Well I am back home inthe US from my UK trip andd I have to say I loved the A class manual shift I hired from Easyrentacar.com... Thanks HJ for the recomendation... Not sure I would use them again due to the need to pick up and return to London Bridge but I had no problems with the return...
It was brand new when I got it on Sept 16 with only 50 miles on the clock and a new funny numbers reg plate...in a dark grey paint job (realy a light black) the cost of the hire was 245 pounds all up for 5 weeks and I put just under 2700 miles on it and incured no excess miles charges or other problems at check in so it was a real bargan...
most of my driving was on B roads and unclasified or 3 or 4 digit A roads but I did have one high speed run on the motorway from Cardiff to London where it was just as much at home keeping up with the 80 to 90 mph traffic in the fast lane... MPG for the whole trip was 47.8.
I found the rige to be good almost everywhere but the streets of south London near it's London Bridge home...which which seem to be much in need of remetaling...
the handelling on the narrow back lanes and single track roads or the welsh borders and hills was exemplary
Inside storage space was amazing and the climate control AC was a boon on some of the Aug. like days I enjoyed.
on the down side were the nasty orange door decals advertising the firm... the single lighter socket got a bit cramped with 3 things plugged into it and while shifting my hand would sometimes push the assembled plugs into the radio controles... the 3 headrests on the rear seat blocked most of the view of the inside mirror till I removed them after the first 10 miles.
If M-Benz sold the A class in north amercia I would buy one... I liked it that much
~R
|
Randolph,
Hope you had a great time over here and glad you enjoyed the A-Class. They are often knocked on the forum and I wish they had a better press as they seem ideal for many local and longer distance (as you proved) uses.
Another vehicle I admire from a distance but have never been in.
David
|
|
|
Randolph,
Your experience with the A Class Merc is interesting and as you say the hire charge was great value. Easyrentacar had some bad publicity when they started for charging for existing damage or 'finding' damage after the client had gone.
I don't know what you drive back home or where in the US you live but I am surprised you found the ride acceptable. US cars tend to be softly sprung and generally the roads are smoother. Whilst the packaging in the Merc is amazing, the ride is one of the stiffest I have encountered in a non-sports car. That, together with the lamentable state of British roads, put many off the car.
Do you feel it would ever have a market in the USA?
Bob
|
|
suzuki swifts sell big time in the usa under a different name, youd be surprized what theyll buy - funny tastes
|
|
|
|
First sorry about the typo in the Subject of the thread... should of course have been A190 not A180
I drive a 1989 Range Rover (owned from new) on the island of Nantucket... about 1/3 of my miles are in low range in very deep soft beach sand with tyres at 12psi... I like to fish from the bach by surf casting... the island is one with cobblestone streets in the village so I am used to bad roads... I like a firm ride and in truth the suspension was only realy a 'pain' in some villages with traffic calming sleeping policemen...
as to would it sell in the US... I think it would do very well in New England and other parts of the east that are built up... As would the Smart Car in these areas... I would not want one if I lived in the west....
I am6'4" and 17 stone so I need a car that can adjust to my frame... not many do it as well as the A class in it's price range that I have driven in the last few years and have anything like it's space inside
~R
|
|
|
|
Hi Randolph. Good to see you back!
|
|
|
Thanks Martyn, I hade a wonderful trip... lots of good friends, good pubs, good real ale, good shunpikeing...
but when I got home I found the RR had drained a full ($40 worth) tank of fuel into the driveway dirt from a leak near its bottom... perhaps it is time to think about a new car... my foot problems mean I don't do very much beach fishing any more... sadly the cars I have driven of late that I like (the A the Rover 45, and the Mondeo and not sold in the US (the Mondeo old version was sold here as the Ford Countour and was a flop) Looking at the Jag S class but i'ts a bit pricy... need to get a test drive in a New X class Jag and the C class Benz... Volvo also in the to be test driven list but not a lot of choice in cars that fit my frame I fear... I will not drive a car from a Japan maker as I had an uncle die of torture as one of their POWs in WWII and that stance reduces choice a bit in the auto world of today. If ease of service is a factor then I have only Ford to choose from as that is the only franchise on the island (3 hour+ ferry trip to America for all the others)
Perhaps the smartest thing would be a Focus estate and rent cars when I go off island...
Randolph
Nantucket Island, USA
|
|
|
