Courtesy Cars Are Good For You

[developer]

Now, some of this is obvious, but stay with me.

Service time for the E63, the car I drive day in, day out, so I drop the car and pick up the service manager's GLC 4matic.

It's a nice change, I think to myself, as I drive off the forecourt - high driving position, giving excellent visibility, a rather pleasant 9 speed gearbox, quite quiet for a diesel, due to decent packaging and soundproofing, and a more up to date media system - so far, so good .

Over the course of the journey, I note that whilst it rides well over bumps, with it's high profile tyres, it's a bit "jelly like", and whilst it's got that enjoyable diesel torque and is nippy (it's only a 250), on the open road/motorway, it's a dull drive - very uninvolving, where you have to plan ahead to make progress.

Then, because it's a basic spec, there's loads of stuff, that I take for granted, now missing - adding to the mundanity.

A few hours later and I'm back at the dealer, and driving away in the E63 - it's noisy (in a good way), less forgiving over the bumps, much more precise round the bends and very responsive to prods on the loud pedal, changing lanes on the motorway in what seems like nano-seconds.

Yes, they are chalk and cheese cars - that's not my point - it's that driving something else makes you realise what a good purchase decision you made a couple of years ago.

Thanks courtesy car .

 

[davidjpowell]

I think most modern cars, with the obvious 'mad' exceptions are dull after a while. I've always found a trip back to basics very fun...

Certainly my XC60 is very competent, but over time and miles now feels very vanilla. Still it does most things I ask of it

 

[flowrider]

Last weekend i bought an SL500 (R230) and drove it 170 miles home. It made me smile all the way despite being 8 years older tech than in my ML350 (W166), the driving sensation was great and something that is missing in the ML. I love the ML but given the choice i would choose to drive the SL, hopefully the honeymoon doesn't end.

 

[markjay]

Now, some of this is obvious, but stay with me.

Service time for the E63, the car I drive day in, day out, so I drop the car and pick up the service manager's GLC 4matic.

It's a nice change, I think to myself, as I drive off the forecourt - high driving position, giving excellent visibility, a rather pleasant 9 speed gearbox, quite quiet for a diesel, due to decent packaging and soundproofing, and a more up to date media system - so far, so good .

Over the course of the journey, I note that whilst it rides well over bumps, with it's high profile tyres, it's a bit "jelly like", and whilst it's got that enjoyable diesel torque and is nippy (it's only a 250), on the open road/motorway, it's a dull drive - very uninvolving, where you have to plan ahead to make progress.

Then, because it's a basic spec, there's loads of stuff, that I take for granted, now missing - adding to the mundanity.

A few hours later and I'm back at the dealer, and driving away in the E63 - it's noisy (in a good way), less forgiving over the bumps, much more precise round the bends and very responsive to prods on the loud pedal, changing lanes on the motorway in what seems like nano-seconds.

Yes, they are chalk and cheese cars - that's not my point - it's that driving something else makes you realise what a good purchase decision you made a couple of years ago.

Thanks courtesy car .

From what you describe.... the GLC 4-Matic sounds like my ideal car...

 

[developer]

From what you describe.... the GLC 4-Matic sounds like my ideal car...

Intially the waftiness over the bumps was nice - for at least 100yds .

 

[Piff]

Certainly my XC60 is very competent, but over time and miles now feels very vanilla. Still it does most things I ask of it

Sounds like an Audi

 

[Mactech]

Yes, driving other cars is always a good way to baseline your daily driver
I tend to spend a fair amount of time in hire cars. As you rightly describe, there is a 'hire car honeymoon' period as you first take the controls of what is normally a very new car.
For me, I've normally just got off a plane, so the car seems quiet. The airport roads are often smooth so you get to thinking 'Yeah! I could live with one of these!'
After a couple of hours the reality strikes....the wind noise is actually quite bad, the engine which seemed quite nippy a short while ago now seems breathless and the rock and roll on lane changes could make you sick.....

Hire car honeymoon.....it's a well known phenomena......and used to great effect by many 'round the block' new car salesmen
I just bought myself an Audi A6 Ultra, but having had 2 as company cars quite recently I had done my 12k mile test drive and knew what to expect.

 

[JDL60]

I can attest to that , my other car is an Audi A6 Avant, beautifully finished and appointed but boring boring boring

 

[Lit91]

Stupidly enough, most of the time they give out such rubbish as courtesy cars, that you would never even consider a change from what you drive currently.

Just doesn't make sense. Unless most of the new cars are just rubbish. Come back from all dealer visit that I'm really happy with the choice of my car.

 

[alzieboy]

When I owned a BMW320d come service time the courtesy car was always a step up in model, one time I had a lovely 535i, 0n another occasion I asked if there was any chance for a Z4 as a courtesy car , which they kindly obliged me with.
Now when my E350 Coupe goes in have only ever got an A class 180

 

[Lit91]

When I owned a BMW320d come service time the courtesy car was always a step up in model, one time I had a lovely 535i, 0n another occasion I asked if there was any chance for a Z4 as a courtesy car , which they kindly obliged me with.
Now when my E350 Coupe goes in have only ever got an A class 180

Exactly my point, not even an equivalent car.

Last time I've enquired - this was the reply I have got 'the CLK is no longer produced'...

 

[ToeKnee]

My everyday car is an 09 Mondeo with over 200000 miles so stepping into the SL is a pleasant experience. Nowhere near as fast or as sharp to drive as my old Cobra but soooo much more comfortable

 

[Squidward]

One of the times my E250 (AMG Sport) was in for a service I got an E220 SE. Even with such a similar car, I was still glad to get back in mine and a lot more appreciative of the car.

 

[rf065]

Exactly my point, not even an equivalent car.

Last time I've enquired - this was the reply I have got 'the CLK is no longer produced'...

It still is though, now called the E Class Coupe, which is what it called originally before it became the CLK!

Russ

 

[ernie]

Last time my C220d was in for service, I was taken in the direction of a SLC200. I thought, 'This is going to be interesting'! It was....I could hardly get into the thing and then discovered...it was manual! However, the open top took me back many years with that wind-in-the-hair feeling, except that I am now lacking the hair!

Ernie

 

[Lit91]

It still is though, now called the E Class Coupe, which is what it called originally before it became the CLK!

Russ

Yep, I would at least expect a C-Class.

 

[mattc43]

Agree with this as it is great being reminded that what seems ordinary to you is actually a great car. A clever dealer will look at what you have and try to get you into something to tempt you up the range. Difficult, however, if you turn up in an E63

You do have to remember the standard of cars you are comparing though (here a c£70-80k(I think?) E63 to a c£40-45k GLC?).
A good friend was recently given a BMW i8 for three days as a courtesy car (lucky i know but it's a long story and basically the dealer owed him!) and during a couple of drives he went on and on about how amazing the i8 was - to a certain extent i have to agree - and how he didn't want his old car back. I had to keep reminding him that the i8 they gave him was £125k of car. £125k!!!! (it had the £8k laser headlight option!!)

Had to also keep reminding him of how good his 16 plate 330d was!

 

[Piff]

E Cab in for service today - got this

[/URL][/IMG]as a loan car

 

[flowrider]

E Cab in for service today - got this

[/URL][/IMG]as a loan car

That is shocking. They should be ashamed.

 

[davidjpowell]

I think it's rather cool. It's for a day so unlikely to kill Piff.