| Author | Message | ||
| Rosso (Redhead)
Member Username: Redhead Post Number: 556 Registered: 12-2001 |
Sean, one thing you and your co-worker need to try is "mirror folding". This is when the mirrors fold forward or reverse...at speed of course. We suggest anytthing higher then 60. Otherwise, its boring......  of course...not that we ever did that at the 24 hours of Daytona a year ago.... | ||
| TC (Houston) (Tec)
Member Username: Tec Post Number: 290 Registered: 2-2002 |
I look forward to the top speed run results! | ||
| Paul Cox (Paulc)
Junior Member Username: Paulc Post Number: 62 Registered: 2-2003 |
Jim, I would be happy to contribute any way possible to your magazine, I will start by subscribing. I would like to start out by saying, as far as I know, no animals or people were harmed in any way while conducting this test. I have made it my mission to put as many miles on this rental as I can in the month that I have had it. I am so tired of waiting "til the next month" in every magazine to hear about thr long term road tests. If I can drive 30k miles in 6 months, what is the difference? I don't care how a car handles in snow, because 9 times out of 10 the driver of the car does not know how to drive on snow, so why would I care if the car handles well(Jim this is not aimed at you, just my exp growing up in Omaha.) We need to provide real life experience about cars in the worst conditions. Last time I checked, the good people of the Car Rental world were the only ones who allowed us the opportunity to buy insurance by the day with no deductable. I am not harming the car, I might be using an excessive amount of fossil fuel and rescources, but this is America, so if I want to drive to work in second gear only, I will. My personal favorite rental was a friends Geo Prizm. We were in college and we had lost all 4 hubcaps, so we scoured the parking garage at two in the morning to "find" some before he had to return the car. Amazingly it took three donors to outfit the Prizm | ||
| Sean Ruckel (Sruckel)
Junior Member Username: Sruckel Post Number: 246 Registered: 10-2001 |
Oh -- this could be fun. I get a new rental every week. This week it's a lovely yellow V6 Mustang, last week was a Taurus (talking about screeching tires and people running out of the way). My favorite so far has been the Maxima, and my least favorite is the Daewoo Lasagna. It's amazing what kind of donuts those Grand Prix's do in a mall parking lot with a light mist. And those 5mph bumpers are great for pushing your colleague from behind. (or, so I've heard) | ||
| Jim Muise (Writerguy)
Member Username: Writerguy Post Number: 256 Registered: 9-2003 |
due to current liability rules in Texas i would not be able to condone (wink) or sanction (nudge) such flagrant (grin) abuse (cough) of such a fine (gag) vehicle. | ||
| Paul Cox (Paulc)
Junior Member Username: Paulc Post Number: 61 Registered: 2-2003 |
Rosso, with the way the tires are, I don't need trays under them. I will post the results of a timed top speed run (that is fbo ty and tc) I am hoping to make it to 100 before I run out of road. By the way the e brake in in the console right next to the cup holders and 2.5 gallon tub to hold napkins and candy wrappers. Maybe we can make a "Rental Car Road Test" a weekly feature here. Better yet, we could do it for Jim's new magazine. We could explore the durability of the 5 mph bumper. How many lateral g's before the hubcap shoots off. Things that would make renting a car on vacation an enjoyable experience. | ||
| Jim Muise (Writerguy)
Member Username: Writerguy Post Number: 254 Registered: 9-2003 |
I seem to remember a very bad one with a Grand Am I actually took back to the rental company and insisted they give me something else. I was home in Nova Scotia and it snowed. The Delco ABS and really awful tires made the car unmanageable on dry or wet and snow just made for the scariest ride i have ever been in. E cars only had a Hyundai Accent but at least i didn't feel like the thing was going to snap out from under me. | ||
| Rosso (Redhead)
Member Username: Redhead Post Number: 553 Registered: 12-2001 |
Paul- Key question, where is the e-brake? Foot or center console. Now your talking fun....oh and get trays from McDonalds..under the rear wheels with the ebrake on.....more fun.... EDIT--- I just read Escape..I was thinking of my last rental....a Focus...sorry.... AHHHHH the joys of Rental cars. | ||
| ty (360mode)
Junior Member Username: 360mode Post Number: 246 Registered: 9-2002 |
jim, i think you're on to something for a future option on minivans and such | ||
| Jim E (Jimpo1)
Advanced Member Username: Jimpo1 Post Number: 2744 Registered: 7-2001 |
I've been driving a rental Volvo S80 for the last week. What a boring car. It does everything pretty well, but has no soul whatsoever. The thing I like best about it is the button that lowers the rear headrests with a 'snap' to improve the view out the rear window. It comes in handy when the kids are misbehaving, I push the button and whack them in the head! | ||
| Kevin Butler (Challenge)
Junior Member Username: Challenge Post Number: 223 Registered: 9-2002 |
______________________________________________ Entering the turn, the squealing is replaced by a grinding noise from the tire about the same time as front end plow is at the maximum. I belive this use use to the high profile tires folding underneath the wheel as the car plows through the turn. ________________________________________________ Oh God I'm still laughing at that. Beautiful write-up. Perhaps a review of a LESS exotic renatal in the near future??? Reminds me of a rental car-turned-mountain goat that I had a couple years back (Grand Prix) "wider is better" | ||
| ty (360mode)
Junior Member Username: 360mode Post Number: 244 Registered: 9-2002 |
LMAO. i still can't believe you haven't rolled that thing... bring that bad boy to the next track event! | ||
| Paul Cox (Paulc)
Junior Member Username: Paulc Post Number: 59 Registered: 2-2003 |
Disclaimer: Only try this in a rental car, not your own! Having a slow day at work, I decided to take a long lunch and since that only took about 15 minutes, I headed home. Half way there I decided to see how well the Long Term rental would perform. Here is what I found: Using the time tested method of "Mississippi's" 0-60 took about 9 missis. I tried this again at the next light and experienced almost the exact same times. I believe with a good coat of wax and a slightly less bulky pilot, it would get to an even 9. Handling at the limit in the Escape is very fun and can be quite exciting, esp for the passenger. Accelerating out of the apex, the car(let's be honest, it is not an SUV) exhibits significant torque steel and considerable squealing from the inside front tire. Entering the turn, the squealing is replaced by a grinding noise from the tire about the same time as front end plow is at the maximum. I belive this use use to the high profile tires folding underneath the wheel as the car plows through the turn. Weight transfer through a series of esses can be quite unsettling, I think that new wheels (Chrome DUBs) and a tighter suspension. The car exhibits a tremendous amount of road noise at highway speeds and engine noise is prominent under anything more than half throttle. The interior is coated in a grey velour that at the limits of cornering grab your clothes to keep you planted in the seat. You will know that you have tested the limits when you exit the cat and are greeted with a wicked shock from the door. The seats are hard and the "climate control" does not have a recirculate setting, so you may enjoy all the fumes and experience traffic as if you were in a motorcycle. In short, a 360 it ain't! On the plus side, I can park wherever I want to, esp thight places. Cops do not give me a second look. You only have to add oil, not change it. Your wife or girlfriend will never accuse you of trying to pick up chicks in it (I was laughed at by some punka** teen girls last week). You can buy cheap gas. In short, I want my car back, it is "ONLY a Boxster" not a Ferrari anymore, not even a 911. But |