car is an ignition overhaul as the distributor cap is a bit of a mess. I’ll treat it to new plugs too, and possibly even new oil and filters.

Yesterday, I investigated the non-starting problem that saw me undertake a nervy 70 mile drive in a Land Rover Discovery I dare not stall. While consuming the first all-important brew of the day, I checked online to see how much a new starter motor would be. Expensive enough to have me looking for alternatives! I wasn’t entirely sure it was the starter motor anyway, so the chances of me blowing £200 on a quality replacement were not very high. It sounded more like a power issue, as the motor would turn, just very, very slowly. No Go number one.

The multimeter confirmed that it was charging properly. Could it be an earthing issue? Having recently been tipped off that there was a proper, old-school Landy specialist hidden in the hills nearby, I decided it was time to pay a visit. Naturally, the Landy wouldn’t start, so I went in the 2CV. There, we discussed likely scenarios. Probably a duff earth, so he gave me a new cable. Then he explained that if the earth fails, Discos usually start using the handbrake cable instead. One customer had had her handbrake seize entirely because of this. Given that the handbrake on mine was noticeably notchy all of a sudden, I began to suspect that this is what had happened.

Fitting the new earth cable took seconds. As recommended, I took it straight from the negative terminal to the timing case. The Disco fired merrily into life. Huzzah! That meant I could actually drive it up on to my ramps to make it easier to examine the handbrake cable.

Broken Discovery causes grrrrr

In fact, what actually happened is that having got it running, I set off for a test drive so I could get it nice and hot before trying to turn off and on again. However, I noticed that the handbrake wasn’t working at all. I stupidly yanked it harder, which worked! It then wouldn’t release. No Go number two. I dropped it into low box for extra grunt and reversed gently backwards and drove onto the ramps again, cursing my stupidity. I headed back inside, cursing my inability to purchase a manual for my Disco as I had to keep looking stuff up on forums. Aren’t forums a brilliant idea?

Then I pulled apart the centre console so I could disconnect the handbrake cable. It looked wrong.

Melted plastic jammed up the handbrake cable

You can just about see that below the silver metal ferrule is a black mess that should be a shiny, metal cable. After disconnecting inside, I headed underneath to find the other end. Sadly for me, it seems that someone has fitted a 300Tdi transfer box. Land Rover kindly saved themselves a few pennies by changing the handbrake cable. Instead of attaching outside, where you can easily get at it, it goes right into the handbrake drum. So, you have to disconnect and move the rear prop, then get the drum off to access it.

First though, I had to back off the adjuster to let me remove the drum. This was terrifying because despite being in gear, with the diff-lock engaged and the wheels being chocked, it rocked backwards slightly as I released the tension. Scary! Soon, the drum was off and that’s how it remains while I await a new cable. I’m probably going to have to remove the shoes to do this next bit, which I always hate doing. I shall report back…

Having got the Discovery working again after its clutch slave failure, I headed up to Bala, Snowdonia for a serious bout of off-roading.

My destination was Landcraft, which uses a 6000 acre site (yes, 6000) to lead groups through some very interesting terrain. So far, I’d either tackled greenlanes or visited Pay and Play sites. I like greenlaning, but its fraught with issues and a nagging sense that people regard you as worse than someone who kicks puppies. It’s also given a very bad press because some people who do it are complete idiots, who charge around as if they’re on a rally and regard route maps as optional.

Pay and Play sites can be even worse, as people treat it as a proper ‘no holds barred’ thrash-about. These places are not somewhere you can gently discover the limits of your vehicle. There’s also the fact that people turn up in massively modified stuff, with huge tyres and suspension lifts and things. If you’re in something stock, you’re going to struggle to the mess the modified stuff makes of the landscape. I doubt I’ll visit a Pay and Play site again.

So, Landcraft seemed like a happy medium. Like a greenlane trip, but all on private land using lanes that had been hand crafted in places to offer a suitable challenge. It had the structure and control I missed at Pay and Play sites, but more freedom than when greenlaning – hooning through puddles is not a problem!

Enjoying the Landcraft experience

Sadly, I didn’t get any photos that really capture how challenging some aspects of the day were. I felt both my skills and the abilities of the Discovery were given a thoroughly good work-out though. So, below is a picture of another Discovery 1 flexing those coil springs.

Giving the suspension a workout

It was several rocky scrambles up very steep hills that really got the adrenaline flowing. Battling for traction required deft throttle work – too much and you’ll wheelspin and get stuck, too little and you’ll just stall. That was becoming a serious issue for me as the starter motor packed up mid-way through the morning session. Just my luck!

The older vehicles were in stark contrast to the more modern Land Rovers. On these, traction control did the deft footwork for the driver – truly astonishing to watch in action. Land Rovers would come to a wheelspinning halt, then the traction control would brake the spinning wheels, sending the drive to the wheels with grip, and they would be on their way again. Very impressive, but I do prefer having to do the work myself. Toys can take some of the fun out of a challenge.

Despite the starting issue, the day was a great bonding session for me and my Disco. I covered 150 miles in total, mixing high-speed driving with low-speed rock crawling. I spent almost 10 hours at the wheel, with seven of those on the off-road site. It was an exhausting but utterly thrilling day and I can’t wait for another go!

First though, I need to start tackling some of the Disco’s issues. There’s a nasty clonk from the front end somewhere, an annoying whine from the rear and that starter motor needs replacing. Also, the MOT is due soon and I’m meant to be heading for a laning trip in North Yorkshire next month. It’s a good job I like it.

The Golf was pretty dirty when I got it, which is fair enough as the BX was hardly spotless either (though I had at least removed most of the bark/chippings from when it was log hauling).

The seats were particularly grim and being light grey, very much showed it.

Golf was a mucky pup

I set about reviving them with soapy water. This improved the rear seat and door trims, but pretty much failed to shift the oily muck on the front seats. To overcome the frustrating lack of reward, I set about trying to repair the rear headlining as it had come somewhat adrift. Pushing it back behind two clips should keep it there for a short while at least.

Today, I had another go. This time, on the recommendation of my good lady wife, I used washing soda. Baking Soda is a milder version and can be effective too, but I decided something a bit more advanced was required. You need to be a bit careful with this stuff as it is pretty alkaline. It’s not entirely good for your skin.

However, it did seem to do a pretty good job. I used a rag to apply the washing soda, then scrubbed with a rag followed by a stiff brush.

Looking much better!

Now, I must admit, I’ve taken a rather better photo second time around, but the improvement is genuine. I’ve also put some different mats in the front and wiped down all of the surfaces. The rear mats are still what came with the car as they’re genuine VW items.

All in all, the Golf is looking much nicer. Whether I can keep it that way remains to be seen! I’m now hoping the seats dry tonight as I’m going to a show tomorrow and had planned to take the Golf…

Only a few days ago, I whinged that I wanted a nice car. Have I managed it?

Brushes up nicely doesn’t she?

Well, yes. I think I might have. After a day of polishing and a few more miles covered, I have become rather fond of the new motor. Don’t worry – I’m not going to start raving about it being one of the best cars ever built – it isn’t – but it is in nice condition and requires very little effort to drive. It’s exactly what I was after.

Shiniest car on the fleet

It’s nice to own something so basic again. Ok, not as basic as a 2CV, but for what it delivers, it’s pretty low on spec. The engine is fed with a carburettor – for which a manual choke has been retro-fitted, the steering is entirely unassisted and the windows require a minor work-out to operate. It appears to start well too, which is nice.

It’s not all good news though. Naturally, there are some downsides. This car is 23 years old, so isn’t in the first flush of youth. There is quite a bit of rot creeping in all over the body, though thankfully none of it is serious. I’ll have to get the Vactan rust treatment out and deal with it before it does become serious. There are some suspension issues that need resolving as well. Oh, and the rather grim interior needs a deep clean. I need a nice, hot sunny day for that one so I can give the seats a good scrubbing (and know they’ll dry out before I want to drive it again!).

Right. I’m off for a lie down. Polishing cars is hard work! (I still haven’t done the roof…)

If you’re not getting enjoyment out of a car, then you need to do something about it. The BX was not delivering. It was becoming clunky and horrible to drive, had turbocharger issues and was making me grumpy rather than jolly. I considered spending yet more money on making it better but then a better idea came along.

A fellow Citroen-nut had found himself with a Volkswagen Golf 1.6 Driver – the Mk2 variety. He has the skills to sort the BX out and I just wanted something to tool about it. A deal was swiftly concluded and today, it was exchange time.

To many, the Golf is about as exciting as celery. I reckon it gets a bad press just because some people are blinkered into regarding it as one of the finest cars ever made. These people are usually young, misguided and prone to chopping suspension springs. See the Golf as just another 1980s hatchback in a world of capable-but-unexciting family cars and it has an appeal all of its own.

Is it hewn from granite and likely to be more reliable than an atomic clock? No. Yes, it feels sturdy and hopefully it’ll work more often than it doesn’t, but it is just a car. The non-believers usually get all hatey about the Mk2 because it wasn’t as ‘good’ as the Mk1. I’ll concede, the Italian-styling of the Mk1 was delicious. The Mk2 is a bit flabby, but quite pleasing I reckon.

The new Golf earlier today

Many, many Golfs have been ‘improved’ with ill-considered modifications. The only mod I’ve found is the white indicator lenses (with correct orange bulbs).  The spotlights were part of the Driver package. Typically, it’s low on toys – you had to pay extra for those. The windows, mirrors and steering are all manual, but someone did cough up for central locking and a sunroof – two very useful features.

But how miserable is it to drive? The answer is, not very. It can’t compete with the BX for comfort – few cars can – but it lopes along very merrily indeed. The 1.6-litre engine has prodigious torque and while it can’t hope to match a turbo diesel for in-gear acceleration, it builds speed nicely. The gearing is very tall, which does blunt acceleration, but it’s doing about 2600rpm at an indicated 70mph. That’s very relaxing. Heading onto twistier roads – mainly to avoid the horror of Newtown – I soon discovered that it’s possible to maintain a good turn of speed without issue. The brakes are not so good. Leaping from one of the best cars of its era, they feel woefully weak and need a proper shove to bleed the speed off.

That means you’re not tempted to go barrelling into bends too quickly, which is probably a good thing. Instead, you become more measured. The steering is truly delightful. I thought it would be horrible with no assistance, but it manages to be direct and full of feedback and doesn’t load up when cornering hard. Shove your foot down and the engine responds instantly – no turbo lag here. I do declare that I was enjoying myself.

Let’s be clear though, it’s no sports car. It’s not exactly fun, it’s capable and safe. I found myself cornering more quickly than I expected, but it didn’t feel like chucking a Lotus through a set of hairpins. There was too much roll and it all felt a bit vague for that. You could argue that it behaves exactly how a family car should behave.

Some have queried my sanity in replacing such a good car as the BX. I can see where they are coming from. The BX does many things exceptionally well. But this wasn’t the best I’ve ever owned and even great cars have annoying issues. It was time for a break. For a start, the engine bay on a turbo diesel BX is an absolute nightmare. You can’t get at anything!

Not like a Golf.

Good lord, open the bonnet and you can see an engine!

There’s space everywhere! Which is good, as it’s probably due a timing belt. This isn’t a car for me to get enthusiastic about – the 2CV and Land Rover fill those roles (and the Merc as long as I can’t sell it!). I just want something that I can tinker with quickly and easily should I need to. That engine bay makes me hopeful.

After a good 80 miles of driving, the Golf felt pretty much how I hoped it would feel. It’s easy to drive and satisfying. So much so that I’ve already cleaned it and have even started polishing it! I’m regretting that slightly as it has turned into a much bigger job than I thought. I’ll leave you with a shot of it sitting behind another mighty Teuton. Spot the rear light similarities!

The German members of the ClassicHub fleet

(can I just point out that the driveway is very uneven. The suspension is not broken!)

Worryingly, I’m getting my hands on a ‘boring’ car tomorrow. Every now and then, I feel the need to own something dull and capable. It’s just a phase and I’m sure I’ll be over it before long.

The Boring Legacy, though I do like the styling

One of the best ‘dull’ cars I’ve owned was a 1996 Subaru Legacy estate. It was quite ridiculously bland to look at, and even more so inside. Yet, it also had some delicious quirks. Like a Land Rover, it had a dual-range gearbox, though ‘low’ was nowhere near low enough really. It did make it sound like a rally car though – I used it mainly to make traffic jams easier on the clutch foot. It also had permanent four-wheel drive, which made it very sure-footed in snow, and gave brilliant traction in the wet. Floor it from a standstill and it just leapt forward with no hint of wheelspin.

About as exciting inside as a zzzzzzzzzzzz

Then there were touches like the frameless door windows – I love the novelty of that. With a flat-four engine, it also sounded very different to most four-cylinder cars. It actually sounded nice, with a lovely rasp as the revs rose. That’s probably why I generally averaged 27mpg in it – pretty poor. It was good at speed, had a very useful loadspace and was comfortable, but the economy was always a bit of an issue – I’m getting similar figures out of my much heavier, much more practical Discovery.

I’m struggling to recall why I sold it, but I think a combination of rocker cover leaks (onto the exhaust, nice) and rusty front wings made me think it was time for a change. I sold it for an absolute pittance.

Subaru proved ideal for mega-mile trip to France

It just goes to prove that I’m very capable of getting things very wrong when it comes to cars. I’ve lost count of the number of good cars I’ve sold for next-to-nothing, often after spending a fair bit improving them! This is why I’m slightly nervous about tomorrow’s plans. Watch this space…

After three weeks of stunning sunshine, nature has been keen to make up for the lack of rain. I spent some frustrating hours today hoping for a gap in the downpours so I could get on with fixing the Land Rover. The clutch slave overhaul kit had arrived – just two rubber seals – and I wanted to crack on!

Eventually, water ceased falling from the sky and I could get started. Task one – remove the slave cylinder. This is a mucky job, not helped by several engine oil leaks. At least the chassis shouldn’t rot and there are actually fewer leaks than there were! It’s an annoying job too as while some aspects can be tackled in the engine bay (with a suitable step), you also need to clamber underneath to get at some other bolts.

I finally got the bolts turning (had to hammer a 3/8 socket onto one of the 10mm bolts as it was rounding) and away it came. You have to be very careful at this stage because the clutch pin needs to stay where it is. It is possible for it to either get pulled out of the bellhousing, free of its clip, or to get pushed right into the bellhousing. Either scenario then requires you to split the engine and gearbox. I didn’t want to go there.

Fortunately, I didn’t have to. It helped that the outer seal on the old cylinder simply came off, holding the pin nicely in place. I could then study the slave cylinder and work out what to do next. This took several hours as it started raining again, and Test Match Special was on. I also had to try and work out how to get the cylinder apart. There was talk of a circlip, but I eventually decided there wasn’t one. I managed to get the piston out by pushing it in and letting it bounce out. It has a spring beneath it (which I almost forgot to refit…)  and the freedom of the piston suggested the bore was ok. That was good as otherwise I’d need a new cylinder – something I arguably should have just stumped up for in the first place.

However, I had the cylinder in pieces and could set about fitting a new seal. Two small screwdrivers had this done in no time, then the outer seal was fitted and it was time to refit it all. Fortunately, the test match had been rained off but it was now dry at home. I was soon up to my armpits in oily filth once more and with the cylinder refitted, I could set about bleeding the system. This proved tricky at first, but eventually the pedal began to firm up. I use a one-man bleed kit, not a pressurised one. It works by having enough fluid in the container that clean fluid gets drawn back in when you let the pedal come up. Ideally, you’d shut the bleed nipple off before the pedal is lifted.

The first bleed got the clutch working again, but the bite was low. I pumped the pedal a few more times and bled it again. Success! The bite was now nice and high rather than down on the floor.  A suitably long test drive revealed that all is well. Good times! The Disco is hopefully now ready for an off-road outing next weekend.

I really do like the Disco very much. It’s crude and a bit tired in places, but it makes me smile. Before next weekend though, there’s a change to the fleet. Like the revealing of the new Doctor, I shall leave you in suspense…

I blame the Ford Puma I drove a few months ago. It was a car I actually refused to buy, as it had a number of issues. That’s incredible in itself. However, jumping from that into my BX was an eye-opening experience for sure. To be fair, since the Mk1 Escort, Ford has been very, very good at making cars that are very, very easy and pleasant to drive, if not exactly exciting. But going from the Puma to the BX felt like going from a light moccasin to a pair of old, worn-out workboots. It was horrible!

I’ve not really recovered from that experience. It really was blissful how easy the Puma was to drive. Such light controls and a responsive, eager engine. The only reason I don’t own a Puma now is that I found the rearward visibility absolutely horrific. Not that this feature differentiates it from many modern cars…

I’ve decided that the BX must go. I’ve also decided that perhaps my time owning BXs should come to an end. There are some features of the BX that just annoy me, so perhaps it’s time to remember the good times and move on. One problem is that the fleet in theory has three slots on it. One is taken by the 2CV. Even though I’m going through a bit of a rough patch with it, I can’t see me selling it. Ever.

The ‘Toy’ slot is currently taken by the Discovery. It has also played host to cars such as the Austin Westminster, Reliant Scimitar, Maverick, Range Rover etc. The Discovery is good in that it is flexible enough to be a very useful vehicle. Yes, I do actually have two cars in this slot with the Mercedes still being on the fleet and yes, that is a problem!

Which brings me to the third slot. The very useful vehicle. For much of the past four years, a BX has filled that slot. And very well. Hugely practical, cheap to run and supremely comfortable. I like the BX a lot. But, when you drive a car a lot (and I’ve covered in excess of 40,000 miles in BXs), things start to bug you. Like the fact that generally, all BXs have starship mileage, so they always feel a bit worn out. The gearchange annoys me too – it’s rarely good, especially on diesels. The clutch is a pain because it’s always heavy – something shared with the Peugeot 306 I used to own. The single wiper infuriates me. I live in Wales – I need a better set-up than that!

So, I think perhaps it’s time to have a think about what vehicle really fits the bill. It doesn’t have to be a classic, though that’s always handy. It must be small yet practical – no bigger than an Astra. It must be free of toys, because I don’t like technology and Rachel hates even electric windows. Reasonable economy is good – 40mpg on a run would be very handy.

Oh, and it must be cheap to buy. Sadly this seems to be pushing the later Fiat Panda out of budget – a car I admire.

I have found something, but I’m not sure I’m on to a winner just yet. I give you, the Perodua Kenari.

The Perodua Kenari. Glorious isn’t it?

Yes, ok. You can stop laughing now. I accept that compared to a BX, it’ll ride with all the composure of an X-factor contestant telling their life story, and the engine will be as punchy as a glass of water. But I must confess to a love of oddball, three-cylinder motorcars with tiny dimensions. I’ve long been a Daihatsu van, and the Kenari is just a Daihatsu Move with a more attractive nose and a slightly larger engine.

I’ve already had more than a few dabbles with the Daewoo Matiz for instance. I bought one brand new back in 1999, when I was utterly clueless about money. It looked like this one.

A blue Daewoo Matiz SE just like the author owned

It was a great little car. Daewoo had done little more up to this point that re-hash old Vauxhall designs, so the Matiz was quite a leap. A Tickford-tuned 796cc triple-pot engine provided 42bhp and sounded great. The later four-cylinder one-litre didn’t have any appeal at all. I loved the froggy-styling and was horrified when they facelifted it. It really didn’t work. Guigiaro’s Ital Design was responsible for the looks, which were meant to be a fresh take on the Fiat 500. Fiat turned down the design, but Daewoo lapped it up.

Dynamically, the car wasn’t great. The ride was bouncy, the cabin narrow and cramped and understeer was easily encountered. It was noisy at speed too, though I did once hit an indicated 100mph on the M40 – at which point the rev-limited kicked in…

I did 18,000 miles in that little car then stupidly traded it in for a Subaru Impreza. Idiot. It was a big mistake as I soon missed my little Daewoo. When I went to Malta on holiday in 2003, I was dead chuffed to book one as a hire car. It brought back many memories. The following year, I chose a company to service my Isuzu Trooper just because their courtesy car was a Matiz. More happy times.

So, I think the next car has to be small and fun. It may even be a Matiz. After all, I’m still clearly not over my addiction to them, and there is a novelty in owning a car where the headlamps seem larger than the engine…

Matiz engine – smaller than the headlamps