Gerry writes:
> I too shall be going to England next week for 10 days. I arrive at
> Gatwick and have rented a Ford Sierra for the time that I shall be there.
>
> > about rental cars (e.g., how do I avoid getting the British equivalent
> > of a Pinto)? Any other words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated!
> > Ralph
>
> My advise is rent a car with at least a 1600cc engine. Remenber you can
> cruise on the motorways at a fairly high speed and anything below 1600cc
> will be somewhat boring and gutless. The last time that I was in England
> my average speed from Gatwick to Manchester was 87mph, I was constantly
> cruising at above 100mph (at least that is what the speedo was indicating).
> I rented a Montego with the 1800cc (?) or 2.0L (?) engine, and that seemed
> happy all the way.
>
> I also rented an Escort 1300 but I found that to be somewhat under
> powered so I swapped it for an Escort 1600 which made the world of
> difference.
>
> This time I have rented a Sierra 2.0l only because I am curious what they
> are like.
Last time I was back home in England I had rented a Ford Sierra Sapphire
with the 2.0L engine. It was a pretty nice basic 4-door. It drove very
nicely and had enough power for my needs. I spent most of my motorway
driving at 80+ mph (the legal limit is 70mph), and I was being passed
all the time. I spent some time driving at 100+ mph, but the car seemed
to have a "natural" cruising speed of about 90 mph.
Most rental companies offer Ford or Vauxhall products, but they also offer
Fiat Uno's and Minis amongst others in their mini car range. The
Ford Fiesta is still a nice little car if you're looking for a small car
at a relatively cheap price. Many rental companies offer Citroens too.
That was one car I told them I specifically didn't want. The particular
agency I went through (AutoEurope in Yorktown Heights in New York) couldn't
guarantee a Sierra, I could have gotten a Citroen. I called the rental
company in England (I wanted to ask about a kids car seat not mentioned in
any literature and they were able to accomodate me). They too couldn't
guarantee a Sierra, but at least they forward my specific request to the
hotel where I was to pick up the car. Sure enough, we got a Sierra.
On returning the car a couple of weeks later, I did see an American family who
got stuck with a Citroen. They really didn't look happy about it.
As a matter of choice (in the cheaper rate ranges) I always selected Fords.
I avoided Vauxhalls. But on refelection, some of the Vauxhalls looked quite
nice as they streak by you on the motorways! In the more expensive ranges,
the Fords (especially the Granada) looked really nice. The Rovers were
very attractive too.
I understand that it is wiser to get your travel agent (or yourself) to
rent a car in England for you from over here. When you go over there the
selection is far more limited (especially at the airports where they are so
busy!) and the rates are much steeper.
Garry Archer Esq. {noao, yale, uunet}!hsi!archer -OR- archer@hsi.com
Health Systems International, New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.A.
"An Englishman never enjoys himself, except for a noble purpose." - A.P.Herbert
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