Rental Car thread

Started by Laconian, February 27, 2017, 08:50:47 PM

Laconian

What'd you rent? What do you want to rent? What rental stories do you have to share?
Kia EV6 GT-Line / MX-5 RF 6MT

68_427

All y'all's moms they gotta lotta miles but the ride is still smoove nomsayin
Quotewhere were you when automotive dream died
i was sat at home drinking brake fluid when wife ring
'racecar is die'
no


Laconian

Got a Camry SE for this trip. Initial impressions are quite positive. One of the least offensive cars I've driven for a while. A heck of a lot less floaty than the 08 I rented before. Transmission is smooth and the overdrive gear feels utterly frictionless. Seats are comfy. Braindump over
Kia EV6 GT-Line / MX-5 RF 6MT

68_427

The SE isn't even the sport trim anymore either
Quotewhere were you when automotive dream died
i was sat at home drinking brake fluid when wife ring
'racecar is die'
no


12,000 RPM

In the last gen it was

Golf TSI is still reigning king of rentals I've had which include

F30 328i
Current Accord
Current Fit
Current 3i
Last Elantra
Last Sonata
Last and current Soul (both terrible)
Last Focus
Last Corolla

Next time demon Civic goes in for service I'm gonna try to get a Civic Hatch
Protecctor of the Atmospheric Engine #TheyLiedToUs

68_427

Quote from: 12,000 RPM on February 28, 2017, 04:33:49 AM
In the last gen it was

Which is why I posted that, assuming that Kevin, like most people forget the XSE exists for the current gen.  I was merely sharing more information and low-key giving kudos to the car and Toyota for actually making improvements.
Quotewhere were you when automotive dream died
i was sat at home drinking brake fluid when wife ring
'racecar is die'
no


Lebowski

Honestly on the rare occasions I get a rental car I usually just get a cheap basic car that fits my needs.  I normally don't do a whole lot of driving in a rental car and it's just a few days, plus even most of the nicer rental cars aren't anything particularly fun so I'd rather just get something cheap.

If I'm just going from airport to hotel and a little bit else I'll Uber to avoid rental cars.

MrH

Surprise rental of the century:  Nissan Cube.  Strange, strange car but kind of endearing.  Tons of space.  There's shag carpet on the dash.  I have so many questions.
2023 Ford Lightning Lariat ER
2019 Acura RDX SH-AWD
2023 BRZ Limited

Previous: '02 Mazda Protege5, '08 Mazda Miata, '05 Toyota Tacoma, '09 Honda Element, '13 Subaru BRZ, '14 Hyundai Genesis R-Spec 5.0, '15 Toyota 4Runner SR5, '18 Honda Accord EX-L 2.0t, '01 Honda S2000, '20 Subaru Outback XT, '23 Chevy Bolt EUV

AutobahnSHO

2003 Flew to SLC, home in WY is about an hour and a half from the airport. Reserved a small car, hoping we could fit 2 adults, 2 carseats and older son, and bags.

Showed up and they were out, "all they had" was an AWD Toyota minivan. Asked if that was ok. SWEET!  Nicest large vehicle I'd driven to that point. Go start it up, bring it to curb, load kids and bags and go to start again and battery is dead. Totally dead, after sitting with interior lights on for a couple minutes. They said they had another, but they'd have to wait to get someone to move the ski rack from ours to the new one. We didn't care, hopped in and had a great week.

In Germany, drove family in a rental 12passenger van through snowstorm in Austrian alps to Venice. Then back through Switzerland. Diesel with manual, lots of fun!!
Will

Laconian

They have lots of minivans in the Emerald Aisle at National. Same price as a midsize.
Kia EV6 GT-Line / MX-5 RF 6MT

Speed_Racer

Since I don't travel for business, I get whatever is cheapest when I travel for pleasure. Some quick reviews:

Chevy Aveo - Utter garbage. I feel sorry for anyone who owned one.
Toyota Corolla - Just meh, not impressed
Chevy Cruze - Just meh, not impressed
Chevy Sonic - Peppier than I expected w/ the 1.4L Turbo
Nissan Versa - Felt like a toy car, but 40 mpg to and from LA made it worth it
Dodge Caravan - Why do people hate minivans, this was the PERFECT roadtrip ride. Seats were bomb, lots of legroom and space for luggage, drove alright.


CaminoRacer

It's fun to rent V6 pony cars, show up to Autox events, and beat the guys who own the V8 version.
2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

CALL_911

Had a Chevy Cruze a while ago, which is what I think the current Jetta should have been. Slow, but a great car. Rented a Ford Focus titanium in CA a few months back. Again, way nicer than I expected, and it was fun too. Didn't love the transmission and it was slow (which I expected), but def thumbs up.


2004 S2000
2016 340xi

Laconian

Quote from: CaminoRacer on February 28, 2017, 12:10:42 PM
It's fun to rent V6 pony cars, show up to Autox events, and beat the guys who own the V8 version.
You seriously do this? lol
Kia EV6 GT-Line / MX-5 RF 6MT

Laconian

Quote from: CALL_911 on February 28, 2017, 12:29:50 PM
Had a Chevy Cruze a while ago, which is what I think the current Jetta should have been. Slow, but a great car. Rented a Ford Focus titanium in CA a few months back. Again, way nicer than I expected, and it was fun too. Didn't love the transmission and it was slow (which I expected), but def thumbs up.

Cruze was one of the pleasant surprises I've experienced, but IMO doesn't come close to the Jetta. I rented a Jetta SE (turbo!) and that thing was pretty amazing. Well built, great chassis, great engine, great fuel economy. Best rental car value I've experienced.

Mazda2 was a lot of fun. Just floor it all over town and chuck it around the twisties. A blast for a tall shitbox.
Kia EV6 GT-Line / MX-5 RF 6MT

CaminoRacer

Quote from: Laconian on February 28, 2017, 02:59:51 PM
You seriously do this? lol

Many times.

Challengers are the easiest prey.
2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

CALL_911

Quote from: Laconian on February 28, 2017, 03:02:08 PM
Cruze was one of the pleasant surprises I've experienced, but IMO doesn't come close to the Jetta. I rented a Jetta SE (turbo!) and that thing was pretty amazing. Well built, great chassis, great engine, great fuel economy. Best rental car value I've experienced.

Mazda2 was a lot of fun. Just floor it all over town and chuck it around the twisties. A blast for a tall shitbox.

I haven't driven a Jetta, but all of what you just said is why I love my GTI.


2004 S2000
2016 340xi

ifcar

Quote from: 68_427 on February 28, 2017, 01:24:33 AM
The SE isn't even the sport trim anymore either

It is; the XSE is more about extra features than extra sport. SE is the sport LE; XSE is the sport XLE.

68_427

Quote from: ifcar on February 28, 2017, 04:25:57 PM
It is; the XSE is more about extra features than extra sport. SE is the sport LE; XSE is the sport XLE.

What

You mean it doesn't stand for XTRA sport or XTREME sport?

Fuck you Toyota and your grounded to the ground bullshit FYA
Quotewhere were you when automotive dream died
i was sat at home drinking brake fluid when wife ring
'racecar is die'
no


MexicoCityM3

A couple of weeks ago I rented a Mustang V6 coupe in a one day trip to Leon por $65. I liked it. Nothing extraordinary but great value for money IMO.

Feels huge.

It was that or a bare bones 320i for the same price. I figured I'd go with not a BMW.
Founder, BMW Car Club de México
http://bmwclub.org.mx
'05 M3 E46 6SPD Mystic Blue
'08 M5 E60 SMG  Space Grey
'11 1M E82 6SPD Sapphire Black
'16 GT4 (1/3rd Share lol)
'18 M3 CS
'16 X5 5.0i (Wife)
'14 MINI Cooper Countryman S Automatic (For Sale)

giant_mtb

I've never rented a car.  But I've driven a bazillion different cars.

Laconian

Quote from: MexicoCityM3 on February 28, 2017, 05:53:28 PM
A couple of weeks ago I rented a Mustang V6 coupe in a one day trip to Leon por $65. I liked it. Nothing extraordinary but great value for money IMO.

Feels huge.

It was that or a bare bones 320i for the same price. I figured I'd go with not a BMW.

V6 Mustangs have a bit too much of a glug-glug-glug forced retro feel on light throttle.
Kia EV6 GT-Line / MX-5 RF 6MT

Laconian

Camry SE is getting a whoppying 19.8MPG over the past three days. On the four cylinder, of course. Unacceptable. Garbage.
Kia EV6 GT-Line / MX-5 RF 6MT

12,000 RPM

In a Jetta TSI.... not quite as magical as the Golf, just realizing why. Has the 1.4T, not the 1.8T. Definitely feels a little laggier, you never quite get the same response from the engine when you dip your foot in it. Cheap tires and squishy suspension make it feel pretty ponderous too. Great daily driver though, got 28 MPG on all back roads and surface streets driving like I do
Protecctor of the Atmospheric Engine #TheyLiedToUs

Laconian

Quote from: 12,000 RPM on March 08, 2017, 04:00:00 PM
In a Jetta TSI.... not quite as magical as the Golf, just realizing why. Has the 1.4T, not the 1.8T. Definitely feels a little laggier, you never quite get the same response from the engine when you dip your foot in it. Cheap tires and squishy suspension make it feel pretty ponderous too. Great daily driver though, got 28 MPG on all back roads and surface streets driving like I do

I got like 35mpg with my rental TSI. Same conditions that yielded 20mpg in the Camry. :-O
Kia EV6 GT-Line / MX-5 RF 6MT

BimmerM3

Quote from: Laconian on February 28, 2017, 03:02:08 PM
Cruze was one of the pleasant surprises I've experienced, but IMO doesn't come close to the Jetta. I rented a Jetta SE (turbo!) and that thing was pretty amazing. Well built, great chassis, great engine, great fuel economy. Best rental car value I've experienced.

I had a Jetta last week in Atlanta. Definitely a nice rental. I'm not sure I can agree with the great fuel economy part, but I tend to drive the living shit out of rental cars. :lol:

AutobahnSHO

Quote from: Laconian on March 08, 2017, 04:17:51 PM
I got like 35mpg with my rental TSI. Same conditions that yielded 20mpg in the Camry. :-O

I was at Fort Meade, Maryland back in 2006 and the unit had so many people no-show to training that the trainer wouldn't let us go there. I had to commute up to Aberdeen Proving Grounds for a couple weeks for a class. We were given a small Chevy (last year of the cavalier?) and drove that for a week, had to fill up every 2.5 times up and back. Guy I was traveling with hated the car and talked the fleet manager into giving us something bigger, we got a Dodge Stratus. Had to fill up every 1.5 times up and back.
Will

12,000 RPM

Got a Maxima to go get the Civic

Really interesting car. Good car, really good at what it does. The engine is pretty effing glorious and matches well with the CVT. The stereo took me back to my 2 12s in the trunk days. Interior is OK; def feels more like a gussied up Altima than a legit luxury car.... noise isolation is excellent though

But I feel like this thing would do and be better as a crossover. A "Murano coupe" if you will. The actual Murano is probably not bad, but the combo of ~10% more weight and 20% less power probably take a good bit of what little dynamic edge it has off. This thing would look better as a crossover and not give up much dynamically.... the low speed damping is pretty wobbly and the steering is as limp as a weak handshake. Will be nice to commute in with tomorrow
Protecctor of the Atmospheric Engine #TheyLiedToUs

Raza

Quote from: 12,000 RPM on March 12, 2017, 12:21:14 PM
Got a Maxima to go get the Civic

Really interesting car. Good car, really good at what it does. The engine is pretty effing glorious and matches well with the CVT. The stereo took me back to my 2 12s in the trunk days. Interior is OK; def feels more like a gussied up Altima than a legit luxury car.... noise isolation is excellent though

But I feel like this thing would do and be better as a crossover. A "Murano coupe" if you will. The actual Murano is probably not bad, but the combo of ~10% more weight and 20% less power probably take a good bit of what little dynamic edge it has off. This thing would look better as a crossover and not give up much dynamically.... the low speed damping is pretty wobbly and the steering is as limp as a weak handshake. Will be nice to commute in with tomorrow

In your vision of the world, is every car just a crossover?   :tounge:

Seriously though, it seems like in every thread you're like "Ferrari Superfast?  They should have made a CUV called the Supercomfortable instead.  Seats 7 comfortably, weighs 1,850 pounds, naturally aspirated 7.0L V12, $45K."
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
If you can read this, you're too close


2006 BMW Z4 3.0i
http://accelerationtherapy.squarespace.com/   @accelerationdoc
Quote from: the Teuton on October 05, 2009, 03:53:18 PM
It's impossible to argue with Raza. He wins. Period. End of discussion.

ifcar

Quote from: 12,000 RPM on March 12, 2017, 12:21:14 PM
Got a Maxima to go get the Civic

Really interesting car. Good car, really good at what it does. The engine is pretty effing glorious and matches well with the CVT. The stereo took me back to my 2 12s in the trunk days. Interior is OK; def feels more like a gussied up Altima than a legit luxury car.... noise isolation is excellent though

But I feel like this thing would do and be better as a crossover. A "Murano coupe" if you will. The actual Murano is probably not bad, but the combo of ~10% more weight and 20% less power probably take a good bit of what little dynamic edge it has off. This thing would look better as a crossover and not give up much dynamically.... the low speed damping is pretty wobbly and the steering is as limp as a weak handshake. Will be nice to commute in with tomorrow

The Murano is already Nissan's big crossover for style over functionality -- basically the Pathfinder coupe, to use that parlance. What would the Murano coupe be, besides -- just like the Murano already -- a Maxima that gives up some dynamics for some height?