Popped by A4 into the local Audi dealer today for a cam-belt change (at a very reasonable price!), and was quite shocked with the courtesy car...

One of these:

It's huge, massively fuel-inefficient (18mpg around town!), took me ages to figure out how the seats work, has a foot-brake instead of a hand-break. But at least it's comfortable!

So how does it feel to be a drug dealer?

Hehe.. mustn't of had anything else to give you!

How much does one of these things weigh? Must really bog down even with that 3.0 TDi!

Bloke I work with took his 99 S3 in for a quote on some suspension rubbers and they gave him a brand new A5 3.0Tdi - twice!

It'be quite common practice i imagine, maybe theyre thinking if they give the customer a decent car they'll trade up.

I wouldn't trade up, it's boring!

Everything is done with a button - you can't even close the boot yourself!

It's got to be over 2-tonnes - 3.0 TDI isn't too bad, feels about the same "thrust" as my old vRS. P*ss-poor MPG though, currently averaging 22mpg!

Plus points - effortless, comfortable, good stereo (Bose upgrade), 7 useable seats or 5 with a massive boot.

Minus points - noisy engine, slush-o-matic auto box, it rolls, boring, too big for UK roads.

As a (large) family car it's decent, but only if you need the 7 seats. If you just need 5 then the equivelent A6 would offer just as much room mixed with 150% less pretension

So again, I wouldn't trade up to a Q7!

I've heard they can't give them away so are lending them out as courtesy cars in the hope that some or all of them don't come back!

Maybe made for the U.S.A. market -- I have seen a few of those foot parking brakes over there.

Maybe made for the U.S.A. market -- I have seen a few of those foot parking brakes over there.

Volvo XC90 has a foot parking brake you press with your left foot, you release it with a handle on the R/H of the dash

i think some/most Mercs have had foot operated hand brakes for years

I've had the following curtesy cars for my Octy - Fabia, Daihatsu Sirion, and a 52 reg Micra. Wheres my new car? When we had a Talbot Samba 1.0 rocket ship years ago we got a 205 Gti which was a fair swap

I've heard they can't give them away so are lending them out as courtesy cars in the hope that some or all of them don't come back!

To be honest, I'm not supprised!

As I've said, it gives nothing over the A6 in terms of space etc, and if you need 7 seats I'd say get a Zafira

At least you got a coursity car. My insurance company wouldnt insure me on a s40 1.6d s because its too much of a risk???? haha so the s40 2.0d sport i drive everyday is less of a risk. ok then

my mate used to have a clio and he took it to the dealer to get some work done and was given, now get this an avantine......

my mate used to have a clio and he took it to the dealer to get some work done and was given, now get this an avantine......

The dealer probably felt less embarassed having it out on the road than he did having it parked on the forecourt

Premium manufacturers normally have quite decent courtesy cars, when I dealt with my local Vauxhall garage they had a fleet of Puntos for some reason?? When the bosses XK went in last he got an XF as a courtesy car at they had only been out a few months, when the Audi's go in they normally get a top spec A4 (leather, TV etc).

When I had the Octavia I got the same Fabia Estate loads of times and a bottom spec Octavia with plastic steering wheel once.

Hopefully I'll get some Exeo action when the Leon goes in in 5000 miles time.

perhaps it's a dis-courtesy car then?

when i worked at a citroen garage part time 10 years ago they had a policy as follows...

Customer brings in AX, Saxo, or ZX\xsara or cars older than 5 years old they got a saxo or AX

Customer Brings in Xantia, synergie or XM they got a Xantia or a ZX estate

Customers with vans usually got equivilent van

When I enquired about servicing costs for my 22 yr old 944 at my local Porsche centre they offered me a new Boxter as my courtesy car :eek:

(as an aside the costs were actually quite reasonable, buy bu independent specialist is cheaper )

When I enquired about servicing costs for my 22 yr old 944 at my local Porsche centre they offered me a new Boxter as my courtesy car :eek:

(as an aside the costs were actually quite reasonable, but my independent specialist is cheaper )

Eewww, Boxster :(

Eewww, Boxster :(

Thats what I thought, and where would the kids sit

Erm... not sure? Strap them to the back on a luggage rack?

At my garage we have:

5 X Golf Mk6 loan cars 1X Touareg R50 loan car, 1X Phaeton loan car and 1 X touran loan car

As you can imagine the Touareg customers love coming in and getting the R50 for the day but 5 times now things have gone wrong and only the 50 is in and we have given it to a couple of Polo owners!!

At my garage we have:

5 X Golf Mk6 loan cars 1X Touareg R50 loan car, 1X Phaeton loan car and 1 X touran loan car

As you can imagine the Touareg customers love coming in and getting the R50 for the day but 5 times now things have gone wrong and only the 50 is in and we have given it to a couple of Polo owners!!

If i had a polo I would forget where the garage was........

If i had a polo I would forget where the garage was........

Its fitted with a tracker!!