280 mile round trip tomorrow in a Vauxhall Meriva hire car.
Discussion
I hired a Meriva for a one way trip from Gutersloh to Sindelfingen (around the same distance as your trip I think) to pick up a Mercedes from the factory, it was perfectly adequate to be fair and sat at 80+ mph on the autobahn with no difficulty.
The trip back in the E-class was better mind....
The trip back in the E-class was better mind....
Every Hire Car should come with these instructions....
HIRE CAR
double park - don't lock the door
push the pedals through the floor
give it loads and then some more
it's a hire car baby
grip the stick - grind the gears
watch that distance disappear
never yours in a thousand years
it's a hire car baby
hire-car, hire-car
why would anybody buy a car?
bang it, prang it, say ta ta
it's a hire car baby
bad behaviour on the street
save yourself a couple of sheets
collision rate keeps it sweet
it's a hire car baby
show this motor no respect
bump it, dump it, call collect
what else do the firm expect
it's a hire car baby
drive the f
ker anywhere
just like you don't care
put it down to wear and tear
it's a hire car baby
pray the person who hired it last
didn't drive it quite so fast
this dakarum dodgem doesn't last
it's a hire car baby
try not to kill yourself
or injure anybody else
don't forget to fasten your belts
rent it, dent it, bang it, prang it
bump it, dump it, scorch it, torch it
crash and burn it, don't return it
lost deposit, let 'em earn it
who cares, it's on the firm
it's a hire car baby
LYRICS © JOHN COOPER CLARKE.
HIRE CAR
double park - don't lock the door
push the pedals through the floor
give it loads and then some more
it's a hire car baby
grip the stick - grind the gears
watch that distance disappear
never yours in a thousand years
it's a hire car baby
hire-car, hire-car
why would anybody buy a car?
bang it, prang it, say ta ta
it's a hire car baby
bad behaviour on the street
save yourself a couple of sheets
collision rate keeps it sweet
it's a hire car baby
show this motor no respect
bump it, dump it, call collect
what else do the firm expect
it's a hire car baby
drive the f
ker anywherejust like you don't care
put it down to wear and tear
it's a hire car baby
pray the person who hired it last
didn't drive it quite so fast
this dakarum dodgem doesn't last
it's a hire car baby
try not to kill yourself
or injure anybody else
don't forget to fasten your belts
rent it, dent it, bang it, prang it
bump it, dump it, scorch it, torch it
crash and burn it, don't return it
lost deposit, let 'em earn it
who cares, it's on the firm
it's a hire car baby
LYRICS © JOHN COOPER CLARKE.
Mrs van Guy's car is a Meriva.
We bought it on 6k miles, 10 years ago, when Mrs van Guy became a childminder.
There is no worse fate for any vehicle than to be a childminder's car. Toyota pickups with machine guns mounted on them, driven through African civil wars, have a much easier life.
Our Meriva was eaten in, drunk in, has crumbs where it is impossible to get crumbs, kicked, jumped in and generally abused.
It's been brilliant! It gets serviced once a year, with good oil and I still get OEM Continental tyreas fitted when the old ones give up, having been bounced over speed humps by the (not too mechanically sympathetic Mrs van G) It's now on 76k miles.
It takes us on holiday every year, for the past 6 years this has been Scotland (from Gloucestershire)
In 2012 it took us to Brentwood, Essex, where we stayed and caught the train into London to go to the Olympics.
We left the Olympic Stadium after the first Athletics evening, got the train back to Essex and got in to the Meriva at about 11PM.
Off we went.
M25 to M1 to M6 to M6 Toll to M6 to M74 to A82 to A830 to Skye.
I stopped at Tebay Services at 3.30AM for fuel. Silence.
We were in Scotland before 5AM, over the Erskine Bridge at 6AM and stopped at the Green Welly Stop at around 7.30AM, watching the Olympic action from the night before on the tv. We were in Fort William before 9AM. The ferry from Mallaig was booked for 4.30PM so we went mountain biking and climbing at Nevis range.
We were in our holiday cottage near Kyleakin by 5.30 and watched Mo and Jess win on Super Saturday.
The car didn't miss one beat. That little suburban mini-MPV did nearly 700 miles, in one fantastic overnight run. It was comfy enough, fast enough, spacious enough. It's like a well-worn, super-comfy coat. A new one would be nice, but while this one works...
Last year it took us back, in Friday night traffic but with an overnight stop in Glasgow.
Brilliant cars. Won't have a word said against them....
We bought it on 6k miles, 10 years ago, when Mrs van Guy became a childminder.
There is no worse fate for any vehicle than to be a childminder's car. Toyota pickups with machine guns mounted on them, driven through African civil wars, have a much easier life.
Our Meriva was eaten in, drunk in, has crumbs where it is impossible to get crumbs, kicked, jumped in and generally abused.
It's been brilliant! It gets serviced once a year, with good oil and I still get OEM Continental tyreas fitted when the old ones give up, having been bounced over speed humps by the (not too mechanically sympathetic Mrs van G) It's now on 76k miles.
It takes us on holiday every year, for the past 6 years this has been Scotland (from Gloucestershire)
In 2012 it took us to Brentwood, Essex, where we stayed and caught the train into London to go to the Olympics.
We left the Olympic Stadium after the first Athletics evening, got the train back to Essex and got in to the Meriva at about 11PM.
Off we went.
M25 to M1 to M6 to M6 Toll to M6 to M74 to A82 to A830 to Skye.
I stopped at Tebay Services at 3.30AM for fuel. Silence.
We were in Scotland before 5AM, over the Erskine Bridge at 6AM and stopped at the Green Welly Stop at around 7.30AM, watching the Olympic action from the night before on the tv. We were in Fort William before 9AM. The ferry from Mallaig was booked for 4.30PM so we went mountain biking and climbing at Nevis range.
We were in our holiday cottage near Kyleakin by 5.30 and watched Mo and Jess win on Super Saturday.
The car didn't miss one beat. That little suburban mini-MPV did nearly 700 miles, in one fantastic overnight run. It was comfy enough, fast enough, spacious enough. It's like a well-worn, super-comfy coat. A new one would be nice, but while this one works...
Last year it took us back, in Friday night traffic but with an overnight stop in Glasgow.
Brilliant cars. Won't have a word said against them....
I had to drive one of the earlier ones (2009/10) from Toulouse to Seville when that Icelandic bloody volcano stopped everyone from flying around Europe. And then go to work in Seville everyday for a week and a bit, then drive it back to Toulouse again.
You think you've got problems?
Actually, I got to quite like it in the 4,400k I put on it.
You think you've got problems?
Actually, I got to quite like it in the 4,400k I put on it.
Synchromesh said:
Probably the single slowest and most mind-numbingly boring car I've has the displeasure of driving. My thoughts are with you.
Agreed. I was given one once by work, drove it straight to the Avis office nearest my destination and swapped it for an alternative for the journey back. Hateful thing.Nigel Worc's said:
MTFU, it'll be fine.
You will struggle to find a poor car these days, and 280 miles ?
That isn't a trip, it is an average service call, 2,800 miles, that'd be a trip !
This. I did 750 in less than a week in a 107. The car had a smaller engine than my motorbike and was considerably less comfortable. You will struggle to find a poor car these days, and 280 miles ?
That isn't a trip, it is an average service call, 2,800 miles, that'd be a trip !
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