The last time I drove an AMG was insane. It was 44 degrees on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina circuit and I had half an hour with the Mercedes-AMG GTS. Being honest, the car actually didn’t feel that fast on the wide-open F1 track. It was an enjoyable experience but it doesn’t shake your nuts. The CLA45 from DriveMyCar is a different story.
Continue reading…There’s a lot to say about BMW drivers. Most characterisations, typically involving balding middle-aged corporate men with existential mid-life crises, are unfair. Given my Volvo Driver Moment, I was open to reconsider that such stereotypes could be open to interpretation.
Europcar recently launched three new BMWs into their Australian fleet: 320i, 220i cabriolet, and 420i cabriolet. This was a second bite at the apple for BMW after Hertz dropped them for Audi in the Hertz Prestige Collection. The Australian premium and prestige rental market is now home to Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz. If a different German each weekend is your kind of thing, we’re improving each year, and Ride Hacks covers it all.
Continue reading…Every avid car renter who gives a damn about their driving experience needs to have their vanilla strategy and their opportunistic strategy.
This post is about finding your vanilla strategy, the Hertz upgrade to the new Audi A4, my upgrade from the Audi A3 to the A4, and what to do when you unknowingly puncture a tire in a rental car.
Continue reading…The Jaguar F-Pace is an unnecessary car, in every sense of the word.
It was only by chance that I stumbled upon Europcar releasing the F-Pace for hire in Australia. Avid RideHacks readers would recognise that I have a soft spot for Europcar despite prices significantly higher than Hertz.
When I saw they were introducing the Jaguar F-Pace in the first week of October 2016, I decided to make a reservation as the first Australian to drive the first ever Jag offered by a major rental company.
Continue reading…The last time I rented a Volvo from Europcar, my world changed forever.
You see, I had a perfectly ignorant view of Volvo cars and the people who drove them. I was proudly confident, believing that the common Volvo rhetoric would be true.
They’re probably slow, probably felt like sitting on a school bus, and probably weren’t any safer than their German comrades. People who bought them were clearly suckers of one of the biggest marketing heists in history.
That was the perfect story. Except it was wrong.
Continue reading…I’m a big city guy. All of that fresh air and the absence of multi-linguistic arguments echoing from sunrise to beyond sunset, it’s nice for a weekend break. Sorry Canberra, I probably won’t be a resident anytime soon. But this post is about a challenge.
Imagining that you were in Sydney CBD, and you get that call from your boss. You need to travel to Canberra immediately. You weigh up your options. Uber to the airport and fly down, or hire a car?
Continue reading…Waking up felt like any other day. Although perhaps the departure from my bed was more of a childish jump rather than the usual stumble. Looking like the front man of a one-man marching band, I arrived at the Tesla dealer in Artarmon (Sydney) at 9:30am (neither 9:29am nor 9:31am) holding every piece of my camera gear, not knowing what I may need. Holding back my excitement, I put on my best calm person voice and remarked:
“Morning! I’m here to take the Model S for three days.”
In retrospect, I wasn’t so calm.
Continue reading…Equally, such cars deserve the attention from those who can admire their quirks, idiosyncrasies, and faults. These are the cars with a personality we hate to love and love to hate. The Europcar Mercedes-Benz GLE 250D is one of those cars.
In a short pregnancy, the Mercedes GLE was announced in early May 2016 and a week later we had our hands on what seemed like an ex-demo entry-level Mercedes SUV — a direct competitor to the Hertz Audi Q7. Although I usually undertake these reviews myself, this time would be a bit different. I had a pair of accomplices and they had a grand plan.
Continue reading…Some people are rude. Yet, despite their irreversible desire to be the most obnoxious person at our party, we still send the invitation and quietly hope they show up. Albeit usually late.
The V8 Ford Mustang GT is undoubtedly one rude car. It’s loud in every way. Whimpering for attention with pops and burbles on each downshift, the Mustang casts a spell on everyone it passes.
Continue reading…Imagine your great grandfather.
It was the turn of the century and his faithful horse ‘Elmo’ had seen better days. He needed to safely transport your family and take care of business without relying entirely on public transport. The prospect of $200 for another horse and $400 for a carriage was a year’s salary.
There must be a better way.
Fast forward 100 years and the same conversation take place in the same bars.
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