Vectra SRi 1.9CDTi

Advantages: Great drive
Disadvantages: Economy suffers when driven hard.

...I had a couple of these as hire cars, covering about 15000 miles over 6 months. They were pre-facelift models (04 and 54 reg). If I was in the market to buy a car in this class. this would be a sure contender. The SRi badge is probably pushing things a little. I always associated SRi's with BIG engines, and certainly not diesels! However, while the diesel (150ps) does a good job, I have to say the handling is the thing that justifies that Sri badge. The car feels really safe cornering and in general driving situations. While the Vectra has yet to reach the NCAP safety ratings of 5* acheived by manufacturers such as Renault, I would suggest that improved handling offered by a Vectra over a competetive model would actually reduce your need for this higher rating. I always felt that I could fully trust the brakes on the Sri, which I...

cpennington 28.01.2006 · Read review
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Review of Vauxhall Vectra SRi 1.9CDTi

Beruwela (Sri Lanka)

Advantages: Very Hot, Lovely Beach
Disadvantages: Touts, Poverty, Mosquitos

...We have recently come back from Beruwela (Sri Lanka). We flew from Heathrow on Sri Lankan Air Lines. The flight it self was nearly 10 hours but made as comftable as possible. On each seat was TV screen, the various channels included 3 film channels, comedy channel and also a channel where you could map out the journey. The meal service was first class. Food was Sri Lankan food and you had a choice of meals so suitable for any taste. Compimentry drinks included. Downside when arriving at the airport lookout for the porters wearing orange BIBS, if they help with baggage they expect english money. My experience included one porter taking to meeting point and another trying to take bags to bus pick up point and another trying to load on the bus. The air conditioned minibus journey to Beruwela took approx 4 hours. The driver was...

marie130569 18.06.2006 · Read review
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Review of Beruwela (Sri Lanka)

Galle - Sri Lanka

Advantages: valued experiences
Disadvantages: No

...I am going to explain my experience in Galle. I went on a trip to Galle with my friends. We took "Ruhunu Kumari" train. It was operated through the coastal area. Scenery was so beautiful and we enjoyed very much.The beaches are very beautiful. There were few tourists in the train. You have to realize how beautiful Galle is. You can see fishermen sitting on sticks fishing in the see along the south coast. It is a strange technique of fishing. Nobody knows how this technique originated from. It works as the stilts are attractive sceneries. You can catch a glimpse of the famouse stilt fishermen in the down south. You are lucky as such a sight is nowhere to be found in Sri Lanka. Stilt fishing is famous as a generational occupation among the fishermen with the child taking after father. They make their own stilts on the reef...

Viro 11.10.2008 (15.11.2008) · Read review
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Review of Galle (Sri Lanka)

The Longshaw Estate, Derbyshire

Advantages: Peaceful, tranquil, Free
Disadvantages: Steep Paths that get messy during bad weather

...The Peak District National Park is in my opinion one of the most picturesque places in the whole of England. Ok, I may be a little bit bias since it happens to be on my doorstep but there are so many different places to visit that you could go there every weekend of your life and never go to the same place twice. The Longshaw Estate is the sort of place that is perfect for the Peak District novice since it is very easily accesible yet it has all of the same beautiful scenery on offer as the more remote parts of the Park. Longshaw Lodge, built in 1827 is the central focal point of the vast Longshaw Estate that originally covered an area of 11,533 acres of land in the Peak District National Park in Derbyshire. It is located just ten miles to the South West of Sheffield and lies very close to the South Yorkshire border...

micksheff 15.03.2007 · Read review
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Review of National Trust Logshaw Estate, Derbyshire

Amazing family estate car

Advantages: cheap to tax, insure & fuel, comfy, loads of boot space
Disadvantages: annoying indicators, nowhere to put my spare coins

...(100) and it is a 5 door estate in a dark metallic grey/blue which Vauxhall call 'Metro Blue' We had a lot of criteria to fill, so here are some figures to start with which helped swing the decision for us: The CO2 emissions are about 135g/km, making the road tax £120 per year. It is a group 6 insurance, making the insurance costs nice and low. It has a 5 star NCAP rating (which is fairly standard nowadays, but nice to know anyway) The tyres on our club model are 205 55 R 16 so for a budget tyre expect to pay around £50 each, for a medium to high range tyre between £65 and £70 is average, my personal fave a Yokohama S306 is about £63 each fitted, so in my books reasonably cheap. The published combined fuel consumption is about 56MPG and in my experience so far,I would say that is about right. Looks - The Astra comes in...

bneleh 27.11.2009 · Read review
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Review of Vauxhall Astra Estate 1.7 CDTi

Sri Lankan Airlines scammed us

Advantages: OK food I guess
Disadvantages: I never would have paid for the flights they stuck us with.

...We booked tickets from London to Colombo and Singapore a couple months before our holiday and choose Sri Lankan because they were slightly cheaper than others. A month before the holiday they cancelled one of the flights and rescheduled the remaining flights without giving us any option for a refund. The flights we were left with were horrible (9 hour layover and a long haul flight leaving at 4am) and we were forced to take extra time off work as the new flights arrived on Monday morning. We would NEVER have agreed to the flights that were forced on us and definitely wish we had paid a bit more to fly with an airline that doesn?t screw their customers. When we complained (Ref:E/051108/26414/TP) we were told this was within their terms and conditions....

scmor 18.02.2009 · Read review
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Review of Sri Lankan Airlines

Estate of art

Advantages: Practical, stylish, good quality and it has that badge
Disadvantages: The dire service

...I am going to be frank. I am not old enough quite old enough to drive. Despite this I love cars from the Alfa to the Volvo. For years I have had a huge - and often disturbing - amount of car knowledge. I know many things apart from being able to drive. Which is why when my Dad has to change hsi car every few years he is harassed by me so I can get him the best possible car. In 1999 my Dad was in-line for a new car and yours truely was the first to get involved. Now my Dad doesn't really like cars but he bares with it. Being part of a company my Dad was to get a company car and so we got a list of cars we could have. As his job involved ferrying things around the country he needed a big car - prefrably an estate. Soon I was delving into the brochures, trying to find the best car for my Dads needs. The list consisted...

Solex 03.11.2001 · Read review
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Review of Volkswagen Passat Estate 1.6

Nuwara Eliya - Sri Lanka

Advantages: Breathtaking scenary
Disadvantages: Cold

...Nuwara Eliya is the best place for the people who are lookinf for a releif for their minds messed because of the maddening noises of traffic and heat. The salubrious climate and brethtaking landscape create a soothing and peaceful heaven for us. There are so many majestic waterfalls. Journey was quite exciting. The scenary was enchanting. There were lush and green plantations among the mountains. People have grown Carrots and leeks. In the colonial period Nuwara Eliya was called "Little Enngland". It was the home for planters. Ifeel it is an ideal holiday resort with so many places of varied interest. Lake Gregory was a pleasing sight. Boat ride was a thrilling experience Haggala garden was few miles away. It has a natural setting with many plants and trees. Not only Sri lankan but also foreign species. All...

Viro 17.10.2008 (18.10.2008) · Read review
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Review of Nuwara Eliya (Sri Lanka)

My trusty Focus estate.

Advantages: Frugal, spacious, built well, handles brilliantly, looks pretty good...
Disadvantages: Not the quietest of diesels.

...Last month I got myself another car. I wanted something economic as I do a hell of a lot of mileage so I wanted a diesel. In the end I got the car I'm writing this review on: A 1999 (V) Ford Focus 1.8TDdi [AC] LX Estate. It cost me £1,600. Got 104K miles (106K now) and had had a full service history til 79K, with a cambelt change at the last service. And to be so blunt, I'm chuffed to bits with it. Anyway, so lets get down to business. - The engine. On the Focus timeline there are two types of diesel engine. The TDdi and the TDci. The latter came along later to be the diesel engine now used in new Fords, it's more powerful, slightly more economic and basically a more refined engine. Well, I couldn't afford that, so I've got the old engine instead. And when I say old, I mean it's old, you find it as far back as the Mk3 Fiestas, although...

Ant309 27.04.2009 · Read review
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Review of Ford Focus Estate 1.8 TDCi Duratorq

Down South Attraction - Sri Lanka

Advantages: Breathtaking sceneries
Disadvantages: No

...of the entire temple and they are depicting various JATHAKA STORIES. The Buddha statue conveys to us the incredible talents of the early sculpture. *************************** Then we reached to Dickwella. In Dikwella 20 km away from Matara there you can find the Sri Lanka's largest Buddha statue at the "WEVURUKANNALA Temple" along Dickwella - Beliatta road. This temple is dominated by an image of a seated Buddha. This Sri Lanka's statue is 150ft high. There are three separate parts at the Wevurukannala Viharaya (Temple). First part is almost 250 years old. Next part is of great significance. Punishments are depicted if you do not follow the path to enlightenment. Other significant part is the Seated Buddha that is as high as an eight storey building. We could climb that building and reached the back of the statue head. There was...

Viro 12.10.2008 (25.11.2008) · Read review
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Review of General: Sri Lanka