Courtesy Cars & Running In

[a3_phil]

Just wondered if anyone knows what tends to happen to courtesy cars long-term?

My A3 is with the dealer at the minute and I'm currently pootling around in a 64-plate A1. I didn't really give it much thought and I've been driving it just as I would any car with a mix of steady driving in traffic and then foot to the floor / up near the redline when joining dual carriageways etc. It's only this morning that it's really sunk in that this is a new car, specifically one with 100 miles on the clock.

Obviously if this were my own personal car I'd have still been running it in very carefully and keeping it below 3000rpm etc., but clearly I haven't done this and the dealer never mentioned the age of the car.

Given the previous discussions about run-in periods etc., I just wondered where this car is likely to end up? If I was buying a nearly new car from Audi it wouldn't have necessarily occurred to me that it might have been used as a courtesy car and thrashed from new so I think I'd be a bit miffed if that ended up being the case.

 

[Dtwm1]

Exactly, although we all know about running in periods it's likely problems won't develop in the short term, more like long term when it's out of warrenty and the dealer can wash their hands of it.

Saying that hire cars are the same,I think it's a popular thought that they all get ragged around when it's not really true. I work for a hire car company and generally people are very careful. As with a car from audi people get worried as it's not their own car, don't want to pay a high excess and aren't as confident as in their own car. In the case of hire cars, an awful lot are driven by other business like universities, public sector etc and those that have had a crash so aren't that interested I'm wheel spins.

 

[a3_phil]

Yeah, it's a weird one.

I'm certainly not driving it like I stole it but it just hadn't occurred to me not to rev it. As I'm coming from the 184 TDI down to a 125(?) petrol you do need some revs to make progress so it was just natural to let it rev.

As a side note it's not the most powerful engine but it actually has quite a nice warble to it.

 

[RedTurtle]

I had the exact same thoughts when it came to the test drive cars, my first test drive was in an S3 saloon and it was owned by one of the managers at the branch and had done plenty of miles so pushing the car didn't seem a problem.

However when I test drove the S3 at my local dealers it had under 300 miles on the clock and I gave it the beans to an extent, the chap who was trying to sell me the car said people drive the car to its limits, generally he is sat scared in his seat waiting for car to let go and end up in a hedge.

That car was sold a week later, its run in period wasn't gentle from the impression i got.

 

[Bristle Hound]

I'm certainly not driving it like I stole it

& why not?

Isn't that what hire cars and courtesy cars were created for! lol

Same as Dealer demo's, which are actually driven, oh sorry. For driven read hammered, by the Car Sales staff

 

[Tony1982]

I was told by Audi that new cars these days don't need running in, not sure how much truth there is in that though.

 

[Reggieboy71]

I was told by Audi that new cars these days don't need running in, not sure how much truth there is in that though.

Yeah I was told the same by my dealer when I collected the car. He said petrol cars especially, don't need running in,but don't know if it's true or not!! Still taking it fairly easy just in case!!

 

[a3_phil]

& why not?

Isn't that what hire cars and courtesy cars were created for! lol

Same as Dealer demo's, which are actually driven, oh sorry. For driven read hammered, by the Car Sales staff

I've seen Police Interceptors ; if I'd stolen it I'd drive steadily and to the speed limit

It's had a reasonable run around the dial but I'm not sure I could ever bring myself to properly destroy a car, even a loaner. It just feels like animal cruelty!

 

[cuke2u]

If my courtesy car is anything to go on I must have a pretty poor example. It's a 1.6 diesel, with S-Tronic, '64 reg with over 1k on the clock but it doesn't seem anywhere near as good as my own car. One very boring car to drive, the wheels are already kerbed, not by me, the washers shoot upwards, the DAB radio cuts out where mine doesn't and the suspension is noisy and groans over bumps.

 

[A3_Rider]

A friend had a brand new S4 courtesy car, barely 100 miles in, I just couldn't push it as it felt wrong, same with the S3 test drive, again it was brand new, something like 12 miles, only pushed it once and that's it, it's still being used by the dealership by one of the sales team.

I think a normal courtesy car it's fine to drive it with a bit less care, but thrasing it etc is silly. However with premium models unless its run in I wouldn't push them at all!

 

[Tony1982]

I would drive a courtesy car just the same as i drive any car. As for a test drive vehicle, you're test driving it to see if you want to buy one, i mean I wouldn't buy a car without knowing how it drives when being pushed to the limit!

 

[Tony1982]

I maybe worded that wrong lol i mean i wouldn't thrash it into ground but i would certainly give it a good old blast

 

[Bristle Hound]

It's had a reasonable run around the dial but I'm not sure I could ever bring myself to properly destroy a car, even a loaner. It just feels like animal cruelty!

Should have spoken to my brother some years ago

My Dad was the Sales Manager at our local main Ford dealer & my brother worked for him as a car salesman (the fool lol)

Anyway my Dad caught my bro doing donuts in his demo Mk 2 RS2000 Escort demo car, so Dad take the RS2000 off him & makes him drive Mk 2 Escort 1100 Popular demo

Anyway, my bro in his wisdom, decides to demolish the brand new Escort Popular & blew up the engine within 2 days!

My Dad went absolutely ballistic! I nearly pi**ed myself laughing at the time!

Anyway as a result Dad took the company car off my bro and he had to get the bus to work for a fortnight. Which I found even funnier!

 

[Migwire]

I had this as a courtesy car last week....had 5k on it and lots of scratches

 

[mjcourtney]

Exactly, although we all know about running in periods it's likely problems won't develop in the short term, more like long term when it's out of warrenty and the dealer can wash their hands of it.

Saying that hire cars are the same,I think it's a popular thought that they all get ragged around when it's not really true. I work for a hire car company and generally people are very careful. As with a car from audi people get worried as it's not their own car, don't want to pay a high excess and aren't as confident as in their own car. In the case of hire cars, an awful lot are driven by other business like universities, public sector etc and those that have had a crash so aren't that interested I'm wheel spins.

We have hire cars all the time at our work (they prefer them to pool cars), I probably drive one three days a week. Always treated it like my own, if only to avoid any damage claim on return!

Can't think of anyone I work with who would treat it otherwise intentionally. My last car was an ex-rental A3, put 60,000 miles on it without any problems at all.

 

[Dtwm1]

We have hire cars all the time at our work (they prefer them to pool cars), I probably drive one three days a week. Always treated it like my own, if only to avoid any damage claim on return!

Can't think of anyone I work with who would treat it otherwise intentionally. My last car was an ex-rental A3, put 60,000 miles on it without any problems at all.

Pool are are expensive, not always used and normally sit there gathering dust over the weekend, not to mention trying to arrange repairs etc. Hire cars are really well maintained too in terms of servicing etc. Theres an article in the Telegraph saying that they've become desirable in the used car market

 

[cuke2u]

Mine is so dirty that I might be forced to give it a wash this weekend as I am embarrassed to be driving around in it. Got an amazing, not, average of 35mpg for my shortish journey to work this morning. wow...

 

[mjcourtney]

That'll be all that mud and dirt creating extra drag

 

[cuke2u]

LOL, more than likely, anyway I'm picking my car up tomorrow morning so it'll save me the work..

 

[JudderMan]

My wife used to work in the DFDS office near the docks here in the north east and I'd go and pick her up after work....and see all of the brand new Audis fresh off the boat with the protective layers on them getting rinsed up the hill, wheelspinning away from the boat, screeching round the corner at the top. Basically getting nailed and most probably cold engines too. This was every type of audi too so don't worry about courtesy cars and hire cars gettinf caned and sold on...all cars get hammered by some doughnut that works for the dealer.

Needless to say, I'd never buy a new car because of this and they're just the worst asset to buy new. I always buy older cars and replace parts myself or from my trusted mechanic friend as it's always cheaper than depreciation,vat,must have fsh ******** servicing.

 

[Dtwm1]

Correct me if I'm wrong aren't cars shipped in 'delivery mode' that deactivates the alarm and prevents the car being thrashed. This mode is then deactivated during the PDI?

 

[JudderMan]

No idea but not the ones arriving in Newcastle.

 

[mjcourtney]

Correct me if I'm wrong aren't cars shipped in 'delivery mode' that deactivates the alarm and prevents the car being thrashed. This mode is then deactivated during the PDI?

Yes. I suspect this did use to happen, but can't see it happening as much any more.

 

[veeeight]

Delivery mode for the engine/rev limiter is a bit of a myth, it's only the suspension transport blocks that stop them taking speed bumps at speed !

Delivery/Transport electrical mode "sleeps" the majority of the non-essential electrical systems (eg: MMI, Nav, Phone etc.) so that the battery doesn't get discharged for those long trips across the Atlantic, or to Australia.

 

[Migwire]

Needless to say, I'd never buy a new car because of this and they're just the worst asset to buy new. I always buy older cars and replace parts myself or from my trusted mechanic friend as it's always cheaper than depreciation,vat,must have fsh ******** servicing.

‘If it appreciates, buy it. If it depreciates, lease it’.

So said J. Paul Getty...........I don't regard my car as an asset whatsoever. My house is an asset, but not my car.

 

[cuke2u]

All cars these days have a 'sleep' mode that automatically activates after a certain length of time when the car isn't used for a while. One of the actions is to turn off the remote unlocking, thus it has to be performed with a key. I guess that probably Audi have a way of activating it for transportation...

 

[cemerson]

Needless to say, I'd never buy a new car because of this

Erm, you do realise that all used cars were new cars once, right? And have gone through the same experience?

 

[a3_phil]

Erm, you do realise that all used cars were new cars once, right? And have gone through the same experience?

Untrue.

In 2004 Audi realised that they were unable to meet the demand for used cars by just producing new cars and allowing them to age so they broke ground on a new factory in Ingolbayernsberg which solely produces used cars fresh off the line.

It's basically the same as a normal factory but it has a £4.3million aging device that can replicate years of wear in just hours.

Anyway, in other news the courtesy car has now gone back with a few hundred hard driven miles on it so it's nicely run in for the next driver...

 

[JudderMan]

Erm, you do realise that all used cars were new cars once, right? And have gone through the same experience?

Nope, my 10 year old car is the youngest car I've owned. Just put a new engine in last month. Fresh start.

 

[cemerson]

Nope, my 10 year old car is the youngest car I've owned. Just put a new engine in last month. Fresh start.

...and before that? If Audi are willing to back it with their warranty, it's good enough for me

 

[cuke2u]

Gave my courtesy car a quick wash this morning, noticed that the two left hand side wheels have suffered slight kerbing to the rim edge. I hope they don't charge me for this as I didn't do it, on my own car the alloys are still perfect.