Courtesy car what is appropriate?

Joined
27 Jan 2008
Messages
24,313
Reaction score
2,777
Location
Llanfair Caereinion, Nr Welshpool
Country
United Kingdom
I have heard people complain when the courtesy car was much smaller than their own car, but wife took her Jaguar XE in for a service and the courtesy car is a Landrover discovery, that is a massive car when one is not use to it, lucky we also have a Kia Sorento so we are use to large cars, but our licence goes up to I think 3.5 ton, not looked as don't want to drive anything that big, not keen on the Kia Sorento for shopping as often can't open doors in car parks as too wide, great to tow caravan with, but not as general run about.

OK I was taught to drive in a 6 wheel Bedford TM and did hold a HGV class II for a time, but medical cost too much so let it drop, but the garage has no idea of our driving ability, and even if I have driven a CAT 769 it was not on public roads.

So what is an appropriate courtesy car?
 
Surely something is better than nothing? After somebody lamped me up the back in my estate a number of years ago the courtesy car was a Nova. Ever tried getting a 6ft level inside one of them? When they needed to keep the vehicle in over the weekend (because the rear window had cracked) they at least got me a bigger vehicle for a couple of days - a Land-Rover Defender. A bit like driving a tank after a Xantia estate
 
I suppose the XE is the smallest Jaguar made, so likely courtesy car will be larger, I can get more in the old Honda Jazz than the XE and bang my head getting in and out, but it is the car she wanted.
 
It's normally the other way round- you take your Discovery in for repair and get a micro car as a courtesy car.
 
We always only insure via a co that has the options to upgrade ones car in the event of it being damaged via accident, criminal dame etc. Indeed you pay extra on top of the standard courtesy car, fact!!

Years ago I had a class Merc bught new from MB, The dealers we A1. It had to go back a few times for problems with the window and they could not get the parts on 2 occasions - they gave a demo E class full of anything and everything. The next time it was an ML. Even on the servicing years ago they laways gave me a top sepc model

Porsche had a problem with hesitation - they gave me a higher mdel spec than mine and it was almost new

We've never had to use a courtesy car for accident but its a piece of mind should someone clown crash into your car you won't be left with a tom/dick or harry's car but a nice car something like you are used to, size-wise anyway.
 
I would love a Discovery as a courtesy car, I'd even add courtesy car to my insurance then have a prang just to be able to try one lol.

Mind you, after trying it I'm sure it would shatter my dreams of ever having one. lol

Normally I don't bother with adding the courtesy car option given that my wife only works 500 yards down the road but still insists on having a car, so if I ever need to I can use hers & vi versa.
 
I have heard people complain when the courtesy car was much smaller than their own car, but wife took her Jaguar XE in for a service and the courtesy car is a Landrover discovery, that is a massive car when one is not use to it,

I have never felt intimidated by size, only by by the body shape. Easiest to drive and be able to judge is a boxy shape, where you can see all of the extremes easily. My own car is the worst, you cannot easily judge where any of the extremes are.
 
you have to add the extra on top of the courtesy car to get an 'enhanced car' - we have several cars but you never know how long your car is going to be off the road so a pice of mind
 
I have never felt intimidated by size, only by by the body shape. Easiest to drive and be able to judge is a boxy shape, where you can see all of the extremes easily. My own car is the worst, you cannot easily judge where any of the extremes are.

After driving a boxy Dolomite and MK4 Cortina that were easy to place in any parking space, the Princess took a bit of getting used to. The wedge front was manageable, but with high back window and steeply sloping boot, it was anyone's guess where the rear of the car ended. Though in time you get used to it.

Modern cars are even worse with small, high rear windows and a row of headrests just to make sure you don't stand a chance of seeing anything behind when reversing.
 
Last edited:
Modern cars are even worse with small, high rear windows and a row of headrests just to make sure you don't stand a chance of seeing anything behind when reversing.

Present car is by far the worst for rear vision, a narrow letter-box slot of vision through the back window and no clues where the rear wings are in the door mirrors, which is why I have reverse bleepers and a reversing camera. I quite happy reversing vans, no matter what the size, but cars...
 
Present car is by far the worst for rear vision, a narrow letter-box slot of vision through the back window and no clues where the rear wings are in the door mirrors, which is why I have reverse bleepers and a reversing camera. I quite happy reversing vans, no matter what the size, but cars...

Agree, my van is easy. Not very big anyway, and has large door mirrors. Rear doors are glazed, but I only glance in the rear view mirror as reversing. Easy to put it exactly where I want it.
 
Our 21 plate evoque has been at the dealer for 6 weeks Saturday just gone with a battery drain, we called LR Assist out who arranged everything including recovery but we just decided to drive it up, dealer only had Hyundai courtesy cars so I refused and called Assist, they paid for a taxi home and within 2 hrs they'd hired and got dropped off a 6 month old evoque, 6 weeks we've had it and it's got to be close to 1k a week JLR are having to pay
 
About 10 years ago our Lexus got damaged by an OAP ….Got car sorted by insurance who subbed it out by some chancers called drive assist ….they where only bothered by how much they could cream off the claim …..saying we needed another Lexus or a bmw as a courtesy car ….I refused saying any car small car would do …..what people forget is ….all that extra cost is paid by all of us in the end ….luckily that shower of ****e “ drive assist” went bust we even had the garage that repaired the car chasing us for the money , that went straight back to our insurance company ….
 
Last edited:
Back
Top