An honest blog about cars
Terje's cars are not first in the queue to be allocated new press cars. Most of the cars we write about are rental cars. Therefore, we can allow ourselves to be honest when we convey our impressions. Some of the cars may also have a few kilometers and a couple of years behind them. This enables us to detect weaknesses that are not so easily detected when the car is new.
Correct sitting position is important
When I pick up a car, I spend quite a bit of time adjusting the steering wheel, seat, mirrors and radio before heading out into traffic. Ideally, I should have studied the car's functions more carefully first, but I'd rather get out on the road as soon as possible. It still happens that I have to drive into the page to click through to functions on the screen.
I sit relatively straight in the car with a good angle in my arms. It may well be that I report better legroom in the back seat than if I had sat back with straight arms and straight ankles against the pedals.
The first impression
A good first impression is important when buying a car. It creates expectations of luxury, quality, sportiness and innovation, but it is not always the case that the first impression agrees with the experiences one is left with after taking the car into use - something I try to convey in the articles.
Driver assistance
I'm not a big fan of driver assistance systems. I cursed the anti-skid system when it came over 20 years ago, but realize that the system is important for road safety. I rarely use automatic steering and automatic high beam, simply because I believe (believe) that I do a better job myself. I use cruise control when there is little traffic on the road, or when I am behind a steady driver. Recently, I have let the rental cars keep safety settings such as "lane keeping assistance" so that I can evaluate the system. When I use a rental car, I also do not install apps that can control important functions such as charging, preheating of the compartment and batteries etc., but recommend that you do this on cars that you use on a daily basis.
Dynamics
I love driving on country roads, for example the 80-way with dotted edge strips, hills and bends where you can drive actively without breaking the speed limit. Unfortunately, I discover that several new, heavy electric cars rarely invite active driving on such roads, even though 0-100 km/h can be covered in a flash. Driving pleasure is much more than 0-100 in a straight line. That said, it seems that the automotive industry has placed more emphasis on self-driving features than active driving.
The chassis
The suspension should prevent unevenness in the road from spreading to the passenger compartment, and at the same time keep the wheels planted in the road. With active, adjustable damping, the suspension properties can be adjusted between comfort and road grip. Suspension characteristics are also about preferences. I myself prefer a rigid chassis with good dynamic properties. I know stretches of road where there is a big bump in the middle of the bend. There I test how the car copes with vertical and horizontal suspension movements at the same time. In empty vans and light vans, it is possible to provoke the cars to overturn.
Steering feel
Steering feel is an important part of the car's active safety. In a car with good steering feel, you should be able to feel the car's grip. You should be able to notice when the car is about to lose traction - i.e. just before it happens - a kind of "early warning". You must also be able to feel the steering wheel if the car is about to go off course, for example with longitudinal grooves in the road, gusts of wind or other things that cause the car/trailer to roll. By holding the steering wheel with my fingertips, I can feel how the steering conveys what the wheels are doing. A car with a powerful servo makes the car easy to steer, but can unfortunately also "steal" some of the steering feel.
In many cars, the steering resistance is speed-sensitive - and it is often possible to adjust the resistance in the steering wheel. In cars where the steering feels direct and sporty, I prefer a little steering resistance. In cars with more vague steering resistance, the steering may well be light. Then I often get "flashbacks" to earlier American cars.
The drive train
For cars with thermal engines, it is important that gearboxes are matched to the engines. Believe it or not - but that is not always the case. The ratio on the gears must be adapted to the rpm range where the engine has the best torque. This is particularly important in small engines with turbos. It is also important that the gears are adapted to normal Norwegian speed ranges.
consumption
Measured consumption depends on driving style. It is still important, I think, that the cars tested in "Terje's cars" are driven according to the same driving pattern. In practice, the cars are driven calmly within speed limits and traffic flow. My purpose is to make it probable that the car's stated consumption figures are real. Therefore, my measured consumption figures are lower than what many will experience in practice. Few people drive 100% legally and economically all the time.
Stated consumption according to WLTP for plug-in hybrid cars are never real, because most of the test cycle is run on electricity. In reality, you can rarely do that.
For electric cars, consumption and range are linked. Here you can experience that consumption is affected by factors over which you have no control, such as wind, wet road surface and cold. Long trips on varying surfaces nevertheless give comparable results regardless of the conditions.
charging
When I charge on the wall charger in my own heated garage, I always get the same charging speed with the same car. I drive an electric car on a daily basis and when I fast charge, it often happens at the same time locations, to the same times around the clock, during the same weather conditions, by as much traffic at the charging station and with just as much preheating of the battery. Nevertheless, I often experience large variations in how much electricity I get without being able to explain the reason. If the car is running low on electricity, the problem could just as well be outside as inside the car. No car journalist can therefore draw conclusions about the car's charging capacity after visiting public charging stations.
Comfort
What is good comfort? We try to put it in context with the car's price and class. Of course, one should place higher demands on a car that costs NOK 1 million than one that costs NOK 300. Things that affect comfort are seats, acoustics, sound level, sound image, radio, air conditioning and the car's ability to absorb bumps in the road. On most trips, I have other people with me, usually my spouse. She discovers things that I myself do not see. Women may experience sitting comfort differently than men. My wife is also good at assessing decor, style and choice of materials - things that follow general fashion trends.
About the trip
Since "Terje's cars" is a blog, I try to write something about the trips. There is always a trip behind the tests - planned trips with a purpose. And here I would like to convey an important message: Don't forget to enjoy the trip, even if there is a queue, bad road, bad road and bad time.
Place
The tests in "Terje's cars" focus rather little on space, because it depends on needs. Many people prioritize space without having a real need, and surely that could also be an excuse to buy a bigger car? How big a car do you really need? The point is that space is only one of many requirements that should be placed on a car. And personally, I think life is too short to drive a boring car even if it has a lot of space. My solution with small children and a villa was to have my own trailer ready in the garage - and dads with trailers are often popular at flea markets and other events.
Mention of place on Terje's cars are subjective assessments of how I (man 1,88 meters and size 46 in shoes) can sit behind myself - as well as how the back seat can be used. The size of the boot in liters is interesting, as well as whether the shape and load height are favourable. Rulers are probably only used when referring to critical dimensions in vans.
Security
In previous tests we have referred to the results from Euro nCap og IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety). Large sources of error can be hidden in these results, as the tests are often not carried out on other types of models than that vi have tested - for example without the same safety equipment as Norwegian cars have, or other drivetrain. An electric car with heavy batteries may behave differently in an accident than a similar car with a thermal engine.
Facts
All facts in "Terje's cars" must be correct. Sign up at The contact page if you find errors. The sources of the facts are taken from the websites of the Swedish Road Administration and the car manufacturer's pages. If the data between the two differ, the data from the Road Administration is used. In some cases, the tested car deviates from the latest model. Both old and new data are then entered. We also look up where the car was manufactured, based on the car's VIN number. We also endeavor to find out where any electric car batteries come from (occasionally difficult to find) as well as the type designations of the engine and gearbox.
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