Quote:
Originally Posted by rumatt
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It’s actually not bad.
Here’s some quick thoughts on the rentals I’ve had since Oct:
Ford Fusion Hybrid. Only good thing to say is I averaged 44 MPG over the month I had it. Complete slug in regular mode. Eco mode worse. Felt heavy
Hyundai Elantra. This one was really beat up - dents, dings, stains. Cheap interior plastics. But it drove surprisingly well (as far as FWD econoboxes go). Averaged 35 mpg over 2 weeks.
Chevy Malibu. Only had it a week. Unremarkable and boring to drive. Averaged -25 mpg (was surprised how bad — and it even has an auto start/stop “feature”. Only good thing was it had Apple CarPlay, so didn’t have to try to stick the phone some place visible to use Waze. One unusual design fact - part of the dash was cloth covered (where you’d normally see leather or soft plastic...)
Buick Regal. I’ve had this for 4 weeks now. It’s a platform-mate of the Malibu, but somehow works better. Maybe I’m just partial to 5-door hatches? I think this has a different engine than the Malibu as it is not as sluggish. It has a 9-speed automatic that oddly has no sport mode, even though pulling the gear lever left allows push/pull manual shifting... averaging about 32mpg.
One thing I like about both the Malibu and Regal is that they have the keyless unlock button on the door handle (similar to BMW/MINI). But the button is on all 4 doors. The drivers door button only unlocks that door, but the other 3 buttons unblock all doors - Unlike BMW...
I also had a couple rentals during trips - a Chevy Traverse and Impala. Only drove the Traverse about 30 miles, but I drove the Impala from Sun Valley to Boise and back. Not a fan of the styling, but it was a decent large sedan with nice seats. Drove well enough on that short road trip...