Rental Car thread

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

CALL_911

This is the first generation that really appeals to me more than the contemporary 3-series. These still look great, despite being a 5-6 year old design.


2004 S2000
2016 340xi

Speed_Racer

Spent nearly 1200 miles in a Tucson rented to tour New England during leaf season. The National emerald aisle was nearly empty when we arrived at BOS, it was this, a Mitsubishi Outlander, or a Toyota Highlander. GF doesn't like Toyotas, I have no opinion on Mitsubishis, so the Tuscon "won". It turned out to be a decent road-tripper.

Good: Good dimensions, quiet and smooth ride, came fully loaded (radar cruise, heated/vented seats, sunroof), and we averaged low to mid 30s MPG. Trunk automatically opens for you if you stand back there for ~5 seconds, no foot waving needed.

Bad: Snatchy throttle off idle, piano black trim looks bad, 8-spd transmission shifted up and down a lot, center stack had a weird mix of inputs: capacitive buttons, touchscreen, flippers, scrolly wheels. The car also liked to bing and bong at us for all sorts of reasons - buckle up, you shifted into reverse, matching the cruise to the speed limit, phone left in the charger, etc.


giant_mtb

Definitely a better choice than the Mitsubishi!

RomanChariot

I recently rented a white 2022 Toyota Camry LE AWD for a trip in Minnesota. It had the 2.5L 4 cylinder engine and 8 speed transmission. The engine had reasonable power but it was kind of buzzy at lower speeds. The car was comfortable and roomy. At first it seemed like it had some odd steering issues until I realized that if I got close to the lane lines the car would try to steer itself back to the center of the lane. I got used to that without too much problem.

The most annoying thing about the car were the various beeps from the electronic nannies. The worst was the speed limit nanny. If you went over the speed limit by more than 5mph the car would beep at you. Driving on Minneapolis freeways that have ridiculously short on and of ramp merging lanes, traffic speed was constantly going above and below that 5mph over the speed limit barrier so the chime was frequently beeping. I tried to turn it off but all of the instructions that I found for turning it off involved going into the Navigation menu and the car didn't have navigation.

I really liked the radar cruise control. It was really nice on the longer drives that we took. It did a nice job of keeping a comfortable distance and would brake the car all of the way down to about 15mph before it would cut out.

The gas mileage was great. I didn't track it accurately but we put around 1000 miles on the car and only had to fill it up twice. It got around 35mpg.

The one thing that surprised me was how much wind gusts affected the car. It got pushed around in windy conditions more that I would have expected for a car with modern aerodynamics. The wind gusts would also make the hood visibly shake.

veeman

Quote from: RomanChariot on October 12, 2022, 09:46:28 AM
I recently rented a white 2022 Toyota Camry LE AWD for a trip in Minnesota. It had the 2.5L 4 cylinder engine and 8 speed transmission. The engine had reasonable power but it was kind of buzzy at lower speeds. The car was comfortable and roomy. At first it seemed like it had some odd steering issues until I realized that if I got close to the lane lines the car would try to steer itself back to the center of the lane. I got used to that without too much problem.

The most annoying thing about the car were the various beeps from the electronic nannies. The worst was the speed limit nanny. If you went over the speed limit by more than 5mph the car would beep at you. Driving on Minneapolis freeways that have ridiculously short on and of ramp merging lanes, traffic speed was constantly going above and below that 5mph over the speed limit barrier so the chime was frequently beeping. I tried to turn it off but all of the instructions that I found for turning it off involved going into the Navigation menu and the car didn't have navigation.

I really liked the radar cruise control. It was really nice on the longer drives that we took. It did a nice job of keeping a comfortable distance and would brake the car all of the way down to about 15mph before it would cut out.

The gas mileage was great. I didn't track it accurately but we put around 1000 miles on the car and only had to fill it up twice. It got around 35mpg.

The one thing that surprised me was how much wind gusts affected the car. It got pushed around in windy conditions more that I would have expected for a car with modern aerodynamics. The wind gusts would also make the hood visibly shake.

If my rental car had a speed nanny, I would return it and ask for a different car. 

veeman

In San Diego for a conference.  Rented a luxury car through Dollar.  I'm always surprised that the cost difference between renting a compact economy car vs large car is usually a few dollars a day and a luxury car is usually not that much more, usually on par with a small or midsize SUV.  My go to Chrysler 300 wasn't available but they had a Genesis G70.  Sweet. 

Base model 4 cylinder turbo.  Nice looking car.  Interior is very well put together and feels luxury.  Put it in "sport" mode but not the most extreme sport mode (there was economy, comfort, sport, and extreme sport). Plenty fast.  Good handling.  What surprised me most is how well isolated the ride is. Don't really hear the 4 cylinder engine (which is a good thing) and it was easy for me to forget I was going 90 mph and had to slow down on the highway the car is so quiet.  I think base model 4 cylinder engine which starts at around 40 grand is a very good deal especially with generous Genesis/Hyundai warranty. Trunk is on the smaller side.

Morris Minor

#786
Hyundai Sonata with 1.6T in San Francisco. I'm impressed - I see why Hyundai is doing so well. I need to tell Avis that attempting to wash their cars just by running them through a water shower does not work. Dried water spots covering the glass & mirrors impede visibility.
⏤  '10 G37 | '21 CX-5 GT Reserve  ⏤

giant_mtb

Quote from: Morris Minor on November 18, 2022, 03:39:45 PM
Hyundai Sonata with 1.6T in San Francisco. I'm impressed - I see why Hyundai is doing so well. I need to tell Avis that attempting to wash their cars just by running them through a water shower does not work. Dried water spots covering the glass & mirrors impede visibility.

A couple weeks ago I was scheduled to detail the interior on this old timer's truck.  When he dropped it off he asked if I could "give it a quick wash" as well and I said "I don't have time, that's an extra 1.5-2 hours and I have another interior to do this afternoon" and he said "no, no, just rinse it off."  I flat-out refused...no way am I just spraying our shitty city water on your truck and leaving it there to dry.  He couldn't comprehend the situation.

Morris Minor

So Day Three with the Sonata & I'm still liking it. You can tell a lot of thought went into the aerodynamics. It's quiet & relaxed on freeways - slips through the air, plus I'm getting good gas mileage. Also lots of goodies... & the infotainment works well - I think this is one up from the base model.


⏤  '10 G37 | '21 CX-5 GT Reserve  ⏤

mzziaz

Going to Florida next summer.

I noticed that rental car prices still are horribly inflated. Any tips for getting more reasonable rates?
Cuore Sportivo

Morris Minor

Quote from: mzziaz on January 10, 2023, 02:22:11 AM
Going to Florida next summer.

I noticed that rental car prices still are horribly inflated. Any tips for getting more reasonable rates?
It's crazy. You can try one of the off-airport companies - like Enterprise - but inconvenient. I have an account with Avis & usually rent using a discount code from AAA or my bank. Maybe you can get a deal through your travel club or airline?
(Off topic but managing the rental through the Avis app works really well. Last time I was in California Avis, had allocated a pickup truck [Tacoma] for some reason - nice but completely wrong for what we needed... realised it when we were waiting at baggage claim. I was able to change it in the app - super easy.)
⏤  '10 G37 | '21 CX-5 GT Reserve  ⏤

mzziaz

Yeah, it is bad. I might try Kyte
Cuore Sportivo

afty

Costco usually has good rental car rates. Check out costcotravel.com.

giant_mtb

Quote from: Morris Minor on January 10, 2023, 05:33:05 AM
It's crazy. You can try one of the off-airport companies - like Enterprise - but inconvenient. I have an account with Avis & usually rent using a discount code from AAA or my bank. Maybe you can get a deal through your travel club or airline?
(Off topic but managing the rental through the Avis app works really well. Last time I was in California Avis, had allocated a pickup truck [Tacoma] for some reason - nice but completely wrong for what we needed... realised it when we were waiting at baggage claim. I was able to change it in the app - super easy.)

What was wrong with the Taco? Just needed a full-size pickup? Or something completely different like a van or Tahoe/Suburban/big SUV?

mzziaz

Weird. When it is like $400/week, it must be wildly profitable.

I'm trying Kyte. They came in at $600 for three weeks, with a $50 discount
Cuore Sportivo

Morris Minor

Quote from: giant_mtb on January 10, 2023, 02:11:58 PM
What was wrong with the Taco? Just needed a full-size pickup? Or something completely different like a van or Tahoe/Suburban/big SUV?
We needed a boring sedan-type thingy with a lockable trunk and freeway aerodynamics.
⏤  '10 G37 | '21 CX-5 GT Reserve  ⏤

giant_mtb

Quote from: Morris Minor on January 15, 2023, 05:33:53 AM
We needed a boring sedan-type thingy with a lockable trunk and freeway aerodynamics.

Oh. Then, yeah, Taco isn't ideal at all. :lol:

CALL_911

Re: inflated rental prices

My credit card (Chase Sapphire Reserve) gives me Avis Preferred status which has consistently given me substantially better rates than anywhere else, including Costco.


2004 S2000
2016 340xi

CaminoRacer

I rented a Rav 4 hybrid on Turo for the weekend. We shall see how it does for a road trip through southern Utah. I expect it to perform perfectly for the task
2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

CaminoRacer

Quote from: CaminoRacer on April 26, 2023, 09:06:42 PMI rented a Rav 4 hybrid on Turo for the weekend. We shall see how it does for a road trip through southern Utah. I expect it to perform perfectly for the task

It did indeed perform perfectly.

We drove to Cedar City for a graduation ceremony, and then took a long detour through Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument and Capitol Reef National Park. I wanted to rent a Mazda CX-5 but couldn't find any on Turo that were close enough, so we picked one of the many RAV-4 Hybrids nearby. I wanted something with a bit of ground clearance for dirt trailhead roads, but didn't need real off-road capability. The hybrid worked out well, since it got like 38 MPG on the trip there and back. It's the first Toyota I've driven where I didn't hate the throttle response. Eco mode had very dull response but the normal mode was normal. I didn't bother with sport mode since I was happy enough with normal, and it's not a sports car and shouldn't bother trying. I did pop it into trail mode on the dirt, but I don't know what that does and I don't think it made any difference.

They're not quick vehicles, but it had just enough power when you floored it. It easily cruised at 80-90 mph on the highway and the CVT was pretty good. I'm a fan of good CVTs, they remind me of EVs that never have to shift.

It would switch into EV mode on its own every once in a while. I'm not sure what the conditions needed to be, but it was obvious that it had limited EV-only HP. If you pushed the gas more than a little bit, it would leave EV mode. There is a button in the console to manually enter EV mode, but I never bothered since it would do it automatically when it thought conditions were fit for it.

The handling was OK. Like I said, it's not a sports car and I didn't drive it like it was. Body roll isn't terrible but I didn't trust it in a moose test scenario, too tipsy to make more than 1 quick correction. It didn't help that it had a big thick steering wheel cover that I hated, but I left it on since it's a Turo rental and I only had the car for 2-3 days.

Overall I liked it a lot more than the Tacoma we rented last year. Not as capable off-road, but far better on-road. And just as practical, if not more, since the hatchback area is locked.
2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

Morris Minor

We got to the Enterprise car rental place in Manchester and there was a choice between a Renault Clio and a Vauxhall Corsa. I'd heard good things about the Renault so went for it. I like it - a nice B segment supermini: great handling, logical dash & switch layout and pleasant to drive. It's petrol but not sure which engine it has but it's good enough - not us to North Yorkshire with no problems. Weird to be driving on the left again.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_Clio
⏤  '10 G37 | '21 CX-5 GT Reserve  ⏤

Laconian

Stick shift? I think that shifting with my left hand would be the weirdest part about driving in the UK.
Kia EV6 GT-Line / MX-5 RF 6MT

Morris Minor

No unfortunately its an auto. I'm glad I didn't get anything bigger - stone wall-lined single lane roads don't give much room to play with. In one place a guy in an Alfa had to backup about 20 yards to a passing place to let me through.

This is the road outside our hotel. It's a wide one, necessitating only that passing vehicles slow to walking pace to squeeze by each other.

⏤  '10 G37 | '21 CX-5 GT Reserve  ⏤

AutobahnSHO

Quote from: Laconian on May 07, 2023, 12:34:36 PMStick shift? I think that shifting with my left hand would be the weirdest part about driving in the UK.

It's actually not weird at all, the controls on right hand drive cars are all exactly the same as LHD.
Will

CaminoRacer

Quote from: AutobahnSHO on May 08, 2023, 04:33:29 AMIt's actually not weird at all, the controls on right hand drive cars are all exactly the same as LHD.

I got used to it pretty quickly. I'm glad that the shift pattern is the same and not reversed. :lol:
2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

Morris Minor

Every time I drive out of a parking lot I repeat a "Drive on the Left" mantra as I get on the road.
⏤  '10 G37 | '21 CX-5 GT Reserve  ⏤

Morris Minor

Okay. On the train now to London, after a 3-hour drive down from NW England to Manchester City Centre, where I dropped off the car. Most of the driving was on the M6 which, in the area around Penrith & Carlisle & up towards Scotland, is a magnificent well-engineered 6-lane rural freeway, made all the better by disciplined courteous drivers who use turn signals, don't camp out in the fast lane, move over to make room for merging traffic etc.  I love the USA, and have lived there for 30 years but, honestly, the standard of driving is much lower, "feral" as Cougs famously terms it.

The Renault was weird: e.g. an infotainment system that did Carplay & Android Auto, plus rear backup sensors... But no backup camera, or ambient temperature display. Plus the radio wouldn't shut off permanently - never figured that one out. It was a basic-spec car with manual-adjustment cloth seats etc. The decision process on features included vs omitted seemed bizarre. 
⏤  '10 G37 | '21 CX-5 GT Reserve  ⏤

veeman

Quote from: Morris Minor on May 10, 2023, 06:21:29 AMOkay. On the train now to London, after a 3-hour drive down from NW England to Manchester City Centre, where I dropped off the car. Most of the driving was on the M6 which, in the area around Penrith & Carlisle & up towards Scotland, is a magnificent well-engineered 6-lane rural freeway, made all the better by disciplined courteous drivers who use turn signals, don't camp out in the fast lane, move over to make room for merging traffic etc.  I love the USA, and have lived there for 30 years but, honestly, the standard of driving is much lower, "feral" as Cougs famously terms it.

The Renault was weird: e.g. an infotainment system that did Carplay & Android Auto, plus rear backup sensors... But no backup camera, or ambient temperature display. Plus the radio wouldn't shut off permanently - never figured that one out. It was a basic-spec car with manual-adjustment cloth seats etc. The decision process on features included vs omitted seemed bizarre. 

I visited London with the family 8 years ago and rented a Ford Mondeo. I needed to get to Watford which is where the Warner Bros studio is to take a Harry Potter studio tour (we're huge fans) and I avoid public transportation whenever feasible.  I also wanted to drive in the evenings after rush hour to various restaurants. I'm glad I splurged for an automatic because of the opposite driving direction and it's just one less thing to worry about in an unfamiliar city.  Like you I kept saying to myself "stay on the left, stay on the left, stay on the left".  The Mondeo is by American standards an average sized car but it felt really wide in London.  I had to concentrate to not curb the wheels in the city. I liked how the traffic lights were on poles on the side of the road instead of hanging on wires high up above an intersection like they have in America. Less visual pollution. I expected highway traffic to be faster than the U.S. but it was the same speed as here. Compared with NYC, drivers were much more courteous in London. 

CaminoRacer

Quote from: veeman on May 10, 2023, 08:03:27 AMI visited London with the family 8 years ago and rented a Ford Mondeo. I needed to get to Watford which is where the Warner Bros studio is to take a Harry Potter studio tour (we're huge fans) and I avoid public transportation whenever feasible.  I also wanted to drive in the evenings after rush hour to various restaurants. I'm glad I splurged for an automatic because of the opposite driving direction and it's just one less thing to worry about in an unfamiliar city.  Like you I kept saying to myself "stay on the left, stay on the left, stay on the left".  The Mondeo is by American standards an average sized car but it felt really wide in London.  I had to concentrate to not curb the wheels in the city. I liked how the traffic lights were on poles on the side of the road instead of hanging on wires high up above an intersection like they have in America. Less visual pollution. I expected highway traffic to be faster than the U.S. but it was the same speed as here. Compared with NYC, drivers were much more courteous in London. 

I took the train out to the Harry Potter studio. The train part was great, but the bus that the studio arranges to take you from the train station to the studio was terribly delayed. We were standing in a line of hundreds of people for over an hour and were worried we'd miss our ticket time slot. Driving probably would have been more enjoyable than that part.

I've rented a car there twice, once was an automatic Golf TDI to drive from London to Dover, the other was a yellow MG hatchback with a manual transmission to go from Heathrow to the Goodwood Festival of Speed down by Portsmouth. I was glad to have the automatic the first time I drove there, but the little stickshift hatchback was super fun to drive on the country lanes and toss through roundabouts.
2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

Laconian

Heh, I don't understand the only-mutable radio decision. My MIL's Renault is the same way. It's such a bizarre UI.
Kia EV6 GT-Line / MX-5 RF 6MT