What’s the weirdest courtesy car you’ve been given?

[Leyland Worldmaster]

A VW Transporter T4. Slightly* bigger than the vehicle it was covering for! 😅

[jamescarruthers]

I got this C6 ex-press car from BL Autos for a day or so when mine was in for a wallet lightening. I loved the colour of the outside and the cream interior, unlike my coffin like dark grey paint and black interior. Also, mine being a petrol, I’d never driven a 2.7 diesel a properly— it is a really good engine with the power always there and very little turbo lag (maybe none).

[AnnoyingPentium]

You people have all had some right wacky and bizarre courtesy cars. Whilst I've never had a courtesy car myself, my Granda got handed the slab (note: not a key) for a 19-reg Renault Clio when his Sandero was in for a door filling up with water. He preferred the Clio because it threw him in his seat.

[Markeh]

I just get various Nissans. Generally end up with either a Juke or a Qashqai, although trying to shoehorn myself into an automatic Micra was fun, being 6ft 4 in both height and circumference.

[AnnoyingPentium]

Just now, Markeh said:

although trying to shoehorn myself into an automatic Micra was fun, being 6ft 4 in both height and circumference.

Sounds like a barrel of laughs*. I'm 5ft 11 and "well built" so I have enough issues getting in and out the back of the Fabia when I'm doing odd jobs in the back.

[Markeh]

Just now, AnnoyingPentium said:

Sounds like a barrel of laughs*. I'm 5ft 11 and "well built" so I have enough issues getting in and out the back of the Fabia when I'm doing odd jobs in the back.

I generally try and request that if they can, provide something other than a Micra unless they can provide another for the other foot.

[AnnoyingPentium]

1 minute ago, Markeh said:

I generally try and request that if they can, provide something other than a Micra unless they can provide another for the other foot.

Reminds me of my mate when he was learning to drive. He's 6ft 6ish and a former rugby player when we were at secondary. They tried him in a Corsa at one of these off-road learning places and he couldn't get in it. Opted for an Astra instead.

[JJ0063]

Just now, Markeh said:

I generally try and request that if they can, provide something other than a Micra unless they can provide another for the other foot.

A friend of mine who is, let’s just say, “confident” will take his a180d into Merc for an interim service and tell them he’s considering chopping it in for a c63 amg or something.. couple of times now he’s ended up with something ridiculous for the weekend, I’ve known a couple of people over the years to go to showrooms and express interest in stupidly powerful cars and end up on 24hr test drives.

[JJ0063]

Going back to 2016 I was asked to go and collect a hire car for a event where id been asked to chauffeur guests from a hotel to an event and also be a driver for one of the previous winners of im a celebrity and their friends for the evening. I expected a VW transporter shuttle which is what I’d had many times over the years through work. 
 

Out rolls a brand spanking new Range Rover Vogue TDV8.. 106k worth. Quite possibly the most enjoyable weekend I’ve ever had in a vehicle. Drove beautifully and I got to use it for personal use for the last day too.

 

Found a couple of pics.. sat waiting for guests whilst watching police interceptors on the tv! 

[S2000]

Circa 2004 I had a new XC90 that must have been a Friday Car due to all the faults, it went back to the dealer which was in Woodley Reading and they gave me an XC70, no that strange you may ask until 140 miles later one Monday morning in the pissing rain just approaching J25 of the M1 and an irate Guy in a XC90 started flashing me so I pulled off at the junction into a Hotel and then realised he was in my Car and I was in his!!

After we'd both calmed down he phoned the dealer and told them his wife had left her engagement ring in the glove box of his Car and would be passing by at 5 to pick it up, I casually turned my phone off, went for my meeting and then listened to the multiple voicemails requesting the return of the XC70 as someone was interested in viewing it.

I cannot explain the carnage when we both turned up at 5 asking to speak to the Dealer Principal!

Needless to say I got a full refund for the XC90!

[TheIsleofShite]

Took my Subaru Impreza in for recall work in 2018and was given the main dealers parts van. There was me hoping to be handed the keys to a new WRX STI or BRZ…..

 

 

[ProgRocker]

17 hours ago, wuvvum said:

I took my old Saab 99 to a local Saab specialist for some brake work, maybe 15 years ago.  The only car he had available for me to go home in was a 1953 Austin Somerset.

There was one in Salhouse and another on Aylsham Rd in Norwich. I delivered parcels to the one in Salhouse in the mid 2000s. Not sure if it's still there. 

Mine isn't too weird. Back in 2003 it was time to put my SEAT Ibiza in for an MOT and a service. I received an R reg Kia Mentor saloon that I quite liked. Kept flicking on the wipers instead of the indicators for obvious reasons. 

Sadly the garage only put in enough petrol to get me home and back so I couldn't take it on a lengthy test drive. I also learnt that I was driving the Mentor on my own third party only policy (?) , which made me nervous driving it. 

Still took the SEAT for  MOTs and services but declined any courtesy cars on the grounds of scant insurance cover. 

[Patent]

When Skoda re-launched under VAG, the new Skoda franchise used a Felicia in full rally decals as their courtesy car. Always thought that was cool.

 

[Andyrew]

Battered Polo on a y plate that went like stink. Turned out it was engine swapped with something much larger but forget what lump. 

Bald front tyres too!

[wuvvum]

1 hour ago, ProgRocker said:

There was one in Salhouse and another on Aylsham Rd in Norwich. I delivered parcels to the one in Salhouse in the mid 2000s. Not sure if it's still there.

That was Hagstrom Saab at both premises - he started in Salhouse then moved to Aylsham Road, near the junction with Woodcock Road.  He's down in Wymondham now.

[christian6984]

Ive only had one while I've had the Ford and was the new puma which is nothing very interesting.  When I was early 20's and I had the Clio, I got the Clio Campus and a Twingo which is a fairly standard basic car suited to the younger driver, the weirdest one's were a Chrysler Ypsilon which is a 5dr fiat 500 which I quite enjoyed as was quirky as hell, but the one that really didnt suite me as a 22 year old was a 2.0 Petrol Grand Scenic, it shifted like a courtesy car should and was thirsty but also the biggest car Id driven at that time  

[Zelandeth]

On 1/17/2022 at 10:17 AM, jamescarruthers said:

I got this C6 ex-press car from BL Autos for a day or so when mine was in for a wallet lightening. I loved the colour of the outside and the cream interior, unlike my coffin like dark grey paint and black interior. Also, mine being a petrol, I’d never driven a 2.7 diesel a properly— it is a really good engine with the power always there and very little turbo lag (maybe none).

Better than the barely roadworthy C4 they gave me!

[tul66]

Used to regularly get an Alfa 75 2.5 when one of the cars went into McLennans in Loanhead for a service. Rear wheel drive V6, fun at the roundabouts.👍

[timolloyd]

Brand new Skoda Octavia vRS, back when they first launched. Couldn’t believe my luck.

[Chris2cv]

I've had many over the years, including an utterly knackered Corolla that made huge clouds of smoke but allegedly had an MOT, a Starlet with 4 bald tyres, a "well used" Kangoo that was actually quite a nice runabout, and more.

The most memorable was a probably then 10 year old Kia Pride. The original boxy one. It was low mileage and looked pretty clean. It drove ok, but sitting in traffic and looking at the history (which was in the glovebox), hadn't been serviced for 8 years. It wasn't mine, so not my problem, until I turned left and there was a horrific banging and scraping from the front.  Using traditional shiter logic, I turned up the radio. But the next turn was even worse. 

I took it back and the service manager denied that there was a problem. So we went for a ride. His face went very white. He gave me a different courtesy car! 

[D.E]

The fleet of the local Porsche specialist:

[AnnoyingPentium]

Look like those wee Yarises (Yarii???) would be a blast.

[D.E]

6 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

Look like those wee Yarises (Yarii???) would be a blast.

"Yaris hatchbacks or subcompacts" according to Toyota: https://jalopnik.com/jalopnik-answers-the-plural-of-yaris-is-5141347 I'd rather go with Yarii😉

They make sense as a courtesy vehicle, they're solid cars and probably quite simple to maintain. Still, it's quite funny to see someone bringing in a 930 Turbo and driving off in a 20 year old Yaris.

[AnnoyingPentium]

Just now, D.E said:

"Yaris hatchbacks or subcompacts" according to Toyota: https://jalopnik.com/jalopnik-answers-the-plural-of-yaris-is-5141347 I'd rather go with Yarii😉

Up there with Aurii too, with that logic.

1 minute ago, D.E said:

They make sense as a courtesy vehicle, they're solid cars and probably quite simple to maintain. Still, it's quite funny to see someone bringing in a 930 Turbo and driving off in a 20 year old Yaris.

Honestly, if I were in the position that I had a 930 Turbo, I wouldn't mind the Yaris. But my love for the "mundane" is the reason I'm here. 😆