When you’re giving way to oncoming traffic, there is an unwritten rule that is polite for all drivers and that is the thank you ‘wave.’

I was giving way to a loooong line of traffic at rush hour thisy morning – this is how nice I am – or how little of a hurry I’m in to get to work. The people behind me weren’t so sure but the feeling any we get for doing a good deed is quite pleasurable, and if someone doesn’t say thank you it makes you feel quite bitter (well it does me) – I will always wave ‘thank you’ to traffic letting me pass.

When letting this long queue go past of approximately 10 cars, all but but two said thank you, and in all different ways. Some flashed their headlights – so frustrating to be blinded though, some even gave me an entire palm of wave, some lifted a finger or two off the steering wheel, some bared all 4 fingers and some even nodded, but given all those little ways of saying thank you, you realise that no one was taught this during their driving lessons, this little habit has just caught on.

This isn’t something I’ve observed driving on the continent. Certainly not while pulling of a do-it-yourself international removal last month from France to England. If anything I’ve rarely been so angered by both traffic and lack of common courtesy. Given I was driving a giant of a Citroen van I could’ve quite easily thrown my weight around on the road.

Is this unwritten but widely observed driving practice just a sign of our general, good English manners?

The two moody cars this morning that refrained from saying thank you were,  shockingly both Hondas. One a new CR-V. Obviously enjoying the extra amount of condescending allowed by the driving position or had recently read my less-than-positive comments about their looks. I’ve seen increasing amounts of the new Honda CRV in Kent lately. Still not too keen on them and this morning’s experience has just added to that.

There’s something about Alfa Romeos that inspire a strange sense of pride in their owners. While the Italian manufacturer was once a bit of a marmite-like quality amongst dealers it’s really climbing in terms of popularity and car sales lately. Especially with the likes of the new MiTo taking it to a previously un-tapped market.

It’s a shame then, for us owners of Alfas, to find that two of the company’s models feature in Glass’s list of cars retaining the least of their original list value after 3 years. Top offender on the list was the executive contender that never really was, the doomed 166. Sadly, despite this vehicles many qualities it never really sold and dropped off forecorts in 2007. Which goes some way toward explaining why it’s top of the list, retaining just 14.4% of its original value. Given that this one used to go for around £30k… ouch.

For Just 15% of Original Price?

More concerning, on a personal level, is the news that the 156 is also on the list. Retaining just 24.2% of its original value. Just as well I wasn’t planning on selling mine any time soon then.

Oh well I guess if you’re looking for an Alfa Romeo Medway drivers, well any drivers, would be better of heading for a used example instead and saving a potential 70% after just 3 years of a cars life. At least the looks of the cars remain even when the value doesn’t.

I’m starting to wonder how automotive companies perceive the UK and our car-buying market. I was reading up on the dreaded “h word” and the various models now available to us. While there are more and more hybrids sneaking on to the market over here they all have a certain look about them.

So my digging landed me on a list that came from the States, the best Top 10 Fuel Efficient SUVs and Crossovers for this year. It was topped by a car I’d never heard of – the new Mazda Tribute Hybrid. Apparently the new Tribute hybrid has the best mileage of the lot from this year’s crop of SUVs. Great, except that it’s not a car that Mazda think we’d want in the UK.

Why? We’re already quite into the hybrid thing, more and more manufacturers are throwing SUVs at us and MPVs have replaced the term “people carriers” as Toyota’s Previa and Renault’s Espace near elder-statesman like status in the market. So why don’t we get the Tribute?

Yeah, we’ve got a lot of congestion zone, higher tax things for owners of gas guzzlers but it doesn’t deter people. Isn’t the Range Rover a British car?! Not only that but this is a hybrid and shouldn’t fall prey to such regulations.

It can’t be the look of the thing, compared to a Prius I’d welcome being stuck behind the new Mazda Tribute on Kent motorways. Plus, it’s based on the Ford Maverick which went down pretty well here. It’s not exactly “wow” but it’s pretty rugged and tough looking, especially when compared to the usual crop of hybrids.

Same story as the Mustang I guess – any mass-production car over 2.5 litres is considered too big for us.

Whilst catching up on my weekend’s email and news I came across a review for the Mazda CX-9. As I was sat there reading it I couldn’t help thinking that I hadn’t seen much of this Mazda in Kent. Or anywhere before for that matter. There’s a reason for it too.

For some reason, despite the market that’s patently juicy for the likes of VW, Ford and even Porsche with their Cayenne, Mazda doesn’t let us have the CX-9 in the UK. Or Europe. Buy why??

I really can’t undestand this. While I’m all in favour of more eco-friendly cars and consider such large vehicles as a display of money over taste, it strikes me as odd for a company that needs usually finds as many ways as possible to turn a penny not to market a car in the UK. Especially given how positive reviews of this car have been.

The standard car delivers about 273hp from a 3.7 litre V6 for just $30,000 – still less than £19k though it’s unlikely they’d price it so equally. All that power comes along with aircon, powered everything and keyless entry and the option for All-Wheel-Drive. Not only that but it looks pretty damned good too.

Given the prices it’s available at it, the fact that there is a market, Mazda seem to be in a hole finance wise and it’s got a lot of things going for it, why can’t we Brits stroll down to our nearest Mazda dealer and drop a deposit?

If somebody can actually tell me why we don’t get it, I’d love to kow.

Heading home last night I got followed all the down the motorway through Kent by a Honda. At the time I didn’t know what it was. It didn’t overtake me or get too close but it sat on my tail all the way and left at the same junction. Up until this point I was thinking that it looked pretty good, as SUVs go.

Not being all that aware of Honda’s new cars as I am with other brands, I hadn’t registered seeing it before. Then I saw the rest of it as I joined a different lane on the exit. It was CR-V, Honda’s “SUV with a difference.” Granted, it’s not the worst looking thing on the road and isn’t without charm, I was, frankly, dissapointed. From the front I think this car looks great. Side on: not so much.

It got me thinking, it can’t be the only car to suffer from that sympton. There’s the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet, looking at it front-quarter on it’s a good looking car but any other angle and it’s as attractive as an early Proton in my eyes.

The Mercedes SLK also falls in to this catergory for me. From the front it looks capable of being a real power-house but side on it looks a but mis-proportioned and stunted. As powerful as a chocolate wafer bar. It could be worse, the Fiat Multipa looks like dog’s dinner all they way round.

They can’t be the only 3, what other cars fall into this catergory?

Mazda’s chirpy little MX5, the world’s best selling open-top roadster, is now twenty years. Plenty of reason for that cheeky grin the 2009 model sports.

It’s easy to see why the MX5 has done so well. It appeals to a wide audience (though I’m not a member of that audience), is cheaper than a lot of competitors and it looks pretty good too. In fact, its looks are considered so good that Mazda have given it only 3 adjustments in its two decades of production. Pretty rare in car terms.

But did you know that there’s a special connection between this Mazda and Sussex, England? The small coastal town of Worthing, in fact. This was news to me. Having been through the town many times I would never thought of it as a leading design centre for the automotive industry, especially for a Japanese manufacturer.

Well, the MX5 was designed to compete with those quintessentially British sports cars the MGB, Triumph’s glorious Spitfire and the Lotus Elan. The idea was sprung between a American journalist and engineer Bob Hall and Kenichi Yamamoto.

International Automotive Design in Worthing were commissioned to develop a running prototype based on an idea from Mazda’s California team for a rear-wheel-drive lightweight sports car to give the Japanese firm their own Elan-type car. They named the prototype V705, used a glassfibre body, a 323’s engine and other Mazda components and the car was completed and sent to the states in 1985. There it was driven around Santa Barbara to see what the public reaction was .

Approval for the MX5 was granted in January of ‘86 and production plans sprung into action, it was given its name in early ‘89 ahead of its Chicago Motor Show launch which, clearly, went down a storm. After all, it’s shifted 857,200 units. Though I still don’t know anyone that owns one of these Mazdas in Sussex or anywhere else.

It never fails to amaze me what they’ll declare it National Day of or National Week of. There’s been some real stupid ones and some that may have had their heart in the right place but not so well-thought out.

Next week is, for some reason, National Oil Check Week. Having spent many years with cars that leak or drink oil like it’s going out of fashion, I’ve become familiar at many car-accessorie places across Kent. Other Alfa Romeo drivers, apparantly would be wise to do the same. A survey by Comma found out that 26.2% of Alfa drivers across the country didn’t know how to check their oil.

3,800 motorists were surveyed and it was revealed that a whopping 71.4% of SEAT owners failing to check their oil regularly with Jaguar and VW drivers not very far behind. Seriously? If you’ve spent that much money on a car you’d think you’d be careful with such things, given their vitality.

Is it a case that the level of technology in cars now means people don’t think they have to keep an eye on what is the life-blood of their engine?

Thankfully, I feel a little bit of pride in knowing that Alfa Romeo scored the highest in monthly checks, for that stat of those not checking means that 74% do check their oil at the montly intervals.

These stats to make it clear that awareness of the importance of oil checks needs to be raised. There’s even going to be a roadshow visting Edinburgh, Bristol and Bluewater shopping centre in Kent. Alfa drivers may not need the free oil check and top up but, going by the stats, I’d advise those SEAT drivers to get down there. That’s if your engine hasn’t seized through your neglect.

My Dad used to tell me “check your dipstick, don’ be one.” Do you regularly check your oil levels??

It was all looking so good for the double chrevrons lately. The new DS line is stying up nicely, the Picasso Spacebox thing looks like an awesomely angular beast and they’ve now designed a supercar too. Then I got an invitiation to head to Uckfield to see the Citroen Nemo Multispace.

Knowing that they’re doing quite well with MPVs lately I was both surprised they needed another one and curious as to the name and looks. I wasn’t expecting a clown fish but then again I was expecting something better looking than what I saw. It’s another one of their MPVs based on the van of the same name – they did it with the Berlingo – and looks like the Fiat Qubo too. It also looks a little less than tasty.

With so many people-carriers and mpvs out there now, I would like to think that if they really want this market they’d come up with something with a bit more flair. They’re obviously capable, have been since back in the days of the original DS, so why, in such a saturated market – give us something looks exactly what it is – a van with extra seats and windows.

Yes, there’s practicality but does it need to come at the sacrifice of style? If you need the space you’d get a van, right, if you’re after the extra seating side you’d get the Picasso Spacebox or something else that looked good too.

Would you want this parked on the drive? To be honest I’d park it round the block. Hopefully it’s a stop-gap effort and the last gasp before the newer flashy styling kicks in full swing. I just see it as bland and almost, well – I hate t0 say it, lazy.

The last few  I’ve seen and test-driven (having owned one a few years ago you get the invites) have been very nice and inspiring. I didn’t even want to take this Citroen round Sussex, no matter how nice a day it was. No offence meant guys but sharpen it up – literally.

My commute to work and back each day takes me along one of the busies motorways in the region and I get to see a lot of new cars pacing up and down the M20. One of things I’ve noticed is that there’s an increasing number of Kias in Kent, on roads and car parks and nestling in driveways.

Swap for a Porsche?

This once obscure and ignored manufacturer seems to be taking off lately and it’s looking like they’re only getting stronger. According to that lexicon of high-quality journalism The Sun, the popularity of the Kia Picanto is down to the scrappage scheme with owners of high-end vehicles scrapping their motors in favour of the under-£7k runner.

Reports that Kia dealers have taken hold of Porsches, 5 Jags, 53 Mercs and 30 BMWs since last month’s kick off of the scrappage scheme are quite surprising. Although, with the rising fuel prices, not too far fetched. 74% of the orders Kia get via the scrappage scheme are for the Picanto which ends up costing a little over £4k with the scrappage scheme.

Apparently, one dealer in Surrey had a customer try and get her 1967 Singer Vogue scrapped to get her hands on a Picanto. Thankfully even car dealers have a heart and the classic found a new owner rather than the crusher.

I’m pleasently surprised by the turnaround in business that the scrappage scheme has given the auto industry. With any luck it will help it survive through the recession. I am extremely surprised though that people are getting rid of such high-end cars in favour of a Kia.

To be honest, if I had such a flash car in my possession I would consider either selling it or simply cutting down on using it untill the fuel bills stopped escalating. Though, with over 50 mpg and just £35 for road tax… it’s certainly an attractive option.

Would you consider trading in a high-end car for the Kia Picanto under the scrappage scheme?

It’s a sad thing that there’s so many stories in the press about companies biting the bullet and going into adminstration and bankruptcy proceedings. Earlier in the financial turmoil it was the banks and financial houses and now it’s the automakers.

One of the things that infuriates me is how much the people that get bought in to clear things up make. All the consultants that arrive on six-figure salaries making absolute fortunes when there’s no money to pay the staff that have had to go looking for extra work.

Take the latest – GM. Their last six months of restructuring and the selling off bad assets during bankruptcy is actually going to cast them BILLIONS. Since last year, consultany firms AlixPartners and Evercore  Group LLC have been paid $68.2 million.

The new chief restructuring officer is actually paid $835, AN HOUR!  Anyone want to do some simple maths? Let’s say he works an 8 hour a day (a tidy $6680) each week ($33,400) for a year and you’re looking at a salary of $1,736,800. In a company that’s filing for bankruptcy. Anyone want to take a guess as to where they can cut some of their money problems?? Maybe some overpaid executives?

What happened to the days of Lee Iacocca who famously drew a salary of just $1 when trying to save Chyrsler. Which he succeeded in probably thanks to the universal approach to sacrifice in the company, cutting those bloated high-end salary.

Seriously, I know there’s plenty of Vauxhall dealers in Kent and across the UK and Europe who would relish that guys weekly salary for a year right now if it meant that GM and, therefore, their dealership had a future.

Is there no common sense left anywhere? It’s like paying a mechanic to furnish his garage in the very latest and most expensive tools and equipment before he even takes a wheel off your car. I sure as hell wouldn’t let that guy service my car.