Help! Where Do I Go After A Mkii Gal?

[Scorpiorefugee]

Having done 1M miles in Gannie MK I,II III and Scorpios I discovered a '98 110 Galaxy, bought from ebay and was so impressed I got a MKII 115 Ghia and lived happily for the next 8 years. At about the same time we bought a new Picasso but that will never be accepted as a main choice although it is a useful runabout and shopping trolley. It has done 30K in 8 years but it isn't a real car. 180K miles later it now seems that SWMBO fancies a change and that is getting difficult. Before I got the MKII we looked at the Zafira and found is seriously wanting. In the last couple of years, just to test the future options, I looked at a Jag X type and recoiled at the thought of asking anyone to sit in the back. I looked at the new Mondeo and got in the passenger seat and immediately felt claustrophobic and screamed to be let out. More recently I went back to the Zafira and it now looks much improved. While there I checked out the Vectra replacement thingy and the first time I tried to get in the roof hit me just below the ear. It is relevant to know that I stand just 6' in stocking feet albeit a little short in the legs. We lowered the seat and it hit me just above the ear so I got dragged back to the Ford garage to look at a MKIII Gal. I got in and thought I'd gone to heaven. Leather seats, nice layout and I just sat there with a silly grin on my face. I then remembered that, as what used to be referred to as "Derby and Joan.", we didn't really need 7 seats apart from space for 2 golf trolleys, assorted accessories and the compulsory 5 suitcases of luggage packed by SWMBO, so the salesman wheeled us around the S-max and C-max. Not bad but why are the bucket seats so horrible. So - back to the Gal and it all went down hill.

No Spare - Which numpty thought that one up - fuel saving??? has anyone got figures? I doubt it!

Fold down seats. The old ghia has carried a three piece suite, half a ton of bricks, sand, cement, sideboards and all sorts of old junk and 10 mins with the vac and it's as good as new. I can't see the fold down seat backs coping with that!

Low profile tyres. What the h*** do I want with low profile tyres? I get 50/60K out of the fronts and I've never had to replace the rear (apart from when some low life amused himself by sneaking up and screwing all sorts of destructing items into the tyres overnight.) and never had any problems with road holding .

Performance..... What's the point with existing road conditions and speed limits?

There are probably options which I could learn to live with but I just can't see any of the available choices replacing the old Ghia.

Can anyone suggest anything or point out any redeeming features of the MKIII apart from losing the insanely positioned and unreliable climate control of the MKII as well as assumed improved comfort reliability and fuel consumption. (I did a round trip of 250 miles yesterday and returned 53mpg driving at the speed limits apart from multiple motorway hold-ups.)

Edited September 27, 2012 by Scorpiorefugee

[Scorpiorefugee]

Oops! Wrong section. I've copied it across to the right one. :wacko: :wacko:

 

While I'm here, can anyone please advise on what level of refinement provides a standard entertainment device which will allow the playing capacity equivalent of the 6 CD player so I don't have to put up with the junk on the radio? If the CD player will play MP3 files on a CD that would do nicely.

[gregers]

lol.

 

in my smax the stereo is a mp3 player so i have put a few albums onto 1 cd.it should say on the unit whether its an mp3 player or multi disk player.

on other versions of my car/mk3 gal they have fitted a front loading 6 disk jobby.

[Scorpiorefugee]

Thanks mate. I must be feeling my age. I do have difficulty coping with things that have dozens of push buttons and LCD displays instead of a knob with a dial and the fact that a car radio or whatever fancy title it's given has to occupy the amount of space that entire dash used to take. Edited September 28, 2012 by Scorpiorefugee