Omega Owners Forum

Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Chopsdad on 20 November 2006, 20:20:17

Title: Hire Cars
Post by: Chopsdad on 20 November 2006, 20:20:17
Got to go to Manchester tmz so company hired me a 7 seater to drive us all.

It's just arrived and first impressions look ok.  Black Vx Zafira Design 06 plate.

But then I found the steering controls don't work, it has no cruise, no audio on dash display, it's a 1.8 petrol and not the 1.9cdti I was expecting and to cap it all the rear tyre was sitting at 24psi - all the rest 33/34 which points to a slow puncture. >:(

The good news is that I get to give it back at the end of the day. :)

Anyone else hired worse????


Title: Re: Hire Cars
Post by: TheBoy on 20 November 2006, 20:24:28
Quote
Got to go to Manchester tmz so company hired me a 7 seater to drive us all.

It's just arrived and first impressions look ok.  Black Vx Zafira Design 06 plate.

But then I found the steering controls don't work, it has no cruise, no audio on dash display, it's a 1.8 petrol and not the 1.9cdti I was expecting and to cap it all the rear tyre was sitting at 24psi - all the rest 33/34 which points to a slow puncture. >:(

The good news is that I get to give it back at the end of the day. :)

Anyone else hired worse????


Only abroad, where you get right heaps, esp in Spain/Greece...
Title: Re: Hire Cars
Post by: Chopsdad on 20 November 2006, 20:30:06
Quote
Quote
Got to go to Manchester tmz so company hired me a 7 seater to drive us all.

It's just arrived and first impressions look ok.  Black Vx Zafira Design 06 plate.

But then I found the steering controls don't work, it has no cruise, no audio on dash display, it's a 1.8 petrol and not the 1.9cdti I was expecting and to cap it all the rear tyre was sitting at 24psi - all the rest 33/34 which points to a slow puncture. >:(

The good news is that I get to give it back at the end of the day. :)

Anyone else hired worse????


Only abroad, where you get right heaps, esp in Spain/Greece...

That's why I always check them over - I hired a Citroen AX in Majorca once - even though it was a 1.1 it came fitted with slicks which I found odd at the time  :-?
Title: Re: Hire Cars
Post by: Bo Bo on 20 November 2006, 20:31:56
Hired a Sierra in Ireland once, it was a shed!
Title: Re: Hire Cars
Post by: theolodian on 20 November 2006, 20:33:54
Took a Renault 19 all over France for a week while in Uni.  Front brakes were totally shot.  Got quite scary in the alps with 5 of us and camping gear!  :o
Title: Re: Hire Cars
Post by: Timbuk on 20 November 2006, 20:34:14
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Hired a Sierra in Ireland once, it was a shed!

That'll be a Shederra then :D
Title: Re: Hire Cars
Post by: STMO123 on 20 November 2006, 20:38:43
It would probably be quicker (but less fun) to ask if anybody had ever had a decent hire car
Title: Re: Hire Cars
Post by: Del Boy on 20 November 2006, 20:46:49
I hired a transit just after i sold mine because i had a sofa that needed taking somewhere and i tell you front tyres was bald chips all over the windscreen and it was really rough this being a 51Reg with 182,000 miles u dont expect much but more than that >:(
Title: Re: Hire Cars
Post by: Timbuk on 20 November 2006, 20:49:34
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chips all over the windscreen

Any sausages :D
Title: Re: Hire Cars
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 20 November 2006, 21:05:12
I get hire cars all the time at work, Peugeots seem to be the worst, yet to get one with fully working electrics and had the exhaust drop off one of them on the A46...it had 500 miles on the clock!
Title: Re: Hire Cars
Post by: MikeDundee on 20 November 2006, 21:09:55
Had a honda accord 2.2 in Thailand 3/4 weeks ago, not bad, killed some snakes in it ;D also driven toyota camry 2.0 litre, a couple of smaller cars in Thailand, Toyota Verso in Norway (not bad), for a small people carrier, volvo S70 in Ireland, also mondeo CDTI estate (not bad) again in ireland, and a few others. However, the pieste a resistonce was in 2000 going to my neice's wedding in dundee, flew into glasgow, and hired a facelift meega, was so impressed had to buy one, need I say anymore, converted I was :y
Title: Re: Hire Cars
Post by: bob.dent on 20 November 2006, 21:12:33
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Had a honda accord 2.2 in Thailand 3/4 weeks ago, not bad, killed some snakes in it ;D also driven toyota camry 2.0 litre, a couple of smaller cars in Thailand, Toyota Verso in Norway (not bad), for a small people carrier, volvo S70 in Ireland, also mondeo CDTI estate (not bad) again in ireland, and a few others. However, the pieste a resistonce was in 2000 going to my neice's wedding in dundee, flew into glasgow, and hired a facelift meega, was so impressed had to buy one, need I say anymore, converted I was :y

Ahhh....that's what you were telling me in the pub yesterday Mick - I didn't have my Acme translator switched on ;D ;D
Title: Re: Hire Cars
Post by: Taxi_Driver on 20 November 2006, 21:15:20
I rented a Ford 8 seater bus once to see if i got more work (bus work is 50% more on fares)....had it for 4 weeks.....i had done 5k when i rented it....steering controls for stereo didnt work.....rear demister on one rear door didnt work......drank diesel.... coz intercooler on it (mark might disagree with this  ;D)
Didnt earn anymore.....so gave it back after doing 5k in it!
Title: Re: Hire Cars
Post by: Timbuk on 20 November 2006, 21:17:35
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Had a honda accord 2.2 in Thailand 3/4 weeks ago, not bad, killed some snakes in it ;D also driven toyota camry 2.0 litre, a couple of smaller cars in Thailand, Toyota Verso in Norway (not bad), for a small people carrier, volvo S70 in Ireland, also mondeo CDTI estate (not bad) again in ireland, and a few others. However, the pieste a resistonce was in 2000 going to my neice's wedding in dundee, flew into glasgow, and hired a facelift meega, was so impressed had to buy one, need I say anymore, converted I was :y


What a lovely story :)
Title: Re: Hire Cars
Post by: MikeDundee on 20 November 2006, 21:18:01
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Quote
Had a honda accord 2.2 in Thailand 3/4 weeks ago, not bad, killed some snakes in it ;D also driven toyota camry 2.0 litre, a couple of smaller cars in Thailand, Toyota Verso in Norway (not bad), for a small people carrier, volvo S70 in Ireland, also mondeo CDTI estate (not bad) again in ireland, and a few others. However, the pieste a resistonce was in 2000 going to my neice's wedding in dundee, flew into glasgow, and hired a facelift meega, was so impressed had to buy one, need I say anymore, converted I was :y

Ahhh....that's what you were telling me in the pub yesterday Mick - I didn't have my Acme translator switched on ;D ;D

I'll bring a pen and paper the next time ;D
Title: Re: Hire Cars
Post by: Taxi_Driver on 20 November 2006, 21:19:53
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I get hire cars all the time at work, Peugeots seem to be the worst, yet to get one with fully working electrics and had the exhaust drop off one of them on the A46...it had 500 miles on the clock!

That i am surprised at  :o Pugs 406's 407's diesels seem to be a fav with taxi drivers here......i dont like em.....but if they kept going wrong esp being a taxi why they fav's  :-/
Title: Re: Hire Cars
Post by: Del Boy on 20 November 2006, 21:20:44
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chips all over the windscreen

Any sausages :D

Walked into that didn't i but being serious now one was right in the line of view i said to the bloke u need to get that sorted m8 bald front tyres and a chip in the windscreen he said MOT is due next month so i said better be done quick he didnt seem to take it very serious idiot
Title: Re: Hire Cars
Post by: Taxi_Driver on 20 November 2006, 21:22:27
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Quote
Quote
Had a honda accord 2.2 in Thailand 3/4 weeks ago, not bad, killed some snakes in it ;D also driven toyota camry 2.0 litre, a couple of smaller cars in Thailand, Toyota Verso in Norway (not bad), for a small people carrier, volvo S70 in Ireland, also mondeo CDTI estate (not bad) again in ireland, and a few others. However, the pieste a resistonce was in 2000 going to my neice's wedding in dundee, flew into glasgow, and hired a facelift meega, was so impressed had to buy one, need I say anymore, converted I was :y

Ahhh....that's what you were telling me in the pub yesterday Mick - I didn't have my Acme translator switched on ;D ;D

I'll bring a pen and paper the next time ;D

Just text AA....an he'll do it for you  :y

Oh hang on texting might be a bit modern for AA......suggest you phone him instead  :y ;D
Title: Re: Hire Cars
Post by: Bo Bo on 20 November 2006, 21:54:15
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I get hire cars all the time at work, Peugeots seem to be the worst, yet to get one with fully working electrics and had the exhaust drop off one of them on the A46...it had 500 miles on the clock!
I wonder where they were made!  ::)
Title: Re: Hire Cars
Post by: Timbuk on 20 November 2006, 21:56:50
Quote
Quote
I get hire cars all the time at work, Peugeots seem to be the worst, yet to get one with fully working electrics and had the exhaust drop off one of them on the A46...it had 500 miles on the clock!
I wonder where they were made!  ::)

Not for much longer ::)
Title: Re: Hire Cars
Post by: Bo Bo on 20 November 2006, 21:59:01
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Quote
Quote
I get hire cars all the time at work, Peugeots seem to be the worst, yet to get one with fully working electrics and had the exhaust drop off one of them on the A46...it had 500 miles on the clock!
I wonder where they were made!  ::)

Not for much longer ::)
I got offered a job there about three years ago, glad I didn't take it now!
Title: Re: Hire Cars
Post by: Admin on 21 November 2006, 08:08:40
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Quote
I get hire cars all the time at work, Peugeots seem to be the worst, yet to get one with fully working electrics and had the exhaust drop off one of them on the A46...it had 500 miles on the clock!

That i am surprised at  :o Pugs 406's 407's diesels seem to be a fav with taxi drivers here......i dont like em.....but if they kept going wrong esp being a taxi why they fav's  :-/

That is because Mark gets the 307... which really has not gained itself a good reputation (oh and Mark is really not a fan of French cars...  ;))!

406 is a very proven motor in diesel form, as you say, taxi drivers love them, and you guys depend on a good car.

407 has so far been relatively ok too. However the 2.0 hdi is hardly quick off the mark.
Title: Re: Hire Cars
Post by: Salty on 21 November 2006, 08:58:14
Had a 4cyl facelift omega auto once as hire car. It nearly put me off getting one, just seemed so underpowered compared to my senny and it had some really annoying rattles in the cabin.
Had a new 525 BMW estate in france last year, I was reasonably impressed with that. It was free upgrade because it was the only auto they had.
Just had a focus auto in spain, not too bad, did the job I suppose.
Title: Re: Hire Cars
Post by: Ghosts in my machine on 21 November 2006, 09:47:45
Had loads of hire cars over the years. Hyundai Accent was the worst. Not because it was a shed, it was just crap!

Anyway, who cares. Hire Cars are the fastest cars in the world. Thrash 'em then give them back. Great!

Had a Corsa as a hire car for a day. Drove my normal route down the A38 at 70 mph happily until I got to a roundabout near Brum. Slowed right down for it, saw there was nothing coming so floored it onto the roundabout forgetting that I wasn't in my Omega Auto and was actually still in 5th Gear. . . . . Burning clutch doesn't smell nice does it! [smiley=embarassed.gif]
Title: Re: Hire Cars
Post by: Elite Pete on 21 November 2006, 10:04:44
I had a Suzuki Jeep thing when we went to Gozo a couple of years back. It had a cloud of burning oil smoke behind it all the time, infact we got more to miles per gallon of petrol than we did of oil. The steering was that worn it had about 6" of play, it was like being in one of the old black and white films and when we came to a slight incline my three passengers had to get out and I met them at the top ;D
Title: Re: Hire Cars
Post by: Big Rod on 21 November 2006, 13:08:42
Like Mark, I get and have gotten hire cars quite regularly through work. Most of 'em are/were quite ambiguous, but one time when I destroyed the clutch on my N/A 405 diesel, (No I didn't do it on purpose! Ah - ah, no not me!!), a brand new Fiat Marea HLX Weekend 2.0 20 valve appeared outside my house!! What a lovely car sounded sweet!! Unfortunately the brakes had a mind of their own, so I had it swapped for a Megane!!  >:(

Also when I was about 18, I pranged my company Cortina and as punishment had to drive around in a Fiat Fiorino van for a month. Wouldn't pull you out of bed but damn did it corner well!!

The best story I have is having been on S2N, hiring a brand new, straight out the wrappers, Focus at Luton airport. I drove it to Northampton and it broke down so had to be recovered and swapped. They gave me a Zafira which TBH, I was actually quite impressed with. Damned if I could get the hang of the indicators though!!  :o
Title: Re: Hire Cars
Post by: omegaV6CD on 21 November 2006, 13:15:40
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Quote
Got to go to Manchester tmz so company hired me a 7 seater to drive us all.

It's just arrived and first impressions look ok.  Black Vx Zafira Design 06 plate.

But then I found the steering controls don't work, it has no cruise, no audio on dash display, it's a 1.8 petrol and not the 1.9cdti I was expecting and to cap it all the rear tyre was sitting at 24psi - all the rest 33/34 which points to a slow puncture. >:(

The good news is that I get to give it back at the end of the day. :)

Anyone else hired worse????


Only abroad, where you get right heaps, esp in Spain/Greece...

You get what you pay, so be carefull what you say about Greece ;D
Title: Re: Hire Cars
Post by: omegaV6CD on 21 November 2006, 13:21:27
I use a lot of hire cars at work, worst one was a Xaara picasso 1.6d 90hp, this car is a total heap of jung, no wait a minute.. the worst car i ever got was the focus Cmax, it was a disgrace of a vehicle. Best one it was in rome in Italy where i got a brand new alfa 156 1.9diesel.
It is nice to use hire cars because u get to judge every manufacturer. My favourite hire car in the UK is the Vectra CDTI 1.9 which i tend to ask for.