Diary of the Rental Car - mainly US stuff
Discussion
I've been travelling a lot with work this year, mainly to the US, and each time i pick up a rental. I hadn't joined one of the regular use schemes perviously, but having done so, the cars have got slightly better as i have gone on. I always try and get a US car - whats the point in going to another country and driving cars you can see/get in the UK?
Not sure how much interest people may have, but thought it would be nice to record them somewhere and add to them as i go along
Started with this - Chevy Cruze LTZ RS - actually not a bad little car with some unknown sized 4 cylinder. Leather lined and full of toys, standard rental fare
Next up was a trip to Philly during a snow storm - I requested a 4x4 and got a Ford Edge. Quite a big car for European standards, but with the V6 and auto, it was set to highway cruising more than anything. No offroading more than a snowy Walmart car park
Next trip to Philly and probably the worst rental i've had in a long time - Nissan Sentra was a hateful, noisy, slow, tin can made of foil and plastic bags
Learning my lesson from the last trip, i refused the offered Sentra and received a Jeep Cherokee - challenging looks that only a mother could love, it did everything it needed to do in moderation and no more.
For this trip i took advantage of the "Exchange and Go" line, to leave the assigned brown Kia behind and take on a redneck pickup. The Nissan Frontier (Navara in the UK) was pretty pointless as a rental, basic inside and slow with an auto mated to the V6. Nothing in the back meant it would spin its wheels taking off from any slight incline
Another 'standard' sedan, another Chevy Cruze but the 2017 model this time - still pretty vanilla inside, but quite competent if you are not looking for any fun.
A different country for the next one - holiday in Kos saw us take a car for a couple of days to explore the island. Not much selection available, so we ended up with a Nissan Juke - another hateful car that i will never drive again
Back to the other side of the pond for the next trip, Canada this time, Toronto - a nice little upgrade to a Dodge Challenger - only the V6, but looked the part, sounded good and would spin the wheels up with a little provocation
Family holiday meant that we needed a wagon that would take both kids and luggage around LA - a GMC Terrain was pretty big and swallowed everything we took with ease. Not the fastest thing in the world but relatively competent
Back to philly and another exchange at the rental desk - after refusing the offered Hyundai's they gave me this - it was a little battered around the edges but OH MY, was sooooooo good. 6.2 litre, V8 Auto SS - turn off traction control and it would spin up the wheels at the slightest sneeze on the throttle. Was brilliant fun, made epic noise and strangely enough, i had lots of colleagues wanting to borrow it
It also left its mark on a few bits of US tarmac
And then to the most recent - back in Toronto again - and they seem to have better cars than Philly - this time a new 300C although only the V6 - hugely comfortable and well equipped. No sports button and refuses to spin the wheels no matter what. I've wanted a 300C when they were launched but never quite got round to it - so its good to try one without having to buy it!
Thats all for now - I am to add more as i get them.
Not sure how much interest people may have, but thought it would be nice to record them somewhere and add to them as i go along
Started with this - Chevy Cruze LTZ RS - actually not a bad little car with some unknown sized 4 cylinder. Leather lined and full of toys, standard rental fare
Next up was a trip to Philly during a snow storm - I requested a 4x4 and got a Ford Edge. Quite a big car for European standards, but with the V6 and auto, it was set to highway cruising more than anything. No offroading more than a snowy Walmart car park
Next trip to Philly and probably the worst rental i've had in a long time - Nissan Sentra was a hateful, noisy, slow, tin can made of foil and plastic bags
Learning my lesson from the last trip, i refused the offered Sentra and received a Jeep Cherokee - challenging looks that only a mother could love, it did everything it needed to do in moderation and no more.
For this trip i took advantage of the "Exchange and Go" line, to leave the assigned brown Kia behind and take on a redneck pickup. The Nissan Frontier (Navara in the UK) was pretty pointless as a rental, basic inside and slow with an auto mated to the V6. Nothing in the back meant it would spin its wheels taking off from any slight incline
Another 'standard' sedan, another Chevy Cruze but the 2017 model this time - still pretty vanilla inside, but quite competent if you are not looking for any fun.
A different country for the next one - holiday in Kos saw us take a car for a couple of days to explore the island. Not much selection available, so we ended up with a Nissan Juke - another hateful car that i will never drive again
Back to the other side of the pond for the next trip, Canada this time, Toronto - a nice little upgrade to a Dodge Challenger - only the V6, but looked the part, sounded good and would spin the wheels up with a little provocation
Family holiday meant that we needed a wagon that would take both kids and luggage around LA - a GMC Terrain was pretty big and swallowed everything we took with ease. Not the fastest thing in the world but relatively competent
Back to philly and another exchange at the rental desk - after refusing the offered Hyundai's they gave me this - it was a little battered around the edges but OH MY, was sooooooo good. 6.2 litre, V8 Auto SS - turn off traction control and it would spin up the wheels at the slightest sneeze on the throttle. Was brilliant fun, made epic noise and strangely enough, i had lots of colleagues wanting to borrow it
It also left its mark on a few bits of US tarmac
And then to the most recent - back in Toronto again - and they seem to have better cars than Philly - this time a new 300C although only the V6 - hugely comfortable and well equipped. No sports button and refuses to spin the wheels no matter what. I've wanted a 300C when they were launched but never quite got round to it - so its good to try one without having to buy it!
Thats all for now - I am to add more as i get them.
Great read!
I'm just back from a holiday cruising California. We were unexpectedly given an upgrade from a "small" convertible to a Ford Mustang. I could not hide my delight!
The car was nice but compared to my Volvo C30 at home it did feel quite sluggish at times. I think it was the 4 cyclinder eco boost variation. Not complaining though!
I'm just back from a holiday cruising California. We were unexpectedly given an upgrade from a "small" convertible to a Ford Mustang. I could not hide my delight!
The car was nice but compared to my Volvo C30 at home it did feel quite sluggish at times. I think it was the 4 cyclinder eco boost variation. Not complaining though!
Edited by Malcs87 on Tuesday 26th September 16:14
Not quite the sports option, but had a Chrysler Pacifica to move the family around the States. 3.6 V6, auto, with a mountain of toys, fits 8 and luggage easily, the fuel consumption was good, 35 UK MPG. a pretty decent comfortable car, even the interior quality was decent.
Kia Soul, noisy engine when moving, good interior space, seats not comfortable at all.
Kia Soul, noisy engine when moving, good interior space, seats not comfortable at all.
GrandAndrew said:
Looks like a lot of fun!
I'm travelling to Texas, hiring a car in Austin next month, none of the major players seem to offer muscle cars. Am I missing something?
Have you tried enterprise? We just had a Camaro SS identical to the one above from them for 2 weeks (albeit in California)I'm travelling to Texas, hiring a car in Austin next month, none of the major players seem to offer muscle cars. Am I missing something?
mattman said:
feel free to add photos of your rentals too - always good to see whats available out in different places
I've just given back this beast from the (far) east:
A Chevy Matiz!
It was by far the worst hire car I've ever had!
Not a straight panel
Stank inside
Engine light on and flashing constantly
lumpy idle such that you had to hold rev's so it wouldn't stall
wouldn't move smoothly/constant stutter below 3k rpm
barely moved
questionable brakes
no radio
Totally gutless, at no time in recent history have I had to change down to 2nd gear to make it up a (not particularly steep) hill!
It did have a full length sunroof though.....
Edited by kiethton on Tuesday 26th September 17:38
I always use Avis - they have Mustangs, Camaro's and Challengers - but their stock does change dependent on location
does this work?
https://www.facebook.com/mattperry73/videos/102120...
does this work?
https://www.facebook.com/mattperry73/videos/102120...
Malcs87 said:
Great read!
I'm just back from a holiday cruising California. We were unexpectedly given an upgrade from a "small" convertible to a Ford Mustang. I could not hide my delight!
The car was nice but compared to my Volvo C30 at home it did feel quite sluggish at times. I think it was the 4 cyclinder eco boost variation. Not complaining though!
More likely to be the 3.7 V6 if it was very sluggishI'm just back from a holiday cruising California. We were unexpectedly given an upgrade from a "small" convertible to a Ford Mustang. I could not hide my delight!
The car was nice but compared to my Volvo C30 at home it did feel quite sluggish at times. I think it was the 4 cyclinder eco boost variation. Not complaining though!
Edited by Malcs87 on Tuesday 26th September 16:14
Love how even the mundanist of cars out there you can usually get a v6 in. And not only that they usually do great mpg, makes you wonder if downsizing and turboing really is a positive step instead of just focusing on n/a engine dev.
My brother is out there now, started in texas and is now in orlando, standard mustang rental but they'd 'run out' so he had choice of Camaro SS or dodge challenger with 5.7 v8 or may even be the scat pack 6.4 supercharged - either way it sounds ridiculous and supposedly goes like s
t off a shovel.... very jealous!
My brother is out there now, started in texas and is now in orlando, standard mustang rental but they'd 'run out' so he had choice of Camaro SS or dodge challenger with 5.7 v8 or may even be the scat pack 6.4 supercharged - either way it sounds ridiculous and supposedly goes like s
t off a shovel.... very jealous!lewisf182 said:
Love how even the mundanist of cars out there you can usually get a v6 in. And not only that they usually do great mpg, makes you wonder if downsizing and turboing really is a positive step instead of just focusing on n/a engine dev.
My brother is out there now, started in texas and is now in orlando, standard mustang rental but they'd 'run out' so he had choice of Camaro SS or dodge challenger with 5.7 v8 or may even be the scat pack 6.4 supercharged - either way it sounds ridiculous and supposedly goes like st off a shovel.... very jealous!
Downsizing is coming here , our technology is just way behind the times . No more Ford V8's in the near future , all turbo V6 sMy brother is out there now, started in texas and is now in orlando, standard mustang rental but they'd 'run out' so he had choice of Camaro SS or dodge challenger with 5.7 v8 or may even be the scat pack 6.4 supercharged - either way it sounds ridiculous and supposedly goes like s
t off a shovel.... very jealous!te instead , and unreliable to boot . Half the "American"vehicles are made in China anyhow , shudder .
OP: what did you do "wrong" to have to keep goiung back to Philly? 
Well done with the striped blacktop!
Interesting selection of cars there.
Sentra: my nephew has one of those!
Still, my brother pays for it 100% so my nephew can't complain!
I've had rental Suburbans (9 seaters), Tahoe XLs, Muranos (yucky!), V6 Stangs, Ford Edges (1 kept binging warnings at me!), Kia SUVs, Infinitis (G37 AWD is fun in the snow!), Toyota Venza (poor air vents, so the screen kept fogging up), Toyota 4 Runner, Dodge Durango (I *really* liked that one in BC!
), and my last trip to Tampa I blagged a free upgrade to get an Audi Q7. That was VERY nice.
Off to Toronto next month, booked for a big Nissan saloon, so will see what I get, and Chicago in November I've booked an SUV as the roads are so st!
Well done with the striped blacktop!
Interesting selection of cars there.
Sentra: my nephew has one of those!
Still, my brother pays for it 100% so my nephew can't complain!I've had rental Suburbans (9 seaters), Tahoe XLs, Muranos (yucky!), V6 Stangs, Ford Edges (1 kept binging warnings at me!), Kia SUVs, Infinitis (G37 AWD is fun in the snow!), Toyota Venza (poor air vents, so the screen kept fogging up), Toyota 4 Runner, Dodge Durango (I *really* liked that one in BC!
), and my last trip to Tampa I blagged a free upgrade to get an Audi Q7. That was VERY nice. Off to Toronto next month, booked for a big Nissan saloon, so will see what I get, and Chicago in November I've booked an SUV as the roads are so s
t!Mr Moley said:
Have you tried enterprise? We just had a Camaro SS identical to the one above from them for 2 weeks (albeit in California)
Thanks for the suggestion but the nearest I can get to anything seems yo be an Impala, and the don't seem to be the same as they used to be!The search goes on!
Great thread. I love the thrill of what rental will I get when I walk to the preferred parking spot. I'm always asking my colleagues what car they got when they've been away with work. We have to use Avis so normally get a not bad selection or a chance of an upgrade.
In the last year I've had:
Hyundai Sonata?(mpv)
Mitsubishi Lancer
Jeep Renegade
GMC Acadia
Nissan Murano
Chrysler Pacifica
All in the U.S. Best upgrade I got was a Ford Mustang. Not a V8 but still nice.
In the last year I've had:
Hyundai Sonata?(mpv)
Mitsubishi Lancer
Jeep Renegade
GMC Acadia
Nissan Murano
Chrysler Pacifica
All in the U.S. Best upgrade I got was a Ford Mustang. Not a V8 but still nice.
Our company HQ is based about an hour outside Philly - so have to go there quite regularly - back again in November.
I forgot one!!! Another trip to Philly but flying into Newark - had a bit of an argument as they tried to suggest a Honda Jazz was an intermediate car - i refused and after some words had been said, i ended up with a Nissan Altima
Damn thinh was all over the place on the road - eventually found out it had random tyre pressures all round between 45 and 55 psi! once i sorted that it helped the road manners - but was still a Nissan
So far, PHL appears to have the worst car offerings in the Preferred scheme - Toronoto the best.
Still waiting to find a Mustang in the "Exchange & Go" aisle though
I forgot one!!! Another trip to Philly but flying into Newark - had a bit of an argument as they tried to suggest a Honda Jazz was an intermediate car - i refused and after some words had been said, i ended up with a Nissan Altima
Damn thinh was all over the place on the road - eventually found out it had random tyre pressures all round between 45 and 55 psi! once i sorted that it helped the road manners - but was still a Nissan
So far, PHL appears to have the worst car offerings in the Preferred scheme - Toronoto the best.
Still waiting to find a Mustang in the "Exchange & Go" aisle though
GrandAndrew said:
Looks like a lot of fun!
I'm travelling to Texas, hiring a car in Austin next month, none of the major players seem to offer muscle cars. Am I missing something?
I'm off to Austin with work next month too. Last time I went I had work reserve a mid-size car with nav, I talked them down to $20 a day upgrade to get a convertible Camaro SS Auto. I think that's the cheapest muscle car. If you fly with BA then they give a discount, and if you're just nice to them they love to give a discount. Apparently a colleague of mine had a mustang for a $5 upgrade fee.I'm travelling to Texas, hiring a car in Austin next month, none of the major players seem to offer muscle cars. Am I missing something?
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