Rental Car Reviews

[Adam]

Car: 2016 Ford Mustang
Date Rented: 10/30/16
Location Rented: IAD
Rental Company: Avis
Powertrain: 310 HP 2.3L I4 turbo with 6AT RWD
Highs: Comfy and supportive seats (with heat and A/C!). Good mid-range torque. Handling seemed solid in what little aggressive driving you can do in DC traffic. You can display may different things in the center of the gauges. I saw 20psi at one point.
Lows: Engine has no top end performance. Highway gears are a letdown (3.15:1 according to the internet). Off-center steering is overboosted. Ride errs on the side of too stiff. Poor visibility (small mirrors, terrible pillar location, low roof, etc). Transmission is slow to shift and tends to lug the engine. I heard pinging at one point...thanks 87 octane! 19.5 mpg over 100 miles mixed driving.
Fun facts: Everywhere you look, you can see horses. On the dash, the stereo, various parts of the exterior, the key. Even below the door on the ground when the door is unlocked/opened at night.
Other notable cars available: Different colour mustangs. Ford Fusion.
Would I rent again? V8 - yes. I would try the EcoBoost again in a different location.

IMG_20161030_163841.jpg

[Adam]

Car: 2016 Nissan Altima
Date Rented: 1/8/17
Location Rented: SAN
Rental Company: Avis
Powertrain: 182 HP 2.5L I4 with CVT FWD (I think, never actually checked)
Highs: Comfortable front seats. Chassis didn't feel terrible over San Diego concrete potholes. Bluetooth.
Lows: Overboosted steering (of course). Engine/transmission performance is terrible in "D" (eco mode). D-s overcompensated by opening the throttle way too much. CVT is super unrefined, had trouble picking an RPM when the throttle position was changed rapidly. 22.6 mpg over ~100 miles mixed driving. Pretty terrible.
Fun facts: When two of these cars are raced in 'eco' mode from a stoplight with 3 engineers in each, the results are hilariously terrible.
Other notable cars available: There were literally no cars in the "swap your assigned car for these cars" section of the garage. Thanks Newark flight delays.
Would I rent again? Not on purpose, but it was nicer than the Hyundai Accent one of the other guys got...

[kevm14]

I was expecting another update from Bob. Though, he probably has re-rented many vehicles on this list, so giving an update to all would be unnecessary. But then again, the Camaro is particularly relevant at this time.

[Bob]

I have been slacking on my rental car reviews. I still need to write one for the Infiniti QX80 and the BMW X1. I might revisit the Camaro too.

Also, I recently started a new position where I am not traveling as often. So, after renting 40+ cars in 2016, I might be looking at around 10 or so this year. Once my elite status runs out in early 2018, you'll get my review of the Nissan Altima.

[kevm14]

Fun fact about the X1:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_X1#Se ... current.29

For 2016, it has switched from a RWD platform to the FWD platform shared with the Mini Countryman. Yay!

[Bob]

I rented the FWD platform one and I have to say it was not terrible.

[kevm14]

A crossover in that size class is likely better suited to a FWD platform, especially since the demographic is probably not chasing Nurburgring records.

[Adam]

Once my elite status runs out in early 2018, you'll get my review of the Nissan Altima.

lol. Hopefully by then I'll be getting more interesting vehicles.

[Bob]

I scored an Infiniti Q50 3.0t AWD today at CLE. Definitely a cut above what I normally get. There was also a Buick Regal T (2.0T?) and a Volvo S60 T5 available. Tough decision, but I went with the fastest car. Full review to come.

[Bob]

Car: 2018 BMW 430i Convertible
Date Rented: 10/13/17 and 10/17/17
Location Rented: BOS and OAK
Rental Company: National
Powertrain: 248 HP / 258 lb-ft 2.0L turbo I4 with 8A
Highs: Superb front seats with many adjustments, even adjustable bolstering. Nice interior. Chassis is decent and pretty rigid for a convertible. Automatic transmission shifts very well and rev matches manual shifts well. Good gas mileage for performance level.
Lows: Lack of steering feel, which doesn't contribute to driver confidence. Engine doesn't seem very sporty and exhaust note leaves a lot to be desired. After watching the power retractable hard top operate a few times, I have concluded that owning this car out of warranty would be a death wish.
Fun facts: Apparently BMW tried to improve steering feel for 2018, but it's still pretty terrible.
Other notable cars available: I was offered a choice of a Camaro RS convertible or the BMW at BOS and the choice of an Ecoboost Mustang or the BMW at OAK
Would I rent again? Maybe, but I think next time I'd probably take the Camaro, even if it's a V6.