In late October, after a work-related trip, my husband and I were heading back home. On a narrow road in a village, the lorry in front of us knocked down a branch. My husband is an amazing driver, he managed to stop the car safely. We had no damage from the branch. But the lady in the car following us didn’t manage to stop the car and hit us in the back. Our car had the bumper damaged, her car had the number plate shattered and I think the front bumper was damaged too. On top, I had a headache a week or so due to whiplash, mostly because I had my hair in a ponytail that had a metallic cover. After the accident she left saying she is not calling the police, just after she tried to blame the lorry driver and the tree for causing the accident. My husband called the police, they did investigate and they told us the name of the driver. The insurance company said they will repair the car and that our no-claim bonus will not be affected as they will get all their money back from the company that insured the lady. It’s quite a long story, but I had to put the courtesy car into perspective. Our car is at the moment at the repair shop and this week we should be able to get it back.
Our insurance also covers having a courtesy car. The first company we were supposed to talk to gave us a quote and a document. In the document it was mentioned that if they don’t get their money back from the insurance company or the lady, than we have to pay for the car. Despite their reassurances during phone calls, that was mentioned in the document, so we’ve declined the offer. Should I even mention that the quote was for ~£115 a day? If you are in an accident and you are offered a courtesy car, make sure to read all the small print and you are happy with the terms.
Well, another company offered us this Vauxhall Corsa, without all the paperwork and no hassle. Can’t be happier.
This is our car, parked in Cambridge. As you can see it’s a little bigger than the Corsa; hubby had to fold in the mirror to get it into the parking spot.
We needed the car, so I’m glad we had the Corsa. Also, it is a really lovely opportunity to try a small car. Until now, all the cars we owned were big, saloon and the one we have at the moment is an estate. Even when we’ve rented a car, we had another saloon and, more recently, a van to transport our old sofa.
It’s a small car, that is obvious. It also means that the amount of millage she can do with only a bit of fuel is amazing. It consumes less than our car and ours is diesel. As it’s affordable and the insurance is much cheaper, I understand why it’s a great option for many people. I have to admit the size, while it’s harder when you are traveling in it, it’s amazing when it comes to parking. I think only someone with a big car will understand the sheer joy of being able to open the door while being parked between two cars.
When we are going shopping, my husband parks far, where we can open the doors without having to hold them and we have a brisk walk to the shop. Not with the Corsa. Although, in fairness, we did park far to keep it away from accidental scratches.
A thing that puzzled me is the lack of mirror for the passenger. I had no idea there are new cars that don’t have this as a standard. Although if the driver is a lady, then it makes sense, she would use the one on the driver side.
It has controls on the steering wheel. My husband liked trying the buttons and I imagine it’s much safer to make adjustments to the sound without having to take the hands off the wheel. On the steering wheel it has audio controls and phone controls too. It has an USB port beside the cigarette one.
My husband said it’s an easy car to drive. The car we got has rain sensor and automatic lights. The model we had has automatic gearbox.
Another thing I loved about this car is the boot. It’s surprisingly huge. For a town car, it’s the perfect size. Our shopping fitted nicely and I imagine there is enough space for a weekend break.
After a few days of using the car I can obviously say that is not suitable for our lifestyle, we really need our VW estate. Firstly, Festus wouldn’t fit in the car, as we had to push the seats all the way back. But, at the same time, I understand why it’s so useful and I would consider one as a second car for town only.
I know the car accident problems. I have scars on my knees and leg from it and I can’t run anymore due to the way it healed. Glad you guys are alright!
I had a corsa as my first car and loved it. Although they’re a lot different now. I can’t believe your hubby got that car into that space – I wouldn’t dare!
Corinne x
Sorry to hear about your accident and glad it wasn’t too bad. Hope you get your car back soon. I used to have a corsa and loved it but need a bigger car for the family etc as you said
Sorry to hear about your accident but at least you managed to get a courtesy car and it gave you the opportunity to try out a different car.
I have a small car because of insurance costs. Because I’m under 25, and I’ve only just passed my test, and because I don’t live with my parents, my insurance is over £2000!!! If I’d gone for a bigger car I could have been paying over £3000 for my insurance, which is crazy! In some cases, insurance was more expensive than the car itself!
I like having a small car because it’s practical. It’s easy to park and the petrol lasts seems to last forever, yet with the back seats down it’s big enough to fit in flat pack furniture from Ikea! However, I would like my next car to be bigger because I feel like I’m dwarfed by the bigger cars in my little car. It’s no as easy to see me, and I feel like drivers don’t give as much consideration for smaller cars for some reason. I get beeped a lot, even if I’ve done nothing wrong. I don’t think I’d get beeped half as much if I had a bigger car.
Wow, £2000 for a small car is so expensive, as you said, it can be more than the car. My husband said he noticed that too, regarding the ones in bigger cars.