Rental Car thread

[afty]

Another family trip. We have a Ford Expedition this time. It's monstrous. It's got an Ecoboost 3.5 which feels pretty strong.

[Laconian]

Riding in the back seat of a rental Pathfinder. This thing is kind of crappy. Very plasticky, the seat cushions are too short (illusion of legroom!) The instrument cluster is literally the exact same as my 2009 Infiniti. GM is better than this. Jeez.

[CaminoRacer]

I rented a 2005 Corolla S (manual transmission) on Turo. Gonna pick it up Monday night and drive to the salt flats Tuesday morning. Not gonna mention that to the renter though. I'll stop by a car wash on the way home.

[Lebowski]

Riding in the back seat of a rental Pathfinder. This thing is kind of crappy. Very plasticky, the seat cushions are too short (illusion of legroom!) The instrument cluster is literally the exact same as my 2009 Infiniti. GM is better than this. Jeez.

Nissan hasn't made a car I would buy in a very long time, with the possible exception of the GTR.


I liked the 2nd gen pathfinders ok in their time.

[12,000 RPM]

Apologies, it is a 228i. Hauling around ~800-900lb of adult, it still got the job done. Really impressed. Cramped though. Looks like BMWs vary wildly based on how they are equipped. Perhaps there is hope for a 335i with leather and the sport package.

[giant_mtb]

Nissan hasn't made a car I would buy in a very long time, with the possible exception of the GTR.


I liked the 2nd gen pathfinders ok in their time.

The Pathfinder has changed so much from generation to generation.

[68_427]

Apologies, it is a 228i. Hauling around ~800-900lb of adult, it still got the job done. Really impressed. Cramped though. Looks like BMWs vary wildly based on how they are equipped. Perhaps there is hope for a 335i with leather and the sport package.

Just wait for a 340i when it's time.

[12,000 RPM]

Got a Ford Focus rental. Engine is disappointing in its gutlessness, but it seems like they sorted out the transmission. Feels like a regular automatic.

Does seem to have lost a bit of its dynamic charm though. Diesel wagon we had in France seemed more playful. Definitely time for an update.

[12,000 RPM]

I will say this- the stereo is pretty good. Almost on the level of that in the G.

[CaminoRacer]

2005 Corolla stickshift isn't terrible, but it's way too hard to go from 4th to 5th. I think it's because there's no reverse lockout, so 5th is stuck with the same spring pressure that is designed for reverse.

[Cookie Monster]

2005 Corolla stickshift isn't terrible, but it's way too hard to go from 4th to 5th. I think it's because there's no reverse lockout, so 5th is stuck with the same spring pressure that is designed for reverse.

Maybe you just don't know how to drive a manual with more than 4 speeds.

[2o6]

2005 Corolla stickshift isn't terrible, but it's way too hard to go from 4th to 5th. I think it's because there's no reverse lockout, so 5th is stuck with the same spring pressure that is designed for reverse.

Those gearboxes are notorious for being overall shitty. It may be on its way out.

[CaminoRacer]

Maybe you just don't know how to drive a manual with more than 4 speeds.

That too.

[2o6]

I have a Chrysler 200

[Laconian]

With the fantastic dial-o-matic transmission? Does it at least have a backup camera? The trunk is so goddamn high that it's impossible to drive it safely in reverse without one.

[Cookie Monster]

That too.

[2o6]

With the fantastic dial-o-matic transmission? Does it at least have a backup camera? The trunk is so goddamn high that it's impossible to drive it safely in reverse without one.

Yes and yes. Miles


I don't think visibility is too bad.


I'm more concerned that enterprise gave me a car with nearly 60k miles

[giant_mtb]

I didn't have much trouble reversing the 200 I detailed.  ...though it did have a backup cam.  Which a lot of my customers vehicles have but I never look at because I can back out of just about anything with my eyes closed.  That's one thing I love about getting to drive/detail so many different cars...I'm comfortable driving anything and everything.

[12,000 RPM]

Ford Transit 250.... low key, this thing is pretty fun unladen. From like 0-40 it feels a good clip faster than the Civic. Also steering technology has come super far.... this thing actually has decent responsiveness and feedback through the wheel. I was loathing this drive but now it actually seems like it will be OK. Just maybe 90 minutes each way.

[Laconian]

Alfa Giuletta, looks like this:



Don't know what the engine displacement is.

Pros:
+ Love the looks.
+ The steering is great. It offers a good compromise of effort, feedback, and isolation against imperfections.
+ The "DNA" selector in "D" (Dynamic) increases the steering effort and (IIRC) tightens the steering ratio.
+ Engine has good low end torque in "D".
+ Comfortable, well bolstered seats.

Cons:
- Engine periodically makes weird grinding/gargling sounds when running continuously at low or idle speeds. Urea injection, perhaps?
- Big blind spots.
- UConnect is crap.
- Emergency brake lives underneath the armrest, so messing with the brake usually means you'll be banging your hand into the armrest.
- Engine is gutless in "N" (Natural), which is on by default. So the car feels gutless most of the time unless you remember to adjust the economy setting. BMW does this too IIRC.


Do diesel cars have synchronized first gears? I've had to shift into first from second quite a few times because Sorrento traffic is so G.D. slow. The 2->1 shift seems a lot smoother than it would've been in any of our gasoline cars.

[68_427]

man that's one thing I like about my Outback.  Downshifts into 1st like butter then does some nice crackles. 

[CaminoRacer]

If 1st and 2nd are closer together it might be easier to shift down into 1st.

[Speed_Racer]

Had this little guy for a day in France/Belgium. Renault Clio with the 0.9L 3-cyl gas turbo.



Pros:
- Didn't realize it had such a tiny motor as it had no problem accelerating or keeping up with freeway speeds
- Stop-start tech was handy around town. Didn't know anyone offered it w/ a manual transmission
- Did 790 km on one tank of gas, meaning we averaged around 50 mpg. That's insane.

Cons:
- Didn't know it was a turbo until I looked it up when I got home. Wouldn't have minded some turbo noise to liven up the dull driving experience
- Meh steering, brakes, shifter, and interior
- Non-intuitive touchscreen, we never figured out how to turn off the radio

[giant_mtb]

Seems like most modern turbos are pretty neutered on the noise levels.  Par for the course these days. 

[12,000 RPM]

Turbos can either give you fun sounds or 50MPG. I don't think there's any car that can do both.

Good to hear though. Next time we are in Europe I will try to grab one of these. I really love the way they look too. Renault has always had great looking B and C segment cars.

[Speed_Racer]

I saw a few in red and they were quite sharp.

[68_427]

My brother has a 1.0L ecoboost Fiesta and says the same thing about turbo sounds.  He gets super excited when he thinks he hears one 😂

[giant_mtb]

I enjoyed the level of turbo sounds in the A4. With the windows up, you could hear it if you knew what to listen for, and in the summer with the sunroof open it was perfect for fun drives, although the wind pretty much took over after 40-45mph or so.  These days they're pretty much silent, though I did notice it more in an Ecoboost F150 than I did a turbo Escape, which basically had zero turbr0w noise (to be expected).

[veeman]

My parents go on several cruises a year.  They always go with several other couples who are all in their mid to late 70s.  When they stop in Europe they've been renting cars.  So they get off the boat in the morning, rent a few cars or one big van, and then come back by 5:00 p.m. to the boat.  My Dad told me this is the last year they'll be able to rent a car because none of the rental agencies rent to anyone over age 75.

I had no idea there were age limits to renting anywhere? 

[Lebowski]

75 seems like a ridiculously low age limit.