Courtesy Car Lottery

[scotta]

Couldn’t find a thread for this.

Today’s effort

[nuttinnew]

[Beany]

As it's a hire car, have you kicked the shit out of it from a standing start yet?

[scotta]

As it's a hire car, have you kicked the shit out of it from a standing start yet?

Obvs

Full launch control start tested numerous times.

[Matty]

Thought I'd bump this instead of creating a new one.

Random Sat night thoughts. Whats everyones expectations from a courtesy car? If you'd got a £50k car that was damaged by someone else, would you expect a £50k loan car? Or more realistically, if you had an M3, or an C63, would you be happy with a similar class but boggo, entry level diesel equivalent?

[mik]

No great experience, but when my 6m old Impreza WRX wagon was attacked by an XC90 they wanted to give me a Z4. This didn’t really fit the bill of me, so we agreed on a C220d estate. Far less sporting, but far more luxurious (and value) than the Scoob.

[V8Granite]

The car simply has to do the same job. Estate for an estate, 3 door for a 3 door. I wouldn’t expect anything engine wise Aslong as it did the job.

Any more is just adding to the reason car insurance costs what it does.

Dave!

[DeskJockey]

The car simply has to do the same job. Estate for an estate, 3 door for a 3 door. I wouldn’t expect anything engine wise Aslong as it did the job.

Any more is just adding to the reason car insurance costs what it does.

Dave!

This. Although in my experience courtesy cars rarely match (in terms of space) what you have in. When the Galaxy was in for engine recall work I got a Fiesta, and after complaining was upgraded to a Focus. Both worth more than my car, but not quite capable of doing the same job.

For the accident last year we got a Mini. Same issue as with the others, obviously.

[McSwede]

When someone bumped my Mondeo ST Tdci my like for like was a top spec Chrysler 300c ( with Bentleyesque grill). I was quite happy.

[Sundayjumper]

As above. When my Dad's 540i Touring got t-boned they tried to give him a Fiesta or something but he made a fuss about needing to carry a dog & bikes and got upgraded to a brand new 520d Touring. Not as fast, but a lot newer & more valuable, so he was OK with that for a couple of weeks.

[Rich B]

I got a Volvo S60 when my M3 was totalled. I was not amused.

[John]

I've only had one and it was thirty years ago. A Reliant Robin jumped a red light and hit the front corner of my 2.8i Capri, he didn't stop either and I got involved in a low speed pursuit. My courtesy car was a Fiat Uno.

[240PP]

Not insurance related but in the early 2000’s a friends wife took her Mini into BMW for a service and she was given an E46 M3 for the day. Her husband took the day off work.

[Simon]

Whilst I understand the 'don't want to push up the cost of insurance for everyone' school of thought, that's more to do with the hire car company rip-offs than the choice of hire car itself.

If you're paying £900-£1000 for a couple of months of lease on an M3, for example, why should you be lumbered with a 320d for 8 weeks just because Maurice doesn't know the difference between red and green and ran into the side of you at some lights? Similarly if you owned that M3, that is depreciating for those months. Why shouldn't you have the benefit of a similar car?

[Rich B]

First paragraph answers the second.

[Alex_]

Thought I'd bump this instead of creating a new one.

Random Sat night thoughts. Whats everyones expectations from a courtesy car? If you'd got a £50k car that was damaged by someone else, would you expect a £50k loan car? Or more realistically, if you had an M3, or an C63, would you be happy with a similar class but boggo, entry level diesel equivalent?

When middle-lane hogger hit into my M235i, I got a brand new S-Class, apparently it's "like for like". It was rather lovely for 10 days or so.

[mik]

If you're paying £900-£1000 for a couple of months of lease on an M3, for example, why should you be lumbered with a 320d for 8 weeks just because Maurice doesn't know the difference between red and green and ran into the side of you at some lights?

@Maurice Roses are....???? C’mon man..

[Jobbo]

First paragraph answers the second.

Insurance is a contract of indemnity - if you’re paying for an expensive car and are without it for a few weeks due to someone else’s negligence, it’s definitely a loss you can claim. Hence the proliferation of credit hire.

[DeskJockey]

While the Zoe is off for repairs, we've got a 70 plate, 1500 mile Corsa as a loaner.

Compared to other recent Vauxhall's I've driven the interior quality has taken a massive step up. It feels like a very nice car and comes fully loaded including full digital dash and power everything.

Engine has a nice three pot thrum and revs eagerly, gearing is low so it shifts quite well for a shopping car, it definitely isn't like Corsas of old. It even has the central screen angled towards the driver to make it easier to use. And it has actual buttons!

And that's about it for the good parts.

The seat isn't very supportive and I began get a numb bottom after 10 minutes. Seat is soft enough, but just doesn't suit me. The gear change and steering compete on numbness, no feel or tactile feedback in either. While the steering still does what it needs to do, it was hard to feel where in the gears it is and smooth changes were difficult because of it.

While I admittedly have larger feet than most, the foot rest is so wide I struggled to depress the clutch fully, constantly having to shift my foot away from the natural middle of the foot position on the pedal.

Visibility front and rear is awful. Rear window is tiny and in the front the rearview mirror is so low on the screen it obscures a significant part of the middle, even with the seat in its lowest position.

Finally it rides as if it has no suspension. I drove a route I know very well (regular to the shops and back route with a detour along another familiar stretch of road) and there where suddenly lumps, bumps, cambers and ruts that I'd barely notice in the Galaxy or Zoe. Taking it up to motorway speeds it became noisy and the ride was unsettled. Didn't tramline or feel wayward, but it got very busy and it doesn't feel like a car you can relax in.

TL;DR: new Corsa, okay, but not buying it with my money.

[GT3]

I'm in the Fatherland racking up many Kms driving the autobahns between fibre racks, and have a Skoda Superb Combi, fully murdered out, 20tdi dsg

Active cruise control is a revelation! Can do 400kms barely touched the pedals. Speed limit indication really helps on the smaller roads through towns.

Das ist gut