Interesting Drive At The W/end . . . . . .

[Uncle Buck]

Travelled to a wedding on Saturday, using mainly A-roads & a dual carriageway. Tried to drive a little more economically to see what kind of MPG figures would appear. At journey's end I had achieved 43.1 MPG which is the best I've ever achieved in the SR. Here's a couple of notes taken from that trip ;

1. I managed to find a Shell garage that had V-power diesel & filled up. Within a few miles I honestly believe the engine was running smoother & quieter. Okay it does cost a bit more, but it was interesting to finally try it. There are no supplying forecourts within 75 mls of me !

2. The SR180 was completely at home sitting on flowing A-roads & at a steady 70mph on the D.C.

It was comfy, quiet & rides very well.

On Sunday I had to travel across country using twisting A & B-roads to a family gathering. I will freely admit that I was moving a bit quicker due to time constraints, but the fuel consumption understandably dropped into the 41's - which is still pretty respectable really.

3. The 2.2 D4-D Auris is definitely not at home on twisting roads with lots of demanding corners. The front end is too heavy & tries to understeer a little, but what's more alarming is the amount of body roll I encountered. Or specifically the lack of body control. The springs are quite obviously too soft to keep the body movement in check, hence my enquiry recently into the possibility of coilovers. I can cope with the standard set-up on a commuting basis, but if you're pressing on at all (I'm not talking about ridiculous speeds here either !) it really could be improved quite easily.

4. Overall I was quite impressed with the car - just the cross country behaviour that disappointed me. Considering the amount of torque that the engine is putting out (273.7 lbs/ft @ the wheels), I think the MPG was pretty reasonable.