Took my beloved scoob into the local dealer today. Its due to have one of the pistons replaced tomorrow to rectify piston slap.

I'm always interested to know what loan car they'll give me when its in for routine services, etc. I have to admit that its a very important factor in deciding whether I rate the dealer or not. Maybe this is unfair but when you drive a high performance quality car, you really miss it when it goes, even for one day. Years ago, a different dealer lent me a nearly new Impreza turbo when my own was in for a service and thereafter, I was loyal to them for years.

Anyway, I wondered what I would get today - maybe a WRX demo car or even a Legacy 2.5. Well no such luck - they gave me a Renault Clio P reg and worse still it was a diesel. This is definitely one of the slowest cars I've ever driven.

Set me thinking what is the best/worst loan cars you've been given and do you judge a dealer based on the loan car?

D.

 

Rover 211..... yeeeeuuucchhh!!

 

DJB,
If you have ever had the misfortune of driving a corsa 1.0, 3 cyl, 12v then you will know why this is the worst courtesy car ever , I had it for 3 months,PIECE of CR@P, while the scoob was in the shop.
Andy
Had a skoda felicia for a week once MUCH better!

 

It was so horrendously bad that I had to mention it twice....

Rover 211

 

Mu car is currently in for work at FR Pulleyns, and I was promised a decent courtesy car, as they were getting some new ones. When I arrived to drop off my car, I saw a brand new 'stickered up' WRX and got all excited. Unfortunately it wasn't for me , and I ended up with a 1.9 Diesel Skoda Fabia, which is suprisingly nice to drive.

Simon

 

subaru justy (say no more)

 

got a Corsa - total crap (and <I>fear</I>...) the only good thing was getting back in the Scooby afterwards
Has Bell & Colvill ever given anyone a decent loan car?

 

Three weeks ago, Took mine into Thurlow nunn. Was given a six year old impreza 5 door 1.8 GL. Went like a sack of s*** Too scared to over take anything. Got mine back a day later and was like a breath of fresh air!!! Made me appreciate what i'd got!

 

TRIGGER,

How the hell do you get such good treatment from Bell & Colvill?? When ever I have phoned them to book my car in for a service there has never been any mention of a courtesy car and when I ask for one they don't have one for at lest 6 weeks.

Anyway my worst Courtesy car was from a small independent garage a couple of years ago and was a C reg VW Polo. The pile of junk wouldn't idle properly and kept stalling and the clutch judder made the whole car shake to pieces. Still better than taking public transport though..

A few years ago I had a Renault Clio 1.4 Automatic and that has to be the slowest car I have ever driven...

 

AWD
I did not feel that the AWD system on the Justy was worth defending - The Dictionary definition of 'understeer' should read 'See Subaru Justy' - I found it scary

Paul

 

Joey - It's funny but they get really touchy about their service. Ever since I replied scathingly to one of their questionnaires about standard of service, I have been treated ok.

 

A fiat Ciquotchento it was the only courtesy car they had left yeah u r right i dunno how 2 spell it, don`t wanna know.. This thing (wouldn`t honour it by calling it a car) was so bad I drove it for 4 miles, took it back an told them s ok I`ll do without, as you will my business the next time Peddles so close 2gether every time I pressed the accelerator i also pressed the clutch. Likewise with the brake & clutch An u folks think u`ve had it bad........

Pete

 

Wilding's 'Septic frog' takes some beating - A bright green justy

Although I have been given a Toyota Avensis by an Alfa dealer before - Toyota Offensive more like


Pete - Don't know what you are talking about, the Cinq is a great little car. My wife had one for a year or two, great fun, very chuckable and relatively nippy. Pedals are close together, but then so are a caterhams - all the better for heel/toe

 

Worst - Kia Pride with dual controls from Mazda dealer.
Best - B+C gave us a Saab 9-3 turbo when our double buggy wouldnt fit into the Polo they tried to give us - amazing what a stroppy wife and 2 screaming kids can do.

 

I thought they where all bad, some low points where with a Metro 111 the suspension gave up and the radio kept cutting out apart from the fact its a bad car when everything works.

Took a Golf to an independent garage a few years back and got a 1972 Passat Coupe imported from South Africa. Oh how I laughed as it kept over heating and stoping on the motorways! Covered in rust and felt like a death trap.

 

Worst - Fiat Panda, the seats were like deck chairs, I've built better go-karts as a kid.

Best - Range Rover Vogue.. Didn't want to take it back and get my car.

 

When my brand spankin new baby WRX was due to arrive this Jan and didnt, they offered me a courtesy car after i badgered them. The salesman didnt think the boss would let me borrow the P1 but he'd try...

I got there and he walked me past all the nice Turbos, and on to ....... a base model Justy with horrible interior colouring. The worse bit was going round a mates - everyone rushed outside to see the new WRX and there was this ugly silver peice of sh1te waiting for them. I still get ribbed about it now! Had to buy a disguise to wear when driving it!!

James

 

Once - when I wrote off my Nissan 200SX (don't ever try to avoid a dog on the road) I was given a Rover 100 - I have never felt so vulnerable on the motorway!!

 

Once had a Mazda 323 for a week or so. Couldn't believe how quick it was and it revved and revved. Excellent. Right up to the point where it seized as it had no oil in it

Best car was a Micra 1.0L, great fun, but not too quick. Even so, best giggle I've had legally on the public roads (yes, better than a Scoob, EVO etc).

Cheers

Ian

 

Hi,

At one time I used to own a R5 GT Turbo, which probably travelled further going up and down on a garage lift then it ever did on it's own wheels...

I was lent a very old Polo 1.0 while the engine was taken to pieces (again) on the R5. The main problem (apart from a complete and utter lack of acceleration) was that the gear lever assembly had a tendency to explosively disassemble itself whenever it was most inconvenient. On one occasion the gear lever came off in my hand while attempting an over taking manouver, and on another the whole assembly disintegrated and dropped out through the floor while I was in an unlit underground carpark with no tools or torch .

Cheers,

Alex

 

Justy

 

Another vote for the Justy! Kept feeling like I was going to fly out of the seat and into the passenger side. Worst of all I got overtaken by a Scoob on the way back from the dealers. Kept wanting to yell, "I've got a scoob too, but it's in for a service, honestly!"

It did stick to the road quite well though!

 

A totally knackered Corsa from Bell & Colvill - it was about a year old, but had already fallen apart. It was also v.slow , dirty and a total pile of cack.

 

The delightfull JUSTY!

About pi55ed myself when the guy at the dealers tried to big it up by telling me it was AWD.

And we think our Scoobs understeer!!!

 

In defence of the Justy, it has central locking......,Well thats it really!

 

It also has AWD doesn't it?

 

I love these 'I have a story' threads. Great reading....

Not mine, but my wife had a Metro 1.0 brand new curtesy car while her Astra was in for a service (and my old *cough* Capri 2.8i *cough* broke a rear suspension spring on a slight 'jump' in the road ).

Felt like I was sitting in a goldfish bowl. Very embarissing....(although, no more so than now thinking back to my Carpi... well, at least I got them out of my system )



[This message has been edited by Nimbus (edited 27 February 2001).]

 

Best courtesy car BMW 850 from Power Engineering

Worst 10 year old Escort estate, complete with broken choke **** that sliced my fingers nicely, from - Power Engineering

guess you just can't tell eh?

 

A certain North West Scooby dealer;10 year old Nissan Micra!

enough said!

I complained to one of the salespeople, who actually agreed with me that it did the dealership no favours at all.
They still use it ,though.
An absolute joke IMO!

 

Justy

Mojo