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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to have a 1.0 engine car?

32 replies

carou · 30/04/2018 20:59

I commute four times a week over some country roads - I've been doing it for about 2 years now.

On this route there are some very - think 12 - 14% gradient - steep hills. Today on my way home, a Mini driver was behind me for a good 20 miles.

On flat/straight bits of road I'm fine at 60-65mph (and so is my little car), but on the hills my car really struggles - even if I drop to a low gear and properly rev it, which can't be good for my engine to do all the time, I struggle to get above 35-40mph.

Obviously this isn't ideal on a national speed limit road, but I'm literally unable to go any faster, and on some bits of the route I will pull in if there's a few cars behind me and I know I'll hold them up, but some places there isn't the opportunity - it's very rural and there aren't many places to pull up.

The Mini driver behind me dropped really far back on flat or straight bits, suggesting he didn't really have an issue with my speed (which was at the speed limit, so tough shit if he did), but every time we got to a hill he'd be aggressively up my arse, and at one point he flashed his full beams at me - only to drop all the way back when we got to the top!

My car isn't best suited for my commute, but it's all I can afford at the moment - knowing I'd have a lot of commuting, I opted to hire purchase something that was almost-new so I'd feel safe with all the driving, and a bigger engine was out of my price range. It's fine on the motorway and goes comfortably at 75, but the motorway version of my commute is 30 miles longer which, over a week, adds up a lot on my mileage, so I prefer the other way.

AIBU not to have a car that can handle the steep hills, or was the other driver just being a dick? I'm still a relatively new driver and sometimes worry if there's bits of driving etiquette I don't know yet (hence pulling over before big hills if I can - I don't want to hold anyone up!).

OP posts:
NotUmbongoUnchained · 30/04/2018 21:01

He was being a dick, but he may also have a car that needs a certain amount of speed to actually get up the hill.

nocake · 30/04/2018 21:01

The other driver was being a dick.

But, it's nice to have a car that can get you up the hills.

Original poster
carou · 30/04/2018 21:04

I didn't think about that, NotUmbongo - good point. Not sure how to fix that, other than just going the motorway route instead! I don't want to be a bad driver, or hold people up (I'm no fan of 30mph crawlers on straight safe stretches of national speed limit road) but equally, until I can get a new car it's my only option... unless I steal my OH's for the commute, but it's diesel and costs a fortune to run!

OP posts:
ScreenQueen · 30/04/2018 21:07

Yanbu but you will get stressed every time this happens...and will happen a fair bit. My first was a 998cc (so just less than a 1.0l Grin). I was only ever stopped once by the cops for speed issues...because I was going too slowly (was absolutely flooring it!). I'd get a bigger engine when you can. Even a 1.3 on a small car will seem like a different beast.

The other driver was an arse btw. I am always super patient with "hill-strugglers" because of my dark pastWink

topcat2014 · 30/04/2018 21:08

How old is this car - what is it?

I used to bomb around on A roads in a 1 litre Corsa a few years back.

Cars can rev to the red line, you know.

My current car is 0.9, but turbo (as most small engine cars are now) and you can rev it.

cantkeepawayforever · 30/04/2018 21:11

What car do you have? I drive a 1.0 Hyundai i10, and the only time it failed to raise a decent speed up a hill was when it contained a family of 4 (2 teens) and all their luggage, joining a motorway up quite a steep sliproad...the merge was interesting...

All the rest of the time, as long as I use gears well, it's absolutely fine.

cantkeepawayforever · 30/04/2018 21:12

I suspect that you are not dropping gear early enough to carry decemnt momentum up the hill, and trying to keep the revs too low. My car accelerates REALLY badly in higher gears at around 30 mph, but drop it down a gear or two in a timely manner and it flies.

CocoaGin · 30/04/2018 21:19

Sadly tailgaters are a daily issue. I'd love a massive indestructible bumper so I could slam on my brakes, but usually go for pulling over instead. I've got a Mini Cooper S and have found that it's far worse in a sporty car as people seem to expect you to be breaking the speed limit and are even more aggressive if you're sticking to it Hmm.

I think as long as you are aware of your cars limitations, you are fine. You could always pop your hazards on to warn people that your car is struggling a bit.

topcat2014 · 30/04/2018 21:27

@cantkeepawayforever - not the M4 by Swindon by any chance?

Seeingadistance · 30/04/2018 21:27

If you know you're going to be going slowly up hills, then why are you driving to the speed limit on flat straight bits, instead of giving the person behind you a chance to overtake?

cantkeepawayforever · 30/04/2018 21:33

topcat, no, somewhere Scottish. And hilly. And, luckily, with not-too-busy motorways...

MereDintofPandiculation · 30/04/2018 21:38

You could always pop your hazards on to warn people that your car is struggling a bit. I don't think you're allowed to use hazards when moving.

Original poster
carou · 30/04/2018 21:39

Funny you should say that, @cantkeepawayforever - mine's a Hyundai i10 too! So it sounds like you're right. I do worry about making it rev loads because my OH always says not to but I guess its necessary in this scenario! I'll give that a go on Wednesday and see if that helps.

@Seeingadistance This route has tons of crawler lane hills, and loads of dual carriageway, so normally anyone who wants to overtake has plenty of opportunity - and to be fair, often people do, which is fine! Today was just an anomaly as the driver behind me seemed really pissed off - even though he had plenty of chances to overtake me on the dual carriageway bits/straights in between the hills, he dropped back quite a way like he was happy to pootle along until it came to hill time. Plus, I don't want to be crawling along all the time on the off chance someone wants to go up a hill 10 miles away slowly - although like I said, is that expected driver etiquette I'm missing?

@topcat2014 - I've always been a bit fearful of revving my car that much as my OH says it's bad for it (and it's bloody loud in my car!) but it's only 3 years old so I'm sure it could handle it. Bit of revving and lower gears earlier I think, see if that helps!

OP posts:
dangermouseisace · 30/04/2018 21:40

Mini driver is a tosser. They could have overtaken. If you’d been driving a lorry you’d have a bigger engine, but still be slow up hills AND been more difficult to pass. You have just as much right to be on the road as anyone else. I personally would have been making ‘wanker’ signs in my rear view mirror, and putting on my hazards when they got too close.

Like you, if I’d had a queue I’d pull over, but one tosser...nope.

cantkeepawayforever · 30/04/2018 21:41

I never 'rev' it particularly hard (I'm something of an 'old lady' driver, truth be told) - but I change gears a LOT, and rather earlier (on hills) than the helpful gear indicator tells me to.

topcat2014 · 30/04/2018 21:42

A three year old car will rev to 5000 all day!

I thought we were talking about a metro :)

cantkeepawayforever · 30/04/2018 21:43

That said, I do slow down fairly markedly for aggressive tailgaters. If they drop back, I return to my normal speed.

MrsTerryPratchett · 30/04/2018 21:43

the motorway version of my commute is 30 miles longer which, over a week, adds up a lot on my mileage, so I prefer the other way.

Consistent speed on a motorway is likely to be cheaper, though. Have you worked out the respective costs?

lampygirl · 30/04/2018 21:48

Petrols rev more than diesels if that is was your OH is used to driving. You would possibly have been better off not HPing something small and underpoweeed and buying a few year old better car though. I guarantee my 2014 merc will be just as safe as a new i10 and probably around the same cost for 200+ bhp, and there is definitely a middle ground between the two, say a 1.6 focus/golf etc you could pick up for sub £10k so not sure I understand getting a nearly new small underpoweeed car to make you feel safe, it would have quite the opposite effect on me.

Barbaro · 30/04/2018 21:49

A newish car no matter the engine size shouldn't be struggling up a hill. Sorry you're just driving wrong, but you don't have the experience either so understandable. Just change gear when you start slowing down. Don't have to rev it, just change down a gear, even two gears if you need it.

Original poster
carou · 30/04/2018 21:58

@topcat2014 Haha no, not quite that much of an old lady car! Think that's the key then really - that and using my gears better like @cantkeep and @Barbaro said!

@lampygirl - it wasn't the size that I went for, just that it was newer (still under warranty etc) and cheap to run (new driver insurance) with good mpg, insurance on that for my first year was £1300 alone and that was after adding my OH as a named driver. It's better now a few years later, so maybe I'll have to think about upgrading!

@MrsTerryPratchett (great username!) I haven't actually - other than looking at my petrol gauge I wouldn't know how, are there calculators online you can use to work it out? That might not be a bad shout. I'm planning (or was!) to just run this into the ground, so lots of mileage isn't necessarily an issue, it was more petrol costs, but I didn't even think about motorway being more efficient...!

OP posts:
QuitMoaning · 30/04/2018 22:06

A larger engine may actually be better on fuel for these hilly journeys. A small engine has to work harder so might use more fuel. I know there is a sweet spot with that but it depends on your individual journey.

WitchPlease · 30/04/2018 22:11

My 4 year old sub 1 litre car hates hills , i actually had clutch burn out on a v steep hill when a 4x4 coming downhill was taking up almost all my side of the road and I veered into a ditch. The helpful AA guy said it’s fine to rev a small car like mad in a low gear to get it up the hill. He even said try going up really steep hills in first gear ! I tend to give it some welly in second gear and keep the pedal to the metal until I’ve reached the top (before the next hill) ! They aren’t my favourite types of roads (hilly B roads) !

Original poster
carou · 30/04/2018 22:14

That's helpful to know @WitchPlease - I've been worried because it's so bloody noisy when I rev that hard but at the risk of getting rear-ended by an angry Mini driver I think that's the way forward haha!

OP posts:
CaptainCabinets · 30/04/2018 22:16

My 1.0 and I have happily done a 600 mile round trip together this weekend! Only used 3/4 of a tank of petrol on the return trip!