Chevy HHR
This car has always confused me. I've never understood why anyone under 70 would want something that looks like a 1940's milk truck. And the funny thing is, even with its high roof, it does not offer good visibility, because the thick body pillars cause a lot of blind spots, and the windshield doesn't go high enough.
The one I rented was manufactured only 15 months ago in October 2010, and yet there were dime-sized flakes of paint that had come off the front end for no apparent reason.
Maybe GM sets aside their factory defects for the rental agencies?
It rides smoothly enough on the highway. But on city streets at lower speeds, it had a trucklike ride over bumps, with a hollow clunking sound that seems to plague most GM FWD cars, and makes it sound like something is loose in the suspension.
The gauges were "ok" I guess, but the tach was too small. I guess they think that makes it look retro.
But the worst thing about this car is the ACRES of hard plastic EVERYWHERE. It would take a whole BOTTLE of Armor-All to clean it every year. I guess since the car is so tall including the dash, they couldn't afford to use soft-touch materials.