Be Excellent To Each Other

Also: OMFGWTFIHAZURREGNO D0Xx3D

It's okay. It does lots of stuff well, but it's not very exciting.
The increased size suits both the horsedog and the near-teenage Grimlet.

You can always do stuff to make it more exciting. It’s a nice car mate.

I've swapped out the standard steering wheel in the M135i for a spangly new one that is basically the same, but is wrapped in Nappa leather with two strips of Alcantara top and bottom (and a red stripe at top dead centre) - but, crucially, it also has a heating element inside it.

So, after purchasing a heated steering wheel, a switch to turn on the heated steering wheel, a new lower steering column trim (with the space in it for the switch) *and* a new steering wheel switch cluster, I now have a fully functioning heated steering wheel.

Oh, and I had to buy an OBD2 ESYS coding adapter so that I could tell the car that it now had a heated steering wheel - and took the oppo to change a few other things on the car too while I was in there.

I'm surprised you didn't just change the car for one with a heated steering wheel.

Again.

Oh no, wait, it was a cup holder last time.

Isn't it spring now?

That doesn't matter. Heated steering is amazing.

It's on the checklist for my next car.

The LEAF was the first car I had with it, and it spoiled me.

The weird thing is, when you buy a BMW new you can spec it up however you want - literally hundreds (if not thousands) of different combinations of options, ranging from heated seats to storage nets in the passenger footwells, or even how the rear seats fold down.

Of all of the options you can add, the heated steering wheel is usually one of the cheapest (about £180 I think) and yet no-one ever bloody selects it.

I think you can't appreciate these things until you have them. My current car has a rear camera, I rolled my eyes when I saw it on the specification, but I can't imagine not having one now. I thought the heated seats would just be a novelty too, but they get used loads.

A heated steering wheel was one of those things I never realised I wanted until I had a car with one (the i30-N), and the Lexus doesn't have one, and I do miss it.

On a very cold morning it's super-nice to get warmth straight into your hands via the steering wheel, particularly as we feel cold most keenly through our extremities so having warm hands immediately makes the rest of the cold seem less oppressive.

Having said that I'm not even remotely at the point where I'm going to investigate retro-fitting a heated steering wheel to the Lexus, so I doff my cap to GazChap for his dedication to the toasty hands cause.

I’d take heated seats and a heated screen over the steering wheel.

Don't all cars have heated screens now?

Nope. Still an option on most. It’s about the only thing that was missing on my Mini when I bought it. Nearly every other box had been ticked.

I have definitely used and liked heated seats, but that was Iceland - in Spring, which is like the coldest winter here (with added blizzard). After that (god, I really am the worst travel wanker) I can't imagine wanting it here. I'd like a rear camera, though, to save me from myself.

Getting into a cold car and having to wait for it to heat up and ice to melt is some caveman shit.

Heated steering wheel? No thanks.

Aren't heated front screens still mainly a Ford thing as they've got the patent on it?

Seems crazy that what is essentially a safety feature can actually be patented.

Hang on, Google says the patent expired in 2005. Heated front screens are great, my Focus ST-2 had it, did amuse me on wintery mornings clearing the screen with a button, driving past people forlornly scraping the ice off their expensive BMWs that did not feature such technology.

VAG cars had them for ages as well. Even with the patent, other manufacturers could have used the Ford tech. They just would have had to pay for the privilege.

Forum ate my post, brilliant.

Ford had A patent, even if it hadn't expired the VAG metallic film version probably didn't infringe.

Our cars have seat, wheel and screen heaters. They all get used - I use the wheel even on merely brisk autumn mornings, or rather did, in the before-times.

Helen's has heated washer nozzles too.

I once blew a fuse on a cold day by trying to wash the windscreen with cold nozzles.

Dirty

The screen sure was

I filled up on Saturday. I don't remember when I last did. Might be the second, probably third, time in a year. Instead of every 2-3 weeks.

Noticed that petrol is now more expensive than it was before lockdown, presumably at least partially to cover the lost business and increased overheads of being a supermarket these days. One of the pumps was removed months ago, a second is now out of action. No point at the moment keeping them all maintained I guess.

Helen has filled hers once - I've started using it on the odd occasions I do go into the office to keep everything lubricated, the battery charged, and hopefully to get new fuel in it before it degrades.

Good job we hadn't already moved to E10 at the pumps before this started, with the increased amount of water that means with sitting fuel.

I love heated seats but I've never had a car with a heated steering wheel.

I believe some cars have cooled seats too nowadays. Can you get cooled steering wheels too?

I’ve never really had the problem of a steering wheel being too cold. Too hot on the other hand! Trying to drive with a wheel the temp of a baked potato is not recommended.

Don’t bake your steering wheel.

Heated wing mirrors are probably on a par with heated seats for me. I think I would take auto-dimming headlights over a heated steering wheel if I had to choose, and a reversing camera has pretty much become a must have for me now, too.

Not had a car with all of the above. I really miss heated wing mirrors more than I enjoy a heated steering wheel, though.

I thought heated wing mirrors had been standard for a decade! I'm pretty sure every car I've had since 2005 has had them.

The Lexus is in for a major service today, wish me luck.

I've already been forewarned that spark plugs alone will be around £200, which comprises of £21 each for the plugs (there are six of them), plus labour to take the inlet manifold off to get to them.

It's running perfectly but the last documented service is September 2019 so it's due one, and given the age of the car (it'll be 16 years old next month) it seemed sensible to have it be given a proper once over, get all the fluids and filters changed etc.

I haven't taken it to the Lexus franchised dealer here as (a) They have a truly horrendous reputation and (b) They'll charge me about six million pounds - so it's being done at a very well regarded local independent garage.

I've just about put 1000 miles on it since I got it last November, and it's settled down to just short of 30mpg, which really isn't bad for big car with a 3 litre V6 petrol engine in it.

But then I always thought they were connected to the screen heaters, as they are on one button.

For some reason I also thought that all cars had automatic folding wing mirrors, I need those for A) on a tight car park and B) to let me know from a distance that my car is locked.

So, I'm starting to look around for my next car. I've found one I like but the boot opens sideways, like a door.

My first thought is "ugh it will get in the way" but am I overthinking it or is there anything else I should consider?

Also, is there a way to know if electric controlled wing mirrors fold in when the car is locked or not?

Thanks.

The boot on the cube opens sideways and it bothers me in the fact that when I reverse on my drive, the way the boot opens means that I can't get close to the fence and open the boot to unload stuff straight into the house. The open door blocks it.

Also, it doesn't offer any cover when it rains if you're faffing in the boot.

Our RAV4 has this 'feature' due to the spare wheel being mounted on the back. It's ok... you get used to it.

But yeah, if the spare isn't mounted on the back then the designers are fucking idiots. There's no practical benefit unless your using it to protect your top half in a water fight from one side only.

Thanks both, I don't really get it myself - it just seems silly, I would want it out of the way. I'm not sure if it's a dealbreaker or not, just at the moment. I mostly use my boot to dump my work stuff into and for the occasional shop. Will think more on it.

Yuck


Not overthinking it, that'd proper get in the way and it'd drive me up the wall.


I don't think this is a particularly common feature to be honest. Usually there'll be a button inside to fold/unfold the mirrors but I don't know of any cars that (by default) have them fold/unfold on lock/unlock.

That's not to say they don't exist, of course. If it's a Japanese car then it's more likely, as I think they tax cars based on width (weirdly)

Most (newish) BMWs can do it, but it's not enabled from the factory I don't think - I had to code it in myself the other week.

The Golf and my last Skoda, folded the mirrors on lock and unlock. My current one does not.

It could be a trim level. The Skoda was an SE-L, and the new one is an SE.

I’m sure modern Mercs do it as well.

You'll only ever be able to drive forwards into parking spaces. I couldn't do it.

My last three Fords have, I thought it was standard to be honest until Joans got his Focus and we were both surprised.

I'm looking at this.But I'd really like a blue one.

Might have a nose at the Puma instead, but I don't think I like it as much.

Yeah, I can't decide if I'm just being picky with how much I (don't) use my boot at the moment though.

I'll keep looking, I can see that they are not well liked, and I'm not sure how much it would annoy me.

Not sure about those tbh. It’s like a slightly taller Fiesta, which don’t you have already?

Any boot whose floor is at waist level is great!

Yes, but it's time to change. There's a lot I like about the fiesta I don't want to stray too far away from it.

It'll be difficult to reach your destinations and the new owner might get upset.

Ooh, I have an idea…

The most 'modern' car I have ever owned is a 2008 Mazda (and we bought that, used, about 7 years ago) so all this talk of fancy heating and folding thingies makes me realise how much has changed, tech wise, over the years.

My (soon to be scrapped) 2008 Ford Fusion TDCI’s mirrors fold when the doors are locked.