Cars that surprise you.

[davidjpowell]

Have a hire car for the week, which was meant to be a Mondeo class car. Turned up to see a C-Max. Petulant faced me faced petulant hire company who offered my a Hyundi I40. Did not sound very tempting either.

What a cracking car the C-Max is. Quiet, handles well, unfeasibly big inside, cracking sound system, reasonably pacey.

I'm surprised to be impressed. Any one else had this sort of surprise?

 

[mct_cars]

I had a spanking new C-Max hire car the other week. A nice place to be. Not as nice as the S-Max though (or as big) but quieter, probably because of the newer engine. The 1.6D I had was nowhere near as good as the 1.6D in the Qashqai but otherwise ok. Zetec model doesn't have Cruise though which is a PITA for me.

Big surprises for me were:-

- Nearly new Mondeo 2.0 TDCi 140 which felt very slow compared to the S-Max with the same engine?!? And fuel economy a lot worse than the Insignia 2.0 163 (low 40's compared to low 50's).

- Volvo V70 Estate with 2.4 Auto Diesel. Lovely engine and a very nice interior and dash etc.

- Qashqui. I wanted to hate it and everything it stands for, but apart from a bit wollowy round corners what a great car, and mid 50's MPG all day with the 1.6Dci

I must be Enterprise's best customer as I get cars of them almost weekly!

A colleague of mine got the best surprise though - they had to give him the last car on the lot. He order a Mondeo, got a Porsche Boxster!

 

[wemorgan]

Smart ForTwo - I found it better than most reviewers made it out to be

 

[gIzzE]

Had a 1.4tfsi A3 sportback over the weekend.

Mate at Audi asked if I would be interested as there are some crazy contract hire deals coming up on them.
I borrowed the 150bhp 2.0tdi 3 door a few weeks ago and was really surprised how nice it was, feels like an E Class compared with the outgoing model, I had one on a 54 plate 3dr DSG S-Line and it was numb and crashy, not great at all, this new one rides nicely, and has some sort of driving feel to it.

So the offer of a sportback with the turbo petrol was too good to miss.

First off, why the f**k would anyone buy the diesel??!!

The Petrol is actually 25bhp down on the diesel, however, I presumed it was higher while in it, it was only looking online last night I realised it was 122bhp.
The thing never felt strained, pulled nicely, the clutch was streets ahead of the diesel one, the way it kept going to 6500rpm was bliss, and the think was silent round town, just so nice.

I guess the main problem is mpg.

I did the same trip up to our place at the coast, across the city, 30 miles of A road and then back again.

The diesel managed an impressive 51mpg doing that run.
The petrol managed an even more impressive 49mpg doing the same run.

If I could live with the smaller boot space I would have one, it was really very good.
There is also a cylinder on demand model coming, 150bhp and cuts cylinders as cruising to save fuel.

This new platform/floorpan they are using is very impressive.

 

[gaz_l]

Pleasant rental surprises over the years:

1. Original Vauxhall Zafira. Expected it to be horrible, but actually quite a tidy drive for a people carrier thingy.

2. Original Skoda Superb. Basically a long wheelbase Passat and just as well screwed together. I think "Superb" was over-selling it, but if they'd called it the Skoda "Perfectly Acceptable" they'd have hit the nail on the head.

3. A bit out of our neighbourhood, but had a Chevy Malibu on honeymoon in Hawaii in 2009. I expected the usual American POS but it was actually a nice place to be, felt almost European. I also rented a Jeep Wrangler on the same holiday, by contrast the very worst thing I've driven in a long time..

Cheers,

Gaz

 

[John]

I had a courtesy car back in 2005 and it was a manual 54 plate Focus C-Max 1.6TDCI.

It was excellent in all respects and totally amazed me.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

Any one else had this sort of surprise?

Bad surprise: E46 M3, the SMG gearbox was the worse I've ever had the misfortune to drive, whiplash at every gear change and far too crashy ride completely ruined the car.

Good surprise: after the E46 experience, I was a bit hesitant but the E90 M3 that I owned earlier on in the year; proper manual gearbox and a privilege to own in every way. I'll definitely buy another one at some point.

 

[gIzzE]

Bad surprise: E46 M3, the SMG gearbox was the worse I've ever had the misfortune to drive, whiplash at every gear change and far too crashy ride completely ruined the car.

I love that gearbox!!!!

You can get it to change smoothly if you lift off as you change, but you need to be in S4 or S4, not the S1 or S2 you would think.

When I sold the CSL it was the gearbox I missed and the main reason I went out after a few weeks and bought another M3.

 

[deian]

I had a Fiat Panda from enterprise not too long ago. I was expecting an awful car, now I know it's all news and had only 1.5k on the clock, typical fiat panda quality, but it wasn't bad at all... what surprised me? that bloody city steering (there's a switch to make the light steering lighter)... so light you could steer it with your nose, keep it off if u ever get one.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

I love that gearbox!!!!

There is therapy out there that can help you with your affliction.

 

[George Douglas]

Another vote for the c max , after I hired one a while back my daughter fell in love with it and traded her focus in against one

 

[bolide]

2004 Mini Cabriolet - comprehensively the nastiest thing I have driven in 20 years. Slothful, grindy engine with no low-end torque that would stall when pulling away. Vile interior apparently designed for 11 year old boys and a diabolical ride

Same week: Seat Fabia diesel. Rode well, drove like the tidy, nippy little hatch it is. I drove it over exactly the same route as the Mini (about 2 miles back from the MOT station) and, after the dismal Mini, decided to do it all in third gear to see how flexible it was. The result - brilliant! Pulled from 900 rpm in any gear. A perfectly-mapped little engine with no bad manners at all

The real game-changer for me was the original Ford Focus. It did everything so brilliantly that it must have put the fear of God up the major manufacturers. It's so ruthlessly thought-through, from the spindly, weedy-looking tailgate hinges (that work perfectly) and cheap foam rear seats to the simple controls and superb ride & handling. Money was spent in exactly the right areas

Nick Froome

 

[davidjpowell]

It also seems quite well equipped. Discovered DAB today, and DSP. The base was so strong that the interior mirror would move in time.

Bluetooth, Climate, Cruise, got the lot.

It will sit at 90 all day long, but could do with a few more beans to get there....

 

[Spinal]

Smart fortwo - my first reaction when I sat in one is identical to everyone who I've given a ride too... nominally "It's really big inside!"

 

[dan1502]

I love that gearbox!!!!

You can get it to change smoothly if you lift off as you change, but you need to be in S4 or S4, not the S1 or S2 you would think.

When I sold the CSL it was the gearbox I missed and the main reason I went out after a few weeks and bought another M3.

I enjoyed the gearbox in my E36 M3 EVO and that was SMG1. Essential to lift off though.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Two cas sand out:

1. In 1997 I had a Nissan Micra hire car. It was a 1.3 and it was genuinely pleasant to drive, and made a surprisingly raspy noise when holding on through the revs, and had some pace to it.

2. The Hyundai i40 has even mentioned in this tread: it was also a car which genuinely surprised me having driven it around Woburn Safari Park as part of a promotion - it genuinely changed my perception of Hyundai cars: http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/gene...hyundai-offer-might-fun-if-you-have-kids.html

 

[BaldGuy]

I hired a Hyundai i30 last year in Ireland, a cracking fully loaded car.... If I needed an ultra reliable 7 year warranty (I think) and free servicing for a number of years car I'd be buying one...

 

[Spin_bowler]

With the exception of a 'Chevvy' Aveo (is it called that, I'm not sure that I really remember?) I've not had a bad hire car in the course of the last few years. I think that the fact is that there aren't any truly bad cars made any more, not like the hideous clunkers that turned out by Proton, Daewoo and even Rover in the nineties, say.

Back on topic:
Nissan note 1.5 Auto: A hire car about five years ago. I assumed I'd loathe it but ended up, grudgingly, admitting it would be a pretty acceptable way to move your family about. Small engine & auto is usually a guaranteed kill joy but I just drove it like a dodgem, mashed my foot the the floor and steered. I'm not sure my driving style did much for economy.

Audi A1 1.2TFSi. Last year. I thought it would be rubbish but I was impressed with standard kit levels, quality up there with big cars, great handling and if you keep it on the boil it goes like a proper hot-hatch from times gone by.

 

[Deleted member 11979]

VW Touran 1.6TDI, borrowed it off of my parents to take us and the kids to France on hols, huge boot, very economical, surprisingly fast enough even when completely full and a nice smooth ride. Perfect small family mpv, even parks itself!

 

[Sp!ke]

I usually get in rental cars and realise how much superior a 20 year old W201 is compared to them - not the other way around.