Experience Or Advice On The 1.6 Tdi Please.

[Scorpiorefugee]

I am close to giving up with my Titanium as no one in my family is happy with it. We've been looking at other options but they are rather limited. One thing I have noticed is that the main issue with my Galaxy is the horrible seats as the seats in just about all other manufacturer's cars are much more comfortable. The strange thing is that the seats in the more basic Galaxies are also more comfortable. Unfortunately, they all seem to work on the notion that everyone wants all black interiors - AAAGGHH! I have to say that the Alhambra was much more comfortable although the second and third row seating suffered from a lack of headroom as my head was jammed against the roof. ( I am just 6' tall) I have no wish to be seen in one of those horrible butch off roader things with enormous wheels which people seem to go for either.

 

Way back I looked at a Titanium X with off white leather so I am now looking at a couple of 1 year old versions with the 1.6 diesel engine.

 

Any comments on this model or anything with that engine would be very much appreciated. The reduction in BHP is not an issue as I always found the 115 engine in the MKII and the 110 in the MKI had all of the power I needed.

Edited July 30, 2014 by Scorpiorefugee

[Scorpiorefugee]

Update - I drove a 1.6 Titanium X today with only 12K on the clock and it was dead. Not as lively as a MKI and nowhere near a MKII, both of which I have driven recently. Is that normal?

[gregers]

from a personal point of veiw i wouldnt entertain a large car with such a paltry engine shoved in it.

yonks back i had a 1.6 zafira on hire nearly got stuffed on a junction i was trying get out of because of the lack of power.never again.

 

i know you say you dont like suv'v,but have you ever driven any of the new 1's?

we have a vw tiguan basically a pumped up golf.lovely to drive.or a kuga.still a ford m8.lol.

[Scorpiorefugee]

Thanks Gregers,

I've sat in both and neither generated any desire to take them off the forecourt. I may be a bit old fashioned but my preferences are a comfortable seat with a pleasant interior and very, very few cars these days do much for me in that area. I find most interiors bring on a wave of depression, especially those with the blacked out windows, and the most comfortable seats are very often in the smaller cars. On a trip yesterday to a large car supermarket I found a staggering no of cars I just couldn't even get into and a lot more I didn't want to stay in for long once I had . Specifically a Vauxhall Insignia - the roof line hit me just below the ear with the seat fully down, and a Mercedes C200. It even included a few of the cars of the type you are suggesting and, yes, I am just 6' tall and for a 69 year old quite fit and flexible. The most memorably comfortable seat was in a Fiat 500. I could get into the BMW 3 and 5 series estate but neither was an interior I should like to spend much time in with my backside 6 inches from the road. OK for haring up and down motorways or round blind corners in country lanes at irresponsible speeds but no good for spending 8 hours a day in. I got into a Mondeo but in the passenger seat I had to duck my head to see out of the front window and the back seat was still like a park bench as well as being depressingly black. 

 

The Galaxy with with Cream leather did make the interior much more pleasant but after a very short test drive we both got out with our T shirts sticking to our backs. This never happened in our old Humber Super Snipe or any of our other earlier cars with leather seats, all of which were quite capable of exceeding the speed limits by a considerable margin but coped with rough road surfaces way way better than any car I've been in recently. OK, they wouldn't have been much good at crossing farm fields but the passengers generally enjoyed the ride without the need of in car entertainment because it was possible to be sociable during the journey.

 

We did visit a Seat/Kia dealer and found the Alhambra better without the dubious benefit of the Ford sports seats and the interior seat fabrics designed to hang onto any hairs or fibrous material like velcro. The Kia seats were comfortable and the designs of some very practical with loads of headroom.They also still had a spare wheel and a 7 year warranty. In fact, about the only manufacturer who still makes cars with non-black interiors is Citroen and we've already been there on a previous topic.

 

The state of our roads is not in any way like an F1 track and I do not understand why the tyres and suspension of modern cars should be designed for the race track. I think I'm getting close to be able to tell the difference between a match stick and a cocktail stick by driving over them.   :wacko:

 

In all of the cars I've been in recently the old MKI Ghia is head and shoulders above them all for comfort, driving pleasure and common sense practicality and the current Galaxy we have comes second but a long way back.  I guess the missus is going to have to get her sowing machine out to make some cushions. :P

 

Perhaps I should try a VW Camper. :lol:  

Edited July 31, 2014 by Scorpiorefugee

[gregers]

or find a citreon 2cv,you fussy bugger.

 

i can understand your frustrations m8.have you actually taken any out for a test drive.

we drove a fooksal antara we felt it was a very nice car,but as soon aswmbo drove the tiguan then that was it.

we drove the nissan cashqui (sp) didnt like it and rear head room was awful.

[Scorpiorefugee]

Quite right about the Nissan. I'm amazed how small some of these MPVs ans SUVs are once you get in them. I remember getting into the back seat of an early Nissan  Micra and being surprised at the amount of legroom and that there was more headroom than in the back seat of my Granada Scorpio. The Fiat 500 I tried yesterday  had loads of headroom and was easy to get in and out of.

 

Having recently driven a Mercedes Sprinter and a LWB transit I found the ride and driving seats better than the Galaxy. Maybe thats because the designers realise that they are going to be used for more than posing or going to the shops.

 

I guess I'm getting more like my alter ego below. :lol:

 

What's a fooksall antara?

Edited July 31, 2014 by Scorpiorefugee

[sparky Paul]

It's the 1560cc Peugeot diesel, I wouldn't touch one with a barge pole. Those engines are a disaster.

[Scorpiorefugee]

It's the 1560cc Peugeot diesel, I wouldn't touch one with a barge pole. Those engines are a disaster.

After what's been going on lately about problems with particulate filters and knock on effects I'm beginning to worry about all new diesels. In spite of claimed improvements in CO emissions the fuel consumption seems to be going up not down.  

[sparky Paul]

When I speak to people who have cars with these small modern diesels, they often say that they get nowhere near the very impressive official consumption figures. They are also very complex indeed, and the DPF situation renders them unsuitable for some types of driving. I'm considering replacing my old bus with an LPG converted petrol, far less to go wrong.

 

The 1560cc Peugeot diesel suffers from very specific issues, it's worth having a read up on the 'net before you consider any car fitted with one - you will find this engine in Peugeot, Citroen, Ford, Mini, Mazda, Volvo and others.

[Scorpiorefugee]

Thank Paul,

I do tend to be an at or just above the limit cruiser increasing only in short bursts to get out of the way of idiots and we only use the Gal for longish trips. According to my understanding this should keep everything clean. Certainly, my old MKI and MKII seemed to thrive on it. However, we have been looking seriously at petrol lately, especially as a replacement for my wife's 10 year old 2.0 L diesel  Picasso. From what you say it seems that the 1.6 version of this may have been the engine in question.

 

Do you have any thoughts or info on the benefits of using the higher grade fuels with the particulate filter problems? 

 

The fuel consumption does seem to be improving on the Gal as it is now registering 44mpg over 700 miles but that is probably the warm weather. On a trip around Lincolnshire country roads it actually went above 50 for about 100 miles but it soon dropped as soon as I hit a motorway.

 

Ron.

Edited August 1, 2014 by Scorpiorefugee