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Australian hire car lottery.
Re: Australian hire car lottery.
I'm 10 minutes from some challenging, open, quiet driving roads.
![Cool 8-)](./images/smilies/icon_cool.gif)
So where did you go in Scotland, and what vehicle were you in?
Re: Australian hire car lottery.
Stayed in Edinburgh the whole time. Day 1 arrived in the evening so just explored the city.mik wrote: ↑Tue Jul 23, 2019 5:17 pmI'm 10 minutes from some challenging, open, quiet driving roads.![]()
So where did you go in Scotland, and what vehicle were you in?
Day 2 went to the Trossachs and did a lap of it, stopped off at a few Lochs and a distillery so couldn’t make it to Oban. Drove back via Glasgow and another distillery.
Day 3 spent the morning at another distillery and then a trip to the Cairngorms in search of the Old Military road.
Day 4 lunch in Edinburgh then a long slog back to Kent.
Took the X5 as it was a last minute family trip with dog in tow! Did Edinburgh to Dover on 1 tank, couldn’t drive very fast in the bends by the end either as the car was stocked with 20 litres of whisky.
How about not having a sig at all?
- ShockDiamonds
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Re: Australian hire car lottery.
Drove up to Braemar from Dundee years ago. Epic place. Also did St Andrews during the same weekend. Having been there during my Uni years it made me realise how much I missed the place. Although even back then they’d still failed to convince the powers that be to allow them to open a BK ![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif)
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif)
Re: Australian hire car lottery.
I didn't know what to expect with Australia when I visited there on my year travelling. Only spent just over 10 days total in the country, but I really liked it.
I'll definitely spend more time there, when I go travelling again in a few years time. Will definitely get to Tasmania next time too.
Of course, if you've got the time and you're that end of the world, then NZ isn't unreasonably far away - visiting both Australia and New Zealand makes the long, long journey worth it.
I'll definitely spend more time there, when I go travelling again in a few years time. Will definitely get to Tasmania next time too.
Of course, if you've got the time and you're that end of the world, then NZ isn't unreasonably far away - visiting both Australia and New Zealand makes the long, long journey worth it.
Oui, je suis un motard.
Re: Australian hire car lottery.
I've not been to Aus, when/if I go I'll want to go for an extended period to make it worthwhile, but then much dollars
I understand Mito's pov; getting out of the se is a pita, there're always traffic problems for one reason or another and night time offers little respite because there are always roadworks and/or closures along the way. From here it's normally easier and quicker to hop across the Channel than try and get anywhere else by road. I wish there was still Motorail, even a ferry to Hull would help, most of the drive up just feels like an extended commute these days
I'll be back at some point because I've still a lot of it to see, I just wish there was a way to skip a few hundred pleasureless miles.
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_e_sad.gif)
I understand Mito's pov; getting out of the se is a pita, there're always traffic problems for one reason or another and night time offers little respite because there are always roadworks and/or closures along the way. From here it's normally easier and quicker to hop across the Channel than try and get anywhere else by road. I wish there was still Motorail, even a ferry to Hull would help, most of the drive up just feels like an extended commute these days
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_e_sad.gif)
Re: Australian hire car lottery.
There’s no bloody motorway for the last 100 miles to Edinburgh if you’re going up the right hand side of the country - just roundabout after roundabout every mile. Still faster than going 3/4 of the way round the M25 and up the M6 though...
Need to make plans to go back to the Ardenne though, some nice places there and it’s under 4 hours away including the train!
Need to make plans to go back to the Ardenne though, some nice places there and it’s under 4 hours away including the train!
How about not having a sig at all?
Re: Australian hire car lottery.
They are really not. Well, maybe the ones that made the effort to leave Aus and explore the world are. But not the locals.
The biggest surprise for me is that Australia is a foreign country
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
The Evo forum really is a shadow of its former self. I remember when the internet was for the elite and now they seem to let any spastic on
IaFG Down Under Division
IaFG Down Under Division
Re: Australian hire car lottery.
To add to this thread I'm in Croatia and booked two hire cars. One for me and my family and one for the bro and his. Mine ended being an asthmatic base fiesta and my bro got a nice spec Citroen C3 aircross. Bloody typical!
Re: Australian hire car lottery.
I’m in Italy and also have a basic spec Fiesta. I think it’s a diesel. Overall, it’s pretty good, Fords generally are, but it’s fucking slooooooww. Quite grippy though and the steering round the mountain roads is quite communicative.
But it’s fucking slooooooooww.
But it’s fucking slooooooooww.
Re: Australian hire car lottery.
Mine is a petrol and I am amazed at how gutless it is. A Merc sprinter towing two BMW GS's was out dragging me on some hilly roads today240PP wrote: ↑Fri Aug 02, 2019 8:33 pm I’m in Italy and also have a basic spec Fiesta. I think it’s a diesel. Overall, it’s pretty good, Fords generally are, but it’s fucking slooooooww. Quite grippy though and the steering round the mountain roads is quite communicative.
But it’s fucking slooooooooww.
Nice drive apart from that though.
Re: Australian hire car lottery.
1.0 Ecoboost? I had a Focus hire car a couple of years ago with that engine. It drove brilliantly, had loads of toys, pretty much all you can ask of a car. But that engine..
Not only was it dog slow, the computer suggested I was getting an average of 42mpg.
Not only was it dog slow, the computer suggested I was getting an average of 42mpg.
Re: Australian hire car lottery.
There defo was no turbo involved. My M140i felt ballistic coming home from the airport. That new car feeling all over again!
I think I'll look at a fiesta with a decent engine for Mrs McSwede when the Volvo lease ends in Jan. Really nice drive and plenty of room for her.
Re: Australian hire car lottery.
Great that isn’t it. After I got the golf back from getting the rust fixed it felt like a rocket ship after a week in a Mazda 2 Auto.McSwede wrote: ↑Sat Aug 03, 2019 6:38 pmThere defo was no turbo involved. My M140i felt ballistic coming home from the airport. That new car feeling all over again!
I think I'll look at a fiesta with a decent engine for Mrs McSwede when the Volvo lease ends in Jan. Really nice drive and plenty of room for her.
Looking forward to the first drives of the 240 and the Elise when we get back next week.
Re: Australian hire car lottery.
How are you liking the M240i in comparison to the Golf R? How do you find the differences in the ways they deliver their performance??scotta wrote: ↑Sun Aug 04, 2019 1:02 pmGreat that isn’t it. After I got the golf back from getting the rust fixed it felt like a rocket ship after a week in a Mazda 2 Auto.McSwede wrote: ↑Sat Aug 03, 2019 6:38 pmThere defo was no turbo involved. My M140i felt ballistic coming home from the airport. That new car feeling all over again!
I think I'll look at a fiesta with a decent engine for Mrs McSwede when the Volvo lease ends in Jan. Really nice drive and plenty of room for her.
Looking forward to the first drives of the 240 and the Elise when we get back next week.
I must admit I love the rear drive balance and the slightly edgy nature of the handling when the road conditions are less than perfect. In the dry with DSC off it feels great especially on the new Goodyear F1SS's.
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Re: Australian hire car lottery.
I’ve booked a car for our US holiday this week.. their “equivalents” is probably stressing me more than the alligators/sharks/gunmen combined! ![😂](//cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/twitter/twemoji@latest/assets/svg/1f602.svg)
Cheers,
Ian
Ian
Re: Australian hire car lottery.
Often in the US though they say " you've book class whatevah : they are in zone 3 - choose the one you want".
Great system![Cool 8-)](./images/smilies/icon_cool.gif)
Great system
![Cool 8-)](./images/smilies/icon_cool.gif)
Re: Australian hire car lottery.
Been driving round Sorrento and Positano the last few days, the Italians redefine ‘not giving a fuck’.
It’s either terrifying or hilarious, I haven’t decided yet.
It’s either terrifying or hilarious, I haven’t decided yet.
Re: Australian hire car lottery.
Its terrifying.
You have to "drive italian" to make any progress, but the way scooters sit 10cm off your rear bumper with the rider in flip-flops with a helmet loosely balanced on their head to meet legal requirments never gets easy.
PS look for signs - in many places it is the legal expectation that you will make room if a scooter coming the other way decides to overtake and comes into your lane - even if they are doing so around a blind bend.![Shocked :shock:](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
You have to "drive italian" to make any progress, but the way scooters sit 10cm off your rear bumper with the rider in flip-flops with a helmet loosely balanced on their head to meet legal requirments never gets easy.
![Confused :?](./images/smilies/icon_e_confused.gif)
PS look for signs - in many places it is the legal expectation that you will make room if a scooter coming the other way decides to overtake and comes into your lane - even if they are doing so around a blind bend.
![Shocked :shock:](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)