"Brian, The Life of" (familycar)
01/04/2018 at 12:19 • Filed to: It's a rental | 1 | 6 |
Just got back from taking the fam to Denmark and Italy for the Holidays. Since we are a family of six no small and zippy little hatch would do. In Copenhagen I rented a Opel Zafira with a manual. It was a bit small for us but since we didn’t have to cart around our luggage while we were there (one of my daughters lives there at the moment) it was sufficient. In Italy I got a manual diesel Ford Transit. I fell in love with it. It was a fucking Goliath compared to all the tiny city and micro cars plying the streets of Rome and Florence but man was it fun to drive. Somehow managed to not take a single photo of either but I loved all the amenities both were equipped with. Basically they were both what we would consider the top trim levels but with cloth instead of leather seating (which I honestly prefer).
My only regret is that my kids are adults so replacing my wife’s minivan with a new Transit just doesn’t make sense.
Stock photo because I lack foresight
Stock photo because I lack insight
duurtlang
> Brian, The Life of
01/04/2018 at 12:58 | 0 |
You like our minivans? Interesting. How did you like that Opel by the way? It’s the last generation of GM vehicle we’ll see on this side of the big pond as GM abandoned Europe in 2017 because they felt they couldn’t compete.
Anyway, I went to the US once. In 2016. I got a 2016 Impala Limited, the old model. Worst car I’ve ever driven by far (while taking age/miles into account), despite at 300 hp also being the second most powerful I’ve ever driven.
facw
> Brian, The Life of
01/04/2018 at 13:03 | 0 |
Last time I was in Europe, my family rented a Mondeo Wagon. Was pretty fancy, though from a weirdness standpoint, I was disappointed they didn’t give us the Cactus that was on the lot.
ZHP Sparky, the 5th
> Brian, The Life of
01/04/2018 at 13:09 | 1 |
When we visited Italy 2 years ago I was excited for some quirky European rental – a Polo, Cactus, something! But the fuckers upgraded us to a BMW 3 series. How dare they! Hey, at least it was a diesel!
And then last year in Ireland we got a Ford Fiesta. Fine car for sure, but dammit give me something I can’t have!
fintail
> Brian, The Life of
01/04/2018 at 13:30 | 1 |
Indeed, my rental in Germany 2 months ago:
I’ve also had new X5, 7er, A8, F11, fun smallest-engine E-class.
Brian, The Life of
> duurtlang
01/04/2018 at 13:32 | 0 |
It was ok. I think I found it interesting because we don’t have Opel here at all and I don’t think GM sells a version of it here in any form. I honestly liked the Transit much better ... although they are completely different classes.
The Powershift in Steve's '12 Ford Focus killed it's TCM (under warranty!)
> Brian, The Life of
01/04/2018 at 13:46 | 0 |
I was in Italy in October 2016 and signed up for a Focus wagon as a rental. I figured it would be fun to rent a car I have and like, but in the form I really want. They didn’t have any Focuses at the lot, so I wound up with a 5 speed TDI VW Golf Sportwagen. Aside from the shittiest tires known to man, that car was fucking awesome. If VW hadn’t killed diesels in the US market, I’d be lining up to buy one once I got back.