The Official Rental Car Review Thread

[StoplightAssassin]

Year/Make/Model: 2012 Ford Mustang Convertible

Engine: 3.7L V6

Power: 305hp

Transmission: 6 speed auto

Drive: RWD

Options: Umm...at least it had an aux in.

 

Initial Impressions: Damn, it's not a 2013, but at least it's not the Sebring they tried to give me.

 

Acceleration: Enough to keep you occupied but it won't make you giddy.

 

Observed MPG: Never paid attention. I'd estimate 25mpg combined city and highway.

 

Handling/Suspension: The spring rates were too soft to actually feel sporty. Damping was sub par. The car felt more old school Cadillac than new Mustang. It cornered pretty flat though.

 

Transmission: Nothing special. Downshifting under heavy throttle takes a couple seconds. Otherwise shifts are adequately smooth as you'd expect from a secretary's car. 2013 6ATs all got shift paddles which would've upped the fun factor considerably.

 

Braking: Mushy pedal. Adequate braking for daily driving.

 

Interior: Awful. Hard touch plastics everywhere. The steering wheel was hard rubber. They couldn't even wrap it in leather. Seats were comfortable enough. I'm 6'7" but I had a good amount of room up front. The back seats were tiny as expected. With the top down, we were able to fit 1 large suitcase and a couple smaller bags in the trunk. We fit another large suitcase and a carry-on sized suitcase in the backseat.

 

Bottom line: Not as much fun as you'd expect it to be. If you plan on doing some spirited driving on your vacation, this is NOT the car you want. Pony up for the Hertz Vette or one of the Camaro SSes available from many rental agencies now.

[Whatisit]

http://gallery.carreview.com/data/car/751/medium/2011_ford_fiesta_04.jpg

I just returned A 2012 Ford Fiesta SE hatchback (in black) to Enterprise.

 

For a cheap car it wasnt bad. Alot of gimmicy items such as "mood lighting". The Sync system was absolutly garbage. It did not understand even one of my commands. Google voice trumps this system 100 times over.

 

The rear visibility was terrible. Even with the rear seat headrest's removed, i could not see anything behind me. Also none of the doors have door lock latches. The one and only switch is located on the front dashboard. this becomes very agrivating as the doors automatically lock as soon as the car is in drive.

 

Engine Power wasnt bad, however the DCT transmission was terrible. The transmission shifted no faster then a normal automatic, and on hills it rolled backwards. Also on cold mornings the shifting was very irratic. with the front seats set as far back as possible, the rear seat was not usable at all. The best thing about it was that i achieved 37.5 mpg with my week long mixed commute. I did alot of 0-60 runs, and spent alot of time in city traffic. i know if i was driving it right i could hit 40+ mpg

[Wang Lung]

Nice manicure, Diggerdan11.

[specialB]

I'm liking this thread, get to be your own Jeremy Clarkson lol. Can't wait to get whatever rental i get in salt lake city end of February for my ski trip. Most likely end up being a commuter van (best for hauling six guys and all their ski shit) but it may be cheaper to get two compacts instead...and potentially more fun ahaha

 

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

[StoplightAssassin]

This is off memory from 2 years ago, but the C6 hasn't changed much.

 

 

Year/Make/Model: 2010 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible ZHZ

Engine: 6.3L LS3

Power: 436HP

Transmission: 6 speed auto w flappy paddles

Drive: RWD

Options: Magnetic Ride Control, Dual Mode Exhaust, CD player, aux in, leather, power seats

 

Initial Impressions: It's yellow.

 

Acceleration: Fastest rental car I've ever had, although my butt dyno says that this car was not all a Corvette should be. Detuned maybe? I'd have to take it to a track to verify, but I'd say it was a 13.3 to 13.6 car.

 

Observed MPG: Not bad. I put 250 miles on it in 1 day. I was HAMMERING it on canyon roads. It required a full fill up when I took it back.

 

Handling/Suspension: I felt turn in was lacking a bit. Even with the stock tires, the car still had plenty of grip, even with TC off (which is one of the reasons I feel the car was detuned). The ride was very comfortable. I'd turn the Magnetic Ride Control selector to comfort when on the highway, and turn it to sport for canyon bombing. There is a discernible difference between the two. In sport mode, the damping was noticeably stiffer. I pushed hard, but not to the limit as I was in an unfamiliar car in an unfamiliar place with 1000 foot drop offs.

 

Transmission: You'd expect a Corvette to have a good auto trans, it doesn't. At least this one doesn't. I'm sure the 6AT in the GS is better than this. It HAS to be. If you use the paddles too much, the car will revert back to full auto mode, which sucks for canyons. Just leave it in full auto on the highway.

 

Braking: Decent. It had a progressive sporty feel that you'd expect of a rental Vette. It could have been much better though. Initial bite was lacking, but that was to be expected in a rental.

 

Interior: Pretty basic. It had power leather seats which were decently supportive in the canyons and comfortable on PCH. After my 12 hour day of driving was over, I still felt pretty good. The overall feel of the interior was nice enough that I really didn't care. I know a lot of people gripe about the interior quality, but I'm on vacation in SoCal in a Vette, IDGAF and neither will you.

 

If you do choose to rent one, you will have to plan ahead. With the top down, I was able to fit 1 large duffel bag into the trunk with one school sized back pack. You can fit a little more with the top up, but what's the point if you're making a long drive with overnight stays. Do not bring a large suitcase with rigid sides. It will not fit.

 

Other thoughts: The dual mode exhaust sucks. It's a great idea but poor execution. It takes about 2 seconds to open under WOT and as soon as you let off the gas a bit it closes. Owners wire up a switch to operate it that way because of how bad it sucks. Even when open the sound is so so. It had a weird muffled flamethrower sound to it. I would skip that option if buying a Vette.

 

I also thought it was funny that I'd get the wave from EVERY other Vette driver I passed. It was obvious I was just a tourist, but I guess that was cool if you need that sort of reinforcement.

 

Bottom line: I don't believe Hertz rents the ZHZ anymore, but you can still rent a C6 vert from Hertz at certain airports for about 200 bucks a day. If you're in a place like SoCal with perfect weather 95% of the time, DO IT. Plan out your day to avoid the traffic and just go. At some point I'd like to take my wife out there and make the trip from SF to LA down PCH. It is unbelievable. If you want to do some canyon driving, this Vette may not be the best overall choice, but you will have an unforgettable experience.

[konrad]

This has pegged my BS meter.

Well its the internet so I can prove it to you.

 

It had other major failures (valve gasket, power steering pump, cooling fans) but no rattles

[Code]

Lol.

 

OT - I had a 2012 Dodge Avenger SXT in Orlando last week. It wasn't that bad. Six-speed auto has short ratios and shifted quick to get the car moving decently. It still felt gutless.

 

Handling was actually really good. The car stayed flat and turned-in really well.

 

I would take it over a Camry any day.