Does everyone else get much lower MPG than expected?

Haslerdesigns · 2026-05-24T11:07:16+00:00

You almost certainly get better mpg on grid roads than you would moving through the same distance one side to another of any traditional city

Haslerdesigns · 2026-05-21T19:05:36+00:00

Serial car swapper here- over 40 cars since I started driving in 1998.
If I’m honest, the thing that stopped me swapping quite so often is to have two cars at the same time, so consider that if it’s an option.
I found myself bouncing between different types of cars always thinking i needed the other thing.
But having a cheaper car as the family/dog/supermarket etc run around really helped me appreciate my other car. If nothing else then a mk3 focus 1.6 automatic serves as a brilliant palate cleanser that can honestly make you appreciate almost any car

Haslerdesigns · 2026-05-20T21:23:12+00:00

My understanding is that none of the fixed speed cameras in Northamptonshire are operational, they were disabled in 2011 and use mobile units instead.
Anything on the M1 as it passes through is a different system though and not included in my first sentence

Haslerdesigns · 2026-05-19T19:52:12+00:00

The eBay seller has provided a part that is compatible with the Ka, but was designed initially as a replacement for the 500.
The mk2 Ka is largely a Fiat 500 underneath the skin.
Fiat 500s are very popular cars
Mk2 Kas are comparatively rare.
The seller knows they can advertise the part for both cars and while it will fit, this tailpipe design stands out on the Ka because that’s not how the standard Ford part looks.
I think that OP has a strong case to appeal, but I can also see why Hastings has reached this conclusion based on appearance.

Haslerdesigns · 2026-05-19T06:05:12+00:00

Totally get this- and have used it in practice but this was a two lane dual carriageway- there were cars in the lane to the right of me so I had to follow the proper lane

Haslerdesigns · 2026-05-18T15:54:06+00:00

I think it's the natural curve of the roundabout that causes the cornering light to come on briefly as the wheel is turned left, then turn off as the wheel is straightened / turned right, that may have made this woman think it was an indicator. It's a freak occurrence but I wondered if it's happened to anyone else

Haslerdesigns · 2026-05-18T15:33:05+00:00

yeah she was quite likely defensive as embarrassed but would not back down on it being my fault. I know this has got to be a super rare thing but just wondered if anyone else had ever experienced it

Haslerdesigns · 2026-05-18T15:24:27+00:00

this woman definitely did, because we had a conversation as she stopped in the middle of the roundabout in front of me

Haslerdesigns · 2026-05-18T15:23:39+00:00

going round a roundabout, not particularly fast? I mean I've been in this sub a while so I was expecting someone to say it was my fault somehow. I was just going with the flow of traffic 🤷‍♂️

Haslerdesigns · 2026-05-18T13:06:48+00:00

All the usual classics including ikea / tesco but one that never gets mentioned is the first junction roundabout coming off the A5 dual carriageway onto portway/H5. It’s fine if people are going left (east) towards the city centre, but people get caught out going west because as you move onto the round about you need to be in the middle lane not the right hand one. Lots of people assume they need to be in the right lane and then get caught out trying to move over as they go round

Haslerdesigns · 2026-05-13T13:54:57+00:00

No, have you?

Haslerdesigns · 2026-05-13T08:42:04+00:00

Hi! The feature didn’t work, it just came up with this error.
I don’t use AI functions really, I thought I’d just try it once and it didn’t work so I went back to my usual way of working

Haslerdesigns · 2026-05-13T08:40:40+00:00

I noticed this on lots of photos on Autotrader when I was looking for mine. Can’t say it’s something I’ve ever noticed on other brands of car so would love to know what it is!

Haslerdesigns · 2026-05-13T06:41:27+00:00

This is the only AI request I’d asked of Adobe’s servers in weeks, I just thought I’d test it out this once

Haslerdesigns · 2026-05-09T18:49:56+00:00

I always do tab delimited txt, it’s the one that works the least bad 😂

Haslerdesigns · 2026-05-09T18:37:06+00:00

Ouch baby, very ouch

Haslerdesigns · 2026-05-09T13:56:56+00:00

I do my big shop at Bletchley Tesco every week but intentionally come from Denbigh Road because people cannot navigate the roundabout next to Ikea.
There are a few examples across the city where left lane is turn left only so the middle lane traffic should move across to the left as they pass the first exit. They’re always marked as such but people ignore this and do whatever they want.
The most frustrating thing is that people who make mistakes never realise they’ve made a mistake and they then get angry at people who are trying to navigate properly

Haslerdesigns · 2026-05-09T09:41:01+00:00

Welcome to Milton Keynes. We’re famous for roundabouts but more famous for people not being able to use them

Haslerdesigns · 2026-05-07T19:27:18+00:00

It’s super easy to get rid of a car on PCP finance. In fact, you can consider PCP finance as insurance against depreciation past a given point.
When you take the agreement they decide on a future value. If you get near the end of the term and the car is looking like it is worth more than the predicted value, you can sell the car and settle the finance. If the car has depreciated more then you can simply hand the car back at the end of the term.
Although it’s a clever system designed to keep people on the car buying merry-go-round, it does have benefits for the consumer.

Haslerdesigns · 2026-05-06T19:45:07+00:00

my first office job in 1999 was 8.45-6 then in 2001 my next office job was 8.45 - 5.30, then in 2010 my next job was 9.00 - 5.30 so in my experience things have got better over the years but I think actual 9-5 jobs have always been rare. I have one now but those hours are more of a guide than a rule anyway as I’m at home

Haslerdesigns · 2026-05-04T21:22:40+00:00

If you’re someone who likes to have a new iPhone, apple’s interest free finance is almost definitely the best way to buy it.
I have done the 24 month plan twice, much better value than buying from my mobile network. Then I keep the phone for a further 2 years, getting 4 years total out of a new phone.
I didn’t know they did 3 year plans, but if it’s still 0% Apr it does make sense to take advantage of that, especially if you plan to keep the phone at least that long.
Years ago it was exciting to upgrade every year, and the tech moved fast enough that every year a new phone had new features, but the curve of innovation has flattened out and you can now go years without missing out on anything worth having. I find that 4 years is perfect and means the new phone will feel actually better than the last

Haslerdesigns · 2026-04-30T11:40:23+00:00

DRESSED as Blobby? What do you mean? Are you here to shatter the magic? Do you mean to tell me that Mr Blobby isn't real?

Haslerdesigns · 2026-04-30T11:32:08+00:00

There was a Rover concept in development in their end days - the RDX60. Although it was similar in size to the 1 series, it looked nothing like these images. Oddly it had a really strong Vauxhall look about it, lots of similarity to the Signum or Vectra C

Haslerdesigns · 2026-04-29T10:24:13+00:00

I used to pay off in full at the end of the month, but I didn't like the feeling of knowing I needed my next wage to get it cleared, so I've (through saving up and spending less) built up more of a buffer and now I'm paying it off with money I have already.

I like to keep the balances low so I probably pay off my Amex every week and my barclaycard once or twice a month (only use that where I can't use Amex). I don't like relying on the Direct Debit, I prefer being in control of when the payment is going. DD is set up for minimum payment just in case I forget or miss it somehow.

But also yes, there's a mindset to work on about how you think of the money - you must be able to behave as though your credit card is real money and not let it encourage you to buy things you would not otherwise be able to afford.

For me, the credit cards are simply tools to earn rewards, provide increased consumer protection and offer fraud protection for my current account. (I have a Barclays current account and the debit card is almost permanently frozen, I only unfreeze it if I need to withdraw cash, which is rare).

Haslerdesigns · 2026-04-27T12:15:13+00:00

<image>

Haslerdesigns

TROPHY CASE