Me too GWS, just had the 3rd Service for the Xsara. Was £320 at the local main dealers (lots of glass and chrome) and nice loan car or £160 at local backstreet Citroen specialist but an old shed for a loan car.
Went for the cheaper option and got a P reg 144,000 mile Saxo 1.5D. Apart from the drivetrain rattling when cornering the car drove very well, started first time and didn't feel the old wreck the garage had led me to believe.
The service itself came in on budget, and seems I have found a very good, cheap local garage so am happy (is Chris Hall Motor Engineers in case anyone is interested).
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I take my car to a Saab independant for servicing, and usually get an older model 9-5 as a courtesy car. The first time I went there though I got a 9000 Aero; old car, high miles, but 230bhp was very entertaining and I didn't want mine back at the end of the day..
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In response to Jonathan, that explains the transporter full of red and silver Colts at Blackbushe on Wednesday. I didn't think they were rental cars.
HJ
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No excuse to not offer an up to date loan vehicle, if your garage joins their Trade Club.
They can have a brand new Corsa for around £20/week, for this purpose.
But the last time I offerd a loan vehicle, was our LDV 200, liveried up to match my Maestro van, looking really smart, as part of our 'fleet'. Only lasted a few loans out, before a customer thought it OK, to let a sub contractor of his use it, too.
Bad enough he did this, but running into the back of a scaffold truck, destroying the front end. Even this wasn't quite sufficient, he then drove it back to us, around 15miles, without coolant, as the rad was useless. Seized engine followed!
Took several letters back n forwards with his solicitors, before they agreed to compensate us. All the time implying we were wrong to let him use it, as we hadn't provided proper insurance, allowing ANYONE to drive it!!
Not gonna do that again!!
VB
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There is a bodyshop in Macclesfield that uses an M reg Pug 106 1.1 as its 'loaner'. Worryingly my colleague thought it a great improvement on his current car...
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At the opposite extreme, another colleague took his elderly Toyota Carina to the Toyota main agent for its 120k service. He has booked a courtesy car, so was more than miffed when informed they were all out. He kicked up a stink until the dealer principal said he had better borrow his car for the day. It turned out to be a Lexus SC430 (the covertible one).
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It turned out to be a Lexus SC430 (the covertible one).
Result :)
I had the more typical 'down to earth' experience over the last week. Insurance includes a guaranteed hire car, so whilst my 2.2 Avensis was repaired I was faced with a week in a 1.0 Chevrolet Matiz. I did over 300 miles in the thing and was extremely pleased to hand it back! But, it has really made me appreciate my own car and given me a dose of reality in terms of how slow and noisy some cars can be.
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Local Cit specialist used to have a D plate (ie 86 ish) AX. Never saw another earlier than E.
A little earlier in the 90s the franchised dealer also had AX's (or perhaps early Saxos), one of which was in a sort of lacquer over pink primer shade. I only got it once but at about 5 minutes notice after the BX suddenly manifested a fault they'd supposedly cured earlier in the week about 200metres from their workshop.
SWMBO's face when I turned up to collect her and B junior from the shops was a picture to behold!!!!!
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Got it back OK to garage. Steering was low geared AND heavy - strange that. Brakes were not very powerful.
Glad to get in the Passat with new discs and pads.
I'd recommend JBS Auto Designs, Chesterfield, for routine servicing and repairs on VAG cars. They have an extensive web site , mostly aimed at enhancing VW performance.
--
I wasna fu but just had plenty.
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As others have have mentioned, the relief on getting back into your own vehicle after such a 'courtesy' car makes you think it's done deliberately to ease the trauma of parting with the £££s extracted by the garage.... :-)
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One of the joys of using my indie repairer is that I never know what 'courtesy' car he will offer me. Cars I have had include various ropey BXs including a 16valve, and a 1990 Jag XJ40 with a surprising amount of the digital dash working!
But the piece de resistance was, a couple of years ago, a 1975 swb canvas-roofed Land Rover diesel. Boy was that an experience!!
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You guys must go to some upmarket repairers to get a loan car. I take my pushbike in the car and pedal home. Only problem with biking home is stopping to talk to all my chums out and about in the village, which I don't do when driving. Last time it took me 90 mins to bike 2 miles.
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The good father (TGF) is in the habit of taking his aged BMW for service and returning in the proprietors latest 'run-about' which is typically a 7 series or 6 series and normally times this at the end of the day and tends to RV with the good mother (TGM) to surprise her with a different car (note: the parents are both late 70's) A couple of years ago TGF found himslef provided with the only spare vehicle available and thought how funny it would be to pick TGM up from a garden party in it......one of the things we still avoid talking about at family gatherings is the time TGF collected TGM in a 15 year old white Escort van.
Mind you, TGF claims it was one of the most peaceful times he had for years....TGM refused to speak to him for 5 days!!
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Several years ago I took my van to my local 'independent' for its 6k mile oil change. Imagine how delighted I was to be given an Alfasud 1300cc. Goodness knows where it came from, as I hadn't seen one around for years, but what a super drive, and a rasping exhaust note to die for. The interior, and exterior, were totally shot, but I remember filling it with petrol, phoning SWMBO and taking the long route home.
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Oh an Alfasud! I had two in the early 1980s. The exhaust noise is amazing, especailly on the over-run. The best ever, not even a Ferrari beats a nice boxer rasp.
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I have started using an independant for my Audi A4. Got there yesterday and they forgot to book me a car..Ended up with the guys passat from behind the desk...Drove it like an old lady for the day so i suppose it may be possible they say that to everyone just to treat their cars a little bette!
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I have started using an independant for my Audi A4. Got there yesterday and they forgot to book me a car..Ended up with the guys passat from behind the desk...Drove it like an old lady for the day so i suppose it may be possible they say that to everyone just to treat their cars a little bette!
Not sure a Passat is downmarket from an A4 though.
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