29 Mar 07
Talking of hassle, I had to call in the AA to get my car started the other day.
It was during the viciously cold snap, so my first thought was that the battery had simply gone flat. But after inspection it turned out that the connection between the alternator and battery was at fault.
A quick dab with the soldering iron was enough to get me to the dealer to have the part replaced - a matter of some 20 minutes. Enough time for a coffee and, in the absence of an unread car mag, a quick catch-up on the latest vapid adventurous of OK magazine's Z-list celebs.
My biggest concern was that the battery problem would wipe off all my satellite navigation destinations and reset the trip computer and stereo back to their factory settings.
We've got into quite a groove, the sat nav and I; I've lost count of how many hours its ability to detect and detour around traffic jams have saved me since I took delivery of the car a few months ago. Much to my relief, everything went back to normal after the relevant satellites had been located and the system had rebooted.
While I was at the dealer I noticed a new addition to the showroom: a shiny red Type-R. The cover was still on it and, judging by the small throng of families and thirtysomething men crowding round it for a better look, Honda isn't going to have a problem finding buyers.
If I had the spare cash and the need for a second car, one of them would be me.
