What cars have you recently rented?

FT BSTRD · 02-23-2009, 01:37 AM

Rented a Ford Taurus Limited.

Surprisingly strong motor. Transmission was fairly smooth although it felt as though it didn't have an overdrive grear. Cruised at an RPM higher than I would have expected.

Seat was comfortable but VERY firm. Interior was well crafted and layed out although the buttons were busy and not very intuitive. The radio didn't have a tune knob and it was VERY annoying to tune stations. There was NO volume control on the steering wheel. Dumb.

The exterior styling looked like a giant passat added to the chassis of an F150. Not very attractive.

Couple of things I thought were cool. First, when you turned the key off, the seat scooted back to make it easier to get out and get back in. When you got back in, the seat returned to your preset position. Second, you could raise and lower the brake pedal. I HATE cars where the pedal is too low or too high.

Homeslice · 03-15-2009, 05:25 PM

So, I decided to give a Hyundai a try........Or rather, I was forced to, since I arrived late and was given a crap car instead of the one I requested.

Anyway it was an Elantra with the standard 2.0........The engine was shit, no power at all, and it was very boomy from as low as 3000 rpm. Brakes were powerful, but came on WAY too abruptly, making it difficult to drive smoothly.

Inside, the dash followed today's "pregnant" styling custom, where the center stack bulges out like a pregnant tummy in the middle and then recedes towards the bottom...........personally I think this styling tactic is ugly, I don't like rounded bulges.....I would rather have the center stack go in one straight plane towards the shifter.

Two thumbs up for the climate control knobs, they were very simple and easy to understand, unlike a lot of other cars.

Gauges were good, I like blue better than red or green. Steering wheel was a proper 3-spoke, but the spokes could have been higher because I like my thumbs to be up higher at 10 and 2.

James · 03-16-2009, 02:11 PM

Rented a '08 Jeep Wrangler (4cyl, 4x4, soft-top) in Cozumel last week.

It's basically an Island turd. The clutch and brakes were sacked. The ride was typical Jeep Wrangler, but it was fun to drive around the island in it anyway. We had the top down, and the wind inside was fine.

R6Chick · 03-16-2009, 02:51 PM

2009 Sebring- Gas hog, not much to speak for in acceleration, but looks good and the interior is nice.

2009 PT Cruiser- Crap. Enough said.

2009 Accent- Cheap- drove cheap, looked cheap, all-around cheap. Nice on gas.

2009 Yaris- Surprising acceleration and great gas milage, ugly as hell and the gauge cluster was in the middle of the car. I felt like I was practically asking the passenger how fast I was going each time I wanted to know. The acceleration was good, but the handling was a bit scary, so off-ramps have to be taken easily. The hood is short, so it was strange parking and driving (and I even own a compact).

2009 Mazda 3- Great car, interior is the better of the cheap cars, I actually would consider buying the car if it wasn't for the fact the wind shield slopes very far forward toward the hood and almost gives that minivan feeling.

2009 G6- For a cheap car, it's great. I like the looks and impressive gas milage for a GM, but my only issue is with the back window. It's so sloped that if you have dew or frost, it won't bead off with the wind. For 3 mornings, I couldn't see out my rear window trying to drive through Houston's rush hour, irritating.

2009 Cobalt- Not too bad for a cheap little GM car. Might not be everyone's favorite, but one of my favorites to rent. It's smaller, so easier to park, but yet my lanky butt fits in it, good on gas, and pretty comfortable inside.

I rent a car each week while I work in Houston, I'm sure I'll have more to update this thread.

Racerboy · 03-16-2009, 05:17 PM

My newest rental was a complete surprise. I needed a car to go up to Orlando for the day with my mom and my Toyota got a check engine light....so we rented a car from Enterprise.

It was a 2009 Chevy Aveo, 4 door, auto, a/c and an AM/FM radio, no other bells or whistles. We drove that little car 95+ mph the entire way to Orlando and back and still got amazing gas mileage as well we were able to hold a conversation without shouting over the high revving engine.

I am not one to promote little rollerskate cars but if I was forced into a commuting situation, I would certainly think twice about buying this car for the drive. They are made in Korea but at high speeds, it felt like a car made in Germany.

Homeslice · 03-16-2009, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by R6Chick

2009 PT Cruiser- Crap. Enough said.

plusone

G-Rex · 03-16-2009, 09:09 PM

I've rented a couple over the last month thanks to having my car in the shop.

2006 Nissan Sentra - decent power for what it is, comfortable enough for 400 mile days, good mileage, terrible torque steer.

2006 Nissan Altima - good power for the V6, hated the gated shifter, not intuitive at all, totally not comfortable, noisy, and there was NO key cylinder for the trunk. Seriously?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Homeslice

plusone

I'm curious Homeslice. You're pretty critical of most of the cars you review, and that's fine, I agree with your comments on the ones I've driven. But, I'm curious, what is your personal car? I just want to know what stands up to the *Homeslice test* for a long term test car.

Homeslice · 03-16-2009, 09:14 PM

I drive a 15 year old Ford Probe GT that I picked up from a coworker 5 years ago for $2,000. Money isn't the problem, I could buy almost any car I wanted, but I don't feel the need since I don't use a car very often. In the 5 years I've owned this beater I've only put 30K miles on it.

02-23-2009, 01:37 AM	#1
FT BSTRD Tractor Driver Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Franklin, TN Moto: Buell XB12X Ulysses Posts: 1,007	Rented a Ford Taurus Limited. Surprisingly strong motor. Transmission was fairly smooth although it felt as though it didn't have an overdrive grear. Cruised at an RPM higher than I would have expected. Seat was comfortable but VERY firm. Interior was well crafted and layed out although the buttons were busy and not very intuitive. The radio didn't have a tune knob and it was VERY annoying to tune stations. There was NO volume control on the steering wheel. Dumb. The exterior styling looked like a giant passat added to the chassis of an F150. Not very attractive. Couple of things I thought were cool. First, when you turned the key off, the seat scooted back to make it easier to get out and get back in. When you got back in, the seat returned to your preset position. Second, you could raise and lower the brake pedal. I HATE cars where the pedal is too low or too high. __________________ "I do get tired of reading,'my buddy is a racer and says the Buell will never work' I always want to say 'Who the FCK is your buddy and is he faster than Shawn Higbee?" --Erik Buell*

03-15-2009, 05:25 PM	#2
Homeslice Elitist Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: SF Bay Area Moto: Gix 750 Posts: 11,351	So, I decided to give a Hyundai a try........Or rather, I was forced to, since I arrived late and was given a crap car instead of the one I requested. Anyway it was an Elantra with the standard 2.0........The engine was shit, no power at all, and it was very boomy from as low as 3000 rpm. Brakes were powerful, but came on WAY too abruptly, making it difficult to drive smoothly. Inside, the dash followed today's "pregnant" styling custom, where the center stack bulges out like a pregnant tummy in the middle and then recedes towards the bottom...........personally I think this styling tactic is ugly, I don't like rounded bulges.....I would rather have the center stack go in one straight plane towards the shifter. Two thumbs up for the climate control knobs, they were very simple and easy to understand, unlike a lot of other cars. Gauges were good, I like blue better than red or green. Steering wheel was a proper 3-spoke, but the spokes could have been higher because I like my thumbs to be up higher at 10 and 2. Last edited by Homeslice; 03-16-2009 at 05:26 PM..

03-16-2009, 05:17 PM	#5
Racerboy The Other White Meat Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Phoenix, AZ Moto: 1997 Cadillac Seville SLS Posts: 608	My newest rental was a complete surprise. I needed a car to go up to Orlando for the day with my mom and my Toyota got a check engine light....so we rented a car from Enterprise. It was a 2009 Chevy Aveo, 4 door, auto, a/c and an AM/FM radio, no other bells or whistles. We drove that little car 95+ mph the entire way to Orlando and back and still got amazing gas mileage as well we were able to hold a conversation without shouting over the high revving engine. I am not one to promote little rollerskate cars but if I was forced into a commuting situation, I would certainly think twice about buying this car for the drive. They are made in Korea but at high speeds, it felt like a car made in Germany. __________________ Have you ever wondered if the earth was a mental asylum for people rejected from a planet more sophisticated than ours... www.CheckeredFlagOils.com 954-975-BIKE (2453) 623-850-1OIL (1645)

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03-16-2009, 02:11 PM	#3
James aka Reyn Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Austin, TX Moto: General Lee Bigwheel! Posts: 50	Rented a '08 Jeep Wrangler (4cyl, 4x4, soft-top) in Cozumel last week. It's basically an Island turd. The clutch and brakes were sacked. The ride was typical Jeep Wrangler, but it was fun to drive around the island in it anyway. We had the top down, and the wind inside was fine.

03-16-2009, 02:51 PM	#4
R6Chick I haven't had that in yrs Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL Moto: 2004 R6 Posts: 439	2009 Sebring- Gas hog, not much to speak for in acceleration, but looks good and the interior is nice. 2009 PT Cruiser- Crap. Enough said. 2009 Accent- Cheap- drove cheap, looked cheap, all-around cheap. Nice on gas. 2009 Yaris- Surprising acceleration and great gas milage, ugly as hell and the gauge cluster was in the middle of the car. I felt like I was practically asking the passenger how fast I was going each time I wanted to know. The acceleration was good, but the handling was a bit scary, so off-ramps have to be taken easily. The hood is short, so it was strange parking and driving (and I even own a compact). 2009 Mazda 3- Great car, interior is the better of the cheap cars, I actually would consider buying the car if it wasn't for the fact the wind shield slopes very far forward toward the hood and almost gives that minivan feeling. 2009 G6- For a cheap car, it's great. I like the looks and impressive gas milage for a GM, but my only issue is with the back window. It's so sloped that if you have dew or frost, it won't bead off with the wind. For 3 mornings, I couldn't see out my rear window trying to drive through Houston's rush hour, irritating. 2009 Cobalt- Not too bad for a cheap little GM car. Might not be everyone's favorite, but one of my favorites to rent. It's smaller, so easier to park, but yet my lanky butt fits in it, good on gas, and pretty comfortable inside. I rent a car each week while I work in Houston, I'm sure I'll have more to update this thread.

03-16-2009, 09:14 PM	#8
Homeslice Elitist Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: SF Bay Area Moto: Gix 750 Posts: 11,351	I drive a 15 year old Ford Probe GT that I picked up from a coworker 5 years ago for $2,000. Money isn't the problem, I could buy almost any car I wanted, but I don't feel the need since I don't use a car very often. In the 5 years I've owned this beater I've only put 30K miles on it.