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Geek Culture / New car!

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Ron Erickson
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Posted: 21st Aug 2007 19:46
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Nice.

Up until today, my family car was a 2004 Chevy Trailbazer. I have had NOTHING but problems with it. If you averaged the number of times that it has been in the shop over the three years that I owned it, it would have been serviced once every 3 months! Craziness. The warranty was up at the end of this month, and I started getting a bit nervous considering the reliability of the vehicle. So, I started looking around.

Last night, I found a 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee with about 17,000 miles on it. I negotiated pretty hard last night and couldn't come to an agreement. I talked to the guy again today, and he ended up going down to the price that I wanted. In the end, I got a really good deal on it.
The thing is amazing and loaded to the teeth. It has an 8 cylinder HEMI 5.7 liter engine. If you floor the gas pedal, it feels like the car actually leaps forward. Inside it has a GPS navigation system and also a DVD video entertainment system for the kids. The stereo has a 6 disc CD changer and MP3 player. It is pretty awesome.

I pick it up tonight! I'll post some pics tomorrow.
I can't wait!

WOLF

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GatorHex
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Posted: 21st Aug 2007 22:17 Edited at: 22nd Aug 2007 04:56
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Everyone knows, if you want a reliable 4x4, its the Toyota Hilux

TopGear, tried to destroy an old one, drowned it, crashed it, set it on fire, finaly dropped it off a sky scraper, it still ran!



Then they turned one into a boat



I just saw them drive a new one to the north pole this week! They found an old DC10 along the way that didn't make it





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Zerk
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Posted: 22nd Aug 2007 03:49
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Jeep is a good way to go. I have a 2002 Jeep Liberty LE and have had no problems with it as of yet. Another safe bet is a Subaru.

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Zeus
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Posted: 22nd Aug 2007 04:04
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Forget Jeep... CHEVY FOR LIFE!!

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SpyDaniel
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Posted: 22nd Aug 2007 04:11
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I'd like one of those GatorHex, maybe ill buy everyone one, if I win the lottery

It would have to be the same make as the one from top gear, the ones I found on google are really ugly.

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Uncle Sam
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Posted: 22nd Aug 2007 04:12
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Chevy = yuck.
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Agent Dink
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Posted: 22nd Aug 2007 04:43
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I have a Chevy Sam... you make me sad

And I want a Monte Carlo when this one kicks the bucket or I decide to sell it.



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Ron Erickson
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Posted: 22nd Aug 2007 05:16
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Quote: "Forget Jeep... CHEVY FOR LIFE!!"


I have had three jeeps. A Wrangler, a Liberty, and now a Grand Cherokee. I loved my first two Jeeps. I hope I get the same results from this one.

My Chevy Trailblazer was garbage.

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Person99
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Posted: 22nd Aug 2007 08:34
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"Chevy"
Wait a minute - Someone actually bought a chevy?
All but 1 of them are scrap metal that can move.

Go Toyota

Who will die first?
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Uncle Sam
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Posted: 22nd Aug 2007 08:49
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Quote: "I have a Chevy Sam... you make me sad"


Oops....Well...uh, that's just personal opinion.
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Jess T
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Posted: 22nd Aug 2007 11:09
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SUVs are ridiculous.

Unsafe, gas guzzling, polluting, kiddie killers is all they are.

Anyway, congrats on the new purchase

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Fallout
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Posted: 22nd Aug 2007 11:41
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Congrats mate. Hope it treats ya right! How much horsepower do you get of that 5.7 liter V8? Assuming it's a V8.


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Lukas W
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Posted: 22nd Aug 2007 12:46
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Wolf, the car sounds awesome, though I have never heard of it.

Anyone ever heard of SAAB?
It is a very common car in Scandinavia (more so in Sweden), and I was wondering if it was known around the world or just locally?

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Fallout
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Posted: 22nd Aug 2007 12:52
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We have loads of SAABs round here. They like to leach off their airplane design heritage and imply in their adverts that knowledge ports to their cars. The catch phrase is something like "The expertese that keeps our planes in the air keeps our cars glued to the road". In actual fact, they're not particularly good looking and well overpriced imo, but there ya go.


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Ron Erickson
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Posted: 22nd Aug 2007 14:10
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Quote: "SUVs are ridiculous.

Unsafe, gas guzzling, polluting, kiddie killers is all they are.

Anyway, congrats on the new purchase"


Well... I have three kids. That is three car seats. There aren't too many cars that will fit three car seats across the back to nicely. So, it is either a SUV or a Minivan. I can't bring myself to drive a minivan.
Also, I need something that can pull my camper. So, a SUV is my only option.

Quote: "Congrats mate. Hope it treats ya right! How much horsepower do you get of that 5.7 liter V8? Assuming it's a V8."

It is 330 hp.
From what I understand, when you are out on the highway, it will drop the use of 2 cylinders (only using 6) to conserve gas milage. When you get on the thing, it will use all 8.

Quote: "Anyone ever heard of SAAB?"

I have heard of them, but they aren't that popular here.


My other car (the one I use for my daily work comute) is a 98 Honda civic. It gets great gas milage and is a good little car. I will drive that thing forever!

I'll try to get some pics today!

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Dazzag
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Posted: 22nd Aug 2007 14:49
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Quote: "How much horsepower do you get of that 5.7 liter V8?"
C'mon Fallout, you of all people know thats completely the wrong question. You need 0-100, 100-0, and the amount of G's it can pull around corners (have you got the model of Skyline thats shows that?) figures.....

Cheers

I am 99% probably lying in bed right now... so don't blame me for crappy typing
Current fave quote : "She was like a candle in the wind.... unreliable...."
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Fallout
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Posted: 22nd Aug 2007 15:00
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It was a contrived question allowed me to do this:
WOLF - 5.7 litre + 8 cylinders = 330hp
ME - 2.6 litre + 6 cylinders = 300hp

Then I could go and rant about big fat American muscle engines being as efficient and as practical as a transparent bathing costume ... but to be fair, in a jeep/4x4 it's all about torque and beastage. So I won't.

As for Gs, no. It's the R34 that has the space age digital dash with all the G force gauges all over the shop. I just measure the G by how far my cheeks get stretched back and how hard my internal organs push against my spine.

@Wolf - That's cool. In F1 the McLarens do that too. I think they're V12s? And they drop to 5 cylinders at idle, meaning everyone else cooks on the starting grid and they can idle all day. Good to see some fuel economy tech in there!


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Jess T
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Posted: 22nd Aug 2007 15:19
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Kids are ridiculous.

Unsafe, money guzzling, polluting, beetle killers is all they are.

Anyway, congrats on the three little tikes


Haha, couldn't resist.
I just don't like the idea of SUVs being around. For the most part, they're driven by single folks with absolutely no need except to compensate for a lack of something in their life. You have it for practical purposes, but it doesn't mean that it's any safer.

Take it for a Safety Test.

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Fallout
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Posted: 22nd Aug 2007 15:22
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Quote: "they're driven by single folks with absolutely no need except to compensate for a lack of something in their life."


You just described me to a T! Except swap SUV for supercar. Sad but true.


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Ron Erickson
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Posted: 22nd Aug 2007 16:08 Edited at: 22nd Aug 2007 16:27
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Quote: "Then I could go and rant about big fat American muscle engines being as efficient and as practical as a transparent bathing costume ... but to be fair, in a jeep/4x4 it's all about torque and beastage. So I won't."

lol
It has plenty of power for me. Much more than my Trailblazer had. It is rated at about the same gas milage as my Trailblaze too. Probably because the engine doesn't have to work so hard.

Quote: "Kids are ridiculous.

Unsafe, money guzzling, polluting, beetle killers is all they are.

Anyway, congrats on the three little tikes"


Now you are making sense!

Quote: "I just don't like the idea of SUVs being around. For the most part, they're driven by single folks with absolutely no need except to compensate for a lack of something in their life. You have it for practical purposes, but it doesn't mean that it's any safer."


I followed your link. Unfortunately, it only rates through the 2004 model. Check this link below:
http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/safety.aspx?year=2006&make=Jeep&model=Grand%20Cherokee

Out of 5 stars:
Frontal Crash: 5 stars
Rollover: 4 stars
Side Crash: 5 stars

It has side airbags, which help. I think safety has been a focus over the past few years.

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Dazzag
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Posted: 22nd Aug 2007 16:10
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Yeah, thats the major advantage of those things. Crash into something and you walk away with a bruise. My car would be a smear on the tarmac. Watch some of the 5th Gear videos. Totally frightening even at "slow" speeds (30-40mph).

Cheers

I am 99% probably lying in bed right now... so don't blame me for crappy typing
Current fave quote : "She was like a candle in the wind.... unreliable...."
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Dazzag
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Posted: 22nd Aug 2007 16:13
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Check this one out for a 4x4 going into the side of a Honda Civic. I saw another one ages ago about head on. 4x4 is pretty knackered, but the normal car is like non-existant almost.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAMKvxLOWI4

Cheers

I am 99% probably lying in bed right now... so don't blame me for crappy typing
Current fave quote : "She was like a candle in the wind.... unreliable...."
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Jess T
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Posted: 22nd Aug 2007 16:33
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Fair enough, Wolf.

That video Dazzag linked to is my main point, though.
They're a dangerous car.

Oh well. Enjoy it

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Fallout
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Posted: 22nd Aug 2007 16:40
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My car stands up quite well to collision surprisingly. I've seen plenty of pics of skylines wrapped around various types of english oak tree, written off, but the main passenger compartments remaining spacious enough to survive. The only problem is, the radiator sits right behind the front grill. Even a little 5 mph smack on the front can rupture the radiator and cause the engine to overheat and destroy itself in a matter of seconds. Those jeeps can take a fair few knocks and keep on kicking, and that's for sure. I guess if everyone else is driving concrete blocks, the safest thing you can do is join the party.


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Dazzag
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Posted: 22nd Aug 2007 17:33
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Quote: "They're a dangerous car"
Yeah, but mainly to other people....

Quote: "the safest thing you can do is join the party"
Yep. They may be a slow as hell (compared to what we are talking about) but you don't die. Much. Makes me wonder how I survived so long... Now to sellotape myself to my chair considering I work from home now...

Cheers

I am 99% probably lying in bed right now... so don't blame me for crappy typing
Current fave quote : "She was like a candle in the wind.... unreliable...."
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GatorHex
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Posted: 22nd Aug 2007 17:46 Edited at: 22nd Aug 2007 17:47
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I makes me laugh, somone has a kid and the 1st thing they do is oh, this means i have to have a 4x4 or a MPV. Never mind the fact they all drive them to school and can't see a kid stood behind it in the rear view when reversing.

You can get 3 kids in the back of a regular car people, and still see other peoples children over the boot/trunk!

I personaly think 4x4 should be licenced, if you live in a area with no tarmac or your a farmer etc. then fine you're allowed to own one otherwise lugging 2.5 tonnes of metal is just putting other road users in danger and wasting fuel.

DinoHunter (still no nVidia compo voucher!), CPU/GPU Benchmark, DarkFish Encryption DLL, War MMOG (WIP), 3D Model Viewer
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Zerk
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Posted: 22nd Aug 2007 18:01
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Quote: "Yeah, thats the major advantage of those things. Crash into something and you walk away with a bruise."


Yes tell me about it! I'm on my second Jeep Liberty. Heres what happened to my first one.

http://www.battlecraft42.com/wreck/

I got t-boned in an intersection by a kid in a ford ranger doing about 50 through a red light and hit the guy next to me and he hit me pretty hard. We were doing about 40 through the light. It flipped me over on the side and I slid through the intersection about 60 feet finally coming to a rest on a median. All that kinetic energy and I suffered no injury except for some bruising on my chest from having to hang from the seatbelt for 30 minutes until the paramedics could figure out a way to cut me out.

I think my Jeep saved my life.

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BatVink
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Posted: 22nd Aug 2007 18:12
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Quote: "It has an 8 cylinder HEMI 5.7 liter engine"


You couldn't afford to run that in the UK. Firstly, you'd pay twice the price for the vehicle. Then you'd pay 3 times the price for road tax, 6 times the price for insurance and finally you'd pay 10 times the price for the fuel

Road Tax - £300 / yr
Fuel - £0.93 / litre (US ~ £0.38 / litre)

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Ron Erickson
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Posted: 22nd Aug 2007 18:44 Edited at: 22nd Aug 2007 18:45
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Quote: "I makes me laugh, somone has a kid and the 1st thing they do is oh, this means i have to have a 4x4 or a MPV. Never mind the fact they all drive them to school and can't see a kid stood behind it in the rear view when reversing.

You can get 3 kids in the back of a regular car people, and still see other peoples children over the boot/trunk!

I personaly think 4x4 should be licenced, if you live in a area with no tarmac or your a farmer etc. then fine you're allowed to own one otherwise lugging 2.5 tonnes of metal is just putting other road users in danger and wasting fuel."


I could uncomfortably fit three child safety seats in the back of a mid-sized car. Still, that would not solve the problem of pulling my camper. My family went on four camping trips this summer. I could not afford to do that in hotel rooms.

Things are different in the UK than they are in the US. SUV's are MUCH more common here. So, if you want to talk about safety, then you have to consider what is currently on the road. I can see your point in reference to the UK. It is different here though.

We also get a good bit of snow every year here in Pittsburgh. Unlike a lot of places, the city does not shut down if there is an inch of snow on the roads. It is a very hilly terain here. I actually use the 4WD in my cars quite often.

As for the "running over your kids because you can't see out of the back" comment...
My visibility is just as good as most cars. Plus, my jeep has backup sensors on it. So, if you are in reverse and there is anything behind you, it starts beeping like crazy at you. It also has a light bar that tells you how close you are to hitting anything in the rear (and on what side). So, I'm not worried.


Quote: "Yes tell me about it! I'm on my second Jeep Liberty. Heres what happened to my first one."


Ouch! I'm glad you are OK. I used to have a Jeep Liberty. That was probably my favorite vehicle that I have owned up until NOW!


Quote: "You couldn't afford to run that in the UK. "

Oh... I know. I would definately have to do something different if things were like that here. Fortunately for me, they are not.

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GatorHex
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Posted: 22nd Aug 2007 18:44 Edited at: 22nd Aug 2007 18:55
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I've been rear hit while stationary in a queue on the motorway TWICE!

1st I was in a Fiat Panda which was hit by a Transit Van

six months later

2nd I was in a Citreon AX which was hit by another similar size car.

Both times i survived with just whiplash even though the cars were write off it was mainly because they weren't worth the cost of repair.

both cars only had 2/5 stars in crash test and now todays small cars have 4/5 stars so I'm not scared of driving a small car at all.

IM JUST SCARED OF MOTORWAY TRAFFIC JAMS AND IDIOTS BEHIND ME WHO DON'T LOOK WHERE THEY ARE GOING!

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Fallout
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Posted: 22nd Aug 2007 19:50
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Hazard lights mate! Brake! Hazards on! Slow down quickly and give yourself a buffer to speed into if the retard behind you isn't paying attention, and always be ready to squeeze into any gap! I've seen a few pics of what a truck does to a small hatch back when it doesn't brake. 1 pic the car was only 3 feet long after being totally crushed. Needless to say there wasn't so much a body left in the wreckage - more a human bolognaise!

I always leave enough room between me and the car in front so I can bury the throttle and swerve out to avoid becoming a Nissan sandwich in the event a lorry tries to kill me.


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Dazzag
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Posted: 22nd Aug 2007 23:16
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Quote: "2nd I was in a Citreon AX which was hit by another similar size car"
Lucky you lived through that one. I mean aren't they made out of foil? A friend of mine had one and demolished half the door when he slipped and pushed his knee into it. Pinged right out though.

Oh, and Fallout, you would love it here then. Not only should you leave a gap in front of you, but you need to maintain a gap behind you too. And check for the sides as well. They have a habit of crashing here. I work from home and I have never heard so many crashes and screeches. And I used to commute on the M4 every day (millions of people commuting around London). Basically everyone does not concentrate and are always on the phone.

One terrible example is if they join from a junction on the right (remember they drive on the correct side of the road here... ). Basically even though there is traffic going the way they are going they join the road anyways. And drive parallel with the traffic in the right hand lane. They then try and overtake a couple of cars to get in the left lane. Nevermind about the traffic coming the other way... Very worrying...

Cheers

I am 99% probably lying in bed right now... so don't blame me for crappy typing
Current fave quote : "She was like a candle in the wind.... unreliable...."
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Phaelax
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Posted: 23rd Aug 2007 01:18 Edited at: 23rd Aug 2007 01:19
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Quote: "It has an 8 cylinder HEMI 5.7 liter engine"


niiice! I remember the first time I found out Jeep was putting that engine inside. I tried to pass a jeep in my supercharged grand prix, and that big ol' thing slapped me in the face and said no! I was quite surprised until my friend told me about the new hemi model.

Quote: "I've been rear hit while stationary in a queue on the motorway TWICE!"


Ha! I got you beat, I've had that THREE times! Four if you count the parking lot hit when I wasn't even in the car.


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Jeku
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Posted: 23rd Aug 2007 02:36
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Quote: "I personaly think 4x4 should be licenced, if you live in a area with no tarmac or your a farmer etc. then fine you're allowed to own one otherwise lugging 2.5 tonnes of metal is just putting other road users in danger and wasting fuel."


Yah, all we need is more laws and government hand-holding Hey, why don't we tax people who want to drive Harleys instead of Scooters while we're at it? Just can't stand the stereo-types of owning an SUV. Just for the record, I don't have one, but I plan on buying one in the future because when it snows here, my Mazda 3 can't even get out of my parking lot

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