Wales Trip

[dangermooser]

Hi everyone,

Just got back from a 6 day trip into Wales, made the decision to travel a little lighter and ditch the oil burner bus for the somewhat nippier T Sport (90bhp 406 with big boot versus 190bhp Corolla with small boot) and am I glad we did

We had a cracking run down the A55 enjoying the the two tunnels at full chat, after slowing to a crawl to enter them so as not to break any speed limits, we continues down to just the other side of Caenarfon where we stayed over night. Next day it was about an hours run into the Snowdonia National Park where we were to stay for the next 5 days again the car was brilliant on the roads and despatched slower traffic with ease.

Over the next few days I really learnt what the car was about and pretty much enjoyed every minute of it, only the steeper sections showed how little torque the car has compared to my old car. The other thing I noticed is that when the brakes are worked hard there is a metallic rubbing noise from the front (almost sounds like a ticking noise in keeping with the revolutions of the wheels) I thought it was the brakes and had these replaced last month with new discs and pads but it still happens.

All in all a great break made just that little more enjoyable by the Corolla

Below is a little 'holiday snap' of the Corolla having a well deserved rest at the harbour in Caernarfon after a run from Snowdonia.

[Cyker]

The Corolla is a fantastic car for distance and town driving. Great handling but also very comfy :)

Solidly built and feels planted at all speeds. The 1.8 is hilarious (Although a bit thirsty!), and the 2.0 D4D has so much torque and acceleration! (Not so great for town driving tho', the clutch must have come from a truck! )

So much fun throwing it round corner and over hills on country roads :D

I can get from London to Birmingham in my Yaris before my back and ***** start complaining, but I reckon I could go all the way to Scotland in my brother's Corolla

[dangermooser]

As far as fuel is concerned, we averaged just under 35 mpg which I am more than happy with just not happy with nearly £1.40 a litre :ffs:

[mathpac]

Hey man, I'm from around that area . Ffestiniog way, about 30 - 40 mins from Caernarfon , you should of driven from snowdonia down through betws y coed back onto the a55 awsome roads man!! Hence why I get 13mpg out of the compressor everytime I go home for the wknd :D haha

North Wales has some of the nicest roads around , we get top gear and autocar mags and stuff always testing around the place, nice when you hear things like a veyron and a gtr thrashed to the max on the moors ! Plus almost no speed cameras lol :)

[FoxX]

Those tunnels are great fun arent they, I was down there the other week with my mountain bike. I've been meaning to borrow the camera from work and have someone film from the passenger side - noise is excellent! That metallic roar is the sort of thing you sacrifice when you go for a high powered turbo engine, shame.

Too bad about all the road works down by Betys!

I've had that ticking on the front right brake btw after hard braking, i took the pads off and pushed the piston right back into its bore and it seems to have sorted it for the time being. Bit worried the rotor was warped though.

[dangermooser]

The road works did my head in at times, they are dotted around all over the place, will have a look at the piston and see if that solves the problem

It was funny going through the second tunnel as I gave an Astra VXR a little surprise when I hit lift, his face was a picture B)

[msprince]

The Corolla is a fantastic car for distance and town driving. Great handling but also very comfy :)

Solidly built and feels planted at all speeds. The 1.8 is hilarious (Although a bit thirsty!), and the 2.0 D4D has so much torque and acceleration! (Not so great for town driving tho', the clutch must have come from a truck! )

So much fun throwing it round corner and over hills on country roads :D

I can get from London to Birmingham in my Yaris before my back and ***** start complaining, but I reckon I could go all the way to Scotland in my brother's Corolla

Ive done scotland to sussex in my rolla, even with my exhaust i still found it really comfy.

[ae111sr]

I'm glad you enjoyed your foray into "God's Country" ;)

[blutto]

Balla to Dolgellau, fantastic drive

[teamdirtydog]

Me too, did London to phwelli for last week and really enjoyed the drive! Not enough torque so quite noisy along the twisty b roads but good fun!

[etihad]

The road works did my head in at times, they are dotted around all over the place, will have a look at the piston and see if that solves the problem

It was funny going through the second tunnel as I gave an Astra VXR a little surprise when I hit lift, his face was a picture B)

Is a t-sport faster than a Astra VXR?

[dangermooser]

The road works did my head in at times, they are dotted around all over the place, will have a look at the piston and see if that solves the problem

It was funny going through the second tunnel as I gave an Astra VXR a little surprise when I hit lift, his face was a picture B)

Is a t-sport faster than a Astra VXR?

I am not saying its faster but that he was just about to cruise past me as he was travelling faster than me but when I accelerated my speed suddenly increased, he was probably in a much higher gear than me so couldn't react as quickly.

From memory doesn't a VXR have around 250bhp?? so I would say a CTS would be a slower car

[rallyfan1986]

I'm glad you enjoyed your foray into "God's Country" ;)

I thought he said he went to Wales, not Yorkshire ;)

[illgryphon]

Guys this is ace, some colleagues from work and myself are going down to snowdon to climb it monday. I was the only one out of the group who started drooling over moutain road driving lol.

Think were going A55 to Bangor, then down the A5 to Caper Curig, and then on the A4086 to our destination Pen Y Pass on the pass of Llanberis.

[dangermooser]

Think were going A55 to Bangor

Well when you get to the tunnels follow this simple procedure for maximum enjoyment

1. Slow right down.....around 20mph is good

2. select second gear

3. wind down your windows

4. slam down the loud pedal

5. .......................and enjoy

[FoxX]

The road works did my head in at times, they are dotted around all over the place, will have a look at the piston and see if that solves the problem

It was funny going through the second tunnel as I gave an Astra VXR a little surprise when I hit lift, his face was a picture B)

I like this

He probably thought -"what the hell is that noise" - followed by - "ahh my ears!!". But yes we have absolutely no hope against those, its all down to you rotrex supercharged and 2zz turbo project guys i'm afraid.

[mathpac]

Astra vxr's are fun for a challenge, type-r's get boring now. Some guy on the m62 a few weeks back in an Audi s5 was shocked to see a Toyota pass him :D always a pleasure lol

Can't say how great it is to see the roads I know like the back of my hands get recognition here! Awsome!!

[eddieinvader]

Took mine to Devon last year and it performed flawlessly so good in fact i'm off down there again in a months time

[madvinegar]

Any more pics???

[BRIDGES]

Ahh my home country :). Bit leaving people like you in, I'm shocked :P

If you want roads vist the black mountains or Brecon too

[dangermooser]

Sorry Madvinegar no more pics of the car, rest of them of the family and I doubt you would want to sit through them. Will be putting some more photos up in due course as there a few more subtle changes in the pipeline for the car.

Bridges...I have been round them there those roads in the past and are cracking fun, however wish list roads are touring round the Alps and the like but will have to see how the finances go