Modern hire car horrors
 

Having dealt with a spell of minor problems with my beloved B4 80 in recent months, it's now with a local VW/Audi specialists to have some rather more pressing problems investigated/repaired. In the meantime, I have this hire car to drive...

http://www.classic-audi.co.uk/forum/...pictureid=8309

Now without seeming to be ungrateful because I do need a car to get me to/from work whilst mine is being repaired, and the hire company have fulfilled my every request in so far as providing me with a similar sized car that isn’t blue, and for once it is at least clean on the inside (outside could do with a chamois!), but seriously, what the *beep* has happened to basic simplistic driving controls, driver comfort, and the sheer joys of driving a car? :crazy:

Upon first sitting in the Toyota Avensis Icon D-4D Saloon, the first thing that became apparent to me was that I couldn’t see either the front or the back of the car, and even after adjusting the seat/mirrors/etc, this was a struggle. With nothing else available however, and with the offer to swap for something else later in the week if I want to, I decided to at least give it a go. :eek:

So, next up, a lesson from the hire company re controls and driving the car, and believe me, just the starting and reversing procedures alone took some getting used to on account of there being no central pull-up style handbrake anymore, but rather a button that requires pressing or pulling depending on what you want to do! :yikes: Most other controls, indicators and wipers for example, are much the same as my own car, the controls for the CD/radio on the steering wheel are nothing new to me, the on-board automatic reversing webcam is proving to be quite useful, and rather surprisingly for a newer car it does have an ashtray & cigarette lighter, but jeez, there are just too many other new fandaggled dials that I’ve just not had the time (or inclination!) to investigate them all, and I’m seriously wondering how the modern car owner can even concentrate on the road! :halo:

So anyway, how does it drive? Well to be fair, it’s much the same as driving any other new car; the clutch and brake offers more resistance compared to the older cars, it’s a lot quieter and smoother to drive, handles well, and it clearly has a lot more gadgetry than what I’m used to, BUT, and here’s the thing, the sheer joy of driving and driver comfort were not particularly high on Toyota’s list when they designed this car, it has the hardest and most uncomfortable seats you could ever imagine, and for the most part, the usual ‘ooh a new car to drive’ and eagerness to drive it anywhere and everywhere feelings that you get within the few day days/weeks of getting a new car, well they were gone within the first 10mins or so. :shake:

In summary, I’m missing my car already! :nod: :sad:

Quite right, too. She'll be expecting a good polishing and all the other intimate car-owner stuff when you get her back.

The last hire car I had was a shite pug (lots of irrelevant numbers) indiscriminate thing.
Actually, I lie. The last hire car I had was another pug; 307/308 type thing, which was a replacement for the pug (lots of irrelevant numbers). The latter was ok. The former was a hideous 6 month old wreck, with the ubiquitous electronic parking brake that failed 3 times in succession, within a mile of the pickup point, before I gingerly returned it with the comment of death trap. It was. It had just been surviced, they said. With a bigammer, I opined. It was a chore driving in a straight line. The EPB wouldn't disengage resulting in missing a lights sequence several times, and nearly being rear ended.
Of several similar cars, I have found them noisy, droning, vague machines. Tyre noise being so intrusive as to be worth the extra insurance just to burn the car to avoid driving it.

The two best cars in the last 5 years were a Passat blue motion, which was one of the easiest cars to get accustomed to. 5 minutes in the car had me hooked.
The other car, surprisingly was a Citroen C-something. Nothing to look at, but pretty enjoyable down the back lanes.

Of all of them, only the Passat would grace my stable.

It's a Toyota, it does what it says on the tin.........in a drab, boring type way......but it'll do it for a long time..... Well until it's bumped and the cost of it's airbags going off makes it uneconomical to repair!
Passion, it's a word probably not used much these days regards the modern car..............and that's it, there is no passion 'cause your average Joe can no longer engage with said piece of machinery 'cause it does it all for you.
I hate them too........soul-less pieces of crap.
Anyone else...?

Don't go bringing passion into a public conversation where you two are involved; we'll end up off on a tangent.;)

Unless it's brakes, in which case...:nono:

Having investigated and found a secondary oil leak, all by myself I might add in the past week or so, which I now know to be the oil pressure switch (one of the problems being fixed!), or as I like to call it, the additional safety feature provided by Audi due to its appearance, I should like to confirm that my car is most definitely, a boy! :lol: :lol: :lol:
He was also cleaned late yesterday evening by yours truly so there wont be much need for polishing when I do get him back, that said, I didnt have time to hoover the interior so at least there will be some intimate car-owner stuff going on when I do get him back. :smilewinkgrin:

100% agree :tup:
...and being a Toyota tin, it even came with the "if not 100% satisfied, please return it" clause. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Spoil sport :razz: :lol:
T'iz true what John says though, modern cars lack the passion that the older cars provide, thank crunchy for the folk wanting to keep the old cars on the road eh? :tup:

No. That just spoils it. If I think of your car as female, it's easy to conjure images of girl on girl...;)

Now, who was it that said something about going off on a tangent?
:nono: tut tut :lol: