[Stratos]

Greetings!

I am probably making a dedicated new thread on Team-BHP after more than 7-8 years. Have been reading more than posting during this time.
The idea of this thread had been in my mind for a while, so here it goes.

My journey with cars began in my early teens, at 7-years of age, when a sky-blue Premier Padmini (MMD6101) became part of our family. We have had numerous cars since then; Maruti 800 (BLD3112), Tata Indica DLE V2 (MH12BP2984), Tata Indigo LS(MH01MA9149), Renault Logan Edge Connect (MH14BR8954).
However, in reality they were all owned by my parents. I never really, "earned", them as my own cars. It was due to the hard work of my parents that we could afford those cars. I was merely enjoying the fruit of it.

The real, "My-Own-Car", journey began when I moved to Belgium for work in March 2015. What follows is a write-up from where my journey began and where we are so far...

Note: I will try not to go into too much technical details, as that is not the objective of this thread. This thread is about my experience!

2015 Toyota Yaris Hybrid 1.5 VVT-i

Family nickname:"Yaru"



Loved it for:

- Decent design, spacious interior for its class, comfortable seats
- Not sporty, yet mature road manners, city-friendly dimensions
- Fuel efficient

Hated it for:

- Irritating CVT soundtrack
- Lack of basic equipment (rear power-windows, GPS, cruise-control)

Being my very own first car, the Yaris will always have a bit of bias in my heart. I thoroughly enjoyed driving it across Belgium, Nederlands, Germany and France.
The lack of cruise control (in the spec I had) was a huge let-down though. My drive from Brussels to Paris (335 kms) and Brussels to Frankfurt (394 kms) was quite tough on my right foot.
By the way, please multiply the above kms by two as I returned back to Belgium on the same day from both trips.

I have fond memories of driving my mother, grandmother and wife to Paris in this car (August 2015). The Yaris took good care of my family.


Transporting large items in the Yaris was easy, thanks to the overall large back-door opening.


Non-offensive, ergonomic interior.


Death by water!

Sadly, the Yaris was quite short lived in my life. It suffered a tragic end within an year of owning it.

During my work hours, I parked the Yaris on a road that was shaped as a large trough. Mind you, it was a legal parking by the side of the road. This was early June 2016 when Belgium and several other countries faced massive rain on a single day. As a result of this downpour, my car was flooded beyond the window sill. The waves of water created by trucks passing by began pushing the car towards the footpath. It was almost floating. I was asked to take the car out of the flood.

The visual memory of seeing my orange-coloured, song-filled USB pen-drive floating by my chest as I drove out of the water still haunts me till this day.

The hybrid system died 5-minutes after taking the car out of water and it was then towed to the dealer, where it was declared a total loss. Toyota is very particular about not having such water-damaged cars getting repaired and end up in the used-car market.
This is where I said good by to the Yaris.

[Stratos]

2016 Toyota Auris Touring Sports 1.3 VVT-i

Family nickname:"Auru"



Loved it for:

- My very first 'big' car
- Comfortable, spacious with a loads of cargo space
- Well-equipped (GPS, cruise control, all-around power windows)

Hated it for:

- Appallingly underpowered 1.3L engine (98bhp), originally equipped in the smaller Yaris
- Extremely lethargic 6-speed manual transmission
- Very low seating position
- Scary understeer even at normal speeds on a round-about, especially in wet conditions

The Auris TS (now known as the Corolla) was a car that came into my life out of pure necessity. After having the Yaris drowned to death, I was in desperate need of a replacement car.
This 'Denim-Blue' (yes, that is what this colour is called) Auris TS was fitting into my budget. I had never driven it before, but just the thought of getting a much larger car than the Yaris was enough for me to go ahead and get it.

Like mentioned above, the car was quiet comfortable and drove around quite well, especially in city limits.
Once on the motorway, you would start getting vibes of a 'puppy not wanting to go for a walk'. Press the accelerator hard and nothing!

The 1.3L engine was way too underpowered. It probably did a decent job in the Yaris (which is lighter), but failed to propel this larger station wagon.
After a lot of hard work, the car would eventually reach the speeds you desire.

I recollect driving the Auris TS on the autobahn and touching 205 kms/hr (analog speedometer reading). Facial hair generally would grow faster compared to the time it took me to reach this speed.

If you take its poor mechanical heart out of the story, the car was roomy and comfortable. In terms of cargo space, it would easily eat up multiple suitcases for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
One one occasion, I drove it from Brussels to Innsbruck (865 kms) non-stop and I was still able to go sightseeing in the evening. It tirelessly ate all those kilometers, while the Mrs. folded her passenger seat and slept throughout the autobahn.

After two years in the family, we said good by to our "Auru".

Toyota - Always moving forward...


Taking in loads and loads of suitcases.


On our return leg from Innsbruck.

[Stratos]

2018 Toyota CH-R 1.2 Turbo AWD

Family nickname:"White Beast"





Loved it for:

- Super stylish, muscular look, conspicuous road presence
- Smooth 1.2L turbo petrol with an adequate 116bhp, linked to a decent CVT gearbox
- Planted road manners thanks to the AWD system
- Loaded with equipment (ESC, RCTA, TCS, EBD, auto-lights, wipers, hill hold assist, blind spot monitor, adaptive cruise control. lumbar support, heated seats etc)
- Tall and commanding seating position

Hated it for:

- Ridiculous fuel economy for a small 1.2L (partially due to the AWD which was mandatory in this spec)
- Poor rear quarter visibility
- Cocooned, dark interior not to everyone's taste, even claustrophobic for some
- Tiny, prison-cell-like rear window, almost everyone who sat on the back seat hated it

While ordering the CH-R, I had a choice of getting the single colour spec which was cheaper than this gorgeous pearl-white bi-tone spec.
Heart over head, I chose the latter. I was in love with these piano-black 18" wheels, that were specific to this spec only. The single colour spec came with a silver multispoke wheel design which I was not a fan of (talk about priorities of a petrol-head ).

The CH-R has a very special place in my life. Not only was it the most stylish car that I had so far, but also that it was the first ride of my little daughter home from the hospital when she was born.
Over the next two years, the CH-R gave us company on several journeys across western Europe.

I was attending an airshow in Belgium the day after the car was delivered. I always knew that the car had massive panel gaps around the headlamp area (overall design language) but having driven 200 kilometers I discovered that the bonnet was unlatched from the time of delivery.
It was a scary to think what would have happened if the bonnet opened at motorway speeds, if I had not noticed it in time. Something I (and the dealer) should not have missed during the delivery).

One of the longest journeys with the CH-R was 2261 kilometers; Brussels - Geneva - Milan - Lake Como - Strasbourg - Brussels. Carrying me, the Mrs. and our 6-month old daughter safely, the CH-R did not miss a single beat during that long road-trip.

[Stratos]

2019 BMW 520i (G30)

Family nickname:"Black Panther"



Loved it for:

- Gorgeous, stately road presence
- Super comfortable even for three adults in the back
- Would eat two large suitcases in the boot (in spite of being a sedan)
- Phenomenal 2.0L, 181bhp engine mated to an 8-speed gearbox was a match made in heaven
- Astounding fuel economy for a car of this size (16kmpl to 20kmpl)

Hated it for:

- Very low seating, never got used to it
- Lack of Apple Carplay or Android Auto
- Low ground clearance
- Tough to find appropriate parking due to its large dimensions

In 2021, I had just changed jobs and my new office was supposed to be 60kms away. It was a perfect time and reason for an 'early' mid-life crisis spend. I wanted to stay clear of Asian cars which had ruled my life since 2015 in Belgium.
My priorities were quite straight forward. A pre-used European car, with a good warranty offer on it.

I started looking around for one of the cars that I absolutely lust for (even today), the Land Rover Ranger Rover Sport.
None of the Land Rover dealers were offering more than 6-months of warranty. Even though my heart was ruling over my head, deep down I knew that if I step into such a small warranty period and something breaks down in the LRRS, I will have to sell some internal organs from my body to get it fixed.
Thus, I stopped looking in that direction.

I was also sure to get a petrol car due to several metropolitan cities in Europe slowly banning diesel cars. Also the fact that, a petrol would keep its value if time arises for me to sell it.

Still keeping an open mind, I saw several cars:

- Range Rover Evoque (tiny, rejected)
- Volvo S60 (only diesel, rejected)
- Toyota RAV 4 (loved the spec but was with a manual transmission, rejected)
- Skoda Kodiaq (DQ200 issues, rejected)
- Mercedes GLK (had scratches all over it + diesel, rejected)
- Mercedes C-Class (rude and uninterested dealer, rejected)

Frustrated, I was randomly checking used cars on a Saturday night and I came across BMWs own Premium Selection used cars.
As I put the filter for gasoline and automatic, there she was, a pristine black 2019 BMW 520i. My excitement started growing. That's not all; BMW was offering a 4-year warranty (instead of the regular 2-year) if the car is booked in that month. Frankly, that gave me a lot of confidence.
I called the dealer the minute they opened and asked for an appointment that afternoon. They happily obliged.

Apart from having driven GTOs F10 530D, I had no other experience with a BMW. So the next day was going to be quite a surprise.
That weekend, we had some snow in Belgium. I recollect reaching the dealer in my wife's Toyota Yaris. My, then, two-year old little girl was having a peaceful nap in her car seat at the back, oblivious to her fathers excitement.
I went alone to check the car since, it was inconvenient to wake her up. The Mrs. stayed back with the little one.

The dealer asked me to wait while he brushed off the snow that covered my future 520i. It felt like he was about to open a wrap on one of the best gifts that I would ever have.
As I went closer to the car, it took me a while to pick up the pieces of my jaw that had fallen on the snowy floor.

The car was spotless and literally appeared brand new. In its recent past life, she had just been driven 22,254 km and was used by a BMW company executive.

The first time I saw my 520i. <3


It was fully loaded with gorgeous 18" multi-spoke wheels (instead of the normal 17"s), electronic curtains for the back windows, ambient lighting, etc

Here is a full list of the spec (sorry, its in Dutch language).


Without hesitation, we agreed to pay the down payment to book the car.
What followed thereon, were some of most restless days and nights of my life. I just wanted her with me, now!

She finally came home on February 19th, 2021.


Absolutely loved the interior.


After getting the 520i, one thing always bugged me in the back of my mind. "A premium car such as this would drink a lot of fuel". I had accepted that my monthly fuel costs would rise considerably.
I was shocked when I saw the fuel economy figures of the car in the first week itself. They were between 16 to 20kmpl. Also, these figures were achievable with normal driving habits.
Being a, "fuel economy freak", at heart, I started taking pictures each time I scored a good FE value on a drive. (last time I was this happy seeing FE figures was with my dad's Renault Logan in India giving 22kmpl. )

City + Highway driving fuel economy.


Now, for the other side of the coin. Speed!

The flawless drivetrain provided quick acceleration and the overall tank-like build quality and stability meant you would not feel a thing when hitting triple digit speeds.
On a trip to Germany, on the autobahn, I clocked 240km/hr (analog speedometer) and the car remained dead stable. The 520i provided immense confidence on long drives, eating miles and miles while keeping my family very safe and very comfortable.

One from our trip to Black Forest in Germany.


During my tenure with the BMW, I did feel that the car has extremely low seating. I never really got used to it, either.

In May 2022, my office decide to offer me a company car. Sadly, we had to let go of our beloved 520i on May 27th, 2022 =(
To this day, I miss her.

The 520i was one of the most amazing cars that I had ever lived with.

[Stratos]

2022 Nissan Qashqai

Family nickname:"Forgot to keep one"



Loved it for:

- Hands down, one of the best consumer cars that I have ever had
- Comfortable, spacious and ergonomic interior
- Very well equipped for a mid-spec (360 degree camera, Heated seats, lumbar support, Wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, etc)
- Enthusiastic 160bhp petrol engine mated to a prompt 6-speed manual transmission
- High ground-clearance

Hated it for:

- Exterior design not up to everybody's taste
- Small boot for a vehicle of this size
- Soft suspension giving a boat-like feeling on corners
- Lack of privacy glass (I love tinted rear windows)

My office mentioned that, initially, I will be provided a Peugeot 308 station wagon (last generation). It made be go a bit ughhh!!! (I am really not a fan of Peugeots, especially the last generation ones, the news ones are probably lovely).
But since this was a temporary pool car, I was fine with it.

A day was decided by the company to delivery my pool car at home. While I was waiting that morning, suddenly a brand new Nissan Qashqai shows up on my drive way. The driver, who had absolutely no idea about anything linked to my company pool cars, handed me the keys.

To begin with, I was super excited and relived that it was not a Peugeot. ( sorry Peugeot lovers)
Then came the fact that this Qashqai was brand new, literally 10 kms on the clock. I checked everything and went for a drive. I was really amazed how well-balanced this car was in-terms of exterior, interior, engine, infotainment system.
This being my very first experience with a Nissan vehicle, I was pleasantly surprised.

The Qashqai would stay with me till the point I was allowed to order a new company cars of my choice, which was for an year up until July 2023.

Mixing two of my biggest passions together, cars and airplanes! The Qashqai accompanied me on several plane-spotting trips.


My first accident in Europe

Yes, sadly it was with the Qashqai (but, if we can even call it an accident).

A bit of background; in several countries in Europe, we have these shark-teeth (or at least we call it that) marked on the road. They are a symbol that you do not have priority if you are about to merge onto another road.
A gentleman (whose intentions we will understand later) driving a Mercedes E-Class (W212) became quite impatient, causing this precise accident. As I arrived at the junction, I saw him waiting behind the shark teeth on his road.

I made a pictorial example of the incident (including real top-views of the cars in question - geek alert!)

In a correct world, he should have waited behind the shark teeth till I finished my turn.


What he did! He drove beyond the shark teeth into the Qashqai before I finished my turn.


The Qashqai shook quite a bit laterally and it honestly scared the living daylights out of me. However, while instantly glancing through the rear view mirror before coming to a halt, I saw the gentleman quickly reverse the car back and stopped again behind the shark teeth.
I came out thinking that the Qashqai must have taken a decent beating (some broken bumper / fender / side-member) considering the way it shook. To my ultimate shock, there was not a scratch.

On the other hand, his front-end looked like this. Multiple damages, albeit minor in different directions and a bent license plate.


I tried to find the scratch on the Qashqai, and it could have only been this scratch on the rim, or maybe not!


Now, the gentleman comes out shouting that it was my mistake. He just wanted to exchange insurance details and move on. Although shaken, I was not convinced that the Qashqai caused that damage.
In the scenario which I described above, I can imagine that the bumper corner of the E-class might have been damaged. But anything beyond the corner, no way! Clearly the direction of my travel could have never hit the E-Class that way.

The gentleman (who was not very gentle by now) kept pushing me to share insurance details and even started filling his own insurance form. I clearly told him that I do not agree and I will be calling the police.
I recollect him telling me, "The police will not come for the next two hours, I do not have time". I stayed put and called the police anyway.
To my surprise, while waiting for the police, he drove off. Again, I knew something just did not feel right!

After the police arrived, I explained them the situation and showed them the pictures.
The lady police asked me to show the damage on the Qashqai.

Probably a very rare moment, when I was embarrassed and happy (smug faced) at the same time.
"There is no damage on your car", the police officer said. "And his car had much more damage and he left the scene?".

They took my details and made me cautious that at times there are scams wherein, people try to recover the damage on their car by "accidently" getting into another accident again!
The man (observe how I removed the gentle part) clearly wanted to get his other frontal damages covered by my insurance company.

Anyway, the police officers appreciated that I waited for them at the scene of accident even when my car had no damage. They took my details and left. Since my contact with them was the FIR, I was safe, if the other person ever went to the police to complain about the incident.

To this day, whenever I pass through this junction, the incident flashes into my mind and I end up asking the same question to myself, "Where is the bloody damage on my car?"
(possibly the tyre absorbed most of it, maybe)

When we had some police company for the Qashqai! (I know, I take pictures everywhere )


The Qashqai left my family in July 2023 after a very satisfying stay of one year. It will remain one of my top choices for, "recommended family cars". Great work Nissan!!!

[Stratos]

2023 Tesla Model Y

Family nickname:"SnowWhite"



Love it for:

- A road-going rocket ship, simply unbeatable on the road in its class
- Gizmo laden with intuitive software which is super smooth and bug-free
- Extremely comfortable, spacious to the core (remember, the Model Y is a 7-seater in North America)
- Filled with every bell and whistle that is offered in its class
- Top class safety (5-star ENCAP rating)
- Has one of the best cellphone apps for complete control
- Regular OTA updates, some quite prominent (Matrix LED Headlamps were recently activated via update)

Hate it for:

- Stiff, jaw shattering suspension (even on the 19" wheels), I hate driving it on even moderately rough roads
- Tesla vision cameras instead of ultrasonic sensors do not built trust, especially while parking
- Camera based rain sensor is an absolute joke, wipes when it shouldn't and does not when it should (supposed OTA update coming soon)
- Internet troll magnet (some true, some false)
- In spite of the heat-pump, range is weak on very cold days (lower than 5-6°C)

When I received the go ahead to choose a company car of my choice (within the allocated budget), the available car list was huge.
However, I felt that it was a chance to experiment and try to get an EV. One monitory reason for this was also the tax. Belgium has started heavily taxing vehicles (especially company cars) with internal combustion engines. Unlike the scenario in past, even hybrids and PHEVs are not spared.
Getting an EV meant that my monthly tax would reduce significantly as well.
Add to that we have a petrol hybrid wagon in the house so it was easier to have a second car as EV.

My thoughts back then weighed on the following advantages to get an EV:

- Tax benefit (easy 100 euro net saving a month v/s an IC vehicle)
- Decent EV variety in my list of choices (Tesla, VAG, BMW, Mercedes, BYD, etc)
- I could experiment without worry (no previous experience with an EV)
- Second car of the house (long range was not priority)

I researched a lot (like we all do before getting a new car) and figured out that my inclination was originally to try and get an i4 with an M-Sport spec.
I simply was not attracted to VAG or Mercedes EVs.

Got a great offer from the BMW dealer through whom I had previously bought my 5-series. However, I changed my mind to get something bigger with high-seating.
Thus, I looked upon getting the Tesla Model Y RWD. Having no experience with an American car (as my own) and having heard horror stories about their quality, I was worried.
But the fact that this is a company car with no liability on me for its quality issues, made me go ahead!

I wanted the all white interior, but I knew that it would be a pain to maintain it, especially with a toddler at home who loves munching snacks in the car.
Thus, I decided to keep that budget to get a tow hook installed from the company (since we have a lot of garden waste that we need to dump each year).

On July 24th, 2023 she came home!


The little and big boss at home performing the obligatory welcoming pooja.
My little one named the Model Y; "SnowWhite".


First things first!
Default aerocovers out, Yikun Uberturbine directional ones in! I absolutely love these!
(Hidden underneath these aerocovers are decent looking alloys as well)


Got the charger installed at home as well.


The glass roof adds to the already roomy feeling inside the car.


There is a car wash mode to ensure sensors are all off during a car wash!


All went super smooth for the next 4-months.


A Shocking (no pun intended) Electrical Breakdown!
On December 13th, while casually trying to unlock the car during lunch time, all electrical systems started collapsing.

In such a case, even the doors (which are electronically locked) wont open from the outside.
(Note: there is a physical backup switch / lever to open the doors, if you are ever stuck inside).


The mechanic who came via the breakdown assistance service was unable to help in the beginning, primarily not knowing where to find the terminals to jump start the car.
Thanks to a YouTube video that I had seen in the past (on how to jump start a Tesla), we both finally succeeded in getting at least the doors to open.

(Procedure = Open the front tow-hook cover > provide small battery charge to the wires inside to open the front trunk (Frunk) > remove the cover around the HVAC filter to find the 12V battery charging terminals to jump start the car)


While all this was going on, I was researching on my phone on what could have caused this.
It was the Power Conversion System (PCS) failure.
Read more about it here: PCS Failure in Teslas

The software had somehow managed to lock all the wheels during this scenario. As a result, the car could not be towed on a normal tow truck.
A flat bed truck with a small crane had to be brought in to lift the entire car. SnowWhite was taken to the nearest service station only the next day.
Being the parking of my office, it was safe to keep the car there. I can only imagine the embarrassing scene the crane-lifting-the-Tesla created in office. I was at home!

That evening, I was dropped to the service station in this tow truck where I was provided a temporary car, whilst SnowWhite would be repaired.
For the very first time in my life, I was not happy to sit in a truck! (which otherwise would excite me )


Being a company car, the entire process was quite hassle free with a, "no-questions-asked", approach. That was a relief.
Tesla contacted me that it would take 14 days to repair the car, however, I was called within 4 days to get the car which had a brand new PCS installed.
They confirmed that early 2022-2023 builds had this issue and I was provided an updated PCS.

And we are back!


How it is going so far:
Frankly, I was a bit disappointed when the PCS incident happened and was worried about overall reliability. However, since the day I got SnowWhite back, I have been enjoying every single drive.
This Model Y is a Shanghai built model with the lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery. Thus, I can charge it regularly all the way upto 100% without any worry.
What surprised me the most is the very good build quality. Nothing inside the car feels cheaply built or put together. Its been 10 months and the car is rattle free.

Driving dynamics:
I feel the Model Y is a, "People-carrier in a racing suit".
It is tall, big and roomy, but behaves like a sports car. The exhilarating acceleration alone (particularly the rolling acceleration), is very addictive. I received 5-speeding fines in the first month. Since, then I behave myself (mostly ).

The heavy steering with a smaller diameter and chunkier cross-section (even on the lightest setting) is extremely precise. The hard suspension ensures negligible body roll in curves even at three-digit speeds.
Due to its large dimensions, it can be tough to park in tights spots (at least in the beginning). Add to that the extremely poor turning radius of 12.1m, which can prohibit you from taking U-turns in places you would least expect.
Cars in its class have better slow speed maneuverability.

Autopilot + Autosteer
Being a company car, my budget did not allow me to get the Enhanced Autopilot which was €3800 extra.
The multiple cameras on the car (Tesla Vision) are constantly monitoring your environment. They show all visible cars in traffic, their side-indicators, brake lights, parked cars, bike riders, cyclists, pedestrians, road signs and road works, etc.

Its good to know how much attentive the car actually is at anytime, however, I am not comfortable giving the car full control with autosteer, as I have trust issues with that.

Having tried before, particularly on slightly busy intersecting roads, the car acts as like a, "scared puppy on a stormy night", constantly braking till and moving at very slow speeds.
It is extremely irritating and you can also expect a few honks and competitive finger symbols from other road users.

I use the autopilot on highways and motorways, but I feel, it was built with the large American freeway in mind and not narrow roads of Europe.
With recent updates, the autopilot has become quite smooth and takes away a lot of stress on long drives.

I love the nice ding it provides each time the signal turns green (just incase your eyes are looking elsewhere, while you are waiting at a red light).

Range and Charging:
The "on-paper" range of this car is 455kms. On a recent trip to the Netherlands and back, I charged it twice for 15-minutes to do a full 550kms. That down-time was actually spent in a cafe or a restaurant where-in the family was taking a break.
The EV charging infrastructure in Western Europe (and particularly in Belgium) is extremely good. Most service stations on the motorways have powerful electric chargers. Tesla superchargers are generally found near cities but are still well placed as well.

The navigation system in Tesla is extremely good to calculate the route via superchargers. It will not only tell you the location en route to charge, but also, how long will you need to be there.
Yes, driving a EV on a long trip requires you to have a proactive charging plan, but I do not have range anxiety any more due to the amount of chargers always available in this part of world.

Also most charging is done while the family is having coffee or meal breaks. The same amount of breaks are taken when we are road-tripping in my wife's IC engined vehicle.

In July, I will be taking the Tesla to RAF Fairford in England. Lets see how that goes!



Final thoughts!
With all the variety of different cars that I have lived with, the Tesla takes the cake and the cherry on top of it too.
I have never had this much fun with any other car in my garage.

Yes, I get trolled for driving an EV from friends ("you are driving a microwave", "I spend two minutes to fill petrol and you spend hours to charge it", "EVs catch fire", etc).
However, my personal observation has been that the trolling is more from people who have never used an EV before.

Don't misunderstand, I still love 'hairy chested' diesels engines (heck, look at my profile display picture on the left). I also agree that the Tesla (and possibly other EVs) is like an electronic gadget.
But as an electronic gadget, it does a damn good job. Speed, comfort, safety, in-car entertainment, the lot!

It has been months that I have not seen the face of a petrol station. The Tesla charges at night while I am asleep, ready to go in the morning. For now, I only do it once or twice a week.
To get an EV or not really depends on your needs.

For me, the Model Y ticks all the boxes and I will be more than happy to replace it with another one if it ever comes to that.

Bottom-line:
All EV opinions, trolling and reviews apart, SnowWhite brings a, 'honest-to-god', 'cheek-filled', 'eye-to-eye', smile on my face literally each time I drive it.
For a genuine automotive enthusiast, that feeling is priceless. What else can I ask for!

Thanks for reading.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[dragracer567]

That's quite the fleet I lived in Ghent, Belgium between 2017-19 where I was doing my Masters, offcourse being a student, my fleet was just a bike that I got from Decathalon.

Quick question, how are the road taxes in Belgium? I assume it's not crazy high as in the Netherlands but with proportionally mediocre roads.

[Stratos]

Originally Posted by dragracer567

Quick question, how are the road taxes in Belgium? I assume it's not crazy high as in the Netherlands but with proportionally mediocre roads.

For a company car, it is all part of the package.
For a lease car, it is included in the monthyl leasing cost (at least used to be with my leasing company).

If I am not mistaken, for my 520i, I paid around €350 per year.

Indeed, like you mentioned, Belgian roads are nothing to write home about.

[RROD]

Loved reading the Tesla Model Y part.
I agree with you on the EV experience.
We own a Comet in BLR, the car due to its size has its quirks but after experiencing the ease and comfort of EV in the city, and not having to visit petrol stations is a huge plus.
Thanks for sharing.

[ampere]

Have always loved the Qashqai. I sincerely dreamed it would make it to India some day! But I guess some dreams remain. I also liked it's Renault Sibling. The Kadjar.

[kevintomin]

I concur to your model Y observation. I have been driving it for the last 2 months. In 2024 Model-Y suspension got updated and it is more forgiving. However, still not as good as Model-3 Highland.