Courtesy Car

[kikkthecat]

I've just had a friend turn up with a grin on his face.
He's taken his car into Merc-care in Leeds this morning for some work doing and came away with a courtesy car until his is ready on Tuesday. No comment on the garage as I've never used them but... He took in a W210 E200 and came away with a 1999 W202 C36 AMG.

So instead of the usual weekend round of supermarket and garden centres he's off into the dales to, in his words "give it some stick"

 

[KillerHERTZ]

A C36 AMG dont you mean

An AMG courtesy car? thats just asking for trouble!

 

[kikkthecat]

A C36 AMG dont you mean

An AMG courtesy car? thats just asking for trouble!

Err yes... now edited to make you look silly instead of me..

 

[gurpz]

1999 W202 C36 AMG

If its a 1999 model it CANT really be a C36 AMG more likely to be a C43 AMG. Great car for a courtesy car though.

 

[kikkthecat]

If its a 1999 model it CANT really be a C36 AMG more likely to be a C43 AMG. Great car for a courtesy car though.

Youre right, it was "R" registered, 1997/98 but a genuine AMG car

 

[KillerHERTZ]

Sounds like its another customers car!?!

 

[Will]

Sounds like its another customers car!?!

Silly question, but why's that?

Might belong to the person who's garage it is?

Nice late C36 by the sounds of it, only seen a couple on a 'R' plate - what makes this unusual is that the '36 is still a pre-facelifted car!

Will

 

[KillerHERTZ]

Maybe im wrong? Id have though running costs, insurance costs, very likely to be thrashed by everyone expensive parts to replace.

Normally garages have poverty spec cars
Seems a very strange model for a courtesy car does it not?

 

[Will]

Yes, but it might not be a 'courtesy car' in the sense that it was bought for that purpose.

More likely a personal car belonging to the owner, either one he's bought to sell or one of his own cars?

Will

 

[Dieselman]

Maybe Kikkthecats friend will report back if he finds someones personal belonging in the car.
It would seem an unusual courtesy car if only for insurance reasons. Never say never though.

If it was me I'd be loaning out good condition C180 and C250 n/a diesel or A-class.

As long as they are clean and tidy customers wont mind and they are less likey to get thrashed and broken.

 

[jaymanek]

my courtesy car is a T reg Avensis... it goes, is reliable and has tax/mot...

 

[Seamster15]

my courtesy car is a T reg Avensis... it goes, is reliable and has tax/mot...

Just out of interest, why not a Mercedes? I would find it a bit strange to be given a Toyota loan car when you sell mostly Merc's.

Simon

 

[jaymanek]

if you want the honest answer its just because I have it.... next month it could be a w202 or whatever else I have that im not in a hurry to sell.

I dont have any cheepie MB's and so this makes sense.

We gave it a full service and when it runs out of tax ill sell it and get something else in.

I dont see the point in having a expensive shiny courtesy car when its used only infrequently..

have been toying with the idea of getting a new smart car and branding it up... but not sure all customers would be happy in a smart... at least something like an avensis is a full sized car..

 

[Dieselman]

Branded SEC...

 

[Seamster15]

if you want the honest answer its just because I have it.... next month it could be a w202 or whatever else I have that im not in a hurry to sell.

I dont have any cheepie MB's and so this makes sense.

We gave it a full service and when it runs out of tax ill sell it and get something else in.

I dont see the point in having a expensive shiny courtesy car when its used only infrequently..

have been toying with the idea of getting a new smart car and branding it up... but not sure all customers would be happy in a smart... at least something like an avensis is a full sized car..

Fair point, perhaps you should get one of those mega mile E Class Diesels that keep comming up on ebay, it would centantly be a great marketing exercise if it was reliable enough?

 

[Dieselman]

Or a highly visible Banana boat...

 

[jaymanek]

Fair point, perhaps you should get one of those mega mile E Class Diesels that keep comming up on ebay, it would centantly be a great marketing exercise if it was reliable enough?

I had a W202 250 for this purpose but customers were complaining that I was putting them in a high mileage car!
The car was mint...

you can never please everyone.

At the moment the need for me to provide a car at all is limited, only when a car comes back for issues under warranty... maybe one or two a month max....
So as the demand increases ill get something more suitable in, for the time being, the japanese are serving me well.

 

[jaymanek]

Or a highly visible Banana boat...

oi, only I get to sit on my new highly comfortable seats...

 

[KillerHERTZ]

high mileage car!

Geez, its not like you had a sticker on it saying high milage!

As long as it isnt too old, clean and isnt 1.0l im happy...ish

 

[jaymanek]

mileage is a psychological thing... it had 120ish on the clock IIRC, to me thats nothing... to someone who has just bought a 30K C220 CDI, its the end of the world..