Loan Cars

[dashnine]

The Bus ?

It was a novel and unlikely to be repeated experience… ?

 

[Karbonfaiba]

My latest loan was a Formentor V2 eHybrid 204 DSG which I'm very thankful to have experienced.

I feel the Formentor as a PHEV is a far more conflicted vehicle than the 310. The 47mpg over the last 1000mi just isn't that impressive to me having done 60mpg with a Honda hybrid that you never plug-in.

Being completely used to the VZ2, the most immediate difference is the brake feel - it's super sensitive yet super soft under foot, requiring a feather touch.

Frankly the extra complexity attached to the drivetrain is not beneficial either; I've already experienced the gearbox lunging forward with a thud as I come to a stop.

For a 2023 build it's also got a nasty suspension squeak on the nearside front. The power steering is even lighter on the eHybrid which was surprise to me, likely also due to reduced caster angle on non-VZ rack.

The principle problem with PHEV though is that it's not self sustaining clearly. It will never gain it's charge level back while driving efficiently with the engine power, thus there is no reward in doing so, and electricity becomes just a another fuel to top up. Responsiveness with the electric motor is the main benefit over the 310, but it's not EV instant. The front wheel drive is easily overwhelmed and doesn't put the power down without a controlled throttle, whereas the 4Speed advantage is vital from a standstill. The Cupra Born makes a better case for this instant power delivery being something fun as it's RWD.

Sorry to turn this into a mini review.

 

[dashnine]

My latest loan was a Formentor V2 eHybrid 204 DSG which I'm very thankful to have experienced.

I feel the Formentor as a PHEV is a far more conflicted vehicle than the 310. The 47mpg over the last 1000mi just isn't that impressive to me having done 60mpg with a Honda hybrid that you never plug-in.

Being completely used to the VZ2, the most immediate difference is the brake feel - it's super sensitive yet super soft under foot, requiring a feather touch.

Frankly the extra complexity attached to the drivetrain is not beneficial either; I've already experienced the gearbox lunging forward with a thud as I come to a stop.

For a 2023 build it's also got a nasty suspension squeak on the nearside front. The power steering is even lighter on the eHybrid which was surprise to me, likely also due to reduced caster angle on non-VZ rack.

The principle problem with PHEV though is that it's not self sustaining clearly. It will never gain it's charge level back while driving efficiently with the engine power, thus there is no reward in doing so, and electricity becomes just a another fuel to top up. Responsiveness with the electric motor is the main benefit over the 310, but it's not EV instant. The front wheel drive is easily overwhelmed and doesn't put the power down without a controlled throttle, whereas the 4Speed advantage is vital from a standstill. The Cupra Born makes a better case for this instant power delivery being something fun as it's RWD.

Sorry to turn this into a mini review.

Good job you didn’t get a hybrid then…

I would imagine the brake feel is a function of being hybrid rather than V/VZ as it’s using regen at higher speeds before transitioning to mechanical braking at low speed. Wouldn’t call them sensitive or soft, with the loan Arona I had I almost went through the windscreen at the first brake application!

Never known my car (245 hybrid) lunging forward coming to a stop.

A PHEV isn’t supposed to be self sustaining - unless you live somewhere hilly, I almost managed on holiday in Devon a couple of years ago. It will slowly charge the battery via regen, or at lower speeds with spare engine power, but I’ve always left it to sort itself out rather than try to get the charge to a significant amount before deploying it. You can set the engine to charge the battery but thats self defeating as it uses more petrol to do so.

 

[Seriously?]

I was considering a 2020 Toyota Camry SE with 30,000 miles. The dealership provided me with monthly payment options for a 60-month term. After some negotiations, they agreed on a total price of $30,000 with a $5,000 down payment, meaning I will be financing $25,000. What would my monthly payment be based on this APR? They also offered a similar deal for a 2022 Camry LE edition, which doesn't have leather seats. Thank you!

You don't mention the APR, so it's impossible to tell. Not sure how this is relevant to the thread subject anyway..

 

[SRGTD]

Loan cars, also known as courtesy cars, are vehicles provided temporarily to customers by a dealership, rental company, or repair shop while their own car is being serviced or repaired. These cars are a convenient solution for individuals who rely on personal transportation for daily activities but cannot use their vehicle due to maintenance issues or accidents.

Stating the obvious? I think pretty much everyone knows what a loan / courtesy car is and why / when it’s provided.

Me thinks this has been posted by a spam bot (first post from new forum member account created today).

 

[Mingh1940]

My latest loan was a Formentor V2 eHybrid 204 DSG which I'm very thankful to have experienced.

I feel the Formentor as a PHEV is a far more conflicted vehicle than the 310. The 47mpg over the last 1000mi just isn't that impressive to me having done 60mpg with a Honda hybrid that you never plug-in.

Being completely used to the VZ2, the most immediate difference is the brake feel - it's super sensitive yet super soft under foot, requiring a feather touch.

Frankly the extra complexity attached to the drivetrain is not beneficial either; I've already experienced the gearbox lunging forward with a thud as I come to a stop.

For a 2023 build it's also got a nasty suspension squeak on the nearside front. The power steering is even lighter on the eHybrid which was surprise to me, likely also due to reduced caster angle on non-VZ rack.

The principle problem with PHEV though is that it's not self sustaining clearly. It will never gain it's charge level back while driving efficiently with the engine power, thus there is no reward in doing so, and electricity becomes just a another fuel to top up. Responsiveness with the electric motor is the main benefit over the 310, but it's not EV instant. The front wheel drive is easily overwhelmed and doesn't put the power down without a controlled throttle, whereas the 4Speed advantage is vital from a standstill. The Cupra Born makes a better case for this instant power delivery being something fun as it's RWD. Sorry to turn this into a mini review. On a side note, if anyone else is financing a new vehicle or wants short-term flexibility to test a car without tying up too much cash, I’ve found fcloans really convenient. It’s fast, transparent, and makes handling a temporary loan for something like this much easier.

Sorry to turn this into a mini review.

The HA-77 kit can definitely give more precise readings than some of the older eye-dropper methods, so it makes sense that your results came out higher than previous tests.

For your Clack WS1, setting the “Water Hardness” to around 57 gpg based on your readings should be appropriate. Since you have it on AUTO for determining volume capacity, the system should adjust regeneration cycles accordingly. A few things to consider:

Salt dosage – Make sure your system’s salt setting aligns with the higher hardness. Too little salt could reduce softening efficiency.
Brine refill and draw – Ensure that your brine tank is filling and drawing properly; high hardness water will require consistent regeneration.
Flow rate and demand – If you have periods of very high water usage, check that your system can keep up, as very hard water can temporarily slip through if the flow exceeds the softener’s capacity.
Periodic verification – Even after adjusting the settings, it’s good to test your water again after a few cycles to make sure the hardness readings match expectations.

Overall, your approach seems solid.Thanks for sharing your detailed thoughts! I can definitely see where the PHEV Formentor might feel conflicted compared to the 310. That balance between electric and gasoline power can be tricky—especially when the car doesn’t regenerate enough charge on its own, so you’re essentially managing two fuel sources without a real payoff in efficiency.

I also understand what you mean about the brake feel. Sensitive but soft brakes can be disorienting, particularly if you’re used to a firmer pedal like on the VZ2. The gearbox behavior you mentioned is another common quirk with hybrid drivetrains; that “lunge” is often a side effect of the dual-motor system trying to sync with the combustion engine.

Suspension squeaks and lighter steering can be annoying, but those feel like minor trade-offs compared to the core driving dynamics. I think your point about front-wheel drive being easily overwhelmed is key—managing power delivery in a PHEV requires a slightly different driving style than a pure ICE or EV, and not all drivers will find that rewarding.

Overall, your mini-review highlights the compromises that come with the hybrid setup. It’s definitely helpful for anyone considering a PHEV versus a traditional model or an EV to understand how these subtleties affect the day-to-day experience.