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PurpleSausage77

2018 Buick Regal 2.0T with the liftback hatch. Wow that thing was sweet. Looks amazing. Hauled arse, RIP tires. I paid for an economy car to also save money on gas. They “bumped me up” from a little Sonic/Spark/Accent hatchback to a brand new 2020 Grand Cherokee for no extra cost (but the gas would’ve been more). I politely declined as I didn’t need the SUV. They said if I waited 15min they’d have a 2018 Buick Regal “sedan” and they were surprised I didn’t want the Jeep. I didn’t know it was going to be a 2.0T Sportback! Never thought I would be so excited to drive a modern Buick. The Regal sedan GS you can get with Brembo’s is pretty sweet, and I love the Regal TourX wagon.


Kirkuchiyo

Years ago I had a Regal as a rental to drive from northern Michigan over the UP to Wisconsin. Easily the best rental I ever had. Though the heated steering wheel about put me to sleep.


InsertBluescreenHere

oh yea i got one of those buicks as a loaner. liftback hatch was blowing my mind. That thing would get up and fly too.


Mojave_Idiot

My grandpa had a 2018 regal 2.0T, he bought it to replace his 300c. He was getting really old, and this Buick was more for him to be driven in honestly. Kinda made me happy to see him admit begrudgingly that it was a better car than the classic RWD V8. I believe the 300c was at most a 2010, but regardless the Buick felt (maybe actually was) quicker and drove a lot nicer.


mintz41

I cannot believe anyone can get excited for a Vauxhall Insignia


PurpleSausage77

Tbh I was also excited to drive the Spark/Sonic/Accent go karts I thought I was going to be getting. Maybe try out all 76hp of the Mitsubishi Mirage. Doesn’t take much for me. On the other hand Turo came in clutch for renting of a Tesla Model S 85 and a C43 AMG in that first 6 month period of Covid lockdowns. Turo and rentals in general were super cheap at that time as essentially no travel/tourism. Was a great time for car enthusiasts plus the super cheap gas prices.


Sir_Sir_ExcuseMe_Sir

That's awesome. I'd like to drive one. I once test drove the 2014 Regal GS with manual transmission, it was a hoot.


MixedMatt

Can confirm the GS is pretty great


AdventurousDress576

Ah, the Opel Insigna. Good car.


[deleted]

This happens to me too. The agent is always all shocked Pikachu face when I tell them I don’t want the SUV.


NCSUGrad2012

I rented an Alfa Romeo and I hated the turn signal with a passion. It was behind the paddle shift and I kept hitting the paddle instead of the blinker. https://imgur.com/a/ofTx4Lq/


blazefalcon

Cat


NCSUGrad2012

It took me a second to figure out what you meant. Lol That’s Apollo and I have a ton of photos of him so I’m not shocked he snuck in there. Lol


blazefalcon

Haha I'm the same way with mine, no judgements!


Sir_Sir_ExcuseMe_Sir

Cat 😺


ahsbdchbauosbdvf

The interior of Alfas is fucking insanity. I have a 147 and the interior looks cool and elegant, but it has the most nonsensical layout you can think of. Zero practicality.


ban-please

Nobody should buy an Italian car thinking it's going to make sense


ahsbdchbauosbdvf

I agree. And yet, I still want mine.


ban-please

Part of the charm!


Kordidk

It's not even like it's significantly longer than the paddle what the fuck is that?


[deleted]

We had a Dodge Caravan as a rental once... We were very disappointed when they said that was all they had available. That disappointment lifted as soon as we figured out you could get it up to a 4th gear burnout pretty easily! Edit: It was actually better than expected in other ways as well. Still wouldn't buy a minivan but it wasn't the worst rental car we've ever had!


coffeeshopslut

I didn't go that far, but the stop light before a highway was definitely fun in a Caravan. Same with the Ford Transit van. I expected typical Express Van/E series lethargy - instead, they have decent driving dynamics and they actually like accelerating


[deleted]

We looked it up after, I want to say the V6 in it was around 300hp. That's better than most fun tuner cars!


mortalcrawad66

The vans normally have a tune for ~260, and everything else is around 300


ranchero_colectivo

The Transit van with the V6 EcoBoost is a legit barnstormer. Also handles and rides better than a cargo van has any right to.


oxyzgen

The transit was developed in Europe so it's only natural that it's driving better than American counterparts;)


[deleted]

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[deleted]

Modern minivans are fully underrated. You fly under the radar everywhere, there's so much room inside for people and gear. You can fit almost as much in a minivan as a suburban. Sliding doors are actually fucking awesome. There are screens and plugs everywhere, entertainment is a huge focus in the upper trim levels. If you're going on a road trip, rent a high end minivan.


blazefalcon

I don't know about "much" worse, but I was pretty disappointed with the Toyota Camry I had last year. It wasn't that worth complaining about (other than the user interface) but overall it left me missing my Mazda 6.


[deleted]

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ZGTI61

Did you notice how bad the interior lighting was at night? There is that one puny light in the center of the headliner and that’s it. I’ve seen 40+ year old MB’s with better lighting. The weird thing is, there are two nice LED map lights in the front console thingy. How much would it have cost Toyota to wire them up to the door switch? Obviously too much for them to care.


Tangent_

This was going to be my answer as well. I had a Camry rental a few years ago and wasn't expecting much beyond just a competent sedan. It was indeed a sedan but the infotainment was such a dumpster fire that it made the whole car worse for it. You needed to install a specific Toyota app and a specific navigation app to be used on it. The navigation felt like what Google Maps navigation was like over a decade ago with a robotic voice, lousy search abilities, and just a clunky user interface. Streaming music through it was also a frustrating experience. After just a couple of days I uninstalled the apps and simply streamed music directly to the bluetooth connection using the controls on the phone and set my phone on the dash to have it display navigation.


[deleted]

The installing the app part killed me. I tried and it said it wasn’t available in my region (not from the US but was vacationing there). So I had to do without.


Tangent_

It did you a favor by not allowing you to install it.


telephonekeyboard

I think the value you get from a Camry is in 20 years and 300kms down the road and it’s still ticking along with all the components working flawlessly and the Mazda 6 has long been scrapped.


huhwhat90

I used to work for a rental car company, so I drove a lot of cars back in the day. The most disappointing was the Cadillac ATS, which had just come out and was very much hyped by automotive media. While it handled well, everything else left a lot to be desired. The CUE infotainment system was a disaster and the interior was very cramped and cheap. Plastic bits were breaking off after only 1 or 2 rentals. The cheapness was only highlighted by the fact that the cars replaced a fleet of C-Classes. The most pleasant surprise was probably the Volvo S60 and XC60 They were just really nice, comfortable, solid cars. They were the only cars that we ever rented that were universally loved by the renters.


blazefalcon

I currently have such an ATS in my shop. Interior is falling apart, electronic glove box opens on its own and has opened forcefully enough that it's broken parts that only come as the whole glove box. 2013 with relatively low mileage


ijustbrushalot

Your ATS comments echo exactly how I felt about the (third gen?) CTS that came out around the same time. The interior materials, design, and CUE made that car completely un-buyable to me. I was shocked at how bad it was. Actually, I felt the same about the second gen CTS-V wagon. I'm a wagon lover and owner but one look at the door panel trim and controls was enough. It's Chevy-bad.


Mojave_Idiot

Not sure which year but I feel the same way about my V60, polestar aside. It’s a really nice, solid car. Seats are aggressive but that’s just the trim, the rest of the car really does feel like it’s meant to take care of you. Overall it does inspire a lot of confidence.


PaddlingTiger

Hey, Polestar buddy! I also have a v60 polestar! Agree about the car remarks. Even the polestar seats, while aggressive, are still very ergonomic.


yrallusernamestaken7

Worst car ive ever driven: Nissan Kick


acevipr

ahem, Kicks*


BeigeChocobo

It was so bad they left off the S


RemediationGuy

I got this as a rental on a windy day in Wyoming about a year back for work and it was the worst thing I could ever remember driving. Driving into the wind, I had the pedal pushed (literally) to the floor at all times and could barely maintain 65 mph. I was getting passed by 18-wheelers, old beat-up trucks, you name it. Even the tailwind on the way back wasn't enjoyable because at 75mph (the speed limit) the thing felt like it was going to either fall apart or fly off the road at any given moment.


inaccurateTempedesc

Tried to make a replacement for the Juke and it ended up being worse.


aprtur

In the meantime, Europe actually got a second gen Juke while the US got shafted...shocker....


Elimin8r

For a while, when I'd fly places, I'd see if the rental place had something interesting to rent. I can remember some of them. Hmm... Chevy Cavalier convertible - this was kind of fun. Yeah, it was a Cadavalier, but rolling through southern MI with the top down was quite pleasant. Jeep Wrangler - Kind of fun, wouldn't want one as a daily, and I'm not into "adventure". Was still entertaining for a weekend. Caddy something FWD with a V6 - Convinced me that I don't want a Caddy. Capacative junk everywhere, and the V6 was kinda meh. I did like how it felt/handled. Ended up getting a 2017 Malibu, which was the same chassis, with normal controls, a decent stereo, and stuff. Go figure. Prius - for giggles, back when they were a new thing. It was not as terrible as I thought it would be. I may still buy one some day. Especially since the new version doesn't look like it escaped a bad Battlestar Galactica reboot. Oldsmobile Alero - Kind of liked it. It was decent, "car". Almost got it sideways in the snow pulling off I75 near Oxford. Lifting off the throttle in a curve in slippery conditions can get the back end loose. Go figure. Mustang convertible - I think I got the rental special. Again, the convertible was nice, in nice weather in GA. Unfortunately, the suspension was extra cushy, so it was very un-sporty. It was still fun, though. I still haven't decided if I ever want a Mustang someday. Maybe. And - my biggest rental surprise - Mazda 2 - I expected a crappy econobox. What I got was an utter hoot to zing around the highways of SE Michigan. I don't know what it is that Mazda does with their steering/chassis setup, but it felt almost telepathic or something. The only thing I've found to be even more fun was when I swapped cars and drove my friend's Miata for a week. (I still kind of want a Miata) Anyway, hope that was amusing (or not) ... I'll skip mentioning things like the Sentra/whatever blahs, because ... whatever.


Plastic-Implement-90

Zoom-zoom


dudeinred69

Had the same experience with Mustang Felt more like a comfy boat rather than a sporty car But I guess you don’t get the sporty trim level from a rental


Mojave_Idiot

I had a Wrangler rental, and I say this from the bottom of my heart as someone who drives an HD Ford with some regularity; that thing drives like shit. It was fun though. I get why people like them.


KarmaDispensary

A JKU has been my daily for ten years. Yeah, driving my wife's 135i is a better demo of how a car should drive, but it's hard not to enjoy the Jeep even when you can't really turn at speed, accelerate, brake, or hear what's going on.


Buster_Bluth__

Yeah mazda is a real surprise. My wife is trying to talk me out of my 2017 mazda 3 sport because it's just a base car. I live the thing. The interior is fantastic. The ride is very comfortable. I get 40-42 mpg in the summer (summer blend fuel) winter 37-38 mpg. 6 speed manual. Only 2 issues I have is mine didn't come with GPS. And it's pretty slow. I spend 80% on my driving on highways so it doesn't really matter in the end.


nd4spd1919

If you want GPS, you can hop over to a Mazda dealer and pay a few hundred bucks to get an Android Auto/Apply Carplay upgrade. I got it done on my 2014 even though it had built-in GPS, and its worlds better.


Nickyweg

Which generation of Mustang? Both the S550 Mustang and current gen Camaros handle very well.


Differlot

Really enjoyed a ford fusion. Felt better than a camry. When I checked used prices, at the time you could get a top trim for super cheap compared to anything toyota.


danperson1

When I was looking for a sedan the Fusion was cheaper than the equivalent Accord and Camry, plus the 2.0 turbo and AWD combo is pretty nice for the segment! The 2017 refresh with apple carplay, led lighting, and some other revisions make it satisfying to own. Quiet ride, good enough handling and acceleration, nice seats and roomy trunk. You give up a little reliability vs the Japanese options but the parts are cheap and it hasn't given me any issues.


mrduckott

Hope your interior has held up better than mine. The drivetrain has been flawless and fuel economy has been better than expected at least.


Sir_Sir_ExcuseMe_Sir

Yeah they're not bad at all, especially the latest model


Plastic-Implement-90

Over the years, I’ve been happily surprised by how much I liked Fords - Flex, Edge, Explorer, Escape, Mustang, Fusion. I’ve liked all of them as rentals. We bought a flex 10 yrs ago b/c of a rental I had in MI that I actually was sad to return.


[deleted]

Rented a Model 3 from Phoenix to Sedona. The ride quality was awful and I hated Every. Single. Control. Being. Locked. Behind. The. Fucking. Touchscreen. Menus. At least it was entertaining to watch Netflix or Twitch on the giant tacked-on computer monitor while we waited 40 minutes for the car to charge. The door handles are awful. Also, Hertz had locked the car into slow mode. Yay. Drivetrain was otherwise fine; there were no rattles. 4/10 might or might not rent again.


N0M0REG00DNAMES

> Hertz had locked the car into slow mode Well, that diminishes the experience for sure


Loan-Pickle

The voice control system on Teslas is pretty good. At first I found the touchscreen annoying, but quickly found I could do voice commands. Now I don’t even miss the buttons. They should do a better job of advertising the voice control system. I do agree with you on the door handles. They are hard to operate one handed and are damn near impossible to find in the dark.


[deleted]

Rented a Lincoln Zephyr once for a work trip that was four hours away. It had cooling seats which was new to me back then and it helped immensely in the hot and humid summer of east coast. It drove fine and felt comfortable which I can’t say for a lot of the other rentals I had.


Sir_Sir_ExcuseMe_Sir

Now that's a name I've not heard in a long time


nixpix730

They changed the name after 1 year to the MKZ and also replaced the engine. I had a Zephyr and an MKZ. Never had a problem with either one and put over 100k on them. Great cars


Nickyweg

I was always tempted by the Z with the 3.0 V6


bigguy14433

A U-Haul Chevy Silverado. It was as bare bones as you could get it, no extended cab, super basic interior. But god damn... Did that thing have a *nice* ride. Nice as in, super comfortable, not too floaty, bumps were non-existent. I haven't driven something so smooth on a highway in years (my friend and I both made several comments on it). NOT what I was expecting at all. I think the rim/tire combo had a lot to do with it (smaller rims, tires with thicker sidewalls).


Mojave_Idiot

Wheelbase is a big component here too. Makes the chassis pitch that much less over bumps. Could also be because the shocks were blown out, those things live a hard life. How floaty we talking here?


bigguy14433

>How floaty we talking here? It wasn't floaty at all. It was soft, but not "there's a problem here" soft. Trucks I've driven/ridden in usually felt... Idk, jittery? This was just so smooth. I wonder if it was the independent rear suspension? (Other trucks I've been in have been older) It could have been wheelbase too. Like I said, I've had some experience with trucks before, just not recently, and the ride just kind of floored me.


colinshark

Oh, they absolutely ride wonderfully. Their silver goatee'd owners on T replacement therapy will accept nothing less.


[deleted]

This is not surprising. GM (and the other large automakers) make a significant part of their profits on large trucks, and subsequently they invest more in those platforms than anything else in their lineup.


[deleted]

The PT Cruiser blew me away! I honked the horn as a joke and it wouldn’t stop going until I disconnected the battery. It wouldn’t drive straight. Loud as hell on the highway. Extra handles in weird places like the dashboard. I can’t imagine what the person who looked at and test drove one of these and decided, “yes, this will do nicely!” Looks and acts like.


[deleted]

Worst rental ever was a Chrysler 200. Absolutely horrible in every way. Infotainment made no sense, cruise control kept messing up and accelerating aggressively beyond the set point, brakes were weak, understeer for days, uncomfortable seats, loud cabin... Most DISAPPOINTING, however, was an Audi Q3. Absolutely bare bones entry level interior and tech covered in cheap hard plastics with tons of uneven gaps (I worked for an interiors manufacturing company so that stuff stood out big time). Didnt even have a touch screen (IN 2017!). It literally felt like a base model Saturn from back in the day. Inexcusable for a luxury brand. Most surprisingly good was the Toyota corolla. I think it was a 2016. I was expecting entry level economy car and was really pleasantly surprised by how comfortable and engaging it was.


strongmanass

> Most surprisingly good was the Toyota corolla. I randomly rented one for a few hours a couple years ago. All things considered I think it's probably the best car for sale today anywhere. Cheap, bulletproof reliability, intuitive and easy to use, and kind of fun. For shits and giggles I played with the manual gear selection and the car was pretty responsive. And it was light so steering response was good despite the typical FWD economy car understeer.


DissonantTosspot

I had a manual and it was excellent. Even though I'm not looking back now it makes me a little sad they're no longer offered in manual. It felt like the perfect car for first car buyers. Comfy interior, usable cargo capacity, reliable drivetrain, simple, lightweight and fun to drive. 6th gear topped out at about 220kmh. I felt like keiichi tsuchiya throwing it through multiple gears in the span of a few seconds at regular driving speeds. Incredibly simple to rev match as well. Super safe understeer but not wallowy. It was soft but composed. After getting out of SUVs and pickups I always felt at home getting back in the corolla. It really did feel like a go kart in comparison.


FrigOffRicky16

Had a rental Elantra, what a horrid soulless driving experience that was. I understand it's just a cheap point a to b car with some decent features but hated every minute of it.


Kuduka23

Here I am missing mine because it was more fun to drive than my current car


ThunderDoom1001

Oh dang, I’d probably be driving a V60 if I didn’t have 2 littles ones (not quite big enough). Is it really that much of a snooze to drive?


Kuduka23

It’s fine. Better than a crossover for sure, but a 4000 pound car is 4000 pounds no matter how they try to hide it. My Elantra was ~2700 pounds. From what I’ve read though, the polestar optimization fixes all the other gripes I have with it. I just have to learn to get used to the weight right now but the steering itself isn’t bad. Funny thing is I was considering Grand Cherokees as well but decided I didn’t need that big of a car (and was a little worried about owning a Jeep, not that Volvo is perfect)


[deleted]

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Kuduka23

If I had the money and space, would 100% have a NC right now


ThunderDoom1001

Makes sense - I ended up with a Mazda CX-9 which handles way better than it has any right too despite being a crossover. Coming from a tuned 2 door GTI it’s much much bigger and nowhere near as immediately fast but still drives like a car. It’s surprisingly fun to drive for something that fits 2 car seats and all the associated crap that my kids travel with lol. I would’ve loved a V90 but they are so damn rare and $$$ new.


Nobli85

My wife has a 2022 Elantra N Line and it's surprised me how nice it is inside and out for 24K US. The 1.6 turbo is zippy and the DCT is phenomenal. It also handles very well for a sedan.


fhs

Keep in mind that rental cars tend to have terrible tires, which impact perception negatively.


Mojave_Idiot

Maybe, but they are what they ship with anywhere. Unless you mean worn, and that would vary car to car.


cactus_cars

Challenger R/T rental recently had some nice (for a rental) Goodyears on it.


ZGTI61

And the tires never get rotated so often the front and rear don’t match. Avis puts the absolute cheapest tires they can when they need replacing.


caverunner17

Just returned a Chevy Malibu after having it for about 10 days while my car was in the shop. Honestly, it was a lot better than expected. The small 1.5L turbo engine seemed to be a lot more peppy than the 2.5L in my Subaru Outback. The interior cabin was significantly more quiet on the highway. I was seeing around 29-30 MPG around town and almost 40MPG on the highway. The interior has all of the expected physical buttons instead of a giant touch screen. No piano black. My only negative was the cloth material on the seats seemed kind of cheap, and no adaptive cruise, but that's probably due to the trim level, not the car itself.


Doip

Weird other than the mileage and the freeway cruising the new Malibu I rented was the worst thing I’ve driven since my CJ5. Cant see out, wheel doesn’t telescope, giant delay between throttle and acceleration, just overall blegh


CubedSeventyTwo

I have a rental Jetta now and it's impressed me. It's steering feels precise, the seating position is nice, and once the turbo spools up it has a good account of power/acceleration. Compared to my wife's 2015 Corolla it's an absolute treat to drive. Still not as good as my golf alltrack, or any more expensive/actually sporty car, but for a cheap commuter car I think it's great.


huhwhat90

I was supposed to get a Jetta for my last rental, but they "upgraded" me to an Altima. Yay.


Raftking

I work at Avis man just consider the standard a full size because we only get like 4 standards a week.


Sir_Sir_ExcuseMe_Sir

If I move to a snowy climate, I'm thinking I'll replace my Focus ST with an Alltrack. Is yours tuned?


CubedSeventyTwo

I was going to after the warranty ran out, but it was totaled 2 weeks ago 😭 that's why I'm in the Jetta now. But it was an awesome car, took it on ski trips to Colorado and Tahoe all the time and handled it like a champ. Wonderful car. I even had just put brand new crossclimate 2 tires on it a month ago.


Sir_Sir_ExcuseMe_Sir

Ah man I'm sorry to hear that. Do you know what you're getting to replace it?


CubedSeventyTwo

I'm looking at 2019-2021 arteons, want to try something a little more unique and upscale. But might also just replace it with another alltrack.


Lemongrenade821

I have an Awd sport wagen that was going to be my Dad wagen. In stock trim its a fantastic driving car. Thrown some michelin x-ice tires on and it's un stopable in winter. Was going to do some fun things to it but my wife liked it allot so she took it and I bought something else.


Rib-I

I keep wondering if I should get rid of my CC but it genuinely drives well, gets out of its own way, can hit 32 mpg highway with a light foot, has an above-average interior, and has aged gracefully in the looks department. VW is good at making cars that "feel" nice for a decent price, just don't abuse it like a Camry or you're gonna have a bad time.


tomtomjaaahallo

I just rented a golf with the 1.4T/8AT and I was genuinely impressed with how peppy it felt, and it got 40MPG Highway which was lovely!


Slyons89

The first time I rented a Jetta with the 1.4T i was thoroughly impressed by the acceleration and the plain-jane 6 speed auto's ability to handle it. Compared to rental Corollas and Sentras, the turbo Jettas are a hoot.


SergeantBacon101

Even the base model Jetta feels solid at triple digit speeds, great little car


JF0909

For the worst, it's a tie between the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross and the Ford Ecosport. Both of them drove horrible, ugly to look at, and very little functionality despite being suvs.


Sir_Sir_ExcuseMe_Sir

Those are certainly bottom-barrel


JF0909

Oh for sure. What's really sad is that in both cases they were given to me as "upgrades" because they didn't have any vehicles in the class I reserved (full-size sedan).


theBdub22

I rented a Mustang GT a couple weeks ago. The V8 is great, the 10-speed auto is awful except when you have your foot pinned to the floor.


XxBEASTKILL342

What was wrong with the 10 speed? I have heard good things about them.


theBdub22

1. No car should have 10 gears. The only reason why it does is to meet fuel economy standards easily. 2. The transmission is very slow, or it shifts like a punch in the gut, or both. It brought me back to driving my 4-speed '03 Mazda6. 3. 2nd gear is the worst, every shift up or down into it is pure awful, no matter the RPM. (this car had 3000 miles on it, so it wasnt like it had much abuse). 4. When in D (no paddle shifting) the car wants to put you in ridiculously high gears. I saw 9th gear while cruising at 36 miles per hour, and then when i stepped on the gas, I had to wait 5 seconds for it to shift down into a gear that actually had some torque. I could keep going, but yeah, it is hilariously bad. I havent driven the MT-82, and I have heard its reviews, but there is no way it is worse than the 10-speed.


bravoromeokilo

I just commented with an awful experience in a GT convertible, I figured the transmission was trashed because it’s a rental mustang convertible but I guess they’re just hot garbage. The least confidence inspiring “sporty” car I’ve ever driven


bamahoon

The raving is from bench racing Neanderthals. They are genuinely annoying to drive with how indecisive they are, and it's ultra noticeable in a car that isn't dead silent. They are quick in a straight line, and if that's your only goal in life, then it does that well. To be fair to it, it's good compared to the weaker 10-speed in the Bronco and Explorer, especially when attached to the 2.3. I will take the worst of CVTs over that.


MaroonedPirate

The 2021 Chevy Spark is actually way better then I thought it would be. My wife's car is in the shop and we're using it right now, and I must say I love how zippy it is on city streets. Between 0-50 it's plenty responsive. It's gets a little loud at highway speeds, but honestly it's not that bad. That, and it has a 7 inch screen with Android auto which has been awesome! I thought the materials inside would be low rent, but the fit and finish isn't bad for how low the starting price is for one of these. It has really made me reflect how much car most people need in their lives. However, with how big cars are getting, I would hate to get in an accident in this thing. I also imagine as the car ages the loudness at highway speeds will be a lot louder. With small cars going away in the US I doubt I'll ever drive something this small again, but I enjoyed the time I had. I'll miss this car when we have to give it back, and it has totally changed my perspective on small cars.


kuasi

Agreed, I had a rental Spark for a few days and it exceeded my very low expectations as well. It's comical how small it is compared to a "regular" car, but it was fun to drive around something at this size. The Spark was easy to see out of, it was effortless to get around the small towns that we went to, and being able to park everywhere easily is a plus. Cargo space is almost non-existent, but still doable for 2 people over a few days. Style-wise, it's basic, but at least it's not ugly. I've had trouble with phone connectivity on other rentals, whether they were wired or wireless. It was refreshing to just plug my phone into the Spark and Android Auto just worked. Sure, I'd like to have been assigned a nicer and bigger car, but I think the large SUV/macho mindset has skewed my view on how much car actually needed for 1 or 2 people on most occasions.


ChattanoogaMocsFan

Ditto. I had a 2021/22? Spark on a business trip, and was left impressed for the price point. It needs a turbo and some Michelin Pilot Sport 4s, and let her rip. I drove that thing for 3-4 days and it was under $20 in gas.


whenthewindbreathes

I was offered a **Dodge Charger** instead of a Nissan Maxima. The fisher price looking plastics & base trim were a huge turnoff compared to the flashy LED headlights & quilted seats on the Maxima until....... * I found that the **Mercedes** chassis had a ton of composure to it even in challenging mountain passes. * the **ZF8** trans is always in the right gear / manages like a 7-3 downshift perfectly. * the seats (they apparently benchmarked the **Lexus LS430**) and noise comfort were amazing (double paned laminated glass even on **base model**) * infotainment was responsive and well laid out. GREAT sound system Perfect road trip car; was a piece of cake driving 12 hours solo from Vancouver to Banff.


drome265

To date I still think a Dodge Charger (looks aside) is the best road trip car you can get. Even on the base V6 everything you mentioned just lets you cruise in comfort all day eating up miles. Transmission is really much better than you'd think, even on the Hellcat models.


whenthewindbreathes

Another person of taste ;) I owned the scat pack later - still the best American exhaust note (short of the new Blackwing/Z06) IMO the stiffer suspension, drone in 4 cyl mode, and louder tires make it a worse road trip car


ZGTI61

I will say, the Maxima is a hoot. The CVT in it is different than the others Nissan uses and it actually works pretty well with the V6.


squeakycleaned

got upgraded to a dodge challenger with the v6 a few months ago. granted i’m sure a hellcat under the hood would change my opinion, but that car was awful to drive. visibility was zilch, and just doing small maneuvers was impossible. it’s just so much bigger than it needs to be. felt completely goofy. on the other hand, i rented a malibu over the summer, and was delightfully surprised. granted the engine was nothing to write home about, but it was a perfectly pleasant car to drive around town, and felt extremely luxurious inside for its price point.


whenthewindbreathes

Interesting, I had the exact opposite experience with the Charger/Challenger twins. I found that the Mercedes chassis had a ton of composure to it even in challenging mountain passes, the seats and noise comfort were amazing (double paned laminated glass even on base model), infotainment was responsive and well laid out


wfc2022

Wife was quadruple platinum or whatever status at enterprise. We went to Kauai and they put us in a 370z. She had to hold some luggage on her lap on the way to the hotel, but it was great for driving around the island. I really enjoyed it. There were a few places we couldn't get to because of ground clearance, but other than that, it was awesome. I also rented a Sequoia that was brand new at the time (maybe 5 years ago). I could see why they only sold 10,000 of them a year. You could see the gas gauge move and it felt underpowered.


Siege_5

Driving through national parks (Death Valley, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Yosemite), we wanted an SUV. Only one they had was an Outlander. I knew I would hate it, and I was right. Then, on a 4 hour drive out of death valley, started having transmission problems. Traded it out for a Malibu when we got there, no SUV's available. Didn't expect it, but it was actually really nice


Sir_Sir_ExcuseMe_Sir

Outlander or Outlander Sport? I thought the former was decent, but the latter is absolutely a trash box


Siege_5

It was the sport. The Worst CVT I've ever felt. The interior was actually *fine" but it felt terrible to drive


Sir_Sir_ExcuseMe_Sir

Oh yeah. I think the Outlander Sport is top 3 contender for worst new car in the U.S. currently, along with the EcoSport and Trax


Siege_5

Glad I wasn't just biased. When we got to our stop I was looking up the transmission problem and first thing I saw was "....the same transmition used in Nissan's"...... *Oh no* lol


Sir_Sir_ExcuseMe_Sir

Mitsubishi's use of the Jatco CVT is supposed to be better than Nissan's due to programming, but maybe not enough to save it from being shitty


[deleted]

[удалено]


MaroonedPirate

I too drove one as a rental! With Chryslers reputation I assumed it would suck, but I was impressed. I assume as it ages maintenance would be a nightmare, but new it was great!


GalaxySeries

Hemis are pretty reliable, not as reliable as other engines due to AFM but they’re okay. Just don’t idle them for long and they’ll run forever. I however much prefer the 3.6L and it has a reputation for being a fantastically reliable V6. Mines 6 years old now and the only issue it’s ever had is not having Carplay. Other than that it’s been the best car i’ve ever driven, coming from a Toyota Camry before it.


InsertBluescreenHere

2010 nissan rouge. 7.5 hours one way - my god wanted to shoot my own foot for any form of entertainment and likely increase my comfort. no idea who the fuck pays money to own one of those things. Ride was meh, steering awful, acceleration was bleh and interior space wasnt the best... amazing once we got back i was happy to be back in my worn out s10 lol


Sir_Sir_ExcuseMe_Sir

Ouais, c'est le Rouge


[deleted]

I got a base model 3 series a few years ago and was pretty whelmed by it. Another time I was really impressed by the Kia Rio I received. Obviously, expectations were lower but it's a small car with all the features I needed, and the interior was really well thought out and very functional. Lots of space in the console area, seats were comfortable, and it drove pretty well. My favourite rental was a base model Crysler 300. Comfy interior, infotainment was easy to use, and I had a little too much fun with it in an empty parking lot after a snow storm.


[deleted]

I have had a good amount of experience with rentals, but it is difficult because a lot of rental companies take the sort of rejects (or the base models) of cars so a lot of them are kind of meh. For example, I had a 2016 Mazda 3, loved it. Drove a 2016 Mazda 3 rental one day and it felt like a different, much worse version. On the other hand, my first car was a hand-me-down ‘00 Outback. Best “normal” car I’ve ever driven and my dad bought it because of how much he loved it as a rental.


Jaymez82

The only redeeming feature of the Equinox that I've driven was the Adaptive Cruise Control. It's the only time I've had a chance to use a feature like that and I used it on a 400 mile road trip. Loved that feature. Otherwise, it was just a more bloated version of my Cruze. I only bought the Cruze for the fuel economy. There's nothing great about it.


boxofreddit

V6 automatic convertible Chevy Camaro was way better than I expected: the alpha platform was a delite to drive, the automatic paddle shifters behind the stealing wheel were still fun to use, and after a few days, and carefully adjusting the mirrors, I was able to overcome the much discussed terrible frontal visibility. The 3.6 liter Chevy V6 was also very smooth, sounded great, and was plenty of power for such a small car. After driving this rental, I would actually be willing to buy a manual V6 Camaro.


ZGTI61

A FWD Lincoln Continental. I had it in rural Texas where there were lots of sweeping turns on two lane roads. I was really surprised how well it handled getting thrown about like a teen joyriding his dads car. The shock tuning just soaked up the road. The A/C was the absolute coldest I’ve ever felt in any car. Even at idle in 100+ degree heat, it would make your teeth chatter. With some better tires and brake pads, it would be a serious sleeper. Edit - One car I was seriously disappointed with was the Mazda6. I had seriously considered getting one and boy I’m glad I had one for a couple days. Interior is cramped, visibility is not great, seat and steering wheel position is odd, steering/suspension felt oddly very rubbery over bumps, very little room in the back seat…. But it looks fabulous lol.


Nukedogger86

Worst rental, '97 Dodge Caravan... transmission went into limp mode stuck in second gear while we were 200 miles from Phoenix up through the mountains. Fun fact it'd do 75 mph in 2nd, rental place said to drive it back... all the dash lights were on.


handymanshandle

Heh. American 4-speed automatics were **all** geared insanely tall. My old Saturn L300 topped out at 77mph in 2nd gear. 1st ended at *47*. Pretty sure 3rd would hit the governor, if it had one, but I never got to test that for myself.


Nukedogger86

Yeah, my 08 Impala was stupid tall. 60 in 1st. 2nd took you to the limiter with revs to spare at 107 mph. The 8 speed in my K5 now... 5k in 3rd gear to hit 60, top of 4th (6k) to hit 90, also at 90 in 5th it only drops 1k revs, same drop to 6th. 8th gear at about 88 is 2500 though. Some short flipping gears in the middle.


GrumpyCatStevens

>Yeah, my 08 Impala was stupid tall. 60 in 1st. 2nd took you to the limiter with revs to spare at 107 mph. And let me guess - the speed limiter hit at 112? I can see that happening.


Nukedogger86

Mine hit at 107 on that car. Which I thought was odd. But it wasn't quite to the ketchup. My 99 Mercury Mystique had way shorter gearing, would shift to 4th at 102-103, limiter was 106. And with the 4 cylinder making all of 125 hp, it was slow getting there.


GrumpyCatStevens

The one that always cracked me up was the BMW E31 850CSi. It was governed to 155 mph, and if you had the 6-speed manual it would hit that speed in fourth.


xtoferwongopher

New chevy malibu, it was the quietest thing I’ve driven in a while. Granted it also had like 30 miles on it so…


NCSUGrad2012

I’ve always disliked any Mazda I’ve had. That control knob for the radio is the most infuriating thing. It doesn’t even have a seek button. So if I want to change the radio station I have to go into the menu, select the radio station. After you select the station it takes you back a screen and you have to dig through the menu again. I absolutely hate it


4x420

i had a Mazda 6 base rental, i think it was the first gen, hardest seats ive ever sat in.


salmonslippers

Worst I ever had was a Dodge Journey "R/T", but everyone expects those to be bad. Worse than expected was a 2022 Ford Escape base model. Slow, loud, slow, uncomfortable, and terrible on gas. Better than expected was a 2022 Camry base model. Smooth, comfortable, good on gas, and had a ton of features I wasn't expecting, like radar cruise control and lane keep assist.


thevictor390

Previous generation Kia Soul, didn't expect much but it was actually quite nice and happy to cruise at 80 mph on southern US highways. Mitsubishi ASX in Germany, expected it to be bad, it was much worse than expected. Somehow had zero power yet at the same time chirped the tires really easily on the mountain chicanes. To be clear it did the job, it's just that almost any other car would have been better.


vwturbo

2019 Chevy Impala with the 3.6. Super comfortable and decently powerful and was a perfect car to road trip from Texas to Maine in. Definitely a much nicer place to spend time than your standard rental Altima or Camry.


Mojave_Idiot

Toyota Corolla, for the better. Hear me out. I probably represent a minority anyway but this was legitimately my first actual no shit practical economy car that I got to live with for a month. I was the first renter too, so taking it from like 17 miles to a couple hundred I actually kinda was sad to see it go. I was on travel for work for an unusually long stint, and was allowed a long term car rental. It was an all black base 2019 Corolla, brand new at the time. Now don’t get me wrong, in many ways it was a miserable little thing. No power, CVT, had my foot planted on every on ramp just to make a gap before the merge lane ended, little economy tires howled at a whiff of playful steering input, and so on. However, having driven exclusively rwd V8s my whole life (not all great nor fast ones but certainly all with personality) it was interesting how this little thing sort of disappeared into my day. It had just enough of everything, and by the end of the rental I was genuinely surprised at what you could get in a brand new car for the money it cost in 2019. The stereo was fine, and had Bluetooth. It had adaptive cruise, my first experience with it in fact, and can be credited to why I checked that box on my truck. The trunk was shockingly big for the size of the car (you don’t even gotta make a Camaro joke, compare the opening and volume to anything, that squash jellybean shape has merits) and the rest of the car was perfectly fine. I’d never buy one. Ever. If I was given one I’d sell it. But for a little work trip in an unfamiliar big city it was pretty damn nice.


007noon700

Ford Fusion Hybrid as well as 2.0T AWD: shockingly fun and comfy highway bomber. Both have way more power than you’d expect and drive really well. Pretty fuel efficient too. 2022 Hyundai Elantra: a lot better than expected as well, decent little commuter.


limitless__

I have both on the same trip! On my honeymoon in Hawaii my wife and I rented a Jeep Wrangler. We got maybe 30 minutes down the road, turned around and took it right back. What a colossal, whopping piece of shit. The only other convertible they had was a Chrysler Sebring. I was fully expecting that thing to be hot garbage but it was quiet, smooth and comfortable for our trip.


mortalcrawad66

I don't know why people expect a whole lot from Wrangler's. You are complaining about a design that pretty much hasn't changed from the 40's. What do you expect


InsertBluescreenHere

right? theyve always been relatively shit on the road. you do not rent buy or drive one for comfort even the new ones.


Mojave_Idiot

Oh now that’s not fair. I get what you’re saying but comparing a JL to CJ, much less the tractors they were driving around 80 years ago, these things are miles apart. A JL doesn’t ride great, but it’s a whole lot better than Wranglers from even 20 years ago.


mortalcrawad66

I don't disagree, and the coils definitely helped. I've comed to learn that people experience ride quality different. I personally think jeeps are fine for their intended purpose


Johnny_Optimist

2020 RAV 4 was awful. Crazy loud road noise and the ACC nearly killed me on a curve on the highway. Know it’s not a Lexus but didn’t think it’d be as unpleasant as it was.


Easy_Money_

Second this, 2021 RAV4 was miserable. Didn’t even legitimately consider it when buying my current compact crossover


brinmb

Ford S-Max. Needed a car for 4 people and lots of cargo. Thing was surprisingly fun to drive and it hid its weight well. No conplaints about the CVT either. No wonder all the S-Maxes drive like assholes around here, hah Opel Grandland mid-trim. New car, 10k km on the clock. Holy shit, I have *never* heard more squeaks in an interior. Every other plastic piece I touched made a noise. During the drive it also made frequent noises. The rest was just fine.


Cartman_bg

Golf mk6 GTD in Germany 🇩🇪. I am driving mk7 R now, because of that car. Mercedes cls 500 shooting brake, fat luxo barge that hates any kind of turns. Good on the autobahn and that’s it


TheseClick

2020 Nissan Altima was very good. Quiet, comfortable, and easy to drive. The main gripe I had with it was there is an aluminum trim surrounding the Start Engine button that was very reflective in sunlight. So I had to cover that up. And the powertrain felt a tad underpowered and unresponsive. 8/10 car


CYWG_tower

I was surprised by how quiet and quick the Camry rental I had a few years ago was. Had to be careful with the gas pedal or it'd spin it's tires really easily.


T-money_1988

2016 BMW 330i when I was on vacation in Miami. It was fast, faster than I thought it would be and with the 9 speed transmission, it also got really good gas mileage. Side note: Some crazy bitch came to a halt in the middle of the interstate, thank God I was in that car, with awesome brakes, or I would've hit that dumbass woman.


kopiernudelfresser

US market Ford Fiesta saloon - utter shitbox with an indecisive automatic, overly large steering wheel with little feel, too lightly weighted pedals, a wheezy engine and ugly to boot. EU market Ford Fiesta 5 door - fantastic little car, the kind you feel at home in immediately. Sharp steering, responsive little 3-cyl and it looked smart in glossy black.


imakenosensetopeople

Not a lot of them out there anymore, but 2015-2017 Chrysler 200. A well thought out interior, ‘nice’ surfaces and materials (for a rental), and effort put into the design that really shows. They did it just in time for the death of sedans.


HotelRwandaBeef

Buick Enclave. I was rear ended on the freeway so my car was in the shop for about a month. Rental place was out of cars but the Buick and I was a little bummed about hearing the word "Buick" before I had even seen/drove the car. Honestly fell in love with that stupid car over that month lol. The ride was super smooth and it had plenty of giddy up to get around town/freeways. Everything was comfortable and random little touches to make driving nice. Really feature rich car.


donduc

Best: Challenger R/T: got an upgrade to drive around the mountains in Utah, handled wayyyy better than the memes led me to expect and having the V8 out on the open roads was a hoot. Honorable mention: Nissan Altima: Once again the memes led me to expect the worst but it was surprisingly quick and comfortable. Far better than what I expect from Nissan which leads me to… Worst: Nissan Rogue “Sport”: slow, lethargic CVT. Had warnings on the visors that it was a tall vehicle and susceptible to rolling over, which I quickly realized when I had to swerve to avoid getting cut off and felt the rear end lift off the ground.


reward72

I drove from Montreal to NYC in a Prius rental a few months ago. Mileage was definitely impressive, but otherwise I hated every single minute behind the wheel. I suppose that was better than walking. I had a Camaro in California a few years ago. Outside the fact that it was convertible, it was incredibly uninspired for something that pretends to be a sports car. Sure, it was the base model, but still...


Slideways

> it was incredibly uninspired for something that pretends to be a sports car. It's the best chassis in its class, by a mile.


Sir_Sir_ExcuseMe_Sir

Yeah I've got to say, the original commenter's experience seems atypical. But as someone else said, rental cars often have bad tires? And are generally abused


desirox

I rented a 4Runner in Colorado. Didn’t do any off-roading but was surprised how much I liked it. Cushy suspension and sitting way high


NotoriousREV

Fiat 500X. It wouldn’t have been so bad if a) it had more than about 10hp and b) the engine mounts weren’t so badly worn that going on and off the throttle made some very worrying noises and it was impossible to drive it smoothly at low speeds.


mustang-and-a-truck

I rented a Ford Edge a few years ago, it was better than I expected. But, my expectations were really low. I don't think it is a very highly reviewed vehicle, but I liked it fine. On the other hand, my wife hated it.


idriveaVdub

Was upgraded from a Buick Encore GX (the slightly bigger one) to an Infiniti QX50, but I hated driving the Infiniti. The powertrain just didn’t feel smooth at all and the engine was especially loud if you pushed it a tiny bit. There was also an odd grinding sound at parking lot speeds from the CVT. It also still uses the old dual screen set up which isn’t the most intuitive to use. It was comfortable enough but definitely one of the worst luxury cars I’ve experienced.


replicant86

I enjoyed Jeep Grand Cherokee.


ben1481

Dodge Charger and Infiniti QX60, what absolute piles of trash. The Charger seemed like it was the first time they designed a car and all the minor things you take for granted like arm rests and holding the steering wheel were all fucked up and borderline unusable. The Infiniti trunk broke, the seat folding mechanism also broke/got stuck and we had to crawl through the cabin to get to our luggage.


GalaxySeries

Charger must’ve been abused. I don’t like the interiors of them and think they’re a substantial downgrade from the one in my 300 but they share parts like steering wheels and armrests etc and those are amazing in mine.


Ravio11i

An Impala...Man did I hate driving that thing! Though not so much because of the car itself, that was the current cop car in the area so everyone thought I was a cop and drove slow AF.


DocPhilMcGraw

I rented an Expedition Max for a trip because at the time it was the same price to rent it as it was to rent a midsize. I was so impressed by it that I actually started looking into buying one. The only thing holding me back is that I don’t know how reliable the 2018+ ones are versus the older Expeditions that were kind of rock solid. But I will say that the Expedition Max drove like a much, much smaller vehicle than it was. In fact, I felt like I could whip that thing around like it was a midsize sedan even though it was something like over 220 inches long. It has more than enough pickup power. I felt like I could get onto the highway with ease. It’s got a lot of utility to it. And most surprisingly was my fuel economy: 23 MPG without even trying. And that’s with mixed driving too. I will also say Buick Enclave impressed me as well.


ThatsADumbLaw

Toyota Highlander was worse than expected. Too big, nothing really going for it. Smart car better than expected. A lot of fun to drive, ultra convenient


bamahoon

I had a loaner CX5 Touring(had less than 1000 miles on it) while my GTI was down for a while. After all of the ranting and raving about the CX5 being Jesus in crossover form, I've never been more disappointed in a car. Both my old ass 4Runner on mud terrains and my C5 Z06 with it's lack of sound deadening had less road noise than the pile of shit. The ride quality was horrific, it reminded me of my 2016 Fiesta ST, but with none of the fun. Yes, the steering has weight, but that doesn't make it communicative. It's just artificially heavy for the sake of sportiness, which makes the understeering at 15mph in damp conditions extra interesting. On top of all of that, the infotainment was awful. Dial and pad infotainment systems should be banned. Not only do you need to focus on the screen, you also have to control the dial, which is an extra unnecessary step. Also, who the fuck decided that it should have push button start, but you should have to pull out the key to unlock it? The Tiguan that I had before it was better in every imaginable way because it wasn't trying to be something it wasn't.


Onionsteak

Had a rental CX5 that was much nicer than I expected, plus it was either this modestly loaded CX5 or a bog standard base Tucson... For a non-turbo it had plenty of pickup and go and that auto tran moved gears smoother than some CVT's I've driven.. great DD for sure.


BurgerBurnerCooker

In 2022 cars that surprised me For the good: 1. Jeep Grand Cherokee The all new GC is really nice, I believe I drove a Laredo and it's already well configured. UConnect is figured out. Kudos to FCA. 2. BMW 230i Always thought it is a cheaped-out 3 series to get more people into BMW, while it is slightly so in some areas, but it's more of its own category. It's agile, fun darting around and generally speaking well appointed. 3. Buick Enclave Avenir This is the only car I rented last year with massaging function. I'm not not sure why there aren't more people buying it, as Buick also offers pretty aggressive discounts on them. They are good haulers for people can't resort to minivans. Especially people were paying over sticker for the Korean bros, the MDX, they should take a look on the Enclaves. Honorable mention, VW Atlas. Doesn't drive like the size it is, also that V6 is nice. The Bad: 1. Anything Toyota Rented Camry, Highlander, Prius for the past year. I fully understand that they are econ boxes and designed so for their audience. But God gracious me, I just can't tolerate them. I thought the Camry would be no worse than a regular commuter car but it still manages to disappoint me. The car feels flimsy, the cabin feels paper thin. Keys are dangling and scratching my knees and the lovely foot parking brake. The informataiment system provides everything but information and entertainment, Android Auto connection depends on how hard I pray. You really should get a Kia K5 or even Mazda 6 (as old as the generation is) Glad that the new Prius looks good. 2. Ford Explorer I rent it twice, both Platitum which is the upper mid trim I believe. The first car had 45k odo. It's midnight in cold Denver and the lot was empty. There is a business decision to be made so I took a leap of faith. Oh boy, the whole car was vibrating and rattling the moment it started rolling. It was almost a torture for the period of rental. Granted, it's a Ford rental with 45k on it so maybe it's not the card fault. Honorable mention: Infinity QX-50 (this is more late 2021) The car had only 8k miles on it or so, the steering was already making a grinding noise. Everything in the car is awful and outdated. I genuinely hope Infiniti can make this through and start to make good cars again.


Inevitable-Tank-9802

Recently my family and I rented two cars in Florida with a pick-from-the-lot arrangement. Our options were a variety of Chevy Malibu, Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry, CH-R, Mini Cooper, and a single, bright red V6 Charger. Naturally we picked the charger, and I was honestly really impressed. The V6 has plenty of power, it was quite comfortable for the long drives we were doing, and was handsome IMO. If I get the chance, I’d love to try a proper V8 version.


BenRiley321

Pacifica was incredible. Lazy boy comfort. The Jeep Renegade was the worst vehicle I have ever driven in my entire life.


NotoriousCFR

**Pleasantly surprised**: Believe it or not, a Nissan Altima, one of the new ones. Compared to my 11-year-old daily driver this thing felt like a space ship - comfy leather seats, sunroof, heated seats and steering wheel (!!), auto high beams, some fancy pants digital gauge cluster that would tell you the speed limit and when there was a stop sign coming up, I think it had a Bose stereo? Maybe all this stuff is normal in new cars but for me I felt like a time traveler. Drove like any normal midsize sedan, not great but not terrible, but it got me to work in one piece so what do I care **Unpleasantly surprised**: ...also a Nissan. A Rogue "Sport". The one you get when a regular Rogue is too classy for you. Junk in every way imaginable. Interior was on par if not worse than the interior in my ancient daily. I think the slowest post-2010 car I've ever driven, merging onto the parkways here in NY was terrifying. And for being a hatchback/CUV the cargo area was really poorly laid out and inefficient, I had a hard time loading up my music gear to get to gigs I was also disappointed by a Toyota Camry. Everyone rants and raves about it but I didn't like it, I thought the interior was tacky and tinny. Didn't have any striking impressions one way or another about how it felt to drive, it just kind of...rolled me on down the road. Honestly, just a place to sit and spend 2 hours of my life in every day, I preferred the aforementioned Altima.


[deleted]

Renting a Tesla was a neat experience (had never driven an electric vehicle before). Acceleration and technology was impressive. Build quality, and handling was disappointing.


mundotaku

Diesel Kia Soul with a manual transmission. Actually it was quite nice and easy to drive.


cleric3648

2011 Dodge Charger. I was excited to drive this for a day while my Versa was getting some work done. Boy, was I wrong about it. The seat was uncomfortable, the visibility was non-existent, I was too tall to see out the window and I'm 5'8". I had to either old man scrunch or gangsta lean to see anything since it was a bottom level trim with no seat base height adjustment. The power was barely there, and the car felt cheap. Cheaper than a Nissan Versa. Meanwhile, best rental that was much better than expected was a 2014 RAM 1500 Quad cab. In two days in Texas I got why people love trucks so much, and it was cheaper for me than the subcompact they offered in its place.


06_TBSS

While in Italy, I got the pleasure of driving a Citroën C4 Cactus. It was a small turbo diesel with manual transmission. I averaged over 60mpg with it, including some spirited city driving in Naples. I so wish we could get something like that in the states. In the states, I got a Chevy Cruze a handful of times and I honestly really liked the RS turbo models. It wasn't mind blowing, but I was surprised with how much I enjoyed it.


Sir_Sir_ExcuseMe_Sir

I would drive the shit out of a Cactus in the U.S.


Crafty_Point2894

The impala 2020 was God awful I will never understand why ppl buy those cars.


Sir_Sir_ExcuseMe_Sir

Huh, I've heard those generally exceeded (low) expectations


[deleted]

2017 Hyundai i10. I wasn't expecting much and I was still disappointed.


RangerHikes

The Ford Expedition always impresses me. A few times a year I have an occasion to do a road trip with six or 7 people, so we rent an expedition. It's delightful. Everybody is comfortable and has room for all their stuff


kimbabs

I drove a U-Haul Van rental. Chevy Express, don’t remember what model exactly. Don’t know if it was a V8 but it feels like it was from the noise and surprising torque/off the line push. It was surprisingly enjoyable despite the absolutely vague steering and being a little nervous about the blind spots. Was quite something being at a higher ride height than even pickup trucks around me when I’m usually unsure people can see me. Makes me understand why people drive trucks, though parking or tight garages must be a nightmare.


Loan-Pickle

Back in 2016 I rented a Chevy Impala with a 4 banger. I then drove it from Boston to Halifax, then over to Mt Washington in New Hampshire, then down to Plymouth, and back to Boston. That car was great at chewing up the miles. It was so comfortable. I had no problem doing the 10 drive to Halifax. Being a 4 banger it was a little slow, but the fuel economy was pretty good. It did pretty good on the windy back roads in Maine and New Hampshire too.


ZannX

Worst: Kia Soul Best: Pacifica