The Joys of a $500 Beater
In the good old USA, automaker media types often deliver test cars to journalist's front doors. Here in Canada, where similar media types whine about the cost of doing same in a smaller market, we who review cars exchange them in far-out 'burbs.
(Hint to Canadian PR people: you could pay for this service by not sending your over-hyped print/TV intelligentia to exotic locales like Spain and South Africa and instead forcing them to suffer vehicle launches in terrain that more closely resembles where your average reader/viewer drives. Like downtown Toronto, for example.)
Test car exchanges can mean an entire day spent on buses because Mfr A is in Suburb West while Mfr B is located in Suburb East. Thus some journalists resort to owning a beater, to be used entirely as a Mfr A to Mfr B taxi. Which is why I thoroughly enjoyed Dan Proudfoot's tale of beater-buying in the Globe & Mail.
Dan comes from my long-ago era as a car mag editor. We knew each other then and I still admire his car-savvy and cool demeanor; he's one journalist I'd drive with anytime. This is a lovely tale and may the Rust Gods be with you and your dependable Golf, Dan.
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