The concept of a “loaner” vehicle is unique to the automobile business. It doesn’t exist in the rest of the world.
When I leave my dog at the animal hospital, they don’t give me a “loaner” dog to take home with me. When I drop my wife off at the airport, the airline doesn’t give me a “loaner” wife to have while she’s away.
But when my 2021 Mini Cooper S Countryman ALL4 needs work and has to spend a few days in the garage, the dealership provides a loaner.
Such was the case this week when I brought my Mini in for a check-up and discovered that, along with the usual maintenance (oil filter, engine clean, anti-freeze, fuel injection service) its engine mount and leaky fuel tank valve needed to be replaced. This would take more than a day, so I was presented with the keys to a loaner – a five-door 2025 Mini Cooper S FWD painted “Icy Sunshine Blue” – free of charge.
It’s important to differentiate the loaner from the rental car you get when you have the misfortune to be in an accident. In February, my Mini needed some body work after I had an incident in a parking garage. Insurance covered a rental vehicle and I was presented with a black 2024 Kia Seltos. I’m sure that the Kia Seltos is popular with a great many drivers. Edmunds describes it as “stylish, roomy and available with plenty of the latest technology and safety features.”
I am not among its fans. I disliked driving the Seltos intensely. It felt like I was steering a giant box. I disliked the interior. I disliked the mirrors. I’m not an expert car critic but that was my takeaway. The only thing I liked was the name “Seltos,” which was inspired by the Greek spirit and son of Hercules, Celtos. But I didn’t like it for this reason. I liked the name because “Seltos” sounds like a rash that you need antibiotics to cure and that’s how I felt about driving it.
Looking back, it’s likely my disdain for the Seltos was triggered by the circumstances surrounding my use. It was an insurance rental. Each time I drove it I was reminded that I was in the Seltos because I had been an incompetent driver in a parking garage and struck a defenseless steel pole.
The loaner is the opposite experience.
The minute my tush hit the seat of my five-door 2025 Mini Cooper S FWD “Icy Sunshine Blue” loaner, I was reminded how great it is to drive a brand-new car.
Unlike my 2021 ancient relic, it does not have a conventional dashboard. The 2025 Mini Cooper S FWD has a big round screen in the centre.
There is no fake gear shift stick. The gears are on a console to the right of the steering wheel. So modern.
The 2025 Mini Cooper S FWD is more compact than my Countryman. It has the new car smell. I couldn’t manage to connect to its Apple CarPlay – I struggle with such tasks – but I was sure that if I could the sound would be sublime. Besides, what is more fun than driving around in a new car in complete silence. I had to admit the “Icy Sunshine Blue” was more fetching than the “Island Blue Metallic” of my 2021 Countryman.
And that, my friends, is why the “loaner” is free.
It’s a nice bit of salesmanship. It reminds you how nice it is to drive a new car and that reminds you how nice it is a buy a new car and that leads you to think: “Maybe I should buy a new car.”
As I drove around in a sparkling new Mini that didn’t need a stitch of work, I ruminated on my elderly Countryman. Sure, it was almost paid off but I was going to be on the hook for repairs. The advantages of buying a new car became crystal clear. I’d save on repairs and have better mileage.
Why live in 2021 when 2025 and 2026 beckon? I’d have a new car. It would be a cool colour. The new car would make me a new person. My entire life would be revamped and my personality would undergo a renaissance.
So sang the loaner’s siren call.
But like Odysseus strapped to the mast, I avoided the rocky cliffs of new car financing. I resisted the lure of the loaner. I picked up my car, paid the bill and got back to reality.
Sometimes a change is as good as a rest.