Another tick for the checklist

MoT & annual service again today - shiny car is still shiny.

For non-Brits, the MoT is an annual test all cars over here that are more than 3 years old have to pass to say they're ok to go on the roads. I thought I'd get whinged at this time around for brakes, as that was something noted on the last test.

What was the damage ? Nothing "needed" fixing. Well, nothing except the tyres which were changed a couple of weeks ago. They were still legal, just. Let's say it was more fun driving on the Fluffy Stuff end of last year than at the start of last year.

Advisories on :
Brake pads at the back (80% worn)
Brake discs at the back (same width as last year)
Exhaust heat shield (my first proper car actually ran better without the heatshield)
Coolant a bit low

Translation - nothing to worry about right now. The brakes is the same advisory as last year and with the low mileage I do, they will last. Exhaust heat shield explains some rattlies from a couple of weeks ago (think this was actually something different). Same again, not bothered.

So - another tick in the box. The only one left now is the letter that says the finance has finished paying off on the Focus. I don't actually need to wait for this but extra time means a bit more chance for the "There's Something Better Coming" feeling to be satisfied.

Hmm - that would be the same feeling that's had me holding off on upgrading the main PC, although with the PC I know there's something better coming soon. (It's called V68 Sandy Bridge chipset)

It's a lovely sunny day today so I thought I'd indulge myself in a wander around the centre of Bristol. Lots of good outfits on show. Lots of not so good outfits. Lots of good outfits worn really, really badly. Oh and a wardrobe malfunction by someone who intended to run across the road but she ended up going bouncy-bouncy instead.

Didn't buy anything, although I did stop off at ToyotaWorld Bristol South on the way back (yeah right - it's in the opposite direction). Prius T Spirit is definitely something that belongs in a scifi movie in the near future. Things like the dashboard computer which will require a few evenings learning the manual. There's even a head up display which I think could work nicely.

The dash in general wasn't nearly as plush as the Lexus though. It'll be a tough choice there :

Lexus - definitely fits the "luxury" bill. Not so sure about the level of toys and reports generally saying that they messed up the chassis.
Prius - Many toys. The car is a toy. It's the third generation of its type. It proved the tech while the Lexus just borrowed it. Build quality not quite the same as the Lexus but I'd prefer build quality effort to go into chassis and toys.

At the moment, my opinion is going to the Prius. It's a bit cheaper, the offers are better (saves £1000 in servicing) and it has extra toys :

Satnav - meh, I'd prefer to use a standalone Tomtom.
Smart (keyless) entry & start - not sure about this, could they get in with the key kept at the front of the house ?
Cruise control & reverse camera - £510 option on Lexus
Head Up Display - it works but I'm old fashioned and like dials.
Fancy trip computer - £1500 on Lexus for shiny knob thingy
Bigger car (inside) for same weight
Deals ...

What you miss from the Lexus is :
Heated front seats - my back would love these :-)
USB socket for iPod - meh. A headphone jack does the job.

So - still making my mind up, although today's MoT pass lifts another of those barriers. Dunno about resale value on the Lexus because it's too new but the Prius holds its value well ... 1 year old average mileage lost £4k, 2 year old higher mileage lost £6k (£18.5k) which compares very well with a 3 year old Guaranteed Future Value of £9k.