Mrs BBs CLK was in for a service today - main dealer. One of the benefits of this annual ritual is that I get a go in a new Merc. Usually it's a basic saloon, but today I got a new C250CDI estate. Twin turbos and lots of toys.
It went very well, but as with all 4-cylinder Merc diesels it is quite gravelly at idle, even when warm. The PSA/Ford diesel in my S-Max is far smoother. But slower. This twin turbo really shifts, and the handling on this face-lifted W204 model is taughter than the earlier cars, and this was 'only' the quite rare Elegance trim (which I prefer to the Sport) if only because it has the gun sights at the front of the bonnet. Quite a Q-car, although the rear wheel-arch winglets would give it away to a close observer that bigger wheels meant bigger power. Glass roof, stop-start, command, I-phone cable, speed sign 'reader', TFT display in the middle of the speedo that could do a whole host of things. I was impressed.
|
|
While my Santa Fe was in for a service I had an i20. It was ok.
|
>> bigger wheels meant bigger power.
>>
Generations of boy racers would agree with you there.
Now where did I put that old set of "Carlos Fandango superwide wheels".....
|
I think most people know the rules with Mercs ie: bigger wheels, more exhausts means tastier engine.
In the office we were amused when the bosses lad insisted on having his new C class debadged to disguise the fact it is the 350CDI (now discontinued I believe), but had bigger AMG alloys fitted anyway.
|
I got a Ford Ka which had a red and white paint job like a Marlboro packet.
The only toy was the car itself.
|
|
I usually get a little Fabia - perfectly adequate and quite lively. But last week it was a Yeti 1.8 TSI - very nice indeed and hardly any loss of handling precision despite being a comparatively tall car.
|
I was told by my supplying dealer (fleet department) that when my car goes in to call them so instead of a Polo I get something more fun. Something like another CC, Golf GTD/GTi, Scirocco, etc. Sounds good except in the 3 years I will have the car it might need only one service.
And maybe if they get the VW Up! as courtesy cars I might want to try one anyway. Boot is nearly as big as the current Focus apparently (but that's partly because the Focus boot is so small).
|
|
I get the bus, or if lucky enough a lift in SWMBO's car.
|
|
If I work from home (and I usually do) then I can walk to the VW dealer via a shortcut in less than 10 minutes.... but might be fun having a Scirocco 2.0T for the day.
|
I just wait, sit around, chat to the salesmen, enjoy their coffee, read the magazines and look around at the new and second-hand cars on offer. There's a cluster of other dealers nearby, so I'll go walkabouts if it's not pouring with rain.
Servicing and MOT means that I'm there for a couple of hours or so, but I've never bothered asking for a courtesy car.
Plenty of time to spare these days.
|
Courtesy car observations - NeilS
