Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Car Chat => Topic started by: pscocoa on 02 February 2010, 15:58:37
-
I booked a Ford Focus Auto for 2 weeks from Cape Town airport. The infamous words "or similar" of course were applied. They show you a picture of a Focus.
Now who has ever heard of a Nissan Tiida Auto? As that is what I will be getting. I have looked it up on web but no idea how it compares to the Focus. Why can't these companies give you what they advertise?
-
http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&source=hp&q=Nissan%20Tiida&oq=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi
-
I booked a Ford Focus Auto for 2 weeks from Cape Town airport. The infamous words "or similar" of course were applied. They show you a picture of a Focus.
Now who has ever heard of a Nissan Tiida Auto? As that is what I will be getting. I have looked it up on web but no idea how it compares to the Focus. Why can't these companies give you what they advertise?
The Tiida was the replacement for the Almera outside of UK markets, where we got the Note and Qashqai.
They are not bad looking at all and you see a lot on the continent.
I would not be alarmed-should be OK, maybe not as dynamic as the Focus to drive, but will be good as a rental :y
-
Yeah, we booked a Golf (or similar) in Italy and my dopey mate accepted a Daewoo Nubira as "an upgrade".
It was horrific. I handbraked it a 60mph for a laugh on a rural road and could not release the handbrake-we ended up flying backwards across a field and had corn on the cobs stuck behind the mirrors. Fun!
Hire cars: the fastest cars in the world ;D
-
Yeah, we booked a Golf (or similar) in Italy and my dopey mate accepted a Daewoo Nubira as "an upgrade".
It was horrific. I handbraked it a 60mph for a laugh on a rural road and could not release the handbrake-we ended up flying backwards across a field and had corn on the cobs stuck behind the mirrors. Fun!
Hire cars: the fastest cars in the world ;D
NEVER let go of the button when initiating a handbrake turn.
-
Yeah, we booked a Golf (or similar) in Italy and my dopey mate accepted a Daewoo Nubira as "an upgrade".
It was horrific. I handbraked it a 60mph for a laugh on a rural road and could not release the handbrake-we ended up flying backwards across a field and had corn on the cobs stuck behind the mirrors. Fun!
Hire cars: the fastest cars in the world ;D
NEVER let go of the button when initiating a handbrake turn.
I tried a few gentle ones, nothing, not even a slight slow down, so tried harder, nothing....etc etc
Pulled it up to the roof and the button seized-stupid Daewoo.
I was amazed it cleaned up enough to get (my mate's) deposit back ;D ;D ;D
There was straw in every part of it ;D
-
Thanks to all - I leave for Cape Town next week - at this stage cannot be bothered to get uptight about it - hope I do not have to start writing letters when I get back though.
-
Thanks to all - I leave for Cape Town next week - at this stage cannot be bothered to get uptight about it - hope I do not have to start writing letters when I get back though.
I had a good look at one in Poland and it looked nice, so would not worry. Not sure what the drive will be like, but its a new car and Nissan (Renault!) aren't that bad.
As a hire car, you'll be fine. Just think how much you will like the Omega on your return-something to look forward to when you leave the sunshine to return to a grey UK ;D ;D
-
The week after I come back the Phaeton arrives!!
-
The week after I come back the Phaeton arrives!!
Be interested to hear on running costs, heard horror stories that say if 1 shock fails all 4 need to be replaced at a cost of £3k :o
Considering they were £60k+ new and now can be had for under £10k, they are tempting!
-
I am hoping I get extended warranties when the Phaeton gets to 3 years old - about £900 a year at present- half the BMW 7 series rate.
I assume that shocks may not be covered after a certain mileage of course. Yes - this could be expensive but numbers on road are increasing in world i general so maybe german ebay will be a source in time.
-
I am hoping I get extended warranties when the Phaeton gets to 3 years old - about £900 a year at present- half the BMW 7 series rate.
I assume that shocks may not be covered after a certain mileage of course. Yes - this could be expensive but numbers on road are increasing in world i general so maybe german ebay will be a source in time.
Read it on some forum (shocks), was not even a VW one, so no idea of it was accurate. Do let us know rough service costs :y
-
A bit off original thread but German ebay has new shock for Phaeton at 500 euros and some others at around 200 and 150 euros. German for shock absorber is Stossdampfer.
-
When I opened this thread I hoped not to have to write letters when I got back from holiday. No such luck. The Nissan Tiida auto was in fact a fair car but under powered at 1.6. but with big boot and lots of room so no complaints.
But lessons learned - check the tyres before you set off - after a week had a puncture - go to boot and yes - a safety wheel not a full spare on a hire car in a country where everywhere you go involves large mileage. Looked at tyre and badly worn down to the tread mesaurement bars. Both fronts the same. Car rental company says punctures are down to me but I point out that new tyre puts them in a better position as they should not have let car out for rent with tyres in that state. They send another car - again with crap tyres so I took rears off car I was returning and put them on fronts of replacement car - handling was very good thereafter.
Letter writing now as I had to replace a worn tyre at my expense and so far no refund.
-
When I hired a car in Ibiza in January, I paid for an upgrade to a "Renault megane DCi or simelar".
I get there - book in.
"Fuel is upfront, sir. You have to pay for the car to have a full tank of fuel here, and you bring back empty as possible"
Fair enough.
Get the keys, and go outside to hunt for the reg number.
Hmm.... this doesn't look much like a Megane DCi... erm.... that's because it's a Bright Green rollerskate Cheverolet MATIZ! (with an 800cc lawnmower engine, as opposed to the commonrail turbo diesel I'd booked).
Went back into office and politely explained... "Sir, Matiz/Megane, are the same class of car, we have no others". (Despite lots of Megane's seemingly sitting there, out of season).
Went back out to the Matiz... loads of damage all over it, not on the paperwork.
So go back in again - point it all out. He scratches all over the diagram "Don't worry, just drive it!"
So I have a complaint that I
A) paid money, for an upgrade that I didn't get
B) Was charged 59 Euros for fuel.... yet... the Matiz only had a 35 litre tank, which cost about 34 euros to fill.
-
Heck ! If you're off to Cape Town I assume it will be built proof as well and that stab vests are stuck in the boot !
Take care down there...eyes open !
-
Heck ! If you're off to Cape Town I assume it will be built proof as well and that stab vests are stuck in the boot !
Take care down there...eyes open !
I felt safe enough in a Corolla. The tyres were in decent condition though*.
It did have a rather flimsy accelerator pedal, which meant I kept getting into it, flooring the accelerator without realising it, turning the key, and wondering what the whirring noise was as it bounced off the rev limiter. ::)
I guess there are probably more mechanically sympathetic ways to start an engine from cold. :-X
Kevin
*- Before I drove it. :-[
-
Heck ! If you're off to Cape Town I assume it will be built proof as well and that stab vests are stuck in the boot !
Take care down there...eyes open !
Am now back from Cape Town - well about 30 miles inland - no security issues at all - not like Joburg etc.
Second time in this area in last 4 years - no problems - just the hire car.
Might tackle Kruger game parks later in year which will mean going via Joburg but have a Joburg based contact.
-
Forgot to mention there was another problem - at least I assume it emanated from South Africa - an attempt to access my bank account right at the end of the holiday which I did not find out about until yesterday. LloydsTSB were on to it and nothing went through the account. Someone tried to spend £2000 at Dixons whilst I was in SA.
-
My son, who's in the military, is on holiday in SA at the moment....5 months PAID leave...???
He had the same problem. SA is famous for Credit Card fraud and it seems he used his card in the wrong "establishment" at some point and he card was put on stop. He had to phone SA to UK to be able to use it again.
-
I used mine in 2 apparently ok shops and 1 quality restaurant - card is being replaced. First time this has happened to me in 33 years of going to Africa.
First time for everything I suppose.
-
OMG this fruad thing happened to my folks recently. They hired a Harley and went biking around the Cape(as you do 8-)) from a Harley dealership, but when he got back to blighty, some dodgy garage had charged about 400 quid....for car repairs in SA! I don't think the two were connected but knowing the old man, he is just so naive and probably used the card in some petrol forecourt. Sorted now though :y
-
Yep ! Wife is South African. Sadly the country has gone down hill fast in terms of violence, fraud and corruption. Nothing we've sent via mail has ever got to the destination down there....Hang on ! Not quite true. Relatives HAVE received several envelopes and parcels with all the contents missing.
She has NO interest in going home now.
-
Great shame as it is a fantastic country in terms of mountains, wine region, nature in general. Paarl, Franschoek, Worcester, Tulbagh areas were not a problem at all. Will definitely do other areas but take safeguards.