All you folks who regularly hire cars , what would be the chance of hiring a specific model of car from a hire company? Are they all "classes" or can you specify?
I would like to hire a Qashqai automatic to see what the CVT gearbox is like to live with on a normal commuting / working few days. I did contact Nissan UK who were hopeless.
A dealer will only the give the usual half hour or whatever test drive. I want to see what its like in my 30 min stop start commute, parking bumper to bumper in my driveway, parking at the supermarket, etc etc.
Anyone any experience of trying to hire a specific car?
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>> All you folks who regularly hire cars , what would be the chance of hiring
>> a specific model of car from a hire company? Are they all "classes" or can
>> you specify?
You can try, but the chances of getting the specific car you want are next to nil.
Tell the dealer you are setting up a company car scheme for your chain of shops, and looking for a series of good lease deals.
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Ha ha he might ask for a few more details and then it would fall flat....
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The Lineartronic (CVT) in my Subaru XT drives/changes just like a TC automatic, but with flappy paddles.
I've always been a bit wary of CVT gearboxes but I'm a convert now.
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Nissan call theirs Xtronic and have done it in some way that you can feel it artificially change up gears even though it is CVT!!!
Another one I researched, the Renault Kadjar, apparently its auto doesnt have any creep on it at all. Thought all autos did?
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>>Nissan call theirs Xtronic and have done it in some way that you can feel it artificially change up gears even though it is CVT!!!
Yup, mine has six speeds, I've counted 'em :) .. creeps too, and holds on hills, handy in Cornwall and Scotland!
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As far as my limited knowledge of auto gearboxes go, one of the criticisms of CVT is noise especially at speed or accelerating hard. Do you find that?
Lexus use CVT and as a luxury brand I would have thought these criticisms wouldn't be accepted if that was the case?
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>>one of the criticisms of CVT is noise especially at speed or accelerating hard. Do you find that?
Yes, on the brand new Jazz I drove when I had the CRV serviced, but no, not on the XV.
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>> >>one of the criticisms of CVT is noise especially at speed or accelerating hard. Do
>> you find that?
>>
>> Yes, on the brand new Jazz I drove when I had the CRV serviced, but
>> no, not on the XV.
>>
The Jazz engine goes instantly to 4,600 revs, on my 1.5, the 1.3 it is 5,000 revs, maximum torque output for acceleration. No noisier than any other car floored in a low gear, and how often do you drive like that? It will stay at these revs until you get to the speed you want having changed up through the seven simulated gears or you back off.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Thu 8 Nov 18 at 11:03
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>> Lexus use CVT and as a luxury brand I would have thought these criticisms wouldn't be accepted if that was the case?
But they do drone in those circumstances because it keeps revs the same.
I would have thought Nissan UK would eventually find one that is at least very similar for a longer demo.
When I wanted to test drive an Audi A3 S-Tronic with the 1.4 petrol engine a dealer not too far away let me have it for a weekend even though they were highly unlikely to get the order. They didn't in the end but I did try to get the lease company to use them. Came from the same group but from Milton Keynes.
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>> Another one I researched, the Renault Kadjar, apparently its auto doesnt have any creep on
>> it at all. Thought all autos did?
My G31 has no creep at all, but that might be due to auto hold :)
Its a serious point tho, with modern drive by wire throttle, electronically linked transmission/engine management, creep is not needed. You can tickle them along on throttle.
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The auto hold got me fooled when test driving a Passat CC with DSG in 2011. Backing into a space it had no creep. It was only later I realised it was auto hold. Not had issues with DSG with the two autos I have had since.
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>> The auto hold got me fooled when test driving a Passat CC with DSG in
>> 2011. Backing into a space it had no creep. It was only later I realised
>> it was auto hold. Not had issues with DSG with the two autos I have
>> had since.
It's a combo of auto hold, fake creep and badly designed throttle response that turns me right off a DSG.
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>> It's a combo of auto hold, fake creep and badly designed throttle response that turns
>> me right off a DSG.
>>
Wife's Tiguan is DSG - we turn autohold off, it's pointless in an auto, and it's a much nicer drive if you release the footbrake and let the car start to creep before applying gas. With autohold it's quite abrupt as the brakes release at the same time as you're pushing the gas pedal.
Neither of us had driven a DSG before the car was delivered but it drives absolutely fine - I'd say comparable to the well regarded 5 speed auto in my old Merc. I gather different models of DSG box do vary though - I keep asking for one as a courtesy car but in 4 attempts it hasn't happened yet.
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>>Anyone any experience of trying to hire a specific car?
With the big guys you have no chance.
However, if you can find a small local rental operator that has one then your chances are quite good.
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>>
>> Anyone any experience of trying to hire a specific car?
>>
When we were considering buying a particular car we hired one for the weekend from the main dealer and specified the exact spec we wanted. IIRC the trim level was one different but it had the required engine and gearbox.
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Hiring a specific car - Zero
