Rental Cars I Have Known
General notes on rental cars I’ve driven so I can remember what I do and don’t like the next time I’m buying a car:
- Ford Escape
- Way too big and bulky, especially for city driving and parking. Avoid.
- Nissan Altima
- Enough room. Comfortable and drivable. Mileage isn’t great.
- Mazda 3
- Lots of room. Very comfortable. Just remember to make sure the transmission is in D rather than M. Preferred rental when available.
- Spectra Kia
- No pickup; bad remote control. Real problems on hills and mountains. Poor mileage. Don’t Buy
- Volkswagen Jetta
- A tad cramped. Awful radio. Driveable if better cars aren’t available but not desirable. Don’t Buy
- Chrysler Cruiser
- Just not for me. Don’t Buy
- Toyota Yaris
- Way too small for me. Don’t buy.
- Toyota Prius
- A tad cramped around the left side of the driver. Good mileage. Good all-around car. Nice tech features. Possible.
- Nissan Sentra
- Reasonable car for the city, though one unit I drove had problems accelerating past 40 mph, and had to go back to the dealer to be replaced. Possible.
- Honda Civic (Hybrid)
- Cramped car and very clunky driving compared to a Prius. Avoid.
- Volvo S40
- No headroom to speak of. Avoid.
- Toyota Matrix
- Lots of headroom. Lots of room. Drives OK for a minivan. Acceptable.
